Felene Sugar Cane Vodka – How This Denver Distillery Has Changed the Rules
Many vodka drinkers don’t pay too much attention to the composition of their vodka. Still, the sugarcane vodka revolution may be your perfect solution for those seeking a truly smooth vodka experience without artificial softening agents and sweeteners. One Denver distillery, Felene Vodka, is at the forefront of this new trend and capturing the attention of the world’s leading spirits market.
“There is a common misconception that vodka needs to be distilled many times to be smooth,” says Felene Master Distiller, Tim Kelly. Kelly is referring to the trend of many vodka distilleries printing the number of distillations their vodka goes through on their label.
“Number of times distilled is a bit misleading and is not an indication of the smoothness or quality of vodka. Today, the ‘number of times distilled’ is being used more as a marketing gimmick than a consumer benefit,” explains Kelly.
Kelly says that vodka quality and smoothness stem more from quality ingredients than processing. Based on reviews of Felene American Handcrafted Vodka, many vodka drinkers agree. Since the launch of Felene in 2016, several distilleries have followed suit in making vodka from sugarcane.
Who is Felene Vodka?
Felene Vodka is a Denver Distillery that aims to provide sugar cane vodka with a more pleasant and softer experience. Producing Felene Vodka using pure and organic sugar cane results in a unique smoothness, making popular cocktails, martinis, and mixed drinks enjoyable without that harsh burn of traditional vodka.
The experience is one-of-a-kind if you like your vodka neat. Felene Vodka manufacturers only use organic ingredients in producing their vodka. It also contains no sugar or citric acid and has zero carbs.
History of Felene Sugar Cane Vodka
After visiting dozens of distilleries and speaking to hundreds of people in the spirits industry, he was certain that he could produce vodka in a much better way.
In 2016, he purchased his first 16-gallon column still and started experimenting with his custom vodka style. After exhaustive testing and refining of the process and recipe, Felene Vodka emerged.
Tim traveled through the American Midwest, which was a great source of inspiration as to the ideal location to produce Felene Vodka. He looked for places and people that reflected the values he aimed to bring to this project.
Currently, Felene Vodka is located in the Rockies in Denver, Colorado. During the construction of the Felene distillery in Denver, the internal structures in the building needed to be cleared to create space for distilling, bottling, and proofing stations.
The construction team in Felene worked to reuse many of the existing materials instead of completely demolishing the existing building. “We were passionate about sustainability and respect for the environment, so we attempted to repurpose as much of the existing infrastructure as we could,” said Kelly.
Felene Vodka is an American-made, hand-crafted vodka using organic, pure, non-GMO sugar cane. The spirit is produced as an honest, simple, and premium vodka that can be enjoyed neat or as your favorite mixer.
What is Sugarcane Vodka?
Sugarcane vodka is a vodka that is a by-product using juice from sugar cane. Technically, cane sugar vodka is one way of producing a neutral spirit, as vodka is classified as a neutral spirit produced through sugar and fermentation, yeast, and water.
Traditionally, vodka is the by-product of using grains (such as wheat), potatoes, or corn. Using these agricultural products results in the familiar harshness of taste and smell commonly associated with vodka.
The fermented liquid is distilled to a high level of alcohol (about 95 percent alcohol by volume or ABV). It is called neutral spirit, ethyl alcohol, or rectified spirit sometimes.
Until 2020, vodka was classified by the U.S. government as being: “odorless, colorless, tasteless and without distinctive character.” Thanks to the efforts of Felene and others, the U.S. Government lifted that definition.
Consumers use sugar cane for its spectacular taste, producing superior and pure vodka compared to grains or potatoes. Furthermore, it creates a subtly sweet finish with top-note aroma of vanilla.
When potatoes or grains are used in vodka production (fermentation), enzymes are required to convert starch to fermentable sugars, creating fusel alcohols, methanol, and acetones. These byproducts from vodka fermentation are responsible for most of the spirits’ harsh aroma and alcohol burn.
Sugarcane is naturally high in fermentable sugars and requires no enzymes, offering a high level of purity, smoothness, and taste.
You can get more information about sugar cane vodka and how vodka is made on Felene’s website.
Is There Any Sugar in Sugar Cane Vodka?
No! Sugar cane vodka has zero sugar content after fermentation and is completely gluten-free. The process of fermentation eliminates every bit of sugar.
Ethyl alcohol, the alcohol found in vodka, is the outcome of yeast acting on sugars (glucose) which creates CO2 and ethyl alcohol. When put together with glucose (sugars) at the proper temperature, the yeast will eat the sugar, and the byproduct of the process is CO2 and ethyl.
This is the fermentation process, and the liquid is the “wash.” The alcohol level in the tank starts rising as the yeast creates alcohol in the air-tight fermentation tank. After a while, the alcohol gets to a stage where it completely consumes sugar.
This brings the fermentation process to an end. Usually, this happens at 14-20 percent volume of alcohol, depending on the yeast strain, and then the manufacturers distill the fermentation “wash” to segregate the wash from the alcohol.
What Makes Sugar Cane Vodka Different from Regular Vodka?
Vodka traditionally comes from wheat, potatoes, or other grains that contain starch. Recently, many American-made vodkas have been using corn as a base agricultural product. While corn is not an ideal base product to make vodka, its popularity is due more to the tax subsidies given to distillers who use it rather than its quality in fermentation for vodka.
Starch-based raw materials such as corn, wheat, and potatoes are emulsified, then combined with enzymes to expose the embedded glucose, which is fermentable sugar, and then fermented as already described.
However, when the grains are converted to sugar, other substances and impurities are produced due to this process, such as acetone, methyl alcohol, esters, and other toxic and bitter-tasting compound.
Others sometimes refer to the byproducts from the process as congeners. The congeners or unnecessary elements coming from the use of grains require multiple distillations to create pure vodka or ethyl alcohol.
Sugar cane does not require processing to expose its natural sugars. It is inherently fermentable in its current state and doesn’t need extra chemicals or enzymes in its fermentation process. Therefore, sugar cane vodka produces fewer congeners than grain fermentation. There, it does not require repeated fermentation.
Using sugar cane to produce vodka is a cleaner and more efficient method. With all these factors in mind, it’s no wonder Felene is one of the fastest-growing brands in states like New York, Florida, California, Texas, and Colorado.
Reviews of Felene Vodka Brand
The flavored vodka has a new and different look. At 80-proof, zero sugar, and no artificial color, the Felene Flavors differ from the low-proof, sugary artificially-colored types of flavored vodkas. Felene produces only flavored and not sweetened vodka.
With only natural ingredients, Felene Flavors are full of flavor, not sugar. Their flavored vodkas begin with their base organic sugar cane vodka, flavored with natural extracts that are 100 percent pure.
Its flavor profile contains no additional sugar, citric acid, or other additives. The outcome is a vodka with proper flavor that makes their vodka taste richer in a way that other low-alcohol, sugary brands cannot compete.
Blood Orange Flavored Vodka
Felene begins with the best imported Italian Tarocco variety of blood orange extract. Of all the various kinds of blood orange varieties, Tarocco blood oranges are the sweetest, and they have a balanced and bright flavor with bits of raspberry.
The Felene blood orange vodka is one of the best bases for an amazing variation on a cape cod cocktail, screwdriver, Moscow Mule, or wherever you imagine yourself.
Raspberry-Lemonade Flavored Vodka
The Felene Raspberry-Lemonade is a beautiful raspberry splash with a mixture of lemonade tartness. Felene Raspberry-Lemonade vodka is the best fit for your spring and summer mixes. This vodka will also take your fresh lemonade or iced tea to absolutely delicious levels.
If you are a martini lover and want to include a little fruit in your refreshments at the party, the Raspberry-Lemonade flavored vodka martini is the supreme elixir for summer and spring. It also creates a cheerful vibe on any holiday or occasion.
Coconut-Lime Flavored Vodka
The Felene coconut-lime flavored vodka has a coconut essence that offers a spectacular experience. The calming lime finish will teleport you to a sun-drenched tropical beach. Thus, this is one cocktail you must have a feel of, mixed with bitter orange or pineapple juice.
The current portfolios from Felene Flavors are vital for year-round enjoyment. Apart from the straight vodkas, you can also get a variety of options for cocktail recipes to give your guest.
“Customers appreciate the no-sugar Felene portfolio because you control the quantity of sugar without adding extra sugars from any of the Felene Flavors products,” says Kelly
Enjoy Rocky Mountain’s Honest, Pure, Organic Goodness
So get a bottle or the entire portfolio and make your home bar a spectacular experience with amazing flavor cocktails. With no additives or acids, Felene Vodka is gluten-free. You can guarantee it is an organic sugar cane product, has no carbs, and is certified as non-GMO.
No artificial enzymes or chemicals, just natural, honest non-GMO sugarcane. Sugar cane is also among the most sustainable agricultural products in the world. Plus, it needs no fertilizers harmful to the ecosystem or genetic modifications.
FAQs
What Does Sugar-Based Vodka Mean?
Vodka, by definition, is ethyl alcohol that manufacturers create through fermentation by adding yeast to a sugar wash. Therefore, it means that all vodka is sugar-based and comes from agricultural products that contain sugar.
Why Use Potatoes or Grains to Make Vodka?
Grains and potatoes were the only products available to early vodka producers. However, the simplest approach would be to use simple sugars, such as cane sugar. Felene vodka is the finest sugar cane vodka in the world. In addition, it only uses water, yeast, and pure, organic cane sugar.
Why Does Sugar Cane Vodka Taste Better?
Cane sugar does not need any added chemicals or enzymes to ferment. Therefore, it does not produce byproducts or congeners requiring multiple distillations. It is also naturally smooth.
Conclusion
Felene Vodka is a product of non-GMO sugarcane in a Denver distillery and is available in stores across the US. If you still need help determining where to buy it, you can use their easy store locator to get to the nearest store.
All Felene flavors are gluten-free, naturally flavored, and contain no artificial additives or coloring. What are you waiting for? Grab a bottle of this superb vodka for yourself or a loved one.
