The Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) awarded a Gold Medal to Buckeye Vodka this week. The tasting occurred in BTI’s Tasting Room in Chicago, IL, on November 1, 2011.
Buckeye Vodka actually received two awards. The first was a Gold Medal with an “Exceptional” rating, earning 92 points out of 100 on BTI’s rating scale, as well as a “Best Buy” award, indicating it to be of extraordinary value. Buckeye Vodka is priced under $20 per 750ml bottle across the state. In its review, the BTI praised Buckeye Vodka as “an exceptional smooth and clean vodka for every application.”
“The Buckeye Vodka family could not be happier with the rating,” said Jim Finke, CEO of Crystal Spirits LLC. He continued, “Our team spent countless hours perfecting Buckeye Vodka and to get national recognition for our Ohio brand is just wonderful.”
Finke hopes the Gold Medal will translate into continued success as far as sales are concerned. Last week, the company reported that sales during its first six months of operations tripled expectations. Buckeye Vodka sold 2,000 cases of product between April and October, contributing nearly $500,000 to the Ohio economy. “We certainly welcome the “Exceptional” rating from BTI and expect it will resonate with Ohio consumers who have not yet tried Buckeye Vodka,” said Robinson C. Cooper, Vice President and General Manager of Southern Wine and Spirits of Ohio, distributor of Buckeye Vodka. He added, “We intend to promote Buckeye Vodka as a gold standard for spirits crafted in Ohio.” Finke also believes Ohioans will take notice, saying, “The Gold Medal proves that people here in the heartland know good vodka. Our fans have served as our most important ambassadors, consistently promoting and endorsing Buckeye Vodka aone of the best vodkas they’ve tasted. Now, they’ve been proven right.”
The BTI recruits a panel of industry experts to award its annual ratings. The panel blindly tastes each spirit in a 
controlled environment under identical circumstances. The ratings are then determined by a statistical method relying on the mode, or most frequent score, instead of the mean, the average score. The BTI credits this method for creating ratings closer to the panelists’ true feelings and reducing the
impact of maverick scores.
Buckeye Vodka was one of three Ohio vodka brands receiving Gold Medals from the BTI, the others being Crav Spirits of Avon Lake and Middle West Spirits of Columbus.
About Buckeye Vodka:
Capping its first batch by hand in spring, 2011, Buckeye Vodka is a family-owned artisanal vodka company with a vision of bringing an ultra-premium vodka to consumers at a price that reflects Ohioan sensibilities. Handcrafted in the rolling hills of the Miami Valley, Buckeye Vodka utilizes water sourced from The Crystal Water Company, which has been supplying the Miami Valley with a better water option
since 1919. Its state-of-the-art distillation process ensures an extraordinary purity and exceptional taste. We invite you to make Buckeye Vodka part of your next great Ohio celebration. To learn more, visit us online at www.BuckeyeVodka.com.
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