With the overwhelming number of other spirits available on the market, I’m not usually interested in any produced by grocery stores. But while browsing for some new cocktail mixers, I found Trader Joe’s Small Batch Vodka hard to pass up because of the surprising low price. I’m also always a sucker for a simple bottle design. So, let’s see if I would come to regret my first experience with a grocery store branded spirit. Trader Joe’s Small Batch is a corn-based neutral spirit that, as the name suggests, is distilled in small batches. In fact, it’s distilled 10 times before being charcoal filtered and bottled at 44% ABV. I couldn’t find […]
Pravda Vodka is produced by Pravda – a Poland-based brand that produces handcrafted rye vodka. Made using sweet rye grain and spring water from the Carpathian Mountain Reserve, Pravda Vodka undergoes a thorough 5-step distillation process in column stills. They take special pride in the next step, which involves a uniquely designed copper still that claims to result in an extra fine and gentle flavor. The spirit and the spring water are then blended through a slow, 2-week long process to produce what Pravda describes as an “Azeotropic mixture”. Afterwards, the mixture undergoes a charcoal filtration process using a unique charcoal […]
Meili Vodka is produced by Meili Spirits, a celebrity vodka brand owned by Jason Mamoa and Blaine Valvorson. Based in Bozeman, Montana, Meili is created with locally sourced grains and pure, unprocessed spring water from an alpine aquifer. They own the family-run farms that produce their grains, which are strategically located close to the distillery for a lower carbon footprint. Although not much is disclosed about their production process, they do mention that their vodka is rested at the end of the distillation process, before being bottled in hand-blown, post-consumer recycled glass bottles. They take pride in the fact that no two […]
Xplorer Potato Vodka is produced by Kilimanjaro Distillery, a family-owned craft distillery in Allentown Pensylvania. Founded by a Tanzanian-American father daughter team in 2015, Kilimanjaro produces several spirits including vodka, gin, whiskey, and specialty products. As a brand, Xplorer is inspired by global travel and the power of bringing people together. The company aims to do good for the community, donating a percentage of their profits to clean water efforts and their local Meals on Wheels. Kilimanjaro Distillery products are made using a mixture of locally grown and globally sourced ingredients. Their vodkas are distilled 12 […]
Happy Pride Month everybody! I hadn’t really thought about it until this year, but I haven’t seen many spirit brands that advertise support for the LGBTQ+ community. So, when I randomly came across this bottle of Identity Vodka, I was excited to check it out. Although it began as a LGBTQ+ friendly tequila brand under the Casa Maestri umbrella of spirits, Identity has expanded to include vodka and flavored vodka. The bottle is branded with a striking felt fingerprint and and rainbow colored lines. Part of the proceeds from Identity sales, about $1 per bottle, are donated to LGBTQ+ charities including GLAAD, The Equality Alliance and DIFFA […]