Press Releases

HEARTLAND SPIRITS GROUP ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS FOR BLAVOD BLACK VODKA

SPRINGBORO, OH – June 17, 2008 – Need a new look for your martini? Why not start with the newest addition to the Heartland Spirits Group – Blavod Black Vodka, the only premium black vodka on the market? Its 94-rated, four-time gold medal winning taste is as stylish and sophisticated as its color and both will make any drink a conversation piece. For those who dare to drink differently, the day has arrived for a martini shaken, not stirred, and black.

The idea behind Blavod Black Vodka was born when Mark Dorman, a former advertising executive, was working in San Francisco. One night he was offered a choice between 28 vodkas; the next day he was asked if he wanted his coffee black or white. The questions came together in his mind until he decided it would be great for drinkers to have the choice of a black vodka. A friend in the drinks industry later suggested changing the spirit’s color using catechu, a natural extract of the acacia tree, used for millennia as a medicinal and aromatic food additive. Rich in tannin (but non-staining), catechu doesn’t interfere with the vodka’s distinct flavor characteristics.

Mr. Dorman went on to mortgage his house and use all of his savings in order to launch Blavod Black Vodka in 1998. The product was soon selling in the British-based Tesco supermarket chain as well as other UK off-license chains, including Threshers. By March 2000, the company had already sold 30,000 cases, including exports to traditional vodka-drinking countries such as Latvia and Poland. The sales and praise has continued to grow since for Blavod Black Vodka, distilled in the UK by Haymans Ltd., under the direction of fourth-generation Master Distiller Christopher Hayman. Blavod is triple-distilled, double-filtered, and made from pure ingredients.

Blavod Black Vodka is now available for distribution in North America exclusively from Heartland Spirits Group. This acclaimed vodka will be fully stocked and ready for distribution beginning in July. Especially popular at Halloween, Blavod has already inspired several new cocktails, including The Black Widow and The October Screwdriver. Grab a bottle and start your own conversation.

For further information, please contact:

John Kanetzke

jkanetzke@heartlandspirits.com

Director of Sales and Marketing

Heartland Spirits Group

218 Tahlequah Trail

Springboro, OH  45066-3052

Phone: (937) 743-2444

Web: www.heartlandspirits.com