Review: Deep Eddy Lime Vodka
Deep Eddy Lime Vodka is the newest of seven flavor varieties crafted by Deep Eddy from a vodka base made from the highest quality corn and spring water from deep aquifers in Texas Hill Country. Deep Eddy is named for the oldest spring fed swimming pool in Austin Texas. The vodka is small batch distilled 10 times on a state of the art column still, and gently filtered over charcoal 4 times. Real lime juice is blended and the vodka is lightly sweetened with real cane sugar before bottling at 70 proof. Deep Eddy was established in 2010 by Chad Auler founder of Savvy Vodka and Clayton Christopher founder of Sweet Leaf Tea Beverages. In 2015 they sold Deep Eddy to Heaven Hill Brand for a figure that has been estimated to be between $165-300 million. Not a bad 5 year return on their investment. Read more 
Review: Akva Vodka
Akva Vodka recently arrived on shelves at Total Wine and More stores throughout the US. Priced at $11.99 for a 750 ML bottle in Brookfield Wisconsin, Akva is a value priced vodka. It is made from organic Swedish wheat grown in local fields and mineral rich water from Vanern, Sweden’s biggest Lake. It is distilled five time in Sweden and bottled in The Netherlands. Svedka is also a value priced vodka distilled five times and made from Swedish wheat. I’m interested in how the two compare. Read more
Review: 229 Vodka
229 Vodka is crafted at Still Pond Distillers by father and son Charles Jr. and Charlie Cowart. In 2012 they opened the distillery as an addition to the operating vineyard and farm winery. 229 is their value priced line of spirits named for the area code of their distillery in Arlington Georgia. Aside from 229 Vodka the line includes 229 Apple Vodka, 229 Peach Vodka, 229 Gin, and 229 Strawberry Gin. Their premium line of spirits includes Muscadine Moonshine, Still Pond Vodka, Still Pond C4 Bourbon, and Still Pond Willow Rose Single Estate Brandy. 229 Vodka is distilled from pond grown Muscadine grapes, locally sourced corn, and water from the Floridian aquifer. It is distilled 6 times, filtered, bottled and hand labeled on site. Read more
Review: Crescendo Organic Vodka
Crescendo Organic Vodka is one of six organic spirits crafted at the veteran owned and operated Crescendo Spirits Company in Eugene Oregon. The other spirits include the 190 Proof grain spirit, Diamond Clear, Crescendo LimonCello, LimeCello, PompelmoCello, and AranCello. Kyle Akin conceptualized the distillery in 2013 and his first bottles of Limoncello arrived on store shelves April 2014. Crescendo vodka was released November 2017. It is five times distilled from organic sugar cane and blended with water straight from Oregon’s snow pack. Read more
Review: Trader Joes Small Batch Vodka
Trader Joes Small Batch Vodka was just released. With 530 store locations in 43 states and The District of Columbia Trader Joes has become a force in private label adult beverages. TJ’s Small Batch, as the name implies is small batch distilled 10 times from corn in Monroe Wisconsin at the old Monroe Brewing Company Brewery. This brewery opened in 1845 and is best known for brewing Huber and Augsburger beer. I believe it is only available on a regional basis like Trader Joes TX vodka is only available in Texas. Trader Joes Small Batch Vodka is charcoal filtered and reduced to proof with water sourced from a natural limestone filtered aquifer about 1300 feet below the distillery. It is bottled at a higher than usual 88 proof. Read more
Review: Kanpeki Vodka
Kanpeki Vodka is crafted in Branchville New Jersey. Brothers Gordon and Mike Geerhart left their construction jobs in 2015 and transformed a 125 year old building once used to store bales of grain into the Milk Street Distillery. At one time a creamery was located across the street and serves as the inspiration for the distilleries name. In the distilleries tasting room you will find a couple of photos from the Creamy strike of 1955. Striking workers are seen dumping milk and farmers are fighting back with baseball bats. The distillery opened January 2017 and Kanpeki Vodka was launched September 2018. It is double distilled from polished grains of pure white rice and is double filtered through a variety of carbons. Kanpeki is a Japanese word that means perfection. Several spirits including War Penny Bourbon, Dam Break Rye, Caraway Rye, Last Vestige Malt Whiskey, Blind Bettie Gin, Black Vulture Vodka and Wooden Leg Rum are also distilled and bottled here. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions Lemon & Elderflower Vodka
Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions Lemon & Elderflower Vodka was just released. It is made from a 100% corn distilled vodka base. Natural flavors and essence of real botanicals are infused before bottling at 60 proof. This is the fourth flavor variety in the Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions family. The others include Cucumber & Lime, Strawberry & Rose, and Watermelon & Mint. Pour 1.5 oz. of Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions Lemon & Elderflower in an ice filled glass. Top with club soda and garnish with a slice of lemon. Weighing in with 72 calories this cocktail has 28% fewer calories than a serving of White Claw or Truly. Read more
Review: Ryze Vodka
Ryze Vodka is crafted in Phoenix New York at Locke 1 Distilling Company. The distillery sits across the street from Lock 1 of the Oswego Barge Canal. The same canal preferred by bootleggers as the main artery from Canada to NYC during Prohibition. The bottles graphic image of a Phoenix raising from the ashes pays tribute to the vodka’s name and hometown. The distillery was founded by brothers Stephen and Kevin Dates and their cousin Brenden Backus in 2015. The family also owns Phoenix Welding and Fabricating. They brought their skills, craftmanship, ability, time and finances together to build a farm distillery in a century old building that opened in 2017. The family also owns Phoenix Welding and Fabricating. This background gave them the skill to renovate the century old building into their distillery, and to design and hand build their distilling equipment including a 17 foot high column still. The distillery also crafts Drawbridge Gin, Locktenders Gin, Inferno Cinnamon Whiskey, FA Waldron Bourbon, and their Excuse line of liqueurs. Master Distiller Brenden made 11 different vodkas before selecting the best tasting one. Ryze Vodka is made from locally grown New York winter wheat, and rye. It is small batch distilled 3 times and triple filtered through volcanic rock and active carbon. Read more
Review: Vly Creek Vodka
Vly Creek Vodka was named for one of the many mountain creeks in Arkville New York. Friends and construction workers Brian Mulder and Todd Pascarella built Union Grove Distillery in a former roller rink that was constructed in 1920. Union Grove also crafts FirGin, Catskill Mountain Maple Spirit, and Drie Brook Rye Whiskey. Vly Creek Vodka was the first spirit they produced when they opened the distillery February 2016. They started with apples sourced from Hubbell Family Farms, only 6 miles away from the distillery. The apples were pressed on an antique apple press that has been in service since the 1880’s. The cider ferments over several weeks and is then distilled with a wheat GNS spirit the equivalent of 30 times in a high tech Genio still, custom made in Poland. The spirit is charcoal filtered and proofed with pure Catskill Mountain Water before hand bottling onsite. Read more
Review: Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass
Grey Goose has just released Grey Goose Essences a new vodka infused with real fruit and botanical essences. They join a growing list of 0 sugar 0 carb botanical infused vodkas that include the Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions, Ketel One Botanical, Svedka Pure Infusions, and Prairie Organic Sustainable Season brands. Grey Goose Essences come in three varieties, Strawberry & Lemongrass, Watermelon & Basil, and White Peach & Rosemary. Grey Goose Strawberry & Lemongrass starts with a vodka made from soft winter wheat grown on farms in Picardy, Northern France. Little production information is available except that cold distilled lemongrass is noted on the bottle. Cold Distillation is a process used by some in crafting gin. Original Grey Goose Vodka is distilled once using a five column distillation process. Pristine Gensac La Pallue Spring water naturally filtered through Champaign limestone in the Cognac Region of France is blended to reduce to proof. The vodka is filtered through cellulose and carbon. It would appear a similar process is used to craft their Essences line with the addition of cold distilled lemongrass, and a real fruit essence infusion. Read more