 | |
| Type | Vodka |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Proximo Spirits |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 2002 |
| Alcohol by volume | 40% |
| Proof (US) | 80 |
| Related products | List of vodkas |
| Website | www |
Hangar 1 Vodka is avodka brand produced byThe Hangar 1 Distillery inAlameda, California.[1] In addition to vodka, the distillery also producesspirits, some of which were formerly produced bySt. George Spirits. The brand is owned and distributed byProximo Spirits ofJersey City, New Jersey, and is available as a straight vodka as well as in a variety of flavors.
St. George Spirits was founded as America's firsteau de vie distillery in 1982 by Jörg Rupf. Rupf grew up in Germany'sBlack Forest to a family of distillers. He went into law and became, at the time, Germany's youngest judge. On a visit to theUniversity of California at Berkeley in the late 1970s, he decided to stay and distill local fruit to produce eau de vie.[2][3] In August 2001, Rupf met with fellow artisan distiller Ansley Coale, president of Craft Distillers and a collaborator inGermain-Robin brandy, to discuss producing flavored vodkas using a method similar to the production of eau de vie.[4][5][6]
Hangar 1 Vodka was founded in 2001,[7] with Rupf overseeing production and Coale handling design and marketing.[8][9] Operations were initially based in St. George's distillery in Hangar 1, a 2,000 square-foot World War II-era hangar at the oldAlameda Naval Air Station, before expanding to a 60,000 square-foot hangar in Alameda, California, in 2004.[8] In April 2010, Hangar 1 Vodka was acquired by Proximo Spirits, who continued to produce the vodka in Alameda through St. George.[10] until the Summer of 2014. It is now produced in the building next to St George's distillery which it shares with Faction Brewery.[11]
Hangar 1 is a small batch vodka made from a blend of pot-distilledViognier grapes andcolumn still-distilled American wheat. The flavored varieties are created by infusing the vodka base with fresh fruit, and then distilling the vodka in apot still.[4][7][8] The fruits are obtained in-season from farms throughout the US.[12][13] The distillation process takes about four weeks per batch from start to finish.[9] Hangar 1's flavored vodkas contain fruits includingKaffir lime andBuddha's Hand citron, as well as experimental flavors such asChipotle.[14]
| Name | ABV | Flavor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight | 40% | Unflavored | Blend ofViogniereau de vie with spirit made from Midwestern wheat. |
| Mandarin Blossom | 40% | Orange | Made with the blossoms frommandarin orange trees. |
| Buddha's Hand Citron | 40% | Lemon | Made with the rareBuddha's hand citron variety typically used for its fragrance. |
| Kaffir Lime | 40% | Lime | A lime typically used in Southeast Asian cuisine, Hangar 1 distills thekaffir lime leaves and skin. |
| Maine Wild Blueberry | 40% | Blueberry | Made with small wild blueberries from Maine, introduced in 2011.[12] |
| Fraser River Raspberry | 40% | Raspberry | Limited edition, made with raspberries from the Fraser River valley. |
| Spiced Pear | 40% | Pear | Limited edition, seasonally made with pears from Colorado blended with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. |
| Chipotle | 40% | Jalapeños andchipotles | Made with a blend of jalepeños, chipotles, habaneros, and bell and purple morita chili peppers. Introduced in 2007 as part of the Alchemist Series, widely available since 2011.[14][15] |
| Wasabi | 40% | Wasabi | Made in 2006 as part of the limited release Alchemist Series; no longer available.[14] |
The Fraser River Raspberry flavor received a score of 96–100 fromWine Enthusiast in 2005, while Mandarin Blossom received a score of 97 in 2010, the Straight variety was given a score of 93 one year later, and Maine Wild Blueberry a 92 the year after that.[16]
In May 2011, a 120-foot-long Hangar 1 Vodkablimp was introduced, touring the US to promote the vodka. It set off on a six-month tour in 2011, with stops in 30 different cities.[7][10] In August 2011, during a thunderstorm, the blimp broke free of its moorings in Columbus, Ohio, and landed in a 94-year-old Ohio woman's backyard.[17] The blimp was repaired and continued its tour through California in 2012. It provided some of the coverage for California sporting events, includingSan Francisco Giants games.
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