It began with a little bite, a mere taste…
You can’t quite remember when it was, but you remember that things were never quite the same. You decided not to follow the status quo, and that decision sets you on a brand new path.
It is a journey of adventure and failure that takes you many places, teaches you resilience, and how to embrace never-ending change.
Later it gives you the confidence to pursue your dreams, learning from the inevitable mistakes that are all part of the voyage. You, my friend, have been bitten by the Entrepreneurial Bug, and are now caught in The Entrepreneurial Web!
Tune in for this energetic conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.
Today's episode of the Entrepreneurial Web is coming live from Fort Hamilton Distillery in Brooklyn's Industry City. Today's guest is Alex Clark, the proprietor of Industry City's new distillery and tasting room, Fort Hamilton. Alex supplies many local restaurants and bars, and liquor stores. Jeremiah refers to seeing the concept of the business in its "sperm stage" to grow into an actual business! Alex says that being an entrepreneur, "your tolerance for risk, you have to negate at some point." Alex says that if one were always worried about the consequences of doing things, they would never do it. One of the biggest things he has learned has been sales; "you can have a great brand, but if you're not moving product, then you don't have a business." Rye whiskey was his focus because it's the original whiskey of America and New York, and they "wanted to bring it back and put it on the pedestal as king of the American whiskeys, what it was until prohibition killed all the distilleries in Northeastern America." Fort Hamilton is a brand based on the history of the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Brooklyn (which technically the British won). They are trying to establish that NY Whiskey is the oldest whiskey in America and goes all the way back to Revolutionary War times.
It can be trickier to get the product to market because making whiskey is a time-consuming process. Alex believes that people's biggest mistake is not focusing on branding first, not thinking about how the product will get out on the market. Jeremiah asks Alex where the point of branding started for him. Alex says that the backyard of his house is where "the plan was hatched." He admits there were long lists of names that really sucked. And adds, all names suck until you do it. Especially when naming whiskey, he had to think of what else was out there? How do you get your story across in two to three words? Alex says that the Fort Hamilton Parkway stop is what gave him the inspiration for the whiskey brand.
Jeremiah adds that one of his mentors and first bosses created a sizeable restaurant empire and said the name should indicate what you are.
Think of your distribution channels, what do your sales look like when you're an entrepreneur.
Alex jumps back to the challenges of brand naming. He admits that one of the challenges was finding a Trademarkable name; in the early stages of Fort Hamilton, they tried using Brooklyn in their name, and it was not possible. He says that geographical locations are tough to trademark. The name that you have is the value of your company; it's about your intellectual property.
Jeremiah brings up that the distillery is not far from the Fort Hamilton base. They moved on to speak about the pitfalls in branding.
Alex points out that they have only been open for a few weeks.
They would have opened up last year, but the pandemic stopped them. Luckily Alex still had his bartending job and was bringing in income through that gig. He advises that early business owners should not quit their job just because they are opening their business, but he acknowledges that might not be the case for some businesses.
Fort Hamilton wanted to make sure they had a good relationship with local retailers instead of opening up many accounts everywhere. Quality is essential and sustainable sales are essential, making sure their supply chain is consistent. Getting that consistency going has been tricky, especially since they didn't have their own space to work out of.
Last March, they were supposed to move in, but all construction got shut down, and they couldn't get their license until August. They had thought about releasing a ready-to-drink cocktail, and he's glad that they didn't go down that route--he believes it would have taken them away from their mission of making whiskey.
Looking at other places to market is a new avenue for sales, such as internet sales. His core mission was to get the bourbon out last year instead of competing in the ready-made cocktail market. And he was still doing wholesale to local retailers. He had great connections with the local retailers and restaurants, which helped them out a lot last year. Their sales in liquor stores rose when the pandemic was grave. They noticed that having two different price points worked very well, since people couldn't order their cocktails from restaurants, but they could make their cocktails at home.
Why take over such a big space? Tasting rooms can generate income (for a lot of distilleries, that's where they get most of their profits); Fort Hamilton thinks they will be making more money. Alex thinks that the business will take off because they're not just focusing on Brooklyn; they are using their American rye whiskey identity to build a great product. They are starting to see that they are "making more money out there than with the tasting rooms."
They are located in the "distillery conglomerate," Jeremiah jokes that someone can show up to that courtyard and have a really good time. One of the focuses on Rye whiskey is because it's the base for all the great cocktails. The farm license gives them the ability to operate a tasting room as long as the products in stock are made with 75% of NY-based products. They make NY rye, NY bourbon, and NY maple syrup; they are a premium brand, and the goal is to have a full-fledge cocktail menu highlighting NY spirits.
Fort Hamilton offers the following products: single barrel rye, double-barrel rye (small batch), double-barrel bourbon, high rye double-barrel bourbon, car strength rye whiskey, and bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup.
00:02:03.720 --> 00:02:17.730 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: what's up everybody happy Friday today special treat we are going live from industry city and brooklyn New York before I bring my guests on the message of the week, you get a kick out of this if they build it now Fuck I fucked it up.
00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:24.870 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Nice one hey he is his fault if you build it, they will come, yes.
00:02:25.980 --> 00:02:40.170 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: it's been a while, since i've watched field of dreams I got confident, I was happy we were in Fort Hamilton distillery in industry city in brooklyn he's given me three drinks already it's gonna be as Dave chappelle said it's only going to get worse from here.
00:02:41.490 --> 00:02:47.220 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Welcoming back to the show Alex Clark, he is the proprietor of this fabulous new.
00:02:47.820 --> 00:02:55.740 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: distillery and tasting room and industry city, if you don't know anything about industry city look it up it's this crazy complex along brooklyn's waterfront and Alex here.
00:02:56.130 --> 00:03:06.720 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Has infiltrated it that long story we'll get to that we have we have some time to unpack that, but this is the second time on the show we we had him on for a segment when everything first shut down.
00:03:07.290 --> 00:03:14.880 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Talking about B2B operations, because as a producer he supplies many local restaurants and bars.
00:03:15.750 --> 00:03:24.240 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And liquor stores, I can think of a few yeah This is one on prospect off called juice box wines and spirits it's good spot restaurant called dello where.
00:03:24.990 --> 00:03:33.390 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Is his booze is featured in a number of cocktails good those are the only devil, I can think of off the top of my head sounds when he talked about today.
00:03:34.290 --> 00:03:41.070 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: To the best yeah welcome back to the show thanks for having me here so again we're live and his new tasting room.
00:03:41.430 --> 00:03:52.770 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: check out his social media, if you want to really see like a lot of the cool stuff that he's been doing here it's a beautiful beautiful space it's really awesome and it's still fun to do shows live again in person, as opposed to sitting.
00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:05.040 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: remotely yes time it kind of sucks So things are getting back to normal here um so you know I mentioned in in the social media promo for this like i've kind of watched this go from like.
00:04:05.490 --> 00:04:15.450 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Just discussion this brand from like infancy to like it was the little sperm still when we first we first met a sure, and you want to describe my it is.
00:04:17.490 --> 00:04:20.700 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: It is now swam all the way through, and you have.
00:04:21.840 --> 00:04:32.250 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You have some really great products here some some single and double barrel Bourbons and rise and we'll talk about that in a minute we won't reveal that's not.
00:04:33.090 --> 00:04:38.490 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: True um you know it's it's funny because you hear a lot of people, these days, talk about.
00:04:38.790 --> 00:04:47.250 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: I want to start a business, I want to do this, I want to do that and, like you, and I have actually we've actually done it we've actually like sad and pondered and and drink.
00:04:48.000 --> 00:05:03.840 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: yeah like cried and come up with these lame brain far fetched ideas and like actually put them in into effect, which is a feat in and of itself, it is, and I think that you, your.
00:05:06.930 --> 00:05:13.860 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Your tolerance for risk you kind of got to negate some point right because that's the thing if you're worried about what alcohol is a.
00:05:14.700 --> 00:05:24.300 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: coincidence, we both have alcohol related businesses if you are worried about the consequences of doing such a thing and then you would never do it right.
00:05:24.900 --> 00:05:30.300 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Like because there are many ways it could all go wrong horribly so many wrong and we'll talk about some of those.
00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:43.380 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We will, as this we've got scars to prove it right so like initially what was like because you know talks a lot about my own journey but like for you um you know what what were you thinking.
00:05:44.700 --> 00:05:53.940 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Well, I wasn't and I think that's the thing right so just think about it too much you'll never do it so it's a question of not thinking and actually just getting up there, and giving it a go.
00:05:55.050 --> 00:06:02.850 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But I think you have to understand that the nature of the business too, so I did learn a lot from working at widow Jane and launching that brand and.
00:06:03.990 --> 00:06:13.320 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know realize that hey you know the the biggest part of what what I do really is in many ways is sales right, so there is no whiskey brand unless you're selling whiskey.
00:06:13.650 --> 00:06:23.670 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You can make a beautiful brand but if it's not moving, then you don't have a business, so you know, focusing on that I knew that we we we knew a way around that world.
00:06:24.150 --> 00:06:34.530 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And that's we had developed relationships with people such as yourself juice box della other great liquor stores around town, you only have to say it three more times I get paid.
00:06:35.910 --> 00:06:47.250 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So you know we're 45 more minutes we had these relationships in place already, to an extent, where we didn't have a brand to present to them, so it was like okay.
00:06:47.730 --> 00:06:55.710 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Well, what do we want to do and Rye whiskey was was my focus because it's the original whiskey of America its original whiskey New York.
00:06:56.100 --> 00:07:03.090 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And we wanted to bring it back and put it up on its pedestal is the King of the American whiskeys, which is what it was, until prohibition.
00:07:03.420 --> 00:07:10.980 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: killed all the distilleries in in the northeast for America and or distillation started focusing down to Kentucky where they're making corn whiskey.
00:07:11.370 --> 00:07:23.790 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: corn being heavily subsidized by the government and very difficult to bring rye whiskey back to life after that point, because you know basically whiskey doesn't cost anything to make when it's the raw material, it says yes so.
00:07:24.450 --> 00:07:33.960 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: um but we're too stupid to make corn whiskey so that's the biggest rescued America, obviously, when you say we're trying to bring it back to you mean like the British.
00:07:35.010 --> 00:07:49.440 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Yes, just pointing out the obvious when it's funny because you said that I had infiltrated industry city, which I thought was an interesting adjective to you until it's only going to get worse, obviously, for Hamilton is a brand that's based on the history of.
00:07:50.820 --> 00:07:57.600 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: brooklyn and the revolutionary war, the battle of brooklyn which technically the British one, so you know.
00:07:59.370 --> 00:08:16.110 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And, but you know what we're really trying to do is is is establish the point that New York whiskey is the oldest whiskey in America, and it goes, all the way back to revolutionary war times and, yes, I am English, so there is an irony there which isn't lost it, how many people watch him.
00:08:17.370 --> 00:08:24.180 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: there's a cannon on his label, yes, no be ready don't just don't be surprised when it happens technically that cannon.
00:08:24.540 --> 00:08:32.430 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: represents the cannon that was stolen by Alexander hamilton's arts about militia from the British and then turned around and used against them.
00:08:33.210 --> 00:08:40.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know front and Center and now he's flipping it and he's yeah just coming back through the back door softening a second it back with rye and Bourbon.
00:08:41.850 --> 00:08:50.070 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And it's just going to get us completely sauce seminar that take it all back a little the middle of the night, not for nothing we're not far from the base just pointing out.
00:08:50.430 --> 00:08:58.770 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: went on, we will have waterway right here we've had the garrison commander of the for Hamilton island base through several times, yes, he said he's a friend.
00:08:59.280 --> 00:09:02.730 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And we get a few people up from the base doing tours and.
00:09:03.150 --> 00:09:13.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: tastings and course having a good time we actually were on the base couple of weeks ago doing a cigar and whiskey night nice Hispanic heritage was was Brian bogner anywhere nearby he was not know.
00:09:14.160 --> 00:09:21.870 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: That guy still upstate I know but yeah he he'll he'll surface for things like that yeah he's into it and oh yeah that's right Shannon Ray.
00:09:22.620 --> 00:09:33.660 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Ours for years so um you made an interesting point about how you, you had the sales portion down, you had the you had the the channels of distribution kind of unlock have a new product that.
00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:42.270 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Most people start the other way, so you kind of deconstructed the process, most people are like hey I make really good cookies I wanna I want to open a.
00:09:42.660 --> 00:09:50.040 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: bakery and right they don't know shit about running a bakery they know how to make cookies but like that's true.
00:09:50.580 --> 00:10:03.720 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But the other thing is that cookies you make him one day you sell them the next, whereas whiskey you make it one year and you sell it for years later, so it's it's even trickier in a way to get something to market.
00:10:04.950 --> 00:10:16.560 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And it's time consuming process, but I think the biggest mistake that people make is not focus on branding first and not focus on how it's going to get out in the market because.
00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.100 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know I think people paint themselves into a corner.
00:10:20.670 --> 00:10:28.740 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Like if you make a package, and you know, this is it, this is where it's at, but then you you start thinking about later, you start thinking about well what what is the market.
00:10:29.010 --> 00:10:40.320 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Where is this going, how is it going, how are we growing this is too late, your packages already that your message is already out there, and you might have missed the point potentially so where did this.
00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:47.340 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: focus on on branding start for you, I mean I remember drinking in your basement.
00:10:48.360 --> 00:11:00.180 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Try it was the day try try and samples and and we talked a lot about branding back then, and which is funny because I in hindsight i'm I got no shit about branding but we talked about it a lot yeah we did.
00:11:00.390 --> 00:11:12.780 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: and actually in the backyard of my house and where the plan was at and many a silly whiskey name was banded around over a beer and some Barbecue I participated again to see you there.
00:11:13.140 --> 00:11:24.690 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And there was a long list of names, most of which completely sucked in hindsight, and the problem is that actually all name suck until you do it right till until they start making money yeah.
00:11:25.530 --> 00:11:32.370 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Oh, this actually actually name names Okay, but certainly when you're naming whiskey brand you've got to think about.
00:11:35.430 --> 00:11:50.880 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know what else is out there, you know what, how do you get your story across in two or three words right like so without giant story was all widow Jane mine water from upstate New York boom easy peasy you know for house and revolutionary New York.
00:11:52.470 --> 00:12:03.660 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: rye whiskey, you know and and we should point out to it's also the name of the train station well that we all that's where these that's where it came from horrible plans we're at I would you know go far tend.
00:12:04.290 --> 00:12:13.320 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: To make ends meet while waiting for my whiskey to get tasty and on my way home from on the subway one in the morning two in the morning i'm scribbled out whiskey names.
00:12:13.680 --> 00:12:19.680 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: furiously and get off at for homeless and parkway with a list of terrible names and then.
00:12:20.190 --> 00:12:26.310 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: I was writing my name is yeah and I was like what is for Hamilton was what is this cool name out.
00:12:26.640 --> 00:12:36.420 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And you know turns out that's where the battle of brooklyn starting as a British, you know that didn't they teach this in history class, and you know they generally we didn't talk much about revolutionary war.
00:12:36.930 --> 00:12:45.090 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: In America, believe it or not, World War one World War Two absolutely all day long we're not really we kind of gloss over the late 1700s.
00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:59.220 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Nothing to see here from yeah certainly from a British point of view, we feel like it was a close shave and we got out just in the nick of time that's generally how it's perceived over there you're just mad because you lost the cannon goes.
00:13:00.990 --> 00:13:10.110 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: back to our serious conversation yeah deadly serious so um you know, one of my mentors and one of my first boss is.
00:13:10.620 --> 00:13:22.170 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: he's built a sizable restaurant empire and he talks about the name a lot like your name should be very indicative of what you are like you have to be careful with some of these names like della.
00:13:23.310 --> 00:13:26.640 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: told me and shit unless you unless you know it doesn't tell the story.
00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:36.600 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know, like that right that you fall into this trap now fortunately we focus on like being intimate with people, so we have the opportunity to sell sure that's if you're going to do that that's Okay, but.
00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:41.790 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: I think you made a very good point that just didn't like two or three words, you need to be able to tell people.
00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:53.160 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: What the hell you're really about, it needs to come across quickly and, possibly, like a tagline somewhere in there too that's also like two to three words yeah people get it like in that instance it's like okay.
00:13:53.490 --> 00:14:01.470 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: I know what i'm dealing with here, a lot of the mystery has been removed because there's tons of friction free I mean there's competition there's like so many things cdb will talk about.
00:14:02.970 --> 00:14:07.290 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Please don't please don't don't worry they're not listening nobody's listening.
00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:21.090 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: um, but I think that is really important that you, you really you just make life, a little bit easier for yourself, when you focus that way, so a number of things you pointed out, already that are just huge.
00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:26.970 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: If if there actually is anybody listening and you, you are, you know, an entrepreneur business owner, you want to be like.
00:14:27.630 --> 00:14:39.690 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Think about your channels of distribution what a sales look like, if you know I say it all the time, if a tree falls in the forest and nobody's there to hear it doesn't make sound like I know that's deep for you wow we're about to take a break always.
00:14:42.270 --> 00:14:48.690 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: anyways it's just like if nobody hears somebody there to hear you, you know your hero your noise or you you can't reach them what.
00:14:48.930 --> 00:14:56.640 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: What do you have you've got a shiny little box right gotta look pretty little package and that's kind of it yeah so there's a lot of you know angles, that you kind of have to attack.
00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:06.390 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: From the get go right, and I think that the naming is is key, certainly for it for a whiskey brand where people are going to be talking about it in a bar or restaurant setting.
00:15:06.780 --> 00:15:17.610 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And you want people to be able to share that story quickly and efficiently and not for nothing, you also need to make sure that it's a name that is trademarked and that's something that we.
00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:26.880 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Had a run in with they are on in our inception of the original name for that, for the business was.
00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:35.490 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A brooklyn formative name, and you know geographical locations are hard to trademark yeah and so people try to chase us off of that mark and.
00:15:35.880 --> 00:15:40.200 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And ultimately, we were in the right they were in the wrong and we ended up getting money.
00:15:41.070 --> 00:15:51.750 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: To us, to say what helped launch the business wasn't the US army, but she was like no, I mean the trademark laws and interesting one is basically about the channels channels of distribution that your product.
00:15:52.500 --> 00:15:59.160 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: trades it right so unless the US army suddenly starts to make booze for house and is not going to be trade marketable for that.
00:16:00.270 --> 00:16:01.680 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But you know so.
00:16:03.540 --> 00:16:07.650 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: yeah we we had a run in there, I know, a friend of mine who started up a company doing.
00:16:08.940 --> 00:16:11.790 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: men's cosmetic stuff he.
00:16:12.900 --> 00:16:16.170 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: launched and then got in a trademark dispute and all the hard work you've done.
00:16:16.560 --> 00:16:25.350 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: disappeared, because he had to stop selling under that name and name that you have is the value of your company really it's all about intellectual property.
00:16:26.010 --> 00:16:32.250 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So, yes you've got to do sales, but ultimately down the road, how is your company valued and your company is valued according to.
00:16:32.730 --> 00:16:49.890 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: brand recognition name recognition, and if you don't have your IP locked up, and your trademarks tie then you're in trouble so yeah that one of the bank kids yeah exactly all right we're gonna take a break we'll be back in just a minute SIP some whiskey hang tight everybody.
00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:51.720 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We said the whiskey.
00:16:53.820 --> 00:16:54.060 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: drinker.
00:18:57.060 --> 00:18:57.540 Coffee love.
00:19:04.080 --> 00:19:06.270 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You are not a secretary look at you.
00:19:06.780 --> 00:19:11.400 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: running the business over there alright we're live he's yelling at his Secretary.
00:19:13.320 --> 00:19:27.420 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: bye for now from co founder for Hamilton distillery in industry city in brooklyn New York right on the waterfront not far from the actual for Hamilton base Alex here has got plans joining me today again Alex Clark.
00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:34.530 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: The char call you a partner that in for Hamilton co founder co founder okay.
00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:41.430 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: I got my co founder to because I spent all this, he said he drank whiskey my backyard, in that case that all the.
00:19:43.770 --> 00:19:56.430 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Millions probably it's awesome so yeah we're here and his his gorgeous new facility and industry city How long have you been here for um we signed a lease here, probably two and a half years ago.
00:19:57.540 --> 00:20:05.280 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Is that right yeah that's right good ask a secretary two and a half years now it's absolutely right, we seems incredible because.
00:20:05.850 --> 00:20:21.780 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And you know you've only been open three weeks yeah exactly yeah we've only been open a few weeks, because you know, there was a pandemic yeah like so rumor has it we talked about some pitfalls to watch out for the first segment about branding particularly.
00:20:22.890 --> 00:20:37.530 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: trademarking but yeah they're they're bigger bigger fish in the sea that could that could scoop you up so you signed two and a half years ago when was your slated like opening last March.
00:20:39.150 --> 00:20:58.590 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: march of 2020 2020 did something happened something happened to TAO well apparently the pandemic happened, and not only did we not get to open our apparently are you one of those naysayers you didn't happen, it had a virus it happened, so we.
00:20:59.970 --> 00:21:04.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We had built the tasting room, with a view to getting it open last summer.
00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:13.800 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Summer interns running or spring spring summer 2020 and I was going to leave my bartending job in the city, which has helped you know, had.
00:21:14.280 --> 00:21:25.470 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Our income, whilst building which supply chain of whiskey another really good point right it's like a lot of people are like i'm going to quit my job and open my own business, like you know depends on the business, I suppose.
00:21:26.130 --> 00:21:36.180 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But I don't think quitting your job is generally the right move for 99% of people, and I certainly wasn't right move for me, but I am in a business where.
00:21:36.990 --> 00:21:53.640 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Eventually inventory is extremely thorough nearly expensive and time consuming to make so for the last five years after leaving the other distillery it was like let's let's focus on building supply chain of whiskey growing our relationships with local retailers, such as yourself.
00:21:54.840 --> 00:22:05.040 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: In a sustainable and steady manner, not just blow it out and open as many accounts as we could I could have done that in year one could have opened a ton of accounts, and you know.
00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:10.740 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Then you'd have to back it up with more with I was gonna say three months and you're gonna have no boots, no, no, no sales.
00:22:11.190 --> 00:22:15.990 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: No sales and you don't you know you might have a bit of extra income because of the extra.
00:22:16.740 --> 00:22:27.270 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Sales that you've made but you're not putting quality product out in the market and we've been extraordinarily focus on releasing quality products, and I think that's something that sets us apart from.
00:22:27.690 --> 00:22:33.000 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: from some some of the other guys out there they're just looking to get this quicker return on their investment as possible, so those are.
00:22:33.690 --> 00:22:40.440 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Very good points like quality is super important, but the word used for sustainable sales like.
00:22:40.830 --> 00:22:49.620 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Not just like one and done like Oh, we had a great march right and now we're out for three months, or maybe longer right because the supply chain is all fucked up now right.
00:22:50.520 --> 00:22:56.310 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: and not for nothing, having something consistently out there yeah and and getting that consistency going.
00:22:56.610 --> 00:23:04.110 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: is actually tricky, especially when we were you know we've been building this brand without having a home base necessarily been using other people's spaces.
00:23:04.350 --> 00:23:13.410 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Which is another way to keep our overheads low, which is great, especially when you're spending so much money on inventory and we had to do it that way.
00:23:14.430 --> 00:23:23.790 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But it's also tricky because now you're you know highly regulated industry you're you're you know Seminary to talk about to teach other people's yes, I news is going to happen.
00:23:24.150 --> 00:23:30.030 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You made it happen you drive a survivor then they want they brought me and I got nothing to hide buddy go.
00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:38.160 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Totally legit you know, and especially since last last March we're supposed to move in all construction got shut down in brooklyn.
00:23:38.970 --> 00:23:46.620 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So we weren't able to get our licenses over the line until August, and so it was almost like six months delay in that.
00:23:46.950 --> 00:23:52.530 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And, of course, no one was rushing around like Oh, please get your tasting room open it up as possible because.
00:23:52.830 --> 00:24:04.560 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Everyone was just locked down and fearing for that right hose out to the street yeah yeah shots down that's the way to do it God yeah we thought about I was like well how are we going to do this we're on the hook for rent we.
00:24:05.490 --> 00:24:10.830 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We can't open the tasting room to the general public, you know what are we going to do we, I considered.
00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:13.860 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Releasing a ready to drink cocktail.
00:24:15.210 --> 00:24:22.050 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Because that's something that we could technically sell from the tasting room to go at the law had been relaxed at the time to allow that.
00:24:22.530 --> 00:24:33.600 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: For craft distilleries to do that, since then it's been tightened back up again so in a way i'm glad we didn't go down that road, it would have taken a lot of resources away from potentially our core.
00:24:34.830 --> 00:24:49.650 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: mission of making 400 whiskies you know great to to be nice if they just left that one alone, no oh yeah sure you know yeah being able to ship to to customers who were hurting really with that.
00:24:51.540 --> 00:24:56.610 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: that's that's that's another another episode right there if there was something wrong yeah so.
00:24:57.930 --> 00:25:07.080 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So yeah I mean I think ultimately that's The other thing too is like when you're in a business you've got to look at what you know the ground shifts and you've got to be ready to move on, it too.
00:25:07.620 --> 00:25:15.000 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And so yeah looking at other pathways to market such as Internet sales which we've we've focused on quite heavily.
00:25:15.420 --> 00:25:25.110 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And so, if you go to the website now you'll find that we can ship your products anywhere in America, which is a new thing for us, then, of course, because of that functionality, we.
00:25:25.710 --> 00:25:32.430 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: now have the ability to to drop a marketing campaign out there which can say click this button to buy four hours and whiskey.
00:25:32.850 --> 00:25:43.260 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And then, all of a sudden, without that all makes sense right there's a reason that we've done it that way, but again, these didn't happen overnight, these are these are these are relationships we've had to build with other retailers and.
00:25:44.370 --> 00:25:49.440 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: understand the pathways to market and somewhere by force, like you, wouldn't have gone down that would you.
00:25:49.890 --> 00:26:02.160 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: have otherwise known as quickly as I did absolutely not I mean I think eventually any business is going to maximize its potential by getting all the avenues to to market open.
00:26:02.550 --> 00:26:11.610 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And, but to do it as quickly as we have it's probably a bit unique and we also sort of looked at other states as well we opened up Kentucky.
00:26:12.900 --> 00:26:18.330 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Last year in California, which is actually going really well for us and and.
00:26:18.990 --> 00:26:25.050 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But the problem is we, we only just got to visit Kentucky which is you know you've got to kind of have boots on the ground yeah states to so.
00:26:25.890 --> 00:26:30.930 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We sort of we took a sort of a different view on it, and instead of just being really reactive to.
00:26:31.710 --> 00:26:44.400 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: cove ID and just coming out with like an icd cocktail format and getting that to market as quickly as possible, because people weren't allowed to go to bars and restaurants, so it would make sense that you could provide them that, in a liquor store environment.
00:26:45.420 --> 00:26:52.050 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But a lot of other people were doing the same thing to then all of a sudden you're just one of a number of people in that crowded marketplace and actually.
00:26:52.290 --> 00:27:01.650 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: What I did do was decided actually here's what we're gonna do we're gonna actually bring our Bourbon out so we'll get to that in a bit, but ultimately That was my core mission last year was getting.
00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:12.270 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Out there, and you still had you were still doing wholesale you were still selling, yes, but the especially locally to locally yeah and and liquor stores were cleaning up.
00:27:12.690 --> 00:27:21.570 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: yeah but all you know i've been in food and beverage for a long time in the city like working in bars and restaurants, I have a great connections in that in that realm.
00:27:22.110 --> 00:27:37.170 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And that was one of all sort of superpowers was actually having some great accounts, you know so blue hill at stone barns is where the House core up there were in john George barriers are as bad though we're array right, you know some great great accountability.
00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:39.060 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: I can't afford to eat.
00:27:40.410 --> 00:27:52.860 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But if the show special you get the special stuff I show up with special bottles for you, you know that shirts and shirts and hoodies soon check out the website yes.
00:27:54.720 --> 00:28:00.390 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So yeah I mean they the the mix of of liquor store sales to.
00:28:01.560 --> 00:28:16.260 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: bar and restaurant sales, which was you know around 6535 suddenly went to like 95 five yeah and and it's not a good and it's not like we were we weren't we did start selling more in liquor stores.
00:28:17.490 --> 00:28:25.050 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But it's not like we could add the same amount liquor stores that we lost through through restaurant there's not that integration, first of all there's not that many.
00:28:26.010 --> 00:28:35.220 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But what we did do, and I think this is important is prior to the pandemic happening, we bought out the double bow right which is targeted for in as a sort of.
00:28:35.970 --> 00:28:45.810 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Small batch entry level offering which isn't super expensive and but it's still premium, but because the quality is there and it's targeted.
00:28:46.620 --> 00:28:54.870 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know, on the shelf kind of right around what bullet is and having then two different price points available really worked for us like that.
00:28:55.260 --> 00:29:04.830 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: saved our bacon during the pandemic, because people are home going hey I want to be some cocktail but you know we can't get it from a from a restaurant, but I certainly know how to Google, how do you make a Manhattan.
00:29:05.130 --> 00:29:10.740 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And then go to the store and buy the ingredients gravitated towards that because it's like you know.
00:29:11.430 --> 00:29:25.080 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A good enough that he's going to make a really great cocktail and but it's not $100 man that's not $100 matt right so which I love, but it's hard to do every day right, so I think that having that that different price points then baked into our.
00:29:25.650 --> 00:29:35.940 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: strategy really paid off that's Nice, so instead of just like writing in one lane with one kind of price point which is you're only able to attract a certain kind of customer.
00:29:36.360 --> 00:29:47.670 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And then, on the other end of the spot you're missing either way like when you're doing a $20 bottle of whiskey you're getting paid for that, like $20 and whiskey if it's a $60 bottle of whiskey you're getting that lot but there's you know.
00:29:48.120 --> 00:29:55.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Occasionally there's movement between the two, but you know you're actually almost in different sectors sectors of the market by and it's hard to market for both simultaneously.
00:29:56.670 --> 00:30:07.320 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know the whole nother but yeah, but I think that's why we're doing what we do yeah with the range that we have where it's all under the same umbrella is is sensible and not for nothing we.
00:30:07.710 --> 00:30:22.200 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Back in the day when I was like well, we want to come out with this other style of whiskey this up, you know really accessible and able to be using cocktails but still drinks, one of the right itself should that be under a different brand name and we did an exploration of that and.
00:30:23.970 --> 00:30:31.620 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Ultimately, decided to actually know it's going to be high quality juice, it should run into the House and banner it's just going to be a little bit.
00:30:32.730 --> 00:30:47.880 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: lower price and the, the truth is, if we hadn't gone under a different brand name, we would have doubled our marketing costs exactly we would have but I looted our focus from the market or into the market, and that would have been a bad idea.
00:30:48.930 --> 00:31:01.590 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: agree Lord knows I looked at it from what is it a lot of bad ideas that we learned yeah right, so we didn't didn't jump on it, but uh been there for a few of those bad ideas all right we're gonna take another break everybody hang tight grab a drink will be back in just a few.
00:31:03.360 --> 00:31:03.810 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: grabbing.
00:33:38.820 --> 00:33:39.480 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Where we got in there.
00:33:40.590 --> 00:33:47.340 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We go in next one oh wait until for Karen distillery where we are zooming in live today industry city brooklyn.
00:33:47.940 --> 00:33:57.630 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: With the owner here Alex Clark, and where we go into well, so I asked you at the beginning of the show my first intro I didn't mess up today to pat myself on the back is.
00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:06.390 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A three out of four and bad right um I asked you the beginning, like you were you know you're putting this.
00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:21.060 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: idea together for selling this whiskey like why, why would you do that, and now i'm asking you again why take over what's your square footage here he's fucking massive um it's what does it mean I think there's like 1750 for the.
00:34:22.350 --> 00:34:32.400 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Next square feet not next year next square feet rental square feets a bit higher right because the what we have common areas is a corridor out there, so we've paid.
00:34:33.090 --> 00:34:39.390 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: For a portion of that yeah we have there's a space down the hallway that we're considering leasing as well for extra barrel storage.
00:34:40.080 --> 00:34:52.590 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And, and the the entryway here there's supposedly going to be tables and chairs there so overspill from the bark and go into the hallway and I says places sold over 2000 plus square feet.
00:34:53.280 --> 00:35:06.840 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: yeah if you always hear stuff yeah then, absolutely yeah well he's like 2223 is super duper high ceilings and everything and yeah big high seas of old industrial building ceilings are like 12 feet 12 and a half feet tall.
00:35:08.130 --> 00:35:18.000 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And the floor is made for like 18 inches of concrete, which we know because we had to dig a fraud French drain and that was an interesting scenario, some of the fun of brick and mortar.
00:35:18.720 --> 00:35:31.350 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: bust up an 18 inch deep concrete floor right, but they are built to last and the architecture here is actually kind of really cool and stunning we actually took that window.
00:35:32.070 --> 00:35:44.640 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: was one of the exterior windows they've been replacing with double glazed windows, to increase their energy efficiency, but we took one of their old windows had been in there since the early 1900s and San blas to that.
00:35:45.570 --> 00:35:53.940 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: and put that in there, so we did for for kind of maintaining the integrity architecturally of industry city, but being able to have a nice view.
00:35:54.240 --> 00:36:00.630 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Of what's happening in the distillery at the same time, so the idea is, if you come to the bar you get to be part of the.
00:36:01.110 --> 00:36:05.730 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Value now returning to the answer like well yeah Why would you take this space on you've got a working brand.
00:36:06.060 --> 00:36:15.990 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: you're distributing your wholesaling and like this is so big expense it's a massive expense, especially one that we haven't really been able to unlock the potential for the last couple years.
00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:27.930 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: which has been interesting and the, the truth is that we looked at when when the pandemic happened or started and everything shut down I lost my job araya.
00:36:28.740 --> 00:36:39.450 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: became clear that we weren't going to be open, this tasting room anytime soon and it kind of focuses the mind a little bit, so I looked at raising capital for the first time.
00:36:40.500 --> 00:36:45.870 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: which we did successfully, a few months ago, but it took me a while to.
00:36:46.350 --> 00:36:56.790 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Well, build the deck actually it took me about a month to build the day many late nights as as amy well, it says, I would just stay up there, and start cranking away on Google slides and and taught myself that and.
00:36:57.270 --> 00:37:06.870 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: got into the business model more on excel and taught myself that more oh yeah good times and but ultimately that's, the best thing about pandemic is it wasn't really anything.
00:37:07.560 --> 00:37:13.230 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: else to do so, it was like okay let's let's really flesh this out let's figure out where we are and where we're going with this.
00:37:13.590 --> 00:37:26.730 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: It was all they're all the building blocks, where there's just a question of how to get this on paper, how to express it accurately and learning how to do a deck properly was actually a really good and beneficial part of this whole.
00:37:27.990 --> 00:37:29.640 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: pandemic situation so.
00:37:30.660 --> 00:37:48.150 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Part of that exploration involve looking at people's income from their tasting rooms so turns out, if you look at the American craft distilling association website alongside discuss, which is the distilled spirits Council and various other.
00:37:49.590 --> 00:37:50.670 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Public K publications out there.
00:37:51.870 --> 00:37:57.360 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: piecing all that information together became clear that tasting rooms are actually a very large income.
00:37:58.140 --> 00:38:07.440 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: generating portion of most craft distillers business nice natural fan over 50% of their income comes from tasting rooms, is what they're reporting.
00:38:08.430 --> 00:38:14.700 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Which is massive now we sort of the way that we've built by with this more.
00:38:15.510 --> 00:38:25.110 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: national identity national sort of identity, as opposed to just a mom and pop distillery for our sins built with a with an American story, not just a brooklyn story yes we're in brooklyn.
00:38:25.470 --> 00:38:39.240 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And we're proud of that we're also proud of being the original American whiskey, and so we want is, we think that we're ultimately going to yeah we already are actually making more money you know out there that we do from the tasting room.
00:38:40.260 --> 00:38:44.850 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But once we get this up and running completely and you know.
00:38:45.420 --> 00:38:55.920 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: it's going to generate some some significant income for us because we're in brooklyn obviously rent is higher, but then the potential return on the investment is also higher because we have you know.
00:38:56.430 --> 00:39:10.530 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A few million people on our doorstep and you're in this like distillery conglomerate here, where you got yes psaros ginger the core you've got wormwood is close by right that the right of that standard well you've got.
00:39:11.430 --> 00:39:18.990 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: The brooklyn Cora Saki is downstairs you got big Alice brewing as well, so you could come to this courtyard.
00:39:19.470 --> 00:39:29.400 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And just a really good time, yes, get tanked that's it, but I think what we're bringing to the party is a slightly different sensibility of you know, I come from.
00:39:29.790 --> 00:39:37.710 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A cocktail background, with the milk and honey guys and a sigh company, and so we want to, and you know years about is all yours and red.
00:39:38.190 --> 00:39:47.580 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Very much in tune with that classic cocktail star there's one of the reasons that we focus on rye whiskey is because it's a base for all the great classics so you'll find here you'll find a more.
00:39:47.970 --> 00:39:51.360 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And kind of an elevated cocktail experience, I would say.
00:39:51.990 --> 00:40:02.130 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: In a bar in a tasting room of a distillery which isn't necessarily what you always find right oftentimes it's like here where they come from Wall Street saying I feel like.
00:40:02.580 --> 00:40:07.140 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: i'm done with Wall Street i've got lots of money, let me go over the distillery we're coming from.
00:40:07.920 --> 00:40:15.780 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: we've been bartending for years and in the fruit of every scene for years don't have a lot of money, but we know how to do it right so.
00:40:16.260 --> 00:40:23.190 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: we're kind of approaching it from a slightly different angle, and I think that gives us an advantage and so you'll see that once we start making cocktails.
00:40:24.060 --> 00:40:33.330 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Today today yeah we're doing cocktails right now we have a barrel, aged old fashioned that we do okay yeah nice yeah what's the next break oh.
00:40:34.500 --> 00:40:39.540 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: um can you stock like a full bar here we can stop we have.
00:40:40.950 --> 00:40:52.050 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A commercial a one distilling license and we have a New York farm DEA license so the farm license gives us the privilege to operate a tasting room adjacent to the distillery.
00:40:52.980 --> 00:41:02.160 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So long as the products that we stopped on the bar and made from at least 75% your agricultural product, and so, because we make New York right, you know Bourbon.
00:41:02.790 --> 00:41:13.020 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You have maple syrup we good to go yeah, but when you like other cordial, then I can you know we were somewhat limited in that scope right so vermouth, for example.
00:41:13.530 --> 00:41:21.420 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We use method vermouth, which is a new brand out of New York, which is absolutely delicious right, so the beauty, is that, as the craft distilling scene has.
00:41:22.380 --> 00:41:30.030 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: matured over the last 15 years or so, in New York you're seeing more products come out that a competitive with.
00:41:30.330 --> 00:41:36.780 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Some of their sort of more traditional counterparts so right and finding a great New York vermouth to us is.
00:41:37.050 --> 00:41:42.000 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Key and it's always been a bit of an issue for craft distilleries that are trying to operate a decent.
00:41:42.210 --> 00:41:53.010 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: cocktail program So yes, we can use that we have a maros now coming out of New York, which are delicious gonna say like Patrick factor brutto doing great work and and even the the bitters like from.
00:41:54.630 --> 00:42:00.810 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Santa christie's yes tomorrow, I mean the lead doesn't tomorrow, but is inferno yeah which kind of straddles like.
00:42:00.990 --> 00:42:10.770 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A party and you can roll, sadly, so you get that vibe going on to so you had with you that that kindness, yes, exactly but that's actually where that might have been a hindrance 10 years ago.
00:42:11.070 --> 00:42:20.430 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Right now it's great it's great and it forces you to be a little bit more creative with local ingredients and I, you know that's my thing yeah I love it.
00:42:21.570 --> 00:42:33.630 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And and you're already a premium brand so it doesn't it's not going to affect you in terms of like nobody's going to come here and and be blown away because of the price, because everything you're doing.
00:42:34.230 --> 00:42:42.030 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: deals and not in that like if you're making if you're making drinks of those products is a little bit more expensive than if you were you know you have.
00:42:42.720 --> 00:42:47.820 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: southerners portfolio and you can just extract well, I mean, obviously we have accounts with southern and empire.
00:42:48.270 --> 00:42:54.840 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But we only are extracting New York stuff from those accounts and, that being said, you look at the price of campari.
00:42:55.470 --> 00:43:09.120 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: it's 30 bucks a bottle whatever it might be from distribution it's not cheap right and and so using an inferno better whatever it does mean it's the same it's the same price, but with like some of the moves and stuff like that.
00:43:09.900 --> 00:43:15.180 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Well that's the method vermouth is from from the distributors like 15 multiple it's.
00:43:16.050 --> 00:43:24.420 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: it's the same prices just a little bit more than dolan right but it's actually a better quality, the mood right and it's less than antica so basically it's the perfect.
00:43:25.350 --> 00:43:37.110 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: yeah well what isn't right but it's actually a really good solution to have that, actually, that the mood is the final like piece of the puzzle that building a New York court now, we just need a New York tequila.
00:43:39.120 --> 00:43:48.330 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Well, yes, some some bright spots and now we're going to talk about the TV okay here you go keep going back to this i'm just kidding I have to.
00:43:49.020 --> 00:43:59.670 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: have to keep you on your toes um so the goal will be to like have like a full fledged cocktail menu yeah highlighting on a 400 spirits.
00:44:00.120 --> 00:44:05.700 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: With tweaks from other new your brand so we have a sazerac we we offer.
00:44:06.360 --> 00:44:15.060 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: When we're doing our private events currently which is made with our New York single Bauer, I made with New York apple jack which is apple brandy from boxing on.
00:44:15.990 --> 00:44:24.900 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: stuff little page shows bit as a little absence there's a guy from standard world with make I was gonna ask delicious yeah when I buddy just brought me one of the there.
00:44:25.530 --> 00:44:27.000 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Mr rose, and I was just like.
00:44:27.570 --> 00:44:39.780 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Good what is so crazy yeah they save on cocktails with yeah they're pretty easy Terry guys they they doing do nice work yeah so you know we basically recreated a sazerac but with New York ingredients and it's absolutely delicious.
00:44:40.200 --> 00:44:46.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: yeah completely bang, and so you can think that plus plus more you know and then obviously we've got these incredible products, the world which.
00:44:47.580 --> 00:45:02.610 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: we'll talk about in a minute, yes, we will forget yeah and just a minute so come right back and we'll we'll wrap up with some products information about the tasting room and where you can get in touch with Alex or learn more about 40 we'll see in just a minute everybody.
00:45:04.050 --> 00:45:04.770 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: noise.
00:47:08.760 --> 00:47:20.400 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Alright, everybody we're wrapping it up today where again in Fort Hamilton distillery and industry city here in brooklyn New York with my man Alex Clark, the owner old friends old drinking buddies.
00:47:21.090 --> 00:47:29.220 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: let's talk about product now, what do you have I mean you pointed out some really great things about how it's important to always have something out, but like ry.
00:47:30.030 --> 00:47:38.400 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: has been hard to keep to keep this steady even the even the best writer producers have struggled to keep their product on the shelf so let's talk about your.
00:47:38.760 --> 00:47:47.160 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Diverse portfolio and offering diversity, yes, so original product was the four hour on a single Bauer, a single bound meaning it's.
00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:52.470 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We take one bite at a time we bottled that barrel individually.
00:47:53.070 --> 00:48:01.260 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And then move on to the next battle so it's always unique you're always going to get something slightly different with a different kind of twist on it.
00:48:01.590 --> 00:48:07.740 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Each time, you open one of these bottles, which is fun and it's you know single file format is where some of the best whiskies in the world are found.
00:48:08.400 --> 00:48:16.500 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So that's why we wanted to do that and it's a little lean into kind of diversity and not for nothing each batch that we do I think we're up to batch 12 now.
00:48:17.760 --> 00:48:24.990 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Is gets a little bit older too, so we really excited now that were around for years old, on this guy.
00:48:25.500 --> 00:48:33.060 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: 90% New York state right grain 10% malted barley, also from New York state and then Asian of 30 gallon barrel for around four years.
00:48:33.660 --> 00:48:41.580 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: bottled at 90 proof delicious do you want an amazing Manhattan you want amazing old fashioned that will do it for you and.
00:48:42.180 --> 00:48:44.490 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So that was our original product, we then came out with a.
00:48:44.970 --> 00:48:54.600 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: The end of 2019 and came out with a double barrel right which is a small batch offering so single barrel, meaning one barrel of time small batch meaning, we probably make about 600 700 bottles, at a time like.
00:48:54.870 --> 00:48:59.430 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Three or four barrels which I blend down together to create the.
00:49:00.330 --> 00:49:06.570 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Double barrel style double barrel, because i'm using two different barrels in that we're using 90% right template malted barley and.
00:49:06.930 --> 00:49:21.240 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: 30 gallon bow and then we're using 95 right five malted barley and 53 gallon barrel mashing that together to create a double barrel, and we do this, a very competitive price point you're going to find this on the show just under 40 bucks generally around the $40 mark.
00:49:22.590 --> 00:49:32.700 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Then, like we were talking about earlier, you know the reaction to cove it was oh my God then Okay, what are we going to do about all this.
00:49:33.180 --> 00:49:44.490 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And we have been laying down significant amounts of Bourbon for a while, in New York, but we haven't released any in a single barrel format yet or you can expect to see that next year okay.
00:49:45.570 --> 00:49:50.730 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But what we have done is released a double barrel Bourbons this came out right at the end of 2020.
00:49:51.810 --> 00:50:01.050 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: As a you know screw you covert situation, we wanted to get into the market with Bourbon Bourbon is the biggest selling whiskey in America.
00:50:01.710 --> 00:50:11.040 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: It ourselves right about 20 cases to one and currently but we're here to change that for sure, and we are changing that rise growing steadily.
00:50:11.640 --> 00:50:18.630 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: it's booming night and day compared to 15 years yeah right, I mean it wouldn't move 15 years 15 years ago, you would have like three right now yeah.
00:50:18.810 --> 00:50:25.170 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Well, health and like 25 Bourbons and no one kid your kid about right now the one old crusty guy would come in and buy right.
00:50:25.350 --> 00:50:33.150 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: But now, people are rediscovering the classic cocktails and rediscovering rise this original whiskey style of America and we're kind of leading the charge on that one.
00:50:33.840 --> 00:50:40.680 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: That being said, business is business and if you're not in the Bourbon game in America you're not necessarily in the game.
00:50:41.130 --> 00:50:46.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: whiskey yeah so we wanted to be in the whiskey game, but we wanted to, then the Bourbon game sorry but we wanted to.
00:50:47.640 --> 00:50:59.070 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Make above and that kind of spoke to our roots as a rye whiskey focused company and as a New York company, so we made a high rise double barrel Bourbon which is super exciting because.
00:50:59.400 --> 00:51:11.640 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: it's a Bourbon that if you use it in a cocktail actually has this right backbone to it as well, which means it stands up to everything so For those of you out there that might be right curious Now you can use that.
00:51:13.140 --> 00:51:20.220 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You can have a Bourbon, but you can have one with a higher right content, which means that it really has presence in a cocktail more than your average Bourbon.
00:51:20.550 --> 00:51:30.510 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: kentucky's done Bourbon great and they've also done some poor Bourbon over the last hundred years or so and we didn't want to add anything to that conversation.
00:51:31.350 --> 00:51:41.310 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: In Kentucky like a high right Bourbon is concerned about 18% this guy right here is around 3032 33% that's a lot of writing and we've taken from the corn.
00:51:41.850 --> 00:51:51.480 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: portion the nashville added to the right portion so you get really quite an interesting hybrid style of a Bourbon which has this unique right content there and the rest is.
00:51:52.380 --> 00:51:59.190 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: barley and also, or are you doing some other multiple yeah yeah so there's multiple units which gives you a nice old Coco finished.
00:51:59.640 --> 00:52:10.770 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And yeah that's a great job and it's a wonderful unique New York style further with New York attitude the way I like to think about it, and then we came out with the.
00:52:11.820 --> 00:52:25.320 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Cost strength rye whiskey, which is yes that's where it's at So when I dreamed up this crazy madcap steam few years ago, I wanted to recreate that essential style.
00:52:26.130 --> 00:52:36.030 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: That was around 100 years ago so let's do it 56 58.5% 117 proof and.
00:52:36.780 --> 00:52:44.100 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: we're battling over that 120 and over the years, this is four and a half years old over that time and about proofing go up and go down.
00:52:44.580 --> 00:52:56.370 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: you're always going to get less out, then you put in significantly less, but what happens is the flavors intensify as the angel share happens and that's the whiskey oxidative slightly so oxidizes so we.
00:52:58.410 --> 00:53:02.010 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: really happy with the way this is showing I was tasting with them.
00:53:03.270 --> 00:53:15.450 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Danny the head distiller from Barton 1792 the other day, even blown away I couldn't believe that this came out of a 30 barrel so we're really showing people the potential of New York rye whiskey with this guy.
00:53:16.710 --> 00:53:36.180 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And it's uncut unfiltered this is available from the website for hamilton.com and and you Jeff artsy right if I walked always Fuck this up and I put FT and well that's is lazy I know yeah Fo OD see Hamilton yes and then.
00:53:37.740 --> 00:53:42.840 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Just now, just last weekend we bought our first Bourbon barrel, aged maple syrup oh.
00:53:44.550 --> 00:53:48.900 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Look, who doesn't want that on that pancakes or in their old fashions.
00:53:49.440 --> 00:53:59.730 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: My God, we are doing barrel, aged maple old fashions now on the weekend down here at the tasting room, which is open Friday Saturday Sunday check out around 400 dot com you can book a tour.
00:54:00.660 --> 00:54:07.710 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Come visit us we do a beautiful to talk about the history of whiskey in in America history of industry study.
00:54:08.580 --> 00:54:16.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: The history of rye, in general, how we make the whiskey, you can taste whiskey straight from the bout you can taste whiskey straight from the still so an aged whiskey.
00:54:17.310 --> 00:54:29.130 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Full contract by our whiskey clear and then it clear clear that good stuff just the way you like it, and then we also let you follow your own bottle of whiskey which you can then take with you at the end of the tour, if you want.
00:54:30.300 --> 00:54:37.410 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So yeah how was it.com you can book online there, but the barrel, aged maple syrup is fun because it also means that now, I have.
00:54:37.830 --> 00:54:46.260 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: barrels that once were empty for Bourbon refilled for maple syrup them when they empty the maple syrup i'm refilling them with rye whiskey.
00:54:47.130 --> 00:54:54.480 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So we're going to have new maple finished rye whiskey and that's organic New York maple syrup.
00:54:54.840 --> 00:55:06.870 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: So just real quick because I don't want to eat up too much time this is like a legit like ttp question How does that repurpose barrel work because typically like just to label it right, it has to be in brand new.
00:55:07.440 --> 00:55:13.140 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Right charge a variable if you've already qualified it as arrived because you've used it for like, in this case, four years.
00:55:13.500 --> 00:55:19.950 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: In an American heavily child brand new White oak barrel it's a rye whiskey at that point gotcha, then you have to.
00:55:20.670 --> 00:55:27.840 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: submit a new label which says rye whiskey finished in a maple syrup cars or something along those lines.
00:55:28.530 --> 00:55:35.850 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: At that point, and then you have to submit a formula to the ttp showing what it is that you've mixed together so basically.
00:55:36.780 --> 00:55:46.320 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We put rye whiskey in this oak barrel and we've which had formerly had maple syrup in it, so it becomes almost like a blend at that point right yeah.
00:55:46.590 --> 00:55:49.830 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Ultimately, they just want to know what ingredients, we use to create this.
00:55:50.100 --> 00:55:59.010 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: New style but that's the new of work around is, it has to be right, you couldn't take brand new free RON though it in the maple syrup barrel and going awry whiskey, that is.
00:55:59.340 --> 00:56:09.450 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: A maple barrel not I would not, it could be called whiskey to steal from a Ryan mash or something like that, but that is a much lower classification which involves a lot and a lot more words.
00:56:10.020 --> 00:56:18.630 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Yes, it is want to keep it streamlines yeah so no we don't do that we want to use the best ingredients, we possibly can, so we we make that right totally complete.
00:56:18.930 --> 00:56:25.440 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: And then we're putting a spin on it, most people would like they're going to finish something with maple syrup that means I would use an inferior product to do that.
00:56:25.710 --> 00:56:32.340 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: We don't want to do that, we want to swing for the fences we want this to be the best damn maple finished rye whiskey you've ever tasted.
00:56:32.730 --> 00:56:39.660 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: boom that's the way we do it nice I addresses 68 34th street correct yeah in brooklyn.
00:56:40.350 --> 00:56:57.540 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: Industry city check it out for Hamilton calm Fo R T yeah social media for Hamilton distillery on instagram and you're on Facebook as well Facebook and Twitter and we are on here, I found you you got essentially FT don't don't push it up there, but I found you.
00:56:58.650 --> 00:57:08.130 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: I tagged you all right, these at least, is there, I didn't even know what it was still a thing twitter's great a little Twitter so check it out for Hamilton.
00:57:09.030 --> 00:57:16.560 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: You know distillery all their different offerings online and everything, but you know Alec Scott great advice to i've watched this play out.
00:57:17.070 --> 00:57:25.470 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: from day one, and seeing this brand grow and it's it's always fun to see I love I love the story I love to hear the tale of catching the big fish and.
00:57:26.100 --> 00:57:39.120 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: yeah he's got great insights if you're interested in just like getting your thing off the ground to come, have a drink with them and chat with them, please do this one from fellow I still think he's going to try to overthrow the country it's just doesn't make sense to you need any help.
00:57:42.480 --> 00:57:47.490 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: them were out guys have a great weekend we'll see you next week thanks thanks.
00:57:49.470 --> 00:57:49.980 The Entrepreneurial Web Radio: is true.
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