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: Door County Distillery Cherry Vodka
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oor County Distillery Cherry Vodka is made in Carlsville Wisconsin. The distillery opened in 2011 as an off-shoot of Door Peninsula Winery. Bob and Noreen Pollman purchased the winery in 1986 and have since grown the winery to become the second largest winery in Wisconsin. The distillery also makes several brandy’s, gin, whiskey, and four vodka’s. DCD Cherry starts with a vodka base made from 97% grain and 3% grape. It is distilled with fresh fruit and local botanicals in a copper column still that’s specifically designed to lightly heat and capture cherry aromatics. Pure limestone infused waters from Door Peninsula are blended to reduce to 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: Wild Roots Dark Sweet Cherry Vodka
Wild Roots Dark Sweet Cherry Vodka was introduced in 2016. It is one of eight real fruit infused vodka’s crafted in Sisters Oregon with over one pound of real fruit per bottle. The other flavors include raspberry, marionberry, huckleberry, peach, pear, apple and cinnamon, and cranberry. Wild Roots also produces two gins, and an unflavored vodka. Wild Roots Dark Sweet Cherry is distilled six times from corn and filtered 100 times through a lava rock filtration system. Pure Cascade Mountain spring water is blended with the spirit to reduce to proof. Over one pound of dark sweet cherries are infused. No added flavors, sugar, or color are added before bottling at 70 proof. 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: Sandcastle Citrus Vodka
Sandcastle Citrus Vodka is made in Cape May New Jersey from their Sandcastle Vodka base, which is distilled from potatoes. The Cape May Distillery also crafts 6 rums, a bourbon, a rye, and a gin. The vodka is small batch distilled. Real orange, lemon, and lime are infused with the vodka base before bottling on site 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: Boardroom Spirits Fresh Citrus Vodka
Boardroom Spirits Fresh Citrus Vodka was launched November 2016. It is made from an organic wheat based vodka. The vodka base is distilled in a custom crafted 120 gallon copper three plate column still produced by Hagyo Distilling in Hungary. Real fresh lemon, lime, and orange peel is infused. No artificial flavors, color, sugar, or preservatives are added. The ingredient list reads: organic wheat vodka, real citrus peel, water. It is hand bottled at 60 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