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: Boardroom Fresh Cranberry Vodka
Boardroom Fresh Cranberry Vodka was launched November 2016. With Thanksgiving only days away I thought it was a good time to review a Thanksgiving Day themed vodka. To the best of my knowledge no one has yet created a turkey, dressing, or gravy flavored vodka so cranberry was my selection. Boardroom Fresh Cranberry is made from a 100% non GMO corn vodka base. The vodka is distilled in a Hagyo custom built 530 gallon still and then infused with dried cranberries. About 150 dried cranberries are needed to craft one bottle of Boardroom Fresh Cranberry Vodka. No artificial flavors, color, sugar, or preservatives are added before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Pinnacle Lemonade Vodka
Pinnacle Lemonade Vodka is a limited edition release introduced the summer of 2019. It is made from vodka distilled at Distillerie de la Tour in France from whole grain winter wheat grown in Northern France, and pure spring water sourced from the Charente Region. The spirit is distilled five times and then shipped to the US. Natural flavors are blended with the vodka base before bottling at 70 proof. At one time Pinnacle flavored and bottled their vodka in Frankfort Kentucky. That may still be the case but each bottles label now reads it is produced and bottled by Portfield Importers in Chicago IL. FYI, Jim Beam is headquartered in suburban Chicago. 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: Cathead Pecan Vodka
Cathead Pecan Vodka is produced and bottled by Bottletree Beverage Company in Jackson Mississippi. Mississippi repealed Prohibition in 1966, the last state to do so. Forty four years later longtime friends and blues fans Austin Evans, and Richard Patrick founded Cathead. The term Cathead is a compliment in Mississippi, first coined by blues musicians as a nod to artists they respect. Master Distiller Phillip Ladner also crafts Cathead Vodka, Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, Bristow Gin, Bristow Reserve Gin, HooDoo Chicory Liqueur, and Old Soul Bourbon. Cathead Pecan starts with the Cathead vodka base that is made from sweet grain corn and is distilled in a 181 liter copper pot still. Macerated roasted pecans aged in stainless steel are infused with the vodka base, and pure Louisiana cane sugar is blended before bottling at 70 proof. 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
Review: Haymakers Vodka
Haymakers Vodka was introduced May 2019. It is made from fresh California grown Pink Lady and Fuji Apples and white potatoes that are mashed and fermented six times in a pot column hybrid still made from scratch at Ventura Spirits in Ventura California. Ventura California is located halfway between LA and Santa Barbara. Brothers Anthony and Andrew Caspary, and two of their friends, James Greenspun and Henry Tarmy opened the distillery in 2013. They previously made a vodka distilled from California strawberries, thanks in part to 500,000 pounds of frozen strawberries abandoned in a contract dispute that they acquired for a steal. Wilder Gin, Opuntia Prickly Pear Spirit, and Strawberry Brandy are also crafted at this distillery. Read more