Gentle Ben delivers smooth spirits using innovative technology

ALVIN, Texas -- It all started with a simple idea back in 2000. Alvin's Cliff Ford wondered if you can aerate wine, why can't you aerate alcohol? Cliff came up with what his son Ricky called a "contraption" -- a device to air strip the liquor, to remove the volatile compounds.

Ricky took his Dad's idea to Dr. Ben Mosier at Texas A&M to see if he could take the idea farther. Cliff Ford would die the next year and Ricky shelved the project.

It wasn't until seven years later that Dr. Mosier contacted Ricky and told me he was on to something. They would establish a Research and Development department. The idea - to see if they could come up with a unique method that would efficiently eliminate and remove targeted impurities from distilled spirits.

In a combination of art and science, Cliff Ford's simple idea was developed into a process to elevate a bottom-shelf spirits into top-self quality.

Persedo Spirits received their patent in 2016. Two years later Gentle Ben whiskey, gin and vodka was born. The new clean spirits named in honor of Dr. Mosier who passed away in early 2020.

In addition to the Gentle Ben brand, Persedo liquors has 20 customers. Some they license their technology out to, others send them their products that need some enhancement. Persedo Spirits also processes and sells in bulk to other distillers.

If you want to try it out, there is a Gentle Ben tasting room in Alvin, TX at the Persedo Spirits processing center. You can also find a Gentle Ben bar in the Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets as well as Minute Maid Park home of the World Series Champion Astros.

What would Cliff Ford think of all this? "My dad first of all would be shocked that I even stuck with this over all these years and finished what he and I started. That was his dream, to be able to finish it, he would be very proud" Ricky Ford said.