After a night of date with his future wife, Dolph Lundgren decides to step into the ring of vodka production.
“Rocky” star, who studied chemical engineering before he became an actor, announced Hard cut vodka, 90 Proof All American Spirits made from Idaho’s potatoes and water from rocky mountains.
For the 67-year-old, who famously played Russian boxer Ivan Drago, that was easy.
“I’m originally from Sweden. It’s cold and dark in the winter, so people drink a lot of vodka in Sweden,” he told Fox News Digital. “…but I was taking my future wife to Santa Barbara on a date at the time, and I was trying some of the vodkas. [at this] bar. I really didn’t like them. I liked it straight on the ice and couldn’t find anything I really like. They were all very strict. And after complaining for a while, she said, “Why don’t you try making your own?” ”
Being willing to step back from the challenge, Lundgren accepted Emma Kurokdal’s dare.
“I saw the vodka space and it looked boring compared to tequila,” he shared. “A lot of people in Hollywood and entertainment went to tequila and whiskey. … Vodka was a widespread field. … I wanted to have fun and bring a bit of action movie pizza.”
Lundgren and Krokdal were taking part in their quest to find the best distilleries to make the perfect vodka idea come true. In Idaho, a two-hour flight from his California home, we found exactly what they were looking for.
The state-grown russet potatoes, along with “Rocky Mountain Snow Melt Water,” created a strong and smooth formulation. Hard cut vodka was born.
The final product, awarded double gold at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, featured “bright notes of fennel, green apples and a bit of butterscotch.” Forbes reported.
“My wife and I loved the most were from Idaho and there’s a vodka range there,” he explained. “What we liked came from a certain distillery…it was potato vodka. The potatoes gave it a really nice mouthfeel. Once we found it, we realized it was American vodka.
“In all trade wars and everything, being American-made vodka is also an advantage,” Lundgren laughed.
Investing in America was important to the stars, he said. After living in the United States, Lundgren officially became an American citizen in 2024. Kurokdal, a native of Norway, also participated in a naturalization ceremony with her husband. People Magazine It has been reported.
“Investing in America was extremely important,” Lundgren explained. “I’m from Sweden, but I’m an immigrant and all the good things in my life came from America. I became an actor from chemical engineering and martial arts, a Hollywood movie star. That could not have happened in other countries.
“It’s all more organized, so it’s easier,” he said. “When you’re in business, people are on the ball more. Yes, that’s important to me. I think Americans prefer the fact that they are American vodka. It’s refined. It’s difficult but smooth and has an elegant image.
The star said he is always proud to build a life and career in America. And when it came time to become a citizen, he felt it was “slower than ever.”
“It was time,” he recalled. “I was here for 40 years. I went to school here as a teenager and moved here. I was American for a while. Then I got married and moved to Spain for a variety of reasons.
“I lived there and my kids grew up in Spain and with two daughters. But I always wanted to come back. I came back here about 15 years ago and regained my residency. And I decided I wanted to be a citizen.”
“This country was my life,” Lundgren said. “Every good thing in my life came from America. I love Sweden, but like I said, I’m very close to this country. And I stand there and swear, [seeing] The flag, it was very emotional. And it’s big. Being a citizen is not easy. Being an American citizen is difficult and I think it should be. ”
“I’m proud to have made it,” he added.
Lundgren said that whenever he is in Europe, America is in his heart. However, he set aside his dream of staying in the country to get closer to his daughters, now 28 and 23.
“I felt that was one of the things I lacked,” Lundgren said. “…I was being drawn back to Europe by my ex-wife for a variety of reasons, and although it was probably not a very clever move, I did it for my family. But I always wanted to get it back. I always felt like I wanted to get it back.
It was America that Lundgren suddenly found himself blowing away fame. Drago was featured on November 27, 1985 in Rocky IV, which premiered nearly 40 years ago.
“I went there as a kid,” Lundgren said of attending the premiere. “…My girlfriend was a famous singer of the time, Grace Jones. [inside the theater]. With the lights down, these two boxing gloves appeared, Soviet and American gloves appeared. The movie begins and I sit there frozen for 90 minutes. ”
“The lights started to rise and all of a sudden everyone was looking at me,” continued Randglen. “I was a little bit. I didn’t know what to do. I was really tired of my stomach, but I was excited. We went out. People are taking pictures of me now. It took me a few years to get through it.”
Lundgren admitted that fame is difficult for him to navigate. His relationship with Jones, now 76, ended in the end. However, over the years he has found himself busy appearing in blockbuster franchises such as “The Expendables,” “Creed,” and “Aquaman.”
He is a good friend of Stallone, 78, who still lives in Palm Beach, Florida. Their daughters formed a friendship too.
“It’s very rare to be in the ring with someone in this business for 40 years.
“Throwing each other around creates a certain level of friendship. We’re doing six films together now. And he’s a very clever, talented guy. You can play simple, physical characters.
“Rocky” and Lundgren said he always has a special place for the stars.
“The experience of being part of such an iconic film…it was a great experience for a young Swedish child who came here to study engineering,” he said.
