Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/271567
march 2014 / the tasting panel / 107 If you haven't heard about Deep Eddy Vodka, you soon will. The brand is just too good to remain a secret for long. A local favorite in hometown Austin, Texas, Deep Eddy is a high quality range of vodkas steeped in fun, romance and uncompromised great taste. Introduced in 2010, handcrafted Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka was an immediate success. Like all vodkas in the Deep Eddy portfolio, the sweet corn–based spirit is distilled ten times in a state-of-the-art column still using the essentially pure artesian water drawn from a Texas aquifer. The vodka is then infused with black Indonesian tea leaves, organic honey and a touch of pure cane sugar, then rigorously filtered through charcoal for purity and bottled at 35% alcohol (70 proof). The lower proof allows the vodka's flavor to luxuriate longer on the palate—with this vodka that's a really good thing. According to co-founder Chad Auler, there are two things that distinguish Deep Eddy from the competi- tion—the liquid and the brand. "Our vodkas are made exclusively with high-quality, real ingredients. We then pair the premium liquid with a brand look and feel that harken back to the quality, purity and innocent excite- ment of the 1950s. Every aspect of the brand experi- ence—from liquid to marketing—says that it stands for quality, authenticity and just plain fun." The success of the Sweet Tea Vodka prompted Auler and partner Clayton Christopher to launch unflavored Deep Eddy Vodka. The straight vodka has a clean, crisp nose and raises little to no heat on the palate. The brand reentered the flavored vodka category with the 2013 release of Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka. This time Auler and Christopher infused their vodka with ruby red grapefruit juice. Its fresh aromatics and a tangy, true-to-fruit character immediately translated to sales. The newest member of the range is Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka. One look at it in the bottle will con- firm that it's something special. The deep garnet colored spirit has a medium-weight body and the tart flavor of whole cranberries. The finish is long and flavorful. "By far the most rewarding experience of launching Deep Eddy Vodka has been watching the consumer's passionate reaction to the product," says Auler. "Our goal when we launched this brand was to bring consumers a truly differentiated and quality product. It's amazing to watch that goal come to life." www.deepeddyvodka.com Deep Eddy Vodkas