Review: High Noon Original Vodka
High Noon Original Vodka is one of three vodka’s produced for E&J Gallo by the Holladay Distillery, the makers of 360 Vodka in Weston Missouri. High Noon Ruby Red Grapefruit and High Noon Lemon are the other two varieties. All three are currently only available in Madison Wisconsin, Denver Colorado, and Charleston South Carolina. Production details are limited, but High Noon is made from Midwest grown corn. For the record, E&J Gallo has a very successful history of building new spirit brands including New Amsterdam Vodka, and Gin, Camarena Tequila, Shellback Rum, and Rum Haven Coconut Rum. Read more 
Review: Stolichnaya Vodka
Stolichnaya Vodka sometimes referred to as Stoli Red label or Stoli Original was launched in 1938. It was first imported in the US in 1972 when PepsiCo was granted exportation rights to Stolichnaya Vodka in exchange for importation of Pepsi Cola into the Soviet Union. Stolichnaya controls every aspect of making its vodka from the planting and selection of the wheat and rye grains grown on the company owned Rapuga farms in Tambov Russia, to harvesting, distillation, and bottling. The wheat and rye grains are fermented for 60 hours, and then triple distilled. Artesian water is blended with the spirit before it is filtered four times through Russian birch charcoal, quartz, sand, and woven cloth. Read more
Review: Stoli Crushed Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
Stoli Crushed Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka is one of two new vodka varieties Stoli just released in their new Crushed line of flavored vodka. The other flavor is Crushed Pineapple. These are the first new flavored vodkas Stoli has launched since 2012. This follows Absolut introducing Absolut Lime, their first new flavor in four years. Three Olives will be releasing a Watermelon and a Cucumber Lime flavor later this summer. There is no doubt there are far fewer flavored vodka’s varieties on the market today, but distillers are focusing on new flavors in 2017 to drive growth. Stoli has completely redesigned their flavored vodka with the Crushed line. Corn and buckwheat replace the winter wheat used for the vodka base, and real juice and color have been added. The bottles shape and labeling have been updated and the vodka has been reduced to 60 proof. Why? Real juice seems to be the new buzz word in flavored vodka, replacing natural flavor. Much of the credit for this goes to Deep Eddy and their release of Deep Eddy Ruby Red in 2013. For the record Charbay and Belvedere both used real grapefruit in flavoring their grapefruit vodka prior to the release of Deep Eddy Ruby Red, but Deep Eddy got the real juice ball rolling. Color is also growing in popularity in flavored vodka’s. Once reserved for the bargain basement vodka brands, color is now seen as more natural looking, even though certified color is added to most colored vodka’s. Stoli Crushed Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka starts with a vodka base made from 88% corn and 12% buckwheat. The vodka is triple distilled and quadruple filtered. Pure artesian spring water is blended to reduce to 80 proof. Real juice, natural flavor, and certified color are blended before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Stoli Crushed Pineapple Vodka
Stoli Crushed Pineapple Vodka was just released along with Stoli Crushed Grapefruit. Unlike their other flavored vodkas, that are made from a winter wheat vodka base, Stoli Crushed is made with a blend of 88 percent corn and 12 percent buckwheat harvested from the fertile farm fields of the Tambov region of Russia. The vodka is triple distilled and filtered four times through quartz, sand, and birchwood charcoal. Pure natural spring water from the Latvijas Balzams artesian well in Riva Latvia is blended with the vodka to reduce to 80 proof. Real juice, natural flavors, certified color and FD&C Yellow No. 5 are added before bottling at 60 proof. While this is Stoli’s first Pineapple flavored vodka, Dole Pineapple has been infused with Stoli Vodka for years and sold as a Doli Stoli at one of my favorite steakhouses, The Capital Grill. Read more
Review: Two James 28 Island Vodka
Two James 28 Island Vodka is crafted at the first licensed distillery in Detroit since prohibition. The Two James Distillery was founded in 2012 by David Landrum and Peter Bailey in Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood. The distillery is built in what was originally a turn of the century donut manufacturing plant. Two James is named for the founder’s fathers, James Bailey and James Landrum. The vodka is named for the 28 islands on the Detroit River. These islands were used as hideouts for bootleggers during prohibition. 28 Island Vodka is made from a blend of 70 percent corn and 30 percent soft winter wheat. Two James is small batch distilled in a 500 gallon copper pot still. Read more
Review: High Noon Lemon Vodka
High Noon Lemon Vodka was just released in Denver Colorado, Madison Wisconsin, and Charleston South Carolina. Test marketing in limited markets has been used for years in the food and beverage industry. Also released is High Noon Ruby Red Grapefruit, and the unflavored High Noon Vodka. The High Noon brand is owned by E&J Gallo, the makers of New Amsterdam Vodka. New Amsterdam Vodka was launched in 2011, and in its first year over one million cases were sold. New Amsterdam continues to be one of the fastest growing vodka brands in the US. High Noon is produced and bottled at the Holladay Distillery in Weston Missouri. This is the distillery that also produces 360 Vodka. High Noon Lemon Vodka is made with a vodka base made from Midwest grown corn. Real Lemon juice and natural flavors are added. As an indication of High Noon’s target market their website claims High Noon Lemon Vodka is made with Vodka, Lemons, Sunshine, Trips to the Beach, Sweet Shades, Big Waves, Fluffy Towels, and Light Breezes Perfect for Chuckin a Frisbee. Read more
Review: Marble Vodka 80
Marble Vodka 80 is made with an original blend of all natural Colorado grains. White wheat and malted barley are distilled in Hazel, a 250 gallon Vendome Copper Pot Still that was crafted in Louisville Kentucky. The vodka is filtered through crushed marble pieces sourced from the Yule quarry located about 20 miles from the distillery. The idea for this distillery started with two mountain family’s, one from the Colorado Rockies and one from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. These in-laws were determined to build an artisan distillery where water and energy conservation for environmental sustainability, is a daily practice. Because of this commitment, the Marble Distillery saves 4.1 million gallons of water per year by recapturing cooling water. Their renewable energy produces 7,270 Kilowatt hours of electricity per year, and their building design and distilling process saves 1.8 billion BTU’s of energy each year. The grains are sourced locally, and the distilled grains are given to ranchers for livestock feed and compost. Read more
Review: High Noon Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
High Noon Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka was just released along with a Lemon and an unflavored vodka. My first thought when I saw this bottle, and read the label that stated it was produced and bottled in Weston Missouri was, did 360 Vodka change it’s name? It is made at the Holladay Distillery operated by McCormick Distilling Company. This is the same distillery that makes the 360 brand of vodka, but High Noon is the newest member in the growing line of spirits under the E&J Gallo umbrella. The others include New Amsterdam Vodka and Gin, Camarena Tequila, Rum Haven Coconut Rum, E&J Brandy, and Shellback Rum. High Noon is currently only available in Denver, Charleston, and Madison Wisconsin. High Noon Ruby Red Grapefruit starts with their unflavored vodka base made from hand selected Midwest corn. Natural flavor including real fruit juice is added. No artificial flavors, preserves or corn syrup are added before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Vesica Vodka
Vesica Vodka was launched in 2010. It is made from premium grade potatoes grown in Poland. The vodka is triple column distilled and triple filtered through activated carbon at the Polmos Poznan Distillery. Artesian well water is blended for balance and to reduce to proof. A state of the art ceramic candle process follows to give clarity to the vodka. Vesica is named for a vesica piscis. The vesica piscis is a geometric image formed when two circles of equal radius intersect in such a way that the center of each circle lies on the circumference of each other. This is the case when a 750ml bottle of Vesica is placed next to a 1 liter bottle. While I still see Vesica Vodka at several liquor stores I frequent, the Vesica vodka website is no longer available, and their Facebook page has not been updated in some time. This is never a good sign. Read more
Review: Skyy Infusions California Apricot Vodka
Skyy Infusions California Apricot Vodka was released in March. It is finally arriving on store shelves in the Midwest. With 94% of the apricots grown in the USA coming from California, it’s no surprise the apricots used to produce this vodka are grown there. This is Skyy’s 18th flavored vodka in their Infusions product line. Several years ago I was asked to predict the next three new flavors of vodka. The three I selected were Apricot, Cantaloupe, and Banana Cream Pie. This was at the height of the popularity of Pinnacle Whipped Vodka. Since then Grey Goose introduced Le Melon, their Cavaillon melon flavored vodka. In February 2016 Belvedere launched Peach Nectar Vodka, a vodka infused with American Peaches and Polish Apricots. This was followed by Western Son Apricot and Seagrams Apricot Vodka. I’m still waiting on that Banana Cream Pie flavored vodka, and I’m a little surprised no one has released a Celery flavored vodka. Skyy Apricot starts with a vodka base made from Midwestern grown wheat that is quadruple distilled in Pekin Illinois. Upon arriving in San Jose California the vodka is blended with water filtered through reverse osmosis. The vodka is then triple filtered through California limestone. The vodka is infused with California grown apricot and other natural flavors before bottling at 70 proof. Read more