Flavorless, Colorless, Odorless, Oh My!

I was wrong.

By the old definition in the Federal Government’s “Standards of Identity” for distilled spirits, Vodka has to be flavorless, colorless, and odorless. Last year, the TTB rescinded that requirement – now I know why. If you would have asked me a year ago about Vodka, I would ignorantly tell you “all Vodka is the same – similar, at best”. I have friends who will hold me accountable if I try to claim otherwise!

It’s so early, your head is in a fog.

At 2:15AM, it seems to take more energy to turn off the alarm than to roll out of bed. Once I force myself to wash my hands and pop in my contacts, the cobwebs start to clear. The pursuit takes over. It’s vodka day. I’ll be at the distillery until 8:30PM.

FAQ: How Many Times is Fox & Seeker Vodka Distilled?

If you’re expecting an answer like: “Distilled six times for exceptional quality and a smooth finish”, you won’t find it here.

That tag line took me exactly 24 seconds to come up with - I timed it. While it makes for great marketing, the technical basis for the claim is weak. In fact, there’s no way I - or any other distiller - can prove how many distillation cycles our product(s) actually go through.

To get to the root of this marketing spin, let’s first start with the question: what is a distillation cycle? Most consumers believe the tag line above represents the number of times a batch is run through a still. The more times distilled, the more pure the vodka must be, right?

Remember that negative gin experience you had in college? Put that aside for a minute; I wouldn’t want these next few paragraphs to be clouded by a time when you thought Natural Light was a great beer.

Bright, Crisp, Lemon, Pine, Floral.

That’s sommelier-style speak for a London Dry Gin. That’s right, no “new garden hose” or “fresh rubber tire” aromas, here.

So, by now, many are wondering why our products aren’t yet to market. Well in recent months, we’ve been working hard to get our business operational to support craft spirits in Houston. We’ve procured our equipment, designed our bottles, participated in training courses for recipe development, etc. All of this is needed, but it means nothing without a location to manufacture. Unfortunately, we’ve run into several obstacles in securing a location. A guiding principle of ours in transparency, so we’d like to share with you some of the struggles.

Why gin? After growing up in the Northeast where the traditional drink was a Manhattan for my family, I moved south. Very south. Somehow someone gave me a Tom Collins on a hot summer day…it was refreshing, I almost forgot how much I was sweating. After a few iteration, I discovered the traditional Gin and Tonic. It was the beginning of a love affair.

I’m a very patient person. Sean reminds me of this often.

Our liquor cabinet is overflowing with a wide range of gin, vodka, and whiskey, from local varieties to international flair. We have a library of books at our house; a full shelf is dedicated to the history and science behind spirits. The kegerator lives in the mud room, and our garage houses an assortment of home brew supplies. This is all Sean’s doing – and I’m OK with it.

Michelle is very patient with me.

An alert from our bank just told her that someone spent $77 on our debit card. Must be Sean. Must be Spec’s. Anything for that 5% discount!

This is a routine occurrence and, as such, there’s a cacophony of bottles in my liquor cabinet.

Business Plan….Check

Brand Name and Logo….Check

Website and social media…Check.

Make great spirits and wow the world….Pending