Review: Prairie Organic Apple Pear & Ginger Vodka
Prairie Organic Spirits , The #1 USDA Certified Organic spirits brand is expanding its portfolio of farm crafted spirits with the launch of its new Sustainable Seasons line of organic botanical infused vodka. There are currently three flavor varieties including Prairie Organic Apple, Pear, & Ginger, Grapefruit, Hibiscus, and Chamomile, and Watermelon, Cucumber, & Lime. Prairie Organic Apple, Pear & Ginger is made from single sourced vintage corn grown on family owned organic Midwest farms. The harvested organic corn is brought to a farmer owned co-op where it is ground up and put into a mash where it ferments. It is then delivered to Prairie Organic Spirits where it is distilled to taste in a copper still. Organic apple, pear, and ginger are infused with the vodka. No sugar or artificial sweeteners are added before bottling at 60 proof. FYI: Apples and Pears are both included on Environmental Working Groups 2020 Dirty Dozen List which annually highlights fruit and vegetables that have the highest pesticide residues when not grown organically. Read more 
Review: Heart of Glass Strawberry Vodka
Heart of Glass Strawberry Vodka is crafted at Toledo Spirits Company in Toledo Ohio. At one time Toledo was the glass capital of the world earning the towns nickname Glass City. Toledo Spirits was founded by Andrew Newby, Lukas Kummer, and Dustin Wade. They released their first spirit, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot in 2015. November 2016 they introduced Heart of Glass Strawberry Vodka. They currently also produce Heart of Gold Vodka, Orange Tiger Liqueur, East Side Gin, and Maumee Moonshine. Heart of Glass Strawberry is made from a 100% corn base that is distilled six times. Fresh Ohio strawberries grown at Polters Berry Farm in Fremont Ohio are macerated with the spirit before distilling a seventh time. One pound of fresh strawberries is needed to produce one 750 ml bottle. The vodka passes through a cartridge filter before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: SILO Lavender Vodka
SILO Lavender Vodka is one of four flavored vodka’s crafted in Windsor Vermont by Head Distiller Erin Bell. The SILO Barn Distillery was built in 2013 by Peter Jilson and Anne Marie Delaney. They also craft 2 gins, bourbon, whiskey, and SILO Maple Whiskey. The other flavored vodkas include Cucumber, Lemon, and Cacao. Each starts with Original SILO Vodka that is made from 100% NON GMO corn grown in North Clarendon Vermont. The corn is milled, mashed, and then distilled on their custom built stainless steel and copper Carl Still. A high concentrated tincture made by macerating the lavender flowers grown in Derby Vermont is blended with the vodka base before bottling on site at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Svedka Pure Infusions Dragonfruit Melon
Svedka has just released Pure Infusions, a zero sugar, natural fruit infused vodka. Weighing in at 70 calories per 1.5 Oz. serving Svedka no doubt is taking aim at the market created with the release of Ketel One Botanicals and Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions. Dragonfruit Melon is one of three flavors available at launch. Strawberry Guava, and Ginger Lime are the others. The vodka base is made from Swedish winter wheat and pure ice cold Swedish spring water. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Svedka Pure Infusions Strawberry Guava
Svedka has just released Pure Infusions a new line of flavor infused vodka. At launch the three flavors include Strawberry Guava, Dragon Fruit Melon, and Ginger Lime. Each variety weighs in at 60 proof with 0 sugar, 0 carbs, and 70 calories per 1.5 oz. serving. Svedka distills their vodka in Sweden from Swedish Winter Wheat five times in a continuous distillation process. Ice cold water from Swedish springs is blended to reduce to proof. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Absolut Juice Pear & Elderflower
Absolut Juice Pear & Elderflower was just released. It joins the previously released Absolut Juice Strawberry, and Absolut Juice Pear that launched Absolut’s 5% real juice infused Absolut Juice line last April. Absolut struck gold last year when they signed Lizzo as a celebrity endorser. Her hit song Juice was a perfect fit for the Juice brand, and her Absolut Juice video has been viewed by millions. Elderflowers grow in most of Europe and are in bloom from Mid-May until early June. They are probably best know in the US as the main ingredient in St. Germain Liqueur, a French made Elderflower liqueur. Absolut Juice Pear & Elderflower starts with the Absolut vodka base that is made from Swedish Winter Wheat sourced from 450 local farmers. One kilo of wheat is used to produce one liter of vodka. The wheat is milled onsite and blended with water and a proprietary yeast and fermented for 2 days. It is continuously distilled and filtered once through mesh. Real fruit juice and natural flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Boardroom Fresh Cranberry Vodka
Boardroom Fresh Cranberry Vodka was launched November 2016. With Thanksgiving only days away I thought it was a good time to review a Thanksgiving Day themed vodka. To the best of my knowledge no one has yet created a turkey, dressing, or gravy flavored vodka so cranberry was my selection. Boardroom Fresh Cranberry is made from a 100% non GMO corn vodka base. The vodka is distilled in a Hagyo custom built 530 gallon still and then infused with dried cranberries. About 150 dried cranberries are needed to craft one bottle of Boardroom Fresh Cranberry Vodka. No artificial flavors, color, sugar, or preservatives are added before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Pinnacle Lemonade Vodka
Pinnacle Lemonade Vodka is a limited edition release introduced the summer of 2019. It is made from vodka distilled at Distillerie de la Tour in France from whole grain winter wheat grown in Northern France, and pure spring water sourced from the Charente Region. The spirit is distilled five times and then shipped to the US. Natural flavors are blended with the vodka base before bottling at 70 proof. At one time Pinnacle flavored and bottled their vodka in Frankfort Kentucky. That may still be the case but each bottles label now reads it is produced and bottled by Portfield Importers in Chicago IL. FYI, Jim Beam is headquartered in suburban Chicago. Read more
Review: Cathead Pecan Vodka
Cathead Pecan Vodka is produced and bottled by Bottletree Beverage Company in Jackson Mississippi. Mississippi repealed Prohibition in 1966, the last state to do so. Forty four years later longtime friends and blues fans Austin Evans, and Richard Patrick founded Cathead. The term Cathead is a compliment in Mississippi, first coined by blues musicians as a nod to artists they respect. Master Distiller Phillip Ladner also crafts Cathead Vodka, Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, Bristow Gin, Bristow Reserve Gin, HooDoo Chicory Liqueur, and Old Soul Bourbon. Cathead Pecan starts with the Cathead vodka base that is made from sweet grain corn and is distilled in a 181 liter copper pot still. Macerated roasted pecans aged in stainless steel are infused with the vodka base, and pure Louisiana cane sugar is blended before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Ciroc White Grape
Ciroc White Grape was just launched. It is a Limited Edition release. It joins a year round flavored vodka lineup that now numbers eight. The vodka base is made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc grapes. The juice is made into a wine. The wine is distilled four times in stainless column stills by Master Distiller Jean-Sebastien Robicquet at his 500 year old family owned Maison Villevert Distillery. A fifth distillation follows in a traditional custom copper pot still at Distillation de Chevanceaux in the South of France. The vodka base is then infused with a blend of white grape and other natural flavors. Read more