First Georgian Qvevri-distilled Whiskey to Appear on the Market
TBILISI - The first Georgian qvevri-distilled whiskey will soon appear on the market. Georgian distiller Alexandre Kvernadze has already patented the method for qvevri-made whiskey.
At this stage Kvernadze’s company, Alexander Distillery, has 100 litres of whiskey aged in oak. Qvevri-made whiskey will appear on the market in half-litre bottles named Prologue.
In case of a demand, the company has the capacity to produce 200 litres a month.
Kvernadze has been developing this idea for two years and tried this more as an experiment to see what clay does as a catalyst when making high quality alcoholic products. He thinks that Qvevri-made whiskey is unique in that it is a very aromatic pure alcohol that comes from the natural maximum filtration.
Used for fermentation, storage and ageing, qvevri is an 8,000 year-old wine making tool that – according to UNESCO – is entirely unique to Georgia.
Kvernadze stated that the company's concept is to create a product for gourmands that’s why it will be sold in special stores and wine butiques.
The company uses Georgian raw materials for production, such as corn and barley, and plan to use rye, though, according to Kvernadze, it isn’t grown in Georgia.
Alexander Distillery also produces vodka Mtiuluri which is already being sold in the stores.
By Ana Akhalaia
Edited by Chloe Diamond