vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...
owned by
Beam Suntory
Beam Suntory, Inc. is an American-founded, Japanese multinational company that produces alcoholic beverages. It is a subsidiary of Suntory, based in Osaka, Japan.
It is the third largest producer of distilled beverages worldwide, behind Diag ...
It is distilled in France from French wheat then exported to the United States where it is flavored and bottled by Beam. It is currently available in around 30 flavors. The brand was launched by the White Rock Distillery in
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, the state's capital, and Portland, the state's most populous cit ...
in 2002. On April 23, 2012 it was announced that Beam Inc. would acquire the Pinnacle brand for $600 million. In January 2013, Beam announced that it would close the former White Rock distillery plant and shift production to Kentucky. The Lewiston bottlery and a portion of the White Rock brands were subsequently acquired by
Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans ( , ,Beverage Testing Institute Gold Award
* Adam's Beverage Group 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 Growth Brand Award
Pinnacle flavored vodka awards:
* Pinnacle Whipped - Product of the Year New Hampshire Liquor Commission 2010
* Pinnacle Citrus - 2011 The Fifty Best - Best Flavored Vodka Double Gold Medal
* Pinnacle Tropical Punch - 2011 The Fifty Best - Best Flavored Vodka Double Gold Medal
* Pinnacle Le Doublé Espresso - 2011 The Fifty Best- Best Flavored Vodka Double Gold Medal
* Pinnacle Kiwi Strawberry - 2011 The Fifty Best- Best Flavored Vodka Gold Medal 9
* Pinnacle Whipped - 2011 The Fifty Best- Best Flavored Vodka Gold Medal
Product timeline
*2002: Pinnacle Vodka package was designed.
*2003: Pinnacle Classic Vodka is launched.
*2005: Pinnacle Kiwi Strawberry, Raspberry, Apple, Cherry, Citrus, and Orange flavors were introduced.
*2006: Pinnacle Grape and Blueberry were introduced, and the package was updated.
*2007: Pinnacle Vanilla, Espresso, and Pinnacle Gin were introduced.
*2008: Pinnacle became a priority brand for White Rock Distilleries, and the company began investing heavily with national advertising. Pinnacle Melon, Banana, Mango, Chocolate, Pomegranate, Le Doublé Espresso, Root Beer, and Butterscotch were introduced. Pinnacle was ranked the #7 imported vodka in the US.
*2009: Pinnacle Cherry Lemonade, Tropical Punch and Pinnacle 100 Proof were introduced
*2010: Pinnacle was ranked the #6 imported vodka in the US. Pinnacle Cotton Candy and Whipped were introduced.
*2011: Pinnacle Vodka Ranks #6 Imported vodka by Impact Magazine. Pinnacle Cherry Whipped, Orange Whipped, Chocolate Whipped, Cake, Gummy®, Coconut, Cookie Dough, Marshmallow, Red Berry, Key Lime Whipped, Pineapple, and Atomic Hots™ were introduced.
*2012: Brand sold to Beam Inc., 1st broadcast TV commercial introduced. Pinnacle Blackberry, Cucumber Watermelon, Peach, and Pumpkin Pie were introduced.
*2013: Rainbow Sherbet and Strawberry Shortcake flavors introduced.
*In November 2013, Pinnacle Vodka and
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is an American chain of baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in areas with high pedestrian traffic such as malls, airports and rest stops. The company's signature item is a cinnamon roll. As of December 2017, there are more ...
teamed up to introduce their own brand of cinnamon flavored vodka, Cinnabon Vodka.
Advertising
Pinnacle released a "Paper or Plastic" television ad in 2012. The ad portrays a woman's fantasy of being served Pinnacle Whipped in a whipped world by two men named Papier and Plastic. The ad ends with her snapping out of her daydream by two men, at a grocery store, asking her if she'd like paper or plastic bags for her Pinnacle. This was not shown in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
television markets, due to the
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is an independent government agency that manages the beverage alcohol industry in Pennsylvania by administering the Pennsylvania Liquor Code. It is responsible for licensing the possession, sale, stor ...
having a monopoly on liquor sales in its state-owned/operated Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores.