VodkaBuzz

Corbin Vodka Official Review

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:01:43 +0000

Corbin California Estate Grown Sweet Potato Vodka (or Corbin Vodka for short) is unique. Instead of using a traditional potato, they were the first to go the uncharted rout of making a sweet potato vodka. It was no small feat to tame the sweet potato into a vodka worth drinking. It started with the Souza family-owned sweet potato farm in California’s San Joaquin Valley and a willingness to try something different with their sweet potato

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American Harvest Vodka Official Review

Robert Brodrecht — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 04:01:16 +0000

I had seen American Harvest on the shelves of my local ABC store, then saw a random article calling American Harvest the better version of Grey Goose made in America. I figured I should investigate. The Shot At room temperature, American Harvest is pleasant. Like they advertise on the bottle, the vodka is silky on the tongue with a sweet flavor that is easy to call clean. On the swallow, there’s no burn. After a

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Drinking With A Vodka Sommelier

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:00:50 +0000

Kevin Pilley at the New Zealand Herald had an opportunity to drink with Viktor Korheev, “Russia’s only full-time professional vodka sommelier,” which sounds like the greatest job in the world. Pilley was late to the meeting and forced to drink the penalty shot, a Russian custom dating back to the time of the Tsars. Korheev imparts so many short quips about Russian and vodka history, and how vodka is intrinsically tied to Russa, that I

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Russians Remove Vodka Sculpture

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:00:24 +0000

Yahoo! News reports that Glazovskiy spirits factory bosses in Glazov, Russia removed a vodka sculpture, considered to be a landmark, due to concerns that it could be interpreted as a vodka advertisement under Vladimir Putin’s strict ban on alcohol advertisements. Oddly, the worry over the ban extends not only to alcohol, but items that are only remotely related to alcohol. Russian media suggested anti-drinking campaigners might have more work left to do in the region.

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Bruce Willis Supports Belvedere Restructure

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:00:18 +0000

Sobieski spokesman Bruce Willis will vote to restructure Sobieski’s parent company Belvedere in the wake of bankruptcy protection, according to the Global Post. Bruce Willis apparently became the top individual shareholder due to his promotion of Sobieski. I expected a top shareholder to support the company, but I didn’t know Bruce Willis was the top individual shareholder. You learn something new every day.

Saving a Bad Infusion

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:00:34 +0000

Well Preserved did a vodka infusion over the holidays. Unfortunately, they left the infusion in too long and the infusion went bitter. They didn’t want to throw it away, so they tried to revive the bitter infusion. The found the following to work: Don`t panic. Don`t throw it out. Keep calm. Carry on. Strain the entire lot through several layers of cheesecloth to remove any solids. This worked well and lowered the bitterness from battery

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Mako Vodka Official Review

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:01:12 +0000

I’ve seen Mako Vodka on the shelves for a few months now, and I finally decided to pick up a bottle. The Shot Mako Vodka isn’t a stellar vodka to drink straight. It’s smooth enough, but it has an odd sweetness to it that I can’t exactly put my finger on. It’s almost a bittersweet in the mouth. It’s an unsettling sensation as I let the vodka sit on my tongue. I don’t need a

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Happy Birthday, Vodka!

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:00:14 +0000

According to The Voice Of Russia, January 31st is the birthdate of vodka. On Jan 31, the famous Russian vodka marks its unofficial B-Day. Back in 1865, the prominent chemist Dmitry Mendeleev revealed a groundbreaking formula for perfect vodka – 40 percent alcohol – in his doctoral thesis “On the Combinations of Water with Alcohol”. So, happy birthday, vodka!

86 Co’s Spirits Are Designed For Bartenders

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:00:15 +0000

There’s a cool new company making spirits for bartenders. Via Forbes, 86 Co is making vodka, rum, gin, and tequila. Based on Larry Olmsted’s reviews, the gin is good and the rum is perfect for mixing, which is what a bartender would be doing. Unfortunately he didn’t try the vodka. The cool part about 86 Co is the attention they paid to the bottle design. With multiple gripping points and fluid measurements imprinted on the

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Skyy Vodka Ad “Rise”

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:00:28 +0000

Check out Skyy Vodka’s new TV ad called “Rise.”

Stoked Vodka and Dragons’ Den

Robert Brodrecht — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

The Financial Post has an article on Stoked Vodka’s attempt to get funding from the reality TV show Dragons’ Den. Stoked failed to get funding, but it’s an interesting read of two ladies in Georgia deciding to start up a vodka company. If you ever wanted to start your own vodka company, give it a read.

What’s Your Favorite Mixer?

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:00:02 +0000

James McKean at The Oxford Student seems to genuinely hate vodka, but claims that Apple Tango is the best mixer around. I figured it was worth asking: What’s your favorite vodka mixer? You can only pick one. As for me, I’d currently go with sweet tea. Well, Spenda sweet tea, technically.

Salute American Vodka Supporting Veterans

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:00:05 +0000

Riverfront Times has an interview with Pete Kelly, founder of Salute American Vodka. Salute American Vodka was created with the goal of donating to veterans. In June 2011 I met some folks who had started a veterans’ charity. They were looking for a way to raise funds to help women and men who come back from serving reintegrate into society. Find a job, go back to work, start a business, whatever it might be. I

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Blackbook Asks Can A Spirit Be Too Cheap To Win?

Robert Brodrecht — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:59:56 +0000

BlackBook took a look at Exclusiv and wondered if a spirit can be too cheap to succeed. With a $10 price tag, they were quite pleased with Exclusiv over all, but worried that people would dismiss it as bottom shelf. If you’re reading this post, you probably know about some great cheap vodkas like Sobieski and don’t really care what you pay as long as the vodka is great. The real question is whether most

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Konik’s Tail Successful Despite Self-funding

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:00:09 +0000

The Telegraph is featuring Konik’s Tail success despite running on a shoe string budget. The Polish vodka brand couldn’t get funding because the vodka market was saturated. Instead, Pleurat Shabani bootstrapped his brand with private funding from friends and family, ultimately being voted as the most loved vodka by 50 top bars. Interesting to note, the label was designed and written by Hugh Laurie as a favor to Shabani’s wife, Laurie’s former PA. The reason

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Ciroc On Content

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:00:51 +0000

Digiday talked with Ciroc Content Director Aubrey Flynn about the vodka maker’s content strategy. The growth in consumer demand for content is at an all-time high. We live in an age where people are checking their social network pages before they go to sleep and first thing in the morning when they wake up, scrolling and searching for something that will engage them.

Bloomberg on Russian Standard Takeover of CEDC

Robert Brodrecht — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:00:11 +0000

There is a more extensive write up from Bloomberg about the Russian Standard takeover of CEDC. If you’re into that sort of stuff, you may be interested in reading it. It contains a lot of the same details that Reuters wrote about but adds a little more.

Oddka Official Review

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:01:13 +0000

Oddka is relatively new to me. When I first saw it, I scoffed. The idea seemed pretty ridiculous, mainly because the mascot, Wit Oddoski, is a gimmick. He is an animated character that exists in the real world. Something like that. The look of the marketing material makes me think of the Whatchamacallit commercials from the 80’s / 90’s. To boot, Oddka came in some nonsensical flavors, like fresh cut grass. Yeah, weird, right? Then

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Russian Vodka Sales Up 2.2%

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:00:34 +0000

While Polish vodka exports are down, Russian vodka sales are up 2.2%. However, there are some new changes coming regarding the sale of alcohol in Russia. Rules for selling certain types of alcohol products changed as of January 1, 2013. In addition to a ban on sales of beer and beer beverages at non-stationary retail outlets such as kiosks, night-time sales of such beverages will be banned at all retail outlets with the exception of

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Mansome on Vodka

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:00:15 +0000

Over at Yahoo! Screen, one of the Mansome videocast’s latest episodes talks about vodka and recommends the Vesper as a manly vodka drink.

History of Russian Vodka Video

Robert Brodrecht — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:00:41 +0000

When we posted on Russia and Alcoholism last week, we pulled a bit of information from an RIA Novosti interview with Zhanna Gagarinova, administrator of the Vodka History Museum. It turns out there is a short video of the interview on Vimeo.

Ocean Vodka Working On Solar Powered Distillery

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:00:16 +0000

According to Maui Now, Ocean Vodka is planning to open a solar powered distillery in April 2013. In addition to going off-grid, Ocean Vodka sources its raw materials from local, organic sugar cane. They will also be opening a visitors center with a fresh martini bar, again sourcing local produce for the martinis. Ocean Vodka plans to educate guests on organic farming and the production of green adult beverages. If you needed a reason to

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Vegas and Vodka

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:00:08 +0000

Las Vegas City Life points out the difference between flavored and infused vodkas: So, what’s the difference between infused and flavored vodkas? Essentially, it’s homemade vs. store-bought. For infused, simply take a handful of what you want the vodka to taste like, drop it into the vodka and wait a few days. [...] Flavored vodka is the same concept, but in shorthand. Unstable ingredients and production volume make infusing difficult for commercially distributed liquor. Some

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Pinnacle Cake Official Review

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:01:49 +0000

The Shot Pinnacle Cake is spot on for white cake with white icing. I’m not sure if it’s the picture on the bottle or if it’s actually there, but I can even taste the multicolored sprinkles. There is a slight ethanol flavor on the finish, but there’s still a strong aftertaste of cake that covers it all up. Other than the deathly sweet, it’s pretty decent to drink straight. The Mixed Drink Per Pinnacle’s suggestion,

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Organic Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:00:30 +0000

I’m from the South, and I drink a ton of sweet tea. I was pretty happy about the sweet tea vodka trend that started a few years back. As such, I was excited to read The Wannabe Chef’s Organic Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade recipe. This isn’t the quick and dirty cocktails I tend to drink when I drink a cocktail, so be warned that there is some work involved. If you’re interested in sweet tea,

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Polish Vodka Exports Down in 2012

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:23:21 +0000

According to the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Polish vodka exports were down 20% in 2012. Leszek Wiwała, president of the Employers Association of the Polish Spirits Industry, says that the drop is due to reduced marketing due to a decline in profits.

The Battle for Brackets

Robert Brodrecht — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:00:39 +0000

NorwichBulletin reports that Connecticut vodka maker KC Brang’s Food & Beverage LLC, maker of Kra-ze Vodka, is under fire from Casella Wines, maker of Yellow Tail wine, over the use of brackets around their product name. KC Brang and Casella Wines are negotiating a solution, but KC Brang has exhausted its funds during the legal battle. This has prevented the family-owned company from growing their brand and forcing the company to run on the $180,000

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Snow Queen Calendar

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:00:52 +0000

If you like vodka and scantly clad women in Victorian-era undergarments (and who doesn’t?), check out Snow Queen’s latest calendar shot by Ellen Von Unwerth. GQ has the photos online if you want to take a look. For a mere £150, you can get a copy of the calendar on Snow Queen’s website.

Russians, Vodka, and Alcoholism

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:00:37 +0000

According to RT, Russians will drink 1.5 billion liters of vodka over the holidays. While RT claims that “elite” liquors like whisky are growing in popularity, KyivPost indicates that vodka is still king with 50.2% of total sales. Even if you don’t believe vodka originated in Russia, the fact that vodka is ingrained in Russian history, both as a blessing and a curse, is undeniable. Zhanna Gagarinova, administrator of the Vodka History Museum, told RIA

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Some Tips for Drinking with Russians

Robert Brodrecht — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 14:00:35 +0000

Wine Enthusiast Magazine has some tips for drinking with Russians. Gestures include extending your thumb and pinky to signify to your friends that you want a drink, scratching your neck to signal to the bartender that you want vodka, and putting the number of fingers on your tie for the number of vodkas you want. The article also outlines some drinking games. Interestingly, they aren’t like American drinking games where the loser drinks. Instead, these

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Integré Vodka Official Review

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:07:45 +0000

I’ve seen Integré (called Integre from here on) in the store, but I always passed it off as a Pinnacle clone. My friend Moody brought a bottle over the other day. He doesn’t drink, but said his friend had suggested it. So, I gave it a try. The Shot Integre walks a tough line as a straight vodka. The first time I tried it, I liked it a lot. The second and third, I’m not

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William Chase Points Finger At Con Marketing

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:00:30 +0000

William Chase, founder of Chase vodka, is irritated that many vodka and gin producers are conning their customers by claiming their product is homemade or by charging more simply for packaging. In an article at Real Times, he comes just short of naming names. “It’s time to expose the fakes. If it’s factory-produced then don’t advertise it as ‘homemade’. If it’s the same beverage, don’t change the label just to increase the price,” he said.

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A Vodka For Beer Drinkers?

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:00:35 +0000

Serious Eats posted on a new hop-based vodka out of San Francisco called, naturally, Hophead. The brew created by Anchor Distilling is said to be “a floral, aromatic spirit with rich texture and a wide range of hoppy flavors.” Anchor Distilling makes many other adult beverages, including whiskey and gin, but this vodka is a unique take on the spirit.

Shaquille O’Neal’s Vodka

Robert Brodrecht — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:00:42 +0000

The internet is buzzing about Shaq’s new vodka, Luv Shaq. Shaq is set to join the gobs of celebrities getting on board with the vodka industry. The coconut flavored vodka will be sugar free and is intended to compete with Ciroc but carry a lower price tag according to the producers of Shaq’s vodka. The vodka is scheduled to launch in early 2013.

Russian Vodka Price Hikes

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:00:37 +0000

According to the Chicago Tribune, Russia is set to increase the minimum price for 500mL bottles of vodka from 125 roubles to 170 roubles (about $5.60), a gain of $1.49. The goal is to curb counterfeiting and alcoholism.

Absolut Likes Copper Stills

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:00:05 +0000

We posted before about Absolut Elyx, but Marc Roland Rosales, Pernod Ricard Philippines commercial director, had a little more to add to the small batch copper stills used in the beverage in an article at inquirer.net. Its latest product, Absolut Elyx, is created using a copper rectification still—“basically, a big pot of copper that distills the different ingredients into vodka,” said Rosales. “We use copper because it’s believed to be the metal that best purifies

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Russian Standard Takes Control Of CEDC

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 23:00:22 +0000

According to Reuters, Russian Standard took control of CEDC today in exchange for $65 million in funding. Back in June, we posted that Russian Standard was eyeing a stake in CEDC, but this has gone to a new level. Russian billionaire Tariko acquired about 28 percent of CEDC earlier this year through his companies Russian Standard and Roust Trading in a deal that was expected to help the Polish company retire looming debts. However, Tariko

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Top 5 of 2012

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:15:56 +0000

2012 has been a great year for VodkaBuzz and for bringing new vodkas to light. We launched a ground-up redesign earlier this year that focuses more on mobile and modern browsers to help people better find vodkas on the go. In the meantime, we’ve also found some excellent vodkas to share with everyone. These are our favorite vodkas we reviewed this year.

The Holiday List

Robert Brodrecht — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 05:37:49 +0000

Happy holidays to everyone from VodkaBuzz, and congrats in advance for surviving the Mayan apocalypse! We put together a little list to help you with your merry making and gift giving. Here’s the Holiday List for 2012.

Pinnacle Tropical Punch Official Review

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 03:56:10 +0000

As I continue my trek through Pinnacle’s flavors, I’m giving Pinnacle Tropical Punch vodka a try. The Shot As usual with Pinnacle’s flavored vodkas, it’s difficult to detect the vodka in Pinnacle Tropical Punch vodka. The aftertaste is a bit vodka-heavy to make it an easy sipper, but it’s not hard to ignore. It tastes like I’d imagine Hawaiian Punch mixed with vodka would taste. It’s drinkable straight, but it’s not as great as Pinnacle

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Craft Vodka Rising

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:30:44 +0000

According to U’Luvka founder Mark Holmes, craft vodka is on the rise. “There’s always been this issue that people measure the quality of a vodka on the number of distillations it’s had. The trouble is, the more times it’s distilled the less flavour it has. “Bartenders aren’t interested in that though they want flavour. It’s the reason they’re more interested in craft and small batch vodkas.” Even Absolut is trying to appeal to the craft

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Plush Vodka and Watermelon

Robert Brodrecht — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:00:55 +0000

To get your Friday started off right, check out this plush vodka and watermelon. It’s the perfect toy for your tot, and it can be yours for $100.

An LA Weekly Rant Against Flavored Vodka

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:30:08 +0000

LA Weekly blogger Patrick Comiskey is pissed about flavored vodka. Flavored vodka is the Joe Camel of spirits. It has become to drinking what Yanni is to music, what Jeff Koons is to art. Vodka is garish. It is cynical. It is kitsch. It has become a booze category that serves to confuse us about booze, that trivializes all of the best elements of the cocktail revival and replaces it with puerile fantasy. I wouldn’t

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Cascade Peak Spirits’ Take On Local, Organic Vodka

Robert Brodrecht — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:30:34 +0000

Organic vodka is a hard sale. According to Diane Paulson, it’s about doing what’s right for the planet. “People who know anything about distillation know that it’s such an intense process, that any pesticides or whatever was on the wheat or the rye or the corn, or whatever product you’re using … there aren’t really any left. It’s gone. So why bother? Well, I always joke that Organic Nation is not a health food for

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How to Infuse Vodka for a Bloody Mary

Robert Brodrecht — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:30:26 +0000

Best Bloody Mary has a great article explaining how to infuse vodka the right way. They specifically show you how to make an infusion to help our your bloody mary, but I’m sure that their advice will be helpful in any infusion you want to make.

Tito Beveridge by Tito Beveridge

Robert Brodrecht — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:30:04 +0000

The man behind Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Tito Beveridge, wrote a piece for The New York Times on careers. It’s a nice snapshot of where he came from and what he did before he started making vodka. Any fan should give it a read, and don’t forget to check out our Tito’s Vodka review if you haven’t already.

Finlandia on the Water In Vodka

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:30:37 +0000

The Daily Mail India has a short piece on a meeting with Markku Raittinen, Finlandia’s brand ambassador. The article brags about Finlandia’s water source, but does make the important point that the water that goes into vodka matters. Even subtle differences in the calcium concentration can make for inconsistent batches of vodka. It’s something we rarely consider when looking at a vodka as a brand.

Hotter Vodka

Robert Brodrecht — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:30:24 +0000

The folks at Masters of Malt have one upped themselves since the Naga Chili Vodka coming in at 100,000 Scovilles. The Naga Jolokias, or ghost pepper, vodka rates at 250,000 Scoville. If you’re a masochist, you might be interested in reading Gizmodo’s review of the Naga Jolokia vodka. It’s quite likely that VodkaBuzz will never do a review, so get it while it’s *ahem* hot.

Easily Infuse Vodka with Aqua Zinger

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:53:03 +0000

Infusing vodka is a great way to add some flavor, but it takes time to completely infuse. Things are looking up, though, with a new line of infusion bottles from ZingAnything. The Zinger infusers are double walled (so they don’t sweat) bottles with a chamber at the bottom to pulverize fruit. In 15 minutes, the vodka (or water) steeps in the fruit, infusing it with the fruit flavors. You can make up your own combinations

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Vodka and Dieting (Low Carb Diets and Low Calorie Diets)

Robert Brodrecht — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:30:35 +0000

With the recent buzz around “low calorie” vodkas like Skinny Girl and Voli, I thought it’d be a good time to talk about vodka and dieting. Before I start, this discussion is ONLY related to unflavored vodka. The flavoring in flavored vodkas can add calories and carbs, and vary wildly in how much. If you’re drinking flavored vodka, you can google for nutritional info and see how it fits in with your diet. First, I’ll

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