A distant whir of a helicopter interrupts a tasting session at the Chopin distillery. Moments later, Tad Dorda, the visionary behind Poland’s first luxury vodka, lands on the sprawling green behind the main building. With a warm smile, he invites the guests to join him for an aerial view of the landscape.
Chopin Vodka, a Super Premium Taste
Nestled in the serene countryside of Krzesk, just 120 kilometers from Warsaw, this hidden gem offers a breathtaking panorama. Artificial lakes glisten under the sun, and potato fields bloom with delicate flowers, painting the terrain in endless shades of green dotted with quaint rural homes.
The Chopin Vodka estate stretches over nearly seven hectares, enriched by an artesian well that provides pure water for their exquisite vodka. In this idyllic scene, where a romantic windmill mirrors itself in a peaceful pond, stands the family-run distillery. Here, they meticulously gather tons of potatoes, rye, and wheat from local farms within a 60-kilometer radius, transforming them into a sublime distillate.
The Importance of Seasonality
From mid-September to early January, production runs non-stop to create the potato spirit that will last the entire year.
«This timing is crucial to harness the seasonality of our ingredients and work with fresh potatoes. By March, the tubers lose their firmness and start sprouting. The rest of the year, we focus on rye and wheat, which are easier to manage as they retain their quality longer in humiditycontrolled silos», explains Dorda. In 1993, he had a groundbreaking idea: to create a vodka that stood out from the rest by emphasizing a single ingredient.
He launched three different lines, each distinguished by its primary ingredient and encased in an elegant, frosted glass bottle — a design that has since become iconic.
How the Super Premium Vodka Was Born?
This stroke of genius was inspired by Dorda’s globetrotting adventures, where he sought inspiration to revolutionize the vodka industry. «I found out that in many markets, especially the American one, vodka was the top-selling spirit, yet both professionals and consumers knew almost nothing about its history and qualities», says the founder of Chopin. For years, vodka has been overshadowed – at least in terms of glamour – by other spirits. But now, there’s a subtle shift happening.
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Images courtesy Fine Spirits
