Meili Vodka co-founders Jason Momoa and Blaine Halvorson.
The Hollywood action star is perhaps best known for playing DC’s mighty superhero of the sea in the Aquaman films, but Jason Momoa has been making waves lately beyond the big and small screen with his other business commitments, including his new, award-winning Meili Vodka company.
Co-founded alongside Momoa’s best friend, Blaine Halvorson, these two gentlemen searched the world together, from Antarctica to the Northwest Passage, in hopes of discovering the purist water sources to make the very best tasting vodka possible. As fate would have it, their greatest find came basically in the backyard of Halvorson’s dad’s Montana home.
Momoa told me, “It’s this beautiful water source that comes off of this limestone shelf – 300 million-year-old aquifer. It looked like Avatar – I had never seen so much life at a water source, where there’s snow everywhere. We come to find what makes it so special is that there’s no sodium in that water. The salt is really what takes away some of the notes that you taste in that from our grains, and it’s high in calcium and sulfur. That’s what gives it that really unique taste.”
Meili Vodka co-founders Jason Momoa and Blaine Halvorson.
Momoa mentioned his first encounter with Halvorson was through a pair of shoes Halvorson had crafted. After initiating contact and getting to know each other better, Momoa confided, “I brought him on board to assist me with everything related to the characters I’ve portrayed, from Frontier to Aquaman. I wore his original [MadeWorn] collection in the early days. When I ventured into directing projects, ranging from Carhartt to Harley-Davidson, he acted as a creative lead helping me bring these concepts to fruition. We derive immense pleasure from our joint efforts and constantly strive to impress each other. His approval means the world to me. Hence, our companionship was built on this foundation – the joy of creating and crafting.”
After multiple shared endeavors on diverse projects, Halvorson remarked that he and Momoa were prepared to develop something exclusive for themselves. Upon proposing the idea to Momoa of establishing a vodka brand, he recalls, “Jason questioned, ‘Why are we making vodka? We don’t enjoy vodka.’ To which I responded, ‘Exactly!’ We were intrigued by the mystery, roughness, and narrative associated with moonshine – hence, being able to bring some of those elements to vodka, which in my opinion, was lacking. Vodka is just considered an ingredient. Especially in the U.S., it’s typically not recognized as a distinct spirit. Given vodka consists of 60% water, we applied our focus there. We sought the cleanest and most distinct water source to pair with our grains. That’s truly where it all began. Our aim was to alter the public’s perception of vodka.”
Momoa then proceeded to speak about how, contrary to most other vodkas, he actually recommends people to savor Meili Vodka “warm and straight” – praising its pure Montana water flavor which makes for a pleasing “neat” beverage. He also articulated his immense pride in the environmental consciousness and recycling priorities incorporated into the production of their glass bottles – from its general design to prioritizing the wellness of our planet.
Momoa stated, “I clearly do a multitude of activities, and am fervently passionate about our planet. I strive to make everything completely 100% post-consumer glass. Blaine discovered a manufacturer who produces the finest glasses in Mexico. The best part has been shifting the production to Pennsylvania, scheduled for Spring 2024. Meaning, we’ll manage everything 100% domestically. The ability to produce the glass locally, a first, is simply wonderful. Every minuscule detail matters when making such an elegant and recycled bottle, it’s rather exhaustive. We cherish it dearly.”
Halvorson chimed in, “Jason and I have always been fascinated with the process – the step-by-step creation of a product, the craftsmen behind it, its appearance, and mode of production. I find the process beautiful and inherently vital. We take wasted glass, put it into a furnace, and melt it down – each bottle has a uniqueness. The feeling of holding handmade glass, it’s magical. With the abundance of glass we discard, it can certainly be reused.”
The co-founders of Meili Vodka, Jason Momoa, and Blaine Halvorson.
I couldn’t help but inquire, given their entry into the vastly growing and highly competitive liquor business this past January with their launch of Meili Vodka. What is it that Halvorson and Momoa believe sets their new spirit apart in today’s market?
Halvorson said, “In a liquor industry that is really heavily built today on marketing and marketing gimmicks, I think us as an open book and storytelling of how this process is done and how it can be done, I think, makes us unique – taking a very different approach to vodka and creating vodka as an actual spirit. Something you can sip and enjoy.”
Momoa added, “We’re in the footprints of like so many celebrity brands. I think if you get to know me, I’m not like that at all, and if anything, most of the companies I’ve ever started, they have all started from the ground up – with the water company [Mananalu], with the [So iLL] climbing [company] – with all the things that I love. It’s not somebody coming to me, paying me a certain fee and then I have to do these appearances and show up. This is two best friends, going on eight years of doing this, a passion that we want to keep this. It’s just a different feel than being like something celebrity, because we really did it on our own. We did it just the two of us for a very long time.”
With its retail price ranging from $19.99 and $29.99, Meili (pronounced MAY-lee) is a term that represents the adventurer’s heart, the purity of discovery and the spirit of exploration. All throughout this past October, Momoa and Halvorson decided to travel around the country to meet with fans and sign their Meili Vodka bottles, fond experiences that both gentlemen are interested in doing more of in the near future.
Meili Vodka co-founders Blaine Halvorson and Jason Momoa taking photos with fans during their U.S. tour in October 2023.
Halvorson expressed, “The major lessons from this journey are the stunning portraits and conversations we collected throughout. The genesis of Meili, which started with Jason and myself, was grounded in the idea of community storytelling, whether around a campfire or a dinner table. Our aspiration is that as Meili expands, our consumers share their narratives with us and engage with our concept of ‘where will Meili take you.’ Despite the prevalence of social media and two-dimensional communication today, we want to revive those moments of real, face-to-face human interaction. Witnessing the extraordinary and inspiring diversity of our supporters was truly memorable.”
In conclusion, Momoa stated, “My aim was to pay tribute to everyone involved in this journey, emphasizing that what we’ve built with great love and passion is now yours. It’s out there for all. It’s the best gift we could ever offer. It’s truly magnificent to have a brand that truly represents you. This is our initiation year. Getting people excited about it – once you taste it, you’ll be hooked.”
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