Review: Ravo Vodka
Ravo Vodka was introduced in the US February 2017. Ravo is a combination of the Swedish words raw and vodka. It is made from winter wheat and is continuously distilled five times in a stainless steel column still lined with ceramic filters. The spirit is then blended with locally sourced natural spring water further filtered through reverse osmosis to reduce to 80 proof. Ravo is made in Lidkoping Sweden at Reppe Branneri, the second largest distillery in Sweden. Read more 
Review: Spring44 Vodka
Spring44 Vodka was launched June 2011. The Spring44 Distillery also produces a honey flavored vodka, and 3 gins. Spring44 Vodka is made from a blend of wheat, corn, rye, and pure artesian Colorado Rocky Mountain spring water sourced at an altitude of 9044 feet from Colorado’s Buckhorn Canyon, which is surrounded by 160,000 acres of National forest. The spirit is distilled 5 times in a Vendome Copper Still, and filtered through virgin coconut husks. Read more
Review: Simple Vodka
Simple Vodka was launched March 2017 by Danny Lafuente and Dan Maslow with the promise to provide 20 meals to those in need, for every bottle sold. 1 in 8 Americans don’t always know where their next meal will come from. Simple Vodka goes from ground to glass in 6 days. It is made from locally sourced russet potatoes, and fresh water sourced from a 180 foot well that taps directly into the Snake River Aquifer. The spirit is four column fractionally distilled at a wind powered distillery. Simple Vodka has been on our radar since it was awarded it’s first of two Double Gold Medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2017. Read more
Review: Blinking Owl Vodka
Blinking Owl Vodka was launched by the husband and wife team of Brian and Robin Christenson with the opening of Blinking Owl Distillery September 2016. This was the first legal distillery to open in Orange County California since prohibition. The distillery was named for the now closed mid century Blinking Owl Bar that was located in Santa Rosa on Third and Birch Street. It was known for an iconic owl sign that would blink. They also produce an Orange flavored vodka, aquavit, gin, straight bourbon, and straight rye. Blinking Owl Vodka is made from organic wheat grown in California, organic malted barley, and pure Santa Ana water. Santa Ana water was awarded as the best tasting water in California, and fourth best tasting water in the US. Blinking Owl mills, mashes, ferments, and distills everything on site. The spirit is distilled in a custom Carl Artisan hybrid pot column still made in Germany with 34 rectification plates. Bottled at 85 proof Blinking Owl Vodka will get you where you’re going 6.25% faster than your standard vodka. Read more
Review: You and Yours Vodka
You and Yours Vodka or as the bottle reads Y&Y Vodka is made in San Diego’s East Village. The You and Yours Distillery was founded in 2017 by Laura Johnson. She was inspired by a trip to Cuba she took with her father as a High School graduation gift. After touring the Havana Club Distillery she became fascinated with the whole distillation process. The distillery currently also crafts two gins, a Summer Citrus Vodka, and a line of canned cocktails. The vodka was originally going to be comprised of a blend of grape, corn, and potato, but to create a blend you have to perfect each component first. They started with grape, and they liked to result so much they decided to let it stand alone. Y&Y is made from California wine grape varietals distilled from bulk wine in a 250 gallon hybrid eau de vie still with a brandy cap and eight plate 10 foot column. Y&Y is bottled unfiltered. Read more
Review: Glass Vodka
Glass Vodka was launched in 2012 with the opening of the Glass Distillery in the SOHO area of Seattle by Ian MacNiel. Glass Vodka may be best known for its 100% crystal bottle made with a one of its kind stopper. Glass vodka is made from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Grapes. It is distilled in a kettle and column still custom made in Germany. The distillery currently also makes Kona (coffee), Nectar (honey), and Spice (cinnamon) vodka from the Original Glass vodka base. They also produce Gridiron Vodka made from grapes and California Organic Wheat. Read more
Review: Two Titmice Vodka
Two Titmice Vodka is named for the Tufted Titmouse, the most common backyard bird in America. $1 from the sale of every bottle of Two Titmice goes directly to patients fighting breast cancer. Founder Ed Malin created the vodka while his wife was battling her own breast cancer. Two Titmice is crafted with six different sweet potato varieties grown in the field surrounding their distillery in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley of California. The potatoes are cured, mashed, and fermented onsite. Ten average sized sweet potatoes are required to make every bottle of Two Titmice Vodka. After a small batch double distillation, the spirit is slowly blended with pure spring water and filtered over five days to reduce to 80 proof. The vodka is then chill filtered at 28 degrees. Read more
Review: Sonoma Coast Spirits Vodka
Sonoma Coast Spirits Vodka is one of six vodka varieties currently crafted in Petaluma California across the street from Lagunitas Brewery at Sonoma Coast Spirits. Jill Olson opened the distillery in 2011. Her husband Doug handled sales and marketing until he passed away in 2018. The distillery is now owned and run entirely by Jill Olson. The other vodka varieties include Citrus Basil, Jalapeno Lime, Sweet Ginger, Rose, and Espresso. Oprah Winfrey enjoyed the Citrus Basil, and Jalapeno Lime Vodka so much they made the O list in Oprah’s July 2018 magazine edition. The distillery also produces a line of all natural RTD cocktails. The flavor lineup currently includes Lemon Drop, Pomegranate Cosmo, Raspberry Lemonade, and Mango Tango. Sonoma Coast Vodka is made from 100% corn and is distilled 6 times in a pot still, filtered, and bottled on site. It is currently sold in California, or you can purchase a bottle directly from the distillery and have it shipped to you if your state allows. Read more
Review: Pacifica Vodka
Pacifica Vodka was released in the summer of 2017. It is crafted by owner and Master Distiller Jason Tripp at the Tripp Distillery in Pacifica California. They also produce a gin and rum. More spirits will follow. Pacifica Vodka is made from 200 pounds of organic cane juice sourced from Paraguay and 200 gallons of water. It sits and ferments for 7 days before it is pumped into a hand made 220 gallon, hour glass shaped still for 16 hours. The spirits rests for 30 days in stainless steel and is then distilled another 16 hours. The spirit, now a rum is kept in oak barrels just long enough for the chemical reactions between oxygen, carbon, and alcohol to settle the bold flavors of the spirit. Once mellowed, the rum is filtered through coconut shells for 4 days and then redistilled by hand in a copper pot still, where it is reborn as Pacifica Vodka. It is hand bottled and labeled at 80 proof. The bottles neck is hand dipped in wax. Read more
Review: Rocket Vodka
Rocket Vodka was introduced in the fall of 2016 with the Limited Launch Edition of 1000 bottles. Founder Darius Paczuski soon followed that up with a second Launch II release of 2000 bottles. I am reviewing a bottle of their IV release. Rocket Vodka is handcrafted at Dry Diggings Distillery in El Dorado Hills California. Darius Paczuski was born in Poland but he soon moved to Norway with his parents. Darius picked ground apples for his fathers moonshine, which smashed and fermented fresh apples and then aged the spirit in oak barrels. At 20 Darius came to the US on a Cal State Long Beach University swimming scholarship. Darius first came up with the idea to craft a vodka while skiing in Lake Tahoe. Darius was a skilled and fast skier earning him the nickname The Polish Rocket, hence, the Rocket Vodka name. Rocket Vodka is made from a combination of fresh apple juice and apple concentrate from Fuji, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples which are sourced from Barsotti Farms in Apple Hill California. Yeast and pure Sierra Nevada Mountain water are the only other ingredients. Rocket is distilled twice in two different pot/column stills and is double carbon filtered. Read more