Born In The USA: A Guide To American Vodka

Or: How a Nation Stopped Worrying & Learned to Love a Neutral Spirit

1. Corbin Vodka: Hailing from California, this vodka is produced entirely using ingredients from the Corbin estate. From the organic sweet potatoes, to the pure water pulled deep from an underground aquifer, very little ‘outside influence’ makes it into this spirit. The result is a vodka with a delightfully starchiness of a traditional potato vodka, but with a subtle and lingering sweetness that’s hard to ignore.

2. 44 North: We’re not sure what it is about Idaho, but at this point we could do an entire article just on the craft vodkas coming out of that state. Distilled using locally grown Idaho Russet potatoes (what else?), this exceptionally smooth vodka is blended using pure spring water from the local Snake River aquifer for a uniquely American take on what many aficionados would call the only way to make vodka.

3. Hangar One: This is one of the more recent American vodkas (much like a Texas upstart farther down the list) that have seemingly taken the vodka market by storm. Using a combination of California grain and grapes, Hanger One’s master distiller works tirelessly to produce a clean. crisp spirit full of notes of honeysuckle and Asian pear.

4. Spring44: To say Spring44 is off the map is truly an understatement, since the distillery is nestled deep in a Rocky Mountain canyon at the end of a 12-mile dirt road. Why? Because that’s where the best mountain springs are, and for the team at Spring44, water is everything when it comes to producing the best vodka. Perfect pH, mineral content and dissolved solids make the water from Spring44 the true star of their award winning spirit.

5. Fugu Vodka: Beer lovers will recognize the very behind-the-scenes brand behind Cutwater Spirits and their Fugu Vodka: Ballast Point. These San Diego craft beer kings have set their sights on the vodka market, and the results are predictably fantastic. Filtered 15-times for the utmost clarity, this vodka is shaking up the American market as it racks up awards for taste and clarity the world over.

6. OYO Vodka: Pronounced “O-why-O”, this Columbus-based distiller uses locally grown soft red winter wheat to produce a smooth vodka that’s rich in cereal flavors. Often called ‘the whiskey-lovers vodka’, it’s winning award after award for its exceptional depth of flavor.

7. Tito’s Vodka:Not since the ultra-premium Grey Goose has a vodka been so popular as to be demanded by name in bars across America. Before Tito’s, it would be crazy to think a humble corn vodka from Texas would be able to win the hearts and minds of so many drinkers. Made in Texas’ oldest legal distillery, their vodka is proudly made in hand-constructed copper stills, the same way humble home-distillers have been making their spirits for 100’s of years.

8. Tuthilltown Indigenous Apple: Using apples grown mere miles from the distillery in the Hudson River Valley, Tuthilltown produces a fermented cider that is then double-distilled for absolute clarity and smoothness. The result is a vodka that defies description, since though it tastes of apples, one would never call the subtle and sweet flavors experienced that of a ‘apple flavored vodka’. In the end, we suppose the discerning drinker will just have to try it and decide for themselves.