We’ve had a longstanding friendship with the folks over at Quaker City Mercantile ever since they sponsored our Natural Process show a few years ago. Their delicious collection of spirits, including many of our favorites (namely Hendrick’s Gin), is impressive to say the least and the marketing efforts they put forth behind each brand is equally as neat. They reached out to us to review their new “Spodee White”, the lighter version of regular ol’ Spodee and we were happy to oblige. We attended their event back in 2012 launching the brand which is a unique mix of wine with moonshine; a concoction surely meant to get you saucy as quickly and deliciously as possible. The original iteration of Spodee (“red”, we’ll call it) had a chocolatey taste that paired well things of the darker variety. Easy enough to drink straight, both iterations of Spodee have a unique feel to them. Packaged in what are effectively vintage-looking milk bottles with an easy rip-cap, these suckers are a no brainer to bring to your next summer party. The white version is a little fruitier than we tend to keep our drinks, however it’s been over triple digits here in Los Angeles for the past week so believe me this was a nice respite from the heat. The folks from QCM were kind enough to send over a few recipe suggestions including Spodee Sangria, Citrus Spritzer, Piña Colada, Hurricane, and on the rocks. We opted to test out the Sangria and Citrus Spritzer recipes. Click here to read the entire article.
The Sangria was super tasty. I’m not typically a Sangria kind of guy but my girlfriend is certainly that kind of lady. The taste wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet but definitely had a Pimm’s Cup kind of vibe, though a little more focused in the flavor profile given that this had probably half of the ingredients. Here’s the recipe:
- 3 parts Spodee White
- 2 parts club soda
- 1 part Pineapple Juice
- Top with Chopped Fruit
We added chopped pineapple, mango, and frozen cherries. This drink wound up being enormous so we stuck it in a wine glass (which it almost over-filled). Good to make this in a Pyrex or pitcher or something and pour as needed so it doesn’t water down too much. The next recipe was the Citrus Spritzer. We stuck strictly to the recipe on this one and really enjoyed it. It was very refreshing and even with a slight gingery kick, you were able to decipher the crisp notes from the Spodee. Here’s the recipe:
- 1 part Spodee White
- 3 parts limeade
- 1 part ginger ale
As a note, we used organic limeade with reduced sugar and Reed’s Ginger Beer for our ginger ale. This was very tasty and while it definitely has less booze than the Sangria recipe, it let you have multiple beverages without feeling overwhelmed by flavors or alcohol. Altogether we recommend Spodee White for your end-of-summer gatherings. It’s a great way to say goodbye to the hot days and keep cool while enjoying them.
The American Classic 