Notes: This vodka is produced in Minnesota, the heart of America’s wheat production. It is distilled four times in six columns, then filtered through three different types of charcoal. They add rose, honey, vanilla, and nine other ingredients to the 100% wheat-base spirit.

Appearance: Attractive rose pink color, clear with no sediment whatsoever. On swirling, it leaves a a thicker clear coat on the inside of the glass than the other varieties of Shakers. 

First Impression: Wonderful rose smell at first, then picking up vanilla, cinnamon, aromatic oils, and honey. No smell of esters or oils. The distillation, filtration, and maceration seems to capture all the good things and none of the bad.

Taste: Rose and honey, sweet and oily on the tongue, thick body, less mineral taste to it than their straight wheat vodka. The citrus notes cut the thickness down and coat the tongue in a nice way with all the botanicals. Avery slight warming of alcohol as it goes down the throat, no chemical aftertaste or tang like you get from a lot of other flavored vodkas. It is beguilingly smooth stuff: with lingering warmth and tingle to the lips and the lingering oils from the rose.

Drinks: An interesting vodka, but a challenge to mix with. We tried making Rose Lassi’s with it – dont! It didn’t work. So much for a breakfast drink. It garnered mixed reviews with our martini attempts. Shakers Rose makes a interesting if idiosyncratic Cosmopolitan and an interesting variation of the French 75.

However, it is absolutely wonderful with chocolate tortes or any other form of chocolate! It also works well with some of the chocolate liqueurs out there. Check their web site www.shakersvodka.com for more ideas. Its well worth some exploring and experimenting.

Final Thoughts: An good value for the money – half the price of some of the fashion victim flavored vodkas and better tasting!

As an aside, though, I have to say this is more of a liqueur or infusion than a vodka to me – the fundamental way the flavorings change the vodka, the lower proof and the sweetness make it seem more in the liqueur catagory than the more traditional flavored vodkas .

Bottle: Distinctive martini shaker shaped bottle with frosting .Nice graphics on the labels. Color coding on the label/band makes it easier to distinguish that there are more than one type on a shelf (in the case of the Rose it is a silver band). Embossed design on cap make it easy to find in a chest freezer among other bottles. Red gift bag is a nice touch for gift-giving.

Web site:: http://www.shakersvodka.com

Fast loading with fair amount of information. Simple navigation, easy-to-read.  Good content and descriptions of production if a bit terse.  Small recipe section with good martini mixing tips at the start.