Product: Sunshine Vodka Producer: Green Mountain Distillers Approximate Retail Value: $23.99 for 750ml Category: Vodka Country of Origin: Vermont, USA Reviewer: D. Kearney Sparano The F Words: Flavor – Slightly citrus. Feel – Soft. Finish – Smooth and clean.

Rating:

Vodka. The word brings up many images: Bond, James Bond, Russia, the cold, a plethora of mixed drinks and frat boys drinking it out of Gatorade bottles. Vodka has never been my go-to alcohol. I’ve always felt they all tasted the same (flavored vodkas not included of course). Also it’s not that I didn’t like the flavor, just that I felt it had no flavor. Hence the point of it and why it is the king of the mixer alcohol. However, being a booze reviewer requires an open mind, an ability to expand your comfort zone and a willingness to give things a second and even third look.

So I am trying Sunshine Vodka from Green Mountain Distillers, which claims to be 100 percent organic. So the questions are what is organic vodka and why is Sunshine Vodka unique among them? Simply put, there isn’t much of a difference between vodka and organic vodka in terms of process. They are both fermented from grain (commonly wheat or rye), potatoes or other substances and then distilled. The defining trait of organic vodka can be found at the farm level. It’s organic farming, i.e. no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, chemicals and so on. So the overall product is better for the environment and better for you, sort of—you are still drinking vodka after all.

Green Mountain Distillers is what would be considered a craft distilling company. It is similar to the micro-brewing phenomenon that has overtaken the beer world. The concept is the same: a small operation putting out a smaller but higher quality product. As is suggested in the name, Green Mountain Distillers is located in Vermont. All the grain used in making the vodka comes from a small local family owned co-op of farms. By banding together, farms are trying to stay afloat in the face of corporate farming. Aside from the grain, the organic ingredients include Vermont spring water as well. Ultimately though, it comes down to taste, doesn’t it?

I first tasted it straight. I sipped it slowly expecting to be hit with the immediate punch of alcohol. I was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t come. There, of course, was the typical alcohol bite in the back of the throat, but that was to be expected. What immediately struck me though was its soft smoothness. It glided very nicely across the tongue and at no point felt harsh. I then proceeded to try it with ice. It was excellent. It was just as smooth as before but even easier to drink, since the ice neutralized the alcoholic bite.

I thought of trying it with tonic, but decided against it, since I didn’t want to ruin the flavor. To add anything more than ice to it would take away rather then add. Sunshine Vodka is good, perhaps too good. To use it as a mixer would be a waste. It deserves to be enjoyed on its own. The biggest problem is its limited availability. I’ve never seen it outside Vermont. The only way to purchase it without heading to the Green Mountain State is to buy it online. If you are an appreciator of good vodka, I highly recommend going on the site and checking out Sunshine Vodka.