Upon some recent rummaging through a friend’s liquor cabinet, I stumbled upon a bottle of Beluga Vodka. The spirit hails from Russia, where it’s produced from malt alcohol and purified water at Siberia’s remote Mariinsky Distillery. It’s billed as a…
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Today, International Spirits announced the launch of Ivanabitch Tobacco Flavored Vodka and Menthol Tobacco Flavored Vodka. ….. Ivanabitch is based in the Netherlands, where they produce a line of spirits, including vodka, brandy and gin. It’s billed as “vodka with…
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Plenty of celebrities endorse spirits brands. Many of them endorse vodka brands. Dan Akroyd (Crystal Head) and Diddy (Circoc) come to mind. But none of that matters anymore. Because Dennis Rodman — jetsetting friend to North Korea and piercing aficionado…
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Vodka Distilled is a relatively new book from bartender, drinks consultant and self-titled “Modern Mixologist” Tony Abou-Ganim. Vodka holds an interesting place in the market. It remains the most consumed spirit — both stateside and abroad — while being generally…
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Woody Creek Distillers is a new distillery based in Colorado. After some construction, farming and producing spirits, they opened their 10,000 square foot facility in May. Woody Creek currently has one product on the market — their signature Potato Vodka…
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Top of the Hill Distillery is a new North Carolina outfit that’s producing small batches of vodka and white whiskey, plus a gin that’s currently in the works. Based in Chapel Hill, they’re distilling their products from local organic wheat…
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Hawaii has experienced a bit of a distilling boom in recent years, with a number of spirits now produced on the island. So that makes Ocean Vodka, launched in 2006, a grizzled veteran of the Hawaii distilling scene. It’s the…
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Anchor Distilling Company has been busy of late. In November, the San Francisco-based outfit introduced a couple of Japanese whiskeys, and just last month, they announced Hophead Vodka. While most vodka comes from grain or potatoes, this latest innovation is…
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Belaya Rus Vodka hails from Belarus, where it was introduced in 1993. It’s comprised of rye (75%) and wheat (25%), and is distilled six times. Before it’s blended with water — which happens to be drawn from 1000-foot deep wells…
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One of the latest products to cross our desk is Vikingfjord Vodka. It’s our first hands-on encounter with the Norway-based spirit, which is distilled from potatoes. After distillation, it’s blended with water that comes courtesy of the 5,000 year old…
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Vodka is often derided in the spirits community. Well, by non vodka producers, at least. It’s because vodka (the unflavored variety) is neutral. It’s distilled to such a high proof that most of its natural flavor is distilled right out…
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If you’ve been following along, you might have read Cocktail Enthusiast’s recent recap of Grey Goose Le Voyage, a whirlwind trip through France that included stops in Picardy and Cognac, plus lots and lots of vodka. We toured wheat fields…
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Our final day on Le Voyage was spent in the city of Cognac to learn more about the background and tradition of Maitre de Chai (cellar master), Francois Thibault. We wandered the cobblestone streets in the rain on our way…
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When spirits entrepreneur Sidney Frank approached Francois Thibault about making the “World’s Best Tasting Vodka” the renowned cellar master decided against using grapes in its production. Partly to not steal business from his friends in the cognac business, but also for the…
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Vodka. It’s an under appreciated spirit throughout most of the cocktail world. By design, it lacks taste and odor. Devoid of the fine complexities of a whiskey or cognac. And, in some cases, it comes in flavors like whipped cream…
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Sigh. It’s true that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a beloved American classic. I had one for lunch, in fact. But do we really need a PB&J Vodka? Van Gogh thinks so, although their credibility must be examined after…
Read MoreDoes the world need more flavored vodkas? Especially if those flavors are “Hot” and “Sticki”? Stolichnaya – one of the industry’s leading vodka brands and current producer of such flavors as chocolate raspberry, white pomegranate and wild cherry – just…
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Vision Vodka hails from Oregon, where it’s crafted with American wheat and mountain spring water before being distilled five times. During its short time on the market, Vision Vodka has won numerous awards, including a gold medal at the 2011…
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Karlsson’s Gold Vodka is distilled from virgin new potatoes grown in Sweden’s Cape Bjar. This ‘07 entrant to the U.S. market is made by Bjore Karlsson, who helped create Absolut, one of the world’s most popular and better-produced vodkas. Karlsson’s…
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Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka is a brand of Zubrówka (Zoo-Bruhv-Ka), which is Polish vodka made from a particular type of grass that’s popular with bison. For years it was banned in America, as the grass contains trace amounts of toxic…
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