Cold River Vodka

Cold River Vodka is a Maine-based craft distillery specializing in premium potato vodka and spirits using ingredients sourced from northern Maine’s potato-growing region.

Founded in 2004 by brothers Don and Lee Thibodeau, the brand was born out of a desire to add value to off-grade potatoes harvested on their family farm in Presque Isle.

Their production process employs triple distillation in small batches using locally grown whole potatoes and fresh aquifer water from Cold River, with each bottle numbered by hand to ensure authenticity.

Key products include their flagship Cold River Vodka, a blueberry-flavored vodka variant, and a small-batch gin crafted entirely from potatoes, positioning the company as a vertically integrated farm-to-bottle producer. The distillery operates on a modest scale with 11–50 employees and upholds a family-owned model without outside investment.

Cold River Vodka is distributed across 26 U.S. states, available in major markets, restaurants, and specialty spirit stores, and is recognized for its potato-based heritage, artisanal techniques, and regional authenticity.