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: Breckenridge Pear Vodka
Breckenridge Pear Vodka is crafted in Breckenridge Colorado at 9600 feet above sea level. No other spirit is distilled at a higher altitude. They also create Breckenridge Chili Chile a vodka infused with Colorado Chile and Turkish Chili, and Breckenridge Espresso Flavored Vodka. Each of these vodkas start with their unflavored original Breckenridge Vodka, made from 100% sweet corn as a base. After fermenting in a traditional Scotch-style open top fermenter the vodka is distilled five times in a 700 gallon Vendome custom copper combination pot still. A coconut shell charcoal filtration follows, before pure ice cold Rocky Mountain snowmelt water is blended to reduce to proof. In crafting Breckenridge Pear Vodka, a pear brandy is made from Palisade Colorado Pears grown on Colorado’s Western slopes. This brandy is infused with the vodka before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Skyy Infusions Bartlett Pear Vodka
Skyy Infusions Bartlett Pear Vodka was just released. It is the 17th flavored vodka in their Infusions line of vodka. The Bartlett Pear’s origin dates back to the 1760’s in England and was first named a Williams Pear. Seeds from this pear were first brought to the US around 1800. They were planted in Massachusetts on an estate later acquired by Enoch Bartlett. Hence the Bartlett name. Today nearly 50% of the pears harvested in the US are Bartlett Pears. This is actually down from the 80% market share they enjoyed 30 years ago. Bartlett Pears are eaten fresh and they are used for canning, puree and pear juice. Pear is not a common vodka flavor and two of the pear flavored vodkas currently in my bar, one made by Smirnoff, and the other by Hangar One, are no longer available. Skyy Infusions Bartlett Pear is made from a vodka base of Midwestern grown wheat that is quadruple distilled in Pekin Illinois. Upon arriving in San Jose California the vodka is blended with water filtered through reverse osmosis and then filtered through California Limestone. The vodka is then infused with Bartlett Pear and other natural flavors before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Three Olives Apples and Pears Vodka
Three Olives Apples and Pears Vodka will soon be released. I was able to pick up a bottle a little early. This is their 31st vodka variety. Watch for my review of their 32nd tomorrow. These are their first new flavors since last summers release of Peach, Pineapple, and Blueberry. Three-O Apples and Pears Vodka is made with English winter wheat and demineralized water from Lake Vyrnmy. It is quadruple distilled and triple filtered in England and shipped to Lawrenceburg Indiana where apple and pear flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Veil Pear Vodka
Veil Pear vodka is one of 16 flavors created under the Veil label by the Distiller Sales Company in Princeton Minnesota. This contract distiller also makes 14 other vodka brands and dozens of other spirits. That’s a lot of different brands and products. Veil Pear vodka is made with premium grains and pristine water, and it is distilled five times and charcoal filtered. Flavor of unknown origin is added before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Pear Vodka
Smirnoff Pear vodka was introduced in 2010. It is one of 39 flavors they create with their Recipe 21 vodka as the base. Recipe 21 is made with premium grain which is triple distilled and filtered 10 times before natural pear flavor is added. While there are not many vodka distillers creating a pear flavored vodka, it is curious that three of the best known and best selling brands, Smirnoff, Grey Goose, and Absolut all do. Read more
Review: Absolut Pears Vodka
Absolut Pears vodka was introduced in 2007. It is one of twenty flavored vodka’s Absolut creates in Ahus Sweden for the US market. They start with Swedish winter wheat and pure deep well water. A continuous distillation process is used before Anjou pears and all natural ingredients are added. Anjou Pears are native to Belgium or France. They are the second most popular pear in the US and they are commonly used in salads and pastries as they are more firm than Bartlett pears, which are commonly canned or eaten fresh. Read more
Review: Grey Goose La Poire Vodka
Grey Goose La Poire vodka was introduced February 2007. It is one of five flavored vodkas Grey Goose has created to compliment their original Grey Goose. It is made in France with soft winter wheat grown in the Picardy region of France, and pristine spiring water that has been naturally filtered through Champaign limestone from the Cognac region in France. It is distilled using a five column distillation process. Spring water filtered through a double reverse osmosis is blended with the vodka before it is filtered through cellulose and carbon. Anjou pears grown in the Anjou region of France are delivered to a parfumerie where the flavors and aromas are extracted. These essential oils are then blended with their original vodka. Read more