Liquid Assets
masking agents. What you see is what you get. It is derived to be very clean in its nature.” Also coming out of Pennsylvania, this time from Steelers country in Pittsburgh, is Clique vodka, a craft brand from Premier Innovations Group that offers quality product at a solid price point, and now offers a unique new look for the back of the bar with its black bottle.
still, built exclusively to produce pure and ultra smooth vodka. “One of the great things for someone who’s a vodka buyer or just a consumer very stuck on their brand for a number of years, I think the craft distilling segment as a whole really brings a lot of great opportunities to that buyer to try something different, and to see that although something by definition is tasteless and odorless, there are some very unique points you can have that create differentiation from one brand to the next,” says Cassell. “And I think craft distilleries across the country continue to evolve and push that envelope and we have our own unique, artistic interpretations of something that is so neutral.” Quality, according to Cassell, does not require quantity, at least when it comes to ingredients. “It’s a very long list that we use for Penn 1681: rye, water and yeast. It’s a complex, well-kept secret,” jokes Cassell. “What differentiates it is that there are no additives put back into the spirit. Some label brands out there use different additives to smooth out the spirit. With our brand, all you’ll find in your glass is the alcohol and water. There are no other elements in there to smooth it out or act as 14
Bar Business Magazine January 2013
“There were some changes with the bottling factory we were working with in Latvia, where the vodka is produced, and we had an opportunity to change our look,” says Noah Cohen, CEO of Premier Innovations Group. “We decided to launch a black bottle in the industry, to take a step back to take two steps forward. And over the last seven months we made it happen logistically and understand the decorative landscape better and build out relationships. And we launched it on Black Friday”
Ultimat Holiday GinGer KinG Created by Celebrity Bar & Lifestyle Expert, James Moreland
2 parts Ultimat Vodka 1/2 oz ginger syrup 1 part lemon juice (fresh) 2 Kingston Cubes - Lemon 1/4 oz Patrón Citrónge Shake with ice and serve up. Garnish wit a twist of lemon and a slice of a Harvest Song Walnut. “Skyy received a lot of attention when they released their blue bottle,” adds Frank Bachurski, VP of Marking and Promotions at Premier Innovations Group. “We’ve taken an even more aggressive approach with this new black bottle.” While Clique hopes to attract attention with its sleek bottle design, Cohen is fully aware the product needs to meet quality standards expected within the vodka category if the brand wants to succeed. “The change in the industry has really been going away from the notion of not tasting the alcohol,” he says. “The discerning drinker has come out of the woodwork saying that’s the most important thing about vodka, as seen www.barbizmag.com