White Mule Farms had us hooked at “wine with a kick.” Spodee ($9+) combines prohibition history — one of our favorite eras — with a witch’s brew of flavors that does pretty well to defy genre and description. Its makers call it depression era hooch, but even they admit it’s a drink shrouded in secrecy; no one knows who made it first, or even why it’s called “spodee”. What we do know is that the drink’s great grandpappy was wine mixed with moonshine mixed with whatever else was around and sounded tasty.
Today, White Mule Farms make it at 18% alcohol — more of a flying roundhouse than just a kick — and combine it with natural chocolate flavors. What we taste is a subtle nip of tannin along with a hint of sweet cocoa; it finishes warmly across the palate.
Just kidding — here’s what it’s really like: take chocolate, mix it with wine, and add a heaping scoop of hackle-raising moonshine. Boom, Spodee. The aptest comparison is alcoholic molten tootsie rolls. Also consider Spodee and coke (“spodee and sody”), which resembles something to the effect of a chocolate coke from your local soda fountain… with an extra bit of spice. You can also drink it with OJ, coffee and whiskey, or coke and rum. There’s something of the corn fields inherently found in the milk-bottled booze. Savoring a pull behind the barn with your favorite country gal would be just about right, we reckon.
Buy Now: $9+
