We want rich authentic taste, so we use real fruit. Other “flavored” vodkas use artifical flavorings (or more natural flavorings derived from, say, orange peels). Nothing can be as complete as the taste that comes from whole actual fruit.

We’ll use Buddha’s Hand citron as an example. We chose these citrons even though they’re hugely expensive, because normal lemons are too acidic: the juice flavor takes over. Buddha’s Hand flavors are complex and subtle.

The citrons are delivered fresh, and they go immediately into a tank of wheat vodka. The vodka extracts the flavor & aroma components from the citrons; this is called “maceration” or “infusion.”

When we re-distill the Buddha’s Hand infusion on our small Holstein pot stills, it deepens and purifies the flavors and aromas. In the end, the vodka tastes like real fresh fruit, which is the whole idea. If you hold the bottle up, you can see a tinge of residual color from the fruit solids.

go here for how we make “straight” vodka