When Pine Township resident Barry Young decided to dive head first into the craft spirits business, he never imagined that his locally-sourced potato vodka, Boyd & Blair, would make much of an impact on the spirits industry – let alone be featured on a world stage. But, with endorsements from Oprah Winfrey (who used the vodka in the signature cocktail for her show’s 2011 farewell luncheon at Chicago’s Table 52), and mentions in Saveur, Food & Wine and on the Martha Stewart Show, plus the honor of being named the designated vodka of the G-20 Summit in 2009, that’s exactly what happened.
In 2005, Young, driven by the encouraging spirit of his wife Jennifer’s late father, James Boyd, decided to create his own spirits startup. Inspired by a visit to the Jack Daniels’ distillery during a vacation in Tennessee, the former pharmaceutical company CEO made the transition to the corporate world to crafting vodka. And although it was risky to walk away from both a competitive salary and job security, Young jumped into this new endeavor, full speed ahead.
For the next three years, tireless efforts were put forth to bring Boyd & Blair potato vodka to life. Young attended distilling classes at Flag Hill Winery and Distillery to learn the ins-and-outs of creating craft spirits, and grappled with a myriad of startup decisions, from where to source the potatoes, to how to get the still they needed and where to house it. Finding grant money and investors to help fund the business was a priority, and intense market research was conducted on every aspect of selling craft spirits. Everything from bottle shape and color, label style, and brand design were just as important to the process as the actual distilling and flavor forming of the vodka.
In early 2008, the company moved to a 7,000 square-foot industrial space in Glenshaw, just north of Pittsburgh. Christian Carl, an artisan still-builder from Germany was chosen to design, construct, and transport the machinery from Goppingen, Germany. His colleague, Alexander Plank, the installer of the still, was charged with climbing up and down the copper still to attach pieces and securing parts, earning the nickname ‘Spiderman’ from the Boyd & Blair crew. With Plank’s guidance, Young soon became comfortable with the 28-foot piece of machinery, learning to troubleshoot issues and fix anything that broke along the way.
Using local ingredients was an important aspect of the Boyd & Blair vision. Masser Farm in Sacramento, PA was chosen as a source for the potatoes, and, once the ingredients were secured, Young began fiddling with the recipe. It took countless tries to get it right, but once he did, Boyd & Blair’s unique flavor made it a hit among vodka connoisseurs.
Boyd & Blair vodka officially hit the shelves of their local liquor store, the Gibsonia Wine & Spirits, in August 2008, and one year later, it was the signature vodka of Pittsburgh’s G-20 Summit.
Today, Boyd and Blair vodka is available in select states across the United States, and has distribution in Canada, too, and bartenders at restaurants from MB Post in Manhattan Beach to Saxon + Parole in New York City are using the vodka to create special craft cocktails.
Here in Pittsburgh, the vodka is featured in restaurants from Butcher and the Rye to OTB Bicycle Café, and many eateries offer house-made infusions made with Boyd & Blair, like cucumber basil and fresh watermelon. A pumpkin-infused vodka will be featured later this month at Soergel’s Orchards’ fall festival.
The business is truly a family affair, with the Youngs’ adolescent daughters regularly spending their afternoons cleaning at the distillery, or making boxes to send out shipments. Since the company’s inception, Jennifer has also been an integral part of the business. Through it all, the Youngs have strived to create a brand that lives up to its namesake.
“If Jim were here now,” Young says fondly, “He’d be hanging out at the distillery with me, tasting and tweaking the vodka, enjoying every minute.”
“We wouldn’t be able to keep him away,” adds Jennifer. “He would have loved Boyd & Blair concept, but he would probably have been embarrassed that we named it after him.”
Boyd & Blair’s Watermelon Cocktail
Slice the top off of one medium-sized seedless watermelon. Spoon out the insides, and place in a deep mixing bowl. Using an immersion blender, carefully juice until thin.
Strain melon juice through a colander, and press any pieces through.
Make a basil syrup by combining 2 cups on boiling water, 2 cups of sugar and 10 torn basil leaves. Stir until sugar dissolves, and remove from heat. Let cool, then remove basil leaves.
To create the cocktail, mix 1.5 parts Boyd & Blair vodka with 1 part watermelon juice and ½ part basil syrup.
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