Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343292
SPRING/SUMMER 2014 • 13 He experimented with ten different kinds of sweet potatoes, looking for great taste at manageable production numbers—sweet potatoes are far more labor-intensive to produce than regular potatoes, and because they are lower in starch and sugars, it takes many more of them to make vodka. At first, it required 20 pounds of sweet potatoes to make one bottle of Corbin Estate Vodka—now they've got it down to 10 or 12. Taste was never a problem because the sweet potatoes produce a wonderful profile. The challenge was finding the blend that could be enjoyed neat but was still versatile enough to be used in cocktails. Corbin Estate Vodka is less bitter than wheat vodka, and it has a creamier, more viscous texture than even potato vodka. While it has a somewhat sweet finish, the thing you notice most in a cocktail is its smoothness. "We live it and breathe it every day," says Erik Teague, one of Souza's three employees at the distillery. "It's almost like it's made up," Souza says of his story, "but if you don't believe us, you can come to the farm and see what we do every day." The Fifth Element • 1½ oz. Corbin Estate Vodka • ½ oz. Cocchi Americano • ¾ oz. St-Germain • Lemon juice • 2 dashes bitters Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, stir, strain into chilled coup, add bitters and serve. (Cocktail pictured above) Rectifying column on Corbin Estate's Holstein still.