Maine spuds eyed to make pricey vodka

FREEPORT – A farmer looking to add value to his low-priced potato crop has launched a business partnership in hopes of turning humble Maine spuds into high-priced premium vodka.

Maine Distilleries Inc. plans to trade on the state’s image of pristine water and traditional New England farms as it creates a niche product to compete with the Grey Gooses and Belvederes of the world.

It will be produced in small batches, much like microbreweries that produce specialized beers, said Don Thibodeau, who is now in the midst of his fall harvest of 525 acres of potatoes in Fryeburg.

“This is all going to be hand-crafted by the batch,” said Thibodeau, who was encouraged to pursue the idea by his brother.

Maine Distilleries already has cleared its first hurdle with the town’s project review board. It anticipates having federal and state regulatory approvals to start production this spring on U.S. Route 1, four miles south of L.L. Bean.

The commercial distillery would be Maine’s first, officials say. White Rock Distilleries in Lewiston makes and markets a full line of spirits, but the alcohol used in White Rock products is imported.

The vodka concept originated with Thibodeau, who was frustrated by market conditions that have led to low potato prices.

His older brother, a neurosurgeon, signed on as an investor. The other partners are Bob Harkin, a former executive at American Skiing Co., and Christopher Dowe, a master brewer and consultant for microbreweries.

The idea is not necessarily new. Maine farmers have tossed around the idea of distilling vodka to utilize Maine-grown potatoes for years, but the consensus was that it wasn’t cost-effective to produce large quantities at low prices.

Creating smaller batches of a premium product makes more sense, and potato farmers will be watching the project with interest, said Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board in Presque Isle.

There is thought to be only one distillery in the United States that now makes vodka from potatoes. Vodka is the most popular of the spirits, accounting for 26.2 percent of U.S. liquor consumption last year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Rum was second at 12.3 percent.

The robust growth is because of the popularity of high-priced super premium brands and flavored vodkas, along with a resurgence in the cocktail culture that has boosted liquor consumption in general, she said.

Maine Distilleries plans to start small with one or two batches – up to 500 bottles – each week, Harkin said. Each batch will use 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of potatoes grown by Thibodeau’s Green Thumb Farms.

The company hopes to win regulatory approval from the federal and state government and purchase the equipment in time to begin production this spring. The goal is for the product to be on the market by summer in Maine and New Hampshire. From there, company officials plan to press deeper into the Northeastern market, Harkin said.