Ordinarily, if you hear someone talking about 'corn likker,” they're referencing moonshine or whiskeybut in fact, there are several Tennessee distilleries now using corn to create some pretty outstanding vodkas. (Contrary to popular belief, very few vodkas are actually made from potatoes.) Besides being drinkable, these products are gluten-free and feature two of the state's finest resources: non-GMO corn and Tennessee water, which is filtered though natural limestone.
>>> The Best regional Distilleries
Here in Nashville, SPEAKeasy Spirits Distillery recently launched a line of three vodkas under the Pickers brand, which pays tribute to the creativity that makes Music City so special. Taking advantage of an innovative still designone of only four of its type in the countryPickers passes through a series of purifiers that represent the equivalent of two to three times more purifying plates than a traditional vodka still. The resulting spirit is then filtered four times before being cut to 80 proof with Tennessee limestone water.
Pickers Original Vodka is quite smooth with some gentle spicy notes on the finish; it also serves as the base for two fruit-flavored brand extensions, Pickers Blueberry Vodka and Pickers Blood Orange Vodka. The fruit flavors in both really shine, making it possible to drink these with just a little soda water or tonic.
Down in Lynnville, Tenn South Distillery produces a version of corn liquor called Black Mule Vodka. Distilled from local white corn in a Vendome copper still, Black Mule does indeed pack a kickand in 2014, it was awarded a gold medal by The Fifty Best in an annual domestic vodka competition.
Finally, Memphis-based brothers Winston and Alexander Folk have recognized that corn grown on the fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta is some of the most flavorful in the country and can be combined with the artesian water sources of the region. They set up a distillery in the Bluff City last November, and their vodka business is now booming.
Made in an almost 20-foot-tall still with 15 distillation plates, the Folks' Pyramid Vodka depends on a blend of local corn and a bit of malted barley to convert the starches into sugar during the mashing process. After distillation, the vodka is filtered through a charcoal system that was developed in-house to contribute a sweet finish, similar to the process that differentiates Tennessee whiskey from traditional bourbons. Pyramid plans to make a big splash when it enters the Nashville market in September.
>>> 5 recipes with these vodkas!