Are you a vodka aficionado? Did you know that world-class vodka is being distilled right here in the Adirondacks? Lake Placid Spirits is currently producing P3 Placid Vodka, 46 Peaks Vodka and Alpenglow, and a fourth, Blu Line Gin, will be available soon. Become a localvore by switching to an authentic Adirondack martini.

Now – for those who enjoy… local flavor when it comes to liquor – there is the mirco-distillery… [Lake Placid Vodka is] the first in the region, in Lake Placid, which has spirits bubbling and heads turning. (Borderless North)

I favor spirits with warmer hues — from Scotch and Bourbon to Armagnac and Calvados — but I plan to sample Lake Placid Vodka’s elixirs nonetheless. Consider it research! After all, what bona fide Adirondacker could resist this description?

Cold, deep lakes. Rugged, remote peaks. Silent, ancient woods and air so fresh it restores the soul. From these elements arise spirits like no others, capturing the essence of pristine waters and untouched wilds. (Lake Placid Spirits)

As skilled with wordsmithing as they are with old school pot-still distillation, Lake Placid’s very own small batch distillery has dubbed their Adirondack spirits “Miracles on Ice” in honor of the 1980 Winter Olympics when team USA triumphed over the USSR in ice hockey. Crafted from pure Lake Placid water and natural grain, potatoes and fruit, Lake Placid Spirits are a testament to local ingredients and heritage.

Precisely what our spirits evoke is up to you. Possibly a hike up Algonquin Peak to take in the vista of a vast wilderness. It could be first tracks through knee-high powder down a narrow Whiteface slope. Maybe a misty morning on the AuSable River hooking a feisty brown trout, or perhaps it is just a peaceful moment on a lakeside porch savoring a timeless scene as you sip a cocktail. (Lake Placid Spirits)

I’ll update you with my verdict once I’ve sampled our Adirondack addition to the global market of gourmet vodkas. And maybe I’ll even be able to surprise you with product number five from Lake Placid Spirits: Adirondack Sour Mash. What? There’s always room for optimism!

Until then here’s an introduction to Lake Placid Spirits’ currently available products:

• P3 Placid Vodka Handcrafted, grain-based vodka made from natural ingredients and distilled in copper column pot-still.
• 46 Peaks Potato Vodka Gluten free vodka made from potatoes grown at Tucker Farms, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains.
  
• Alpenglow Cranberries from Deer River Cranberry Farm and Uhilien Forest maple syrup of Lake Placid.

All this talk of Adirondack spirits makes me wonder if it isn’t high time we create an Essex whiskey distillery. I’ve joked for years that we need a local CSA-model microbrewery and/or distillery on the Adirondack Coast. Are you prepared to enliven our spirits?

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