The Spirit World

Today for our Drinks Around the World column we are taking a look at a regional spirit from the US. We’re heading way up to the northeast corner to Maine.

One of the fun things about writing for The Spirit World is that we get access to products that we normally would not. Occasionally we are approached by people who would like us to talk about their product. In the “spirit” (get it??) of full disclosure that was the case with this product. However, when we accept any product it is always with the caveat that we may or may not post anything about it and if we do it will reflect our true experience. So now you know the background.

First a bit about the history of this product. Cold River Vodka is distilled from one of Maine’s primary products, potatoes and uses water from the Cold River, as you might guess. Although by definition vodka is a neutral spirit - in other words it should have no flavor - there are those who feel that the ingredients used can affect the final product’s taste. If not taste specifically, definitely mouthfeel or smoothness, which in turn can sometimes seem like taste. Mostly the purity of the water and the distillation process itself are what affect the smoothness. However, there are those who say that any vodka made with potatoes is likely to have a slightly sweet taste.

This particular potato vodka has only recently been introduced with the first bottling taking place in November 2005. It is distilled in small batches and is currently available in New England and South Carolina and they plan to broaden distribution. Each batch is numbered and the bottle I received is from batch number 014. Whether intentional or not, the use of potatoes in the product came as a boost to the Maine potato industry at a time when low-carb diets have taken some toll on potato farmers across the US. Cold River actually sources all their potatoes from one large family-owned farm, Green Thumb acres.

I chilled my bottle prior to tasting it. I wanted to try it both ice cold and as it warms to room temperature as a vodka’s characteristics will reveal themselves differently at different temperatures.

When ice-cold there is a light fragrance of vanilla. It’s not as obvious in the taste but there is an element of sweet that comes right after the first notes of alcohol. As the vodka warms, the sweet taste increases and in fact it begins to taste a bit like vanilla and the alcohol notes are not as strong. As it warms to room temperature that vanilla flavor becomes more pronounced and the alcohol notes step back up. This is a very pleasant sipping alcohol and I think my favorite temperature is somewhere just above ice-cold so that you get that little hit of vanilla which makes it feel especially smooth in the mouth. I could see sipping this on the rocks, realizing that as the ice melted it would dilute the overall flavor but in a pleasant way.

I didn’t mix this vodka into any cocktail but my feeling is that you might need to be a little careful how it is used in mixed drinks. While that slightly sweet vanilla taste will often round and smooth other flavors in a drink, if you are making something that really needs a neutral spirit you may not like this vodka as an ingredient as it will impact the flavor. For instance, if you wanted a plain screwdriver I think this vodka would make the drink taste a bit off. However, in a vodka martini with a twist or a Kamikaze (straight-up, not as a shot) it might add a nice element. I think it might be nice in a Lemondrop as the combination of lemon and vanilla would almost add a creaminess to the drink.

Tomorrow for the Happy Hour at Home column vanilla flavored vodka is on the schedule and one of the things I’ll cover is how different vanilla vodkas are appropriate for different uses. I feel like this vodka should be thought of in that same light.

However, according to their site, this bottle retails at $33 so you may prefer to drink it neat, anyway.

The bottle itself is very handsome, tall and elegant with beautiful bottle art depicting the elements of the vodka - the river and the potato fields.

You can check their site for recipes from a contest they held, more information about the principals and the process used for making the vodka, including a nice little video that shows you the distillery.

If you happen to be in the Freeport, Maine area the distillery is currently open for tours 12pm - 5pm Wednesday through Saturday but I would check the website for the most current information. I think this would be a fun place to visit as making vodka from potatoes is a bit different than making it from other grains.

Maine Distilleries/Cold River Vodka
437 US Route One
Freeport, Maine
207.865.4828