StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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27 StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2016 IMPORTED VODKA for the continuing popularity of vodkas, we're not seeing any evidence of a category slow down," says founder and CEO Dave Freyder. "Demand for Bombora and other quality vodkas is still very high. I think the key is to work with premium ingredients and to market to consumers who care about what they are eating and drinking." If you're looking for vodka guaranteed to grab consum- ers' attention, then look no further than English import Black Death Vodka. The most striking thing about the brand is not its name, or the grinning skull on its label, but how good it is. Black Death is produced at the Burlington Bottling Company in Witham, Essex. It is made from premium sugar beets and spring water drawn from deep under- ground aquifers. While more challenging to distill than grain or potatoes, sugar beets yield an exceptionally clean, character-laden alcohol. The vodka is triple-distilled in pot stills and vigorously fi ltered through charcoal. In the fi nal analysis, the real measure of a spirit's great- ness is taste. Here again Black Death comes out on top. The vodka raises little heat on the palate as it delivers the lingering fl avors of citrus, cacao and vanilla. Great vodka in an eye-catching package equates to brisk sales. One of the most respected brands of Danish spirits is re-entering the American market: Danzka Vodka. Mar- keted in brushed aluminum containers, Danzka is made in Copenhagen by the Waldemar Behn family, a lead- ing German producer. The vodka is distilled from 100% wheat in the facility's state-of-the-art, six-column still. After distillation, the vodka is fi ltered three times in huge columns of activated charcoal. It is rendered to proof us- ing pure, de-mineralized water and bottled at 40% ABV. Danzka is an excellent vodka, especially considering its modest price. It has a medium-weight body and a promi- nent bouquet of tangerines and grapefruits. The vodka rolls over the palate and fi lls the mouth with warmth, then gradually fades into a pleasant fi nish. NEW ARRIVALS When Pablo Picasso was asked what three things in life astonished him the most, he answered, "the blues, cubism and Polish vodka." He might have easily been speaking of potato-based Demidoff Ultra-Premium Vodka. Demidoff is produced in Southern Poland from cer- tifi ed organic potatoes, which are taken to the distillery where they are fastidiously cleaned, inspected and left un- peeled. They are pressure-cooked, transferred to vats and allowed to slowly ferment over the course of three days. The fermented mash is sent through the continuous col- umn still a total of four times. Each pass is designed to eliminate certain impurities. Brand owner Paul Mantea insists that no expense has been spared in making Demidoff. "Craft distillation is all about the quality of the fi nished product," Mantea says. "We still make our vodka the same way it's always been " Craft distillation is all about the quality of the fi nished product." —Paul Mantea LEADING BRANDS OF IMPORTED VODKA, 2013-2014 (Thousands 9-Liter Cases) '13/'14 Brand Supplier Country 2013 2014 % Change Absolut Sweden Pernod Ricard USA 4,440 4,135 -6.9% Svedka Sweden Constellation Brands 3,950 4,080 3.3% Grey Goose France Bacardi USA 2,900 2,868 -1.1% Pinnacle Vodka France Beam Suntory 2,756 2,675 -2.9% Ketel One Vodka Netherlands Diageo/Nolet Spirits 2,150 2,175 1.2% Ciroc France Diageo 1,895 1,975 4.2% Stolichnaya Latvia Stoli Group USA 1,585 1,590 0.3% Three Olives UK Proximo Spirits 1,575 1,570 -0.3% Sobieski Poland Imperial Brands 995 835 -16.1% Exclusiv Moldova Serge Imports 565 627 11.0% Total Leading Brands 22,812 22,530 -1.2% Others 4,228 4,170 -1.4% Total Imported Vodka 27,040 26,700 -1.3% Source: 2015 Liquor Handbook.