The Ketel One story begins with 10th generation Carolus Nolet. In 1979, Carolus Nolet took control of the family business. Keen to expand the distillery's portfolio, Nolet traveled to the United States, where he discovered an emerging cocktail colture. Nolet was convinced that a high-quality Vodka would succeed in the burgeoning market and returned to the Netherlands to create his own high-end spirit. Ketel One Family-Made Vodka was released in 1983.

Thanks purely to word of mouth and our relationship with the bartending community, annual sales of Ketel One Family-Made Vodka reach the one million case mark in 2002. An amazing milestone, especially considering we had never advertised. At least not until 2003.