The Best Spicy American Vodkas

This forward-thinking vodka from Ohio pours a fantastic amber-crimson color because of its infusion of Montmorency cherries, yellow peaches, apricots, almonds, hibiscus and a touch of local honey. The base vodka is made of local wheat and distilled no less than 34 times.

Made at Middle West Spirits in Columbus, Ohio, this vodka uses its flagship OYO American Character Vodka as its base. That vodka is made from local, soft red wheat. For this bottling, local wildflower honey and single-source, fair-trade, organic vanilla beans are used for flavoring. Bottled at 80 proof unfiltered. Kosher.

This creative flavored vodka starts with Cascade Alchemy’s super-filtered grain-based vodka. A cocktail of black tea and eastern spices macerate in the finished vodka to suggest the soothing flavors of the coffeehouse favorite chai tea.

Blaum Bros is a craft distillery housed in Galena, Illinois. A true artisanal affair, the brothers use only local grains that are milled and fermented on location. The vodka is made of wheat and rye and a return to a historic grain-focused style.

Spring 44 seeks to harness the purity of their water source in their Colorado born spirits. The spring is located in Buckhorn Canyon at 2,000 feet elevation and surrounded by 160,000 acres of National forest. Made from a blend of wheat, corn and rye.

Wheatley Vodka is distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery under supervision by master distiller, Harlen Wheatley and his team. Primarily a wheat-based vodka, there are other grains that are used in its production. Distilled in a "micro-still", the vodka is triple-filtered and bottled at 82 proof.

Central Standard is a craft distiller in Milwaukee. The vodka is distilled from Wisconsin rye in the model of Poland and Russia’s vodkas. Their stills low-reflux design is meant to enhance the grain’s natural flavors.

Blaum Bros is a craft distillery housed in Galena, Illinois. A true artisanal affair, the brothers use only local grains that are milled and fermented on location. Hellfyre is created by macerating jalapeños, habaneros, and black peppercorn in their very competent vodka. The vodka is made of wheat and rye and a return to a historic grain-focused style.

Based in California’s Sonoma County, Hanson is an organic vodka based on grape distillate. A fifty-plate still creates a very pure spirit that is then filtered seven times. The habanero infusion is made from organic produce. It is non-GMO and gluten free.

The multi-step process required for this vodka starts with filling a still with jalapeño, lime peel, and a non-GMO base spirit which passes through a chamber packed with fresh cilantro. The resulting spirit is then separated into parts and individually macerates with even more peppers: Serrano, habanero, red and yellow sweet bell before being carefully blended back together. Then this concoction is lightly-filtered and still maintains a slight green glow.