Product: Mazama Pepper Vodka Producer: Bendistillery OR Approximate Retail Value: $20/bottle Category: Vodka Country of Origin: USA Reviewer: R. Pietsch The F Words: Flavor – A medley of peppers with clean alcohol. Feel – Light in body, heavy on flavor. Finish – Packs more heat in the back, covering the alcohol.

Rating:

As we continue chugging through the Bendistillery product line, we have hit on one product that seems less impressive than the rest. Mazama Pepper Vodka is what it is—a high-quality vodka infused with a blend of sweet and hot peppers. While I think Bendistillery is crafting some of the finest spirits being made in America, this one is sadly uninteresting and almost unnecessary.

Pepper Vodka isn’t a new idea, and as far as it goes this is possibly the best pepper vodka I’ve ever had. Three stars are up there because this is absolutely a quality product. The flavor profile is well conceived and the integrity of the vodka isn’t compromised by the infusion. Make no mistake, if you are looking for a pepper-flavored vodka this is a great selection (if you can find it).

However, this brings me to my issue with this product. Why would you need a pepper-flavored vodka? To make a great Bloody Mary, a freaky Martini (like the Hot & Dirty), or to add a kick to a pasta sauce… and we’re spent. While this is a well-crafted liquor, there are simply not enough uses for it. To be fair, it does make a fantastic Bloody Mary and I love a good Hot & Dirty martini. But it’s a bit of a one-trick pony.

If you happen to visit the Bendistillery website and venture to the recipe section, you will probably notice that of nearly 50 recipes listed on the site only one happens to include the Mazama Pepper Vodka. I don’t usually need a company to tell me what to do with their liquor. I like to think I can figure it out for myself by now. But sometimes after I’ve exhausted what I know I can do with a product, I get the itch to try something different. The folks in Bend OR offer one interesting suggestion that involves the pepper vodka and mango puree, and while this is interesting it’s not something I would care to drink on any kind of recurring basis.

Perhaps I am being a little harsh on the folks at Bendistillery. But I feel that by comparison to their other products the Mazama falls a bit flat. As I said, it is a quality product. If you are looking for an interesting way to spice up a sauce or think your Bloody Mary could use some retooling than this might just be the solution to your problem. But I’d be prepared to make a lot of Bloody Mary’s or make enough sauce to feed an army, because I’m not sure what you’re going to want to do with the rest of the vodka you will likely have left over.