4 • Thursday, June 17, 2021 • On the Edge of the Weekend
In the spirit of giving, women launch new premium vodka
A spirits brand with a splash of philanthropy, powerful mission
By Jill Moon jmoon@thetelegraph.com
EDWARDSVILLE — A pair of women who met playing golf a couple years ago at Sunset Hills Country Club became fast friends and recently business partners with their Social Grace Vodka brand. Social Grace Vodka is now among an elite group of businesses — woman-owned spirit companies. Owned and operated by Christa Guilbeault, of Glen Carbon, and Denise Arendell, of Edwardsville, the vodka was created with women in mind, although it is intended for all vodka drinkers. You can already find Social Grace Vodka in many local restaurants, including Wang Gang, Moussalli’s Prime and EXO Lounge and Nail Bar, as well as Dierbergs Edwardsville Crossing. It will also be in a new restaurant coming to the area, Edley’s BBQ, out of Nashville, Tennessee, and they have verbal commitments from Chava’s Mexican Restaurant, Obar, 1818 Chophouse and others, Guilbeault said. “Our vodka is naturally gluten-free and distilled on an eighth-generation farm locally.” “Our bottle design is truly magical. It’s classy, it’s elegant and you’ll want to pick it up.” And, Social Grace Vodka is one of only a handful of woman-owned spirit companies in the U.S., Arendell noted. But why vodka? “As far as women are concerned, it is very low in carbs, low in calories and naturally gluten free,” Arendell explained. “Vodka is also simple to make. There’s no aging process, like with whiskey, bourbon or wine, and we can get it to market quicker. Vodka can be made from any grain: wheat, potato, corn. “We use white corn instead of yellow corn like our competitors use,” Guilbeault noted. “White corn is a little sweeter and a little smoother than traditional corn. We use the finest locally family grown white corn to create a true grain-to-glass experience. We’ve conducted many taste tests and know we have a truly superior premium vodka. “Our vodka has a sweet hint of agave, without any added sugars,” she said. Social Grace Vodka is six times distilled and 80 proof, with a smooth finish. “We are marketing toward women, but we know men will purchase our vodka, as well,” said Guilbeault, of which her husband enjoys, and so does Arendell’s, both of whom are extremely supportive of the new spirit company, they said. “It’s a high-end premium vodka and we give back 10 percent of our net profits.” The pair established a Social Grace Vodka signature drink contest, seeking a female mixologist to create and name this special cocktail. A dozen Edwardsville/Glen Carbon establishments participated for a cash prize and naming rights. “Each mixologist created up to five cocktails for us,” Guilbeault explained. They plan to announce the winner in the next week or so. From the creation of Social Grace Vodka, an intentionally high-end product, to its carefully designed bottle to its marketing and philanthropic causes, women mark its every aspect and characteristic. “We began working on a business plan, marketing pitch, and what that would look like,” Arendell explained. “We interviewed several distilleries, both local and not. Some are willing to do contract distilling and will make and bottle your product that are local. They did end up choosing a local distillery that uses their family’s eighth generation farm and grows the white corn. “We knew when we met them, they were the ones for us,” Arendell said.
