I Spirit Vodka

I Spirit Vodka is a five times distilled Italian vodka from the historic land of Friuli. Possessing a clean, smooth taste, I Spirit Vodka is the result of traditional distilling techniques expertly applied to a selection of indigenous ingredients.

Combining the highest quality grains and selecting the very best white grapes from an area world-famous for its DOC-certified wines, I Spirit is produced according to a traditional recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. The blend is distilled in copper alembics and tall rectification columns, resulting in a bright crystal vodka with a fresh aroma. The flavor is warm and velvety, reminiscent of the ingredients from which it is made. There is a particular elegance and smoothness to ISpirit that make it pleasantly unique and distinctive.

I Spirit Vodka ‘distills’ the essence of Italy in a single bottle –culture, taste, history and flavors of yesterday and today. A project created in partnership between renowned restaurateur Arrigo Cipriani of Harry’s Bar fame, the enterprising Lapo Elkann, Friuli distiller Marco Fantinel and Venetian entrepreneur Francesco Cosulich, I Spirit arrives in the US after a successful launch in Europe.

The history of I Spirit Vodka suggests that this vodka isn’t just a new product of Italy, but the revitalization of a long lost story.

Legend has it that one November night in 1195 in Venice, Andrea ‘T.’ known as il Bianco (the White One), a rich landowner and alchemist, announced in the village inn that, due to his experiments and “that generous land of fabulous grapes,” he had finally discovered the “elixir of long life.” From that night on, il Bianco’s castle became the favorite haunt of lords, rulers, artists and churchmen, all eager to try the new spirit. After il Bianco’s death, interest in the ‘elixir of long life’ waned and the tale of his spirit was lost among the inns of the Veneto region.

Moving ahead nearly 740 years to Venice, Ernest Hemmingway is spending time at Harry’s Bar. There are two things Hemmingway loves above all else at Harry’s: tasting Italian distilled alcohol with Giuseppe Cipriani, and the tales and anecdotes they share throughout their drinking time together. The tale Hemmingway finds most incredible is that of il Bianco, told while taking long sips of vodka made by a local farmer. At the end of the tale, it is said that Hemmingway jumps to his feet and declares to Giuseppe, “A toast to the genius who made it up! An absurd vision, as absurd as the idea of Italian vodka!” And they down their glasses at once. It was then, in 1934, that Giuseppe Cipriani first distilled I Spirit Vodka with the advice of Hemmingway.

Fast forward to 2009 in that same bar where Hemmingway enjoyed his vodka. Arrigo Cipriani and Lapo Elkann - two Italians with a global outlook - get together and revive the myth of Italian vodka. They raise a toast to a true distillate of culture, bottled and ready to set sail from Venice’s Lido toward foreign shores.

Browse all 3 I Spirit Vodka Drink Recipes