Shaquille O’Neal’s Vodka

The internet is buzzing about Shaq’s new vodka, Luv Shaq. Shaq is set to join the gobs of celebrities getting on board with the vodka industry. The coconut flavored vodka will be sugar free and is intended to compete with Ciroc but carry a lower price tag according to the producers of Shaq’s vodka. The vodka is scheduled to launch in early 2013.

Russian Vodka Price Hikes

According to the Chicago Tribune, Russia is set to increase the minimum price for 500mL bottles of vodka from 125 roubles to 170 roubles (about $5.60), a gain of $1.49. The goal is to curb counterfeiting and alcoholism.

Absolut Likes Copper Stills

We posted before about Absolut Elyx, but Marc Roland Rosales, Pernod Ricard Philippines commercial director, had a little more to add to the small batch copper stills used in the beverage in an article at inquirer.net. Its latest product, Absolut Elyx, is created using a copper rectification still—“basically, a big pot of copper that distills the different ingredients into vodka,” said Rosales. “We use copper because it’s believed to be the metal that best purifies

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Russian Standard Takes Control Of CEDC

According to Reuters, Russian Standard took control of CEDC today in exchange for $65 million in funding. Back in June, we posted that Russian Standard was eyeing a stake in CEDC, but this has gone to a new level. Russian billionaire Tariko acquired about 28 percent of CEDC earlier this year through his companies Russian Standard and Roust Trading in a deal that was expected to help the Polish company retire looming debts. However, Tariko

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Top 5 of 2012

2012 has been a great year for VodkaBuzz and for bringing new vodkas to light. We launched a ground-up redesign earlier this year that focuses more on mobile and modern browsers to help people better find vodkas on the go. In the meantime, we’ve also found some excellent vodkas to share with everyone. These are our favorite vodkas we reviewed this year.

The Holiday List

Happy holidays to everyone from VodkaBuzz, and congrats in advance for surviving the Mayan apocalypse! We put together a little list to help you with your merry making and gift giving. Here’s the Holiday List for 2012.

Craft Vodka Rising

According to U’Luvka founder Mark Holmes, craft vodka is on the rise. “There’s always been this issue that people measure the quality of a vodka on the number of distillations it’s had. The trouble is, the more times it’s distilled the less flavour it has. “Bartenders aren’t interested in that though they want flavour. It’s the reason they’re more interested in craft and small batch vodkas.” Even Absolut is trying to appeal to the craft

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Plush Vodka and Watermelon

To get your Friday started off right, check out this plush vodka and watermelon. It’s the perfect toy for your tot, and it can be yours for $100.

An LA Weekly Rant Against Flavored Vodka

LA Weekly blogger Patrick Comiskey is pissed about flavored vodka. Flavored vodka is the Joe Camel of spirits. It has become to drinking what Yanni is to music, what Jeff Koons is to art. Vodka is garish. It is cynical. It is kitsch. It has become a booze category that serves to confuse us about booze, that trivializes all of the best elements of the cocktail revival and replaces it with puerile fantasy. I wouldn’t

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Cascade Peak Spirits’ Take On Local, Organic Vodka

Organic vodka is a hard sale. According to Diane Paulson, it’s about doing what’s right for the planet. “People who know anything about distillation know that it’s such an intense process, that any pesticides or whatever was on the wheat or the rye or the corn, or whatever product you’re using … there aren’t really any left. It’s gone. So why bother? Well, I always joke that Organic Nation is not a health food for

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