From musical verses to Poetry Vodka: Dave Stewart launches his own spirit

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Mackem maestro Dave Stewart has added another string to his bow, branching from musical verses into Poetry Vodka.
Dave Stewart has launched his own vodka brandDave Stewart has launched his own vodka brand
Dave Stewart has launched his own vodka brand | Poetry Vodka

Not content with a career as a singer songwriter, producer and musician spanning 40 years, selling more than 100 million albums and racking up countless awards and accolades, Dave has now found a new outlet for his creativity in the drinks industry.

The drink was borne from Dave’s love for Vodka Martinis, a tipple he is well known for amongst his friends and fellow music makers.

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“Anytime I play anywhere, there’s a Vodka Martini there,” said the creative who shot to fame with then girlfriend Annie Lennox in the era-defining Eurythmics.

It’s a drink he first discovered after moving to Paris. There, he found himself surrounded by fellow bohemians and a door to another world.

Dave has long been a fan of vodka martinisDave has long been a fan of vodka martinis
Dave has long been a fan of vodka martinis | Poetry Vodka

Speaking to the Echo from his home in The Bahamas, Dave said: “A Vodka Martini has been my drink since 1984, when Annie and I first got any amount of income from the Sweet Dreams album.”

On moving to Paris, Dave would regularly wander to famous brasserie La Coupole in Montparnasse.

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“That was the beginning of my entry into not just drinking any old drink,” he explained. “The barman made me a Vodka Martini very professionally and I looked at it and thought ‘jeez, that’s a tiny drink’ and then I realised it’s really strong.

“You get to a space between your thoughts. I’m not talking about getting plastered, it’s that space where you feel really good.

“You know, most people go about their day and all sorts of images go through their heads, whether it’s putting the kettle on or memories.

The bottle design features Dave's signature hatThe bottle design features Dave's signature hat
The bottle design features Dave's signature hat | Poetry Vodka

“But that all disappears and it’s just this clear opening - and for songwriters that’s where you want to be, because it allows stuff to flow.”

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Dave’s thoughts certainly did flow, writing two poems as he supped on the drink in the Art Deco brasserie that’s been frequented by so many great artists, from Picasso to Hemingway, in what he says is a moment in time he never forgot.

When the idea came about to launch his own vodka he teamed up with entrepreneur Johan Holgersson.

Poetry Vodka arrived in Britain in January 2025Poetry Vodka arrived in Britain in January 2025
Poetry Vodka arrived in Britain in January 2025 | Poetry Vodka

Dave said: “Very quickly Johan found this great producer and we had this epic journey where we had this tiny little plane and landed in the field of a family who have for generations have made vodka on the border of Poland and Ukraine.

“They make this incredible vodka and everyone who’s tasted it, all my friends, people who write about it, say it’s got a very special quality to it. It’s not watery like some vodkas, it’s got this slight, not viscosity, but it feels like it has weight to it.”

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The resulting Poetry Vodka, which is distilled six times, is now stocked in multiple US states, The Bahamas, European countries including Denmark, Switzerland Sweden and Germany - and from January 2025 it’s launching in Britain, with Dave keen to do some Poetry Vodka events in Sunderland when he’s next home.

Dave Stewart Sweet Dreams 40th Anniversary Tour at the Sunderland Empire.Dave Stewart Sweet Dreams 40th Anniversary Tour at the Sunderland Empire.
Dave Stewart Sweet Dreams 40th Anniversary Tour at the Sunderland Empire. | Sunderland Echo

Dave said: “It’s very much like launching an album as a band, you want it distributed in as many countries as possible.”

2025 is to be another busy year for the star from Barnes with a semi-autobiographical film of his colourful life growing up in 1960s Sunderland to be shot in the city.

As announced last year, production will start on musical feature film, Ebony McQueen, later this year.

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Drawing inspiration from Dave’s early life, the musical feature is a semi-autobiographical journey into the North East of England as the cultural revolution of the late ‘60’s meets the social and economic challenges of the early ‘70s.

Ebony McQueen will be shot in Dave's hometown of SunderlandEbony McQueen will be shot in Dave's hometown of Sunderland
Ebony McQueen will be shot in Dave's hometown of Sunderland | Sunderland Echo

The film’s main character, Charlie McGarvey, dreams of being a pro footballer, but his hopes are shattered after a devastating injury - an accident which also happened to a young Dave himself.

He soon discovers the transformative magic of creating music, which leads him on a journey that awakens the ability to fully pursue what he loves, despite the world falling apart around him.

Sunderland talent Tom A. Smith will play a young Dave in the filmSunderland talent Tom A. Smith will play a young Dave in the film
Sunderland talent Tom A. Smith will play a young Dave in the film | Sunderland Echo

It’s already been announced that East Rainton singer/ songwriter Tom A Smith will feature in the film as well as Sharon D Clarke, who collaborated with Dave as the character Oda Mae in the Stewart-penned Ghost: The Musical.

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The film is named after the album of the same name, so called after a fictional voodoo blues queen that inspires Dave’s creative career.

The film will feature songs by Dave Stewart and a musical score by Dave and Bafta, Grammy and Academy Award winning A.R Rahman.

Described as a film of “magical realism” by Dave, the film will be directed by Academy Award-nominated and Bafta-winning filmmaker, Shekhar Kapur, who directed Elizabeth and What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Poetry Vodka is available to buy online at https://drinksone.com/

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