Interviewer:
In recent years, many of vodka distillery has relied on the marketing buzzwords such as clean, crisp, and pure, but there are few that can back up these claims as fully as Reyka vodka. Distilled on the west coast of Iceland in the shadows of the majestic Mt. Hafnarfjall . The distillery is part of a land like no other, a land of vikings, volcanoes and crystal glacier waters. To find out more, we talked to us brand ambassador Trevor Schneider, about stills, geothermal power and flavour in vodka.
Thank you for joining us, Trevor.

Trevor Schneider:
Thank you for having me.

Interviewer:
Now on your website, you comment that the vodka is not just made in Iceland, it is made of Iceland. I assume by that you are referring to the water that you use.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. I think the glacial water makes up for about 60% of our final product. So to your point of not just made in Iceland, but made of Iceland, that is a big percentage. But then the other aspect of that is that we utilise lava rock as our filtration mechanism. So that helps to remove the impurities and then have the beautiful spirit come out on the other side. So it's kind of two part. If you wanted to stretch it and make it three part, it was that we utilise the geothermal energy to power our distillery as well. So I'd say that's pretty much the triple threat combination in terms of being made of Iceland.

Interviewer:
Speaking of the lava field, I believe that it's 4,000 years old.

Trevor Schneider:
Yes, it is.

Interviewer:
What is the process of filtering through that?

Trevor Schneider:
So our master distiller actually handpicks the lava rock that we utilise in our Carter Head still to remove those impurities. And he's basically focusing on lava rock that is formed on land because it has a different porous quality. Again, going back to removing the impurities, like I said before, it's kind of just like a filtration process, no different than you would use a sieve or something to remove something and allow the spirit or your liquid to come through on the other side. So that 4,000 year old lava rock is something that utilises all of those, that kind of catching technique or to remove those impurities. And it is a natural way and Iceland has more than 130… It's got tons of volcanoes of which a handful of them, I believe still 30 of them are still active. And last year, we actually had one erupting, which kind of caused a little bit of a stir, and obviously regardless of the pandemic, had some people coming out to capture this moment, which doesn't always happen, at least not in everybody's lifetime.

Interviewer:
No, of course, of course. Speaking of volcanic activity, you were talking about how the distillery is powered and that is emission free. Do you want to talk a little bit more about that?

Trevor Schneider:
Sure. Yeah. So a lot of Iceland, I believe the stat is it's 80 to 90% utilizing geothermal energy as their main power source. So essentially, that is just harnessing the core temperature of the planet because Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and very similar to islands that have been created through volcanic activity, very much like Hawaii. Although the climate is obviously different in Iceland, but it's the same kind of formation pattern. We capture that through steam with pipes and gauges, and that helps to then generate the energy that powers our distillery, but as I said when I started, powers about 80 to 90% of Iceland's power needs in the country as a whole.

Interviewer:
Wow, that's impressive. Isn't it?

Trevor Schneider:
It's very impressive. And it's, I think obviously Iceland was ahead of the times. I think everybody is making a move towards sustainability and treating Mother Earth with respect. But I would like to think that Iceland be it so isolated and so forward thinking and very much for the cause of the environment, it's one of those amazing things that we can definitely put our stamp of approval on. And we are very proud of.

Interviewer:
I can imagine. Now, I believe the name Reyka, actually comes from the geothermal process.

Trevor Schneider:
It does. And there's kind of, I'll say, a cute story. I really enjoy the story. I feel like I've been telling the story my whole entire life, but the name Reyka translated means steam or smoke. And essentially, what you have is Reyka vodka. So we have steam or smoke vodka, and there's a tie in there. Because when the land was settled many, many years ago, when the island was sailed upon, it appeared that the land was on fire. And because of the smoke and the steam, because of the activity, that they didn't know whether it was on fire or whether it was smoking, but then they created this word in the Iceland language, which is reykja. And that means to be smoking or the art of smoking. And we named our brand after that as a brand kind of tribute looking back at Iceland and how it was discovered. And that cute little story about that land that we all love to call fire and ice.

Interviewer:
And that of course relates back to being made of Iceland as well. Doesn't it?

Trevor Schneider:
100%. And it's funny how it comes full circle like that.

Interviewer:
Aside from your filtering and your water and your power, the other unusual and quite interesting thing about the brand is the still, the Carter Head still, which you use.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah.

Interviewer:
Now I believe if I'm right, that's a still that is normally used for gin.

Trevor Schneider:
You are 100% right. And it's actually one of the stills that we used in the two part process to produce Hendricks gin. I'm sure you've had a Hendricks cocktail once or twice in your life, but that-

Interviewer:
Once or twice. Yes.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. Once or twice. We'll play it safe. The still was actually created by two brothers. And of course, I'm sure you could guess the name. They were the Carter brothers and they produced this still to obviously, as you said, produce gin. So it has a beautiful botanical basket where you would be putting botanicals in to create gin. In part though, we are not creating gin. We are creating vodka. So we put those lava rock in there so that the spirit in a gas state or a liquid state can interact with that stone, and as I said before, capture those impurities and make sure that the beautiful spirit comes out on the other side, to get bottled to be consumed.

Interviewer:
So it was basically for that basket that you chose that particular still?

Trevor Schneider:
So I can't attribute that exactly. I would say that still was selected based on the charmingly offbeat sense of humoor that Iceland has, which is that we picked a gin still to produce vodka and that's kind of it. That's the funny bit.

Interviewer:
The brand has chosen to use a mix of both barley and wheat. Why is that? Is that part of the offbeat as well?

Trevor Schneider:
Not so much, it's predominantly wheat with a little bit of barley and that barley is more for kind of just getting that process going and aiding and abetting in terms of our production in terms of fermentation, but nothing crazy, no crazy science. Just again, like I said, predominantly wheat with a little bit of barley. And it makes for a beautiful spirit because Iceland doesn't really produce the quality of spirit, or I should say the grains that we would need to produce our beautiful spirit.

Interviewer:
Right. Now, let's get onto a slightly contentious issue. And that is flavour in vodka. Now, I believe that the brand talks about the vodka having a rose, lavender, lemon and pepper palate. Can vodka really have flavour?

Trevor Schneider:
Well, just kind of going back, I think I'm very passionate about this and over the years of me being in this role, I think that a lot of bartenders, or I should say the industry as a whole, has given vodka kind of a lot of flack as it relates to this flavour question. I think it definitely has flavour. I know that there are some vodkas out there that don't, and I'm not talking about a specific fruit forward flavour. I'm talking just about a character or backbone and flavour profile. And I would attribute specifically to Reyka, kind of all those other touch points that we discussed previously, which is the lava rock filtration, and then obviously that glacier water and are still. Those all impart flavour that I think is present in vodka.
Now, again, I'll caveat that with, taste is subjective, right? So if you're not getting what I'm getting, don't worry, your palate is not broken. It really is a subjective. It is a subjective taste. But Reyka starts off, what I would say, pleasantly sweet, not overwhelming, and then moves on to some very, very bright citrus notes that can be described. It could be citrus, could be grapefruit. It all depends again, because it's subjective. And then it moves on to what you had said like that pepper. And I'll describe that pepper flavour profile as a white pepper. So it's like it's that perfect amount of spice, but it's not overbearing. It's enough to entice you to take another sip, to figure out what that spice is, or you maybe just want to revisit it. And then it finishes up what I would say very, very delicate on the palate And there's no burn, or I should say that pepper is that spicy note, but I would never describe that as a burn. And it's just, it is a delicious vodka. So that's, I'll say for Reyka.
Now in terms of flavour for other vodkas, there's many different ways to make vodka based on filtration, based on water, based on the still and all the other processes and the base essentially, right? The grains that you use. And so I know that there are some vodkas that are just distilled tons of time and all the flavour is removed. Although the category of vodka is defined as colourless, odourless and flavourless. I would still say that Reyka definitely has a distinct characteristic and flavour profile as some vodkas the category do. And the counter argument is that there are some that are completely stripped of everything and they are colourless odourless and flavourless. Reyka however is not

Interviewer:
Right. Do you believe that because it's filtered through the lava and that allows it to not have to go through multiple distillations, that is what allows the flavour to come through?

Trevor Schneider:
So I think the reason I think lava rock is a great complement to our production of the vodka is because it is a complement to using that Icelandic water. So all those minerals and everything is coming from the same place, right? And Mother Nature in my opinion is, it is truly the circle of life in terms of regenerating and having things.
Whenever chefs are making dishes, you can pair cocktails. There's a reason why a margarita goes great with agave syrup and limes. These ingredients all kind of come similar in terms of terroir or area. And very similar to I'll say the production of Reyka, I think that compliment of that lava rock and that glacial water, which makes up for a good bit of it, really kind of complements each other really well. And it allows the spirit to stand up in ways that I think using a different filtration mechanism may not be as positive.

Interviewer:
Right. You wouldn't think that lava rock would impart any other flavour other than I suppose, a somewhat ashen.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. I think that and a minerality, right? Because it is a rock, because the way in which the rocks are formed. Because that magma and those minerals and elements come from the inside of the earth and then are thrust up into our surface and then kind of cool and become this excellent filtration kind of mechanism. I think that it's brand new, right? That lava rock is constantly being created whilst a volcano is erupting.
Now, at some point there are older lava rocks. And again, I don't know exactly what the reasoning is behind the master distiller selecting which rocks he selects. I've asked him, he hasn't really given me a straight answer, but I think it's more a vibe and a feeling that he gets. But there's a weight in terms of the elements that are in there, in terms of whether they're more heavier in a metal or a metallic versus some other natural elements. But I think that the filtration process can leave a minerality that I distinctly taste in the vodka. But again, I'm a professional and I've been drinking the vodka for a long time.

Interviewer:
Right. I mean, using different rocks like that, it must make consistency a little bit difficult.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. And I think that the consistency is also a big thing, as it relates to creating spirits. And what I'll say is in our production, our batches are producing 255 cases or 1,000 litres, so that consistency is all up to our master distiller. He knows when it's right and when it's wrong. And he makes those cuts on that distillation. And that's why he's the master distiller.

Interviewer:
Right. That would be one of the advantages of being somewhat small batch, I assume.

Trevor Schneider:
100%. And obviously, having that level of control and what he is always proud to say is that it's all about his nose. He can detect on the distillation when it's time to cut for heads and when it's time to cut for tails and make sure that we get those hearts in the bottles.

Interviewer:
Now, we've talked a little bit about flavour, but if people haven't tried the vodka before, what should they expect?

Trevor Schneider:
So I think this is one of the most interesting things about Reyka. And over the seven and a half years that I've been the ambassador, people are always pleasantly surprised when they taste it. Kind of going back to my description of those flavour profiles. And again, the caveat is that it is subjective. I just think it does have so many flavours. It tastes like a gem. It's a roller coaster ride of flavour profiles. And again, kind of just saying starting off a little bit sweet, hitting some citrus notes, moving on to that spicy element. I think that the expectation is that everybody has had an experience with a spirit, whether that be vodka or gin, and they've had good experiences and they've had bad experiences. They've consumed maybe too much or have been consumed not enough, and they need to taste more to really formulate an opinion.
I think with Reyka, it is exceptionally smooth. It is extremely versatile, from a Bloody Mary, to a five to one martini, to my famed espresso martini. I think that is something that I think everybody, if they haven't should try, because there's a lot of secrets in that bottle that come from Iceland into that bottle of Reyka. And I think everybody should try it because vodka is so broadly accepted by so many people, regardless of how many whiskey people will come after me or tequila people will come after me in terms of popular spirit. Vodka's been around for a long time. It's going to be around for a long time and no one can really do anything about that.

Interviewer:
Yeah, no, I'll agree with you very much there. If they are trying it, I assume you would suggest they try it neat before they put it into your world famous espresso martini.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. 100%. And I think I get, not a pushback, but I think there's two avenues, right? Maybe three. There's neat, which I strongly recommend. And some people prefer either over ice or either out of a freezer. And I'm not going to say that any of those are wrong. It's a personal preference, but my preference is to drink it neat because those flavour profiles will be a little bit brighter when it is at room temperature. And they will be a little bit slightly more masked, because when it is cold, say, pulling a bottle from the freezer, the viscosity is going to be increased. And that of course, is going to affect mouth feel and taste profile. But if you wanted to open it up a little bit and pour it over a little ice cube and just let it open up, I think that's fine as well. Like I said, my preference is just to have it neat because I want to taste all those bright flavour profiles in their natural state or at a natural temperature.

Interviewer:
Some people say that there are certain spirits that are basically just neat spirits and not necessarily cocktail ones. Is Reyka one of those, or is it equally as good in a cocktail?

Trevor Schneider:
No, it's equally as good. And kind of touching back on that versatility. If you wanted to sip it neat, I know not maybe a lot of Americans like to drink vodka neat. But I know in other parts of the world, vodka neat is certainly acceptable and consumed quite regularly, whether that be with a meal, whether that be on its own. I think that the versatility really is endless, whether that be in a cocktail and with a combination of ingredients, some classics, or something new that you just want to have, because say you love cranberry juice, or you love Aloe berry juice, whatever you love, that versatility in vodka as a whole is very much approachable. And Reyka is completely in line with that as well.

Interviewer:
Speaking of cocktails though, would you say that it is better in sort of savoury, bitter cocktails, or it's more of a sweet cocktail?

Trevor Schneider:
No, I would say that it's probably equally versatile in both of those realms, like you said, from dry or bitter, to the sweet side. I love a cocktail. I just made last week ... One of the other drinks that I really adore is to infuse sage into Reyka. And you can infuse it many different ways. The way that I like to do it is to just put it into a blender and put the leaves of sage in there and then filter it out. And that brings such a vegetal bright flavour profile to the vodka. And then I just make a Tom Collins or John Collins with vodka and that sage infused vodka. And it's so, so very bright and tall and refreshing with some lemon, fresh lemon. And I make a black pepper simple syrup, which adds another beautiful complementary flavour profile to that-

Interviewer:
Oh, that's nice.

Trevor Schneider:
... white pepper spice. It's absolutely divine. And my wife loves them. So I don't make it all the time. But when I do make it, I usually make the bottle so that I don't have to go through that whole process every time I want to make the drink. And it really is an easy drink to make.
But again, directly answering your question. Yes, the versatility from a bitter cocktail. One of my other favourite drinks to have is just simply a Reyka soda. And I put five dashes of Angostura bitters in, with a lemon garnish. I really enjoy that. I enjoy that light refreshing kind of tall drink. I really enjoy those drinks as a whole. I'm not so much a spirit forward cocktail guy. And if I am, it's definitely a five to one martini, but that's a special occasion for sure.

Interviewer:
Right. Now, speaking of adding herbs to the vodka-

Trevor Schneider:
Sure.

Interviewer:
... would the brand ever consider doing a flavoured vodka or is that something that has such a bad name these days?

Trevor Schneider:
So I think that's not a loaded question, but it's a great question. And I get that question asked quite a bit. So there's no plan to do any of that thus far. Although I will say that things are always subject to change, right? And the market depicts kind of that influence. But as far as the brand is concerned for right now, no. Only our unflavoured Reyka vodka is the product that we will be selling.

Interviewer:
Right. Okay. Now, coming back to cocktails and to bartenders, I imagine you've seen a lot of bartenders experimenting with the vodka. What are some of the more unusual drinks that you've come across?

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. I think that this is a great question because the versatility, depending on here in the States on each market, right? The cocktails that they make in New York could potentially be slightly different in Miami versus somewhere in the middle of the country, like Chicago, or even a smaller part, like in Oklahoma, or say parts of Texas. So I think some of the most interesting cocktails that I've seen made with Reyka would probably be more along the lines of like, by sage, the infusions. I think that people really-
They push the envelope, right? Whenever you want to pick a spirit for an infusion, I know that a lot of people will pick a lesser spirit because they want to improve on it. But when you pick a premium product already to make that infusion with, it really, really shines through in a huge way, kind of touching back on that sage infusion that I make, which is just absolutely stunning. And I'm happy to share that recipe with you if you'd like, so that your listeners could make that at home because it is really well worth the effort. For sure.

Interviewer:
Yeah. Well, how much sage are you using to a bottle of the vodka?

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. So usually depending on whether it's a seven 50 or a litre or 25 ounces or 33.8 ounces, I would vary it anywhere from say 16 leaves to, it could go up as much as 24 to 30 with a litre. And you really want that flavour to be intense because we're going to add other ingredients with that cocktail. And we definitely don't want that sage to get lost because it is a lighter kind of herb to begin with. So again, it's to taste, but that's a good range from 16 to say, 30, based on the seven 50 or the litre. And again, you just make adjustments as you go. It's kind of like cooking. If you taste it and you don't feel like there's enough sage, then you can add some more. And again, in terms of that consistency point, some sage is organic, some sage isn't, some is homegrown, some is from the store. And so you always have to be monitoring your quality of your ingredients that you are infusing.

Interviewer:
And does how much you pulse the blender affect the flavour?

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. I think that now we dive into maximum surface area. So the more surface area that we have, the vodka can penetrate and be exposed to whatever the herb is that you're infusing, which is always great. But I think you don't have to let ... This isn't one of those things where you need to let it infuse overnight. This is more of a rapid infusion. So if I was to do it, put the leaves in, put the vodka in, blend it for, say a couple minutes, two, three minutes, just to make sure that everything is pulverised, let it sit for maybe 10 or 15 minutes and then strain it out and you are ready to go. It's not one of those things that you need to put in a cool dark place and let sit for three days and let it infuse. If you did, it would be extremely intense.
And if you're looking for that, then I would say, explore that, right? Try a bottle, try it for half a day, taste it, try it, then do another one, or separate it. Right? Break it up. If you do the whole bottle, take six ounces, put a label on it, mark the time and go that way. And then you can find out what level of intensity you really want.
Whilst I was talking about that, I also thought in terms of interesting cocktails, I always love the teabag infusion as well in vodka, which is great. Whether it's camomile or whatever tea you like, peppermint, it's always a quick and easy way to inject flavour and really good, pure flavour into your cocktails. And a simple one, would be taking a bottle of Reyka, putting a couple teabags in, letting that sit for anywhere ... Like I said, it could be four to six hours. It could be a day, depending on your preference. And then just kind of topping that off with a club soda. And whether it be some mint as a garnish or some citrus as a garnish. And that way you're not buying a mint flavoured vodka. Or I don't even know if a mint flavoured vodka exists. I'm sure it does somewhere.

Interviewer:
I'm sure it does. Yes.

Trevor Schneider:
But again, that versatility then with those tea bags is very easy to create cocktails. Peach, lemon, ginger is also another favourite of mine. I have a cocktail with that, that I think is really good. When you want to impart those flavours into those cocktails, sometimes those ingredients are very difficult to secure, or it's very expensive. And tea is definitely cost conscientious. And those ingredients usually are very premium and can impart the flavour that you need for each cocktail.

Interviewer:
Excellent.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah.

Interviewer:
Now, you mentioned gins and tequilas earlier. Obviously, gin is having a bit of a renaissance in the US at the moment, and tequila has been the darling for a number of years. Do you think their rising popularity is going to change the way that people think of vodka?

Trevor Schneider:
Yes and no. Right? I think yes, in the effect that here in America people's palates, and I always give kudos, are developing in a different way than they are in other parts of the world. And I think that's just attributed to culture and ingredients and kind of proximity. I always love to go abroad because I love to try all the flavours and the food that maybe isn't as easy to obtain here in America. But I think that with all of the popularity of whether you say social media or the internet and services for home delivery and securing ingredients, I think that people are starting to branch out. And they're getting a little bit more confident and their palates are getting more refined.
And you are seeing say a common place that now is not just doing a traditional Moscow Mule. They're doing flavoured Moscow Mules. I use that as just an example, but the complexity of the offering is definitely demanding more. And that's because the customers are wanting more and they're more educated. And it's more available in ways in parts of the world that I think it wasn't years ago.

Interviewer:
And I suppose the education for consumers, a lot of that came through COVID.

Trevor Schneider:
Yeah. I think home bartending and the access for a lot of, whether that be bartenders or brand ambassadors like myself, about just getting in front of these screens and these cameras and kind of saying, "Hey, I'm home with my wife. We're all stuck at home because of COVID and the pandemic." And I think that this is a great drink to make. It's super easy and people try it. That accessibility and that relatability to your point, of everybody being home or in one place, it makes it extremely approachable. And that education component is huge.
I mean, in my opinion, if you're not learning, you're wasting time. And I always want to get out of the comfort zone and try some things that I've never had before, because that's the way that you can broaden all of your horizons.

Interviewer:
Now, speaking of world events, even though Reyka is Icelandic, do you think that the protests against Russian vodkas is going to have an impact on the brand?

Trevor Schneider:
I think for Reyka, no. I think that historically, any of these things that have come up, whether you mentioned Russia, there's been some others in the past, these things happen and trends and people are put out. I don't always agree. I don't always disagree. It's one of these things that I think it is the world that we live in and we all are human. And these catastrophes, these tragedies, all of these things happen. And sometimes from a marketing standpoint, it is utilised as a beneficial and spreading awareness. And sometimes it's not.
And I can't speak on all the other brands, but from Reyka's standpoint, I think that we are very much finger on the pulse and making sure that we consider all of the people that are involved in all of the things across the world. And we try to insert ourselves in the most positive and to be beneficial for, I'll say humanity and paying it forward for the right thing. And sometimes that's more difficult than other times.

Interviewer:
Oh, of course. Now, what is it that you want people to take away from their experience with the brand?

Trevor Schneider:
I think the big thing, right. Vodka has changed so much. Vodka's been around for so long. And I think that there are as much as there is a category of vodka and we have flavoured and unflavoured, there's many different filtration mechanisms, processes, elements. I think that with Reyka, Reyka just wants to have you enjoy Reyka and our Icelandic vodka. We're very prideful about that. And I think that we've definitely caused some noise in the category because there are a handful of vodkas. Most of them that are Icelandic are not exported out of the country. Reyka is one of the only Icelandic vodkas distributed in the United States. I know that in other parts of the world, some of them are. But for the most part, most of the Icelandic vodkas stay on the island Reyka is really kind of the most popular, I would say, and equally probably the most distributed as well across the globe.

Interviewer:
Well, speaking of distribution, I assume Reyka is available throughout the US.

Trevor Schneider:
It is. It's available in all 50 states. Sometimes you have to hunt and peck to find it. But you can jump on our website, reyka.com, and you can type it in here in the US and type in your zip code or type in your city and find a place that has it and get yourself a bottle and experience all that Iceland has to offer in a bottle of Reyka vodka.

Interviewer:
Excellent. Now, if people are outside of the US, how widely is it distributed across the globe?

Trevor Schneider:
So we are in, and I forget the exact number, but we are in, I think, close to 100 countries. We are not everywhere in the world, not yet at least, but we are in a lot of say, obviously the UK and parts of Europe. We are in Australia, we are in parts of Asia. We are in Africa. There really is a bunch of the bigger places we are. We have a presence and we are there.

Interviewer:
Good, good. Okay. If people want more information, they can, of course, as you mentioned earlier, go to your website, which is reyka.com or alternatively, they can connect with the brand on your socials.

Trevor Schneider:
Yes. They most certainly can.

Interviewer:
All right. Well, look, Trevor, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today.

Trevor Schneider:
Of course. Thank you very much for having me.

Interviewer:
And hopefully, we'll all do a shot of vodka to cheer the event.

Trevor Schneider:
I very much look forward to that.

Interviewer:
Thank you again.

Trevor Schneider:
Great. Thank you.