Review: Azeo From Apples Vodka
Azeo From Apples Vodka is crafted at Azeo Distillery in Paso Robles California. Winemakers David Vondrasek and Ryan Horn began making vodka from fruit in 2015. Their first vodka was made from wine grapes sourced from California vineyards. Their second vodka was made from apples. The distillery currently also produces rum, brandy, moonshine, and spirit of agave. Eighteen pounds of apples are needed to produce one bottle of Azeo From Apples Vodka. Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Cripps Pink apples are pressed and fermented onsite creating a hard cider. The spirit is distilled in a steam jacketed 500 liter pot still with a 16 chamber column. Read more 
Review: The Art of The Still Vodka
The Art of The Still Vodka is one of three private label brands of vodka sold at Trader Joe’s. The other two are Trader Joes Versatile Spirit Vodka, and Vodka of the Gods. While more expensive per ounce than the other two brands The Art of the Still is hardly a premium priced vodka. It is made from single vintage organic yellow corn. The vodka is distilled 4 times at US Distilled Products in Princeton Minnesota. US Distilled Products is one of the largest blenders and bottlers of alcoholic beverages in the US. They produce hundreds of Private Label and Contract Manufactured brands. A couple of the vodkas produced there include UV, and Prairie Organic Vodka. Read more
Review: NEFT Vodka
NEFT Vodka is one of the most hyped vodka’s we have ever reviewed. NEFT received a 98 rating from The Tasting Panel Magazine, as well as scoring two consecutive Double Gold Medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2018 and 2019. Vinepair.com also named NEFT one of their 20 Best Vodkas. NEFT has been on our radar for some time. Jeff Mahony acquired the brand the end of 2018, and he has significantly increased distribution. NEFT, Vodka was conceived of by Alexander Kuzmina a third generation petroleum engineer from Western Siberia. Neft is the Russian word for oil. This explains the oil barrel Neft is packaged in. The container itself is more than just a nod to the oil industry, or a marketing gimmick. Aluminum is unbreakable and lighter weight than glass, reducing freight costs. Aluminum is more recyclable, chills faster and keeps the vodka cold longer than glass for picnics and trips to the beach. NEFT is crafted at Destillerie Freihof, a 130 year old family run distillery in Lustenau Austria. It is made from 4 grains of ancient rye species, Rapidly, Amato, Pollino, and Askari. The 100% NON GMO rye is farmed locally in Lower Saxony. NEFT is distilled three times in a copper pot still. A proprietary carbon-layer filtration process follows. Oxygen rich Alpine spring water from beneath the Rhawtian Alps of Austria is blended to proof the spirit. It takes 50 years for this water to make its way traveling through slate and granite from its source to their secured aquifer. No additives or sweeteners are added. NEFT donates 50 cents from every barrel sold to one of six charities they support. Read more
Review: Silo Vodka;
Silo Vodka is made from 100% Non GMO Vermont corn grown in North Clarendon Vermont at Grembowicz Farm. The Good Food Foundation has awarded Silo Vodka a 2020 Good Food Award for Spirits. Everything is done from grain to glass including milling, mashing, distilling and bottling in the Barn Distillery that was built in 2013 by Peter Jillson and Anne Marie Delaney in Windsor Vermont. The spirit is distilled on a custom build stainless steel and copper Carl Still built in Germany. Silo’s process aims to be as sustainable as possible. They recycle the water they use throughout the process and ship spent grains to local farmers to use for feed. Read more
Review: Armont Vodka
Armont Vodka is crafted at Young and Yonder Spirits in Sonoma County California with Non GMO corn. It is distilled six times, proofed with four stage filtered water, and filtered seven times. Armont is distilled in a 150 gallon 20-plate. The Husband and Wife team of Joshua and Sarah Opatz formed the company in 2013 in a small warehouse in Cloverdale California. In 2017 they moved the distillery to Downtown Healdsburg California. Joshua is the son of a winemaker and viticulturist. After a decade in Banking and Finance Josh shifted his career interest and started Young & Yonder. Sarah’s background is in PR, Advertising, and Design. She is also a distiller and creates the packaging for all of their spirits. Young and Yonder Spirits also makes H.O.B.S. Gin, Fellows and Foragers Absinte, Stave Robber Bourbon, and Y/Y Distillers Series Lime Vodka. Read more
Review: Spirit Works Vodka
Spirit Works Vodka is made from organic Northern California grown hard winter wheat. The Spirit Works Distillery located in Sonoma County was founded by the husband and wife team of Timo and Ashby Marshall. Their distillery crafts a full line of spirit including Gin, Sloe Gin, Barrel Aged Gin, Barrel Aged Sloe Gin, Straight Wheat Whiskey, Straight Rye Whiskey, and Four Grain Straight Bourbon. Spirit Works Vodka actually started as the base for their Gin. This explains the 86 proof SWV is bottled at. People liked their gin so much they decided to bottle the gin base on it’s own. In crafting their vodka they start with a whole grain. By doing so they are able to preserve the distinct wheat characteristics throughout the distillation process. The whole hard winter wheat grain is milled, mashed, fermented, distilled and bottled at the distillery for a true grain to glass experience. The distillation takes place on a 800 liter custom Carl still. This hybrid pot still comes with a 21 plate rectification column. Read more
Review: Farm Horse Vodka
Farm Horse Vodka is crafted off the grid at Dutch and Dewey Distillery using solar and hydro-power in the mountains of Northern California. Farm Horse is made from non GMO cane sugar and captured rain water. It is small batch quadruple distilled in a fractional still designed and built by Distiller and Proprietor Jeff St John. No carbon filtering is needed before bottling with a label picturing Jeff’s grandfather years ago at his farm in Western Pennsylvania. Dutch and Dewey also crafts a gin, coffee liqueur, and lemoncello. A brandy and whiskey are currently aging. Read more
Review: Nikka Coffey Vodka
Nikka Coffey Vodka was released September 2017 in the US. along with Nikka Coffey Gin. It is produced by the Nikka Whisky Distilling Company in Japan. Many whisky experts agree that Nikka produces the best Japanese whisky. Nikka Coffey Vodka is distilled in a continuous Coffey still. Corn and barley are separately distilled in various batches with slight differences in ABV and taste profile. These batches are blended, diluted, and then refined with white birch charcoal. Read more
Review: Bellewood Farms Vodka
Bellewood Farms Vodka is a true farm to glass spirit made from a blend of apple varieties grown on the farm the spirit is distilled and bottled on. Bellewood Farms is a 31 acre farm owned by The Abel Family. They currently grow 24 apple varieties including Ambrosia, Belle de Boskoop, Bellewood Prince, Brown Snout, Everycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Golden Supreme, Gravenstein, Honeycrisp, Idared, Jonagold, Jonamac, Kingston Black, Mountain Rose, McIntosh, Orin, Sansa, School House Red, Sonata, Sunrise, Tsugaru, Yarlington Mill, and Zestar apples. Who knew there were that many apple varieties. In addition to farming the apples, they produce a line of spirits that includes their original Bellewood Farms Vodka , Honeycrisp Apple Vodka, Raspberry Vodka, Gin, Brandy, and a new Coffee Liqueur. Bellewood Farms Vodka is crafted with a variety of fresh picked apples from their farm. The apples are pressed into a cider and fermented with a proprietary yeast. The spirit is distilled in a 24 foot tall 250 gallon column Vendome still custom build in Kentucky, before hand bottling at 93 proof. Read more
Review: D George Benham Vodka
D George Benham Vodka is crafted in Sonoma County California from a blend of 50% non GMO Nebraska corn, 35% Organic Italian wheat, 10% Sonoma County Merlot and Zinfandel grapes, 5% Minnesota and North Dakota rye, and pure water from the lower Russian River aquifer. The water is naturally filtered as it passes through layers of volcanic alluvial soil. The grain and the grapes are distilled individually in a custom built continuous micro column still and charcoal filtered. Only 8 hands touch this spirit from start to finish. Read more