Tahoe Blue Vodka

While the craft spirits market hasn’t exploded in the same manner as craft beer, there are still stills churning out unique distillates, thinking outside the box and using local ingredients. Tahoe Blue Vodka uses water from its namesake lake to create a crisp, bright, top-shelf vodka. A slight tinge of alcohol registers in the aroma, but the taste is clean, slightly sweet on the end. This sweetness comes from the vodka’s blend of three fermentables—sugarcane, grapes and corn, producing a gluten-free vodka. Vodka purists will note the absence of a traditional cereal grain or potato base, but Tahoe Blue is exactly what you want in a vodka. Save the party brands for Long Islands and mixing with Red Bull; a spritz of tonic, a thin pinwheel of lime, or the merest suggestion of vermouth is all that’s needed to accentuate this smooth vodka, served as cold as Lake Tahoe on a snowy, winter morning.