Lake County's Kevin Suttman, maker of Seven Brothers Vodka, talks about the art of distilling
View full sizeKevin Suttman of Seven Brothers Vodka.
Kevin Suttman, 45, used to be a director of architectural sales for an international wood-veneer company. Today he is one Ohio’s newest distillers of spirits, with his Seven Brothers vodka and rum. A graduate of John Carroll University, Suttman is married with two kids and has lived in Lake County all his life. He spoke with PDQ’s Michael Heaton.
Are you one of seven brothers?
Yes, I come from a family of seven boys and one girl. We were all born and raised in Northeast Ohio.
Where did the name come from?
The name ties into my family roots. Growing up, my brothers and I spent many weekends brewing (and drinking) beer in our mom’s kitchen.
Before starting this company, did you have any distilling experience?
I had no distilling experience, just a passion for brewing and distilling. In my previous life, I had a corporate job and traveled the country every week. It was a great career, but it didn’t inspire me the way distilling does.
What inspired you to start Seven Brothers?
I have always had a need to make things. I almost opened a brewery a decade ago, so when I recognized that microdistilleries were popping up across the country, I decided it was the right time to pull the trigger.
What were the challenges?
The biggest challenge is the government permits, licenses and regulations. It is a long process to get the proper licenses to distill high-proof liquor. Many of the federal and state laws date to the Prohibition era. Huge distilleries have teams of lawyers to navigate the laws: I stumbled through them on my own.
Did you start experimenting in your kitchen?
Unlike brewing beer or making wine, distilling alcohol at home is illegal, so I’ll make no public confessions. Let’s just say that it would be difficult to launch a commercial product without doing a lot of “RD” [research and development] first.
How many different batches did you make before getting the one you liked?
It’s hard to say exactly how many batches I went through, but I’d guess that it was at least two dozen before I had what I believe to be the perfect “vodka drinkers vodka.”
Do you have any disaster stories about the learning process?
Did I ever! My first few large-scale batches were a complete disaster. I developed a unique “low-temperature” distillation method, so I had a much steeper learning curve than most distillers. I distill under vacuum, which lowers the boiling point. This allows the sweetness of the grain to come through in the finished product, and it eliminates many of the high-temperature reactions that cause the “burn” in most other vodkas. Distilling this way is a lot more time-consuming, but the results are worth it.
What was your favorite vodka before creating Seven Brothers?
My favorite drink is vodka on the rocks, and I preferred Ketel One. I always considered it to be the best straight vodka. I do a lot of informal blind taste tests with small groups, and my vodka has always come out ahead of Ketel One and the other major brands.
Why did you go for white liquors like vodka and rum instead of whiskey or scotch?
Two reasons: Vodka is my preferred drink, and clear liquors can be produced and sold without aging. Whiskey and scotch must be aged for months or years. I am introducing a lightly aged flavor-infused whiskey this fall. I also have a dark rum aging. Most rum is aged in oak, but I chose to age mine in cherry wood to give it a completely different profile. I hope to launch both by the holidays.
Seven Brothers has a unique taste. What’s the secret ingredient?
The main ingredient is soft winter wheat, but that’s not the secret to its unique taste. The secret is the “low-temperature” distillation. Most vodka is flavorless. My techniques bring a sweet, grainy character to the finished product. Most people are pleasantly surprised to find a vodka with aroma and character.
Do you use Ohio grains?
There are several big distillery grain suppliers across the country, but I wanted to use as much local grain as possible. I found a local mill that would sell me grain milled to my specifications.
How much do you produce a month?
My batches are small. I have a 300-gallon still and a 50-gallon still. I make a couple hundred bottles of vodka and silver rum per month, but I’m also making whiskey and aged rum. I am planning to add more equipment to expand my capacity within the next year.
Have you created a signature drink for either your vodka or rum?
Many people ask if my one sister is angry that I left her off of the “Seven Brothers” label. She was angry about it, so I named my first signature drink after her. I call it “The Angry Sister.” It is two parts Seven Brothers Vodka, one part limoncello, and one-half part Chambord.
Are you the quality-control guy?
I’ve had many people volunteer for the quality-control position, but yes, I test every batch myself. When you distill, the first alcohol to come out of the still is foul-smelling stuff, which is called “heads.” After that comes the “cut” to the middle. The middle is what we use. After the middle comes more foul-smelling alcohol called “tails.” Most distilleries make “cuts” based on volume or temperature, but I do it 100 percent on taste. There are days when I’ve literally done 15 to 20 shots. Even though I spit them out, I’m still feeling pretty good by the end of the day.
Where can people find your products?
Like all other high-proof alcohol in Ohio, we are only sold in state liquor stores. Our vodka is in about 60 stores throughout Greater Cleveland, and the newly introduced silver rum is in about 30 stores so far. If your local liquor store doesn’t have it, they are required by law to bring it in if you request it. We are also sold at many local bars and restaurants, and we’re working on getting into more.
Do you have plans for any other liquors?
Yes, I hope to have a dozen new products on the way: 100-proof spiced rum, due in August; a low-temperature distilled gin, due in October; an aged red rum, due in December; a maple-infused whiskey, due in December; a flavored rum, due in the spring; and an aged wheat whiskey, due whenever it’s ready.
