Product: Blue Ice American Vodka: Famous Potatoes are the Key Ingredient in this American Vodka Producer: 21st Century Spirits Approximate Retail Value: $19.99 for 750 ml Category: Vodka Country of Origin: Commerce, Calif., USA Reviewer: Jon Costantino The F Words: Flavor – Strong but a little fruity. Feel – A nice, smooth burn. Finish – A still yummy aftertaste.

Rating:

A good potato vodka is hard to find. Most of the vodka produced in the world is made from grain, and finding an American producer of potato is an even rarer occurrence. This fact is what makes Blue Ice American Vodka different from your average clear liquor. Made with spring water and Idaho Russert Burbank potatoes, 21st Century Spirits has made a refreshing libation which has a bit of a burn, but a nice fruity finish.

First, I decided to try Blue Ice American Vodka straight up, after putting both the bottle (which is a beautifully crafted container, I might add) and the glass I poured it into in the freezer for a few hours. The scent of the vodka is very nice, with just a hint of alcohol.  Although clear, when the drink sits in the frozen glass, it has a very nice crispness to it. As I sipped the vodka, the alcohol scent got stronger, and at times it was a bit much. I was surprised, though, that the power of the alcohol gave way to a very smooth finish, with almost no burn as I swallowed it. The aftertaste is very pleasing, and even has a bit of fruitiness to it.

For my second drink, I thought I would make a classic vodka tonic, to see if a slightly citrus flavor would add or subtract to the Blue Ice American Vodka. My Blue Ice American Vodka tonic was just the thing I needed to get away from the alcoholic scent of the straight vodka. The vodka actually enhanced the tonic water in a way I didn’t expect. The nice finish was still there as well, giving an excellent combination of quinine and liquor.

In all, Blue Ice American Vodka is very good, and makes for a great mixer. But if you are looking for a vodka to either drink over ice or to throw back a toast with some friends with the help of some small glasses (that’s a nice way of saying “shots”), you might want to try something else. But, it’s great for the cocktail shaker and a martini glass.