Vodka is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is made by distilling liquid from fermented cereal grains, and potatoes since introduced in Europe in the 1700s. Some modern brands use corn, sugar cane, fruits, honey, and maple sap as the base.
Sloe gin is a British red liqueur made with gin and sloes. Sloes are the fruit (drupe) of Prunus spinosa, the blackthorn plant, a relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. However, the European Union has established a minimum of 25% ABV for sloe gin to be named as such. Sloe gin is technically a gin-based liqueur, but due to historical prevalence at the time of writing the EU spirit drink regulations, the colloquial name 'sloe gin' was included in the legal definitions and as such is the only gin-based liqueur that can legally be called gin without the liqueur suffix. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to soak the sloes in gin. Most recipes call for the addition of sugar, but this is not required. The drink develops sweetness when the fruit is left in the alcohol and is allowed to mature. The addition of sugar is actually likely to inhibit the passage of flavour compounds from the fruit into the spirit, due to a reduction in osmotic pressure; a common criticism of sloe gin is that it is much too sweet.
Monopolowa, originally a Polish brand, is a vodka made in Austria by Gessler. It is distilled from potatoes and is marketed under the brand name of J. A. Baczewski.
Vana Tallinn is an Estonian brand of liqueur manufactured continuously by Liviko since 1960. The recipe contains Jamaican rum and a variety of herbs and spices.
MAGIC SPIRITS is a German producer of various vodka brands.
A wine competition is an organized event in which trained judges or consumers competitively rate different vintages, categories, and/or brands of wine. Wine competitions generally use blind tasting of wine to prevent bias by the judges.
Dos Lunas is a line of 100% blue agave tequilas produced in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, by Dos Lunas Spirits, LLC, headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The brand has the first triple-distilled silver tequila, a month aged Reposado, 18 month aged Añejo and 10 year old Extra Añejo.
McCormick Distilling Company is a distillery and alcoholic beverage importing company in Weston, Missouri. Established by Ben Holladay in 1856, the distillery has been registered in the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest distillery west of the Mississippi River that is still operating at its original location.
Georgia is the oldest wine producing region in the world. The fertile valleys and protective slopes of the South Caucasus were home to grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine production for at least 8000 years. Due to millennia of winemaking and the prominent economic role it retains in Georgia to the present day, wine and viticulture are entwined with Georgia's national identity.
Rachmaninoff is a German produced vodka. The spirit is named after the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Polar Ice is a Canadian vodka produced by Corby Distilleries Ltd. Produced from Canadian corn, it is quadruple-distilled, which vendors claim rids it of microscopic impurities and gives it a smoother taste. It is an 80 proof spirit. The product line includes various sizes and bottles of Polar Ice Vodka, Polar Ice Vodka Arctic Extreme and Polar Ice Vodka Ontario Peach. It is sold across Canada and in some cities in the United States of America.
Clontarf 1014 is a triple distilled Irish whiskey produced by the Clontarf Whiskey Company, a subsidiary of Castle Brands Inc. Originally called "Clontarf," the whiskey takes its name from the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 in which Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, defeated an army of Vikings.
Double Cross Vodka is a brand of distilled spirit produced in the Slovak Republic. The distillery that produces Double Cross is situated in the town of Stará Ľubovňa, which is located in the Tatra Mountains in northeastern Slovakia.
Liviko is an Estonian distillery, Baltic distributor and one of the largest alcohol companies in the Baltics. Liviko was established in 1898. Liviko has its production and head office in Estonia along with distribution offices in Riga, Latvia, and Vilnius, Lithuania. Liviko exports its own products to 60 markets. The company's most well-known brands are Viru Valge vodka, Vana Tallinn liqueur, Crafter’s London Dry Gin and Crafter’s Aromatic Flower Gin. Liviko produces more than 70 alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Downslope Distilling is a craft beverage distillery in Centennial, Colorado, United States.
Bong Spirit Vodka is a vodka brand, sold in a bottle shaped like a bong. It is made from European grain, distilled six times and filtered through four processes, using reverse osmosis and charcoal filtering. It is distributed in the United States by Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, and Republic National.
With a growing number of offerings, such as those produced by an increasing number of microdistilleries, various mechanisms have arisen to provide reviews and opinions of individual varieties of spirits. These events generally use expert panels and blind tastings within specific categories to provide opinions and ratings.
Joint-Stock Company Permalko is one of the leading distilleries in Perm and Perm Kray. The company is in the top 20 list of vodka and spirits producers in Russia.
Crafter's is a Nordic gin brand that includes classic London Dry Gin and Aromatic Flower Gin produced by Estonian distillery Liviko. Both gins are handcrafted in Estonia, copper-pot distilled and made in small batches. In 2018 Liviko exported Crafter's gin to 25 countries. The juniper berries used in the making of Crafter's gin are reused in the Re-crafted Crafter's handcrafted beverages, as the berries retain a valuable part of their flavour even after distillation. Liviko was nominated to World Beverage Innovation Award in 2019 for its zero-waste product innovation that lead to a new category of drinks.
