RethinkVodka.

Tadeusz Dorda and his Family continue to innovate and to push expectations in the vodka category

THIRTY YEARS after launching Chopin Vodka as the world’s first super-premium vodka and inventing the category, Tadeusz Dorda and his family continue pushing boundaries and challenging expectations of what people know and expect from vodka.

Since launching Chopin in 1993, Dorda has dedicated his life to expanding the understanding of vodka, which he feels deserves just as much attention and respect as whiskey. “Vodka and whiskey are both very different spirits but comparing the two is about opening people’s minds to consider vodka in the same way,” says Dorda. “With whiskey, you consider the raw ingredients, where it comes from, how it was distilled, the terroir of the region, how it was aged, and for how long. All these characteristics apply to vodka as well.”

Every bottle of Chopin Vodka starts with a base ingredient grown at farms within 20 miles of the family-owned distillery. Chopin’s partnership with its growers dates back in some cases for generations and allows the company to ensure a consistently high-quality product. These close collaborations also allow for proper stewardship of the land with crops grown ecologically. In addition, their potato vodka is made with zero production waste. “Once we ferment and distill the potatoes, we are left with a rich potato mash,” he says. “We give this mash back to our local farmers for no cost, and they use it to feed their livestock and fertilize their fields.”

Chopin produces single ingredient vodkas made from potatoes, rye, and wheat, each shining a light on the characteristics of the base component. “For us, telling the story of potatoes, rye, and wheat separately gives us a chance to elevate the category, to talk about how each of those spirits tastes, what kind of cocktails you can make with them, how they pair with food, and even what seasons or occasions they are ideal for,” he shares.

Chopin’s potato vodka provides the ideal foundation for a Martini, its full-bodied earthiness pairing perfectly with dry vermouth for a version of the classic with a real vodka character. The rye vodka leans into the grain's inherent spiciness, yielding a vibrant and peppery spirit that can add zip to an Espresso Martini. On the other hand, the wheat vodka features a lighter mouthfeel with a subtle sweetness that’s versatile enough for sipping or in fruit-forward cocktails.

Not content to rest on its reputation as a category leader, Chopin has continued to innovate. Chopin Family Reserve showcases the possibilities of a single potato harvest, in this case, the terrific harvest of 2016. The vodka from these potatoes rested in 50-year-old oak barrels for two years, demonstrating the ageability of well-made vodka.

For the 30th anniversary, Dorda teases an upcoming limited release set to debut this year but, “We can’t share details,” he notes. A high-proof vodka called Bartender’s Choice launches in June. “This is a 59.75% proof rye made specifically for bartenders to stand up in a cocktail and showcase vodka and its flavor without being watered down with ice and other mixers,” he says.

Clearly, after 30 years, Chopin remains at the top of its game producing world-class vodkas that drive the conversation and show the possibility of what vodka can be.