Review: Bare Bone Vodka
Bare Bone Vodka was founded by Justin McColgan who was a president of a Napa Winery for over ten years. One day he challenged his friends that he could make the best vodka in America. Eighteen months and 82 batches later Bare Bones was launched. Inspired by bourbon, Bare Bone is made from a two grain mash bill of Texas grown corn and wheat. The corn spirit is distilled six times and the wheat spirit three times. The spirits are blended and reduced to proof with locally sourced triple distilled water then triple charcoal filtered before bottling at 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Blackland Vodka
Blackland Vodka is a grain to glass vodka crafted with locally grown Texas wheat. It is distilled in Fort Worth Texas on a custom built still made in The Netherlands by iStill. The distillery opened its doors 2019 and they currently also produce gin, bourbon, rye whiskey, and Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon. Founder Markus Kypreos started his career as an attorney and later graduated from the Culinary School of Fort Worth. He is also a certified sommelier. The Blackland Distillery is named for the Blackland Prairie that runs from the Red River to the North and San Antonio to the south. Head Distiller Ezra Cox had brewed beer and distilled spirits for 25 years including crafting spirits at his own Ezra Cox Distillery in Washington prior to joining the Blackland team. Read more
Review: Texas Vodka
Texas Vodka is one of several vodka brands sold exclusively at Trader Joes stores. It is made in Texas from 100% corn, distilled 6 times, and comes with a plastic twist cap, leaving little doubt who they want to be compared with. When the vodka first appeared at Trader Joes it was labeled TX Vodka. The brand is owned by Dynasty Spirits. Dynasty Spirits was founded in 2010 by Devin Dell. Dynasty produces Painted Donkey Tequila, and several brands of vodka including Tower, Column 5, Green House, Stil, and Townes. Dynasty also created the Nue Vodka product line until they sold it to Southwestern Spirits. Read more
Review: Noble Wolf Vodka
Noble Wolf Vodka is to my knowledge the first and only vodka distilled from 100% Florida grapefruit. The idea for the brand came to former University of Texas football star Bryce Cottrell while he was flying to Iowa State for a game. He was watching an episode of the HBO show Entourage where Turtle launched a tequila brand. When he returned from Iowa he placed an ad looking for a chemist to create his vodka. For the cost of a Five Guys burger and $80 cash the chemist created the vodka and found a distillery to produce it. While still a student and starting defensive end at the University of Texas he launched the 8 time distilled vodka. They also produce Noble Wolf Pink Lemonade and their Facebook page teases a Noble Wolf Red Berry flavor. Read more
Review: Cinco Vodka
Cinco Vodka was launched in 2010 by Richard Trey Azar III. It is made from 100% Idaho sourced amber wheat and water drawn from the Edwards aquifer which is naturally filtered through Cordova Creme limestone found beneath San Antonio Texas. It is small batch distilled five times in a 530 gallon hand hammered copper kettle still nicknamed Betty, and non charcoal filtered. I first tasted Cinco’s pool side at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort several years ago, and kicked myself for not bringing home a bottle to review. If you have stayed and dined at this Marriott property you will probably understand why I had no time to shop for liquor offsite. When produced Cinco was only available in Texas. I say when produced, because Cinco is no longer produced, it is still available throughout Texas. I picked up my bottle at Specs today. Richard Trey Azar III has since moved on to gin as he felt the vodka market was over saturated. He is now producing the award winning Seersucker Gin. While I’m still in Texas maybe I should pick up a bottle of Seersucker, since I’ve been told for several years, gin is what the cool kids are drinking now. Read more
Review: Steel Dust Vodka
Steel Dust Vodka is named for a horse who was born in Kentucky in 1843, and brought to Texas as a yearling. The 16 hand tall champion quarter miler match horse was so fast his jockey reportedly coated the stallions back with molasses in order to stay aboard the entire ride. Steel Dust is made from locally grown corn and is distilled six times. The first five times in small batches in a copper pot still. The spirit is finished in a custom column still. If a vodka made from locally grown Texas corn distilled six times in a copper pot still sounds familiar, the bottle design including the plastic top closure will remind you even more of another Texas born vodka. Steel Dust Vodka touts a farm to bottle experience but no farm or distillery information is provided. Steel Dust is bottled by Ocean State Distillers, Woonsocket Rhode Island. Read more
Review: Fire Oak Vodka
Fire Oak Vodka was released in 2016. The husband and wife team who opened the distillery in the Texas Hill Country also produce Fire Oak Texas Bourbon Whiskey. Fire Oak Vodka has been on my radar for quite sometime, as they have been collecting Gold Medals faster than Michael Phelps. Fire Oak is the official vodka of the Dallas Stars NHL hockey team. Fire Oak Vodka is small batch distilled five times in a custom copper still, from 100% non GMO corn. Read more
Review: Space City Vodka
Space City Vodka is crafted at Whitmeyer’s Distilling Co. in Houston Texas. I picked up a bottle on a recent trip to Houston. If you have ever been to Houston you know just how space proud Houstonian’s are. Their Major League baseball team is the Astros, and their NBA basketball team is the Rockets. The Space Center in Houston hosts more than one million visitors annually. Travis and Chris Whitmeyer founded the distillery with money raised from family and friends in 2012. This was the first legal distillery in Harris County since prohibition. They also produce several whiskeys, gin, and moonshine. Space City vodka is made from corn, distilled six times, and filtered through activated carbon. Read more
Review: Enchanted Rock Vodka
Enchanted Rock Vodka is made at the Rebecca Creek Distillery in San Antonio Texas. The distillery was founded by Steve Ison in 2009. The Rebecca Creek Distillery also produces Enchanted Rock Peach Vodka, Rebecca Creek Whiskey, and Texas Ranger Whiskey. Enchanted Rock is named for the pink granite mountain located about 17 miles north of Fredricksburg Texas. It is said to be haunted by ghosts. Enchanted Rock Vodka is crafted in small batches. The hearts of the distillate are made from corn and distilled in a Christian Carl copper pot still. The spirits then enter in vapor form under pressure into a modern 6 plate copper column still where the spirit is distilled the functional equivalent of 10 times. The flavor is rounded out using a proprietary 28 degree frost filtration. The temperature is first reduced to 28 degrees and then the chilled vodka is passed under pressure through 25 microfiber paper filters. Pure limestone filtered water is blended to reduce to proof. Read more
Review: Western Son Vodka
Western Son Vodka was first produced in Carrollton Texas at a distillery built in 2011. Growth has exceeded that distilleries capability and Western Son is now made at their new distillery that once housed a former panty factory in Pilot Point Texas. They also create six flavored vodka’s and three whiskeys. Like their better known Texas neighbors Tito’s, and Deep Eddy, Western Son Vodka is made from yellow corn. It is distilled ten times through a 20 foot column still and quadruple filtered. Water filtered through reverse osmosis is blended with the vodka to reduce to 80 proof. Read more