🥃 Ketel One
Ketel One is a Dutch wheat vodka from the Nolet family in Schiedam: brand since 1983, family distilling since 1691, copper pot stills, 40% ABV (80 proof). Flavoured versions are a separate category.
Ketel One is a Dutch wheat vodka from the Nolet family in Schiedam. The brand appeared in 1983, while the family has distilled spirit at this distillery since 1691. According to reference sources, it is made from wheat in copper pot stills at 40% ABV (80 proof in the US); sales and marketing are handled by a joint venture of the Nolet family and Diageo.
History. The Moodie Davitt Report writes that the Nolet family has run the Nolet group since 1691; the official Ketel One website dates the brand itself to 1983. The name comes from the Dutch word ketel, “still”, referring to the distillery’s first copper still. In 2008 Diageo and the Nolet family created a 50/50 joint venture with an unlimited right to sell, market and distribute Ketel One and Citroen; the family kept the Schiedam distillery and the rights to the brand.
How it is made. According to reference sources, the vodka is distilled from wheat in copper pot stills, filtered through charcoal and rested in a tiled tank before bottling. Besides the classic, there are Citroen, Oranje and the Botanical series.
Range. Flavoured versions taste different and under EU rules belong to a different category from plain vodka, so check the full name on the label and the strength.
Why this matters to you. Do not confuse 1691 and 1983: the first date refers to the family and the distillery, the second to the brand itself. A flavoured version is a separate category, so check the full name. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | Nolet distillery — since 1691 (Schiedam); Ketel One brand — 1983; sales with Diageo — since 2008 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 15 — vodka |
| EU category | 15 — vodka; flavoured versions are a separate category |
| Raw material | wheat; water |
| Distillation method | copper pot stills, charcoal filtration, Schiedam |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (classic) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Ketel One → made from → 🌾 Vodka and grain spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🌾 Vodka and grain spirits
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍸 Vodka
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🍸 Flavoured vodka, 🥃 Absolut, 🥃 Grey Goose, 🥃 Finlandia, 🥃 Bols, 🥃 Crystal Head Vodka, 🥃 Crystal Head Vodka
Frequently asked questions
Is Ketel One a premium vodka, and who makes it?
The Nolet family makes it at the Schiedam distillery. Sales and marketing are handled by a 50/50 joint venture with Diageo, set up in 2008.
Is it true that Ketel One has existed since 1691?
Not quite. The family has distilled spirit in Schiedam since 1691, while the brand itself dates from 1983, according to the official website.
What is Ketel One made from?
Wheat, distilled in copper pot stills and filtered through charcoal.
What does Ketel One mean?
The name refers to the distillery's first copper still.
Why are Citroen and Oranje not plain vodka?
Flavoured versions belong to a different category under EU rules, so read the full name on the label.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🌾 Vodka and grain spirits — Vodka is a spirit made from agricultural ethyl alcohol, at least 37.5% ABV in the EU, never coloured. Flavoured vodka and grain spirit are separate categories; Polska Wódka is a protected name.
Similar
🥃 Eristoff · 🥃 Starka · 🥃 Danzka · 🥃 Koskenkorva · 🥃 Skyy · 🥃 Viru Valge
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- Ketel One: official site (family-made, created 1983 by the Nolet Family, copper potstill, range Vodka, Citroen, Oranje, Botanical)
- Diageo plc, Form 6-K (SEC), 5.02.2008: agreement with the Nolet family on Ketel One (50 % equity in new sales and distribution company, Nolet keeps the Schiedam distillery)
- Moodie Davitt Report: Diageo and Ketel One Vodka complete landmark sales, marketing and distribution deal (16.06.2008; Nolet family since 1691)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)