The bottle Ocean Organic Vodka, $29.99The back story With the arrival of fall, beach season may have come to an end for many of us. But here’s a thought: If you’re not making your way to the ocean, you can take a sip of it — in vodka form.
The folks behind Ocean Organic Vodka have created a spirit that uses actual ocean water — in this case from the mineral-rich waters surrounding Hawaii. The brand is the brainchild of Maui-born Shay Smith, who says he wanted to create a product that spoke to the ‘spirit’ of the state but with “some differentiating factor.” He learned about a facility that pipes in ocean water and then employs a reverse osmosis process to desalinate it (the minerals — some 80 of them — are added back in). “It’s very neutral, very clean water,” Smith says. The water can be used in a variety of ways, Smith notes, who cites algae farming as one example. But Smith’s idea was to tap it — pun intended — for vodka. Adding to the brand’s unique positioning is the bottle, which is shaped like a globe. (There’s a more traditional bottle that’s sold to bars and restaurants.) Smith says the brand is growin …