42 Below Vodka

42 Below Vodka. 42 Below Distillery / Bacardi, New Zealand — produced at 42 degrees latitude below the equator, a reference to New Zealand's geographic position that the brand uses to anchor its identity in the country's benchmark air and water purity, delivering a clean, subtly sweet vodka with aniseed hints on the nose and a distinctive cracked black pepper heat on the palate, backed by 87 international awards including Best in Class at the 2009 International Wine & Spirits Competition.

42 Below was founded in Wellington, New Zealand in 1999 by Geoff Ross, who identified a gap in the global premium vodka market for a spirit that could credibly claim exceptional water and air purity rather than the grain heritage that European producers emphasized. The name refers to 42 degrees south latitude — the approximate latitude of much of New Zealand, which by geological luck positions the country in what climatologists describe as one of the cleanest atmospheric zones on earth, with prevailing westerly winds that have traveled thousands of miles across the Southern Ocean before reaching land. The water source for 42 Below comes from this same environment.

Since its acquisition by Bacardi in 2006, 42 Below has maintained its New Zealand production and its positioning as a genuine expression of the country's natural purity. 87 international competition medals, including multiple gold awards at the 2009 Monde Selection and Best in Class at the IWSC, confirm that the quality behind the origin story is real. The aniseed nose and black pepper palate are the distinctively New Zealand signature — characteristics that come from the specific fermentation and distillation of the local grain and water combination.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Clean with subtle hints of aniseed emerging from an otherwise neutral profile. The New Zealand provenance creates a purity of aroma that is immediately distinctive.
• Palate: Initial sweetness quickly gives way to cracked black pepper heat — a distinctive and unexpected quality in a vodka. Clean and characterful.
• Finish: Peppery and clean. The black pepper note carries through to a warming, distinctive close that sets 42 Below apart from sweeter, more neutral premium vodkas.

Specs

• Producer: 42 Below Distillery / Bacardi, New Zealand
• Latitude: 42 degrees below the equator — New Zealand's benchmark air and water purity zone
• Awards: 87 international awards; Best in Class, IWSC 2009; Gold, Monde Selection 2009
• ABV: 42% (84 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What does 42 Below taste like? Clean with subtle aniseed hints on the nose. Initial sweetness followed by distinctive cracked black pepper heat on the palate. Peppery, clean, warming finish.
• Why is New Zealand's latitude significant for vodka? 42 degrees south puts New Zealand in one of the cleanest atmospheric zones on earth, with prevailing winds crossing thousands of miles of the Southern Ocean before reaching land. The water source and environment are exceptionally pure — the same quality that makes New Zealand a benchmark for clean-air science.
• Where does the black pepper character come from? The distinctive pepper note is a characteristic of the specific grain and water combination fermented and distilled in New Zealand — not added pepper flavoring. It is one of the vodka's defining terroir characteristics.
• What cocktails work best with 42 Below? Vodka Martini (where the pepper note adds a distinctive kick), Moscow Mule (the pepper and ginger complement each other), Bloody Mary (the spice integrates perfectly), or neat over ice to appreciate the pepper character directly.