THEHOUR

Before VESPER had a name, it had a standard: Uncle Frank's Sunday dirty martini. We grew up in New Jersey, in a family that made its own wine, grappa, and preserves. Good ingredients mattered. So did patience, timing, and knowing when to stop. Frank understood that better than anyone. His glasses lived in the freezer, his olives were brined by hand, and his martinis were always stirred, never shaken.

Years later, we set out to create a vodka with that same character. One with body, balance, and a beautifully clean finish. A vodka equally at home served ice-cold, on the rocks, or in a perfectly made martini. A spirit with enough personality to stand on its own and enough restraint to let a great cocktail shine. That search took us to Fougerolles, France, where Auguste Peureux established his distillery in 1864, beginning a legacy of French spirits craftsmanship that continues today. There, we found Bernard Baud and the distilling expertise of Grandes Distilleries Peureux and Massenez, rooted in the French tradition of eau-de-vie.

Together, we developed a distinctive recipe built around Brie Champagne wheat for body, a restrained contribution of French wine grapes for aromatic lift, and Vosges mountain water for balance.

The craft lay in the details. Careful fermentation, precise distillation, the selection of the spirit's heart, and the measured addition of water. Every decision guided by the same principles Uncle Frank taught us: respect the ingredients, take your time, and know when you've got it right.

An Italian-American family's standards. French ingredients. A distilling tradition dating back to 1864. Two cultures, one shared belief in doing things right.

VESPER. Raised in Jersey. Born in France.