The artery-clogging, hedonistic, and fruity custard-filled holiday better known as Fat Tuesday, aka paczki day, aka the best friggin' day of the year, is right around the corner — and some folks are getting in on the celebration early with a potent, 88-proof drinkable dessert.
For this year's festivities, the Eastern Market-based Detroit City Distillery will, once again, honor the tradition of their Paczki Day Vodka. In previous years, the DCD tasting room has offered mere sips of their specialty vodka. This year, however, they've bottled up a devilish 666 bottles of this year's batch, which will be made available starting Saturday, Feb. 22, when the distillery hosts their Paczki Day Vodka release party.
Created by DCD's Steve Orzechowski, the vodka is made from 12 dozen fresh raspberry paczki from Hamtramck's New Palace Bakery and 100% potato vodka from Poland. It boasts a robust raspberry flavor with hints of the actual paczki pastry because, as DCD founder and partner Michael Forsyth explained to The Detroit News, the spirit-makers soaked the paczki overnight before distilling. The decant sippable libation comes out to about 44% alcohol.
DCD's release party starts at 10 a.m. and will run until midnight at the Eastern Market tasting room. The event will also offer Polish eats via Pietrzyk's Pierogi and an exclusive paczki-vodka cocktail. Bottles of the Paczki Day Vodka will be sold for $30 through Fat Tuesday (Feb. 25) or until they run out, while some bottles will also be available at select bars, markets, and liquor stores in the area.
For more information on the vodka party and Paczki Day Vodka availability, visit detroitcitydistillery.com.
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