Vodka, a globally enjoyed spirit, is renowned for its versatility and clean taste. But What Is Vodka Made From? The answer lies in a fascinating process that transforms simple raw materials into this iconic drink. While often associated with potatoes, traditionally, vodka is primarily crafted from grains, and at Social House Vodka, we champion the use of locally-sourced corn as the heart of our spirit. Let’s explore the journey of how vodka is made, step-by-step, from field to bottle.
Sourcing High-Quality Corn: The Foundation of Vodka
The journey of Social House Vodka begins with a commitment to local communities. We believe in supporting small businesses, and that’s why we source our raw ingredients, especially corn, from local farmers across North Carolina. Towns like Asheville, Bethel, and Kinston contribute to the quality of our vodka, ensuring we start with the finest base possible. This dedication to local sourcing not only guarantees freshness but also supports the agricultural heritage of our region.
Milling the Corn: Preparing for Mash
Once the corn is harvested, the next crucial step is milling. At Social House, we utilize a turn-of-the-century hammer mill to grind the corn into a coarse meal. This milling process is essential because it increases the surface area of the corn, allowing water to more effectively access and interact with the starches locked within. This enhanced interaction is vital for the subsequent stages of vodka production.
Mashing: Converting Starches to Sugars
The milled corn meal is then mixed with pure water from the aquifer in a Mash Tun to create the mash. This mixture undergoes a sterilization process through heating, reaching boiling point to ensure purity. Following sterilization, enzymes are introduced. These enzymes play a critical role in breaking down the corn starches and converting them into fermentable sugars. This sugary liquid, the foundation for alcohol production, is then cooled and transferred to large stainless steel tanks, ready for the next stage: fermentation.
Fermentation: Unleashing the Alcohol
With the mash cooled and in fermentation tanks, we introduce our proprietary yeast. This yeast is key to the transformation of sugar into alcohol. Yeast cells consume the sugars present in the mash, and as a byproduct of their metabolism, they produce ethyl alcohol. Over a period of two to four days, this fermentation process occurs, converting the sugary mash into a “wash.” This wash now has an alcohol content of approximately 10%, setting the stage for distillation, the art of concentrating the alcohol.
Distillation: Refining and Purifying the Spirit
Distillation is where the “wash” is transformed into a refined spirit. At Social House, each batch undergoes a meticulous distillation process, repeated over 25 times. We use custom-made copper pot stills alongside a 20-plate copper column. Steam heats the wash, causing alcohol vapors to rise. These vapors are then repeatedly cycled through the stills, refining and purifying the alcohol. This extensive distillation process removes unwanted alcohols and impurities, allowing us to capture only the purest “hearts” for Social House Vodka. The result is a “high wine,” a potent spirit with 96% pure ethanol. Importantly, the residual grain from this process is repurposed as valuable livestock feed, minimizing waste.
Blending: Achieving the Perfect Proof
The high wine, at 96% alcohol or 190 proof, is far too strong for consumption. To create the smooth, drinkable vodka we know, water is added. This blending process reduces the alcohol content to 80-proof, or 40% ABV (alcohol by volume). This dilution with water is crucial in creating the final character of the vodka, balancing strength with smoothness.
Filtration: Ensuring Pristine Clarity
After blending, the spirit is allowed to rest for up to two weeks. This resting period is important for allowing any remaining chemical reactions to complete and for the spirit to mellow. Once matured, the vodka is pumped into our proprietary filtration system. This filtration step removes any remaining impurities and particulates, ensuring the pristine clarity and clean taste that Social House Vodka is known for.
Bottling: Ready to Enjoy
The final stage is bottling. Each batch of Social House Vodka is carefully bottled, labeled, and numbered, reflecting its unique production batch. From our distillery, these bottles make their way to our tasting room, retail shop, local stores, and top bars and restaurants, ready to be enjoyed by discerning vodka enthusiasts. So, what is vodka made from? At Social House, it’s made from locally sourced corn, expert craftsmanship, and a dedication to quality every step of the way.
