The Shark with No Bite

Summer in the Coastal Carolinas comes has an unmistakable flavor… It's the smooth, welcoming taste of North Carolina sweet corn, distilled into the sip of summer. Blue Shark Vodka is the shark with no bite.

“ I've seen it on people's faces that the taste really matches up and that's because of the really amazing quality ingredients,” says Ashley Morris of Blue Shark Vodka. “The North Carolina homegrown heirloom sweet corn adds this different layer of flavor to vodka that I don't think people have experienced before.”

Blue Shark Vodka is a locally distilled Vodka owned and operated by Niki and Mark Bloomquist, along with their daughter Brooke. As the product of a family of ocean enthusiasts — Founder Mark Bloomquist is a Naval Veteran who has spent decades diving beneath the surface — Blue Shark is about more than just vodka. It’s about the simple sweetness of Coastal Carolina and all that makes Wrightsville Beach home for many. Today, Blue Shark can be found throughout the Southeastern region of the United States including Florida. 

Similar to the Blue Shark the vodka is named for, the flavor is docile and subtle and invites all to enjoy the local taste of North Carolina sweet corn grown at Griffin Seed Farm by Farmer Jeff, a friend of the Bloomquist family. The soft sweetness of Blue Shark melts the sharp flavor of vodka into something crisp and clean, taking off the unwelcome edge of traditional liquor and keeps people coming back for more. 

It’s not just the flavor, though, says Morris, it’s something more that grabs the eye.

“ We get people's attention with just being local, and then you win them over forever with the taste and the quality,” says Morris. “If that doesn't get you, then the bottle does.” 

Blue Shark bottles are more than just a glass on the shelf – each bottle is uniquely made and features a hand-blown glass shark swimming at the bottom.

“We're really the first people to ever do that,” says Morris. “That's just been something that really takes people's attention in the ABC store. They see it and want to give it to a friend or just keep it on their shelf.” 

And added Niki Bloomquist, the president of Blue Shark, “The glass shark in the handblown bottle was never a gimmick.  It was a thesis – that the ocean’s most misunderstood predator and a young brand scraping for shelf space had something in common.  Both were judged long before they were known.”

For Niki, featuring art through their family brand is a top priority. This dream has taken shape with the work of Wyland, an internationally renowned artist known for his murals, who now designs labels for the Blue Shark Vodka and has helped the Bloomquist’s expand into the flavored Vodka industry, with their new Wyland/Equalise line.

“It's been fun, but we're still a small family-owned and operated company,” says Bloomquist. “We say that we are a small team, but a lot has happened here in seven years and we're really excited about our future and about the new Wyland/Equalise flavors.”

Niki and Mark Bloomquist, husband and wife, are the heart and soul behind the brand, while their daughter Brooke has learned to distill vodka to develop the flavor that locals have come to know and love.

Some of the newly released Equalise flavors in collaboration with Wyland include Bing Cherry, Lemon, Vanilla, Mango Habanero, and Peach.  Four additional flavors—Grapefruit, Lime, Mandarin Orange, and Espresso—are planned for 2027. 

As Blue Shark Vodka continues to grow, the throughline of this family business remains the same: building community and giving back.

“My favorite part has been the relationships that we've built here in the community,” says Bloomquist. “The whole community has embraced us and have been so supportive of our product.”

To honor what the community has given them, Blue Shark Vodka tied its name to the water that gave it one; supporting marine conservation through organizations such as the Atlantic Shark Institute, the Wyland Foundation, and underwriting important Shark research. 

Blue Shark Vodka is now sold in more than 100 counties across five different states, but the one closest to the heart of the family who created it remains the place they call home—Wilmington.

 ”We didn't set out to compete with the big national brands on their terms,” says Bloomquist. “We set out to build some authentic products. The energy around Blue Shark Vodka right now is real and my job is to make sure that we feed it with intention, not just activity.”

Find Blue Shark Vodka near you today in all North Carolina ABC stores.