The March issue of Details magazine ranks American-made gins in an article titled “The American Gin Renaissance.” Duluth’s Vikre Distillery took fourth place for its Boreal Cedar Gin.
4. Vikre Distillery Boreal Cedar Gin
Duluth, Minnesota
The Gin: Smoky, thanks to red cedar.
Fun Fact: “I developed the Cedar specifically to make my perfect Negroni,” says cofounder Emily Vikre.
The Appeal: For fermentation and proofing, Vikre uses purified Lake Superior water, which is soft and devoid of (taste-altering) minerals. $30
There’s an online version of the article with the more click-baitish title, “10 American-made gins that are too damn good to pass up.”
Another recent honor: Vikre’s Ovrevann Aquavit won a bronze medal in the DSS category at the American Craft Spirits Association’s Distillers Convention & Vender Trade Show in mid-February. (Through exhaustive research — you know, like ten minutes worth — PDD is now able to update this report to clarify that DSS stands for Distilled Spirits, Specialty.)

5 thoughts on “Vikre Distillery lands #4 spot in <i>Details</i> magazine taste test”
Not sure if this is correct in this context, but on page 68 of this government PowerPoint, DSS appears to mean Distilled Spirits Specialty.
Thanks Nick! That seems like credible evidence, and I now have confirmation from Vikre:
One has to wonder, of course, why the American Craft Spirits Association wouldn’t just call it the Specialty category and save us the anguish of poking through a government presentation. Anyway, that road block aside, congratulations to Vikre. I’m suddenly thirsty.
Great stuff–I’m especially fond of the Cedar Gin. Now, please, how do we pronounce the name of this company???
Veeeekrah.
Thanks Paul. I have heard several different pronunciations; that wasn’t one of them!