Sloop Betty Vodka

Making Sloop Betty Vodka

2011-04-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

Most people feel nervous making a cake out of a box, so can you imagine crafting a vodka in your kitchen? That’s exactly what Chris Cook and Jon Cook did when they created Sloop Betty vodka, the first product from Blackwater Distilling™, Inc. Blackwater is the first distillery in the state of Maryland in more than 35 years.

We’ve tasted Sloop Betty and the vodka is absolutely fantastic, with a crisp taste and subtle undertone. Sloop Betty blends beautifully into mixed drinks, although a Baltimore bartender said he prefers to serve the vodka as a stand-alone because it tastes so good.

We wanted to know how Chris and Jon make Sloop Betty, so we asked them a few questions about how they distill the vodka in their distillery in Stevensville, Md.

Q. How does the process of making Sloop Betty begin?

A. During our extensive recipe development process, we searched for the finest raw ingredients and chose a proprietary combination of wheat and sugar cane to craft Sloop Betty because that blend yielded a clean, balanced spirit of the highest quality. Our process (which we discuss later) weeds out undesirable elements, such as burn from the wheat and excess sweetness from the cane.

We experimented with several different combinations of conventional grain available locally, but ultimately, we found that the premium product we wanted to create would include ingredients found at organic farms outside the Mid-Atlantic Region. Our Italian wheat and sugar cane from Belize are delivered from organic farms to create the distillate that is the basis for Sloop Betty. The final ingredient is water, as two-thirds of what goes into most vodkas is water.

Q. Where is the water from?

We source ours from Maryland’s ShoreGood Water Company. The water that is the basis for Sloop Betty has been nationally recognized for its purity and excellence in taste.

Q. How do you actually make the vodka?

At our distillery on the Eastern Shore, we craft the spirit using the secret filtering and blending process we’ve processed over the years. Taste is the most important factor we considered as we honed the recipe for the vodka.

The distillate begins at 190 proof, and we filter it down to 120 and then again to 80 using our proprietary processes. This filitration is critical to Sloop Betty’s taste that many have described as “clean” and “crisp.” This is because our specialized carbon filitration removes elements of the raw material that are less desirable.

Q. Did you ever think of making a spirit other than vodka?

Yes, we experimented for some time. We made recipes in our own pot still. Once we decided that starting with vodka was our passion, we played with the recipe many times, experimenting with rye and different ratios of wheat and sugar cane. It was amazing to us that everything affected the taste and changed the flavor of the vodka. We’re proud of the amazing reviews Sloop Betty has received and look forward to bringing a different craft spirit to market in the near future.

As the first distillery licensed by the federal government and State of Maryland in 35 years, Blackwater is proud to lead the revival of Maryland’s fine heritage of custom, handcrafted spirits. Sloop Betty is the only Mid-Atlantic vodka crafted from a unique wheat-and-cane blend, so she’s truly in a class all her own.

Sloop Betty on Fox 45 Baltimore

2011-04-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Joel Smith and Fox 45 Baltimore stopped by to visit Sloop Betty at Blackwater Distilling last Friday, April 1st. If you missed the live segment, you can check out Sloop Betty and Joel's April fools joke here at the Fox 45 website.

All photography by Stacey Viera

Where does the name Sloop Betty come from?

2011-03-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sloop Betty is Maryland’s new hit vodka. This runaway sensation could’ve had a billion other names. Find out how she got her name from the creative team behind her.

Sloop Betty’s got the goods…in more ways than one.

2011-03-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

The rumors are true, Sloop Betty is finally here!

Blackwater Distilling™, Inc. today announced the launch of its flagship spirit, Sloop Betty vodka, a wheat- and sugar cane-based craft product. Part of an elite group of just 200 craft distilleries in the entire country, Blackwater Distilling is Maryland’s first federally and state-licensed beverage alcohol distillery in more than three decades. The initial distribution area for its spirits covers Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Read more here.

The Sloop Betty Story

2010-10-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Who are we? First a little history lesson...

No, we're not going to bore your socks off. Truth is, to understand our story, it's important to know the history of distilling in our fine state of Maryland. During Prohibition, (read a thorough article about Prohibition on Wikipedia), when the federal government severely restricted the sale and use of alcohol, many small distilleries and alcohol producers went out of business. As soon as Prohibition was over, making alcohol in Maryland began again, but it forever altered the distilling landscape.

Ok, so more about Sloop Betty now...

Sloop Betty is the first product of Blackwater Distilling, the first distillery in Maryland in more than 35 years. Sloop Betty is our flagship product (flagSHIP is important-but we'll get to that in a minute), a hand crafted wheat vodka made from Maryland products. As the first distillery licensed by the state and federal governments in several decades, we're proud to bring Maryland back into her fine heritage of distilling spirits.

Who are we?

We are Chris and Jon Cook, brothers who grew up in and around Maryland. Right now, we live on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay, and we are committed to producing a full line of fine spirits, including Sloop Betty, using Maryland grown ingredients. For the past five years we have been learning everything we can about craft distilling, the history of local spirits production and ways to introduce this product in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

Why Vodka?

So, we hate to do this to you, but we're going to have to reference that history lesson again. Because of Prohibition, Americans produced alcohol on the down low (that's why we love Americans!) and the easiest kind of spirits to produce were white spirits, like vodka. White spirits were also the easiest to mix, and the easiest to hide.
We can also dispel the myth that vodka is made only from potatoes. Vodka can also be distilled from wheat and rye or sugar cane, creating a smoother, richer texture than other ingredients. Since wheat is plentiful in the state of Maryland, it's great way for us to launch a spirit to market.

So where did the name Sloop Betty come from?

Sloop Betty was an historic ship that sailed the Chesapeake Bay. The name appealed to us because of our love of Maryland's history, as well as her amazing location right on the ocean and Bay. We are committed to protecting the environment, which is why we use organic products and focus on sustainable agriculture.

Why the hot girl?

You seriously did not just ask us that. We wanted our first product to have a real personality and be memorable.

Want to know more?

Email us at info@sloopbetty.com and let us know any questions you have. We'll get back to you as soon as possible. Or you can join the conversation on Twitter, @SloopBetty. You should also "Like" us on Facebook (and in your martini glass).