Yoav Sisley – Balls Vodka

Summertime libations can be delicious, provocative, even enlightening. But along with all of those other admirable aspirations, Yoav Sisley wants to keep drinking fun.

The Manhattan-based Sisley is the founder and brand owner of Balls Vodka, a playful spirit first launched back in 2011.

“It’s not only a good quality vodka, it has a sense of fun,” Sisley said of his product.

Quadruple-distilled from corn and bottled in Rochester, New York, the 80-proof vodka retails for an average price of $25 per liter. It’s a respectable product — equally at home straight up, on the rocks or in a cocktail — that also refuses to take itself seriously.

Look no further than the playful name.

Sisley worked in the sales side of the spirits business for 18 years, but by 2011 he had decided to launch his own vodka.

“It was a combination of a few things: One, vodka is the most popular, most exported, most imported, product in the market,” he said. “Two, with vodka you can create a lot of different drinks. It’s great for mixing, but it’s also great for drinking by itself.”

While the company specializes in vodka, Sisley said the plan down the road is to introduce Balls Gin, Tequila and Bourbon.