Coladka Vodka ended 2021 achieving its first medal ratings at our first competitions entered. First, we achieved silver rating at the 2021 Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards. Then we followed that up with a gold rating at the 2021 Asia Spirits Challenge in Hong Kong. Coladka Vodkas first international accolade.

Exciting news, Coladka Vodka was awarded a gold rating of 95 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in the UK. It was special to see Coladka Vodka receive this high of a rating internationally! This really validated that there is a niche in the market for Coladka Vodka. Around 3500 spirits were rated gold, silver, or bronze. Whiskey and Rum accounted for the majority of the entries. In the Vodka category only a few golds were given out.

Cheers to gold ratings!

Nostalgia goes on sale by the bottle as Coladka—a cola-avored vodka from Dram and Draught owners Drew Schenck and Kevin Barrett—hits bar and liquor store shelves this month.

After watching dierent avored liquors rise and fall in popularity over the years, Schenck thought he had a recipe for success.

“I had the idea that the person who came up with the next big popular shot wins and that a cola-avored vodka would be delicious and good as a shot,” Schenck says. He convinced Barrett to try his hand at recreating that cola avor and, after a dozen iterations or so, the two settled on what they thought was the perfect formula.

Versatile and surprisingly complex, Coladka goes beyond the traditional cola avor prole. It’s sweet but not syrupy, with a hint of spice and a botanical element that makes it interesting enough to sip on its own. Barrett won’t share the secret recipe but he says the 72 proof vodka is crafted with all natural ingredients, including real cane sugar and essential oils.

Nostalgia goes on sale by the bottle as Coladka—a cola-avored vodka from Dram and Draught owners Drew Schenck and Kevin Barrett—hits bar and liquor store shelves this month.

After watching dierent avored liquors rise and fall in popularity over the years, Schenck thought he had a recipe for success.

“I had the idea that the person who came up with the next big popular shot wins and that a cola-avored vodka would be delicious and good as a shot,” Schenck says. He convinced Barrett to try his hand at recreating that cola avor and, after a dozen iterations or so, the two settled on what they thought was the perfect formula.

Versatile and surprisingly complex, Coladka goes beyond the traditional cola avor prole. It’s sweet but not syrupy, with a hint of spice and a botanical element that makes it interesting enough to sip on its own. Barrett won’t share the secret recipe but he says the 72 proof vodka is crafted with all natural ingredients, including real cane sugar and essential oils.

“The bottle says, ‘This recipe is said to conjure memories of youth.’ That’s a nostalgic taste; the avor is probably closer to what cola was 50 years ago,” says Barrett. “You can sip this, you can savor it, you can shoot it. You can do whatever you want with it but it’s a great, easy shot, chilled right out of the bottle or as an all-purpose cocktail ingredient.”

The pair recommend serving Coladka on the rocks or over ice with soda water; mixed with a splash of fresh lime juice in a Coladka Rickey; as a slushie or paired with ice cream in a oat. They say it goes well in desserts— think chocolate cupcakes with cola-avored frosting.

“It could even be used in a reduction for a meat dish, something savory like pork,” Barrett says.

Cola was invented in the United States in the late 1800s and quickly became popular around the world. Barrett and Schenck say they hope Coladka will have a similar wide appeal; in fact, they’re already in talks with companies in Argentina and the Czech Republic.

“Coladka is a universal avor, a worldwide avor [and] we believe this is going to go global,” Schenck says.

But to go global, they need people to try their product rst. Look for them soon at bars, music venues and live events.

“We bought a van that’s all decked out,” Schenck says. “We’re going to be at events because it’s important to get liquid to lips and expose the public to the avor prole.”

Coladka will be be available at North Carolina ABC stores for $18.95 a bottle this month. Learn more at coladka.com.

We were thrilled to recently be featured by WVVA with the release of our new cola-flavored vodka, Coladka.

View the PDF below.
Oak Hill native introduces new drink ‘Coladka’ – WVVA

Thank you, WVVA and Melinda Zosh!

There’s a new North Carolina liquor that asks only one question: Where’s the party at? Last month, Coladka, a cola-flavored vodka, debuted to the world, made by longtime veterans of the Triangle bar industry. Coladka is the creation of Drew Schenck and Kevin Barrett, owners of the popular downtown Raleigh cocktail bar Dram & Draught. Schenck said the 72-proof, virtually black vodka will take on the flavored shot market, invented by the likes of Jagermeister and Fireball.

“We watched Jager become the big shot and replace some other things, then saw it decline and Fireball become the big thing,” Schenck said. “The next Fireball wins.” The owners believe Coladka is that next thing, an idea cooked up at a beverage convention and then brought to life by Barrett, a career bartender who has crafted cocktails in downtown Raleigh for years.

“(Schenck) came up with the idea and dared me to come up with a good version,” Barrett said. “I was confident I could. …Years of working in bars and working with different flavors, that I could come up with that flavor, to kind of reverse engineer it. … This has not been a flavor that’s been available in the past.” Coladka uses a vodka base from a Michigan distillery and the flavoring is manufactured in the Triangle. Barrett said the cola taste doesn’t aim specifically for any one brand — Coke, Pepsi or RC Cola — but just that sweet flavor, created with brown sugar, orange, cinnamon and vanilla oils. Getting on liquor store shelves is always the hardest part for a new brand, but Coladka has existed for all of a month and already has distribution to nine states, Schenck said, including North Carolina. The company signed a distribution deal with beverage giant Southern Glazer’s, one of the country’s largest distributors. Coladka enters a drinking market currently enamored with spiked seltzers, still in love with craft beer and, particularly in North Carolina, exploring craft spirits. Schenck said Coladka will mainly be a shot in bars, but that it’s also made its way into cocktails. “Guys my age are drinking it on the rocks or with soda water and a squeeze of lime,” Schenck said. “You can mix it with Irish cream and shake it up. It’s called an ‘Irish Soda,’ and it’s dangerously delicious. It’s the kind of thing you could drink 10 of and not taste the alcohol.”

Barrett said he never planned to get into the liquor business, but is even more surprised that he’s in the flavored vodka market. Dram & Draught is one of Raleigh’s most popular cocktail bars, featuring a seasonally changing menu and a pricey selection of rare and collectible bourbons. “I thought it might be something with whiskey,” Barrett said, of ever creating his own spirit. “But the opportunity arose, and it’s been a fun challenge.” Schenck and Barrett said they started working on the product last year and brought it to market this summer. Bottles are currently for sale in local ABC stores and some Triangle bars, they said.