Cold River Vodka – Beverage 2.0

Cold River Vodka

Its no wonder why there continue to be so  many accolades awarded to this young craft vodka distillery; Cold River is the only distillery in the world making vodka in this fashion. 

About Cold River Vodka:

Founded in 2005, Cold River Vodka, located in Freeport, Maine, has earned a sterling reputation for its distinct nose and satin-smooth finish. The gluten-free vodka is hand-crafted and triple-distilled in a copper potstill, using water from Maine’s Cold River and farm-fresh Maine potatoes. Maine Distilleries, which produces solely Cold River Vodka, is the only “ground-to-glass” distillery in the nation, where the company controls every aspect of production – from the planting of the potatoes to final bottling.

Rated the Number 1 Vodka in the world by Wine Enthusiast, named “a coming superstar” by spirits expert F. Paul Pacult, and winner of a Double Gold from San Francisco’s World Spirits Competition, Cold River Classic and Blueberry Vodkas continue to earn regional and national attention. The vodkas most recently have been featured by The Washington Times, The Boston Herald, Woman’s Day, the “On the Menu” radio show, and History Channel’s “Modern Marvels.”

For more information, visit www.coldrivervodka.com or call (207) 865-4828.

To schedule an interview with Cold River Vodka’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Bob Harkins, or Head Distiller Chris Dowe, contact Jen Beltz at (207) 699-5502 or jen@frontburnerpr.com.

To download product images or access recent news or press releases,
visit www.frontburnerpr.com/coldrivervodka

“Known for its distinct nose and satin-smooth finish, the gluten-free vodka is hand-crafted and batch-distilled in a copper potstill, using water from Maine’s Cold River and farm-fresh Maine potatoes,” Maine Distilleries said in a press release.

How Cold River Vodka is made:

Maine Distilleries LLC of Freeport, Maine, said its signature vodka has earned the “2009 Best of Freeport Award” in the Distilled & Blended Liquors category from the US Commerce Association.

“Known for its distinct nose and satin-smooth finish, the gluten-free vodka is hand-crafted and batch-distilled in a copper potstill, using water from Maine’s Cold River and farm-fresh Maine potatoes,” Maine Distilleries said in a press release.

Chris Dowe, Joe Swanson, Chris Mills, and Ben Francis are the sole distillers. It takes fifteen pounds of potatoes to make one bottle of vodka. Cold River gets its potatoes from Green Thumb Farms in Fryeburg ME, a fourth generation farm. The farm is also where the water used during dilution is sourced: It is drawn from the aquifer that the Cold River feeds.

It takes ten days to make 200 cases of Cold River vodka. Cold River is unique in that they are the only vodka producers in the world who use whole potatoes and a copper pot still to produce their vodka.

The copper is the key ingredient. When the vodka is being distilled, the impurities in the vodka naturally attach themselves to the copper, thereby removing them from the vodka. Most vodka producers use steel stills, which do not attract and remove such impurities. These producers are then forced to repeatedly filter their vodka. This final process, while removing impurities, also strips the vodka of some its natural flavors.  Cold River Vodka retains many of its natural flavors because it is does nto suffer from the multiple layers of filtering most vodkas suffer through. To make their blueberry vodka, they use Wyman’s Blueberries. Maine is the largest producer of blueberries in the world

Cold River is part of the “craft distilling movement” comprised of a large number of small distilleries surfacing across the country. There were 60 new craft distilleries when Cold River came to market. Today there are 140.

TOURS

They have decided to let the world see just how much care, attention and precision is needed to produce Cold Rivers world class premium vodka.

Maine Distilleries, maker of Cold River Vodka, has opened the doors of its distillery to the public. Thirty-minute tours will be offered five days a week at the distillery in Freeport on Route One, a few miles south of the famed L.L. Bean.

Vodka aficionados can check out  the complex distilling process, talk to the staff, and shop in the gift shop for Cold River Vodka logo items. Green Thumb Farms gourmet potatoes are also available for purchase; grown in western Maine and used to make Cold River Vodka.

Chris Dowe, head distiller for Cold River Vodka, will be available to answer questions during most tour times. “A tour of the distillery will allow our customers to experience a unique Maine destination.”

The free tours will be on a first-come-first-serve basis Wednesday through Sunday. The distillery is closed Monday and Tuesday

 

 

 

 

Cold River Vodka Announces Addition:

Two Maine Brokers to Vodka’s Growing Distribution Team

Photo Caption: Tabitha Blake (left), Laura Zimmerman (right)

Cold River Vodka (www.coldrivervodka.com) today announced the addition of two new Maine spirits brokers to the Cold River team. Tabitha Blake and Laura Zimmerman of Crush Distributors, founded in 2008 and now serving Maine and New Hampshire, each bring to the table diverse portfolios and extensive experience from the spirits world.

Blake, a trained sommelier who worked for several years at a Northern California wine distributor, and Zimmerman, a veteran in the Portland restaurant scene and Maine hospitality force, both will work to promote Cold River Classic and Blueberry vodkas at Maine restaurants and bars throughout the greater Portland, southern and midcoast Maine areas.

Cold River Vodka Managing Partner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Bob Harkins sees the duo as an ideal addition to the growing, Maine-based vodka company. “Tabitha and Laura’s records and experience in the wine and spirits industry, coupled with their Maine community and hospitality knowledge, will be invaluable to our team,” he said. “We expect their efforts will actively grow Cold River Vodka’s distribution and sales throughout the area.”

Cold River Vodka now is available in 23 states throughout the union, having most recently hit shelves in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Distribution of the multiple-award-winning spirit also continues to expand in Western Canada and London.