Bartley and Jen Smith were a bit frustrated with the quality of their happy hour. Internationally distilled vodka was just not cutting it anymore, and locally made vodka did not exist. They support local tequila, mezcal and independent breweries in their Akumal restaurant Turtle Bay Cafe, but vodka was an issue.
Bart and Jen are not new to creating great products and new flavors. Turtle Bay Bakery has been creating great ice cream flavors, incredible baked goods and wonderful meals inspired by local ingredients. Their businesses have been leading edge for a while and Bart was convinced that he could distil a unique and original vodka that would impress both visitors and locals alike.
Potato and grain vodka is thought to be some of the best vodka in the world, but as Bart found out, this is not necessarily the case. Vodka is made of 70% water, so the key to a great vodka is great water. After teaming up with a guy from Texas who has been distilling vodka for a while, the light bulb went on during a brain storming session. The local cenote water is a naturally filtered water that could make some great vodka. So the research and testing began.
Cueva Vodka -Sugar Cane and Cenotes Make This Vodka Magical
The idea worked and the vodka team has successfully found the right combination of locally filtered cenote water and locally grown sugar cane to make their Cueva Vodka. Cueva in Spanish means cave, the perfect name for this artisan vodka.
The road from idea to bottle has not been easy, but the end product is more than Bart and Jen hoped for. They are producing Cueva Vodka in small batches and only selling the product in the Riviera Maya. There is room for expansion to other Mexican states, but Bart and Jen want to do that poco a poco. The integrity of their product is forefront in their philosophy. The distilling process is a science but they also want to ensure that each bottle is made with love and care. Their intention is not to produce for the sake of demand but produce a great quality product, over and over again.
If you want to try Cueva Vodka we suggest that you go straight to the source. Turtle Bay Bakery is located just past the arches in Akumal. Sit down, order a Cueva and you just might find this vodka just may be the best vodka you have tried in a while. They serve is chilled and on the rocks, and Bart just may join you in a glass while you are there!