Review: Tahoe Blue Vodka
Tahoe Blue Vodka was launched March 2012. Founder and CEO Matt Levitt grew up in Maryland. After earning a business degree, Matt drove to California in his blue Econoline van for a two week vacation. On his scheduled last day Matt arrived in Lake Tahoe and fell in love with the brilliant blue color of the lake and never left. Tahoe Blue is made to Matt’s specifications at Essential Spirits Alambic Distilleries in Mountain View California. It is distilled from a three spirit blend of 50% Sugarcane, 25% Grapes, and 25% Corn. Each is distilled separately. They are then blended together and distilled two more times. Pure water from Lake Tahoe, the second deepest lake in the US, is blended to reduce to 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Fugu Vodka
Fugu Vodka is crafted in San Diego California at Cutwater Spirits. Cutwater Spirits was built by the Founders of Ballast Point Brewing and was originally named Ballast Points Spirits. In 2015 Ballast Point Brewing was sold to Constellation Brands for $1 Billion. The executives used the money to expand the spirits product line and moved to a 50,000 square foot facility that includes bottling, canning lines for their canned cocktails line and a restaurant. In February 2019 Cutwater Spirits was acquired by Anheuser Busch. Fugu is named for the poisonous puffer fish also know as the Fugu fish. The Fugu is hundreds of times more poisonous than cyanide. Fugu fish is considered a delicacy in Japan where it is meticulously prepared so as not to poison their customers. It is with that same attention to detail that Fugu vodka is crafted. Fugu is made from the finest corn grains and is distilled six times and carbon filtered 15 times. The spirit then passes through a chamber of diamonds in a proprietary diamond blending vortex blending the vodka with water purified through reverse osmosis to reduce to 80 proof. Read more
Review: Malahat Spirits Vodka
M
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: Corbin Sweet Potato Vodka
Corbin Sweet Potato Vodka is crafted with 100% estate grown sweet potatoes by forth generation farmer David John Souza. He named the vodka after his son Corbin. Ten varieties of sweet potatoes are grown on the family farm. David spent a decade experimented with each variety of sweet potato using several different distilling techniques in creating Corbin Sweet Potato Vodka. He found some sweet potatoes tasted better and others produced more alcohol. He found the perfect balance by blending three varieties of sweet potatoes. It takes over ten pounds of sweet potatoes to produce one bottle of spirit. Each potato is hand selected and cured for 12-16 months. The potatoes are ground and cooked for 6 hours, and then fermented with yeast for five days. The spirit is small batch distilled in a 2 column Alembic copper still and filtered slowly through a carbon blend. The spring water used in production is recycled back to the farm for irrigation and the spent mash is used as fertilizer or cattle feed. Read more
Review: Our/Los Angeles Vodka
Our/Vodka is a global family of vodkas made in micro distilleries in city centers around the world. Our/Vodka was started by six entrepreneurs in Stockholm Sweden in 2011. Our/Los Angeles Vodka is the sixth release in the series. An electrically heated copper still with a filling capacity of 15.8 gallons is used to distill a raw wheat distillate sourced from Ahus Sweden. This distillate is contant across all of the sister cities. Each micro distillery then adds their own locally sourced ingredients and unique distilling process in crafting their own personal vodka. Our/Los Angeles Vodka starts with demineralized and deionized Los Angeles city water to achieve a pure starting place for the process. The water, high wine distillate from the alembic and rectified spirit which is sourced from Idaho wheat and fermented with a non GMO strain of yeast that is traditionally used in wine making, are blended in a stainless steel agitating tank that has a maximum filling capacity of 132 gallons to achieve the final product. Once blended the bottles are rinsed and filled in a 375 ml. bottle similar in shape to a bottle of Red Stripe beer, then capped with a crown cap on the bottling machine. Read more
Review: Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka
Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka is crafted from organic sugarcane and pristine water sourced from a watershed that originates in old growth redwood forests. The spirit is small batch distilled four times. Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka is free of glycerin, sweeteners, citrus acid or additives. Abe Stevens founded Humboldt Distillery in 2012. They currently also produces a gold rum, spiced rum, and a cannabis infused vodka. All are certified organic. The Humboldt Distillery has increased distribution of their entire product line to now include 12 states. Read more
Review: Greenbar Tru Lemon Vodka
Greenbar Tru Lemon Vodka is crafted from a vodka base made from organic wheat and distilled in a continuous column still at the Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles California. After a gentle charcoal filtration, 2000 hand-zested Eureka Lemons are infused in every small batch. That’s right only three ingredients are used, organic wheat, organic Eureka Lemons, and pure water filtered through reverse osmosis. Eureka lemons are a variety of Citrus Limon that was developed in California in 1958. Read more
Review: Greenbar Tru Vodka
Greenbar Tru Vodka was recently released, replacing Tru Organic Vodka, in The Greenbar Distillery stable of organic spirits. You may have noticed the new package design of their entire product line including Crusoe Rum, IXA Tequila, and Slow Hand Six Woods Whiskey. With Greenbar Tru Vodka the change was more than just cosmetic, they changed the recipe. The husband and wife team of Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Matthew have never been about playing it safe. Since launching Modern Spirits in Monrovia California in 2004 the two have crafted dozen of spirits including rum, vodka, gin, whiskey, and liqueurs. They even killed their first brand Modern Spirits to get out of a horrible distribution contract. Anyone remember Modern Chocolate-Orange or Grapefruit Honey Vodka? Greenbar Tru Vodka is made from three ingredients American organic wheat, California grown organic pomegranate and pure water. The organic wheat and pomegranate are distilled separately in a continuous distillation column still and gently charcoal filtered. They are then blended together. Pure water filtered through reverse osmosis is added to reduce to 80 proof. Read more
Review: Earth Vodka
Earth vodka is made from corn and is distilled 6 times before it is bottled at the Levecke Distillery in Mira Loma California. Levecke is a Private label producer of dozens spirits. Earth Vodka is a bargain priced vodka. I picked up my 750ml bottle for $7.99 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa California. The bottles label made from recycled paper describes Earth Vodka as a Premium Gluten Free California Vodka. Read more