Chase Vodka founder slates rival brands Sipsmith and Black Cow and refers to them as “crap” products
Some vodkas are distilled over diamonds, others over gold. Some vodkas originate from grain, others emanate from grapes. Vodka can be made in a number of ways but now an almighty row has erupted after William Chase, the original owner of Tyrells Crisps and the founder of the Chase Distillery told The Sunday Telegraph his rivals – namely Black Cow and Sipsmith – are “cutting corners” and producing “crap”.
In an interview with Rebecca Burn-Callander, Chase shared further views on vodka – a drink which most would agree should be colourless, odourless and tasteless – and claimed that whilst his spirits are made “from scratch” on his Herefordshire farm, Black Cow and Sipsmith use a ready-made “neutral spirit” as a basis for theirs.
In response to Chase terming Sipsmith “the bullshit brand”, Sam Galsworthy, the company’s co-founder commented:
“We use English wheat spirit, we put it in our pot still, we put in 10 botanicals, and distil it in the way it’s always been made”.
“To criticise that process is to suggest that Van Gogh was not an artist because he didn’t stitch the canvas on which he paints”.
“We have never said anything other than we buy our neutral spirit, the canvas on which we paint. We’ve not misled anyone”.
Helen Watkins of Black Cow went further and added: “Perhaps Mr Chase has been in too close contact with his own product”.
Miaow. Stiff vodkas are plainly required all round.
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Speaking as a person with Russian ancestors, Russian Standard Vodka is the real deal. Gets you drunk. Keeps you warm. Why buy anything else.
Well this Herefordshire lad is heading back to Moscow for a few months next week. I don’t expect they sell those brands of muck in the 50m long aisle devoted to Vodka in Auchan hypermarket. They don’t sell Tyrells crisps either. I guess that Herefordshire farmer likes producing bull. My particular tip(ple) for Russian New Year (they don’t do Christmas) is sloes + gin.
I had the amusing experience last year of taking a pee, in the Red Square underground toilets, with the great man Ded Morose himself. You didn’t know he did that sort of thing?
Sorry ………I speed read this piece, but I have a distinct memory of the word tasteless……..