Looking for a libation that will make you feel warm and fuzzy from more than the alcohol content? Try drinking for a good cause. Snow Leopard Vodka gives us a chance to just that. Their mission—“A Spirit With a Soul”—is to aid the less than 3,500 snow leopards currently in the wild by selling 150,000 cases of vodka per year. 15% of profits are donated to Seattle-based conservation organization Snow Leopard Trust.
First launched in London in 2006 by Stephen Sparrow, Snow Leopard Vodka is distilled by a Polish distillery, using spelt rather than traditional choices like wheat or potatoes. While still a relatively small brand, Snow Leopard Vodka recently hit the shelves in America. According to the tasters at Cocktail Enthusiast, this vodka, which is distilled six times before being filtered through charcoal and blended with water from an onsite well, is anything but tasteless. It is “full of peppery spice and sweet vanilla” and “smooth, with a viscous, creamy mouthfeel and a lingering finish.”
If that’s not recommendation enough, the brand received a Gold medal at the 2014 International Spirits Challenge and another at the Beverage Testing Institute, Chicago. A 750ml bottle costs around $35 and is available online and in select cities in the United States.