Get into the spirit

When US billionaire Sydney Frank hit upon the idea for Grey Goose vodka he more or less invented the idea of "super-premium" vodkas in the process. Little did he know that before long the shelves of bars and clubs the world over would be groaning under the weight of vodka. Perhaps it's because Frank managed to convince Bacardi to part with $2.2bn for the rights to Grey Goose after just five years that so many have followed his lead.

The latest entrant to this bar room brawl is Snow Leopard vodka, the brainchild of former Allied Domecq global vice president and keen conservationist Stephen Sparrow. 

But Sparrow claims that Snow Leopard is different. For one thing, 15 per cent of profits from the company go to the Snow Leopard Trust, which runs conservation projects to try and protect the estimated 5,000 remaining Snow Leopards. For another, it is distilled using spelt, an ancient grain that gives the vodka a distinctive nutty taste.