Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343292
12 • SPRING/SUMMER 2014 Corbin Estate Vodka didn't have to come up with a backstory: The one they had already was better than fiction. Picture a fourth-generation sweet-potato farmer, one who had worked the land all his life, aspiring for a life that he couldn't get on the farm. That's David Souza. So Souza tried his hand at several professions— away from the farm. First he promoted concerts near his hometown of Atwater, CA. But that was short lived and unprofitable. Then the bright lights of Las Vegas called to him. He had a few contacts there, so he went to start a motorcycle shop and get involved in real estate. One situation led to the next, and he eventually opened some sandwich shops and started doing nightclub promotions, but he never entirely left the farm. "I'd go back in the summer when things were busy," he says, "and then in winter, when it was quiet, I'd go back to Vegas." Still, when people asked him what he did, he always said, "I'm a farmer." In many ways, it was a dream life, combining the traditions of his past with the future he desired. But success was fleeting. The economy tanked, the Vegas scene nose-dived and Souza discovered that he really didn't really love the business after all. Souza eventually wondered why he couldn't just make good booze to sell to these casinos. So, back to the farm he went. When you've got a lot of sweet potatoes and you like fine liquid, it makes sense to see if you can make something delicious with all those potatoes. He bought a book about distilling, and he ordered a still from Canada. Then he spent a year and a half in his garage, working on the right recipe. Corbin Estate Vodka's Deep and Winding Roots Erik Teague and David Souza of Corbin Estate Vodka. Sweet ndeavor: E A