Brand Owner Profile - Ekaterina Kuzmina, NEFT

Designing a Future for Luxury Vodka By Victoria CeCe

NEFT VODKA FOUNDER KATYA KUZMINA’S EXQUISITE VODKA IS UNBREAKABLE AND UNFORGETTABLE

When it comes to today’s vodka distillers, there is one goal—bringing the spirit to the forefront of the craft cocktail scene. After a dark period, bartenders find a renewed appreciation for vodka as a higher class of brands emerge, breaking the stereotypical notion that all vodka is created equal—clear, odorless, and tasteless.

NEFT Vodka founder Ekaterina Kuzmina wanted to create a vodka that paid homage to her family roots in the Siberian oil workforce while shattering the preconceived notion about low quality. “There was a total lack of an ultra-premium vodka that would have super clean ingredients,” she says. “Vodka is a neutral spirit. The common perception is that it all tastes the same, but there is a craft in making a good one.”

From her own cultural experience, Katya set out to change the world’s perspective on vodka. To her, vodka isn’t for shots. It’s for savoring. So Katya aspired to create the “Prada of vodkas,” something sophisticated, fun, and refined.

With such a vision, one would think that Katya had a solid beverage background when starting NEFT in 2011. Yet, the most sublime aspect of this story is that this vodka began out of pure passion. “I was a complete and total amateur,” comments Katya when discussing the beginning of her vodka project.

For Katya, being new to the beverage industry made it easier to experiment because she wasn’t caught up in all the rules. “When you don’t know the rules, you are not particularly tied up by them in your mind and can get more creative, thinking outside the box and daring to do a lot of things that otherwise, you wouldn’t.”

With a name like “NEFT” (meaning oil in Russian,) it’s clear that Katya’s background influenced the final product. Her husband, mother-in-law, and father-inlaw all work in the petroleum industry. While this may not sound glamorous, it’s a definitive part of Katya’s culture. “Petroleum industry is associated with wealth, prosperity, technology, western partnerships, and something that moves the economy forward,” explains Katya.

Not only that, but petroleum also plays a pivotal part in the history of Russian vodka. Those in the petroleum industry began working in the fields in Siberia. There, vodka was the drink to be had, to keep spirits up in the bitter cold.

As the Chief Visionary Officer for NEFT Vodka, Katya channels this cultural history into every aspect of her vodka. NEFT is crafted with water from the Austrian Alps and ancient grains. And it’s got a bottle design you can’t miss. Shaped like a petroleum barrel, NEFT’s bottle is hard to miss on the shelf or bar.

Katya is indeed a boss lady, taking the world by storm. But, for her, what makes NEFT the best is her team. “We’ve got an amazing international team of like-minded professionals that are very excited and motivated about building a brand around our fantastic product,” says Katya. “We are a young company, it is a journey for everyone.”

For such a young company, Katya and the NEFT team have made major strides. So much so that they launched NEFTI, Emerging Film Talent International, in collaboration with IEFTA (International Emerging Film Talent Association). This annual competition creates a stage for emerging filmmakers from developing economies to showcase their talents on a global stage.

Katya’s vodka dreams have only just begun. As we wait to see where Katya takes NEFT next, we’ll be sipping her prized vodka neat, just as she suggests.