Exalt Estate Potato Vodka

Press Release

Eagle Cliffs Distillery

160 Whitewater RD

Longview, WA 98632

360 501-6085

John Koehler

[e-mail]
January 19, 2016
Eagle Cliffs Distillery is proud to announce that it is now producing commercial batches of its flagship product, Exalt Estate Potato Vodka. Efforts to produce a superior vodka began over six years ago. Eagle Cliffs Distillery is a local business that makes premium potato vodka from scratch at its Cowlitz County headquarters. The first general public sales occurred in December.

Bottles are currently available in Longview at G3 Liquor in the Triangle Mall and at Boondox Liquor on Ocean Beach Hwy at 32^nd. The distillery is in the process of setting up with the state liquor control board the permissions to accept phone orders from their distillery located west of Longview and hope to be able to take consumer orders by the end of the week. Consumers may call our company phone at 360 501-6085 to inquire. Both the person placing the order and the person accepting the order must be of legal age. Tastings and tours are not open at the distillery, but product may be purchased there. The distillery is generally open Monday through Friday from 9AM to 4PM, but it is recommended that you call before coming out to make sure someone will be present. Both off premise retailers and on premise retailers may order product now for delivery.

Five bottles from the first batch were donated to the Columbia Theater. “As a local artisan craft distiller of fine spirits we have made a commitment to support local theater and arts,” says John Koehler, founder and CEO. “We hope this is the first of many contributions we make to the local arts community.”The first four were used in their bars as the featured drink of the evening at “Celtic Nights” and “3^rd Friday Stand Up Comedy Night” last week to rave reviews. The fifth will be auctioned off at the Soup-Off fund raiser for the theater on January 30^th at the Kelso Elks.

It is generally considered that the best premium vodkas are made from potato. The vast majority of vodka produced and sold in the U.S. is made from grain. Our potato vodka is being compared against the best brand in the U.S. and some are declaring it superior. It has a clean bouquet, a smooth distinctive flavor, produces a warm glow, and has a clean finish. It is priced on the shelf at G3 at $39.99 per bottle with taxes, which places it among the priciest vodkas on the shelf. “It is not a choice for casual and value consumers. However, among vodka enthusiasts it is poised to make a major impact,” claims John.

Eagle Cliffs Distillery targeted this upscale market from the beginning. “We spent over a year perfecting our process to achieve this extraordinary quality,” explains John Koehler, who had a career as a licensed professional engineer designing custom production processes for most major companies and industries in the U.S. His clients in the NW included H-P, Nike, Intel, and Boeing. The company designed their entire process and built all of their equipment custom. Two patentable improvements to the still were developed in the process. These efforts were strongly supported by Beth Loomer, a graduate from LCC’s chemistry program who made substantial contributions to the perfection of the product.

“We are already looking for additional employees to work at the distillery and are selecting a site to relocate to as the distillery grows.” Meetings with the County Building and Planning Department and with possible leasers are in the works. The Port of Kalama is a top contender. Interested workers should watch for listings through WA WorkSource for production positions. Jobs may begin part-time but are expected to expand into fulltime positions quickly.

The most important qualification for any prospective employee will be flexibility. The business is run on Nu-Business principles, a new business model for starting up and running a company that was developed by the founder, John Koehler, as an expansion from Theory of Constraints principles. “We expect to be the most recognized and respected brand in Craft Distillers within five years.”