“This extraordinary brand is highly-regarded all around the world and we are thrilled to be launching it in Canada,” said Evija Sparāne, KAH Tequila Global Brand Director. “We believe that the energy, knowledge and passion for premium beverages that the Mark Anthony Group puts behind their work will be the key to unlocking our growth in this major market.”

“We continue to see accelerated growth in the tequila category and are excited that KAH is launching in the Canadian market. At Mark Anthony we are proven brand builders; dynamic, distinctive and innovative in our approach to launching and building brands. We are pleased to partner with KAH and introduce this great brand to Canadian consumers,” said Scott Walton, President, Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits.

KAH is an exceptional tequila, presented in unique bottles. Created to honour Mexican people and their traditions, the bottles have an extraordinary beauty that is matched only by the outstanding tequila it contains. The product range features three expressions with each being made from hand-selected 100% Blue Agave and presented in a uniquely decorated bottle: Blanco, Reposado and Añejo.

KAH Tequila has received multiple international awards for its taste and quality. KAH, which translates to “life” in the ancient Mayan language, is produced by Fabrica de Tequilas Finos in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico which is owned by Amber Beverage Group, an international producer and distributor of alcoholic beverages.

Established in 1972, the Mark Anthony Group is one of North America’s most diversified and successful private beverage companies focused on the alcohol beverage sector. Mark Anthony Wine & Spirits is the company’s premier fine wine and spirits distributor in Canada, with a proven track record of building brands for carefully selected partners from around the world.

Amber Beverage Group is a holding company that has grown from its original core production business established in 1900, to become the global spirits company that unites over 2,000 employees in almost 20 companies across four continents. Amber Beverage Group operates internationally from its head office in Luxembourg and through its production and distribution companies in Russia, Mexico, UK, Australia, Austria, and the Baltics. It is a leading producer, distributor, logistic provider and retailer of alcoholic beverages.

Source: Amber Beverage Group

Cross Keys Gin Black Currant is now available at Ocado, the UK’s biggest online grocery retailer. The agreement is being managed by Amber Beverage Group’s (ABG) UK-based drinks distributor Cellar Trends and comes at an exciting time, with the gin category continuing its double-digit growth.

“I am really pleased to have added Cross Keys Gin Black Currant to our range of gins at Ocado. The combination of blackcurrants and linden blossom produces a flavoured gin unlike any of the others we stock, and its innovative clay bottle will appeal to our consumers,” said Gary Hyde, Spirits Buyer at Ocado.

Cross Keys Gin Black Currant is a premium gin which unlocks the essence of the Baltic region. Blackcurrant is the key botanical delivering a unique taste for this handcrafted gin. Cross Keys Gin Black Currant is well balanced using traditional juniper berries distilled with local herbs and a hint of sun-ripened blackcurrant sweetness.

Rooster Rojo tequila is now available in Australia’s premier liquor merchant, Dan Murphy’s. Amber Beverage Groups’ Australian arm, THINK Spirits, continues to get results and has secured a listing for the ABG-owned Rooster Rojo Blanco tequila with Australia’s biggest alcohol retailer, Dan Murphy’s. The premium retailer is stocking all three SKU’s of Rooster Rojo tequila (Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo) through its growing online business and has listed Rooster Rojo Blanco across all of its stores.

Commenting on the new listing, Patrick Borg, THINK Spirits CEO, says, “We are incredibly excited to be working with Dan Murphy’s right now. The Tequila category is booming and becoming even more premium and we have a fantastic opportunity to continue to grow the category through Rooster Rojo, particularly with more consumers than ever making their own cocktails at home.”

Rooster Rojo tequila is produced in small batches in the town of Tequila in Mexico, using only 100% blue agave. Carefully crafted by the Fabrica de Tequilas Finos master distiller, Arturo Fuentes Cortes, and blended with water filtered through real Mexican silver, Rooster Rojo is the first tequila to use this technique, resulting in an authentic and high-quality spirit.

Moskovskaya Pink Vodka is listed in the UK, Portugal and Finland’s alcohol monopoly. With the UK vodka category back on the rise and the pink trend continuing to grow particularly with increased interest for at-home cocktails, innovative Moskovskaya Pink Vodka is now listed in one of the biggest UK’s online stores, Master of Malt, as well as in Alko – an independent company owned by the Finnish State which has a distribution network of over 350 stores and over 60 pickup points, covering the whole of Finland. Additionally, Moskovskaya Pink is listed in two Portugal’s biggest retail chains Sonae and Continente. The outlook for Vodka category in Portugal is generally positive for future years, thanks both to high-profile premium brands and the drink’s general versatility in cocktails.

“The UK and the Nordics are strategic markets for Moskovskaya Vodka and I am delighted to see Moskovskaya Pink – our innovation – starting to open important doors for the brand. Online commerce has become a great focus for us and Master of Malt is one of the finest online spirits retailers in the UK. In addition, a listing at Alko, the Finnish State monopoly, is always a particular cause for celebration. Portugal is one of Moskovskaya’s core markets and our long-term partner Primedrinks has done an outstanding job with Moskovskaya Pink listings with some of the major retail players,” said Helena Zakmane, Global Brand Director of Moskovskaya Vodka.

Moskovskaya Pink is a premium vodka with natural raspberry and lime flavours and a touch of juniper. Its pleasant, smooth taste and blush pink colour make it perfectly suited to elegant and refreshing cocktails. Moskovskaya Vodka is available in over 65 markets worldwide and has received numerous awards and accolades from experts in worldwide competitions since it received its first Gold medal in 1954 at the International Trade Fair in Bern.

Source: Amber Beverage Group

Mijenta is a new player with a unique proposition, that celebrates the traditions of Mexican culture and embodies the best of the land and its people. No other tequila looks like it or tastes like it.

The spirit’s unique journey begins with its passionate community of craftsmen and jimadores who have perfected the ancient art and love of harvesting agave over generations. Mijenta is crafted using the highest quality ingredients, including fully mature certified Blue Weber Agave from Mexico’s maguey plants, which are grown in deep red clay soil and are only harvested at their ripest by a specialist team.

Mexico-based Maestra Tequilera, Ana Maria Romero, designed and oversaw the entire creation process, from harvest to bottle. One of the most trusted, respected and awarded tequila authorities in Mexico, Maestra Tequilera Romero brings over 25 years of experience in the tequila industry.

“It brings me great pleasure to be able to share our creation, Mijenta, with the world. Mijenta is meant to unite all kinds of people under the same flavor, whether it is for tasting, pairing with food or tasting with friends. Each element of the journey has been crafted in order to celebrate the best of the land and its people – from the earth that graces us with its gifts, to our community who share their skills, to our customers who give us their trust,” shares Romero.

Mike Dolan, former CEO of Bacardi joins Romero as Co-Founder and Lead Investor to help pave the way for Mijenta.

“It has been incredible to work closely with Ana Maria to foster her vision and help bring together the unique local ingredients, traditional storytelling and bespoke design elements that make up Mijenta for its launch in the U.S. Mijenta distinguishes itself first and foremost with its unparalleled tasting notes, but I’m extremely proud of the way this company does business, focusing on sustainability, community and support for local businesses throughout every step of the process. I’m excited to see where the next steps in our journey lead as we launch further expressions and reach new markets.”

Blanco, the first expression from Mijenta, presents the brand’s core offering. Priced at $50 and available online at reservebar.com and shopmijenta.com, Mijenta Blanco, offers the purest form of the agave plant and is a true expression of Mijenta’s quality and artistry. The Reposado, which is scheduled to launch at the end of 2020, is aged up to 6 months in oak casks, and will offer a softer and fuller expression of Mijenta. Two more expressions will be announced in the future.

FLAVOR PROFILE

The unique taste of Mijenta is a story that unfolds from within, which celebrates the agave and enhances its aromatic, sensual aromas. The outstanding tequila is bright and transparent with a powerful body that features, honey, vanilla, caramel and floral notes, along with flashes of tropical fruits such as peach, melon, pineapple and light touches of soursop. The palate confirms its olfactory promise, with a complex, silky and generous finale, perfected by Mijenta’s preeminent Maestra Tequilera.

Each element of the unique tequila crafting journey is carefully calibrated to create Mijenta’s signature aromatic palette. Mijenta exclusively uses fully mature, certified Blue Weber Agave from the highlands of Jalisco. It achieves its distinctive flavor profile through a meticulously slow process and traditional methods, ranging from the selection of agaves from the best plots, to rich fermentation of slow cooked unfiltered agaves to the delicate distillation and pot stills.  Precise cuts in the heads and tails of the plants help control temperatures and account for the cool mornings in the highlands.

Mijenta’s products are handmade, numbered, and embrace traditional methods, crafting excellence through a bespoke distillation process. Mijenta is harvested by a dedicated team of jimadores at higher elevations which produces a smoother tequila with more fruitiness.

SUSTAINABILITY

Mijenta is built on the desire to maintain nature and all the wonders it has to offer, seeking to reverse environmental impact through actions carried out at all stages of the life cycle. That is why sustainability is at the heart of Mijenta’s process, including its design and packaging. All paper-related components (label and box) are made of agave waste and the organization actively supports local businesses and communities by purchasing all packaging elements from Mexico. From farm to bottle, Mijenta is committed to sustainable practices, minimizing our environmental impact, and maximizing the community’s energy efficiency.

COMMUNITY

Community runs central to Mijenta’s philosophy, and we are humbled to partner with some of the best and brightest at what they do. The Mijenta Foundation was created to support local members of the community – such as Don José Amezola García, a third generation jimador, and his son – in the protection and preservation of their ancestral skills. Mijenta works hand in hand with local businesses and communities, directly re-investing a portion of profits, offering healthcare assistance, and providing assistance for team members and their families.

CULTURE

Preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of the people of Jalisco’s history and traditions, Mijenta collects legends and myths that are centuries old and have been passed from farmers to jimadores and craftsmen to artists.

Notably, the “Centzon Totochtin” is a folk story that tells the legend of Mayahuel, the goddess of the agave plant, and Patecatl, the god of Pulque, whose union produced 400 mischievous rabbits with a taste for good company, good spirits and good times. This fable is the inspiration behind Mijenta’s logo.

Legend says that when the sun secretly meets with the moon, the most beautiful maguey plants are born. When they grow, the fields blend with the sky and they become a mesmerizing gift to humankind. For centuries, loving hands of ancestral farmers carefully harvested the precious agave and turned it into a masterpiece.

Source: Mijenta Tequila

 “Adding KAH to our ever-growing tequila portfolio, reinforcing tequila brands such as Rooster Rojo® and Don Camillo®, allows us to offer a pyramid of solutions in every market. Therefore, we are looking forward to welcoming this award-winning tequila to our brand family,” said Pepijn Janssens, Chief Marketing Officer at Amber Beverage Group.

“We have developed a new bottle for the USA market and plan to launch it during 2020. KAH Tequila will keep paying reverence and honour to Mexico and its people and begins its journey in our own tequila distillery, Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, where each bottle is hand-crafted,” said Pepijn Janssens.

KAH® is an exceptional tequila, presented in unique bottles. Created to honour Mexican people and their traditions, the bottles have an extraordinary beauty that is matched only by the outstanding tequila it contains. The product range features four expressions with each being made from hand-selected 100% Blue Agave and presented in a uniquely decorated bottle: Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo.

Source: Amber Beverage Group

CURIAN works enabling a 24/7 direct communication channel between the brands and the On Premise professionals that are the first contact with their consumers throughout a digital platform in where the assistance is provided in order to create, mixology, pairings and tastings, trainings and management of other special requests, in a tailor-made solution for the brands and venues.

The solutions that CURIAN provides to their customers are centralized by the platform, in where recognized chefs as well as some of the World´s Best Mixologists, are devoted to attend the new experiences requests of the global On Premise Channel, eliminating the barriers of distance, cost and cultures.

The Founder and Managing Partner, David Santillán Giles comments: “We are extremely pleased to present this solution to the Epicurean market, we believe CURIAN represents a new statement in how brands enable experiences for its consumers in a scalable and cost-efficient way ”

Source: Santo De Piedra

Mexico has a rich food and beverage history. The country has so many different traditional beverage products which are all worth a try. However, to many of us the first thing that comes to mind when we think about Mexico is spirits made from agave. Today, I have the pleasure of talking with Dalton Kreiss, who is the Founder & Team Lead at

One of my favorite things about Mexico is a rich history whenever you turn. Can you tell us more about Maguey Melate? How did the whole story start?

My partner Hanna and I moved down to Oaxaca somewhat randomly. I originally went into an advanced automation career after college that is the polar opposite of everything artisanal mezcal. After leaving corporate and doing a good amount of travel everywhere but Latin America, we ended up in Oaxaca.

The experiences we had in Oaxaca began an obsessive journey into mezcal, and soon we wanted to taste new varieties from different mezcaleros and to consume more agave spirit knowledge as time went on. It wasn’t long before a mezcalito would permanently replace the evening glass of red wine.

As we became more aware of the mezcal landscape, we decided that we wanted to create a marketing and logistics company that would serve the mezcaleros that deserved to be the star of the show. The unique individuals who made the magic happen would be the brand.

Our mission was clear and simple: promote the mezcaleros and the artisanal process in the most entertaining and comprehensive way possible, allowing the rest of the world to fully appreciate agave spirits the way we had learned to down in Oaxaca. Our journey to bring Mexico’s palenques to the doorstep of international consumers had begun.

Maguey Melate has a handful of different agave spirits currently available for purchase on the website. Can you tell us more about each?

It’s a constantly rotating collection of premium spirits from limited micro-batches. As these leave the shelves, they will not be seen again and new expressions will replace them. We look for variety in terms of agave, ecosystems, and process variations and we look for mezcaleros that use the most artisanal of processes and preferably grow their own agave or at the very least buy agaves locally. 

The Tobaziche clay pot distillation from Felix has proven to be a favorite amongst newcomers into the agave spirits world as the clay pot distillation offers earthy flavors that mask some of the ethanol flavors that some do not enjoy as much. The Tepextate from Isaac & Marta is our only female mezcalera at the moment, but this will soon change as we have more on the way from female producers.

The Madre Cuixe is the clear favorite amongst mezcal enthusiasts who have a pallet that seeks strong bold flavors with a clear presence of complex ethanal notes. The reason for this great flavor is the intense care the mezcalero takes with his agaves over ten years and the fact that it is basically distilled only one time, which leaves a lot of the agave biology still intact. Then there is the Velato from Agustin, which is one of the rarest agaves in our current line up of spirits available for purchase. 

Beyond the ability to purchase individual bottles from our website, we also have the Subscription Box that is part of our Mezcalero Of The Month Club. This highlights different mezcaleros each shipment and is sent out to subscribers every two months. Another popular option is our Signature Box which includes three bottles of diverse agave spirits and lots of amazing handmade gifts from Oaxaca.

All Maguey Melate products are handmade. Can you tell us how your products are made?

We seek various process variations as part of our value offering, so there are so many specific details that can’t be covered here. This includes how the agave is cut down, how it is cooked, what is used to crush the agaves, what the spirit fermented in and how long, what it is distilled in, and finally what methods are used to determine how to cut the heads and tails. It is not like baking a cake in which you have controlled consistent ingredients that are mixed precisely using a recipe, but rather like cooking an organic meal where each step depends on the previous step and using sight, smell, and taste to determine how to adapt to the next step. A beautifully complete video of our process can be seen here.

Three months ago I backpacked across Mexico. What I have noticed was a huge variety of local Tequila and Mezcal factories. Is it hard to compete in this market? What makes Maguey Melate differ in the market?

It’s very difficult to compete in this market, but there is also a huge gap in how people are going about it. The greatest part of our business model is that we don’t need to learn how to make the best mezcal in the world; we just have to find the people and families that have already mastered it. Secondly, we don’t need to create amazing brand commercialization with celebrities or catchy marketing gimmicks; we simply need to showcase the amazing people making this spirit and capture how they are making it. 

We differentiate ourselves on two main pillars. We work directly with a network of amazing independent producers making agave spirits in the most artisanal ways. This allows us to offer a tremendous level of diversity rather than focusing on one single producer. And second, we believe we offer the most experience-rich way to enjoy these spirits. Mezcal is not just a beverage, it’s an experience in and of itself. The level of content from the physical package and especially in terms of the digital media that comes with every single bottle through our QR codes and our social media is unparalleled in this space.

Owning a beverage business is quite a challenge. What difficulties have you faced so far?

Some of the difficulties include finding a retailer that would work with us on a per-item basis and not on a per-dollar sale basis, finding a distributor, getting an export license as foreigners in Mexico which our business is revolved around, having our videographers apartment robbed one week before our Signature Box launch and losing all the edited videos we spent three months working on, keeping two sets of books with insanely confusing and different tax laws in two countries, and so much more!

What are the primary markets for your products? Are you planning to expand into other countries? Which ones?

Currently, we are just focused on the US. We would love to sell in Mexico and have taken steps towards this, but we are limited by some licensing hurdles and the amount of time to do all of our content in Spanish (it would be a bit of a slap in the face to offer our product in Mexico in English). 

We are very interested in taking our product to Europe including Germany and the UK, but are waiting to see how Brexit shakes out and finding a key partner there to help us import, distribute, and market.

What is the biggest milestone planned for 2020 and where do you see Maguey Melate in 5 years from now?

Our biggest focus for 2020 is expanding our business to business rollout, where we will offer bars and restaurants private label exclusive batches just for their establishment. I also see Maguey Melate continuing to becoming the leading mezcal of the month club, and in the future developing the most extensive and information-rich mezcaleropedia (map and index of independent producers) so that various tourists, local restaurants, and foreign mezcalerias or brands/importers can find these great producers and provide them with much-needed business, whether that’s through us or on their own means. 

What advice would you have given yourself before you started out in the beverage business?

Honestly, there were two times where are backs were flat against the wall and completely bankrupt with just mountains of bureaucratic burdens piling up and sales trickling in at best when I thought to myself, “Why would I ever get involved in alcohol in the US and exporting in Mexico. It’s a terrible combination all the way through.” My advice to myself back then would have been to stay out of it. But the journey isn’t over and that assessment is certainly subject to change. 

Still, as a young entrepreneur with very limited access to financing and realistically one chance to give a startup a real go, stay away from business models and industries that involve a lot of bureaucratic oversight and tiptoeing. Or at least operate in those industries in a way that doesn’t burden you with so much of the licensing and bureaucracy of it all if possible. Selling alcohol in the US is so unbelievably painful due to the post-prohibition laws that do not serve the consumer in any way.

My more constructive advice to myself would be to hire legal and industry professionals to guide you through the bureaucracy of the beverage business or any business for that matter. It’s difficult for me to say that because I am a firm believer in staying lean, taking quick action, and fix mistakes later and ask for forgiveness. But when it comes to the legal stuff, I shift my perspective! 

For more information visit Maguey Melate’s website.

1. First of all, congratulations on the release! How did you come up with the idea of writing “How to Get U.S. Market-Ready”?

I had been tossing the idea around for a few years, as it was as common question I‘d get in response to my writing, speaking, lectures and consulting. Then, my friend Stevie Kim, who runs Vintaly, came to me and said, „We‘re going to do a book together, and you‘re going to write it.“ Stevie had previously published a couple of books including Italian Wine Unplugged:  Grape by Grape,“ and so had the infrastructure in place under her Wine2Digital team.

I had actually made a couple of starts on a book in the past but found I really needed the motivation,schedule, due dates and leadership from her to move an idea into reality.

Stevie assigned Federico Berti to manage the project and Enrico Avesani to design the book and that made it a lot easier for me to just focus on the writing piece.

One thing I learned is that it is a lot harder than it looks and it takes a lot more time than  I would have thought. Frankly, writing it was the easy part. The hard part was turning a mass of content into an organized book that had structure and flow.

I’ve spent a majority of my time in the last 15 years working with wine and spirit brands on their U.S market introductions. And I found that typically, everyone made a common set of mistakes. That was because the U.S. market isn’t just one market. I like to say it‘s more Balkanized than the Balkans, with 52 separate regulatory entities. So while America may be the largest wine market in the world, and one of the largest spirits consumers as well, the reality is, breaking in is more like breaking into 52 different countries, all with their own rules and regulations.

So I created a program called „Get U.S. Market-Ready“ that combined the education prospective brands needed to understand and deal with the U.S. market, along with the practical tools to execute their plans. These were proprietary tools I developed and most are data-driven…practical, quantifiable, and measurable. Things like creating a template for price structures with all the formulas for margin and markup, and state taxes. Also a tool to pick the right market for each individual brand…and most of the time it‘s counter-intuitive. As an example the biggest wine market states of NY and CA, often are the wrong markets for new brand introductions.

And as I fine tuned what turned out to be effectively a master‘s level education in U.S. wine and spirit introductions, I actually turned it into lectures that I give at several universities. I now lecture at University of Bologna Business Schook and my alma mater, Cornell University, and the book is part of the curriculum for the wine tracks there.

2. I have read your book and it feels like this is the perfect guide for wine and spirit startups that are wondering to enter the U.S. market. Why the U.S. is such a great opportunity market?

Let‘s start with the idea that it is the biggest wine market in the world, and one of the biggest spirits markets as well. Even with that scale, the U.S. has lots of head space in terms of per capita consumption of both those categories, relative to other countries in the world. A lot of that has to do with Prohibition, the effects we‘re still feeling 85 years later. But the bottom line is the U.S. offers a huge and growing market, with lots of opportunities for creative marketing and promotion, and, because of the regulations, in many senses an even playing field for the new/small guy as well as the existing big guy.

One of my chapters is titled: Opportunity is knocking…can you hear it?  That speaks to the many niches in the U.S. market that remain to be exploited. These include indigenous varietals on the wine side, and products from countries other than the top 10 of Italy, France, Australia etc. We’ve had success working with producers of spirits from countries such as Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ukraine, and wines from Slovenia, Greece, South Africa and Portugal.

One other key fact…as Millennials have picked up the mantle as being the largest wine and spirit consuming age cohort from Baby Boomers, they are correspondingly changing everything else…from the types of products consumed, to how they‘re sold.  Add in the emergence of the web, social media and smartphones, and we‘re in an entirely new era.

3. There is a chapter regarding the very beginning of the preparation of entering the U.S. market. What are the main steps to prevent anyone from getting “a bloody nose”?

One of the points I make is that it‘s not just important to do the right things that are unique to this market, but also do them in the right order. And one of the very valuable tools included in the book is a detailed flow chart…a checklist if you will…of all the things that have to be considered in planning a brand launch. That tool alone will help new-to-the-U.S. brands raise their chances of success.

I liken breaking into the U.S. market as a series of three locked gates in sequence, with a brick wall at the end. Importer, Distributor, retail/HoReCa are the locked gates. The brick wall is the end consumer. A pessimist would look at that and see all the problems. An optimist…and I like to work with optimists…will see tremendous opportunity in the same set of challenges. There are whole bunch of solutions to those locked gates that need to be considered other than the traditional ones. In fact, I like to tell people, it‘s not enough to have a great product, you need a route-to-market that‘s custom designed to your specific resources, objectives and characteristics.

4. Finding the right importer and distributor seems like a difficult task. What are the rookie mistakes brand owners should avoid?

Most suppliers think they want an „agency brand“ importer (who will take the responsibility…and margins…of establishing and growing the brand). In reality there are 9 different options for importing to the U.S. that really should be considered…all of which could end up being a lot more profitable and successful for newbie brands.

We recommend that brands look at the importer decision as two steps. First step is finding an importer to get started with. And we cite 5 different ones…the category is called „service importer“ which include MHW Ltd. and Park Street. Both have distribution licences in NY, CA, FL and NJ, so they‘re a great place to start. Then, once the brand has worked out the kinks and figured out the right formula for success in the U.S., producers can start looking for their „forever“ importer. The beauty of this approach is the range of options for the forever importer will be a lot larger, and those will be a lot more motivated to talk to you once you’ve gotten traction in America.

The same is true with distributor selection. A new-to-the-U.S. brand has little credibility and lots of risk. We recommend brands prove their concept before actively reaching out to traditional distribution.

I would also mention that there are two new options for import and distribution that are getting a lot of attention. One is called LibDib and the other is Merchant 23. Both are solutions to importing and distributing that are designed specifically for the needs of new brands.

5. As stated in your book, What Is In It For Me (WIIFM) is a critical question. Can you explain its meaning and importance?

Sure. WIIFM is a mnemonic device we use to make sure everyone‘ focusing on meeting the needs of the key decision maker  you‘re dealing with at each stage-in the process. What that means is the importer or distributor are not interested in your brand as much as they are in how your brand will make them more money, or fit into their portfolio and growth goals. The quality of the wine is irrelevant at this point, except insofar as that it has to be competitive. At this stage, better wine…or spirits…is not a competitive advantage. It‘s axiomatic that all products made today are technically „good.“ And consumers are buying brand more than they are liquid.

The same holds true for on and off premise retailers. They want you to answer a specific question: „If I take your brand in, I have pull something out that I already know is making me money and has a track record in my store/restaurant. Show me how carrying your brand will help with my business objectives: make more money, more margin, attract more customers, differentiate my store from others.“

That‘s not to say that great reviews and high scores are not important. In fact the opposite is the case. But at this specific stage in the sales process, they‘re considered the „ante“ to sit at the table.

6. To the rest of the world the definition “Franchise State Laws” might be unfamiliar. What is it and how it might affect brands which are planning to enter the U.S. market?

It‘s too complicated to explain here, but suffice to say that there are about 20 states in the U.S. (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Georgia to mention a few) where the net effect of franchise law means that there is a different roster of distributors in the market than in non-franchise states. So a market introduction strategy for a new brand might want to target franchise states because the generally smaller, state focused distributors would be more interested in new brands than the big national distributors. Connecticut is a case in point. It‘s adjacent to NY and has a lot of people who commute to the city. But the distribution line up is totally different than what you would find in New York.

7. It seems that getting the needed attention from distributors is very challenging. What are the main actions brands can take before trying to find the perfect distributor?

That‘s a complicated question to answer. Particularly so because you need to do a different set of things to „activate“ a new distributor, than to work with one where your product is already established. That said, the producers‘ goal of working with any distributor is to get a disproportionate amount of their time and attention.  And that takes innovation, creativity and a deep understanding of how that specific distributor operates and where their focus is. That‘s why I feel it‘s important that the person who manages distributor relationships in the U.S. be based in America and thoroughly steeped in not only the bev. alc. market, but knows the people at that specific distributor and has worked with them before.

8. To sum up, is it worth trying to enter the U.S. market for wines and spirits brands? Why?

A lot of folks, me included, tend to focus on the challenges of entering the U.S. market. Frankly, they‘re no different in scale and scope to any other country, just different in terms of being fragmented and in many cases, not making sense. Both are the result of the repeal of Prohibition when the Federal Government granted the states the right…and the responsibility…to regulate beverage alcohol. Back then, the states were interested in keeping gangsters like Al Capone out of the business. Now they‘re more interested in the taxes the industry can generate, among other priorities.

So, yes, it is absolutely worth it for new brands to break in and grow in the U.S. The sheer size of the market is compelling, but also the stability of the market,  its consistent growth record and potential for the future. And of course the „headroom“ factor of relatively low per capita consumption means there‘s lots of opportunity for growth. Add to that the seismic changes being driven by Millennials, the internet and e-commerce means America is the place where creativity, innovation and sheer persistence can dwarf sales and profits in any given brand‘s home market.

For more information regarding the book please visit Bevology’s website.

Gran Patrón Smoky honors traditional production methods dating back hundreds of years. Like all Patrón Tequila, the process for Gran Patrón Smoky begins with the highest-quality, 100 percent Weber Blue Agave. To create the distinctively smoky aroma and taste of this extraordinary tequila, the heart of the agave plant, the piña, is roasted in underground stone pits at the Patrón Hacienda distillery in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.

The cooked agave is then slowly crushed with a volcanic stone tahona wheel before the juice and agave fibers are placed together in pine wood fermenters and then distilled in small-capacity copper pot stills.

“At Patrón, from the beginning, we have always been dedicated to preserving traditional tequila-making techniques. With Gran Patrón Smoky we’ve taken that commitment one step further by exploring the ancient method of roasting the agaves in small, underground stone pits, resulting in a balanced yet complex smoky flavor.” said Lee Applbaum, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Patrón Tequila.

Gran Patrón Smoky is characterized by its aroma of artichoke, pepper, spices, and hints of sweet citrus. It has a smooth and sweet taste, with very distinctive smoked agave and citrus notes, and a long peppery finish.

Source: Patron Tequila

“Patrón Citrónge Pineapple is a perfect addition to the Citrónge family; it pairs beautifully with tequila, and it has a tremendously versatile flavor profile that makes it an excellent addition to a wide variety of handcrafted cocktails.”

“Pineapple continues to be a hot trend both in culinary and mixology, and increased interest in innovative and delicious cocktails, particularly in the Tiki movement, is further driving momentum of this very flavorful tropical fruit,” said Lee Applbaum, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Patrón Spirits.

Source: Patron

“This sponsorship agreement follows the age old saying ‘it takes one to know one’. Our tequila category front-runner Rooster Rojo Tequila constantly receives the highest international category awards, so we expect the same results from the ambitious J2Racing team,” says Seymour Ferreira, Chief Executive Director of Amber Beverage Group.

The J2Racing team should have no worries as they have one of the most powerful vehicles on the racetrack – the 2018 Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup car. This “beast” can reach up to 280 kph and has a jaw-dropping 480 horsepower engine. The car, valued at EUR 240 000, is marked with the distinctive Rooster Rojo Tequila logo on the hood and has black and red stripes on white.

Four experienced J2Racing drivers will steer this Porsche-beast on the 25-kilometre long racetrack – John Shoffner, Janine Hill, Arno Klasen, and Duncan Huisman. The 24-hours Nürburgring is one of the hardest endurance races held in Germany. The race promises, again, to be a race of superlatives in 2018 and for one day and one night push both men and machines to the limit.

J2Racing is the name under which a talented and experienced team of pilots participates in the international and well-known VLN and ADAC races. The main sponsor of the team is the global beverage company Amber Beverage Group, with its outstanding brand Rooster Rojo – a premium 100% Blue Agave tequila, which shares the team’s passion and willingness to always be first. Rooster Rojo is an outstanding tequila brand that has already won several medals in some of the world’s biggest beverage competitions.

Source: Rooster Rojo