The First American Vodka in a Recyclable Paperboard Bottle Leans Further Into Sustainability With Ingredients From Local, Family-Farmed Crops

Half Shell Vodka, the newest spirit developed by Florida-based Distillery 98 and distributed by North America’s leading beverage wholesaler Breakthru Beverage Group, makes history as the U.S.’s first spirit brand packaged in a recyclable paperboard bottle. Made from 94% recycled paperboard, Half Shell Vodka’s Frugal Bottle embodies the Florida Panhandle’s legacy of community and sustainability by using 6x less carbon than traditional glass bottles.

“When we discovered the Frugal bottle in the U.K., we immediately realized that this packaging represents the future for our industry,” said Distillery 98 co-owner Harrison Holditch. “We hope that our commitment to Half Shell’s transformative bottle persuades more companies to embrace environmentally friendly packaging.”

Half Shell’s dedication to sustainability extends far beyond packaging, encompassing everything from ingredient sourcing to the incorporation of circular economy principles into the company’s business practices. Half Shell sources its corn locally from the Florida Panhandle and leverages a distillation process that features a one-of-a-kind activated coconut carbon and oyster shell filtration system. The family-run distillery also partners with local farmers for the use of Half Shell’s spent grains as livestock feed. While some distilleries can claim farm-to-bottle cred, far fewer can identify themselves as farm-to-bottle-to-farm.

Half Shell Vodka heightens its company-wide homage to the Florida Panhandle with a blue bottle reflecting the Emerald Coast’s world-class subtropical waters and a distillation process that harnesses shells from the Panhandle’s economically important and ecologically vital oysters.

Half Shell Vodka is available for consumer purchase at Distillery 98 and local liquor stores throughout Florida’s Panhandle and the Tampa Bay metro area (MSRP: $24.99). For more information, visit distillery98.com

About Half Shell

Half Shell is a distinctive spirits brand informed by the unique ecology of the Florida coastline. Made from locally grown corn, distilled through an 18-plate column and filtered through Gulf oyster shells, Half Shell lives up to both its moniker and the spirit of the Panhandle. Ecologically minded, Half Shell utilizes geothermal cooling as part of its distillation process and packages its vodka in unique recyclable paperboard bottles. The brand is an imprint of Distillery 98, which was founded in 2016 by Harrison Holditch and his brother-in-law and head distiller David Kapitanoff. Half Shell is distributed throughout Florida and soon in other states, and can also be found at Distillery 98’s Santa Rosa Beach microdistillery and tasting room—part of the growing Florida Distillery Trail. Learn more at distillery98.com

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