Review: New Amsterdam Gluten Free Vodka
New Amsterdam Gluten Free Vodka was just released. The bottles painted trim is brown for those keeping track at home. For those unfamiliar with New Amsterdam, their flavored vodka comes in bottles matching the fruit flavors with corresponding bottle trim colors. NA Gluten Free joins a vodka lineup that includes 9 flavored vodka’s, a 100 proof vodka, and their Original New Amsterdam Vodka. These vodka’s are all made from “the finest grains”. No specific grains are listed. New Amsterdam Gluten Free Vodka is made from “the finest corn” grown in the heartlands. It is distilled five times and meticulously filtered three times before bottling at 80 proof. Only Smirnoff and Tito’s sell more vodka in the US. Last year New Amsterdam sold over 5 million cases of vodka. Not bad considering their first bottle was sold in 2011. 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: Striped Vodka
Striped Vodka was first released September 2013. It is crafted at the Striped Pig Distillery in Charleston South Carolina. In 1838 the 15-Gallon act was passed which made the sale of alcohol illegal in any quantity under 15 gallons. To circumvent this law a true entrepreneur charged guests 4 pense to see a pig painted in strips. In return the guests were served a free glass of liquor. The Striped Pig distillery takes its name from this ploy to elude the Temperance law. Striped Vodka is made from 100% locally grown corn harvested at Myer’s farm in Bowman South Carolina. The corn is milled onsite at the distillery to exact specifications. It is small batch fermented with carefully selected strains of yeast and distilled five times. The vodka is rested before bottling on site. Read more
Review: Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka is now made with NON-GMO corn. The previous bottling only specified Midwest grown grain, but it was also made from corn. Monsanto created the first commercially available corn with genetically engineered modifications in 1996. Some estimate over 80% of the corn grown in the US today has been genetically modified. If you have shopped for corn recently, you will see a premium charged for NON-GMO corn. Smirnoff is not passing that added expense to it’s customers. Smirnoff is the worlds best selling vodka, and the history dates back to the 1860’s when Piotr Smirnov opened his distillery in Moscow. He was the first to use a charcoal filtration system. Smirnoff No. 21 is distilled in the US, possibly Connecticut, and bottled in Plainfield Illinois. The spirit is triple distilled and ten times filtered. I’m interested in seeing not only how the new Smirnoff No. 21 tastes, but also how it compares with the previous version. So as not to influence my review I will sample and review the new Smirnoff NO.21 before I sample an unopened bottle of the previous Smirnoff No, 21 Vodka. 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: American Anthem Vodka
American Anthem Vodka was released by Diageo May 2018. Diageo already produces the Smirnoff, Ketel One, and Ciroc brands. For every bottle of American Anthem Vodka sold, Diageo will donate $1 to charities supporting military personnel and their families. American Anthem is 5 times distilled from corn grown in Iowa and Indiana. With a retail list price of $14.99 for a 750ml bottle, I purchased my bottle for $9.99, American Anthem appears to be positioned at a price point at or below market leader Smirnoff. This has been a fast growing segment, as the comparably priced New Amsterdam and Platinum 7X have been two of the fastest growing vodka brands in recent years. Read more
Review: Two Founders 80 Acres Vodka
Two Founders 80 Acres Vodka was recently released. I found my bottle at Total Wine and More. Two Founders is one of several vodka varieties that are bottled in Princeton Minnesota that I only seem to find at Total Wine and More stores. Two Founders is made from corn grown in Iowa, presumable on an 80 acre farm. The spirit is distilled five times in Iowa before heading to Princeton Minnesota to be bottled at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Earth Vodka
Earth vodka is made from corn and is distilled 6 times before it is bottled at the Levecke Distillery in Mira Loma California. Levecke is a Private label producer of dozens spirits. Earth Vodka is a bargain priced vodka. I picked up my 750ml bottle for $7.99 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa California. The bottles label made from recycled paper describes Earth Vodka as a Premium Gluten Free California Vodka. Read more
Review: Vanjak Vodka
Vanjak Vodka is the culmination of one families vision to create a premium Colorado vodka on a par with International brands. Vanjak gets its name from combining family members first names. Those names are Van, Jory, Anna, and Kim. It is made from corn and fresh spring water from Eldorado Canyon in Boulder Colorado. Vanjac Vodka is small batch distilled six times at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. A silver filtration process follows before bottling at 80 proof. Read more