Limited edition Paczki Day Vodka returns: How to buy it before it's gone
It’s that time of year when booze gets a boost from paczki, the sweet, glazed, Polish pastries popular on Fat Tuesday, ahead of the beginning of Lent.
Yes, paczki and vodka lovers, it’s time to mark your calendars for the annual return of Paczki Day Vodka from Eastern Market's Detroit City Distillery.
The distillery announced online sales for the limited edition Paczki Day Vodka ($35 per 750-milliliter bottle) will open at 8 a.m. Feb. 3 through detroitcitydistillery.com/shop.
What makes the vodka unique is that it’s distilled with actual raspberry-filled and glazed paczki sourced from the long-standing and popular New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck.
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The vodka has no artificial flavorings or ingredients. Michael Forsyth, the distillery’s co-owner, said only two ingredients go into making the vodka. Only the paczki and 100% potato vodka from Michigan and for the second year in a row, Poland.
To make the vodka it takes thousands of raspberry paczki. The raspberry paczki are tossed into a 500-gallon copper still where they soak in the vodka for 24 hours.
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The distillery describes the result as “a crystal-clear one-of-a-kind, spirit that is smooth, buttery, and has a distinct raspberry finish.”
“At 88 proof, it’s ultra-smooth, and you can really taste the raspberry and buttery pastry of the paczki,” Forsyth said.
You can serve the vodka chilled over ice, mixed in a cocktail, or as a pączki chaser.
Last year’s batch of Paczki Day Vodka almost didn’t happen. The distillery faced not having bottles for the vodka due to pandemic-related supply issues. A month behind distilling, the vodka, the distillery secured bottles from where else, but Poland. They will be used again this year, according to the distillery.
Created as an experiment, paczki vodka got its start six years ago when the distillery paired the two.
“It’s been incredible to see Pączki Day Vodka become a tradition within Michigan’s Polish community and watch the sensation grow nationwide," said Forsyth. “People travel from all over America to get their hands on this once-a-year spirit and celebrate with their Polish comrades.”
Paczki Day Vodka is expected to sell out. Last year, the vodka sold out in less than 72 hours.
On ordering day, there’s also a party to celebrate the vodka on pickup day.
Online orders can be picked up beginning at 4 p.m. when a public party celebrating the release of the vodka at the distillery’s Eastern Market Tasting Room, 2462 Riopelle St., will take place. A limited quantity of Pączki Day Vodka will be available for direct-to-consumer shipping through the distillery's partners in select states nationwide.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Paczki Day Vodka by Detroit City Distillery returns: How to buy it
