Developed in 1906 by the Sigurdsson family in Iceland, it remained out of the spotlight for the next 80 years until Black Death Vodka won the gold medal at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition in 1987. And then came Slash, who catapulted Black Death Vodka to stardom. Black Death Vodka is made through a triple distillation of French sugar beet. It has won numerous awards in international competitions from 1987 to 2015, including gold medals at the prestigious London International Wine and Spirits Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Black Death Vodka was awarded the Trophy for "Best White Spirit in the World" at the 1993 International Wine and Spirit Competition.