Valentine’s Distillery
Come and try the winner of the “World’s best Vodka award 2016”
Valentine’s is a cool, trendy vodka distillery right in downtown Ferndale, Michigan. I was fortunate to go on a tour and discover this perfect date night place, with its dim lighting, cozy nooks, and secretive vibe that transports you back to the days of prohibition. And, with a name that stands for Love, how could it not be romantic?!
Will you be my valentine (vodka)?
Valentine’s Distillery Bar
Our tour started at 10:30 AM. The Fifteen of us from the BBNC group- a newcomer group of expats and people who have moved around as much as me, gathered in the small bar area to receive our complimentary drink. At first, it felt a bit early to be sampling vodka, but with the soft lighting and intimate, inviting atmosphere, it could have been 5 PM, after all, it’s 5:00 PM somewhere, right?
The first time I discovered Valentine’s was at our housewarming party. Friends brought lovely gifts of wine and alcohol, flowers and local finds. Detroiters are proud of their heritage and when the opportunity presents itself, they prefer to buy local products.
We ended up with three different bottles of vodka, all locally sourced in Detroit:
One from Two James distillery
another from Our/Detroit
and the third was from Valentine‘s Distillery
All were excellent, but after the tour I found my Valentine to be my favorite.
This was my early morning cocktail-the acceptable bloody mary to start the day.
Delicious Bloody Mary
Valentine’s Distillery transports you back in time.
The building alone has so much history with many different components from the 1920s.
The interior is made up of repurposed windows from the old Packer Factory and the beams are from a Michigan farm.
The tasting room has a Parisian vibe with luxurious, velvet red sofas and softly lit lamps.
Valentine’s Tasting Room
After a bit of socializing, we started the tasting and tried little beakers filled with different alcohol.Our first taste was of Valentine’s original vodka. It was wonderfully smooth and not harsh like other vodkas. Our second tasting was my favorite –a bit more on the sweet side, the Elderberry Flower infused Vodka called White Blossom. I can’t wait to re-create a drink I saw on their menu with basil, honey, and their white blossom vodka!
We also tasted two kinds of gin–both had strong delicious notes of cardamon, which was a nice change from the typical, harsh Tanguerey or other yucky smelling gins. Finally the last tasting, the bourbon, which my husband would have loved, but he wasn’t with me so I selfishly went home with my favorite bottle, the White Blossom Vodka. The tour of this local distillery was inspiring and made me a little proud that it was in my new city I’m calling home, Detroit. $20 for a very informative tour and a big lesson…
I will never buy mass produced vodka because I found my true Valentine, Valentine’s vodka! LOVE!
Hi I’m Karine. This photo is me goofing off, trying to be the mid-century housewife in our kitchen in California. We now live in Detroit, Michigan –a big change and a bigger kitchen! But no matter where I live food and cooking remains my passion. I hope I can motivate you, give you ideas or share with each other food stories, cooking dreams and goals.