Many vodka producers make a big deal about the source of the water used in their products. There are claims of glacial water sources, deep well water, water from exotic locations, etc. But really, how important is the water that is used in making vodka?
When making our vodka, we introduce water directly in our process (as opposed to water used for heating and cooling that never comes in contact with the product) at three different points. First is the water used for creating our mash (see Mashing). Second is water we add back to produced alcohol before the final distillation. In both cases, this water ends up being distilled, so, although we use clean water to begin with, if there were any impurities they would be cleaned up. The third point in the process where water is introduced is the most significant; the addition of water to dilute the 95% alcohol produced to 40% alcohol for the final product. For any vodka producer, the water used for dilution is the water that is most important to the quality of the finished product.
For our Single Malt Vodka, we use only three ingredients: malted barley, yeast and water. Other producers might use a different type of grain (e.g. wheat or corn), a combination of grains, or more rarely potatoes, beets or some other natural source of sugar. The yeast may play a role in determining the vodka character, but its effect on taste and aroma are probably negligible. Some vodka producers may also add other ingredients to their product, such as glycerin (see Does Grey Goose Contain Glycerine?) which most definitely does affect the taste and aroma of the vodka. The processes used to distill and the unique techniques from one distiller to another also play a role. We feel that the grain contributes the most character to our vodka, as it does for most vodkas we have tried. As a result, we don't want the water we use to affect the taste of our product. Our desire is for the water to be as neutral as possible.
Even if other producers use water from unique sources, there is good reason for them to treat their water first. Water, whether from municipal sources, natural sources or from some exotic origin, will surely contain impurities. Water is often very rich in minerals. However, alcohol reduces the solubility of minerals as does temperature (and most people enjoy their vodka chilled). Therefore, mineral rich water, regardless of its source, will become cloudy when added to alcohol. This may also cause precipitate to form in the bottle, especially at low temperature. Most of us will agree that a cloudy looking vodka is undesirable, and thus the need to use "soft water", removing impurities from the original water.
The process used by Still Waters Distillery involves a combination of carbon filtering the water, softening the water, and using reverse osmosis. We remove chlorine, chloramines, fluoride, etc. as well as the minerals in the water. Thus, the water we add to our vodka to dilute it is very pure and clean. (We also chill-filter the final product after dilution and before bottling.)
We don't believe that the water we use imparts any flavour to our vodka. We also believe that this is true for most producers, out of necessity. I would be much more concerned with the other ingredients used by distillers and the processes and techniques they use to distill their products.
Showing posts with label vodka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vodka. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Packaging Dilemma
Packaging of consumer products is an important aspect of product marketing. For retail products of any sort, the packaging is one of the primary differentiators of the product from its competitors. The packaging gives the buyer a perception of a product that is being purchased for the first time. The product quality must be good enough so that subsequent purchases will be made, but if the product fails to capture the attention of the consumer initially, then it is that much more difficult to entice the consumer to try it.
These general observations about product packaging definitely apply to alcoholic beverage products. In certain categories this is especially true. The vodka market has seen phenomenal growth over the last few years. There are new vodkas introduced constantly and competition is fierce. What is particularly interesting about the vodka market is that there is often only very subtle differences between different brands (see Vodka Myths and Facts). The packaging, therefore, must be a key element in the marketing strategy to differentiate one vodka from another. The packaging must capture the attention of the consumer so that the bottle stands out from others.
So, what is the packaging dilemma? Well, for micro-distillers, competing with the big brands becomes challenging. We understand the value of marketing and packaging. However, we do not have global marketing and sales teams. We only produce a fraction of what a major brand produces (hence, "micro" distillery) and, therefore, cannot afford to spend significantly on promotion. Most micro-distillers price their products in a way that reflects the true cost of making the product. That is, our pricing is based on the raw ingredients, labour and packaging, with little extra for marketing and sales costs. For us, an outstanding package on the shelf might mean a signifiant price increase to the consumer.
Our Single Malt Vodka, for example, compares favourably to the ultra-premium vodkas on the market. We believe the product is unique and we have tried to convey that message on the bottle's label, both front and back. We also believe that our product competes well on price. The challenge is in the packaging. We are aware that we are not as "attractive" on the shelf next to many other vodkas and are constantly working with consumer and retailer feedback to re-examine our packaging. We can go all out and make a product that really stands out, but the price of that product will rise significantly.
Most consumers would be shocked to learn that the actual price of an alcoholic beverage includes significant markups and taxes. The amount actually received by the producer is a fraction of the retail price. Furthermore, the packaging cost can be a large part of the cost of the product. We know of many alcohol products where the packaging makes up most of the product cost. For a micro-distiller, this is even more of a challenge due to the lack of volume buying power. For example, the bottle itself is expensive. Finding unique glass is difficult and extraordinarily expensive. A large producer can afford a custom made bottle and the minimum quantities needed to justify the expense of molds, production and storage. A micro-distiller cannot usually afford to even purchase a stock bottle (that may not be as unique) in quantities that enable them to save money. Container loads of bottles would need to be purchased, and I don't know of many micro-distillers that could afford to buy 40,000 bottles in one shot, let alone have the space to store them.
So, our dilemma is packaging. We have worked hard to create a unique, high quality product. Should we spend more money to enhance the shelf-appeal of our product in order to entice more people to try it, but increase our price in order to be able to afford to do so? I'm interested in knowing what you think.
These general observations about product packaging definitely apply to alcoholic beverage products. In certain categories this is especially true. The vodka market has seen phenomenal growth over the last few years. There are new vodkas introduced constantly and competition is fierce. What is particularly interesting about the vodka market is that there is often only very subtle differences between different brands (see Vodka Myths and Facts). The packaging, therefore, must be a key element in the marketing strategy to differentiate one vodka from another. The packaging must capture the attention of the consumer so that the bottle stands out from others.
So, what is the packaging dilemma? Well, for micro-distillers, competing with the big brands becomes challenging. We understand the value of marketing and packaging. However, we do not have global marketing and sales teams. We only produce a fraction of what a major brand produces (hence, "micro" distillery) and, therefore, cannot afford to spend significantly on promotion. Most micro-distillers price their products in a way that reflects the true cost of making the product. That is, our pricing is based on the raw ingredients, labour and packaging, with little extra for marketing and sales costs. For us, an outstanding package on the shelf might mean a signifiant price increase to the consumer.
Most consumers would be shocked to learn that the actual price of an alcoholic beverage includes significant markups and taxes. The amount actually received by the producer is a fraction of the retail price. Furthermore, the packaging cost can be a large part of the cost of the product. We know of many alcohol products where the packaging makes up most of the product cost. For a micro-distiller, this is even more of a challenge due to the lack of volume buying power. For example, the bottle itself is expensive. Finding unique glass is difficult and extraordinarily expensive. A large producer can afford a custom made bottle and the minimum quantities needed to justify the expense of molds, production and storage. A micro-distiller cannot usually afford to even purchase a stock bottle (that may not be as unique) in quantities that enable them to save money. Container loads of bottles would need to be purchased, and I don't know of many micro-distillers that could afford to buy 40,000 bottles in one shot, let alone have the space to store them.
So, our dilemma is packaging. We have worked hard to create a unique, high quality product. Should we spend more money to enhance the shelf-appeal of our product in order to entice more people to try it, but increase our price in order to be able to afford to do so? I'm interested in knowing what you think.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Vodka Myths and Facts
More often than not, the first reaction to our Single Malt Vodka is "there is no such thing as a Single Malt Vodka...vodka is made from potatoes, not malt". Some people are downright incredulous, insisting that our product is not vodka and we are misleading people in calling it that. In fact, less than 1% of all vodka made worldwide is made from potatoes. Vodka is, essentially, a mix of ethyl alcohol, water and some amount of impurities from the distillation process. The alcohol is distilled from a fermentation, most often, of grain although it can be made from just about any substance with natural sugars such as potatoes, beets, grapes or molasses.
Vodka has become one of the most popular spirits worldwide. In North America, the vodka market has seen double digit growth in recent years, no doubt due to its versatility in mixed drinks. Since it usually has little, or at least very subtle, flavour and aroma, it makes an ideal alcohol additive to mixers ranging from the sweet to the savoury. In this respect, the objective of most producers is to make as "pure" a product as possible, meaning as high a percentage of ethyl alcohol off of the still. In practice, it is impossible to achieve 100% ethyl alcohol and some impurities always remain. In fact, it is the impurities that give the vodka its characteristic taste and aroma. Therefore, you'll find that the material(s) used for the fermentation and the method of distillation are responsible for the differences in vodka from one producer to another. (Marketing tends to play just as important a role in the vodka market as the product itself, but I will discuss that sometime in the future.)
Most standard vodkas (i.e. the lower priced products) are made from a combination of grains. Most notably, corn, wheat and barley. The combination is usually dictated by cost of materials. Some premium and ultra-premium brands also use a combination of grains, although at the higher end of the market you will find a tendency to stick to a single ingredient such as wheat, grapes or potatoes. For fermentation to occur, yeast must be used and, depending on the ingredient, artificial enzymes must be added. Barley contains these enzymes naturally, and so is often added to the mix. In any case, the vast majority of vodkas are produced in large continuous column stills capable of producing very large quantities of very pure ethyl alcohol. They are industrial plants. After distillation, most vodkas are filtered to make sure they are as clean as possible. Chill-filtering also removes some of the congeners (impurities) making it even purer. The legal requirement in Canada is to use charcoal filtering.
Still Waters Distillery has chosen to use 100% malted barley as its sole ingredient. We do not need to add artificial enzymes to aid in the fermentation. We convert the starch in the grain to sugar by steeping the grain, then add the yeast to allow it to ferment. Like many micro-distilleries, we then use a pot still to distill the vodka. Since it is less efficient than a large continuous column still, we need to distill three times in order to achieve 95% ethyl alcohol, ultimately, from the still (which is an American legal requirement). Distilling additional times is of little or no use since our equipment will not allow us to achieve much higher percentage alcohol.
So, the material(s) used and the method of processing (fermentation, distillation, filtering) are responsible for the uniqueness of different vodkas. Nevertheless, most people would have problems telling one vodka from another. Though the premium and ultra-premium vodkas tend to be a little smoother, the differences in taste are, for the most part, very subtle. We believe that Still Waters Single Malt Vodka stands out because of its 100% malted barley origins and the artisan techniques used to distill it in small batches. Our goal was to produce a vodka that would work well in mixed drinks but also could be enjoyed by sipping it straight, either at room temperature or on ice.
Vodka has become one of the most popular spirits worldwide. In North America, the vodka market has seen double digit growth in recent years, no doubt due to its versatility in mixed drinks. Since it usually has little, or at least very subtle, flavour and aroma, it makes an ideal alcohol additive to mixers ranging from the sweet to the savoury. In this respect, the objective of most producers is to make as "pure" a product as possible, meaning as high a percentage of ethyl alcohol off of the still. In practice, it is impossible to achieve 100% ethyl alcohol and some impurities always remain. In fact, it is the impurities that give the vodka its characteristic taste and aroma. Therefore, you'll find that the material(s) used for the fermentation and the method of distillation are responsible for the differences in vodka from one producer to another. (Marketing tends to play just as important a role in the vodka market as the product itself, but I will discuss that sometime in the future.)
Most standard vodkas (i.e. the lower priced products) are made from a combination of grains. Most notably, corn, wheat and barley. The combination is usually dictated by cost of materials. Some premium and ultra-premium brands also use a combination of grains, although at the higher end of the market you will find a tendency to stick to a single ingredient such as wheat, grapes or potatoes. For fermentation to occur, yeast must be used and, depending on the ingredient, artificial enzymes must be added. Barley contains these enzymes naturally, and so is often added to the mix. In any case, the vast majority of vodkas are produced in large continuous column stills capable of producing very large quantities of very pure ethyl alcohol. They are industrial plants. After distillation, most vodkas are filtered to make sure they are as clean as possible. Chill-filtering also removes some of the congeners (impurities) making it even purer. The legal requirement in Canada is to use charcoal filtering.
Still Waters Distillery has chosen to use 100% malted barley as its sole ingredient. We do not need to add artificial enzymes to aid in the fermentation. We convert the starch in the grain to sugar by steeping the grain, then add the yeast to allow it to ferment. Like many micro-distilleries, we then use a pot still to distill the vodka. Since it is less efficient than a large continuous column still, we need to distill three times in order to achieve 95% ethyl alcohol, ultimately, from the still (which is an American legal requirement). Distilling additional times is of little or no use since our equipment will not allow us to achieve much higher percentage alcohol.
So, the material(s) used and the method of processing (fermentation, distillation, filtering) are responsible for the uniqueness of different vodkas. Nevertheless, most people would have problems telling one vodka from another. Though the premium and ultra-premium vodkas tend to be a little smoother, the differences in taste are, for the most part, very subtle. We believe that Still Waters Single Malt Vodka stands out because of its 100% malted barley origins and the artisan techniques used to distill it in small batches. Our goal was to produce a vodka that would work well in mixed drinks but also could be enjoyed by sipping it straight, either at room temperature or on ice.
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