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 While cleaning kitchen cabinets the other day, I uncovered a bottle of Teton Glacier Potato Vodka that had been shoved all the way to the back of the cabinet and out of sight. I couldn’t determine how old it was, but the bottle was a beautiful decanter style with an impressive glass stopper that gave it a vintage look.  Teton Glacier Potato Vodka is made in Rigby, Idaho, the heart of potato country. All ingredients are sourced from Idaho; the wellspring of high-mountain glacial water is blended with spirits distilled from volcanic soil-grown potatoes. As the label indicates, the vodka is “Crystal and Charcoal Filtered”. The bottle was sealed tight, but had been opened at some point in time. Not knowing the age of the bottle made it all the more difficult to determine if evaporation had taken place or if it was just that the vodka had been consumed. Eighty proof spirits contain a high alcohol content that helps to prevent the spirit from “turning” over time. Vodka is one of the more stable spirits that can be stored for a long time. However, once opened it will begin to very slowly evaporate and possibly start to lose flavor. Since this bottle was stored in a cool and dark place, light exposure was not a contributor to altering the flavor of the vodka.  We had difficulty removing the cork from the bottle because it was jammed in tight. It took patience and a strong hand, but we were rewarded for our efforts. In keeping with the vintage theme, I poured the vodka into antique cut crystal glasses. We drank it straight and at room temperature. It had a clean scent with sweet overtones and a hint of yeast. The palate offered a subtle sweetness and nutty bite to it with a combination of bitter and sweet on the finish. There was no “burn” to this vodka; on the contrary… it was rather smooth. Finding this vodka was a treat and I will have a decanter to use when the vodka is gone!
80 proof Alcohol: 40% http://tgvodka.com Have a great weekend! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  A few days ago I went to a holiday luncheon. In addition to enjoying some good food and conversation, we played a game of “Dirty Santa” while sipping Cappuccinos and nibbling on dessert. I had my eye on a bottle of Tito’s Vodka and thanks to a few “steals”, I snagged it and brought the vodka home. It’s no secret that I love vodka and I’m very picky when it comes to choosing what brand to drink. Since I usually drink vodka straight up, there are a few criteria the vodka must pass before I imbibe. The vodka has to be clear, smooth and well balanced with hints of sweetness and grain. An oily texture is a bonus as well as a “neutral or very subtle” aroma. Overbearing and abrasive alcohol that causes a fire in one’s throat or nostrils is a no-no! Tito’s Handmade Vodka passed the test with flying colors! Tito’s is corn-based vodka that is distilled six times in old-fashioned pot stills at Texas’ first legal distillery, Fifth Generation distillery in Austin, Texas. They’ve been distilling vodka since 1997. Tito Beveridge is the founder and owner of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. He has a great story on his website that is worth reading. http://www.titosvodka.com  Tito Beveridge Photo courtesy of Tito Vodka Tito’s vodka has just a trace of sweetness on the nose. The palate offers a clean and silky mouth-feel with hints of toast and vanilla followed by just the right amount of oomph at the end. The bottle is a straightforward design and not as fancy as the etched vodka bottles one tends to find on the shelves, but don’t let that fool you. Tito’s vodka can certainly give the fancy bottles a run for their money!   And, I love the holiday bag that Tito’s vodka comes in! Tito’s is great vodka to drink straight or in mixed cocktails. Tito’s Handmade Vodka definitely has Penina’s stamp of approval! Alcohol: 40% 80 Proof Price: $18-20 Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com
 While perusing the shelves of a wine & spirit shop the other day, I stumbled across a bottle of vodka that intrigued me and I just had to buy it! I have tasted and reviewed many wines from New Zealand, but never their vodka. What drew my attention to this vodka is that it’s made with whey, which is rare. VDKA 6100 is made in Reporoa, located on the North Island of New Zealand. Fresh seasonal whey, sourced from grass-fed cow’s milk, is used and fermented with a rare strain of yeast imported from Ireland and now farmed in Reporoa. Due to the purity of the ingredients being whey and natural spring water, the vodka is only distilled three times.  VDKA 6100 is backed by Robert De Niro and James Packer. The product was launched in early 2014. And according to VDKA 6100’s website, the name was chosen to reflect the distance between the birthplace of the brand in the USA and the source of the vodka in New Zealand, 6100 miles.
On the nose, the vodka is sweet with a hint of lemon and vanilla. The palate offers a very creamy mouth-feel with more vanilla, lemon and a touch of pepper. The creaminess fades on the finish with some spice and heat taking its place. This vodka is good served neat or in a cocktail. 80 proof Price: about $35.00 http://www.vdka6100.com Check out more vodka reviews on my website. Have a great Monday! Cheers! Penina  Last evening I fired up the grill and seared a large piece of tuna steak that had been marinating for a few hours in teriyaki, sesame seeds, garlic and ginger.  It was a toss up as to whether or not to serve wine or make martinis. My dinner guest said that he preferred vodka with his steak. Who was I to argue? I love vodka! I got out my classic martini glasses and made perfect martinis with Grey Goose Vodka. By the time I took this photo, we’d already devoured the olives. The tuna was done to perfection. After slicing it, I placed the tuna strips over salad. It was a perfect meal, even without the wine. Syrah, Pinot Noir or dry Rosé would have paired well with the tuna. Perhaps next time…  It’s another beautiful day. I hope to sneak in a power walk at some point. I’ve been power walking practically every day for the last few weeks! I feel great!
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina  Today is the Vernal Equinox, marking the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a time for rebirth, renewal & regrowth. Spring is truly one of my favorite seasons! Spring marks the return of many birds that flew south for the winter, including my beloved hummingbirds. The trees come alive again and I can’t wait to be enveloped by the scent of lilacs, peonies, lilies of the valley and honeysuckle!  “It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” ― Mark Twain In honor of spring’s return, we began our celebration last night with Grey Goose Martinis that were chilled to perfection. The ice crystals were dancing in the glass...now that’s a martini! We were going to move on to a bottle of wine, but I needed to savor another martini with my dinner.   The celebration will continue this evening with some wine! Happy spring!
Have a peaceful Sunday and Happy Spring! Cheers! Penina  Between the downpour of rain and the howling winds yesterday, I fully expected to end up in the Land of Oz. But all is calm today and I have much to do. Last evening I had a quick drink with a friend. Straying from my usual “vodka neat”, I poured a shot of Grey Goose over ice with imported Spanish olives marinated with dry Vermouth. I then added a splash of the liquid that the olives were packed in. The drink was amazing and the olives were meaty and flavorful. I need to go out and buy a case of these olives! Check out Mezzetta products at: http://www.mezzetta.com  Have a peaceful Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  As the weatherman promised, it has been beautiful the last few days. I’ve been taking advantage of the mild temps by trying to stay outdoors as much as possible. It is coming to an end tomorrow though, with the promise of rain and wind, which unfortunately might impact my journey into the city for a wine event.  I’m planning a few trips in the near future, so I started delving into all the travel “discount” sites, as well as airline sites to compare prices. Yikes! It is amazing the broad range of airfares that are offered for the same flight. One thing I learned from a very savvy niece, is to make sure that you set your browser on “private browsing” when exploring prices. Otherwise, the site will remember you and probably not offer the same attractive price that you saw earlier. I’m looking forward to writing some travel posts soon!  As it approached cocktail hour last night, I poured myself a Snow Queen vodka on the rocks and settled in to watch a little of the Iowa caucus returns. A friend decided to drop by and join me for a while. I poured him vodka as well. Before I knew it, I was in the kitchen tossing a salad and popping a frozen pizza in the oven for us to eat. It was a fun and spontaneous evening! I wrote a review of Snow Queen vodka in November. I really like the flavor and smoothness of this vodka. You can read my review at: http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2015/11/day-382.html Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina  I’m taking a quick moment to exhale from a rather hectic day. Taking a few days off in December has come back to haunt me. The calendar is filling up once again.  In honor of The State of the Union address last night, I decided to “shake” things up a bit and started off the evening with patriotic Grey Goose martinis. My guest was amused but quite satisfied with his drink. I’ll have to think of an interesting “pour” to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. Any thoughts? Okay…break time is over and I must run!
Happy Wednesday! Cheers! Penina  I got up very early on Monday morning and drove to Costco before their doors opened in the hopes of arriving before the crowd did. It seems that everyone else had the same idea. What was I thinking? Eleven days before Xmas! It was an adventure to say the least.  Fortunately, the rest of my day ran smoothly. And by the time evening rolled around, I was ready for a fun dinner with my friend. I decided to be adventurous, shake things up a little so to speak and have a Cosmopolitan which I have never tried! I’m not a fan of mixed or sweet drinks, especially when it involves vodka. But this cocktail was quite interesting. It was just the right balance of not being overly sweet or tart. It is made with vodka, cranberry juice, Triple Sec and lime juice. Of course, after having one of these, I declined on having any wine. So I sipped on water with my dinner!  It is a beautiful but blustery day and I have much to do!
Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  Busy, busy, busy. It’s that time of year when there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. It was a productive Tuesday, but still so much to do!  I finally exhaled when the sun went down and spent a wonderful evening with a good friend, sharing stories over Grey Goose martinis. No time for reviews or chit chat today. I’m racing off to a holiday luncheon. Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina |
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