Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/116044
VODKA Purity Pedigree F ifteen Gold or Master medals from the Vodka Masters; two Golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition; back-toback Grand Master Trophies from the Grand Spirits Masters in London; a near-sweep at the 2012 Asian Spirits Masters. With accolades like these under its belt, Purity Vodka has become the most-awarded ulra-premium vodka in the world. Thomas Kuutanen, Master Distiller for Purity Vodka. Made by Thomas Kuuttanen, a Swede who worked as a Scotch whisky blender for two decades, Purity, as awarded as it is, may be called the "anti-vodka." Under Kuutanen's guidance, the brand steers the category into new terroir—and territory. "As a Swede and a spirit geek, I could not stop myself from geeking into Swedish vodka history, which goes back to the 14th century," Kuuttanen says. "What I found was that Swedish vodka and Scottish single malt whisky was made exactly the same way for hundreds of years. Both were produced from malted grains, distilled in pot stills and enjoyed as a white spirit." The two spirits genres began to diverge when the Scots started to mature their whisky in oak casks. The second change was continuous distillation, developed in the 19th century and widely adopted by vodka producers. Kuutanen has taken the continuous distillation technique and run with it, developing a unique still that takes only the purest "heart" of the spirit through 34 seperate distillations, resulting a spirit so refined that filtration is not necessary. "My goal for Purity Vodka is to be the undisputed leader within the yet very small segment of handcrafted, ultra-premium vodka," he says. Considering Kuuttanen's background, it's no surprise that Purity is also a great fit for whisky lovers. With a flavor profile unique in the vodka world, Purity has a special appeal to discerning spirits drinkers who appreciate taste and complexity. And it has the awards to prove it. 11