Bong Spirit Vodka
Encyclopedia
Bong Spirit Vodka is a super premium vodka
, sold in a bottle shaped like a bong
. It is made from European grain, distilled six times and filtered through four processes, using reverse osmosis
and charcoal filtering. It is distributed in the United States by Southern Wine & Spirits, Glazer’s, and Republic National.
, the distillery started as a small family business but rapidly increased their activities in the liquor trade to become a leading producer and exporter of Dutch
Genevers, Liqueurs, and Advocaat
. The Vonk family took over control of the distillery in 1975 and has expanded to become a large producer and exporter of beverages and spirits with markets in many foreign countries. Pieter Vonk, Sr. and Pieter Vonk, Jr continue to operate the company today.
Artist Jimi Beach
developed the concept for the Bong Spirit brand and served as the company’s marketing director. The New York Times Company
stated, regarding Bong Spirit, “it is certainly a well-designed marketing strategy that not only redefines the spirit world, but also the art community”.
Beach chose the controversial bottle design
based on its symbolism as a communal object, and the cultural role it has represented for decades as an underground icon in the arts and entertainment community.
In 2006, the company launched the Spirit of the Brand program, which was based on a collector series of bottles featuring the art of several up-and-coming artists.
The art bottles are distributed randomly in cases of both 750ml and 1L bottle sizes.
For two consecutive years (2010 and 2011), Beach’s bottle design won the Platinum Prize, “Best of Class” award at the Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards in San Diego, CA. Bong Spirit was awarded the competition's highest honor for package design out of hundreds of entries from around the world.
(2009, 2010), a Gold Award from the Beverage Testing Institute
with a score of 91 points, which described it “intriguing and elegant”, a Gold Award at the 2010 SIP Awards International Spirits Competition in San Diego, and a Silver Award from the San Francisco World Spirits Championships in San Francisco
In 2011, Bong Spirit Vodka was awarded the SILVER AWARD at the IWSC competition in the United Kingdom . Judging for this high end, global competition is achieved through a rigorous two stage judging process of professional blind tasting and detailed (chemical and microbiological) analysis.
In addition to awards for taste, the Company has won numerous acknowledgments for design including four Silver Awards at the 2007 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco for Best Package Design, and First Place at the 22nd Annual Beverage Dynamics Advertising and Promotion Awards naming the Bong Spirit Lava Lamp as “2007’s Best Promotional Display”.
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, sold in a bottle shaped like a bong
Bong
A bong is a filtration device/apparatus generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco,or other herbal substances.In construction and function a bong is similar to a hookah, except smaller and more portable...
. It is made from European grain, distilled six times and filtered through four processes, using reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
and charcoal filtering. It is distributed in the United States by Southern Wine & Spirits, Glazer’s, and Republic National.
History
Bong Spirit Imports was founded by a group of partners in Orlando, FL. In 2005 they entered a production agreement with the Melchers Group of Lelystad, Holland, and licensed the worldwide rights to market and distribute their award-winning vodka. Founded in 1837 by the Melchers family in SchiedamSchiedam
Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...
, the distillery started as a small family business but rapidly increased their activities in the liquor trade to become a leading producer and exporter of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Genevers, Liqueurs, and Advocaat
Advocaat
Advocaat is a rich and creamy liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy. It has a smooth, custard-like flavor and is similar to eggnog. In English-speaking countries it generally contains 15% alcohol , but in Continental Europe the typical alcohol content differs from country to country and is...
. The Vonk family took over control of the distillery in 1975 and has expanded to become a large producer and exporter of beverages and spirits with markets in many foreign countries. Pieter Vonk, Sr. and Pieter Vonk, Jr continue to operate the company today.
Artist Jimi Beach
Jimi Beach
James Beach Drummond is an artist, entrepreneur and concert promoter based in Orlando, FL. He is the creator and Executive Producer of the , which was named "Best New Event Launch of 2010" by...
developed the concept for the Bong Spirit brand and served as the company’s marketing director. The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company is an American media company best known as the publisher of its namesake, The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. has served as Chairman of the Board since 1997. It is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City....
stated, regarding Bong Spirit, “it is certainly a well-designed marketing strategy that not only redefines the spirit world, but also the art community”.
Beach chose the controversial bottle design
Bong
A bong is a filtration device/apparatus generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco,or other herbal substances.In construction and function a bong is similar to a hookah, except smaller and more portable...
based on its symbolism as a communal object, and the cultural role it has represented for decades as an underground icon in the arts and entertainment community.
In 2006, the company launched the Spirit of the Brand program, which was based on a collector series of bottles featuring the art of several up-and-coming artists.
The art bottles are distributed randomly in cases of both 750ml and 1L bottle sizes.
For two consecutive years (2010 and 2011), Beach’s bottle design won the Platinum Prize, “Best of Class” award at the Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards in San Diego, CA. Bong Spirit was awarded the competition's highest honor for package design out of hundreds of entries from around the world.
International Awards and Recognitions
Bong Spirit Vodka has received top industry awards for taste and design including two Gold Awards from the London-based International Wine and Spirit CompetitionInternational Wine and Spirit Competition
The International Wine & Spirit Competition is an annual wine competition founded in 1969 by the [German/British] oenologist Anton Massel.. Each year the competition receives entries from over 80 countries worldwide. The awards given by the competition are considered to be some of the highest...
(2009, 2010), a Gold Award from the Beverage Testing Institute
Beverage Testing Institute
The Beverage Testing Institute is a marketing service company that provides reviews for spirits, wines, and beers. It uses numerical scores and publishes books of its test results.-Reviews:...
with a score of 91 points, which described it “intriguing and elegant”, a Gold Award at the 2010 SIP Awards International Spirits Competition in San Diego, and a Silver Award from the San Francisco World Spirits Championships in San Francisco
In 2011, Bong Spirit Vodka was awarded the SILVER AWARD at the IWSC competition in the United Kingdom . Judging for this high end, global competition is achieved through a rigorous two stage judging process of professional blind tasting and detailed (chemical and microbiological) analysis.
In addition to awards for taste, the Company has won numerous acknowledgments for design including four Silver Awards at the 2007 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco for Best Package Design, and First Place at the 22nd Annual Beverage Dynamics Advertising and Promotion Awards naming the Bong Spirit Lava Lamp as “2007’s Best Promotional Display”.