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Square One

2009-07-06 09:00:00

While I was visiting Jeremy in Portland, OR, we found a bottle of Square One Vodka. A reader had suggested the vodka awhile back. So, we decided to give the vodka a test. Square One is an organic vodka, and is known for being the first organic American rye vodka. The Shot Square One vodka is a very clean, sweet tasting vodka. Since Jeremy didn't have much of a freezer, I drank it warmer...

SV Supreme

2009-06-29 09:00:00

It's been awhile since I've had SV Supreme. It's hard to miss the rocket-shaped bottle on the shelf, though. At the request of a reader, I grabbed a bottle. I ended up on the SV wikipedia page while searching for additional information on the vodka. While this is a Russian vodka, Wikipedia claims that SV was formulated to appeal to an American audience by attempting to remove the bitter...

Summer Drink Recipes

2009-06-23 12:48:40

We've covered some summer niceties like infusing and sweet tea vodka, but I'm sure there are more. What's your favorite summer vodka drink? Examiner.com has just posted two that sound refreshing and good for parties: Pink Lemonade Vodka Punch 1 12-oz. can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed 3 12-oz. chilled bottles of beer (use pale ale or lager) 3/4 c. vodka, chilled ...

Liquid Vodka

2009-06-22 09:00:00

I got married on October 31st, 2008. Jeremy, my friend of many years brought me several bottles of local vodka for a wedding present. Liquid Vodka is one. My apologies to Jeremy. I forgot I hadn't posted this review and put it off far too long. The Shot Liquid Vodka doesn't have the most pleasant flavor, but it isn't horrible. It's slightly bitter in the mouth, and bitter on the...

UV

2009-06-15 09:00:00

UV was another reader suggestion. It's been years since I'd had UV's flavored vodkas (and I wasn't terribly impressed then). I managed to get my hands on a bottle to see what it's all about. The Shot UV vodka gets bitter really fast. It slightly dries the mouth, and the swallow leaves me with a cringe on my face due to the bitter aftertaste and mild burn. The aftertaste sticks around...

Infusing Vodka is Out?

2009-06-12 13:06:12

Chow.com says infused vodka is out of style. This comes on the heels of the Wall Street Journal calling vodka out of style followed by NYTimes.com echoing a similar sentiment (we'll be covering that topic soon). I've never been a big drinker of infused vodkas, but I was looking forward to infusing my own vodka this summer. Infusion adds a different spin on an already great beverage, and...

Monopolowa

2009-06-08 09:00:00

Monopolowa was suggested by a reader. We happened to find a bottle in Denver, Colorado. The Shot The taste of Monopolowa in the mouth is clean and comfortable. The swallow brings out bitter flavors that stick to the tongue. On the way down, the vodka is very smooth. Monopolowa doesn't require a chaser, but the bitters that hang around aren't the most pleasant. The Mixed Drink I...

Russian Standard Original

2009-05-31 09:00:00

Russian Standard Original Vodka is the bottom of the Russian Standard line and is the highest selling premium vodka in the world. We've reviewed the top of the Russian Standard line, Imperia, which is our favorite Russian vodka. It was only a matter of time before we got our hands on Russian Standard Original, and now is that time. The Shot Russian Standard Original Vodka has a bitter bite...

Higher Excise Taxes On The Way?

2009-05-27 15:52:27

Digital City is reporting that we may soon face excise tax woes like those in Poland that have lead to a 75% decrease in vodka consumption. Digital City says higher excise taxes in the US on liquor, beer, and wine will be used to fund new healthcare measures. Luckily, vodka drinkers have the least to fear. Liquor is set to see only 19% higher tax while beer will see 144% higher tax and wine...

42 BELOW

2009-05-24 09:00:00

42 Below is a vodka made by some fun-loving (if their site is to be believed) Kiwi's down at -48 latitude in New Zealand. The Shot The shot is clean in the mouth. There are no noticeable flavors. The shot goes down smooth with a mild burn left on the tongue that slowly reveals itself over a period of several seconds. I haven't even contemplated a chaser. This is a great straight vodka. The...

An Aussie in Poland

2009-05-18 12:49:03

Poland and Russia have long been arguing over who first created vodka. It isn't of any real consequence, though, because both countries are known for their great contributions to the current vodka market. Catherine Schaer, an Aussie writing for WAToday, describes her recent experience on a trip to Warsaw to find the best Polish vodka has to offer. She may not have come away with an end-all pick,...

Jean Marc XO

2009-05-17 09:00:00

Jean Marc XO was suggested by a reader several months ago. While I was on a trip to Chicago, I happened to find a bottle and decided to give it a go. Interestingly, this vodka is hand-crafted and has the marks to show for it on the back of the neck of the vodka. Historically, vodkas with numbered batches have been iffy, but the clerk at the liquor store seemed impressed enough that I was purchasing...

An Expensive Bottle of Vodka

2009-05-14 10:56:33

I thought Stoli Elit was an expensive bottle of vodka. The approximately $60 price tag (at least where I am) is paltry fee compared to some bottles of Russian vodka that found their way to Hope Mills, North Carolina's ABC Store. Going for a mind numbing $1000, the bottle of Vodka Imperial Collection comes with an ornamental bottle and a container that resembles a Faberge egg. Only four bottles...

Trump Raspberry

2009-05-10 09:00:00

With a review of Trump's premium vodka entry under our belts, we've moved on to their other 80 proof vodka offerings. With grape, citron, orange, and raspberry flavors, Trump vodka is easily making connections with all types of cocktails. We gave the raspberry flavor a shot. The Shot The smell of the Trump Raspberry is very heavenly. The taste is a little bit of a let down. The raspberry...

Trump Orange

2009-05-03 09:00:00

With a review of Trump's premium vodka entry under our belts, we've moved on to their other 80 proof vodka offerings. With grape, citron, orange, and raspberry flavors, Trump vodka is easily making connections with all types of cocktails. We gave the orange flavor a shot. The Shot The smell of the Trump Orange is very vibrant. Unfortunately, the taste doesn't quite stand out over the odd...

Vodka is Doing Well

2009-04-30 13:38:54

Despite what some people think, everyone around here seems to know that vodka is still in style. It never hurts to have some numbers to back that up. The Publican lays some of those out for us. Mintel, a market research company, released figures saying 79 million liters of vodka was sold in 2008. That's still a far cry from the amount of soda sold, but those sales add up to around $2.8 billion....

360 Vodka Earth Day Rebate

2009-04-23 19:12:39

Update: All the links below have expired. Sorry folks. You're too late to cash in on this one. In honor of earth day, one of our favorite eco-friendly vodkas, 360 Vodka, is offering a mail-in rebate. If you purchase a 1.75 liter bottle, you can get a $20 rebate. A 750 mL bottle rakes in a $10 rebate, and a 375 mL bottle will get you a $5 rebate. Interestingly, that could leave you with...

Vodka Bottles by Arnell

2009-04-20 12:18:26

Some images of vodka bottle designs by Peter Arnell have been making their rounds on the web. The brand is 1000 Arcres, a vodka, though I can't find evidence that the vodka actually exists, since a search returns only links to articles about the packaging. There is no doubt that this is gorgeous glasswork with very interesting and innovative designs in the realm of vodka bottles. The exteriors...

Vodka is Passé

2009-04-18 00:00:01

According to Food & Wine, Vodka is passé. At least that's how Wall Street Journal writer Eric Felten sees it after reading Food & Wine's Cocktails '09. The magazine lists the signature cocktails of prominent bartenders (or would they prefer mixologists now days?) and there is a sharp decline in vodka cocktails for 2009. Eric Felten heralds it a welcome sign of vodka's decline. He may be mistaken. ...

VodkaBuzz on Twitter

2009-04-14 14:25:07

Over the weekend, we opened up a Twitter account for VodkaBuzz with the goal of offering a less formal, more immediate method of communication. If you use Twitter, follow us for updates about the site, the vodkas we're drinking, etc. Are there any other social sites (or otherwise) that we can join up with to help make it easier for you to keep up with VodkaBuzz? Let me know and I'll see...