Valor Vodka is the latest product from Brave Spirits, LLC, a Pennsylvania company with a noble and inventive method of marketing…you drink, we donate.  That is, for every bottle of spirits sold, two dollars of the purchase price goes to a foundation which in turn, makes donations to various military, police, and firefighter charities.  Not a bad idea, but one of my question was upon looking at the line-up from Brave Spirits–First In Whiskey, Valor Vodka, Standing Guard Gin, and At Ease Rum–how does it taste?  So, I decided to do a series of tastings on each of these products to give you, the consumer, an idea of how these products measure up.

Valor Vodka, the subject of this review, is American-made, as all products from Brave Spirits are, down to the very labels.  In recent years, a wide range of vodkas are being produced in the United States and have turned out exceptionally well.  This should come as no surprise, as vodka is perhaps the most popular spirit sold in the United States.  Vodka is essentially neutral grain spirits diluted with water to the standard 80 proof.   It is inexpensive to make, as it requires no special ingredients and no aging requirements.  While it could be argued that anyone can make vodka, it can also be argued that it takes a real craftsman to make it well.

The goal of most vodka producers in the United States is to produce a spirit with little or no color or flavor.  It is in that vein that we can classify Valor Vodka. The taste is very clean and crisp.  I used Valor Vodka to make a variation on a Cosmopolitan that I’ve been playing with, and it worked very well, lending no flavor to the drink.  While lending no flavor might seem as a dig towards Valor Vodka, it actually is a compliment.  Valor Vodka meets my expectations of what a vodka should be–a clean, crisp spirit that lends itself well in mixed cocktails containing fruit juices or other spirits.  While vodka martinis have become all the rage, I’ve never been a big fan.  There are some exceptions out there, but as a rule, I would rather consume vodka in a mixed drink or cocktail.

I would encourage you to give Valor Vodka a try.  You might find it meets your needs in your home bar.  While not available everywhere in the U.S., you may find online retailers at www.bravespirits.com.