Wifezilla vs. 360º Vodka

When it comes to a low carber having an occasional adult beverage, you have to be very careful or you could accidentally end up drinking more carbs in 10 minutes than you normally eat in 2 days. The rules for alcohol labeling in general are a confusing mishmash and depend on whether you are selling, beer, wine or distilled alcohol. The government has even, at times, prevented companies from voluntarily labeling the carb content on their products.

While the federal authorities don't feel a need to help consumers make an informed choice when it comes to carbohydrate counts in distilled spirits, some companies have provided the carb content information when contacted by curious consumers. One of these companies was the makers of 360º Vodka. When low carber Ron Staats contacted them about the carb content of some of their flavored vodkas, he was told the carb content was zero. But that was several months ago and new flavors had been introduced so I decided to contact the company myself to see if the zero carb level still held true for new flavors such as Glazed Donut or my old favorite Double Chocolate Vodka.

This is the reply I just received via email today...

"Good Afternoon Ms. Duffy,

I am in receipt of your e-mail regarding our 360 Vodka.  Thank you for your inquiry.

Regulations for distilled spirits do not require this information.  The information you have requested is not available.

Thank you again for your inquiry and thank you for your patronage.

Regards,

Denise Powell

McCormick Distilling"

Here was my response...

"While I know that carb counts are not required by law, I am very disappointed to know that you can't provide that information. Without that information I will no longer be able to drink any of your vodka products, nor recommend it to the readers of my low carb blog. I will also not be printing or sharing the list of recipes I have compiled featuring your vodka flavors.

I guess I will have to contact other spirit companies and see if i can get any of them to provide carbohydrate information. Because of my dietary requirements, unless your policy changes I will unfortunately have to pass on your products.

Linda Duffy"

Now I am not really expecting a reply, but I do think the only way the industry will change is if people take the time to let them know that without nutritional information, we will not be using their products. It's a shame I will have to stop buying 360º vodka as I was really enjoying their flavored vodkas. I just don't feel a need to worry about hidden sugars and starches. Sure, plain vodka is usually safe, but I will not support a company that doesn't feel the need to give relevant information to consumers just because the government doesn't make them.

Almond Butter Bread

Due to my pesky need to earn a living, I don't get to sit around and come up with recipes nearly as often as I would like to. Fortunately, other low carbers are out there in their kitchens playing mad scientist and coming up with some pretty cool recipes.

One I just tried was a low carb paleo-ish bread made out of almond butter. Cooking Caveman had a good recipe for almond butter bread posted on his blog. But then Tom Naughton of Fat Head fame tweaked that recipe and came up with a version that makes a great sandwich bread. I cooked up Tom's recipe tonight.

Batter ready to go in the oven

This recipe is dairy-free as well as low carb. While almond butter can be expensive, compared to commercial low-carb breads the homemade version is a bargain.

Fresh out of the oven

The flavor of the finished product is mild and not too nutty, but the texture is the bet part. It slices without crumbling even when you make the slices very thin. My test salami and avocado sandwich with extra mayo was great. I am adding this recipe to my list of favorites and I think you might too!

The bread flattened as it cooled and the loaf pan was a bit too wide.
Despite it's flatness it still sliced well and held it's shape.