Review: Burnetts Citrus Vodka
Burnetts Citrus Vodka was introduced in 2000. Citrus and Orange were Burnetts first two flavored vodka’s. They currently product 33 flavored vodka’s. While this number is impressive, at one time they made 37. Burnetts has not released a new flavor in 5 years. Burnetts Citrus starts with a vodka base made from 100% grain in Bardstown Kentucky by Heaven Hill Distillers. Heaven Hill also make Elijah Craig Bourbon, Blackheart Spiced Rum, Lunazul Tequila, Christian Brothers Brandy, and Deep Eddy Vodka. The Burnett’s vodka base is quadruple distilled and triple charcoal filtered. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Little additional information is available but the bottles label only pictures a lemon. Read more 
Review: Smirnoff Watermelon & Mint Zero Sugar Infusions
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mirnoff Watermelon & Mint Zero Sugar Infusions joins the previously reviewed Strawberry & Rose, and Cucumber & Lime flavors in Smirnoff’s recently released Zero Sugar Infusions line of vodka. Gone are the days of desert flavored vodka. Todays two hottest flavored vodka trends are real fruit juice infused, and zero sugar infused vodka. Smirnoff also offers 4 fruit juice infused vodka flavors in their Sourced line of vodka. The timing for this release is perfect. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and no fruit represents summer more than watermelon. Smirnoff Watermelon & Mint is made from a gluten free vodka base distilled from corn. Natural flavors and essence of real botanicals are infused before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Cucumber & Lime Zero Sugar Infusions
Smirnoff Cucumber & Lime Zero Sugar Infusions joins Strawberry & Rose, and Watermelon & Mint in Smirnoff’s just launched Zero Sugar Infusions line of vodka. Cucumber and Lime have been a popular flavored vodka combination, as Svedka, Three Olives, Burnett, and Rain have previously released their own Cucumber and Lime flavored vodkas. At 72 calories per 1.5 Oz. serving I view Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions and Diageo stablemate Ketel One Botanicals as the next generation of reduced calorie vodka. Previous reduced calorie flavored vodka brands include Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl and Pitbull’s Voli Vodka. Both were good concepts, backed ,by popular celebrities, but both lacked an important ingredient, good taste. Neither brand currently produces a flavored vodka. Smirnoff Cucumber & Lime is made from a corn distilled vodka base. Natural flavors and essence of real botanicals are infused with the vodka base before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Skyy Infusions Cold Brew Coffee Vodka
Skyy Infusions Cold Brew Coffee Vodka was just released. While I have reviewed several espresso flavored vodka’s, this is my first experience with a cold brew coffee vodka. The only other brand I know of is Beak and Skiff 1911 Cold Brew Coffee Vodka. This is produced in Lafayette New York, and distribution is limited, so we haven’t been able to get our hands on a bottle to review. For those not familiar with cold brew coffee, it differs from Iced Coffee. Cold Brew is coffee brewed with room temperature or cold water for 12-24 hours. Skyy Cold Brew starts with a vodka base made from Midwestern grown wheat. It is quadruple column distilled and triple filtered through California limestone. Water filtered through reverse osmosis is blended to reduce to proof. Real Arabica coffee beans and natural flavors are infused with the vodka before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Strawberry & Rose Zero Sugar Infusions
Smirnoff Strawberry & Rose Zero Sugar Infusions is one of three flavor variants in Smirnoff’s new Zero Sugar Infusions line of vodka. The other two flavors are Cucumber and Lime, and Watermelon and Mint. Vodka has long been the adult beverage of choice for those counting points and calories. An ice filled glass, a shot of Smirnoff, topped with your favorite flavored seltzer water, was, and is a popular healthier lifestyle option. That option has been challenged with the popularity of Hard Selzer’s. Turn about is fair play as Smirnoff Zero Sugar joins Ketel One Botanical in launching a sugar free flavor infused vodka. Smirnoff Zero Sugar is gluten free and infused with natural flavors and essence of real botanicals. Add a splash of soda and you are still sitting pretty at 72 calories per serving. Read more
Review: Effen Yuzu Citrus Vodka
Effen Yuzu Citrus Vodka was just released. It joins a flavor lineup that includes, Green Apple, Raspberry, Black Cherry, Cucumber, Blood Orange, and Rose. Yuzu fruit originated in China, and grows to the size of a tangerine. The Effen vodka base is made from premium wheat grown in Northern Holland. Effen uses a continuous distillation process where the liquid circulates within giant stainless steel columns and is effectively distilled hundreds of times. Heating during distillation occurs at temperatures below 85 degrees creating a vodka without any trace of burnt sugar. Effen is filtered 5 times through active carbon. Pure spring water filtered through reverse osmosis is blended with the vodka for several days to reduce to proof. Natural yuzu and citrus flavors are infused before bottling at 75 proof in a yellow polymer sleeved bottle. Read more
Review: Absolut Juice Strawberry Edition
Absolut Juice Strawberry Edition was just released along with an Apple Edition. The bottles label hints at a seasonal release, with Summer notched for each of these two flavors. If you are a fan of flavored vodka’s, I’m sure you have already noticed several real fruit juice infused flavored vodka’s. Absolut Strawberry is made from Swedish winter wheat sourced from 450 local farms. One kilo of wheat is needed to produce one liter of vodka. The wheat is milled onsite, blended with water, a proprietary yeast, and fermented for 2 days. A continuous distillation process is used with steel column stills and copper plates. The spirit is filtered once through a mesh filter. Pure deep well water that comes from naturally filtered aquifers is softened through reverse osmosis and then blended with the spirit to reduce to proof. 5% real strawberry juice, and natural flavors are infused with the vodka before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Ciroc Summer Watermelon Vodka
Ciroc Summer Watermelon Vodka was just released. Summer Watermelon is a Limited Edition flavor. It joins a flavor lineup that already includes 9 year round flavors. Last years Limited Edition flavor, Summer Colada is still available, while supplies last. To create Summer Watermelon Sean “Diddy” Combs worked with DJ Khaled and Diageo to develop the flavor profile. The vodka base is made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc Grapes. The juice is made into 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 Distillerie de Chevanceaux in the South of France. The vodka is infused with a blend of watermelon and natural flavors before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Stoli Lime Vodka
Stoli Lime Vodka was just released. After shortening their flavored vodka lineup, Stoli is now rebuilding. They recently added Stoli Crushed Strawberry, the fourth member of their Crushed, real fruit juice infused vodka brand they launched in 2016. Stoli Lime joins a lineup that includes Stoli Cucumber, introduced last year. Stoli Lime starts with a vodka base made from estate grown winter wheat from fields in the Tambov region surrounding their distillery. The spirit is triple distilled. The spirit travels to the historic Latvijas Balzarns in Riga Latvia, where pure artesian well water is blended to reduce to proof. The vodka is quadruple filtered through a series that includes quartz, Siberian birch, and tightly woven cloth. Natural lime flavor is infused before bottling at 75 proof. Read more
Review: Arcadia Grapefruit Vodka
Arcadia Grapefruit Vodka is one of eight flavored vodka’s distilled and infused at the OHSO Brewery and Distillery in Scottsdale Arizona. The other seven flavors include Meyer Lemon, Orange, Coffee, Horseradish, Jalapeno, Cucumber, and Rosemary. I have enjoyed OHSO beers for years while vacationing in Arizona. Arcadia Grapefruit starts with a vodka base distilled from sugarcane. Dried grapefruit peel is soaked in vodka. The infused vodka is then redistilled and the distillate is mixed with real grapefruit peel extract and the natural sugars and acids found in real grapefruit: sucrose, glucose, fructose, citric acid, and malic acid. Read more