The Versatility of Corn: Prairie Organic Vodka

Quite naturally corn is generally associated with moonshine (corn whiskey) and Bourbon since the mash bill is either 100% corn for moonshine or a minimum of 51% for Bourbon. But last week I sampled my first corn vodka, the Prairie Organic Vodka ($22)  - produced using certified organic #2 yellow corn and distilled to taste by Phillips Distilling Company.  This Minnesota distillery sources the corn from three local family farms: Sather Organic Farms, Olson Organics, and Little Big Man Organic Farms. The website details how these operations practice organic farming by creating a 25 foot buffer crop and then using birds and bats to combat insects.  The corn is then distilled to taste in Benson, Minnesota. Distilling to taste is similar to barrel blending in the sense that the goal is to create a consistent flavor profile and each corn batch differs based on climate, soil, etc. Interestingly, the spent corncobs are converted into bio-gas to power the stills. After distillation the vodka is transferred to Princeton, Minnesota and bottled by Ed Phillips and Sons - a fifth generation and family-operated distilled spirits company.

The final spirit has a familiar flavor profile as corn whiskey with that sweet corn flavor but the Prairie Organic Vodka plows deeper with a creamy texture and zero burn. The vodka is mighty fine neat, but will most likely be used in a cocktail. The distillery recommends the Prairie Organic Bootlegger using 1 ½ oz Prairie Organic Vodka, ½ oz lime cordial, and 3 fresh mint leaves. Shake and strain into a glass with ice. Top with soda water. Cheers.


What is Vodka? The U.S. Government definition of vodka reads as follows:
Sec. 5.22 The standards of identity.
Standards of identity for the several classes and types of distilled spirits set forth in this section shall be as follows (see also Sec. 5.35, class and type):
(a) Class 1: neutral spirits or alcohol. “Neutral spirits” or “alcohol” are distilled spirits produced from any material at or above 190[deg] proof, and, if bottled, bottled at not less than 80[deg] proof.
(1) “Vodka” is neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.

Nelson County Virginia Adds a Distillery to their Portfolio: Silverback Distillery

One of my favorite wine country destinations in Virginia is Nelson County, located just southwest of Charlottesville and encompassing the Blue Ridge Parkway. Initially it was the county's mountains and wine that attracted me to the area, then a few breweries like Blue Mountain Brewery and Devils Backbone opened, then Bold Rock Cidery. Now there's another excuse - Silverback Distillery, with a new spirits brand available throughout the Virginia ABC system.

The distillery is owned and operated by Christine and Denver Riggleman and they produce three spirits: Beringei Vodka, Strange Monkey Gin, and Blackback White Grain Spirit. In order to provide tastings at the distillery, state regulations require that consumers be limited to 4 ounces of spirits over a 24 hour period. Rather crazy considering a person could then travel to nearby Blue Mountain or Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery and drink unlimited quantities of beer or wine. In order to make this restriction bearable to visitors, Silverback created a few cocktail flights which serve a dual purpose. Not only do they provide customers enjoyable libations during their visit, but they also provide future recipes after purchasing a bottle or two.

Samples also are provided neat which gave me a clear representation of their spirits. The Beringei Vodka ($30 750 ml, 80 proof) is made from predominately winter wheat and is very clean, slightly sweet, with absolutely zero burn. The Blackback White Grain Spirit ($17 750 ml, 90 proof) has a high percentage of corn in the mash bill augmented by winter wheat. Thus, on the one hand the corn provides sweetness and spice, on the other, the winter wheat mellows the profile. This moonshine styled spirit is sweet with a minor burn. Be prepared for an aged version of the white grain that is currently residing in American Oak barrels. The biggest surprise was the Strange Monkey Gin ($30 750 ml, 80 proof). Not particular fond of gin, this version was rather tasty as the distillery held back on the juniper. This was worth the price of admission alone. As for the cocktails, the Moscow Mule (vodka) and London Mule (gin) were my favorites with the spirit mixed with ginger beer and lime juice. And both grain cocktails were nice, the Fruity Baboon (blood orange soda and lime juice) and Mango Monkarita (house mango mix). Cheers and safe travels while using theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App.

Tasting Virginia Spirits With The Great Dismal Distillery SilverFox Brand

Besides wine and beer, the Virginia spirits industry is growing rapidly. theCompass Mobile app lists 20 distilleries in the Commonwealth with tasting rooms; one of these being The Great Dismal Distillery - located in Norfolk. For those familiar with the area, you'll recognize the reference to the Great Dismal Swamp. The distillery was established in 2008 by Zachary Combs. His first product was SilverFox Vodka, produced from a family recipe that "fermented grain to power the tractor on their small farm in the Fentress area of Chesapeake. What was left over, his grandmother turned into liquor. " His grandmother had received that recipe from her grandfather, known as the Silver Fox. Although, still a small operation, the distillery has expanded its product line into bourbon and rum. Each of these spirits are sold for $17, hopefully at your local Virginia ABC store.

This month I received a three pack sample containing a bottle of each, which I have tried in various ways. In general, the overall concensus is that these spirits are designed for mixing and not for the snifters.  The SilverFox Vodka is triple distilled then cut to 90 proof with a basic petrol aroma profile until a little water or ice is added. This dampens the alcohol and burn, revealing a sweet and smooth vodka with a subtle burn.  I'd suggest using this in any of your standard vodka recipes.

The SilverFox White Rum is distilled from pure sugar cane juice, not molasses, and then infused with vanilla. The profile is honey-vanilla, slightly on the sweeter side with very little burn.  I first tried mixing in a Josie Russell, which creates a much different cocktail than when using straight rum - perhaps a little too much vanilla that overwhelms the apple. Instead, my two favorite cocktails  was a Vanilla Chocolate Drop (equal parts rum and Godiva dark chocolate liqueur and a splash of cream). A great dessert. Another dessert type drink was a Root Beer Float, add enough rum to taste. The one disappointing aspect to the SilverFox White Rum is that I would have loved to taste before the infusion of vanilla; un-aged rum distilled from sugar cane is quite tasty.

The SilverFox Bourbon, aged two years in oak, is the one spirit I preferred in a snifter, with a small dose of water. Neat, it starts with a sweet corn petrol aroma; candied corn - honey flavor; with no burn at the tail. The water pushes the petrol to the finish; leaving a sweeter vanilla-honey flavor. interestingly the burn increases slightly at the finish.  I also mixed with the suggested ginger ale and yes, it works, but I preferred this medium bodied bourbon by itself.  The SilverFox Bourbon won't be replacing my Buffalo Trace or Catoctin Creek, but is perfect for an everyday bourbon to have on hand. 

Maryland's Rock Creek Trail - Two Breweries and a Distillery

theCompass View
of Rockville

I've been riding quite often on Virginia bike trails in the DC suburbs, but there are also miles of connecting trails across the Potomac. One such trail is the Rock Creek Trail, which links Silver Spring with Rockville. theCompass Winery, Brewery, & Distillery Locator mobile app also shows the trail links cyclists to two breweries and a distillery in this easy, but windy route.

I started in Silver Spring where Denizens Brewing Co. opened this summer at the intersection of East-West Hwy and Georgia Avenue.Co-owners Jeff Ramirez and Emily Bruno are planning a rather large facility, eventually brewing 15 barrels of beer at one time. While the brewery is ramping up production, their two current house beers, the Southside Rye IPA & Lowest Lord Extra Special Bitter are being brewed at Beltway Brewing Company. They augment their selection with regional offerings, and if lucky, the Brewer's Art Ressurrection may be on tap. And for food, the BBQ Bus brick and mortal establishment is now open downstairs.

When heading to Rockville, head toward Georgia Ave and turn right onto 13th Street, then a right onto Leegate Rd which turns into Myrtle St after 16th Street, then Kalmai Rd (all rights) until you reach West Beach Drive. Turn left onto West Beach Drive which leads to the Valley Trail and then the Rock Creek Trail. After about 14 miles of winding along the trail, it turns into the Westside Trail and a short distance later make a left onto the Gude Trail.

Once you get to Gude Drive cross over and take a left onto the Carl Henn Millennial Trail. Twin Valley Distillers,  the first distillery in Montgomery County since Prohibition, will be on your right (turn into the collision system and to the back of the warehouse). The distillery was started by Edgardo Zuniga who dreamed of the idea two years ago and after deciding to open in the county, spent a year getting the proper permits from the country and federal authorities. After five iterations he developed his final recipe for a 100% sugar cane molasses - the Seneca Bay Rum. Next came the Norbeck Vodka, a 100% wheat vodka distilled 8 times. Both of these spirits are available for tasting and sales directly at the distillery. Bring a backpack.

When leaving Twin Valley stay on the Carl Henn path for about a mile until you reach Taft Street, where you hang a right to reach Baying Hound Aleworks (back in the second group of warehouses). Operating for 4 years now,  the nano-brewery was started Paul Rinehart who's been homebrewing since he was 14 years old.  The brewery has an interesting lineup, with the most interesting the Ball Lick'r Raspberry Lambic. Don't see many of these outside of Belgium. And after a bike ride, the Dumb Blonde Witbier or Rockville Golden Ale are refreshing choices. 

Also note that Twin Valley and baying Hound are closed on Sundays. And if ready for food in Rockville, Branded 72 Pit Barbecue is available past Twin Valley towards the Gude Trail. Cheers and safe riding. 

Total miles: 36

Ascendant Spirits, the Daily Beast, and "Craft" Whiskey

During the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference, I took a break from the wine activities to visit Buelton's Ascendant Spirits - Santa Barbara's first legal distillery since prohibition. The one year old company produces a range of spirits from aged bourbon, corn whiskey, and vodka. I was very impressed with their portfolio, starting with the Semper Fi - a corn whiskey distilled from red, white, and blue corn. Their Silver Lightning Moonshine is also smooth, with a sweet corn flavor and slow burn. The star could be the American Star Caviar Lime Vodka, a corn vodka, fermented with low acidic caviar limes, and distilled six times. This is not your everyday flavored vodka; subtle lime with herbal characters. However, there's also the five year aged Breaker Bourbon, a Double Gold medal winner at the 2014 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. You may ask, "How is is possible for the distillery to sell a five year old aged bourbon if the operation has only existed for just over one year?"

Well this week, Eric Felten, posed that very question in his latest post for the Daily Beast, not only posing the question, but basically insinuating that Ascendant Spirits is committing fraud. In his post, Felton describes how many distilleries source whiskey from a former Seagram's distillery called MGP, located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Felton maintains that distilleries hide this fact from their customers and as for Ascendant, here's the money quote:

Or take Breaker bourbon, the “first bourbon produced in Southern California since Prohibition.” The Buellton, California company behind the brand, Ascendant Spirits, wasn’t started until 2013. Yet, they brag their “ultra small batch bourbon” is aged 5 years. So how do you open a distillery one year and have 5- or 15-year-old whiskey to sell the next? Not by making it.

Immediately after reading the article, I drafted an email to Paul Gertman, Ascendant's Chief Financial Officer asking for his response. He replied rather quickly, first thanking me for asking for a response, something that Felton failed to do. Then Gertman described how Ascendent is very forthcoming with MGP as the distillate source, and how many reviewers, such as drinkhacker.com, have mentioned the MGB connection.

You may still be thinking that something just doesn't seem right, and Dave Lieberman, over at OC Weekly, argues quite persuasively that, it really doesn't matter. Lieberman first compares MGP to food co-packers who are utilized when demand outpaces supply. He then follows the same line of thought that Gertman discussed in his reply, although Gertman was more direct: "What is misleading is the article's insinuation that all whiskey from MGP distillate is essentially the same product with new labels. That is not true."

Whiskey starts off as fermented mash - basically beer - from barley, rye, wheat (or over 51% corn for bourbon) which is then distilled. For many whiskeys like Ascendant's Breaker Bourbon, this distillation process occurs at a contract facility. Once the spirit is moved into barrels and aged, the geographic location of the warehouse and the physical location of the barrel within the warehouse have an affect on the final product.

Then the legal production process commences. I preface production with "legal" because there are federal statutes which dictate the differences between distillation and production and how the finished bourbon is labelled. Production is the artistic ability of master distillers and blenders to regularly taste the aging spirit and determine which barrels to blend. The idea is consistency and since the characteristics of the raw ingredients will differ year over year or each barrel will impart different flavors into the spirit, the art of blending is key. Master distillers and blenders, like Ascendant's Steve Gertman, impart their own blending skills and preferences into the final  product.  This is why whiskey, from one distillery to another, differs quite dramatically - regardless of the distillation source. And it is also why when Ascendant claims their bourbon is the “first bourbon produced in Southern California since Prohibition”, they are legally and technically accurate. The production process occurs in Buellton.

Both Gertman and Lieberman also illustrate how many of today's most popular bourbon brands (Pappy Van Winkle) are actually contract "crafted" at distilleries with extra capacity. Along with Pappy, my favorite bourbon, Black Maple Hill, is distilled by Buffalo Trace Distillery. Local DC area readers can compare this to Beltway Brewing Company's contract brewery and how they assist other breweries (Crooked Run Brewing and Denizens Brewing Co.) expand or commence operations.

That being said, it is quite distasteful for distilleries who contract through MGP to attempt to hide this fact from consumers. Both Lieberman and Felten mention a few and these companies should be admonished if true.

As for Ascendant Spirits, they are very candid in their use of MGB for the Breaker Bourbon.  Once the barrels arrive in Buellton (current releases of Breaker have aged in their facility for 18 months), the nightly diurnal temperature swings, which make Santa Barbara County ideal for grapes, also assists the aging bourbon. The full year temperature fluctuations allow more of the oak character to seep into the bourbon within a shorter period of time. Thus, expect more Double Golds, particularly since aging time in Buellton will lengthen for subsequent releases. Plus, a visit to the distillery is definitely recommended, not only to sample their products, but also to learn about their still which can be quickly converted to distill whiskey, vodka, and flavored vodka. For those of us in the DC market, their products are available -- I need to find some Semper Fi to pour for my marine buddies. Cheers.

Update: I received a comment why Ascendant doesn't display the actual State of Distillation on the Breaker Bourbon label as required by federal code - CFR 27 - 5.36 (d). The actual code is displayed below. The front label states "Produced in Buellton", but I do not know what the back label displays. I reached out to Paul Gertman and haven't received a response. This also leads to another question, why the TBB would approve labels that don't follow their own regulations?

5.36

(d) State of distillation. Except in the case of “light whisky”, “blended light whisky”, “blended whisky”, “a blend of straight whiskies”, or “spirit whisky”, the State of distillation shall be shown on the label of any whisky produced in the United States if the whisky is not distilled in the State given in the address on the brand label. The appropriate TTB officer may, however, require the State of distillation to be shown on the label or he may permit such other labeling as may be necessary to negate any misleading or deceptive impression which might be created as to the actual State of distillation. In the case of “light whisky”, as defined in §5.22(b)(3), the State of distillation shall not appear in any manner on any label, when the appropriate TTB officer finds such State is associated by consumers with an American type whisky, except as a part of a name and address as set forth in paragraph (a) of this section.

 

theCompass Spirits: Chesapeake Bay Distillery's Blue Ridge Vodka

This past weekend I refused a request to bring home a bottle of Absolut and instead picked up a bottle of Blue Ridge Vodka ($25) from Chesapeake Bay Distillery.  The distillery is nine years old and two of the three partners are or were active-duty Navy seals. The vodka is distilled from regional corn (thus gluten-free) which are also GMO free. The corn's sweetness shines through the nose as toasted sugar with the flavor as creamed honey cornbread. The vodka finishes with a mild burn - very smooth. Nicely done.

“Field to Flask”™ with Heritage Distilling

I recently received the good fortune of having five spirits shipped to me from Heritage Distilling, a craft distiller located in Gig Harbor, Washington. Jack-pot. And just as importantly. I learned about the Washington State's craft distilling designations and this distiller's unique “Field to Flask”™ ethos.  First, in order to be classified as a Craft Distillery in Washington State, a distillery must certify on a monthly basis, that fifty percent of their non water raw materials are grown in the state. Heritage extends this further by establishing their “Field to Flask”™ program where they manage every part of the process. They work directly with the family farmers providing grain and fruit, mill this grain themselves, cooking the mash, distilling the wort, and so on and so on.


The distilleries main brand is the Elk Rider series which pays tribute to their Western heritage - particularly the pioneer families who resided in what is now Olympic National Park.  I sampled the Elk Rider Blended Whiskey, which is - simply - fantastic. The aroma is a sweet leathery texture, the mid-palette toasted grain - the the finish, sweet, clean and smooth. Don't waste mixing in a cocktail - neat or on the rocks is where this whiskey belongs. This bottle failed to live though the weekend.

The next whiskey was oh so cool, particularly for history buffs like me: the Commander’s Rye Whiskey - based on our Founding Father's original 1797 recipe. Heritage pays tribute to their state's namesake by recreating this rye whiskey using a combination of rye, corn and malted barley. They result is a raw, petrol aroma followed by a very pleasant mid-palette ending with a sweet, almost powdery sugar finish. Very interesting finish. Once again, consumer neat or on the rocks.


It appears that Heritage is leveraging the apple-moonshine popularity by creating the Fall Classic Apple Cider Flavored Whiskey.  This is made in the moon-shine tradition, by mixing corn whiskey and apple cider and sold in a jug. I was at first hesitant since I normally avoid these types of "flavored" spirits - but the Fall Classic won me over starting with the nutmeg- apple aroma. The flavor is then all apple with tail a mouthful of dry spices.  This one will be going into a Josie Russell.

The final two spirits where a first, vodka and gin distilled from Washington grapes - many different grapes to be precise. Apparently after the second distillation, all varietal characteristics of the grape disappears. The HDC Vodka is triple distilled - leaving no recognition of grapes or brandy -  just a pure clean spirit from the sweet start to the  smooth even finish. The HDC Soft Gin is basically the HDC Vodka infused with several botanicals. It is more citrus than most gins, with a lively spicy finish. The distiller recommends as a base for a Bloody Mary and with the citrus and spice - you may only need tomato juice and Worcestershire.  Also a spirit with pedigree - 2013 “DOUBLE GOLD-BEST GIN” medal winner at FiftyBest.com Int’l Tasting (New York). Nice.


Heritage Distilling epitomizes the renaissance in the craft distillery market. They produce a broad and unique portfolio of locally sourced, hand held spirits. Cheers to that - and pair with the American outlaw blues of the JD Hobson Band.

MyJoogTV Episode 12: Donna the Buffalo with Cirrus Vodka

Check out MyJoogTV's latest episode which features Finger Lakes Wine Country musicians, Donna the Buffalo, paired with Cirrus Vodka - a potato vodka distilled in Richmond Virginia.

MyJoogTV Episode 12: Donna the Buffalo with Cirrus Vodka

Blackwater Distilling Releases Eastern Shore's First Vodka Since Prohibition

Maryland’s first distillery in nearly 40 years set to contribute to explosive growth of super-premium spirits market

Stevensville, Md. – March 28, 2011 – Blackwater Distilling™, Inc. today announced the launch of its flagship spirit, Sloop Betty vodka, a wheat- and sugar cane-based craft product. Part of an elite group of just 200 craft distilleries in the entire country, Blackwater Distilling is Maryland’s first federally and state-licensed beverage alcohol distillery in more than three decades. The initial distribution area for its spirits covers Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

Sloop Betty, the fictional pinup character that graces every bottle, is a hot addition to the local distilled spirits scene. Crafted on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Sloop Betty’s got the goods…in more ways than one.

“Betty is more than a pretty face,” said Christopher Cook, CEO of Blackwater Distilling. “In 2005, after coming across an archive of long-forgotten spirits, my brother, Jon, and I have made it our passion to hand craft spirits made from Maryland-sourced and other select ingredients.”

Though widespread distribution is set to launch April 1, Sloop Betty vodka has already been spotted on select restaurant and store shelves, such as Baltimore’s Woodberry Kitchen and Kooper’s Tavern. Initial supplies are limited; remember to ask for Sloop Betty by name at bars, restaurants and stores offering fine spirits. Though price will vary at individual retail outlets, Sloop Betty will be available for around $32.

“Over the past five years, we’ve perfected the recipe for a smooth and balanced wheat- and sugar cane-based vodka,” said Jon Cook, Blackwater Distilling’s COO, who developed the company’s production and quality assurance process. “We use exceptional raw sources of wheat and sugar cane to craft Sloop Betty because that combination yields the cleanest, balanced spirit of the highest quality. Our proprietary process weeds out undesirable elements, such as burn from the wheat and excess sweetness from the cane.”

Superior taste is just one factor that distinguishes Sloop Betty. Maintaining the integrity of the land from which products are crafted is a cornerstone of Blackwater Distilling’s values. Dubbed the “Everglades of the North,” the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge that is the distilling company’s namesake will receive a percentage of proceeds through the organization Friends of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Vodka, the nation’s most popular spirit, makes up more than 24 percent of sales volume in Maryland and Washington, D.C., or approximately 1.2 million 9-liter cases. About 300,000 of those cases are super-premium, and sales of such quality spirits grew an impressive 90% from 2003 to 2009, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). Statistics from the Beverage Journal show that vodka overall grew by nearly 5 percent last year, and premium vodkas, like Sloop Betty, grew 12 percent.
# # #
Based on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Blackwater DistillingÔ, Inc. handcrafts super-premium spirits, such as its flagship product, Sloop Betty vodka. Made of the finest ingredients, Sloop Betty is best served over ice or in a glass neat. Any way she’s poured, we encourage adults to savor Sloop Betty and enjoy our products responsibly. Learn more about the company at www.SloopBetty.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@sloopbetty).

Stacey Viera
for Blackwater Distilling
press@sloopbetty.com
(202) 905-2430

South Beach Wine & Food Festival - The Spirits

Wine is not the only beverage served at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. In fact we spend more time tasting the many spirits that are displayed - either neat or within one of the many cocktails created just for the event.

The Rum
Our favorite brands are always on display and that means Ron Zacapa, Vizcaya, Diplomatico, and Ron Barcelo. We have described these rums at previous tastings here and here, so we won't repeat ourselves here. There was one new brand via Diplomatico, the Diplomático Blanco Reserva - a nice white rum. It is a blend of light and heavy rums distilled in copper pot stills that have been aged up to 6 years. The product is then charcoal filtered creating a very smooth product; very little burn when drinking neat. At their table, Ron Zacapa was offering an awesome strawberry concoction that we may have indulged a little too much. Needless to say, these are the bomb; every liquor cabinet is incomplete without at least one of these.

The biggest surprise in rum was sampling our first Panamanian version, the Zafra Master Reserve 21 year old rum. It is imported by Dana Importers who also introduced the Zacapa rums into the U.S. market in 2001. What I particularly liked about this rum is how it transposed itself when adding a drop of water. It seemed nuttier with even a bit of chocolate. Apparently Master Distiller Pancho Fernandez knows his craft.

The two main rum sponsors for the event were Cruzan Rum and Malibu Rum. The later is distilled in Barbados and is best known for its Coconut Rum made with natural coconut extract.
During the grand tasting they were serving several drinks - the blend of coconut and pineapple being my favorite. Cruzan Rum is distilled in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and hosts the "dance" party. Wherever reggae music is involved, there's a dance party. Cruzan is one of our everyday rum brands - particularly for blending - although they have a nice selection of affordable dark rums: Cruzan Black Strap Rum (Navy Rum), Cruzan Single Barrel Rum, and the Cruzan Aged Dark Rum. All are nice for sipping and we suggest them all. And too bad they were not located inside the tent so that we could compare their Navy Rum with Pusser's.

Another of our everyday rums is Bermuda's Goslings Black Seal Rum. They were present serving the Bermudian Dark and Stormy. No ginger beer for me - no need to get gassy at this event. But love the rum.

The Vodka
There was a larger presence of Vodka producers at this year's festival - including three domestic producers. This was an interesting tasting experience because the vodkas differed with ingredients, (rye, wheat, even corn) and distilling method.

Tito's Handmade Vodka
Tito's Handmade Vodka is produced in Austin at Texas' first and oldest legal distillery. It's made in small batches in an old fashioned pot still by Tito Beveridge. It is micro-distilled in an old-fashioned pot still six times.

Sobieski Vodka
Sobieski Vodka is the #1 premium vodka in Poland and one of the world’s bestselling and fastest growing vodka brands. It is produced exclusively from the revered Dankowski rye at the Starogard Gdanski distillery dating back to 1846.

4 Orange Premium Vodka
The Sunshine State is now be home to the world's first vodka you can "squeeze" - 4 Orange Premium Vodka - a super-premium vodka distilled exclusively from pure Florida oranges. Crafted at Florida's first registered distillery, Florida Distillers Company, this revolutionary orange-based vodka embodies the essence of Florida. 4 Orange is distilled from 100% orange spirits derived from four unique Florida orange varieties - the Hamlin, Parson Brown, Temple and Valencia. One 750 ml bottle of 4 Orange contains approximately twenty Florida oranges.

Medea Vodka
From the 18th century comes a flawless vodka imported from Schiedam, Holland—the world’s first center of distillation excellence. For seven generations, our distillery has used the finest whole grain wheat to perfect the time-honored process of single batch distillation. Distilled slowly, in small batches using natural artesian water, the result is a subtle, flawless vodka. Multiple distillations depending on the distiller's opinion.

Diamond Standard Vodka
Every now and then, something comes along that raises our standard of excellence. The Diamond Standard Vodka is the world's premier luxury vodka. It is hand-made to a higher standard than any other vodka in the world. Crafted in small batches at Poland's historic Polmos Siedlce distillery. Distilled four times and filtered by thousands of De Beers® diamonds for exceptional purity. Each perfume-grade glass bottle is appointed with a round-cut 25 mm Swarovski crystal from the crystallized elements collection. Experience the new standard in vodka. Introducing, in limited quantities, The Diamond Standard Vodka.

Krome Vodka
Krome is the culmination of a quest to find the world's best vodka. After a yearlong search, it turned out that the best vodka was being hand crafted right here in the United States, in Bend, Oregon. Born of Cascade Mountain spring water and locally grown corn, Krome Vodka starts with superior ingredients. It is then filtered five times through charcoal and crushed volcanic rock. Corn provides the vodka with a heft that can't be found in a rye or wheat vodka and a sweetness that can't be found in potato vodka. The ultra-clean Cascade Mountain spring water and thorough filtration process gives Krome its incredible smoothness. This combination of first-rate ingredients and hand-craftsmanship make Krome Vodka a world-class spirit. In addition to being an award winning spirit, Krome Vodka is gluten-free.

OK, there's the marketing fluff. But these are good vodkas. The Four Oranges is the least refined, but its much better than a flavored vodka. You can really taste fresh oranges. The Krome Codka may have been the first we tasted made from corn and we were expecting a corn whiskey flavor - nope. The Medea Vodka stands out with their programmable label - yes you can spell your name and watch it loop around the bottle. Sobieski Vodka is still our favorite - but these are close, close behind.

Cachaça
Drinking so many vodkas came at the expense of the cachacas. We really didn't spend that much time focusing on this Brazilian treat. In general, cachaca is made from distilling the juice from the pure sugar can - no converting the cane to molasses like most rums. Our friends at Cachaça Moleca were present and as always were making several drinks. According to our female editors, their Caipirinha and strawberry concoctions are always worth the calories. Yea, their Caipirinhas are good, but I prefer their Gold neat. Sagatiba Cachaca is another brand we've tasted in the past and fortunately we had several at the Guy Fieri Closing Party. They were serving their Sagatiba Velha neat, with a strawberry and cayenne pepper\sugar mix. That is an interesting combination.

Tequila
The only tequila we tasted was Skinnygirl™ Margarita, a pre-assembled cocktail made from
100% Blue agave tequila , agave nectar lime juice and triple sec. Once again our female editors liked the caloric information - only only 100 calories per four-ounce serving.