Review: Fugu Vodka
Fugu Vodka is crafted in San Diego California at Cutwater Spirits. Cutwater Spirits was built by the Founders of Ballast Point Brewing and was originally named Ballast Points Spirits. In 2015 Ballast Point Brewing was sold to Constellation Brands for $1 Billion. The executives used the money to expand the spirits product line and moved to a 50,000 square foot facility that includes bottling, canning lines for their canned cocktails line and a restaurant. In February 2019 Cutwater Spirits was acquired by Anheuser Busch. Fugu is named for the poisonous puffer fish also know as the Fugu fish. The Fugu is hundreds of times more poisonous than cyanide. Fugu fish is considered a delicacy in Japan where it is meticulously prepared so as not to poison their customers. It is with that same attention to detail that Fugu vodka is crafted. Fugu is made from the finest corn grains and is distilled six times and carbon filtered 15 times. The spirit then passes through a chamber of diamonds in a proprietary diamond blending vortex blending the vodka with water purified through reverse osmosis to reduce to 80 proof. Read more 
Review: ALOO Vodka
ALOO Vodka is one of three premium well spirits produced at OOLA Distillery. The others include ALOO Gin, and ALOO Chili Pepper Flavored Vodka. The OOLA Distillery was founded January 2010 in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Neighborhood by owner and Master Distiller Kirby Kallas-Lewis. ALOO Vodka is made from a multigrain distillate of wheat, corn, and barley. It is Lab Certified Gluten Free. As a grain distillery special measures are employed to ensure no post production contamination from sources including grain dust mix with the spirit. ALOO comes in a light weight one liter bottle designed specifically for a bartender serving cocktails. Read more
Review: Boot Hill Vodka
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oot Hill Vodka is crafted in the former Dodge City Kansas Municipal building that was build in 1929, and once housed city hall, a municipal courtroom, jail, Fire Department, and Police Department. The Boot Hill Distillery is owned by Roger and Hayes Kelman and Chris Holovach. These farmers produce every single grain used to produce their spirits. They plant, harvest, mill, mash, ferment, distill, and bottle each spirit. They also produce Gin, White Whiskey, Red Eye Whiskey, Bourbon, and Bitters. Boot Hill Vodka is made from 100% wheat. The spirit is distilled in 500 gallon batches in a custom crafted pot still/column still. Read more
Review: Re:Find Vodka
Re:Find Vodka was launched March 2012 along with Re:Find Gin. The Re:Find Distillery currently also produces Cucumber Flavored Vodka, Barrel Aged Vodka, Limoncello, Kumquat Liqueur, Rye Whiskey, and Bourbon. The husband and wife team of Alex and Monica Villicana actually started making wine in 1993. By 1999 the 13 acre vineyard they personally planted in Paso Robles had matured enough to produce their own wine grapes marking their transition to an Estate Winery. The Re: Find Distillery was derived from the Villicana’s desire to be more sustainable in their winery. Winemakers bleed a percentage of free-run juice from red grapes before fermentation to concentrate and enhance the color, tannin, and quality of their red wine. This bleed is called saignee. Some winemakers use this saignee to produce Rose wine, others just discard it. Re:Find reclaims their own and in total approximately 60 acres of premium Paso Robles wine grapes each year through their distillery. Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache grapes from their own winery and other varieties including Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from their neighbors wineries provide the saignee base. The varietal doesn’t play a role in the flavor of the spirit. What really matters is that the wine grapes are ripe because it is the glycerol that creates the luxurious texture. The fermented saignee is triple distilled in a 250 gallon custom Carl Hybrid Column/Pot Still. Re:Find is bottled unfiltered onsite at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Monkey in Paradise Vodka
Monkey in Paradise Vodka was launched in early 2016 by Alex Kowtun, Frank Gomez, and Seth Goldberg. The MIP name and bottle graphic design peaked my interest. After reading about their production methods, and seeing the many awards they have already won, including a Double Gold Medal from The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, I was psyched to try it. MIP is made from the highest grade American corn and is distilled seven times in copper stills, and seven times carbon filtered. The water is demineralized with a proprietary five ppm reverse osmosis system. This extreme level of purification takes 11 gallons of water to produce 1 “Paradise Pure” gallon for the distillation process. The charcoal filtration takes place at four different proof levels allowing the alcohol and water to rest together between proof levels. Read more
Review: Unbroken Vodka
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nbroken Vodka is crafted at Stumpy’s Spirits in Columbia Illinois. Columbia is located near St. Louis Missouri. The distillery began operation in 2014. Husband and wife team Adam and Laura Stump opened for business July 2015, on ten acres of farm land they rent from Adam’s father and uncle. They run the 200 acre farm that has been in the family for 8 generations, dating back to when the family was deeded the 200 acre farm for $1. Adam and Laura also rent 50 acres of farm land to grow what is used in crafting their spirits. They currently produce a bourbon, several flavored whiskies, and several seasonal vodka varieties. Unbroken Vodka is made from 100% corn, grown on their land just outside the distillery. Pure fresh well water from a limestone aquifer is used to reduce to proof. They plant, harvest, mill, mash, ferment, and distill the corn from grain to glass. Only the heart of the heart makes the final cut. The spirit is then filtered through a custom blend of activated carbon before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Malahat Spirits Vodka
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alahat Spirits Vodka is crafted in small batches in San Diego California. While the Malahat Spirits Distillery is best known for the five rums they create, they are very serious about their other crafted spirits including, Rye Whiskey, Bourbon and Vodka. The mash for their vodka is a blend of four grains: corn, wheat, barley, and rye. The proportions came only after dozens of experimental runs. The precise blend is not published but the majority is corn and rye. The grains are mashed, fermented, and distilled in house. Malahat Vodka is distilled in a 1000 Liter Pot Still/Dual Colum Hybrid Still. Only the narrowest cuts through multiple distillation runs, approximately 50-60% are used. No chill filtering is required. Read more
Review: Dogfish Head Analog Vodka
Dogfish Head Analog Vodka was released in 2015. It is made from three ingredients, 2 Row Barley, R-O Water, and their proprietary Doggie yeast. They mill, ferment and distill the malted barley themselves. If the Dogfish Head name sounds familiar you may have enjoyed one of their craft beers. They have been brewing craft beers since 1995. While they have also distilled spirits since 2002, they became serious distillers in 2015 when they invested in new equipment and moved the operation to its current location. Analog Vodka by brewing a mash of malted barley. The mash is fermented with their proprietary Doggie ale yeast. The spirit is first distilled in a 500 gallon copper pot still. Head Distiller Graham Hamblett then runs the 80 proof low wine through a 25 foot, 20 plate custom column still made by Vendome Copper and Brassworks in Louisville Kentucky. Pure reverse osmosis water is blended with the 190 proof heart of the spirits. After a light filtering it is bottled at 80 proof. Read more
Review: 1220 Encrypted Vodka
1220 Encrypted Vodka was released 12-20-18 by 1220 Artisan Spirits. 1220 Artisan Spirits is a distillery based in the Lasalle Park neighborhood of St. Louis Missouri and is owned by the team at 4 Hands Brewing Company. 4 Hands joins a growing list of craft brewers who have also started distilling spirits. A quick look at the 4 Hands web site shows a growing list of 43 beers they craft at different times throughout the year, including 7 that are offered year round. The distillery also produces several gins, Amaro, and a line of canned cocktails. 1220 Encrypted Vodka is made from Missouri grown corn that is 6 times distilled. It is blended with a small portion of California wine country’s finest grape neutral spirit. 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