Potato-based vodka is a massive labor of love—where grain- or fruit-based vodkas begin with plenty of sugar to distill directly into alcohol, potatoes contain far less initial sugar by comparison, meaning it can take hundreds of pounds of potatoes to make just a gallon or two of quality vodka. Luckily, Idaho produces spuds in spades—about one third of the potatoes grown in the United States—and Boise-based 44˚ North has taken them up as their primary vodka base, in turn a bearer of three other excellent Idaho-grown flavors.
Sunnyside Nectarine Vodka, one of 44˚ North’s three flavored vodka offerings, hits with a juicy true-to-fruit brightness that embodies Northwest summer. Tying in other fruit nuances—peach, apricot, strawberry and even blueberry—over a smooth, sweetly viscous background with just a touch of Burbank and Russet potato earthiness. Mix it in a light summer cocktail or freeze it in the real beverage star of the summer: a boozy popsicle.
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