I have always wondered, among all the different kinds of spirits available, how gin came to be a liquor unto itself. Think about it; how exactly does a neutral spirit flavored with berries that taste similar to pine needles become its own staple spirit? It seems mystifying… and I don’t say this as a criticism, since I happen to be a fan of the finer gins myself (in fact, if I go into a bar and order a martini, I expect it to be made with gin unless I specifically order vodka. Such circumstances have led to my utter disappointment a few times in the past).

However, although most often compared to vodka, there is a fairly recent development in the world of next-to-neutral spirits that I can’t help but compare to gin: VeeV. This isn’t a name for a new kind of liquor so much as it is a vodka-like neutral spirit flavored with Brazillian Acai berries (this is pronounced ah-sah-ee, almost like the Japanese beer Asahi, renowned for its dry flavor). VeeV opts to use these rather than juniper berries like typical gin, and much like nicer vodkas, organic winter wheat grain is the other base for this spirit.

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