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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StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2016 28 IMPORTED VODKA made here for the past century or so - with real people making decisions about each distillation run through our copper still. It's real vodka handcrafted by real people." Russian Standard hails from St. Petersburg and is among the bestselling brands of premium vodka in Rus- sia. It is produced from winter wheat and pure glacial waters drawn from nearby Lake Lagoda. To ensure es- sential purity, the vodka is twice fi ltered slowly through charcoal, then sent to relaxation tanks for 48-hours to allow its molecular structure to become fully integrated. "I can tell you with confi dence that Russian Standard is a vodka that is unnecessarily well made" says Giulio Bertozzi, Russian Standard US brand director. "What I mean is that Russian Standard Vodka uses the best pos- sible ingredients and cutting edge technology. How can that not create a thing of beauty?" Recently-launched White Tiger Vodka is produced at the century-old JSC Ussuriyskiy Balsam distillery, mak- ing it among the oldest distilleries in Siberia. The vodka is twice distilled from a blend of premium rye and winter wheat. The vodka is then rigorously fi ltered to essential purity using quartz sand and 40 feet of birch wood char- coal. Pure spring water from the nearby Sikhote-Alin Mountains is used to render the vodka to 80 proof. Black Leopard Vodka is the 100 proof version. "If you're looking for a new vodka experience, an engaging spirit handcrafted in a far off land, your search is over," says Ilia Lerner, CEO of Amur Spirits. "White Tiger Vodka from Siberia is just the ticket. Talk about a spirit having an impressive terroir. A vodka would have to be produced on top of the Himalayas to possess a more dramatic sense of place." The nod for the most innovative vodka on the mar- ket goes to ultra-premium Grey Goose VX. Made in the heart of Cognac, the vodka is distilled in copper alembic stills from a blend of rye, barley, wheat and corn. This pure grain vodka is produced with limestone-fi ltered wa- ter drawn from the famous Genté Springs, located in the Champagne region of Provence. Also new to our shores is certifi ed gluten-free 49th Parallel Vodka. Being gluten-free is one thing, being cer- tifi ed gluten-free is quite another. Both in Canada and the United States, the process of earning such a designa- tion is enormously demanding. In part, it involves scru- tinizing the distillery for the presence of airborne grain powder down to 20 parts per million. "Since corn is the only ingredient the distillery uses to make all of its brands, we knew we stood a good chance at getting the vodka certifi ed," says brand partner Jim Elliott. "There are only two brands in the U.S. that we know are certifi ed gluten-free—49th Parallel and Tito's Vodka. That's pretty select company. The designation also means our vodka is GMO-free. For us it's not a trend, but a way of life." By the way, for those of you without a globe, the 49th parallel is the U.S. and Canadian border. ROBERT PLOTKIN is a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and author of 16 books on bartend- ing and beverage management including Secrets Revealed of America's Greatest Cocktails. He can be reached at www. AmericanCocktails.com or by e-mail at robert@barmedia.com