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 […]
Since vodka is a neutral spirit without any bold flavors, It can be difficult for vodka brands to stand out. But Reyka Vodka is able to leverage their unique distilling process and location to help attract attention in a out crowded market.
Most of the distilling process takes place in the small coastal town of Borgarnes, Iceland. But first they source a neutral grain spirit from Scotland, where wheat and barley are easier to grow, then proof it down with locally sourced glacial water. The local spring flows through a lava rock field and is naturally filtered.
Next comes the distilling process. Reyka use a rare Carter-Head Still most […]
Although New Amsterdam Original Vodka gives off a classic vibe, it’s actually fairly new to the scene – having launched only in 2011. New Amsterdam is produced by E&J Gallo in Modesto, CA, who are more commonly associated with their delicious wines (I’m a bit of a Barefoot fangirl, not gonna lie). This company was originally founded in 1933, and over time has begun producing many different brands.
The Original […]