Tag Archives: vodka

Chopin Vodka

Upon my latest Susie Drinks Dallas delivery I immediately thought, “Yay vodka! Let’s make some drinks and kick off this weekend early!” Mind you it was only Tuesday and this was much needed. Then I figured I should skim the label and, to my surprise, I held potato vodka in my possession. Chopin Potato Vodka to be exact.

(Potatoes and I have a longstanding relationship. Mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, potato gratin, baked potatoes, potato skins and all the other which ways potatoes come …I love them all.)

Chopin came to the U.S. market in 1997 from Poland and has notes of vanilla, green apple and that ever-so-alluring earthy finish. It comes crafted from potatoes grown naturally (good news for all your organic, non-GMO sticklers), yeast and purified artesian well water. It takes 40 potatoes to make one 750 ml bottle of vodka. (That’s like … a whole sack’a’potatoes.)

I’ll break down the process for you: Cleaned and left unpeeled, the potatoes are pressure-cooked to create a “mash,” which ferments for three days. The fermented mash is distilled four times, creating an almost 100% alcohol spirit, which is then transported to Chopin’s bottling plant in nearby Siedlce, Poland. Here, it blends with artesian well water and filters five times before its final destination of master distiller Waldemar Durakiewicz.

Additionally Chopin produces a Rye (2011) and Wheat, the newest addition. Rye holds a medium body with hints of spice and aromas of rye dough. Wheat offers a bread dough nose with hints of honey and butterscotch. Basically, it sounds like you’re drinking a breadbasket. I would say that assumption rings fairly true, but it’s an interesting flavor profile that grows on you the more you give it a chance. The Rye and Wheat are close in flavor profile, but I felt the Potato finished smoother with less of a bite at the end.

The trio comes best served as the base for cocktails like martinis with extra olives or with a splash of cranberry and soda with lime.

Here’s a recipe for a “Chopin Cuban” using the Potato Vodka that I deem completely necessary as summer cocktail season winds to a close.

Chopin Cuban
3/4 tsp. sugar
3 fresh sprigs of mint
3/4 oz. lime juice
5 large ice cubes
2 oz. of Chopin Potato Vodka
a splash of Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne.

Crush sugar, mint, and lime juice. Add ice cubes and Chopin Potato Vodka. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Top with a splash of Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne.


CHOPIN HAND MADE POLISH VODKA
www.chopinvodka.com | Facebook | Twitter

 

**Disclaimer: I received this boozy bottle of potatoes for free from Chopin Vodka**

Dixie Vodka: Stand With the General

I honestly would buy this vodka just for the bottle. (You know those people that select liquor based on how pretty the bottle is? I may have been (slash am) a perpetrator of this act. Don’t judge.) But listen: this is one of those times where your creative selection process has worked out for the greater good of alcohol consumption.

There are so many great attributes to Dixie Vodka:

  • the price point for alcohol content
  • it’s 6 times distilled from American corn
  • it’s handcrafted in Charleston, SC and produced by a company named Chicken Cock Whiskey
  • it has a totes a badass mascot with an even more badass catchphrase:“Feared on the battlefield, admired in the ballroom & loved in the bedroom, General Beauregard Dixie.  Man amongst boys.  Stand with the General.”

Now, vodka isn’t my typical drink of choice, especially for shots, but this one made it tolerable (and dare I say … enjoyable?). That oh-so-familiar burn down the throat wasn’t as harsh as regular brands and its smoother finish makes it an easy choice cocktails or on the rocks. Supposedly, the brand is designed for Southern males, but ladies, I say grab your glasses and let’s sip on some Dixie Vodka at the gun range to give these men a run for their money.

General Dixie is available as straight vodka and also in two flavors: Black Pepper and Mint. It will feature signature drink recipes such as the Mint Julep Martini and Bloody Dixie (version of Bloody Mary), created by leading Charleston mixologists.

 

General Beauregard Dixie Vodka
islandclubbrands.com
Facebook: General Beauregard Dixie
Twitter: @GeneralDixie

**Disclaimer: I received this bottle for free from Dixie