Shay Smith of Ocean Vodka. Photo by Sean Hower
Ocean Vodka is a family-owned Maui company, but their product isn’t distilled on the Valley Isle. This is no great secret; president Shay Smith will be the first to tell you. “Yeah we get criticized by the competition because we don’t distill the spirit here, but we are making it here,” he says. Smith says two factors influence the off-island distillation: a desire to keep the vodka organic, and quality control.
The process by which Ocean Vodka gets to market is fascinating. It starts with organic sugar cane, grown free of pesticides and with no genetic modifications. The cane juice is then distilled by master Bill Scott on the Mainland. This product is combined with MaHalo Hawaii Deep Sea water from Kono’a Koyo U.S.A.—pulled from 3,000 feet below sea level and desalinated—in a Maui warehouse, then bottled by Smith’s parents, Diana and Kyle Smith. The result is 80-proof, virtually flavor-free booze. Its also wheat and gluten free. No other vodka is made this way.
“We set out six years ago to create a Hawaii product,” Smith explains. “Our goal was to be as popular as macadamia nuts, but we didn’t want to make a tourist product. We wanted a local product to compete on the world market.”
It’s working—Ocean Vodka can be now found in at least 10 states, plus Canada and Japan. “We are committed to making a difference to our planet through being an organic product,” says Smith. “And being a Maui company.”
Pirate Festival is a celebration of rum, beer, vodka, tequila, pirates and wenches with the best entertainment in Los Angeles. May 21, 2011 1pm – 5pm at Olympic Collection in west Los Angeles. Entrainment by the real pirates of the Caribbean Pirates for Hire and the #1 Band in southern California Adam’s Attic event benefits the Children’s Tumor Foundation.
Join Mutineer Magazine, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Ballast Point Brewing Company, Breakaway Spirits Company and Beer West Magazine as we sponsor this event to benefit the Children’s Tumor Foundation.
Tickets are $25 each. Visit the event website to purchase.
In addition to all the fine beverage news we posted on our blog this week, several other noteworthy things happened over the past few days. We have summarized them into a weekly roundup:
FDA Warning Letters Issues To Four Makers Of Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned four companies that the caffeine added to their malt alcoholic beverages is an “unsafe food additive” and said that further action, including seizure of their products, is possible under federal law.”
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In addition to all the fine beverage news we posted on our blog this week, several other noteworthy things happened over the past few days. We have summarized them into a weekly roundup:
Jordan Winery to Host Mutineer A Child’s Right Benefit Dinner on December 10
“November 8, 2010 (San Francisco, CA) — What do you get when you bring together a star-studded cast of Hollywood comedians, vintage spirits, wines and cigars, spectacular auction lots and a lavish three-course meal at Healdsburg’s Jordan Vineyard & Winery? Naturally, you get the Blue Carpet Fundraiser Dinner (Friday, December 10, 2010) benefiting clean drinking water for children in Nepal, brought to you by a partnership between the second-generation winery and Mutineer Magazine.”
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The savvy people in the marketing department at Absolut are at it again, this time with the release of Absolut Glimmer. This limited edition packaging follows in the footsteps of Absolut Bling Bling, Absolut Disco, Absolut Rock Edition, and In An Absolut World Every Night is a Masquerade, but Absolut Glimmer is a breed of its own. For the first time, the bottle itself was altered rather than just the design on the bottle or how it was packaged. The concept was to make the bottle mimic the look of classically cut crystal and when placed in various light conditions, the bottle will appear differently as it reacts to the light. Continue Reading »
Vodka has been made from potatoes, grains and even corn — but in Australia’s Barossa Valley, they are using grapes. Grapes from this region are only the first step in the process of making this high-end libation, aptly named Boomerang Vodka. Fosters, the makers of the famous “Lager” and proprietors of Fosters wine estate, collaborated with Chris Williams of Wattle Creek Winery in the famed Sonoma Valley to bring a taste of uniqueness and of Aussie life to the people of the U.S. Continue Reading »
A snazzy label, a fancy website, a trendy tag-line, and a founder just barely legal enough to drink — it’s easy to see why some of the more pretentious spirits enthusiasts would raise an eyebrow to Pool Vodka, the new triple distilled premium vodka infused with a blend of 100% natural fruit.
But Pool Vodka is looking do to more than just create a splash, they want to make waves.
“I really want the consumer to know that this is not just some fad brand looking to catch fire and then disappear. I personally went through about 80 different flavor samples until I found the one that I thought was not only different, but still versatile to make cocktails with.” — Bryan O’ Reilly, President and CEO of BevKo, LLC. Continue Reading »
Gruppo Campari’s North American operations arm, Skyy Spirits is looking ahead and adding up to six staff members to its team of 92 at its San Francisco office, including senior brand managers for Wild Turkey and Cordials brands.
“We are in the unique position of being able to hire during this challenging economic environment.” — Andrea Conzonato, Skyy Spirits Chief Operating/Chief Marketing Officer. “We are actively looking to fill rewarding positions that support not only our growing portfolio, but also our increased on-premise and off-premise activities for our established brands.” Continue Reading »
