In the September/October 2008 issue of Bar Business Magazine, we assessed the overwhelming market presence of vodka; the options for consumers, bar owners and bartenders seemed infinite.
At some point in the past year, however, it was generally decided that the spirit’s 15 minutes of fame were up, and that the category as a whole had become over- saturated. For the last 15 or so years, vodka has reigned supreme on the shelves of bars and clubs in various forms—classic, flavored, organic, gluten-free, and so on. In that time, however, many brands seemed to have lost sight of the product itself and instead jolted our perception of it with less than stellar vodkas that experienced success because of great marketing.
While many welcome vodka’s fall from grace, it is important to remember how our love affair with this spirit came to be in the first place. Within vodka’s seemingly infinitesimal universe exist some well-crafted, high quality artisanal products that adhere to the demands of the current cocktail culture, and more importantly, to those of the consumer.
Nick Mautone, Master Mixologist for Grey Goose vodka and author of Raising the Bar, is confident that vodka will retain its majesty in the spirits world, and only further serve the cocktail community in terms of innovation going forward. “Vodka is still the king of spirits, let’s be realistic,” he says. “But because there have been so many vodkas that have come onto the market—many of which are not as good as Grey Goose, Kettle One, Chopin, or Stoli—the message got watered down as well as the category.”
Although he stands behind Grey Goose as being one of the finest brands of vodka on the market, as an operator with over 30 years experience in the hospitality industry, Mautone appreciates and employs other well-crafted vodkas in his cocktail recipes. He advises others of the necessity in having a diverse range of high-quality vodkas on their back bar, and to be wary of the “vodka is vodka is vodka” mentality.
“Bar owners need four to six super-premium brands that affiliate them with quality,” he says. “Many people make the mistake of having 30 different vodkas and not knowing anything about them. They wind up diluting their own focus, sort of cannibalizing their own sales because their customer gets confused. But they should also pick some boutique brands because they are unique and allow your staff to do something special. Personal taste adds diversity to your back bar.”
Smaller, micro-distilled vodkas, such as those from Vermont Spirits, in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, enable a bar or bartender to have a truly signature cocktail, or at least a unique, flavorful sipping spirit to offer their customers. Steve Johnson, president of Vermont Spirits, likens its characteristics to those boasted by craft beers and microbrews.
“We started about ten years ago, as did a lot of artisanal distillers in the country that were making gins, vodka, American whiskies, and rum,” he says. “Today you see all sorts of brands with all sorts of flavors, and there is a lot of money being spent on marketing and getting people to read into the hype. “But underneath that, on the quality level, there are smaller businesses making things differently, relaying the craft, understanding what is going into their spirit and perfecting it along with slow growth and added value.”
Vermont Spirits vodka is produced using only those resources that are indigenous to the Green Mountain State; its Gold and Vintage Gold products are distilled from maple sap, while its White product is distilled from milk sugars. Currently only 35,000 cases of Vermont Spirits vodka are produced annually, with plans to expand distribution. What they are not planning to do is overexpose the brand and market itself to people that won’t appreciate it.
“On-premise is where we want to be,” says Johnson. “People want a signature cocktail or a seasonal drink to pair with food. We educate the bar managers about how we’re made and how to sell it. People taste it and know that we’re not the ‘screwdriver’ vodka. We’re not trying to sell it that way, either. We should be drank neat or on the rocks. It’s a craft, almost like a fine wine or a single malt scotch.”
In a similar vein, award-winning Cold River Vodka, produced by Maine Distilleries in Freeport, Maine, holds the belief that the greatest sell to the customer is in knowing that they are paying for a well-crafted, high-quality spirit. A copper pot-distilled vodka, Cold River has what Bob Harkins, Director of Sales and Marketing, describes as “character—it has a nose and a heavier body, a creamy mouth feel and a subtle, smooth finish.” He believes that keeping things simple and giving the customer something to enjoy at face value is what separates artisanal spirits from the pack, and ultimately benefits the bar’s bottom line.
“People are looking for a well-crafted, high-quality spirit that they can drink for what it is,” says Harkins. “When you think about what’s in it for the bar owners and bartenders, that’s where craft distillers have a great opportunity. It’s a little more work on their behalf, but the return is huge. Consumers are appreciative of being turned-on to something new; they show it in their tip and by bringing in friends.”
For someone like Shawn Harlan, founder of Nude Spirits in Punta Gorda, Florida, it doesn’t get any simpler than vodka in its birthday suit. When he first came out with the idea for Nude, Harlan knew that the success of the vodka would eventually come down to having a great product behind all the great packaging.
“Everything starts with a brand,” he says. “Nude is ‘vodka disrobed.’ We’re taking it back to how vodka was and should be consumed; there is no façade, you get what you see, and it’s gorgeous in the nude.”
Tommy Guns, a four-times distilled Polish rye vodka from Chicago, Illinois-based Al Capone Distributing, wants to recapture the aura of the fun, stylish parties of the Roaring 20s with updated versions of the martini and other vodka cocktails. The company provides bar owners with a list of martini recipes on table tents it can use to entice the customers to order, and having a promotional bottle in the shape of a Tommy gun on the back bar helps, as well.
“The martini is a drink that people like to be seen with,” says Kyle Roberts, General Sales Manager. “What evolved from a simple dry martini was every version you could think of from bartenders, because it looks classy and sophisticated. And you have room to make a profit because people already know a martini doesn’t cost only three dollars.”
Need a great garnish for your vodka cocktails? Olive-It and more…, in Mississauga, Ontario, manufactures a line of specialty garnishes that truly help bars create a signature cocktail. Their 27 flavors of hand-stuffed olives and other garnishes for martinis, cocktails, and Bloody Marys, enhance not only the flavors of that drink, but the overall experience of the customer. “We don’t sell olives, we sell drink concepts,” says Rhonda Goldberg at Olive-It. “You can’t have a garnish with any empty drink. People eat and drink with their eyes, so when something looks good, it tastes better.”
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Click here to read the full article “Vodka: Oversaturated or Underestimated?” in the September/October 2009 Digital Edition of Bar Business Magazine
Click here to check out some great vodka cocktails on our Mixology page!
