Bong Spirit Vodka

Bong Spirit Vodka

Type	Vodka
Manufacturer	Bong Spirit Imports, LLC
Distributor	Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits Brescome and Barton (USA)
Country of origin	Netherlands
Introduced	2005
Alcohol by volume	40%
Proof (US)	80
Colour	Clear
Website	www.bongspirit.com

Bong Spirit Vodka is a vodka brand, sold in a bottle shaped like a bong.^[1] It is made from European grain, distilled six times and filtered through four processes, using reverse osmosis and charcoal filtering.^[2] It is distributed in the United States by Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, and Republic National.

History

Bong Spirit Imports was founded by a group of partners in Orlando, Florida. In 2005, artist Jimi Beach developed the concept for the Bong Spirit brand and served as the company's marketing director.^[3] The New York Times stated, "it is certainly a well-designed marketing strategy that not only redefines the spirit world, but also the art community".^[4] 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.^[5]

In 2006, the company launched the Spirit of the Brand program,^[6] which was based on a collector series of bottles featuring the art of several up-and-coming artists.^[7] The art bottles are distributed randomly in cases of both 750 mL and 1 L bottle sizes.

In 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, California.^[8]

International awards and recognition

Bong Spirit Vodka has received top industry awards for taste and design including two Gold Awards from the London-based International Wine and Spirit Competition (2009, 2013),^[9] a Gold Award from the Beverage Testing Institute with a score of 91 points, which described it "intriguing and elegant",^[10] a Gold Award at the 2010 SIP Awards International Spirits Competition in San Diego,^[11] and a Silver Award from the San Francisco World Spirits Championships in San Francisco^[12]

In 2011, Bong Spirit Vodka was awarded the Silver Award at the IWSC competition in the United Kingdom.^[13] 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.^[14]

In addition to awards for taste, the Company has won numerous acknowledgments for design including two Silver Awards at the 2013 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".^[15]

Acquisition

On September 22, 2010, Bong Spirit Imports, LLC was acquired by Millennium Prime, Inc., and operates as a subsidiary of the company.^[16]

References

1. Barrionuevo, Alexei (16 December 2006). "At $300 a Bottle, Do You Have to Tip?". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
2. "Bong Vodka". Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
3. "Millennium Prime". www.millenniumprime.com. Archived from the original on 2010-10-05. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
4. "Spirit Review: Bong Vodka: Art Inside and Out". Archived from the original on 2007-03-29. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
5. "BNP Media Acquires Beverage World And BevOps Fleet Summit". www.bevindustry.com.
6. "Jimi Beach to Unveil Winning Vodka Designs to Austin's Art Underground". www.barnonedrinks.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
7. "Bong Vodka Cranks up Artist Buzz | Liquor Snob - LiquorSnob.com". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
8. "2010 SIP Awards". Mutineer Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
9. http://2010.iwsc.net/spirit/view/2837/spirit-of-bong-vodka^{[permanent dead link‍]}
10. "Spirits Review for Bong Spirit Vodka$38.50/L". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
11. "Awards" (PDF). sipawards.com. 2010. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
13. "Spirit Details: Bong Vodka | IWSC.NET". Archived from the original on 2012-04-27. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
14. Staff Writer (2006-07-21). "Australia is number one at the International Wine & Spirit Competition". Talking Retail. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
15. "Awards" (PDF). onthehouse.typepad.com. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
16. "Bong Spirit Imports, LLC: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-04-23.

External links

• Official website