In this expert virtual roundtable hosted by Park Street University, Andres Correa moderates an in-depth discussion on how to build a spirits brand that dives into category creation, brand equity, and scaling strategy with three industry leaders:
- Claudia Romo Edelman, Founder of Sotol Romo
- Dia Simms, Co-Founder of Pronghorn
- Jeff Bell, Managing Partner at PDT NYC and Director of Spirits across eight premier venues
The panel dives into the exact mechanics of building a sustainable spirits brand while expanding consumer education around Sotol, an 800-year-old wild-harvested Mexican spirit made from the Dasylirion (desert spoon) plant.
Key Discussion Highlights:
- What Creates Brand Value Beyond the Liquid? Exploring authenticity, reliable flavor profile consistency, terroir, and establishing a “religious-like” connection with a specific target audience.
- The Cost of Inconsistency: Why “premium is a promise” and how changing messaging or packaging confuses consumers.
- Sotol vs. Tequila & Mezcal: How to leverage the momentum of agave while protecting the category through strict Denomination of Origin (DO) standards.
- Frictionless Category Education: Meeting consumers and bartenders where they are and use frictionless cocktail serves (e.g., swapping a Margarita for a “Sotolita”).
- On-Premise Buyer Psychology: What makes world-class bar directors like Jeff Bell say “yes” to new liquids (identifying menu white space vs. creating a product for an “audience of one”).
- The Scaling Trap (Depth vs. Breadth): Why 96% of craft brands never cross 10,000 cases, and why focusing on 25 accounts in a single market beats launching across 30 states simultaneously.