If you know me, you know I'm on this weird inexplicable quest to tear vodka away from the ire of craft drinkers. So when I saw Orange County Distillery vending beet vodka at the Greenmarket in Union Square, I was jazzed to find another reason to get people lovin' on this spirit.

If you'll recall, I've vended quite a bit of booze in my day.

"No one arrested you?" -Dad

Orange County Distillery Vodka is made from sugar beets they grow themselves. For a boutique distillery (or any distillery, really) this is an insanely ambitious endeavor. Regardless of the taste (which I'll get to in a second), I applaud that kind of chutzpah.

Now, this vodka is 80 proof & comes in a lovely little bottle.

Look at that cutie. Please ignore my messy workspace.

Hey, did I mention this stuff is made from beets? In case you forgot, the nose will remind you. Beets, beets, beets. I felt like I was about to have a bowl of borscht. Unlike Industry Standard Vodka (another killer beet vodka), this beet flavor is anything but subtle. A good vodka somehow manages to retain the essence of its base starch without being too cloying, and I think OC's vodka mastered that.

The palette definitely plays into that theme: there's beet sugar sweetness followed by an earthy finish. The finish stays with you for a LONG time. There's a definitely a strong taste of soil, which to me, gave a it a really nice, genuine "we made this" edge.

I'm obviously a big proponent of helping out the little guys, but this vodka was super interesting and would have stood out regardless. I'd like to see it in a vegetal cocktail. Hold on, my wheels are turning...