Detroit City Distillery makes Paczki Day Vodka ahead of Fat Tuesday

One local booze maker is getting into the Fat Tuesday spirit in a big way.

The Detroit City Distillery is bringing back its paczki-flavored Polish vodka, but this year instead of offering it as sips exclusively in the Eastern Market tasting room, the distillers are bottling it up and distributing it around town.

They made this batch of Paczki Day Vodka with 12 dozen real raspberry paczki from New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck. Fat Tuesday is Feb. 25 this year.

"We procured some 100% potato vodka from Poland for this batch," said Michael Forsyth, founder and partner at Detroit City Distillery. "We soaked the paczki overnight and then fired up the still."

The finished product is a clear vodka clocking in at about 88 proof. It tastes not only like fresh, sweet raspberries, but also has notes of bread or pastry. At 44% alcohol, it's very strong, but easy enough to sip on.

"We usually use ingredients from Michigan and our surroundings," said Forsyth of DCD, which makes small-batch whiskey, gin and vodka. "But since this is paczki vodka, getting vodka straight from the motherland just makes it a little special. We checked the local box using the Hamtramck paczki."

"It has been so incredibly well-received over the past few years that we decided to bring it to the public," he said.

Forsyth said the product was created by DCD distiller Steve Orzechowski.

"He really tried to capture the festive atmosphere of Paczki Day in Hamtramck in a spirit," he said. "His goal is really to create a new Detroit tradition. Something that is unique to his heritage, unique to his community here in Hamtramck and just something that was fun."

Paczki fans who want to buy a bottle of Paczki Day Vodka ($30) can visit the Detroit City Distillery's tasting room at 2462 Riopelle in Eastern Market at 10 a.m.-midnight Feb. 22, noon-6 p.m. Feb. 23-24 or noon-11 p.m. Feb. 25, which is Fat Tuesday.

Forsyth said some of the 666 bottles created by this limited-edition batch will also be distributed to local bars, restaurants and liquor stores.

For more information on Detroit City Distillery, visit detroitcitydistillery.com.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens

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