Review: Wheel House Sacramento Vodka
Wheel House Sacramento Vodka is crafted with a blend of corn and wheat malt by Founder and Distiller Greg Baughman. Greg hand built the 160 gallon side mount tall copper still the spirit is distilled in. A wheel house is the part of a boat that shelters the person at the wheel. The vodka is named to honor the river boat captains that transported liquor and thirsty patrons up and down the American River during Prohibition. When Greg opened Gold River Distillery in 2014 with his first product, Wheel House Gin, they were the first legal distillery in Sacramento County since Prohibition. Vodka was his second product. When it was released in 2015 the original name was Wheel House 916 Vodka. 916 is the area code of Sacramento. Read more 
Review: Ving Vodka
Ving Vodka is made from 100% organic non GMO corn and purified water. It is small batch distilled in a copper pot still. A multiple filtration process follows. Ving is named for its creator Flo Vinger, a professional dancer from New York City and the CEO of Ving. Ving also creates a Kale, Lemon, and Cucumber infused vodka. Flo worked for four years perfecting her vodka that is distilled in Ventura California. Read more
Review: King St. Vodka
King St. Vodka, AKA Kate Hudson’s Vodka was created by Kate Hudson and David Kanbar, co-creator of Skinnygirl with Bethenny Frankel. David also created Bulldog Gin. King St. is crafted in Santa Barbara California at Cutlers Artisan Spirits by Master Distiller Ian Cutler. Cutler also produces their own line of spirits, including Gin, Vodka, Whiskey, Bourbon, Coffee Liqueur, and Apple Pie Liqueur. The King St. name pays homage to memories Kate had from her former home on King Street in New York City. The inspiration for the brand came from an impromptu cocktail party Kate hosted when she was not 100% happy with her vodka options when whipping up a batch of dirty martinis. She discovered none of the brands were founded by women. King St. is made from GMO free corn. It is distilled seven times, filtered, and cut with alkaline water. One look at the floral bottles label tells me I may not be the target market for this vodka, but I’ve never been one to judge a book or bottle by it’s cover. Read more
Review: Blinking Owl Vodka
Blinking Owl Vodka was launched by the husband and wife team of Brian and Robin Christenson with the opening of Blinking Owl Distillery September 2016. This was the first legal distillery to open in Orange County California since prohibition. The distillery was named for the now closed mid century Blinking Owl Bar that was located in Santa Rosa on Third and Birch Street. It was known for an iconic owl sign that would blink. They also produce an Orange flavored vodka, aquavit, gin, straight bourbon, and straight rye. Blinking Owl Vodka is made from organic wheat grown in California, organic malted barley, and pure Santa Ana water. Santa Ana water was awarded as the best tasting water in California, and fourth best tasting water in the US. Blinking Owl mills, mashes, ferments, and distills everything on site. The spirit is distilled in a custom Carl Artisan hybrid pot column still made in Germany with 34 rectification plates. Bottled at 85 proof Blinking Owl Vodka will get you where you’re going 6.25% faster than your standard vodka. Read more
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: 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: 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
Review: Loft and Bear Vodka
Loft and Bear Vodka was crafted in the heart of the Los Angeles Art District. It is currently produced by another distillery to the same specifications while their new distillery is being built. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill Paul Ryan, aka Bear embarked upon a journey to create a vodka purely for the challenge of developing something unique. The summer of 2014 in a loft in downtown LA, he did just that. Loft and Bear is made from soft organic winter wheat and California sourced spring water. At launch it was crafted in a 30 liter copper pot column still. It was distilled four times and filtered once. Once open the new distillery will distill the vodka in a 1300 liter pot and column still. Read more