New 404 Vodka is latest spirit from the South

The spirits scene in the South is seeing a resurgence. The latest local brand to join the liquor lineup is 404 Vodka.

Named after the Atlanta area code, 404 launched its first two vodka products this week: a small-batch, six-times distilled vodka as well as a peach-flavored vodka.

The faces behind 404 Vodka are longtime beverage producer Jeff Moses and Frank Thomas. Moses moved to Atlanta last year after having producing beverage brands in Los Angeles for nearly two decades. Thomas is a native of Columbus, Ga. A former Major League Baseball player who spent the majority of his career with the Chicago White Sox, Thomas was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. 

Moses stated that in creating the flavor profile for 404, he wanted to achieve a vodka that tasted smooth on the front end, and full-flavored with a bit of sweetness at the finish. He deems that the vodka’s velvet texture and clean flavor work well as a vodka martini, bloody mary or straight over ice with a lime twist.

The bottle label holds a silver tree that depicts Georgia’s Southern live oak. “I think it represents the city of Atlanta: resilient, strong, straightforward,” Moses said of the design and packaging.

The straight and flavored vodkas are available in 750-ml bottles and sell for about $20. The unflavored vodka is available in 1.75-liter bottles, with a suggested retail price of $27. The products are bottled at Dalton Distillery in Dalton, Ga, and are available at most well-stocked liquor stores.

Depending on how well 404 vodka is received, the company may expand its portfolio to include gin, whiskey, white rum and bourbon, according to Moses.