Select Vodka
Miami resident builds a strong Polish brand
What would events in Miami be without vodka? Nobody knows, and many don’t want to find out. And considering Miami’s reputation as a great event city, it’s fitting that one of Florida’s fastest growing vodka brands is owned and operated right here.
Daniel Olech, originally from Poland, now living and working in Miami, started Select Vodka in Miami after learning that the corporate world was not his calling.
“My family moved to Germany from Poland when I was in high school,” he said. “I came to Miami in 1992 and earned my BA degree at the University of Miami. After college I got a job at JP Morgan in New York and eventually relocated to Palm Beach before deciding that my calling was not in finance. So, I decided to go back to my roots and launched Select Vodka.”
Although the origins of vodka are unknown, the beverage has been produced in Poland since the early middle ages. The distillation process is one element that differentiates vodka quality. The more it’s distilled, the smoother the vodka.
“Select Vodka is distilled six times,” explains Olech. “Belvedere is distilled four times and Grey Goose five. So, what we produce is premium vodka from Poland that comes in an attractive bottle at an affordable price.”
Olech’s formula must be working. According to Nielsen, Select is the fastest growing imported vodka (750 ML) in liquor stores and the brand currently has more than 1,100 accounts in Florida.
The attractive bottle is a key component of Olech’s marketing strategy. Tall and sexy with a long neck and glass cork top, the Select bottle is indeed unique. The blue glass gives the bottle an open and inviting quality that is elegant. “Blue is the number one color for glass collectors,” Olech explained.
In the end, however, taste is what counts. Select is made from rye grain, not wheat or potatoes, and the rye gives the vodka a sweeter finish with a vanilla aftertaste.
Check out the Select Vodka website, or purchase online at Crown Wine and Spirits or at a liquor store near you.
