Avoiding Russian vodka? Try these 20 Minnesota-made vodkas instead

Don't be shaken (or stirred) if you're trying to find a replacement for your favorite Eastern European vodka. There are several Minnesota-made ones ready to become your go-to spirit.

11 Wells: This distillery and craft cocktail lounge on St. Paul's East Side was established in 2013 and offers a full line of locally made spirits and liqueurs. Its Borlaug vodka is available in the cocktail room or at local retailers. 704 E. Minnehaha Av., St. Paul; 11wells.com.

BĒT: That's pronounced beet, as in sugar beet. The Minneapolis distillery uses sugar beets from the Red River Valley, giving this brand, available in many liquor stores throughout the states and online, a slightly sweet taste. betvodka.com.

Bent Brewstillery: As the name implies, this suburban force does double duty as a brewery and a distillery. Its J.A. Vodka is made from Minnesota-grown sugar beets, too. Available in house and in local stores. 1744 Terrace Drive, Roseville, bentbrewstillery.com.

Cantilever Distillery: Woody's Fairly Reliable Reel Good Vodka is part of this distillery's line of Lake Life spirits. It's made in Ranier, Minn., on the Canadian border, with grains from local farmers and water from the Canadian Shield. (Side note: "Woody" is popular Rainy Lakes area fishing guide Barry Woods. His outfit? Woody's Fairly Reliable Guide Service.) Available at the distillery and in stores statewide. 2078 Spruce St., Ranier, Minn., cantileverdistillery.com.

Copperwing Distillery: Started by three friends in 2014, the distillery's clean and crisp vodka has a neutral flavor profile, making it equally at home in mixed cocktails or straight up. Find it in the cocktail room and on shelves of Minnesota liquor retailers. 6409 Cambridge St., St. Louis Park; copperwingdistillery.com.

Du Nord Social Spirits: Raising a glass of this easy, crisp and slightly sweet Foundation Vodka from America's first Black-owned distillery will benefit the Du Nord Foundation, which addresses social justice issues through economic justice. Available online, in metro-area stores and restaurants and, most recently, aboard Delta flights. dunordsocialspirits.com.

Flying Dutchman: The Eden Prairie distillery's Nas-Drov-Via Vodka embraces the global roots of the spirit by using local potatoes descended from Peru and Minnesota corn. Be sure to say the name when toasting with your cocktail — it (roughly) means "cheers" in Polish. Available in the cocktail room and at several metro-area stores. 6801 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, flyingdutchmanspirits.com.

Gray Duck: The inspiration behind this company (and the vodka) was the Vikings' 2017 end zone celebration on national television, so it might not be a surprise that former Viking Chad Greenway is one of its founders. Minnesota-made with Minnesota corn, it's widely available. grayduckspirits.com.

Harmony Spirits: Made with corn harvested nearby, this small-town distillery produces a spirit that has a very subtle, pure flavor leading with a creamy, silky entry and a smooth lingering almond fade. Available in the cocktail room, online and widely available in stores. 40 1st Av. NW., Harmony, Minn., harmonyspirits.net.

Her Spirit: This Princeton-bottled company is on a mission. The socially minded, woman-owned maker donates half of its profits to the nonprofit Half Back to Her, which helps women entrepreneurs. Vodka — crisp, smooth and creamy — is all they do; it's widely available in stores. herspiritvodka.com.

Ida Graves Distillery: Located in lake country near Alexandria, Minn., this small-batch producer distills its vodka from raw honey; it's best when drunk neat or on the rocks. Find it in Minnesota liquor stores and restaurants, but only in spring and summer. idagraves.com.

J. Carver Distillery: Two options here, with its Lake House and J. Carver vodkas. J. Carver is distilled entirely from winter wheat; Lake House is one of the few multigrain vodkas in production (rye, corn and winter wheat). Widely available in stores, or in the cocktail room on weekends. 1320 Mill Lane, Waconia, jcarverdistillery.com.

Loon Liquors: The Loonman Vodka is distilled in small batches in Northfield. The 50-50, wheat-barley-based vodka uses local organic ingredients and has a mild sweetness that hints at vanilla, cocoa bean and almond. Available online, in stores and in the cocktail room. 1325 Armstrong Road, Suite 165, Northfield, loonliquors.com,

Norseman Distillery: Founded in 2013, this small-batch distillery was the first (legal) one in Minneapolis since Prohibition. It uses local grains to produce its popular vodka. Available online, in stores and in the cocktail room. 451 NE. Taft St., Mpls., norsemandistillery.com.

Northland Spirits: Distilled in Benson, Minn., and bottled in the metro area, Northland uses organic corn grown in the prairies of western Minnesota. Embracing the fact that they're in the state of hockey — and that co-founder and former NFL star Mark Parrish knows a thing or two about hockey — 5% of its profits support community hockey programs throughout the state. Available at select stores statewide. northlandspirits.com.

Prairie Organic Spirits: Made by Phillips Distilling, with two options: the creamy mouthfeel of the flagship Prairie Organic Vodka, or its cucumber-flavored vodka, with a crisp finish. Both locally made from organic yellow corn grown in the Midwest. Widely available, prairieorganicspirits.com.

Skaalvenn Distillery: This small-batch distillery in the north metro started offering its spirits in stores before opening its cocktail room. Their crisp, clean vodka is their "labor of love" and can be your go-to for cocktails or to drink straight up. Available on site and in stores in all corners of the state. 8601 73rd Av. N. #14, Brooklyn Park, skaalvenn.com.

Tattersall Distillery: The organic corn used to distill this subtle but crisp spirit is grown near Rochester on the family farm of their head distiller. Widely available throughout the metro and on site at its Minneapolis and River Falls distilleries. Find plenty of ideas on how to use it on Tattersall's outstanding "bartender" app. 1620 Central Av. NE., Suite 150, Mpls.; 1777 Paulson Road, River Falls, Wis., tattersalldistilling.com.

Twin Spirits Distillery: M Vodka is made in small batches from raw cane sugar, making it sweet and sippable. It's also a one-woman show, with Michelle Winchester behind the still. Available in the cocktail room or online for pickup. 2931 Central Av. NE., Mpls., twinspirits.us.

Vikre Distillery: The North Shore mainstay uses water from Lake Superior (plus malted barley, wheat and corn) for its appropriately named Lake Superior Vodka. It's crisp and smooth, not unlike the Great Lake can be. Available online and in restaurants, bars and stores across the state. 525 Lake Av. S., Duluth, vikredistillery.com.