Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/10329
UP Paradigm Shift Medea’s programmable LED display brings the traditional Dutch vodka message up to date “. . . as the fine spirit loosens your tongue, the world’s first interac- tive bottle unleashes your inner poet, your inner philosopher, your inner flirt.” www.medeaspirits.com Someone wise once quipped that “There is nothing as great as an idea whose time has come.” And while that axiom may be overstating things a bit with regard to spirits, Medea Vodka founder and creator Tim Goldburt would beg to differ: “I saw the idea for Medea in my head at 5 a.m. on the morning of September 26, 2006,” says Goldburt; “it made me jump out of bed.” For the uninitiated, Medea (rhymes with idea) is an 80 proof, single-batch wheat-distilled vodka made with artesian water imported from Schiedam, Holland and packaged in a special, custom-made glass bottle that houses a LED ticker capable of displaying six lines of programmable text, with up to 255 characters per line. Bar owners can program the name of their establishment or any promotional message they wish to convey; consumers can have the bottle read out their family name, send a message to their significant other or program the vodka bottle to announce a favorite sports team or drinking slogan. Each message runs for three minutes before it has to be reactivated with a push button on the bottle. The possibilities, says Goldburt, are endless. For Medea, the message (as well as the vodka) is clear—there is no other marketing idea quite like it in the beverage industry. But lest one dismisses this newcomer and its message on the bottle (testing for the product began in certain markets late last year) as pure gimmick, think again: Medea Vodka is produced by a Dutch distilling family who emigrated from Germany to Holland in the 17th Century and began distilling spirits as far back as 1777. “As much as I love the scrolling message on our bottle, there is much deeper thought behind the vodka,” says Goldburt. “Having emigrated from Russia in 1976, I specifically wanted the vodka to be made from grain. It had to be pure and extra smooth so that it could be enjoyed straight without the typical vodka burn.” According to Goldburt, who earned a Ph.D. in physical chem- / the tasting panel / may 2010 by Ralph DiGennaro / photos by Doug Young Mixologist Katie Maurice Dombroski pours a “Medea Martini” at the bar at Amarelle in Wading River, NY.