Ketel One

Ketel One is a vodka brand of the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Netherlands. Ketel One Vodka is distilled from 100% wheat in copper pot stills (Ketel is Dutch for pot still), filtered over loose charcoal, and rests in tile-lined tanks until ready. Ketel One Vodka is named after the original copper pot still, "Distilleerketel #1." The alcohol content of this spirit is 40% (80 proof (US), 70 degrees proof (international)). The Nolet Distillery also makes Ketel One Citroen, Ketel One Oranje, Ketel One Botanical (in the varietals Peach & Orange Blossom, Cucumber & Mint, and Grapefruit Rose) and Ketel 1 Jenever.

Ketel One

Type	Vodka
Manufacturer	Nolet Distillery
Distributor	Nolet Distillery (50% ownership) Diageo (50% ownership)
Country of origin	Schiedam, Netherlands
Introduced	1983; 42 years ago (1983)
Proof (US)	80
Variants	Regular, Citron, Oranje
Website	http://www.ketelone.com

Ketel One and the Nolet Distillery is 50% owned by the Nolet Family, and 50% owned by Diageo, which acquired its stake in 2009 for $900 million USD.^[1][2]

History

The Nolet windmill at the distillery in Schiedam

17th century

Ketel One is produced by the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Netherlands.^[3] The Nolet Distillery was founded in 1691 by the Nolet family, French Huguenot refugees, and has remained in the Nolet family ever since.^[3] Ketel One is so named for the original coal-fired copper still that was used to distill it, Distilleerketel #1.^[3][4]

18th century

In 1794, a windmill known as "the Whale" was built on the property.^[3] In 1867 the family began to focus on exporting their products.^[3]

19th century

The town of Schiedam has long been known for the alcohol industry.^[5] By the end of the 19th century the town boasted over 400 distilleries.^[5]

20th century

The Nolet Family opened a distillery in the United States in 1902^[4] and sold vodka under the Imperial Eagle Vodka brand name.^[5] Nolet were forced to close it during the prohibition era,^[3] with Joannes Nolet forced to flee the country.^[5]

The distillery industry in Schiedam was hit hard by World War II, and by the end of the war only 40 distilleries were left.^[5] Within the next few years changes in technology and consolidations and mergers left Nolet as the only distillery still operating in Schiedam.^[5]

When Carolus Nolet (1941–),^[6] the tenth generation of the family to own the company, took over for his father in 1979,^[7] the company made a wide range of spirits.^[5] He made the decision to focus on one product, and make it the best it could be. The company began producing jenever exclusively.^[5] Ketel 1 Jenever quickly became the best selling Jenever brand in the Netherlands.^[5] At that point the company began to look at returning to the United States market.^[5] Carolus began to develop a vodka designed specially for the American market, focusing on quality.^[5]

Nolet returned to the U.S. market in 1983,^[3] launching Ketel One Vodka in San Francisco at the BIX Restaurant and Supper Club.^[5] Rather than advertising directly to consumers, the company encouraged bartenders and distributors to sell their product.^[5] In 1991 Carl Nolet Jr. moved to the U.S. and founded Nolet Spirits USA.^[3] Between 2000 and 2010 the company released two flavored vodkas, Ketel One Citroen and Ketel One Oranje.^[3]

Sales of Ketel One increased from 7,000 cases in 1992–1993 to 250,000 cases worldwide in 1997.^[4]

21st century

Ketel One reached sales of one million cases worldwide in 2002.^[4] In 2003 the company launched its first advertising campaign, thanking Ketel One drinkers.^[4] By 2008 the company was selling close to two million cases per year.^[8]

In 2008, Diageo announced an investment of $900 million in a joint venture with the owners of Ketel One, with the Nolet family continuing ownership of the distillery in Schiedam.^[9]

In 2009 the brand attracted attention for its first television commercials, which seemed "tailor-made" for the post-Great Recession economy.^[10] Despite being sold in 25 countries, up until 2008 the United States was the only country where the company advertised.^[8]

In 2014, The New York Times cited the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index as having the Ketel One brand at number 2, behind only Grey Goose among vodkas.^[11]