Wine or moonshine? Wine or moonshine? If you find yourself trying to make this decision more often than not, then you’ll be happy to hear that Spodee has just hit the Philly market! Spodee isn’t your average wine; it is a wine fortified with high proof moonshine, that you mix into cocktails, like a spirit! Don’t fear the unusual because it’s said to be delightful and refreshing, unlike any drink before it.

Coming from Philly's boozy renaissance man -- who's behind everything from AITA's retro hooch to Sailor Jerry -- Spodee is a 36-proof resurrection of a backwoods concoction of country wine, moonshine, and garden herbs made popular enough during the Great Depression that Jerry Lee Lewis later wrote a song about it, then set his piano on fire. For the new version, which tastes like high-end Raisinets with notes of cocoa and grapes, he's mixing sweet vino from Brotherhood (America's oldest winery) with his own "legal" moonshine, and packaging the stuff in old school, cork-topped milk bottles… sans delivery via the dude who's probably your dad. Because you'll no doubt be all, "But bro, how in the world could this white whiskey wine benefit me more than normal wine?", here's a situational guide that highlights Spodee's superiority:

This past week, we were invited to check out the newest invention of Steven Grasse, the guy that came up with Hendrick’s Gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, Root, Snap and Rhuby. This time around, he’s got a sort of fortified wine called Spodee, made with grape wine, moonshine and spices, and it’s definitely interesting.

Steven Grasse is a maverick. A Marketing Mad Man of the Modern Age. He's an entrepreneur, artist, ad guy, author and all-around cool dude who happens to operate a successful business in Philly, for which residents should be thankful. His shop and gallery space Art in the Age of Mechanical Production in Olde City promotes local culture and sustainable products, which include his well-known line of spirits ROOT, SNAP & RHUBY marketed under his PR Agency Quaker City Mercantile. It seems whatever he touches turns a golden hue, which doesn't just happen by some stroke of luck. I'd call it strokes of genius really. Foresight. Creative edge. He purchased the intellectual property rights to the estate of WWII-era tattoo artist Norman Collins for a mere $20,000 and turned it into a multi-million dollar operation under the name "Sailor Jerry." A clothing line and a series of products were developed around the style and tattoo imagery of the man, including a successfully distributed rum. The power of the label pushed Grasse to brand Hendrick's Gin, the premium spirit that is poured from a now iconically-shaped and designed bottle that feels more late 1800s than today. Take a look at a bottle of ROOT and you'll notice the classic curves and appeal. William Grant & Sons, the Scottish distiller that produced the rum for Grasse as well as Hendrick's floral gin, bought the Sailor Jerry brand in 2008, retained Grasse as its ad agent, and made him a treasure chest of bullion, all of which brings us to today.

Steven Grasse is a liquor pioneer of sorts. Hendrick's Gin took juniper spirits into a new realm of light, flowery flavor, and his rum, Sailor Jerry, evolved from a line of tattoo-oriented clothing. Under the moniker Art in the Age, he’s led the development of Root, Snap and Rhuby liqueurs, based on colonial recipes and old-time ingredients. But none of these are as unique as his latest offering: Spodee.