Thug Life Vodka Review – Initial Impressions: When you hear the words “Thug Life”, there’s a lot of mixed emotions that arise. Some of you may think about it’s original source and thoughts of Tupac Shakur will come to mind. Others will hear it and take it for face value; thoughts of tattooed thugs throwing up gang signs and causing …

"Damn bro, you really can handle some balls in your mouth!" "Ladies... Can I fill your glasses with some Balls?" "Man, I really feel like shit from all those Ball shots last night..." "Wow Cindy, you really are a Ball guzzler!" What? Did you think I was talking about male genitalia? Nope, that was just some example phrases you might here when you buy a bottle of Balls Vodka for your next house party. The team over at Balls Vodka realized that in order to make it in the vodka world, you need to be able to market yourself in a way that stands out among the rest. How did they do that? By naming their vodka Balls.

I think it's fair to say that we eat with our eyes first. There is a psychological predisposition that we will enjoy a dish based on how it looks. When I look at AnestasiA Vodka's bottle, all I can think of is how good this is going to taste. The bottle (from the mind of Karim Rashid) is stunning and could easily be a work of art. I can tell you right now that I'll probably keep the bottle a lot longer than the vodka inside. Is that fair? I don't know. If two people prepare you the same dish, would you not give the chef who spent more time on the presentation a slight edge?

It's always interesting to see other country's take on something that should be so simple. Vodka at it's most basic level should be clean, smooth, and flavorless. While that seems very straightforward, many different company's have their own ways of ensuring these qualities. Elitna Vodka from the Sebian Vodka collection is made in Ukraine and has chosen to target the ever so tasteful french demographic with their high quality vodka (they are coming to Switzerland soon, but at the time of this article, you can only find it in France). Sebian boasts that their vodka is made from wheat in a process of rectification which puts it in “class Lux”. Imagine distilling alcohol to the maximum possible limit that is thermodynamically possible, and you are left with what Elitna Vodka uses.

At the time I am writing this, the winter Olympics are currently underway in Sochi, Russia. As I sit here, rooting for USA people I've never heard of to win a shiny gold medal, I mull over which vodka to fill my glass with. It was by shear chance that I came into contact with Exclusiv Vodca and got a chance to try their Eastern European spirit. Exclusiv Vodca is a product of Moldova, which is actually a fairly young country. Independent from the dissolved Soviet Union since 1991, the country has a rich history in agriculture and industry that Exclusiv Vodca is now looking to harness. While I'm sure the good people of Moldova are proud to be independent, a tip of the hat the their Russian heritage is in order when it comes to their skills in vodka production.

Ivanabitch Tobacco Vodka Review – Initial Impressions: Hmm… Ivanabitch Tobacco flavored vodka… Welp, here goes nothing. When I first heard about this idea for a tobacco flavored vodka, all I could think of was “why, why, WHY!?” Who in their right mind would conceive such an idea for a flavored vodka? Well, one look over at Ivanabitch.com and you’ll see that they do …

Monte Carlo Vodka Review – Initial Impressions: Monte Carlo Vodka makes me want to believe. Allow me to preface that statement. About a year ago, I wrote an article talking about why absolut vodka is so popular. Why is any vodka popular? Marketing. In my experience tasting, sampling, and reviewing vodka, marketing plays an even larger role in the vodka niche. Why? …

Son, never trust a man who doesn’t drink because he’s probably a self-righteous sort, a man who thinks he knows right from wrong all the time. Some of them are good men, but in the name of goodness, they cause most of the suffering in the world. They’re the judges, the meddlers. And, son, never trust a man who drinks …

Blue Label Vodka Review – Initial Impressions: Blue Label Vodka is an up and coming company looking to push itself as a premium vodka looking to make its way into your vodka drinks and cocktails. This vodka is marketed in a sleek and classic long neck bottle that is actually very similar to Grey Goose. I’m sure they are looking at …