Thirty years ago, the idea of making vodka in Tasmania would not have been considered, but today we understand that any location with the perfect combination of high quality local grain, pure air, pure water, and enough local ingenuity can make some of the best vodka in the world.
Tasmania has some of the purest air on our planet, the water from Cape Grim is certified as the purest rain water on the globe, Tasmania has some of the highest quality grain produced anywhere, and local people willing to ignore what 'should' be done and focus on what 'can' be done. And that is to make one of the best vodkas in the world.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka, named for the unique Tasmanian Devil, is grown, harvested, fermented, distilled and bottled in Tasmania using only Tasmanian ingredients, and Tasmanian hard work. We were awarded a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirit awards 2010, the first Australian vodka to ever achieve this recognition.
Our Vodka
Vodka is one of the world's oldest spirits. Vodka has undergone one thousand years of use and abuse, and only in the last twenty to thirty years has it started to find its true place in the array of spirits behind the bar.
As we move into the next epoch of vodka, we are moving more and more towards a spirit that reflects the place that it is made, and the raw materials that are used. In this trend, we are starting to see more and more pot or small batch distillation. 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka is part of this vodka revolution of location.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka uses 100% Tasmanian Barley, grown locally, harvested locally, fermented locally and distilled locally.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka is 100% Pot Distilled.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka only uses Tasmanian rain water; the purest in the world.
Every drop of spirit in 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka comes from the distillery in Tasmania.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka is wholly grown, fermented, distilled, and bottled in Tasmania.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka is 100% Australian owned.
A Vodka for all Australian's to be proud of.
Cape Grim Water
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka utilizes the pristine rain waters from Cape Grim, at the North West tip of Tasmania, Australia. Cape Grim is located North of Antarctica and receives air that has journeyed 16,000 Kilometres (9,940 Miles) across nothing but the freezing Southern Ocean. When it reaches the warmer shores of Cape Grim it rises and falls as the purest rain water on the planet, the only rain water clean enough to be approved by the Health Departments of the USA, EU, Australia and Japan. 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka captures this unspoiled, virgin water and combines it with our 100% pot distilled spirit to produce Pure Tasmanian Vodka bearing the mark 666.
www.capegrim.com.au
The Devil
The unique Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus Harisii) is the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. It exists only on the island of Tasmania where is it wholly protected. The Tasmanian Devil has the single most powerful bite per body mass of any mammal. It was known to early settlers as the Devil’s Dog, or Beelzebub's Pup for its hideous, loud, and raucous calls, sounds and growls. They are especially vicious and aggressive while feeding, so much so that their first scientific name was actually Sarcophilus Satanicus.
When not feeding, or while they are very young, they are actually placid, beautiful creatures with friendly intelligent faces. The famous open mouthed, tooth filled, horrifying yawn is actually a sign of uncertainty and fear, rather than an invitation to have your arm ripped off.
Since record high numbers about 10 years ago however, the Tasmanian Devil has been almost wiped out by the Facial Tumour Disease, a contagious cancer affecting only Devils. The numbers have declined by 90% and 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka work with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal to raise money and awareness for the plight of the devil.
The delicious flavour of our vodka is in part the result of the untouched pristine Tasmanian environment. 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka is committed to that environment and helping to save the Tasmanian Devil; our name sake.
Our People
Dean Lucas
The owner and creator of 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka has been a restaurant and bar owner in Melbourne for over 20 years.
Owning and operating some of Melbourne’s most successful and iconic venues, combined with a love of spirits, allowed Dean Lucas to appreciate the international lack of premium Australian spirits. Over the years Dean saw more and more success for Australian beer and wine internationally, and a consistent, continuing, lack of any premium Australian spirits. In 2006 Dean and a small independent distillery in Tasmania, began working on creating premium Australian vodka using solely local raw materials.
It took four years to fine tune the completely pot distilled Tasmanian barley vodka, named for the Tasmanian Devil, one of the most unique animals in the world, and just like 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka, it only comes from Tasmania. Awarded a Gold Medal at the San Francisco Spirits Competition in its first year.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka is wholly independently owned and operated by Dean Lucas.
Sebastian Reaburn.
Fifteen years making world class cocktails in London and Australia, 2008 Australian Bartender of the Year, Owner and creator of iconic Melbourne cocktail bar 1806, winner of Best Cocktail List in the World at Tales of the Cocktail 2008, Regular speaker at numerous Australian trade and non-trade spirit and cocktail events, Media contributor on radio, newspapers, and magazines, both trade and non-trade, Regular and always sold out speaker at Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans. Sebastian Reaburn has also written “Complete Cocktails” available in over ten countries world- wide. He is the only current expert of the first Australian golden age of cocktails, 1855-1880. However, Sebastian’s highest achievement is to take up the position as Global Ambassador of 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka, the world’s first internationally recognised premium Australian spirit.
Places you’ll find us
We have quickly become the vodka of choice for the top bartenders and mixologists in Australia; they love now having a local vodka they can be proud to call their own. The best cocktail bars, clubs and restaurants in Australia are using 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka including Eau De Vie, ARIA, Hugos, EDV, Vue De Monde, The Press Club, Royal Mail, 1806, Spice Market, Chin Chins, Coda, Boutique, Neild Avenue, The Loft and Kit n Kaboodle.
666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka is served in business class on all Virgin Australia international flights, making us the only Australian vodka to be served at 35,000 feet.
Internationally we have distribution in California and Nevada. The iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel uses 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka as one of the only two vodkas they stock at their famous Library Cocktail Bar. Determined and informed bartenders from around the world have sourced 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka themselves, now seeing it behind such legendary bars as Milk & Honey N Y, The American Bar at The Savoy London, and The Sanderson Hotel London.
Tasting Notes
Nose.
Dark chocolate and rich rye bread.
Cracked pepper and lemon with almond after notes.
Finally a hint of vanilla, hazelnut, and soft cigar box.
A final tiny accent of river stone and flint.
Palate.
Sweet dark chocolate, and rich rye bread crusts.
Black pepper heat, softening to cooked sweet chilli.
Hints of coffee, vanilla, cashew nuts, all rolled in dark rye bread.
Long, long, long finish, more dark chocolate and pepper.
Sweet nuts, hints of gunpowder and spicy heat.
A final note of river stone, and sweet black chocolate.