MISHAWAKA — Vodka is funny stuff. Purity is the catch word, and vodka is pretty much supposed to be pure alcohol (diluted with water), with the final product being, according to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Taxation Bureau, "without distinctive character, aroma, or taste."
And vodka is just that, on paper. But if that's true, why is a person given so many choices at the store? What's the difference?
The difference is the human factor, according to Steve Ross. Ross, a former 2nd District St. Joseph County commissioner, says it's that human factor that sets what he's cooking behind Framer's Workshop in Mishawaka apart from other vodkas.
Ross operates Virtuoso Distillers, which makes 18 Vodka, and is one of only three distillers in Indiana (the other two are a Seagram distillery in Lawrenceburg and Heartland Distillers in Indianapolis, which makes vodka from corn).
Ross says he got the idea to begin distilling a few years ago, when he read a New York Times article about people making vodka in Kansas.
"So I said, If they can do that in Kansas, why not Indiana?" Ross said.
He eventually found his way to a distilling class in Gloucester, Mass.
"I went to the class and saw the still and I said, I gotta have one of those," said Ross, a self-professed "toolaholic."
So he got one of those, a German copper-and-steel still with a pronounced Steampunk vibe, and installed it in a space behind the Framer's Workshop.
Brewing, winemaking, distilling always involves tinkering, adjusting, tweaking, but eventually, Ross settled on rye as his grain of choice.
The vodka is made from 100 percent rye, a grain most people have eaten in bread, Rye has been enjoying renewed interest among beer brewers and whiskey drinkers.
This vodka derives its name from the number of times it is distilled. And although that certainly can help the quality of the vodka, Ross says, the real secret is in "the cuts."
That refers to the separation of the types of alcohol and other substances produced from distilling, which Ross calls the heads (as in first out of the still), the hearts (the purest alcohol, and the one Ross ends up bottling) and the tails (again, more types of alcohol and congeners, which give some spirits their color, aromas, flavors and hangover-inducing power).
And it is true that the taste-testing is key. Over the course of a couple of hours, the character of the alcohol that is distilled changes, from thick, sweet and burny, to clean and cool, then back to burny with notes of caramel.
Each batch of fermented grain Ross runs through his still yields about 7 gallons of hearts. When he collects 90 gallons of hearts, he mixes that with 90 gallons of water to dilute it to the required 80 proof (40 percent alcohol) final product.
Historically, vodka was first made from grain. Although most people associate potatoes with vodka, it wasn't until after the 18th century that Polish distillers began to use potatoes.
On a recent afternoon, Ross was actually distilling a batch of potatoes, just to see. He said he prefers the rye and will stick with that for his retail product.
And he also prefers smaller batches, producing only about 1,000 bottles a month, which are distributed to local restaurants and liquor stores.
"I'm not looking to mass-produce some alcohol," Ross said.
So will there be more spirits from Virtuoso? Maybe. Vodka is the most popular spirit in the United States today, accounting for 27 percent of the spirits market with nearly $4.5 billion in gross revenue in 2008, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. So the market is a friendly one. 18 Vodka sells for $26.99 per bottle, which prices it below many comparable brands.
"When people tell you we're a dying community, there is some industry trying to start here," Ross says, adding later, "I'm hoping that this product takes off and I can employ a couple people in our county."
State News
Former commissioner savors new distillery business
- State News
-
-
Emergency exercise preceded Ind. fair disaster
High winds. Lightning. Hail. A severe thunderstorm warning. A huge crowd waits for country duo Sugarland to take the stage.
That exact scenario ahead of last summer's deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair was eerily foreshadowed just a month earlier during an emergency exercise that involved the fair's director and numerous city and state officials.
-
Official: States get No Child Left Behind waiver
President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.
-
Indiana GOP governor hopeful lacks enough signatures
Republican candidate for governor Jim Wallace is fighting to make it on the ballot after election officials said Wednesday he came up short in his effort.
-
Santorum files for Indiana ballot despite dispute
Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum filed Wednesday to get on Indiana's primary ballot even though he has not been certified by local election officials.
-
Measles cases pop up after Super Bowl
On Wednesday, the Indiana State Department of Health alerted public health officials in Massachusetts and New York that some of their residents may have come in contact with the rare but highly contagious measles virus when visiting the crowded Super Bowl Village in downtown Indianapolis.
-
Ban on Sunday motorcycle sales targeted
While advocates for Sunday carry-out alcohol sales have had a hard time making their case to legislators, opponents of another “blue law” may be on an easier road to success.
-
Fair, Stagehand union, stage company cited in fair stage collapse
Poor planning and an indifference to safety requirements led to the death of two workers during the collapse at the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 13. the Indiana Department of Labor said on Wednesday.
-
Indiana Democrats help to put GOP underdog on ballot
Republican Jim Wallace is relying on the kindness of Democrats to get on the ballot in his run for governor.
-
Chemical company fine related to Ohio, Indiana plants
The Justice Department says a chemical company has agreed to pay $1.4 million in civil penalties for the unauthorized manufacturing of certain substances at plants in Ohio and Indiana.
-
Statehouse action resumes after Super Bowl break
After a timeout to accommodate out-of-town Super Bowl visitors, the Indiana General Assembly is back in session to tackle legislation that had been bottlenecked by a contentious labor bill.
- More State News Headlines
-
Emergency exercise preceded Ind. fair disaster
