Sometimes, you find yourself in places where the usual options just don’t cut it, and you have to improvise. That’s how I ended up with a bottle of Prime Kisses Vodka on a recent trip to South Sudan.
After all, when you’re camping out with the Mundari tribe and need something to wash down a night of conversation and adventure, a cheap, easy-to-find vodka is a perfect companion.
Click to read about the best Sudanese Drinks.
A Mystery in a Bottle
Now, about Prime Kisses Vodka—it’s a bit of a mystery. While I couldn’t find much about it online, I have a strong hunch it’s either a local knockoff of some popular Ukrainian vodka or just one of those generic bottles that you find everywhere in parts of Africa.
Many vodka brands in places like South Sudan are imported from Ukraine, a country known for its vodka production, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Prime Kisses were one of them. Ukrainian vodka is widely known for being affordable and somewhat indistinguishable from other lower-end global vodkas, and this one fits right in with that mold.
Click to read about South Sudanese food.
Price vs. Quality
I grabbed a bottle for $12, which is about half the price of a bottle of Absolut, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. But for that price, it had to be worth a shot. The vodka came in a simple, unpretentious bottle—nothing fancy, no glitzy branding, just a straight-up spirit, ready to do its job.
The thing that stood out immediately was how smooth it was. Now, don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t top-shelf stuff, but it didn’t have that burn you often get with really cheap vodkas. It’s got a bit of a bite, but it’s smooth enough to sip. Although the bottle top did actually break when I opened it….
Mixing with Novida Soda
On that night out camping with the Mundari tribe, we mixed it with Novida Soda, a local favorite. There’s something about the simplicity of the combo—vodka, soda, and the stars above—that just hits right when you’re in the middle of nowhere.
The vodka was surprisingly easy to drink, and even after a few rounds, I didn’t feel like I’d been hit over the head with the alcohol, which is sometimes the case with cheap booze.
Is It Worth It?
So, here’s the deal: Prime Kisses Vodka is not a luxury spirit by any means, but for $12, it does the job. It might be a local knockoff, it might be Ukrainian, but in the context of a night spent camping with the Mundari tribe in South Sudan, it hit all the right notes. It’s the kind of drink that doesn’t need to be fancy to be enjoyable. Sometimes, the best nights are the simplest ones.
Click to read about my South Sudan Tours.