Virtual Press Kit

Who is Altitude Spirits?

Altitude Spirits is a purveyor of fine organic spirits based in Boulder, Colorado. Founded and run by the father-and-son team of Mitch and Matthew Baris, Altitude Spirits began in 2005 with a single product, Vodka 14. Mitch and Matthew wanted to revive a tradition of vodka distillation running back five generations in their family, but they also wanted to prove that craft quality can set a benchmark for purity and taste unrivaled by mass-market brands. Today Altitude Spirits continues to offer connoisseurs of fine spirits around the United States Vodka 14, and is also the proud American importer of Papagayo rums, Juniper Green London Dry Gin, UK5 Vodka, and Highland Harvest Scotch Whisky.

Altitude Spirits’ portfolio spans a wide array of distillation styles, ingredients, and traditions, but all of these brands have two things in common: a USDA Organic Certification and an uncompromising commitment to quality.

What’s an Organic Spirit?

An organic spirit is a beverage that has earned the USDA Organic Certification, the highest legal benchmark of purity for any product made from natural ingredients. People often forget that alcohol is an agricultural product, but in fact most spirits are traditionally made from nothing more than water and crops such as rye, wheat, sugar cane, or corn. USDA Organic is a federal certification program that sets a standard for purity and sustainability. For a product to be labeled “organic,” the crops it is made from must be grown without chemical pesticides or sewage sludge fertilizer, from seeds that are not genetically modified. The farm must be inspected for compliance, which means the plants our products are made from all come from individual farms where quality can be assured instead of commodity exchanges. An organic spirit cannot be processed with chemical additives, which are often used as shortcuts in the distillation process. All of the equipment used to process, transport, distill and package an organic product must not contaminate the product with any non-organic substance. For example, an organic still cannot be cleaned with a chemical solvent, for this would taint the finished product.

Why Organic?

To Altitude Spirits, organic first and foremost means quality. Organic is a way of assuring that our ingredients are untainted by pesticides and sewage sludge fertilizers. It means the distillation occurs with care and precision, deriving flavor from the ingredients themselves and the methods used to distill, not from chemical “blending agents” dumped in to mask any defects.

Organic also means a commitment to sustainable agriculture. The ingredients that make our products are bought from farmers who are growing in a more traditional manner, without genetically-modified seed stocks and chemical pesticides. This style of farming is not the cheapest way to farm, but it is sustainable over generations. Altitude Spirits believes that supporting organic farmers is a big step towards a higher standard of environmental stewardship.

Finally, organic means verifiable purity. Organic means rigorous inspections at every stage of production, meaning that the consumer can be assured that the product they are buying is free from artificial additives, pesticide residues, and so forth. Organic is a federally enforced benchmark for purity, not made-up marketing jargon. To savvy consumers, this in an important distinction, and Altitude Spirits is proud to be a part of this program.

Selected Awards and Critical Reviews

Altitude Spirits is proud to offer a portfolio of award-winning, critically acclaimed products:

• Vodka 14 won the platinum medal at the Spirits International Prestige blind tasting and has won silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition twice, as well as a “highly recommended” rating from the Beverage testing Institute. Spirits Journal described Vodka 14 as “wonderfully clear and pristine” and Men’s Journal rated it “the best new addition to your liquor cabinet.”

• Juniper Green Gin has won a remarkable twelve medals at international spirits competitions, including six gold medals. The Beverage Testing Institute scored it at 91, “exceptional.” This remarkable gin also claims the unique honor of the Royal Warrant of His Royal Highness The Price of Wales.

• Papagayo Rums have been honored with a total of eight medals in international spirits competitions. Spirits Journal gave Papagayo White Rum their highest rating of four stars, judging it “highly recommended.” Papagayo has the distinction of being the only Fair Trade Certified rum in the United States.

• Highland Harvest Scotch Whisky was honored in 2007 with the Royal Warrant of His Royal Highness The Price of Wales. It has earned coveted recommendations from both the Beverage Testing Institute and Spirits Journal, who also rated Highland Harvest a best buy.

• UK5 Organic Vodka has been honored with seven medals in international spirits competitions and was judged “highly recommended” by the Beverage Testing Institute. In 2007, UK5 was granted the exceptional honor of the Royal Warrant of His Royal Highness The Price of Wales.

Further Resources

For more information on any of our fine spirits, we invite you to explore this website.  High-resolution images of all our spirits are available here. For any further information or to arrange an interview, we invite you to contact us.