Getting to know Van Gogh Spirits

At BevX we see a lot of Beverages. Still, we are always thrilled when we see a great Wine, Beer, or Spirit. When we see multiple products of merit from one brand we get curious.

Van Gogh has sparked our curiosity. Flavored Vodka is supposed to be sticky sweet, one-dimensional, and utilized in “martinis” that aren’t really martinis! A flavored Vodka is not supposed to earn our first 5-Star rating for a Vodka of any stripe, flavored or not but the Van Gogh Coconut Vodka has done it. Beyond the great coconut flavor we also awarded nine Van Gogh flavors with 4-Star ratings. Needless to say, we are impressed.

So we went to the source. Graciously, Norman Bonchick, chairman and CEO of Van Gogh Imports and Tim Vos, Master Distiller at the Royal Dirkzwager Distillery in Schiedam, Holland (the home of Van Gogh Vodkas) agreed to get together for an informal question & answer session. Here are some of the highlights of this conversation.

The Q&A

BevX - When people in the USA think of Holland they think of windmills, water, and tulips! Why is Holland also a great place to practice the art of distilling?

Van Gogh - The Dutch art of distilling is going back to the mid 14th century. Not only because of the water quality but also our reputation as a sailing and trading nation. The VOC ships went all over the world and besides beer they had spirits with them. A spirit called “brandewijn”  (literally “burned wine” ) was taken on board as a medicine to cure sick sailors. By the end of the 14th century they succeeded in distilling the “brandewijn” out of grain, which made it cheaper and more accessible to the ordinary people.

BevX - In 2005, Dirkzwager (the great old distillery that producs Van Gogh) received a Royal Appointment by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in recognition of 125 years of excellence. What has this honor meant to the people who currently pilot this historic distillery?

Van Gogh - The Royal Appointment is a very prestigious award given to companies existing for more than 100 years. To get this appointment it takes a very detailed survey on the company and its owners, by a committee appointed by the queen, during all the years of its existence. The reputation of the company has to be unspoken.

BevX - Van Gogh is widely considered to be the masters of flavored Vodka offering nearly 20 flavors and having earned critical acclaim for many of these flavors. With such a wide portfolio of flavors there have surely been some missteps along the way. What flavor or flavors have you found impossible to perfect?

Van Gogh - Well, if a flavor would have been a misstep it wouldn’t have been introduced! I would rather talk about projects. For instance, a project which hasn’t been finished yet is a Four Berry Vodka and the reason is that we haven’t found the right balance between the various flavors. To mix an elderberry, raspberry, blueberry and cranberry is not hard but we want to create a recognizable flavor.  

BevX - Many writers, including myself, have often called Gin the “original flavored Vodka.” Considering Van Gogh’s roots as a Gin producer, how has this influenced your approach to creating a wide array of flavored Vodkas?

Van Gogh - Well, our Gin is a combination of 10 herbs and spices in a perfect combination enforcing each other. To make a single flavored product is difficult because you want to create a flavor pattern the consumer recognizes upon smelling and tasting. There is for instance a Melon liqueur with a green color. Because we are used to using all our senses (eyes, ears, nose, mouth) to determine a flavor: a melon is green, smells a bit sweet and is fresh, the liqueur is sold as a Melon liqueur. If you taste it next to our Melon Vodka you will taste - Banana.

BevX - When the BevX panel was busy tasting through the spectrum of Van Gogh flavors we often remarked that the flavors stood so well on their own. They are cocktails in a bottle in a sense needing nothing but a glass and perhaps some ice. How do you enjoy your Vodkas and does the approach vary from flavor to flavor?

Van Gogh - In the Netherlands we are not so common with Martini’s; we do drink long drinks as vodka with orange juice or rum and cola. We are used to drink our spirits on their own, so the flavor of the product should be recognizable and that’s why we make so much “fuss” in getting the right flavor and taste palette.

We are also a fan of digestives (after dinner drinks) like cognac, brandy and all sorts of liqueurs. An interesting aspect on the flavored Vodkas is that they are not as sweet as liqueurs so one can better stand a second glass. Take for instance a coffee liqueur --- they are very sweet and after one glass I get thirsty. A second glass of Van Gogh Espresso (straight with some ice) is not a punishment!

BevX - Without giving away too many secrets, what can you tell me about your process that is distinctive to this distillery?

Van Gogh - The most distinctive process to the distillery is that we are still relying on our expertise and craftsmanship and the most on our best references for judging a product: our nose and tongue. In other words we do have modern techniques to help us but that is only an aid. A product can meet all technical data sheets but when it doesn’t pass the judgment of the nose and the mouth the product won’t be bottled.