Allison Evanow, founder of Square One Organic Vodka, bartended on campus while studying for her MBA. This practical understanding of cocktails paired with business acumen led Allison to focus on vodka, a spirit she finds incredibly diverse and exciting to use. “The creativity is at many levels,” she says. “One: how you make the spirit itself; two: how you create a cocktail using your spirit of choice; and three: how you serve the cocktail —in cool glasses, with garnishes, etc. I love wine, do a bit of wine collecting and even headed up Marketing for a winery in Napa Valley, but wine is too staid from a creative point of view. For most brands you buy in any category, you get what you buy, but in the spirits world, you can buy a tremendously unique product but still infuse your own spirit and creativity in the final cocktail. How fun is that?”
Organic American rye is the backbone of Square One, and organics are integral to the company’s mission. After moving to Marin County, California, Allison was inspired by the community’s focus on sustainability and local farms, leading her to hatch a plan to put the farmers’ market ethos in a bottle. Even the packaging is focused on sustainability, with a label made from post-consumer waste. Even the minimally processed and organic rye byproduct from fermentation has a second life as feed at an organic dairy farm.
Normally, distillation is used to remove impurities from vodka. In this case, the folks at Square One Organic Vodka do such a clean fermentation with pristine raw materials that they only require one distillation to achieve an unrivaled level of purity. The juice is then filtered through a micron paper filter, which means no charcoal or chemicals are used to strip flavor. The vodka distillates are then brought to proof level with deionized water from a well located on-site at the distillery. The well gets its water from an aquifer within the Snake River Watershed, one of the cleanest water sources left in the United States. Carefully sourced botanical essences are then painstakingly blended in exacting formulas with this pure vodka distillate. The result is a craft spirit that raises the bar for distillation and infusion practices in the United States. Within the category of flavored vodka, there is almost no one else producing comparable distillates in a more genuine, eco-conscious way.
Square One Organic Vodka is a premium spirit with a rich, nutty taste and full silky texture. Made from 100% organic rye and pristine water from the Teton Mountains, the luscious quality of Square One Rye Vodka is the direct result of the painstaking, sustainable decisions made through farming, fermentation, and distillation.
Square One Cucumber Vodka captures the essence and freshness of cucumbers in an elegant and aromatic spirit. Combining the cool, crisp taste of organic cucumbers with Square One’s Organic Rye Vodka, this spirit is light on its feet, packed with flavor, and just as easy to sip on chilled as it is mixed into a wide array of cocktails.
Square One Botanical is “Eden in a bottle.” Infused with the essence of eight organic botanicals (pear, rose, chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, coriander and citrus peel), Square One Botanical balances fruits, flowers, herbs, and a healthy dose of alcohol (45% ABV), rendering this spirit perfect for making cocktails. For those consumers who don’t like gin (but really mean they dislike juniper), and bartenders who don’t like vodka, here is a spirit packed with all of the complex layers of a gin without the astringent punch of juniper that appeals to all.
Square One Basil is a unique expression of garden fresh basil, masterfully infused into organic rye vodka. Four varieties of basil are used in the creation of this sweet, savory vodka (Genovese, Thai, Lemon, and Sweet) in addition to coriander, honeysuckle, and lemongrass. Square One Basil is the perfect way to incorporate the complexity of fresh herbs without worrying about oxidation or perishable goods. From Mediterranean to Asian inspired cocktails, Square One Basil is extremely complex and versatile in application.
Square One Bergamot, primarily grown in Italy and around the Mediterranean Sea, is a hidden gem among citrus fruits. This exotic orange is the same orange that gives Earl Grey tea its signature flavor, and is also often used in both savory and sweet culinary preparations. Square One Bergamot is a tantalizing, pure expression of bright orange and baking spice. In addition to Bergamot orange, Square One uses a combination of organic mandarin, navel and tangerine oranges, ginger, coriander, and juniper to achieve its distinct flavor. Because Square One Bergamot is unfiltered, when chilled, the essential oils give off a slight frosty haze, which dissipates as the vodka warms.
