Meet Codi Fuller | Lead Distiller at Highway Vodka ( The Highway Distillery)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Codi Fuller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Codi, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I personally don’t think you should ever give up, even when it seems like your dreams wont come to fruition. There have been plenty times where I wanted to give up on certain dreams because they weren’t coming true, However, I made sure I kept trying. And I tried anything and everything. I think they key to success is staying open -minded about what life has to offer! Sometimes God has bigger plans for us than we have for ourselves and staying open and allowing your dreams to shift along the journey you’re on can really be a huge turning point in your life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m currently the lead distiller and general manager at The Highway Distillery. I run the day to day operations here at the distillery and I produce all the vodka for the company. What sets me apart from others is that I’m the youngest black female distiller in the country and one of the only black female distillers in the world. I’m not just a distiller though. I’m a lover of all arts so I love that I can bring that aspect of myself to my job. I help with content creation for social media, events, promotion for the company and so much more. Getting to where I am now was progressive. I started off taste testing all the batches my dad would make on the stove. Then they would bring samples to the bar he and his partner owned ( which I was bartending at) and I would mix up cocktails for the customers to try. From then I learned how to work all the machines in the distillery as far as filling bottles and labeling them and how to fix each machine when it was broken down etc. Then, a few months later I began to learn to distill. It definitely wasn’t easy. I was working 40hour weeks and taking notes constantly to remember all the small details and within 6-8 months of learning I had the process down. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that I LITERALLY can do anything I set my mind to. I never thought I’d be able to learn the process of distilling and now here I am, being interviewed for it! What I want people to know about my story is that I’m just a young girl from Houston, Texas who decided that one way or another she would shine. I will never give up!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well I’m basing this off of no COVID lol, but . Monday night we would go to a nice restaurant maybe like Abouzy. Tuesday we would definitely get tacos from either Cyclone Anayas or BLANCO. Wednesday would probably just be a chill night at home where we order in from HopDoddy Burger Bar and drink homemade Highway Vodka Margaritas. Thursday we could go to The Galleria and shop and walk around eat at Peli Peli and drink their delicious Cucumber Martinis. Friday would be super fun bar/ club hopping from Kamp Houston to Atomic Bottle to Electric Feel Good to Chapman and Kirby. Saturday we hit up Juiceland in the morning for some healthy juices to recover from all the drinking, grab some to go food from Houston Sauce Pit vegan BBQ truck and then head to Surfside beach for some great beach vibes. And lastly Sunday we eat brunch at Lucille’s and then we’re at The Address in our best outfits so we can take pictures. That’s an ideal girls week!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
God & my amazing family! I’ve been on a spiritual journey for the last two years that has really showed me who I am and God has opened so many doors for me. He has showed me my true self and I’ve allowed Him to take the reigns in my life which has led me to where I am now. He has truly transformed me from the inside out and I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for God. My mom has always believed that I could do anything that I set my mind to and continues to push me to be my best self, stay humble and work hard always. My dad deserves recognition and thanks for allowing me to step into this position and having faith in me that I would be able to take on such a huge task. To have him trust me enough to become the lead distiller at the company is a blessing. I also have to thank my amazing husband for always encouraging me and reminding me how intelligent I am on those days that I don’t feel as such, and for loving me on my worst days. To have such an amazing support system is truly one of the greatest gifts in the world.

Website: highwayvodka.com

Instagram: @codialyn

Image Credits
Nightfall Motion Pictures Vi4ion Productions