PureParadise

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Writer, Ashley Anderson

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Stylist Editor, Lori Kommor

Photographer, Robert Burge

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More than 4,000 miles from Louisville lies

a distillery making waves in Maui, and

beyond, due in large part to the creative

expertise of one local entrepreneur, Don Freytag.

The Chief Marketing Offcer and Sales Director of

Ocean Vodka has helped expand the award-win-

ning Hawaiian brand of vodka, which launched in

2006 by CEO Shay Smith’s family, who founded

Hawaii Sea Spirits. While sitting on a porch sip-

ping a French brand of the Russian-born spirit, the

Smiths concocted the ingenious idea of using min-

eral water sourced 3,000 feet below the Kona Coast

to make a new type of vodka.

“The key difference of Ocean Vodka is the miner-

als in the water: calcium, magnesium, potassium,”

Freytag said. “The great thing about it is that those

really amplify favor when you mix it (with other fa-

vors and beverages).”

In addition to using mineral water, Ocean Vodka is

made with organically-farmed sugar cane on a so-

lar-powered farm and distillery. Thus, Ocean Vodka

is the only spirit made with the sun, the ocean and

organic earth. It’s also 100 percent Certifed USDA

Organic and gluten-free.

Ocean Vodka’s organic farm and distillery features

32 different varieties of sugar cane that are trans-

ported to 60-foot, 132-platelet column stills pro-

duced by Louisville’s own Vendome Copper and

Brass Works. “We went to them because we knew

they were the best in the world, it really wasn’t be-

cause of Louisville,” said Freytag. Ocean Vodka

achieves optimal purity through its state-of-the-art

distillation techniques, which separate impurities

by controlling the heating and cooling of the spirit.

The distilled product is cut to 80 proof, the equiv-

alent of 40 percent alcohol, with the deep ocean

mineral water.

As of late April, the public has been able to par-

ticipate in the manufacturing process by touring the

new organic farm and distillery. “It was always our

dream to be able to buy a piece of land and then

move our operation there and really take people

through the entire story of how we make Ocean

Vodka, starting with the planting of the sugar cane,”

Freytag explained.

With today’s consumer more interested in where

and from what a product comes, Ocean Vodka,

along with its facility tours, have made a huge

splash in Maui. The 80-acre Ocean Vodka Organic

Farm and Distillery is open for tours four times a

day, seven days a week. The farm illustrates the

company’s mission to create a superior, organic,

value-added agricultural product. The company

supports the local economy, competes globally on

quality, operates with environmental responsibility

and raises awareness for oceanic conservation.

Areas covered in the tour include sustainable farm-

ing and manufacturing processes, organic spirits

production and the local history of sugar cane farm-

ing with species identifcation. A Martini Garden

tour will highlight fresh, local ingredients such as

Kula lavender, local citrus, passion fruit, pineapple

and strawberries.

While the tours help grow awareness of the brand

on the mainland, Freytag has spread the word of

Ocean Vodka to the rest of the U.S. Since join-

ing the company around 2009, Freytag has taken

Ocean Vodka from distribution in three U.S. states

to 30, including Kentucky, and three Canadian prov-

inces. The former Brown-Forman employee, with

more than 15 years of spirits experience, has relied

on the impact of social media as well as sampling

and targeted event marketing around flm festivals

or surfng-oriented festivals.

Don FREYTAG

continued on page 105

Chief Marketing OffiCer and SaleS direCtOr Of OCean VOdka

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Photographer, Kristin Hetterman

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Photographer, Kristin Hetterman

“We’ve found that Ocean Vodka is a

very viral brand," he said. “When we sit

people down and tell them the story and

give them a taste, they love it, because

a lot of people have been to Maui or

Hawaii and it reminds them of their ex-

perience there. And then for those that

have not ... it makes them want to go.”

Hawaii Sea Spirits and Ocean Vodka

also place importance on giving back

to oceanic causes, such as Surfrider

Foundation. This non-proft organiza-

tion works to protect and preserve the

world’s oceans and beaches.

As Ocean Vodka continues to grow,

the company is looking to expand even

further. Freytag said Hawaii Sea Spirits

could soon launch an Ocean Rum and

possibly create an Ocean Bourbon.

As for Freytag’s role with Ocean Vodka,

he’s enjoying the challenges of fostering

larger growth and traversing back and

forth from Louisville to the paradise of

Hawaii. “I’m a lover of islands, and to

have corporate headquarters in Maui

is pretty much a dream come true,”

beamed Freytag, who became involved

with Ocean Vodka through a classmate

from Harvard Business School. “It’s a

very fun job. It’s also very gratifying be-

cause I can see where the company was

when I joined them, and I can see where

we are now.”

For more information on Ocean Vodka,

visit oceanvodka.com.

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continued from page 101

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Photographer, Robert Burge

OCEAN KULA LAVENDER LEMONADE (Created by FOUR SEASONS LANAI)

IngredIents

• 2 oz. fresh vanilla infused Ocean Vodka• 3 oz. fresh lemonade• ¼ oz. lavender syrup or 3 sprigs fresh lavender• Sugar for rim

PreParatIon

Muddle 2 fresh lavender sprigs in the bottom of a shaker, add

drop of vanilla extract if vodka is not already infused with fresh

vanilla. Rim glass with sugar. Add remaining ingredients and

bruise. Pour into glass and garnish with remaining lavender sprig.

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Photographer, Trish Barker

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OCEAN WATERIngredIents

• 2 oz. Ocean Vodka• 4 oz. coconut water• Muddled mint leaves• Dash of agave syrup• Splash of soda

PreParatIon

Muddle mint leaves at the bottom of a shaker. Pour remaining

ingredients into shaker over ice. Shake vigorously and pour in a

short glass of ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of lime.

IngredIents

• 2 oz. Ocean Vodka• 1 oz. fresh lemonade• ½ oz. fresh lime juice• Splash fresh mango juice• 1 tsp. muddled lemongrass• 1 tsp. crushed ginger

PreParatIon

Muddle lemongrass and ginger in a

shaker. Pour remaining ingredients

into the shaker over ice. Shake

vigorously and pour in a chilled martini

glass. Garnish with a sprig of basil.

IngredIents

• 3 oz. Ocean Vodka• 3 bleu cheese hand-stuffed olives

PreParatIon

Pour into a cocktail shaker over ice

and shake vigorously. Strain into a

martini glass. Garnish with 3 bleu

cheese hand-stuffed olives.

OCEAN BLEU MARTINI

OCEAN GREEN FLASH

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