Purity Vodka's Flickr

Purity's made in a proprietary still designed specifically for vodka production and distilled thirty-four times. The final product, reaching 96% vol. (192 Proof), is so pure that no filtration is necessary—it's then reduced by using a mix of 70% deionised water and 30% natural, mineral rich water, and "blended with tailor made organic column spirits which are made from the very finest wheat." In other words, it's probably wasted on a White Russian.

How long have you been working on this vodka? Since 1998.

Is that a long time, compared to other vodka brands? Yes, normally it takes from 0 days (putting a label on an already existing product) to a few months. As most vodkas are industrially produced through continuous distillation, there is very little they can do in order to influence the final product. Therefore, a regular vodka company would invest time and money in developing marketing concept, design etc, not in the product itself.

So why did you take so long? I wanted to produce a vodka maintaining the finely tuned elegance, crispness and purity that characterizes traditional, high-quality vodka adding new elements such as complexity, character and body (features reminiscent of malt whisky and cognac). In order to succeed, we needed to invent our own unique method of distillation which also involved creating a proprietary vodka still.

After say, seven years working on it, did the people working with you start to think you were crazy? I have been incredibly fortunate being surrounded by people understanding my vision as well as the commercial potential in a vodka in a category of its own.

How does Purity differ from other popular vodkas, like Ketel One for instance? My ambition has not been to create a vodka that pleases everyone, but a vodka I like myself. While most vodkas are neutral in style, the high-end vodkas like Ketel One have more character. Purity Vodka is quite extreme being a vodka with far more character, body and complexity than any other vodka. This means that Purity is not the perfect vodka for all styles of cocktails. However, it will be difficult finding a better vodka if you are drinking your vodka straight, on the rocks, as a vodka martini or as a pre-dinner cocktail.

Where is this sold in NYC? As the production is limited, we still need to sell Purity on allocation. This does actually suit us rather well as we don’t want to grow too fast. We spent over ten years developing Purity Vodka, and we are not looking for instant success in sales either. As a small brand, it is important for us that the bartenders, restaurateurs and sommeliers working with Purity Vodka understand what we are about, how to use Purity and is sharing the same passion for the brand as we do. My experience is that this is easier to gain if you are approaching the top bars and restaurants instead of high volume venues such as night clubs and chains. Since our launch a few months ago we have established ourselves at close to one hundred high-end venues including hotels such as Gramercy Park, Mandarin Oriental, SoHo Grand, etc., restaurants such as Fishtail, Le Cirque, Scarpetta, Aquavit, Philippe etc and stores such as Park Avenue Liquor and Astor Wine & Spirits.

Can you recommend a good cocktail to help us get through this bitter interminable winter? Purity Martini: Stir 3 parts Purity Vodka and 1 part water in a mixing glass filled with freshly made ice cubes, filter and pour into a chilled martini glass. Serve small twist of lime on the side as an option (no white left on the peel). If olives are desired, then serve them as a snack on the side. The water is not used to dilute the cocktail, but to create a chemical reaction where the starch from the winter wheat and barley reacts with the water and increasing the aromas and flavors. Any good quality tap water will do well. If not available, use your favorite, still mineral water.

Are you working on developing any other spirits? I’m a frequent visitor to Scotland vatting Scotch whisky, I also produce my gin, bitters, liqueurs, aquavits, eau-de-viuxs, etc. Just as you can’t tell an artist to paint the same oil painting over and over again, you can’t expect me to just do one spirit.