Our Vodka By Detroit Premium Vodka 37,5 cl 40%

Bagley Street sits in the part of Detroit where the brick facades carry murals and half the shopfronts have stood empty for years. Number 2545 became a distillery. Not as an investment, but as an argument that the neighbourhood was worth staying in.

Expert description

Our Vodka By Detroit is an American Vodka from Our/Detroit on Bagley Street, bottled at 40%.

Detroit came second in the line. After Berlin had shown that a micro distillery could work in the middle of a large city, Our/Detroit opened in August 2014 as the first outside Europe. The model came with it: the same recipe as the rest of the family, ingredients sourced as close by as possible, and a team of local partners with a free hand to run the brand the way they felt the city deserved.

The team behind it was local and women led, with Kate Bordine among the partners, and they chose to use the distillery as more than a production site. Mural competitions and neighbourhood events were held there, and sales were tied to the work of bringing life back to the surrounding streets.

The vodka itself is slightly stronger than its sister bottles from London and Berlin. The 40 percent gives more body and a clearer warmth, which makes it sturdier in a drink and more direct when it is served ice cold.

Tasting notes

Nose

Neutral with a pale grain character and a hint of green peel. The alcohol reads as a cool breath rather than a sting.

Palate

Firm and clean with moderate sweetness. The middle is dry, and a peppered warmth settles across the tongue.

Finish

Medium and dry. The warmth holds for a moment before everything withdraws.

Specifications

Name: Our Vodka By Detroit
Distillery: Our/Detroit
Region/Country: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Type: American Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 37.5 CL
EAN no.: 835229008816
Serving suggestion: In a Bloody Mary with plenty of horseradish, or ice cold in a shot glass alongside a burger.

Flavour profile

Dry · Firm · Peppered · Clean

Did you know?

Our/Detroit was run by a women led team — a rarity in American distilling, where women have long been heavily underrepresented among owners and production managers.

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Frequently asked questions about Our Vodka By Detroit

What sets the Detroit release apart from the European bottles?

The strength and the format. Detroit is bottled at 40 percent against 37.5 percent in London and Berlin, and the bottle holds 37.5 cl rather than 35 cl. That gives a firmer body and a little more warmth in the glass.

How does it taste?

Dry and clean with a pale grain character. Sweetness is moderate, the middle is tight, and a peppered warmth hangs on briefly through the finish. It is more direct than its softer European siblings.

Where was the distillery?

At 2545 Bagley Street in south west Detroit. The site was small enough to occupy an ordinary street building and held both production and a tasting room where guests could walk in off the pavement.

What does hand bottling actually mean here?

That the volumes are small. Blending and filling are done manually rather than on an automated line, and the labels go on in the same room. It is the reason Our/Vodka never reaches the output of the large brands.

Which drinks does it suit?

The robust ones. Bloody Mary, Moscow Mule and a Vodka Soda with lime all stand up to the 40 percent without turning thin. See more bottles among our Vodka brands.

Why does each city have its own vodka?

Because the recipe is shared but the ingredients are not. Our/Vodka sources as locally as possible in each city, and that produces differences in both water and grain. The distilleries describe themselves as siblings with the same genes and separate personalities.

Does it make a good gift?

Yes, if the recipient has a connection to Detroit or collects local spirits. The city name is the only thing on the label, the format is small and easy to wrap, and the story of a distillery in a neighbourhood under repair comes with it.