Dancing with Vodka

The intersection between dance, cocktails, and celebrity is, quite frankly, perfectly within my wheelhouse. So, I jumped at the opportunity to interview Dancing with the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy about his new line of spirits, Tetya Kapa.

A premium, small-batch vodka made from Napa Valley sauvignon blanc grapes, as well as “ancient winter grains” to honor Maks’s and vintner Ian Devereux White’s shared roots in Ukraine, the vodka is very smooth and slightly fruity, so it works well both for sipping straight or for mixing. It recently earned a 90-point rating from Wine Enthusiast.

Here are a few tidbits from my conversation with Maks — I only danced a little bit while we were on the phone. 

I’d love to hear a little more about how you got into the spirits business. How did this happen?

I technically had a run-in with vodka specifically, a long time ago, after my win on Dancing with the Stars. At that time, I had a vodka brand that was offered to me to be a part of. … I said yes, because I had this entrepreneur’s mindset, like, ‘Oh, let’s just jump on every opportunity.’ And then I realized what this business is, what the industry represents, how hard it is. And then something happened, Hurricane Katrina. And my partner at that time couldn’t support this process anymore, and so we moved on.

So, many years later, I knew that I didn’t want to be a part of the liquor industry. 

And then you spent some time doing a stage show in Napa, Savor.

Exactly. There was absolutely an amazing opportunity for an artist, an immersive wine-tasting experience where we show you what the wine tastes like, not just tell you what it is — that was a pitch, anyway. So, we had this fantastic summer. We spent three months in Napa doing this. I met everybody, understood the area, understood the industry — the business of it and also the people of it. And met my partner, Ian Devereaux. … I told him if there was a spirit that I would get into again, that would be vodka, because that’s what my roots are. 

It was part of the scene when you were a very young teenage performer, right? 

And so, I know the process of celebration. I know what alcohol means as a presence outside of just getting trashed. I see this in the same room, parties present, some celebrating, you know, birthdays, some graduation, some mourning, a funeral. It’s kind of like the beverage that accompanies a lot of feelings. 

I know tetya is the Russian word for “aunt.” Where does the name Kapa come from? 

Kapa is named after my aunt. Her name is Natasha, my great-aunt. She was my favorite person over in Ukraine before we came to the U.S., and she passed away many years ago. But the one thing that I remember vividly, like it was yesterday, one of those core memories for a kid. I must have been 8, 9, and I remember at the dinner table, she leaned over, and I noticed one thing, she would always sit at the head of the table, long table, all these celebrations at the house and all that. The old men were trashed. I mean, we’re talking some sleeping, you know, some are no longer with us. And she’d be sitting in the same position, catering to hosting and all that, participating in conversations, and you never saw her get that tipsy.

[Eventually,] she taught me the secret to how not to get as drunk. And it was a scoop of butter every couple of shots, right before you take a shot. So basically, the alcohol just goes straight into your bladder, and you don’t get as drunk.

That personal history certainly adds a nice touch.

I like to say that every bottle has a name and a face attached to it. For now, we want to keep it that way. 

Tetya Kapa Vodka is currently being poured at The Steward (5490 Hollister Ave.) as well as being available at local liquor stores. See kapavodka.com.