Gilded Age Vodka by Detroit City Distillery
44% ABV | 88 Proof
Detroit City Distillery, discreetly nestled in historic Eastern Market, has quickly become a go-to destination for Detroiters looking for boutique spirits and handcrafted cocktails. The small distillery is the brainchild of eight childhood friends from Bath, Mich. who had a shared dream of making alcohol the old fashioned way, using methods espoused by the more "entrepreneurial" Prohibition-era operations of 1920s Detroit. Currently, Detroit City Distillery creates small batch artisanal whiskey, gin, and vodka using local ingredients sourced directly from farms near the distillery. Adjacent to the facility is a speakeasy themed tasting room, where patrons can enjoy handcrafted cocktails at the beautifully restored, 20-seat mahogany, mirror-backed bar from 1935.
In keeping with the emphasis on Detroit's golden age of industry, Gilded Age Vodka (44% ABV, 88 proof) is a sophisticated spirit that Detroit City proudly touts as "a drink of distinction from the Paris of the West." It's made with a blend of organic yellow dent corn and organic barley from St. Clair County and classical copper pot distillation techniques. The result is impressively crisp-tasting vodka with a little sweetness up front, and an equally clean finish with hints of soft vanilla and melon. It can be purchased in 375 ml and 750 ml bottles, which are $20 and $35 respectively. Or even better, pay a visit to the tasting room, which features a happy hour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, with $5 cocktails, punch, and $6 flights (a 1 oz. pour of each of their four spirits), normally $12. And to really see this standout vodka at its best, we recommend trying the Gimlet (Gilded Age Vodka, lime, sugar; $8), the Moscow Mule (Gilded Age Vodka, lime, ginger beer; $10), and Detroit City's own Productive Procrastination (Gilded Age Vodka, raspberry, lemon, and soda; $9).
Detroit City Distillery is open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 2 p.m. to 12 a.m Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday ; 2462 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-338-3760, detroitcitydistillery.com.
