Slovakia’s Top Shelf Vodka, Double Cross

365Playground appreciates all things standing out with passion and craftmanship – this includes one of the world’s finest vodkas, Double Cross. And, as the brand itself uses for its tagline, Double Cross “betrays the usual”.

Double Cross vodka has garnered accolades world wide, not only for its smooth taste, but for the thought, history and production value behind every facet. Double Cross earned a 95-point“Superb/Highly Recommended” rating in Wine Enthusiast magazine, and received a “Rising Star” Growth Brands award in 2012 from the Beverage Information Group for exceptional sales and marketing performance.

The co-founders of Double Cross searched for four years searching Europe for the perfect boutique distillery to fit their standards, and they found what they were looking for in Slovakia.

In the 13th century town of Stará Ľubovňa in the Tatra Mountains, this small distillery uses natural aquifers 200 feet below the surface, and 100% organice estate-grown winter wheat. It is distilled seven times and filtered seven times, using different filtration methods, creating the impressive Double Cross, equal parts clean and light, as well as rich in taste.

As for branding and packaging, the creators infused their passion into the Double Cross concept as well. The double cross is the national emblem of Slovakia, thus resulting in the unique logo representing the Slovak Coat of Arms. The bottle itself stands out amongst other spirit containers on the market — French crystal, laser engraved with (Slovakian) poetry and the Double Cross logo, the shape flat and rectangular.

Double Cross is making quite a name for itself — it  is the only vodka in history to win double Gold Medals at the ultra-prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition for both its taste and packaging, and was given as a celebrity gift at last year’s Tony Awards.