Review: RFD Vodka
Addie and Timothy Ford purchased 22 acres known as Grandview Heights in 2017 and immediately began to transform the land into a specialty crop farm growing vegetables, fruits, berries, and herbs. They began onsite spirit production December 2018 and named their farm distillery Grandview Distillery. In 2020 they rebranded to Barnstormer Distillery to pay homage to Rockford’s, and the owners aviation history. They currently produce several vodka’s, bourbon, whiskey, 3 rums, and 40 Winks Cinnamon Whiskey. RFD Vodka is named for the Chicago Rockford International Airport which the distillery overlooks. RFD is made from 100% corn distilled multiple times in a column still then sent through a Bain Marie still. The spirit is filtered using coconut shell activated carbon then reduced to proof before bottling. Read more 
Review: Tequila Mandala Blanco
Tequila Mandala was founded November 2016 by Jose Joel Garcia, Arturo Lomeli Ibarra, and Humberto Ibarra. The beautiful hand painted ceramic bottle Tequila Mandala Blanco comes packaged in takes 8 or 9 days from beginning to end to produce. The name, Mandala, is a powerful representational symbol that portrays the universal balancing of joy, peace, and life itself. Tequila Mandala Blanco is made from 100% agave grown in the Lowland region at Tequila Puerto de Hierro in El Arenal Jalisco. This distillery produces 26 brands including Addictivo, Amatitena, Cava de Oro, and Compoveda. Read more
Review: Stillwater Spirits Vodka
Stillwater Spirits Vodka is crafted at Stillwater Spirits in Petaluma California. St Mary’s College graduate Brendan Moylan, John Moylan, Don Payne, and Paddy Giffen founded the distillery in 2004. Stillwater Spirits also produces brandy, whiskey, gin, grappa, and beer schnapps. Stillwater Vodka is small batch distilled by Tim Welch four times in a 500 gallon Vendome copper column pot still from 100% two-row barley malted exclusively for Stillwater. Once distilled the 190 proof spirit is slowly married with pure deionized water over a three week period. A particle only filtration follows before bottling. Read more
Review: Tequila Comisario Blanco
Tequila Comisario was launched in 2010. In 2014 Luis Cota and Rick Darnell acquired the brand. Comisario was originally distilled at NOM: 1529, Agaveros y Tequileros Unidos de Los Altos. It is now distilled at Casa Tequilera de Arandas. Casa Tequilera de Arandas currently produces 31 brands of tequila icluding Mi Casa, 1921 Tequila, El Cristiano, Penta, and Rock n Roll. Tequila Comisario Blanco is made from 100% agave grown at an elevation of 8000 feet above sea level. Once the spirit is double distilled, it is oxygenated for 36 hours in steel tanks before bottling. Read more
Review: Half Moon Bay Vodka
Half Moon Bay Vodka is crafted at Half Moon Bay Distillery. HMB Distillery was established in 2012 by husband and wife team Caesar and Ulli Bisono. They were inspired on trip back to their native Austria from a sip of pear brandy crafted on a Austrian farm distillery. They wanted to import that spirit to the US, but due to strict liquor regulations, importing wasn’t an option so they decided to make their own. They opened their original distillery in Princeton By The Sea and later moved to Half Moon Bay. That original distillery is now home to Jettywave Distillery. Jamie Baddour a single mom with four teenaged kids acquired the HMB Distillery in 2021 while still working her corporate job in the pharmaceuticals field. She rebranded the entire spirit line and now in addition to Half Moon Bay Vodka they produce gin and lavender vodka. Half Moon Bay Vodka is small batch distilled from 100% organic wheat grain. Read more
Review: Tequila Carrera Blanco
Tequila Carrera is crafted by fifth generation Maestros Tequileros Mauricio and Eduardo Camarena at Fabrica de Tequila el Eden. The Camarena family settled in Arandas Jalisco in 1761. Since then the Camarena family have gone on to build several distilleries. Tequila Carrera is made from 100% Blue Weber Highland grown agave. The pinas are trimmed, stacked inside a brick oven, cooked with steam for 23 hours followed by 23 hours of rest. The juice is extracted in a five step station roller mill and fermented open air in stainless steel tanks for 72 hours. After a double distillation the tequila is bottled additive free. Read more
Review: 45th Parallel Vodka
45th Parallel Vodka is crafted at 45th Parallel Distillery in Richmond Wisconsin, about 50 miles from downtown Minneapolis Minnesota. The name was inspired by the 45th Parallel geographic sign on the highway between Merrill and Wausau Wisconsin where Founder Paul Werni grew up. Paul Founded 45th Parallel in 2005. When he started producing vodka in 2007 45th Parallel was one of 50 craft distilleries in the US. The third in Wisconsin. They also crafts whiskey, rye, bourbon, limoncello, orangecello, gin, and aquavit. 45th Parallel Vodka is distilled three times from 100% corn grown on the 6th generation Rusmar family farm located 8 miles from the distillery. The vodka is slow fermented, slow distilled on a custom Carl still, and slowly charcoal filtered before bottling additive free. Read more
Review: Kirkland Tequila Anejo Cristalino
Kirkland Tequila Anejo Cristalino was recently released. It is distilled at Corporativo Destileria Santa Lucia. Kirkland is the house brand for Costco. Kirkland also produces a Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo tequila. As with all private label brands, the producer of the product may change but the name on the label may not. By law tequila producers must list the NOM the tequila was produced at on the bottles label. Through the years KIrkland Tequila has been distilled at several distilleries including NOM: 1472, 1438, 1142, and is now distilled at NOM: 1173. Some of the other brands distilled there include Amate, El Destilador, Uno Mas, and Tierra Azteca. Kirkland Cristalino is made from 100% Weber agave. The trimmed pinas are cooked in an autoclave oven and once fermented the spirit is double distilled. No age statement is provided but as an Anejo Tequila it must be barrel aged for a minimum 12 months. As a bonus Kirkland Cristalino is sold in a 1 liter bottle. Read more
Review: Crystal Head Onyx Vodka
Crystal Head Onyx Vodka was introduced 2020. The Original Crystal Head Vodka is distilled from Peaches and Cream corn grown in Ontario Canada. It was developed and launched in 2008 by Founder Dan Aykroyd. In 2016 they released Crystal Head Aurora, distilled from English wheat. Crystal Head Onyx is distilled from premium blue weber agave sourced from a single farm in Mexico. The agave is double distilled in a pot still, then the spirit is distilled in a column still to reach 96% ABV. The liquid is transported to the Crystal Head Distillery in 1000 liter stainless steel containers. Once there it is blended with pristine glacier water from Newfoundland Canada to reduce to 80 proof. Before bottling the vodka is filtered seven times with three of those through layers of 10,000 Herkimer diamonds. Read more
Review: High Noon Tequila Seltzer Fiesta Pack
High Noon has added a second tequila seltzer variety pack. The High Noon Tequila Seltzer Fiesta 8 Pack joins High Noon’s Original Tequila Seltzer 8 Pack. The Original pack included 2 cans each of Grapefruit, Lime, Strawberry, and Passion Fruit. Their new Fiesta pack features 2 cans each of Grapefruit, Lime, and two new flavors Blood Orange, and Prickly Pear. While I’m happy to see a couple of new flavor options, I’m a little disappointed they couldn’t develop 4 new flavors for this mix pack. Each 12 ounce can weighs in with 100 calories and 4.5% alcohol, and is made with real blanco tequila distilled at Destileria Leyros, real fruit juice, sparkling water, and natural flavors. Read more