Turning waste into world-class spirits
Vodkow began with a bold idea to turn a waste product into a premium spirit.
It all started when serial entrepreneur Omid began searching for a way to turn his love of spirits into a business — and spoke with his cousin Neal, whose family ran a dairy farm. They discussed a growing problem in the dairy industry — people were drinking less milk, but consuming more butter, yogurt and cheese. This imbalance led to a surplus of milk wasted across Canada. That's when inspiration hit. Could the sugars in milk be turned into alcohol? The answer was yes.
As it turns out, Mongolians have been making a milk wine for centuries, which meant that somewhere out there was a yeast that would turn the lactose sugars from milk into alcohol. With that in mind, Omid contacted the local dairy — and learned about their new ultra-filtered milk machine. The machine could separate proteins and fats from skim milk, leaving behind a sugar-rich milk mixture called permeate. Permeate proved to be perfect for fermenting and distilling. Much like how rum distilleries use leftover molasses from sugar production, our growing team used these sugars to craft a clean and smooth spirit with a personality all its own — Vodkow vodka.
In November 2018, Vodkow opened its doors to the public. In 2022, our vodka won a prestigious gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition — one of the most respected awards in the industry!
Beyond spirits, we're also working to convert milk into sustainable fuel. Learn more about our Dairy Distillery ethanol plant here:
The Cream Rises to the Top
After long days at the Vodkow distillery, Omid spent his evenings reading about cream liquors. He imagined a Vodkow cream liquor as a perfect showcase for Canadian dairy innovation. So, when a homogenizer came up for sale at the Campbell’s soup factory in Toronto, the team brought it to Almonte, cleaned out the tomato soup, and learned to make our own cream liquor.
This was no easy task — and involved some crying over spilled milk. We persevered though, and our team has been perfecting the art and science of blending cream and alcohol ever since, upgrading our equipment and experimenting with new and exciting flavours each year.
Our quest at Vodkow is to showcase the best of Canadian dairy by crafting world-class products that Canadians can be proud to call our own. By making our cream liquor ourselves, we're able to use 100% Canadian cream, making us the first spirit brand to proudly display the Dairy Farmers of Canada’s Blue Cow logo. We’ve also broken new ground by creating North America's first lactose-free cream liquors. We couldn’t be more excited to bring our flavours to communities across Canada.
From distillery to Dragons’ Den
Last but not least, in 2023, Omid and Neal appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den to talk about Vodkow. Check it out!
LACTOSE FREE
CANADIAN CREAM
SUSTAINABLY MADE
LOCALLY PRODUCED
12+ FLAVOURS
Our local
Hummingbird Chocolate
Vodkow Golden Bean Chocolate Cream is made with pure Hispaniola chocolate from our neighbour Hummingbird Chocolate, one of the world's finest chocolate makers. Hummingbird has been making exceptional chocolate in our hometown of Almonte for more than 10 years. Founders Erica and Drew lead a passionate team of chocolatiers whose creations have won over 85 international awards — using sustainably grown, ethically farmed cacao sourced directly from farmers at better-than-Fair Trade prices.
Fulton's Maple Sugar Bush
Since the 1840s, six generations of Fultons have tapped the trees of Lanark County in the heart of Ontario's maple syrup country. Their certified organic maple syrup is in every bottle of Vodkow Sugar Shack Maple Cream.
Equator Coffee Roasters
Every bottle of our Vodkow Dark Roast Coffee Cream starts with cold-brewed espresso from our neighbours Equator Coffee Roasters. Equator has been roasting fair-trade, organic coffee in Almonte for more than twenty years — making great coffee while building a more equitable relationship with the farmers who grow it. In 2019, Equator became a certified B Corp, showcasing their commitment to a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
