I don't know about the quality of the vodka in the martinis, but I "assume" it was pretty good as I was in the Top of the World Trade Towers restaurant when slurping them up. It WAS a pretty swanky place so I don't think the quality was the issue, instead I think it was that I wasn't used to drinking alcohol at the time. I was merely a wine drinker back then and was celebrating a move out West for my roomie at the time, so we wanted to go big and give her a night to remember.

As far as your suggested "experiment", well I rather like the idea, but these days my tolerance for vodka is much better. I was so young and tender then...