William Chase
The story of the Chase distillery coincides with that of a man, William Chase, and his extraordinary adventure. William was a potato farmer from Herefordshire and one day, after twenty years of working in the fields, he picks up a potato and realizes he can do something great.
From William Chase's intuition first comes the Tyrrels crisps, which have become famous worldwide, then the Chase vodka. During a trip to America to promote the Tyrrels, William visits a small potato distillery and is fascinated by it. When he returns to his Herefordshire farm, he buys a traditional still and then a rectification column and begins his first distillation experiments. It was 2004: it will take four years of attempts and trials before the first vodka hits the market.
William's idea was not easy to realize and required patience and sacrifices: it was about producing a potato vodka of the highest quality without resorting to excessive filtration that would strip it of its primary characteristics. In June 2008, the first vodka hits the market and immediately becomes the subject of great appreciation, awards, and recognitions. The secret of Chase vodka has been revealed by William, recounting the precise moment when the definitive version of his vodka was born: “16 tons of potatoes made only 1000 liters of alcohol. After 40 hours of work, it was discouraging, but it was proof of the great quality achieved.”
Today, from his potato vodka, William Chase also produces gin, through the infusion of sought-after and high-quality botanicals. These are spirits that encapsulate William's passion for excellence and craftsmanship but, above all, the energy of the land and one of its great fruits: the potato.
The story of the Chase distillery coincides with that of a man, William Chase, and his extraordinary adventure. William was a potato farmer from Herefordshire and one day, after twenty years of working in the fields, he picks up a potato and realizes he can do something great.
From William Chase's intuition first comes the Tyrrels crisps, which have become famous worldwide, then the Chase vodka. During a trip to America to promote the Tyrrels, William visits a small potato distillery and is fascinated by it. When he returns to his Herefordshire farm, he buys a traditional still and then a rectification column and begins his first distillation experiments. It was 2004: it will take four years of attempts and trials before the first vodka hits the market.
William's idea was not easy to realize and required patience and sacrifices: it was about producing a potato vodka of the highest quality without resorting to excessive filtration that would strip it of its primary characteristics. In June 2008, the first vodka hits the market and immediately becomes the subject of great appreciation, awards, and recognitions. The secret of Chase vodka has been revealed by William, recounting the precise moment when the definitive version of his vodka was born: “16 tons of potatoes made only 1000 liters of alcohol. After 40 hours of work, it was discouraging, but it was proof of the great quality achieved.”
Today, from his potato vodka, William Chase also produces gin, through the infusion of sought-after and high-quality botanicals. These are spirits that encapsulate William's passion for excellence and craftsmanship but, above all, the energy of the land and one of its great fruits: the potato.
