Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/518118
june 2015 / the tasting panel / 1 17 Tasting Notes Clean, neutral nose; silky smooth, pure and elegant with balance, freshness and clean, untainted style; straight forward and long, lovely in its simplicity. 92 — A. D. B. J im Elliott knows firsthand about the severe difficulties of being allergic to gluten. If you've ever seen a person who has been contaminated by a gluten-based food or drink, it's not a pretty picture. For Elliott, his family awareness and gastronomic way of life changed after his daughter, Amanda, was diagnosed with Celiac disease 11 years ago. Her affliction became the inspiration behind him creating a certified gluten-free spirits brand, 49th Parallel Ultra-Premium Vodka. The vodka is handcrafted at the Anat Distillery in Toronto, Canada. It is loosely based on a 150-year-old Russian recipe, which, over the course of eight months, Elliott and company revised 12 times. The corn-based spirit is five- times-distilled in a continuous column still. After exiting the still, 49th Parallel is subjected to a proprietary cold-filter process designed to rid the spirit of any impurities and imperfections, and is bottled at 80 proof. The most noteworthy feature of 49th Parallel Vodka is its certification of being gluten-free, one of the first vodkas in North America to carry such a designation. Being gluten-free is one thing; being certified gluten-free is quite another. Both in Canada and the United States, the process of earning such a designation is quite demanding. In part, it involves wiping down the distillery's equipment with cotton swabs and scrutinizing for the presence of airborne grain powder down to 20 parts per million. "Since corn is the only dedicated ingredient the distillery uses to make all of its brands, we knew we stood a good chance at getting the vodka certified," says brand partner Elliott. "There are only two brands in the U.S. that we know are certified gluten-free—49th Parallel and Tito's Vodka. That's pretty select company. The designation also means our vodka is GMO-free. For us it's not a trend, but a way of life, especially considering what my daughter has had to go through." Stocking a bottle of 49th Parallel Vodka on the back bar is about the only way a guest with issues digesting gluten can safely order a drink at your bar, and that kind of peace of mind comes at a small price. By the way, for those of you without a globe, the U.S./Canadian border is on the 49th parallel. 49TH PARALLEL ULTRA-PREMIUM VODKA