Vodka Process

It’s one of the most common misconceptions we hear in the tasting room: our visitors tell us that vodka can only be made from potatoes. The fact is, vodka can be made from any raw material, as long as it is distilled to a neutral state, above 190 proof. At Finger Lakes Distilling, we take advantage of our location in one of the country’s top grape growing regions. Our Vintner’s Vodka is crafted from 100% Finger Lakes grapes.

The process starts with the same steps as making wine. Grapes are harvested, crushed, pressed and then fermented to produce wine. The wine goes through a stripping run in our continuous still extracting the alcohol and flavors. We then run the 1st distillate through our potstill and rectification column to further refine the spirit and boost the alcohol by volume to a minimum of 95%.

After collecting the heart of the run, the spirit is then cut with treated water to 80 proof and charcoal filtered to make an even smoother tasting vodka.

Although the finished product technically meets the requirements of vodka, at 190 proof, it retains some of the grape character.