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photography by gino van Meenen (faMily); Courtesy of nolet faMily Distillery (winDMill) "It Is our duty to leave both the busIness and the town of schIedam healthy and to buIld the future." —bob nolet to save the family business," he remembers. After several years of experimenting with his great-grandfather's recipe for wheat-based vodka, Carl Sr. realized that the cleanest, crisp- est taste possible resulted from combining the heavier-tasting spirits from Distilleer Ketel 1, the distillery's oldest coal-fired copper pot still, with the lighter product from the column still—and Ketel One was born. In 1983, Carl Sr. brought the vodka to the US. His plan was to introduce it to America through the best establishments and most-noted bartenders, building interest by word of mouth. Carl Jr. and Bob joined in helping expand Ketel One's presence, armed w it h t heir fat her's ma nt ra, "Don't oversell; find people who want to try it." This strategy helped Ketel One achieve stratospheric growth, in 2002 reaching 1 million cases sold in a year. This was followed by other milestones, includ- ing the launch of Ketel One Citroen in 2000 and Ketel One Oranje in 2010; the formation of a partnership in 2008 with the global distributor Diageo to take the brand to the next level; and recognition by Drinks International as the best- selling vodka and most trending vodka in 2015. As the Nolets prepare to celebrate the 325th anniversary of their distillery with the release of a limited-edition Ketel One vodka bottle, incor- porating key elements of the brand's history and inspirations, Carl Sr. and his sons take pride in their continued stewardship of the family enter- prise. "It is our duty," says Bob, "to leave both the business and the town of Schiedam healthy and to build the future." ma clockwise from far left: The Nolet family distillery; a 325th- anniversary bottle of Ketel One vodka; Carolus Nolet Sr., Bob Nolet, and Carl Nolet Jr. // distill responsibly // GOOD NEIGHBORS The Nolet family has invested in the long-term well-being of their business with environmental and social practices that make it not only a model for progres- sive operations, but also help maintain the health and beauty of their hometown, Schiedam. Early 1980 s: Carl Sr. has an air purifcation system incorporated into the coal-fred still exhaust system to improve air quality in Schiedam. 2005: The 141-foot-tall De Nolet windmill (which is actu- ally a wind turbine) is built, providing 20 percent of the distillery's power while refect- ing Schiedam's heritage. 2007: To eliminate heavy truck traffc in town, the Nolet family digs the Netherlands' only pri- vately owned tunnel to connect the distillery with its distribu- tion center on the opposite bank of the Buitensluis Canal. TasTe Tribute 98 michiganavemag.com