Review: Texas Vodka
Texas Vodka is one of several vodka brands sold exclusively at Trader Joes stores. It is made in Texas from 100% corn, distilled 6 times, and comes with a plastic twist cap, leaving little doubt who they want to be compared with. When the vodka first appeared at Trader Joes it was labeled TX Vodka. The brand is owned by Dynasty Spirits. Dynasty Spirits was founded in 2010 by Devin Dell. Dynasty produces Painted Donkey Tequila, and several brands of vodka including Tower, Column 5, Green House, Stil, and Townes. Dynasty also created the Nue Vodka product line until they sold it to Southwestern Spirits. Read more 
Review: Noble Wolf Vodka
Noble Wolf Vodka is to my knowledge the first and only vodka distilled from 100% Florida grapefruit. The idea for the brand came to former University of Texas football star Bryce Cottrell while he was flying to Iowa State for a game. He was watching an episode of the HBO show Entourage where Turtle launched a tequila brand. When he returned from Iowa he placed an ad looking for a chemist to create his vodka. For the cost of a Five Guys burger and $80 cash the chemist created the vodka and found a distillery to produce it. While still a student and starting defensive end at the University of Texas he launched the 8 time distilled vodka. They also produce Noble Wolf Pink Lemonade and their Facebook page teases a Noble Wolf Red Berry flavor. Read more
Review: Cinco Vodka
Cinco Vodka was launched in 2010 by Richard Trey Azar III. It is made from 100% Idaho sourced amber wheat and water drawn from the Edwards aquifer which is naturally filtered through Cordova Creme limestone found beneath San Antonio Texas. It is small batch distilled five times in a 530 gallon hand hammered copper kettle still nicknamed Betty, and non charcoal filtered. I first tasted Cinco’s pool side at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort several years ago, and kicked myself for not bringing home a bottle to review. If you have stayed and dined at this Marriott property you will probably understand why I had no time to shop for liquor offsite. When produced Cinco was only available in Texas. I say when produced, because Cinco is no longer produced, it is still available throughout Texas. I picked up my bottle at Specs today. Richard Trey Azar III has since moved on to gin as he felt the vodka market was over saturated. He is now producing the award winning Seersucker Gin. While I’m still in Texas maybe I should pick up a bottle of Seersucker, since I’ve been told for several years, gin is what the cool kids are drinking now. Read more
Review: Western Son High Plains Raspberry Vodka
Western Son High Plains Raspberry vodka was just released. It joins a flavored vodka lineup that includes Peach, Cucumber, Lime, Blueberry, Watermelon, Prickly Pear, and Grapefruit. They also produce Western Son Original unflavored vodka. The Western Son brand was launched in 2011. The distillery is located in the former Old Panty Factory in Pilot Point Texas. Each flavor starts with their original unflavored vodka made from a mash of Midwest and Texas Yellow corn. Once the corn is milled water sourced from a local aquifer further filtered through reverse osmosis is added to the mash. After fermenting, the vodka is distilled ten times. First in a copper pot still. The spirit is then distilled in a 20 foot column still containing 13 perforated copper plates. The vodka is quadruple filtered before natural flavors are blended with the original vodka base. Read more
Review: Steel Dust Vodka
Steel Dust Vodka is named for a horse who was born in Kentucky in 1843, and brought to Texas as a yearling. The 16 hand tall champion quarter miler match horse was so fast his jockey reportedly coated the stallions back with molasses in order to stay aboard the entire ride. Steel Dust is made from locally grown corn and is distilled six times. The first five times in small batches in a copper pot still. The spirit is finished in a custom column still. If a vodka made from locally grown Texas corn distilled six times in a copper pot still sounds familiar, the bottle design including the plastic top closure will remind you even more of another Texas born vodka. Steel Dust Vodka touts a farm to bottle experience but no farm or distillery information is provided. Steel Dust is bottled by Ocean State Distillers, Woonsocket Rhode Island. Read more
Review: Fire Oak Vodka
Fire Oak Vodka was released in 2016. The husband and wife team who opened the distillery in the Texas Hill Country also produce Fire Oak Texas Bourbon Whiskey. Fire Oak Vodka has been on my radar for quite sometime, as they have been collecting Gold Medals faster than Michael Phelps. Fire Oak is the official vodka of the Dallas Stars NHL hockey team. Fire Oak Vodka is small batch distilled five times in a custom copper still, from 100% non GMO corn. Read more
Review: Space City Vodka
Space City Vodka is crafted at Whitmeyer’s Distilling Co. in Houston Texas. I picked up a bottle on a recent trip to Houston. If you have ever been to Houston you know just how space proud Houstonian’s are. Their Major League baseball team is the Astros, and their NBA basketball team is the Rockets. The Space Center in Houston hosts more than one million visitors annually. Travis and Chris Whitmeyer founded the distillery with money raised from family and friends in 2012. This was the first legal distillery in Harris County since prohibition. They also produce several whiskeys, gin, and moonshine. Space City vodka is made from corn, distilled six times, and filtered through activated carbon. Read more
Review: Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka
Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka was launched June 2018 by Be in Good Spirits Co-Founders Philip Rock and Kent Croutcher. It is one of five organically produced vodkas they craft in Texas. The vodka base is made from organic corn sourced from family farms and is distilled five times and filtered twice. Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka appears to hit all of the latest vodka trends. No refined sugars, no gluten, no GMO’s, and no artificial colors, are added. It’s certified organic by Oregon Tilth, its made with real fruit juice, and organic fruit and vegetable juice is added for color. Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka even prints their entire ingredient list on the bottle. That list reads organic corn vodka, organic ruby red grapefruit, organic apple, organic lemon juice, organic Ceylon cinnamon, organic maca root, organic grade A maple syrup, and natural flavors. Read more
Review: Frankly Organic Strawberry Vodka
Frankly Organic Strawberry Vodka was introduced June 2018 along with Frankly Organic Grapefruit, Pomegranate, Apple, and their unflavored original Frankly Organic Vodka. Each flavor starts with a vodka base made from 100% family farmed organic corn. The vodka is distilled in small batches in Austin Texas and each variety is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Frankly Organic Strawberry is infused with organic strawberries harvested in California, organic apples, organic turmeric, organic ginger root, organic coconut water, organic lemon juice from Spain, Vermont Grade A maple syrup and natural flavors. Organic fruit and vegetable juice is added for color. 1% of revenue supports animal welfare causes. Read more
Review: Enchanted Rock Vodka
Enchanted Rock Vodka is made at the Rebecca Creek Distillery in San Antonio Texas. The distillery was founded by Steve Ison in 2009. The Rebecca Creek Distillery also produces Enchanted Rock Peach Vodka, Rebecca Creek Whiskey, and Texas Ranger Whiskey. Enchanted Rock is named for the pink granite mountain located about 17 miles north of Fredricksburg Texas. It is said to be haunted by ghosts. Enchanted Rock Vodka is crafted in small batches. The hearts of the distillate are made from corn and distilled in a Christian Carl copper pot still. The spirits then enter in vapor form under pressure into a modern 6 plate copper column still where the spirit is distilled the functional equivalent of 10 times. The flavor is rounded out using a proprietary 28 degree frost filtration. The temperature is first reduced to 28 degrees and then the chilled vodka is passed under pressure through 25 microfiber paper filters. Pure limestone filtered water is blended to reduce to proof. Read more