Stil more gold

10 April 2006

Stil more gold

Kiwi vodka Stil has won GOLD at the prestigious San Francisco Spirits Awards, the first international accolade for the new vodka on the block.

Stil launched in New Zealand at the end of 2005 and has already received an enormous amount of attention in its first few months on the market.

Its cheeky "Win a Russian Bride" promotion in retail stores throughout New Zealand offered the lucky winner a free trip to St Petersburg to search for a dream wife and bring her home.

The promotion created ripples in newspapers around the globe and set tongues wagging as far away as Moscow.

"We had a lot of calls about the promotion. It's not what you normally find in a bottle store and it firmly told our customers we don't take ourselves too seriously.

“We like to have a laugh – we are talking about vodka after all," says Gareth Hughes, Stil Sales manager in NZ.

STIL is the younger brother of 42 Below, which itself has won more awards now than any other vodka in the world.

"Stil is for the kiwi bloke and blokette; it's perfect when you’re looking for a good vodka at a good price to have with your tonic.

“It might not be made using the advanced distilling techniques of 42 Below, but we make sure it remains dangerously smooth on the tongue," explains Geoff Ross, of parent company 42 Below.

Stil vodka is 100% New Zealand made and is now selling in Asia as well as leading New Zealand bottle stores and bars.

Gareth Hughes –Sales Manager Stil:

Gareth grew up in Meadowbank in Auckland. He started his selling career on the school field trading marbles with friends (and enemies). He was the top salesperson at Empower for years, contributing towards its peaky success in the glory days of 2000 to 2003. From there he ventured offshore and convinced mad Englishmen to engage in a little warfare by selling them paintball games for three years. 42 Below snapped Gareth up when he returned to New Zealand, where he put down his Lion Red, picked up his bottle of vodka, adorned his Ute with the title 'Bloody Good Vodka' and has taken on the challenge of bringing Stil to New Zealand.

Geoff Ross – Chief Vodka Bloke, 42 Below:

Geoff Ross started distilling vodka in his Wellington garage in 1996. He sold his first bottle in 1999. Today 42 Below is now the most awarded vodka in the world. 42 Below is in 10 countries worldwide, and this list is growing. The Ritz London, The Ritz Paris, Dragon-Eye Hong Kong, Beverly Hills Hotel, Bungalow 8 New York, LA and more than 4,500 of the best bars worldwide now stock 42 Below. 42 Below is now listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, and has over 40 staff placed in key markets worldwide.

About 42 Below:

Mankind hasn't been living in New Zealand for long enough to ruin the environment, creating the perfect conditions to make a super smooth vodka. 42 Below vodka draws its water from a natural spring 1000 feet below an extinct volcano, which achieves the highest purity rating in the world (Aa). The air at the 42nd parallel sets a world benchmark for purity too. Pure ingredients are the secret to producing really smooth vodka. 42 Below is made with GE free wheat and is also Kosher.

ENDS

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