Locally produced vodka
was launched by Colonel

‘Secreterre’ enters an $11 million market

Colonel, a microbrewery and distillery producing beer and gin, has begun producing vodka in Batroun, under the brand name ‘Secreterre’.

It is the first vodka brand to be produced in Lebanon.

“The consumption of vodka per capita is very high in the market,” said Jamil Haddad, Founder of Colonel.

Vodka imports reached $11 million last year, according to Custom figures. “The number indicates that vodka is a promising business,” Haddad said.

Colonel is distilling the vodka in the same distillery it uses for gin, which the company started producing last summer. The microbrewery invested around $300,000 in the distillery.

Colonel has the capacity to produce 500 bottles (700 milliliters each) per day. Haddad has begun distributing his vodka to restaurants and bars, and aims to appoint a distribution company to marketing the product.

Vodka is produced from grains, a raw material which is provided by local farmers, Haddad said.

In 2013, Adam Aboulhosn, founder and CEO of Middle East Beverage Company (MEBEVCO), launched the J2 vodka brand. It used Lebanese mineral water but was distilled and filled in Poland.