Ketel One(R) Vodka Launches Ketel One Oranje(TM)

NEW YORK, April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Ketel One® Vodka introduces Ketel One Oranje™, the newest super-premium addition to the Ketel One portfolio.  The launch coincides with Queen's Day, a national holiday in the Netherlands honoring the Queen's official birthday, which is widely celebrated.  The color orange is everywhere as it represents the royal family name — The Family Nassau, House of Orange.  With the launch of Ketel One Oranje, a touch of Dutch heritage is celebrated with every glass.

Ketel One Oranje is the perfect balance of Ketel One Vodka and the refreshing essence of natural orange.  Its unique and sophisticated profile is defined by fresh orange zest, bright juicy orange and hints of warm spice making it the first all-natural orange flavored vodka worthy of drinking on the rocks.

Ketel One Oranje, pronounced "Oh-RON-yah" in Dutch, is produced at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland, where the Nolet family has been producing premium spirits since 1691. Ketel One Oranje begins with Ketel One Vodka, which is still crafted from small batches in the Ketel One Dutch tradition. The vodka is then infused with the natural essence of a select combination of Mandarin oranges from Italy and Valencia oranges from Florida and Brazil.

"It's a privilege for me to introduce Ketel One Oranje on Queen's Day, one of the most celebrated and colorful holidays honoring the royal House of Orange," said Carl Nolet, Jr., 11th Generation Distiller and Executive Vice President of Nolet Spirits USA. "This is the first flavored vodka we've introduced since 2000 when Ketel One Citroen™ debuted.  We've remained true to our Dutch heritage and used only the best ingredients to create a product we're proud to say is the first all-natural orange flavored vodka worthy of drinking on the rocks."

The extraction of orange essential oils is at the heart of the creation process, which gives each bottle of Ketel One Oranje its distinct, natural orange flavor.  Ketel One uses artisanal extraction methods to gather the highest concentration of essential oils, which is then refined and blended together by experts in Grasse, France, the home of perfume.  The Nolet family supervises the essential oil blending process to ensure the finest quality blend is produced for Ketel One Oranje.  Like all Ketel One Vodka, the Nolet Family approves each batch of Ketel One Oranje before bottling.

"Ketel One Oranje is the perfect addition to the Ketel One Vodka portfolio," said Toby Whitmoyer, Director of Marketing for Ketel One Vodka.  "No matter how you choose to enjoy Ketel One Oranje this Queens Day or at any other celebrations, please be sure to enjoy it responsibly."    

Ketel One Oranje has a suggested retail price of $25 and is available in liquor stores in the United States, nationwide.

About Ketel One® Vodka  

Ketel One® Vodka is a vodka rooted in authenticity, crafted honoring tradition and sophisticated in taste. Ketel One Vodka is produced by the Nolet family in Schiedam, Holland, who has been distilling fine spirits for 11 generations.  Ketel One is produced from the finest quality wheat.  The super premium vodka is crafted from small batches using traditional copper pot stills including the original copper pot still "Distilleerketel #1" after which Ketel One is named.

In 2008, the Nolet Group and Diageo announced that they had completed a transaction to form a new 50/50 company called Ketel One Worldwide B.V. to own the perpetual exclusive global rights to sell, market, and distribute Ketel One® Vodka, Ketel One Citroen™ and Ketel One Oranje™.  The Ketel One brand is owned by Double Eagle Brands N.V.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

SOURCE Ketel One Vodka