Maksim Chmerkovskiy tips his hat to Ukraine with new vodka

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is an entrepreneur at heart.

Best known as a fierce competitor on “Dancing with the Stars,” Chmerkovskiy is just as passionate about his home country of Ukraine.

With a nod to Ukraine, Chmerkovskiy parlayed his two loves into Tetya Kapa, a new line of premium vodka. The handmade spirit is a culmination of friendship between Chmerkovskiy, Napa Valley Distillery founder Arthur Hartunian and vintner Ian Devereux White. Family origins, values and integrity brought the trio together and became the catalyst behind this project.

“This spirit is named after my beloved tetya (aunt) Kapa, who embodied the qualities of family, love, tradition, honor and perseverance,” Chmerkovskiy said.

“The premium vodka blends the finest Sauvignon Blanc grapes to represent Napa, and ancient winter-grains to honor my roots in Ukraine. It is a testament to the significance of past, present and future.”

Tetya Kapa is clean and crisp, with subtle hints of grain and a faint sweetness. On the palate, it delivers a smooth and velvety feel, with a delicate balance of fruity and earthy notes. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes lend a gentle sweetness and floral character, while the ancient grains bring a subtle nuttiness and a hint of spice. The vodka works as a flavorful sipping vodka or as a base to a martini or craft cocktail.

Chmerkovskiy was schooled on the spirits industry more than 10 years ago when he founded a previous vodka line. Admittedly “fascinated” with the beer and wine industry — “and alcohol in general” — he longed to do it again, but the project had to be meaningful.

He was introduced to Hartunian, who owns the only distillery in Napa.

“It was an incredible experience to see the pre-production of the alcohol and wines and how it’s blended,” he said. “To see the creativity behind it, I fell in love with the process all over again.”

To design the bottle, Chmerkovskiy met with artists who could create a label based on his personal experiences.

“I wanted to pay homage to the motherland, this new friendship and the incredible region of Napa,” he said. “To me, the shape of it represents that traditional vodka; the vodka bottle that I used to see growing up. I grew up in a culture where there’s a (shot) present with everything from graduations to, God forbid, funerals, to you got good grades, let’s go to dinner and celebrate that accomplishment.”

In his 17 seasons as a competing pro on “Dancing with the Stars,” the 43-year-old Chmerkovskiy made it to the final round five times, with two runner-up and two third-place finishes.

On May 20, 2014, Chmerkovskiy, paired with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis, won his first “Dancing with the Stars” title.

He also starred in the Broadway productions of dance shows “Burn the Floor” and “Forever Tango.”

Wearing a sweatshirt embroidered with “Shai’s dad” — a reference to his first son — Chmerkovskiy is a devoted father and husband. He and his wife, Peta Murgatroyd — also a “Dancing with the Stars” pro — have a newborn son, Rio.

Chmerkovskiy and his brother, fellow dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy, recently finished a three-month residency in Napa Valley for their Savor After Hours show at JaM Cellars Ballroom. Napa’s only theatrical wine-tasting cabaret ran June 3 to Sept. 3.

In late August, Chmerkovskiy said he was looking forward to a break so he could spend time with his family.

“This has been four months of nonstop physical activity,” he said. “I just recently had a second child. I’ve been going back and forth from LA to here (Napa) for the last 11 weeks, so I am exhausted. I just want to sit down, have my kids and let Peta work for a second. I want to be the dad.”

Family is important to Chmerkovskiy, who is torn apart by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In March 2022, he fled from Ukraine to Poland. He also documented scenes from the invasion on social media and joined the movement #StandWithUkraine.

He said the “unknown,” the death, the destruction — all of it — makes it terrible. He has faith in the Ukrainian people, but he’s unsure about the “outside world that wants to influence Ukraine, whether it’s this way or that way.”

“I just want the absolute best-case scenario for Ukraine and Ukrainians,” he added. “I’m hopeful that we will continue to support it in its fight and not lay down the rules of support because that would be a disaster. I just don’t want that to happen.

“There’s not an option here at this point. The Ukrainians are fighting. I still have the connection to the person who’s fighting, to all the people who are refugees. I know people who are going through these issues.

“I am familiar with the individuals who are in the government and part of the clean up crew, if you will, for this Soviet bureaucracy and backward political views. Maybe I’m too nearsighted, but I don’t look at it like a person who’s afar. Maybe from afar it looks different. But to me, it’s very clear: Somebody’s attacking the country and the country’s protecting itself. Period. End of story. There’s no ‘Let’s sit down and talk about it.’ Talk about what?”

Tetya Kapa

https://bit.ly/KapaVodkaTMG

Maksim Chmerkovskiy

dancewithmeusa.com
makschmerkovskiy.com

Instagram: @maksimc

Facebook: @MaksimChmerkovskiy

This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2023.