How do you make a distinctly Washington vodka?

You make it with apples.

That’s the story behind Soft Tail Spirits’ new premium triple-distilled vodka, the first vodka to come out of Western Washington since, perhaps, Prohibition.

Soft Tail of Woodinville, which made a splash with the release of its 2008 grappa last year, will host a vodka release party from noon to 6 p.m. today, followed by tastings from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at its distillery and tasting room at 12280 NE Woodinville Drive.

Just to be clear here, it’s not an apple-flavored vodka; it’s just made with apples that start as a mash and ferment into hard cider, which is distilled into brandy, then vodka.

“It’s so smooth that it’s just scary,” distiller Dennis Robertson said. “We’re hoping everybody feels the same way.”

It will cost $2 for a chilled shot or $28 for a 750-milliliter bottle to take home. See www.softtailspirits.com or call 425-770-1154 or go to liq.wa.gov to find liquor stores that will eventually carry the vodka.

Herald staff