London: Russia and Poland are known for vodkas, but a British produce has now beaten the two countries and 113 other global rivals to be voted the world`s best at a spirits` competition.
Chase Vodka, produced in Hereford, has been crowned the world`s finest by a panel of 30 judges at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010, a news daily reported.
"Winning the award has been fantastic for us. It has really helped to build up the brand`s profile, which is vital. You can have the best product in the world, but it won`t sell if the brand isn`t strong.
"One of the unique things about our vodka is it is made from a traditional copper pot, which gives it its character. We boil it up in the copper pot and it has a column and it bubbles away in there and condenses and evaporates about 50 times.
"A lot of people just make the vodka then filter it whereas we do all of that in the distillation process, so there are already no impurities. To make spirits is like a fine art. It isn`t just a process," William Chase, who started making the drink two years ago, was quoted as saying.
The 45-year-old entrepreneur had no previous distilling experience but decided to aim for the gourmet end of the market and invested nearly three million pounds to build distillery.
All the potatoes are grown on his Rosemaund Farm near Hereford before being added to water, fermented, and then distilled and bottled -- which all takes place on site. The spuds give Chase a "natural sweetness" which tastes better than traditional vodkas made from cheaper wheat or rye grains.
"You can get a bit more of a yield out of wheat but with the potatoes it has a natural sweetness to the product and the consistency of a fine wine," Chase said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.