Good water and good corn make good vodka.
That's what brothers Alexander Folk and Winston Folk are counting on with their new venture,
Big River Distilling Company LLC.
The Memphis natives will begin distilling Big River's premium brand of vodka, Pyramid Vodka, in October from a distillery at 802 Royal Avenue in North Memphis.
Pyramid will be a local brand: ingredients will come from farms within a 100-square-mile radius, and all of the byproduct will go back to farmers for use as feed.
"Memphis is the perfect place for a distillery because of two essential ingredients--the sweetest water in the world and corn we source locally from the Mississippi River Delta, which contains the best fertile farmlands," says Winston Folk, Co-founder and COO.
The Folks have enlisted a group of business investors led by Co-owners Richard Smith and Cannon Smith, sons of Memphis' most famous homegrown entrepreneur, FedEx Corp. Founder Frederick W. Smith. The Folks also have a notable lineage as grandsons of the late Humphrey Folk Jr., who founded restaurant Folk's Folly.
"The opportunity to give back to the community and invest in something local really attracted me to the deal," says Cannon Smith, Pyramid Vodka's Director of Sales and Marketing. "Plus the potential is there to build this into a national and even global brand, and Memphis has a solid reputation in that regard."
The Smith brothers chose to invest in Big River after seeing the product and recognizing its growth potential. Controlled production volumes and quality control--including testing each batch for consistency--will be benchmarks for Memphis' first vodka distillery.
"Vodka is America's largest spirits category, and the premium sector has an attractive growth trajectory," says Richard Smith. "This distillery is one of a kind for Memphis, and we're already seeing a great response from potential customers, local bars and restaurants who want to carry the Pyramid Vodka label."
Pyramid Vodka will be available for both wholesale and retail purchase.
By Jane A. Donahoe
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