History
The facility at Polmos Zyrardów was constructed in 1910 as the ‘Distillery and Rectification of Spirit and Vodka’ set up by Dawid and Mejer Pines, and started production of Belvedere in 1993. At this time, it was run by the state as a partnership with Millennium. The factory was privatized in 2001, with Millennium LLC as the main shareholder along with the state. LVMH bought a 70% stake in Millennium, and this stake was raised to 100% in April of 2005.
Today, it only distills Belvedere, although under communist rule, there were many products produced there, including Wyborowa, Zubrowka, Luksusowa and others. The stills were modernized in 1998, and Belvedere macerated vodkas were developed in 2003.
Production technique
To produce Belvedere, the rye is harvested and simmered at several agricultural distilleries to form a mash. Enzymes known as amylase and diastase are added to the mash to break the starches down into sugars and speed the fermentation. A special distillers’ yeast is added to the mash, which is then fermented to 6-8% ABV. The first distillation (also known as the agricultural distillation) takes place here, and the resulting spirit is around 93% ABV.
This spirit undergoes organoleptic and chemical analysis to establish quality prior to being diluted to 45% and rectified. The distillate is broken down with artesian well water that is filtered in a two-step process that includes reverse osmosis. This is a water treatment process whereby dissolved salts, such as sodium, chloride, calcium carbonate, and calcium sulphate may be separated from water through forcing the water through a semi-permeable membrane under high pressure. The water diffuses through the membrane and the dissolved salts remain behind on the surface of the membrane.
After this the spirit is softened prior to filtration through a carbon filter to remove odors.
The first column at Polmos Zyrardów is a pre-distillation that removes acids, esters, and aldehydes. The total capacity of this column is 250,000 liters, and the throughput is 23,000 liters/day.
The second column is the rectification column that removes the remaining fusel oils, and the spirit emerges at 96.5% ABV. Finally, and most importantly, the spirit is run through the forth remaining column, known as the purifying column, which is an additional step that removes any remaining off notes or odors from the spirit. It is this step that brings elegance and softness to the vodka.
The pure spirit is stored in tanks for a resting period and then blended with the distillery’s’ artesian water. This marrying process takes place slowly over a few days, and the vodka is broken down to a bottling strength of 40% ABV. After the blending, the vodka is filtered in a two step process that includes a carbon filtration, and then a finer mechanical filtration prior to bottling.
Macerated flavor
Belvedere macerated flavors are produced by shipping the pure spirit thus produced to France, where dried and frozen citrus peels are macerated for a number of weeks – a different period for each fruit. The maceration is then distilled with these elements at low temperature in a copper pot still in order to maintain the intensity of aroma. These macerate concentrates are then shipped back to Polmos Zyrardów, blended with the distillery’s water to bottling strength and then filtered through a paper filter prior to bottling.
The bottling process is a slow one with many quality control checks – the spirit is almost bottled by hand. All strip and hang tangs are applied by hand as well as each bottle being individually checked by hand for any imperfections. In addition to visual and organoleptic checks, statistical sampling and chemical analysis are also done. Eleven people are employed on the bottling line, and the throughput is 8,000 bottles per shift.
Saverglass and St. Gobelein produce the bottles. A rubber sticker protects a part of the bottle, which is then frosted. A four step printing process is then carried out on the bottle: the text, the tree, the word ‘vodka’ in blue, and then the snow on the tree and the bar code. The bottles are then sterilized in an oven at 700° C.
Thirty-three separate steps are taken in the quality assurance/quality control program, from the raw materials to each of the components and to the final product. Traceability documents are coordinated and HACCP is verified, and an outside lab verifies all lab results.
The genius of vodka is its purity, but the interest lies in the admixture of great intrinsic character. It is for this reason that Belvedere maintains its traditional recipe.
Belvedere Key Selling Points
Belvedere was the first true luxury vodka
First to be introduced to the U.S. market, Belvedere was long considered among the finest available in its Polish homeland.
Belvedere benefits from authentic Polish heritage
Not a copy cat vodka, Belvedere has a long tradition of excellence in the very competitive Polish market
Belvedere is crafted from 100% Dankowskie Gold Rye
This origin gives a wonderfully ethereal hint of lemon to the vodka
Belvedere uses water from its own proprietary water sources, providing great purity
Belvedere is four times distilled – just enough, not too much.
The secret is to have character in a very pure spirit
Belvedere is three times filtered
A proprietary filtration system assures Belvedere of the finest results possible
History
Created at the Pomos (“distillery”) Siedlce, Chopin vodka was named for Frédéric Chopin, the Polish pianist and composer (1810 – 1849) that is described as “Poland’s favorite son”. As a composer, Chopin produced complex, elegant works for the piano that broke with tradition while retaining a superbly crafted construction that belied the intense effort that went into these works of genius.
Chopin was created in 1896 in the distillery located in the midst of the region’s potato fields. Today it is the world’s only luxury potato vodka. While potatoes have been used for hundreds of years in Poland, their use had begun to die out in the 20th century due to the fact that proportionally more potatoes are required than other base materials, and the potatoes are more difficult to process. They are used at Chopin because they feel they are superior.
Podlasie potatoes are used exclusively in the production of Chopin. These potatoes are special because they have a higher starch content (17%) than most (14%). It is calculated that 40 potatoes are needed to fill one 750 ml bottle of Chopin.
These Podlasie potatoes are grown in the pure countryside of Poland in untrammeled natural conditions, and this respect for purity is translated to the vodka, which is one of the mildest and yet most sensual vodkas available anywhere.
Production technique 
Potato vodka generally is seen as having a complex, slightly earthy aroma and a mineral character on the palate. These characteristics are prominent in Chopin, but it is above all the richness and weight of this particular vodka that set it apart from others.
This originates in part in the fact that the water for Chopin is drawn from a 300 ft deep well before being purified with a modern Culligan system. The spirit is distilled four times, and filtered in a proprietary system through five filters: a plate filter, two candle filteres, a disk filter, and a charcoal filter.
Chopin: Independent – Authentic – Distinctive.
Chopin Key Selling Points
Chopin is the only luxury potato vodka
Potato vodka is the vodka of connoisseurs, and Chopin is the only luxury vodka still to be crafted in this unique way.
Chopin is produced from Podlasie potatoes and carefully distilled at the Pomos Siedlce
Podlasie potatoes impart a richness on the palate and a creamy texture along with a subtle earthy mineral note to the vodka.
Podlasie potatoes are all natural from farms that use no herbicides or pesticides
Chopin is four times distilled and five times filtered
This proprietary distillation and filtration process guarantees the purity and complexity of Chopin vodka
Chopin is the favorite of critics and connoisseurs everywhere
Don’t forget to tell your buyers about the double gold at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition
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