Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/471637
86 / the tasting panel / march 2015 WHAT'S NEW "W hen life gives you lemons, make lem- onade." It's a saying that encourages optimism in the face of adversity or misfortune. But in the case of Deep Eddy Vodka, it means something altogether differ- ent. Already the premiere brand for producing flavored vodkas using real fruits and tea leaves, Deep Eddy has taken its authentic approach to new territories and has renovated the world of vodkas altogether. Currently, the Deep Eddy portfolio includes Sweet Tea Vodka, Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka and Cranberry Vodka—not to mention its crisp, clean Straight vodka which is turning heads in its own category. This year, with the warm reception this vibrant portfolio has enjoyed, the brand has seized on its opportunity as a leading game- changer with the release of its fourth flavor, Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka. Made with natural California lemons, the vodka tastes like a summer lemonade stand—but with a 21-and-over age requirement. This tart and tangy addi- tion to Deep Eddy's portfolio is proof that when you give this heavy-hitting producer from Central Texas a truck full of lemons, it will make something even better than lemonade. In the spirits market, vodka is one of the most competitive categories. Within that category, flavored vodkas experienced massive growth from 2007 to 2012, with a 26 percent increase in sales according to Euromonitor International. But as recently as September 2014, statistics showed a slowing in flavored vodka sales. The suspicion was that consumers had become bored with the variety of flavors available. Yet in a slowing market of vodkas flavored with manufactured, artifi- cial flavors, Deep Eddy's lineup of authentically-flavored vodka has seen substantial growth, driven by a thriving market of consumers eager to embrace the brands approach to spirits flavored with real ingredients. In fact, since its launch four years ago, the brand has experienced more than 150 percent annual growth each year. According to IRI syndicated data, sales were up 168 percent over the previous year as of October 2014, making it the fastest-growing brand among the top 100 spirits brands—not just vodka. Additionally, within the flavored vodka category alone, Deep Eddy's portfolio— led by Deep Eddy Ruby Red Grapefruit vodka—sales have grown by more than 200 percent in the same period. Catching Lightning in a Bottle This phenomenal expansion is quite a feat considering Deep Eddy's humble beginnings from a single column still in Austin, Texas in 2010. When you ask co-founder Chad Auler for his thoughts on the company's rapid growth in such a small span of time, he humbly offers a few comments about making a good product that consumers seem to love. "The first thing we wanted when we started this company was to make the best product we could make and bring in the right people to help us get the message out," says Auler. "We just hap- pened to get into the game at the right time. And when you catch lightening in a bottle, you have to capitalize on it." The particular lightening in Deep Eddy's bottle is the recipe of authentic ingredients used to produce their portfolio of vodkas. "We wanted to make something great, but we also wanted to make something real. That's why we infuse real honey and black tea into our Sweet Tea vodka and real grapefruits, cranberries and lemons into our fruit vodkas," says Auler, who adds that you can literally see the proof in the bottle. "Our vodkas are rich in color from the juice we use to produce them. There's nothing fake about them. And that's what people have really fallen in love with." Of course, infusing vodka with real fruits and tea and bottling them for sale isn't a cheap endeavor. Sourcing fresh fruits, to mix with high-grade corn and pristine water from the Texas Hill Country to distill vodka takes a lot of investment, not to mention what it takes to engineer the final product. But it's a gamble Auler and co-founder Clayton Christopher were willing to take. Fortunately for them, the gamble paid off. "There was a trade off in the beginning. We found something new that no one else was doing, and we quickly realized why no one else was doing it—the cost of production goes through the roof," says Auler. "But when you have the entrepreneurial spirit we've had from the beginning, there was really no reason for us not to go for it." Deep Eddy's Deep Roots Today, Deep Eddy is distributed in all 50 states. And while the brand's personality has wide appeal for reaching a broad market, it's the spirit itself that has bartenders and beverage directors singing Deep Eddy's praises. In Chicago, Tricia Stejc is the Beverage Manager for the Naperville location Bartender Evans Horn of Dobbs Ferry, located in San Francisco, CA, creating his Bog Flower Collins, featuring Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka. PHOTO: HARDY WILSON