Vodka is, at its essence, two ingredients: ethanol and water. Water and ethanol are the most subtle of ingredients, so making an exceptional vodka requires care and attention to detail. Any craftsman understands this, and Raincane vodka is no exception.
First, Raincane’s creators traveled all over to find the best water, finally settling on water from a reservoir, fed by glacier melt and snow, on an Alaskan island. This water is so good that it is more pure before filtration than bottled water. Voss bottled water still has 4 times more total dissolved solids than Raincane’s water.
Next, they experimented with ingredients to distill into vodka. While organic sugar cane is not your typical source for a vodka, the team found it produced the best product.
It would have been easy to go with a traditional vodka, but we’re really happy they didn’t.
Straight
All the effort to make a superior vodka really paid off. Straight Raincane is excellent. Raincane hits my palate somewhere between flavorless and sweet with nutty hints. The mouthfeel is pleasant, and the vodka finishes with a peppery aftertaste that hangs around only long enough to make an impression. I don’t even feel the need to chase it.
Mixed
I never enjoy mixing a vodka that I enjoy straight. I somehow managed to make two cocktails with Raincane.
First, I made a screwdriver with a splash of Red Bull. This cocktail, with the right vodka, tastes like an orange julius. As one might expect, Raincane was almost completely transparent in the cocktail. The vodka didn’t muddy up the flavors, making for an excellent drink.
Second, I mixed Raincane with sweet tea and a dash of lemon for my go-to cocktail, the ice pick. Raincane treated it well. Generally speaking, a good ice pick doesn’t just taste like sweet tea. There should be at least a slight hint that there’s more going on, and Raincane delivered just that slight hint of flavor, making for an excellent ice pick.
Final Thoughts
Raincane is an impressive vodka. From the source to the product, the care and craft behind this vodka shine through in every sip. Whether you like your vodka straight or mixed, you won’t regret picking up a bottle of Raincane vodka.
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