Welcome to California: Racquet Club Spirits

August 2, 2022 3 Comments

The Story of a New Craft Spirit Company in Palm Springs

In the past year or so, I’ve been off the air for several reasons — business and writing commitments, Covid, and most important, moving from NYC to Rancho Mirage CA. That’s in Coachella Valley, aka Greater Palm Springs, aka The Desert.

Now I’m back and at it. And what does a transplanted New Yorker and booze business writer/observer do? Looks for places to eat and drink (restaurants and bars here are top notch) and entrepreneurs in the Booze Business.

Meet the Owners of Racquet Club Spirits

Matthew Winks and Brian Harke, owners of Racquet Club Spirits

From Palm Springs Life magazine: “The spirit of individuality and fun from the historic Racquet Club spur a desert couple to create a new Palm Springs-inspired liquor brand. A marketing director and commercial producer together for more than 30 years, Movie Colony couple Brian Harke and Matthew Winks have spun their passion for cocktails  into a new line of Palm Springs-inspired spirits, Racquet Club Spirits.”

Racquet Club Spirits is an LGBTQ+ owned company, and producers of Racquet Club Vodka and Racquet Club Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Two truly outstanding products in my view.

The owners, Brian and Matthew, come from outside the Booze Business world but have quickly learned the business and what it takes to succeed. Brian was a marketing director, and Matthew was a TV commercial producer. They used their creative background to work on the classic bottle design with a vintage label.

Their brand launch announcement described their effort this way:

“Racquet Club Spirits celebrates the style and swagger of Palm Springs Racquet Club, a desert oasis that became Hollywood’s legendary playground. The Vodka and Straight Bourbon Whiskey are hand crafted in small batches to ensure that every classic cocktail lives up to their namesake: the exclusive Racquet Club, where movie stars went to escape.”

About the Racquet Club

Coachella Valley and Palm Springs is known for its midcentury architecture, outdoor leisure and history of attracting Hollywood celebrities.

In fact, when we first moved out here, we were thrilled and amused by many of the street names throughout the valley: Dinah Shore Drive, Kirk Douglas Way, Frank Sinatra Drive, Fred Waring Way, Gene Autry Trail, and so on. It’s a fun place to live. (But don’t ask me about the heat.)

In an interview in Palm Springs Life, Matthew described the environs this way:

“Palm Springs is similar to Las Vegas in that for years and years, people have come here to escape. The Racquet Club was certainly part of that because movie stars felt comfortable going and hanging out there. It was beyond the studio zone in the old days of Hollywood, so they were allowed to let loose. That spirit of individuality and fun really connected to us and our vibe.”

In my view, the inspiration of the Palm Springs area, especially its history, sends a message to consumers that this brand is fun, special, and transfers those attitudes to the drinking occasion.

The Racquet Club circa 1930s. From ladyevesreellife.com

The Racquet Club was founded in 1934 by actors Ralph Bellamy and Charlie Farrell so they would always have a court to play in. It served as a gathering place and party venue for much of Hollywood’s show business elite and quickly became the party spot for Hollywood royalty including Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor, Errol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Natalie Wood, and Robert Wagner who were regular guests. Marilyn Monroe is said to have been discovered there.

The Products

The tradition and lifestyle of the Racquet Club and Palm Springs drove their business proposition — laid back, easy-going, and as they put it, laden with style and swagger. The packaging certainly reflect this with the non-traditional label and more importantly the retro look.

While they do not distill themselves, they have worked very closely with distillers to manufacture products to their vision. Namely products that taste good and makes drinkers feel the Palm Spring vibe.

Their mandate for the vodka was that it had to have notes of vanilla with a soft nonmedicinal aroma or mouthfeel, and fruit over notes. In addition, it is filtered 7 times using a carbon with all-natural carbon originating from coconut husks. Palm Springs all the way.

The distiller is Dry Diggings Distillery, El Dorado Hills, CA. It sells for roughly $32.99 and is 80 proof (40 AbV).

The bourbon is made by Midwest Grain Products (MGP), again with Brian and Matthew’s oversight. I found it very gentle and easy to drink straight yet held up and complimented my favorite cocktail. Again, it’s got a bit of fruitiness and is well balanced, so it lends itself to mixology. There’s a bit of caramel and vanilla with some chocolate notes in there.

It’s 84 proof (42 AbV) and sells for about $42.99.

Both products are available all over the Palm Springs area in top bars and restaurants and in such off-premise accounts like Total Wine and More, Mirage Wine & Liquor, and other leading independents in the valley, and online at Mash and Grape.

The vodka has won several awards including a silver award from the NY World Wine and Spirits competition. The bourbon has received two double gold awards from the Sip Awards and the San Diego Spirits Festival.

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If you’ve been a follower of this blog, you know that I appreciate startup entrepreneurs who change their work lives and enter the alcohol industry. In Brian and Matthew’s case, I especially admire their vision and their hard work to bring it to fruition. When I spoke with them recently, I was struck by their passion and drive, which was very palpable.

Welcome to the Booze Business gentlemen.

Misunderstood Whiskey

December 3, 2020 3 Comments

A Ginger Spiced Whiskey from Two Creative Entrepreneurs

What I particularly enjoy about the craft spirit movement is that it attracts people with vision and who are willing to think outside the box. This is the story of two childhood friends who had an idea and the tenacity to make it happen, in no less a difficult and complicated endeavor than the spirits business.

JD Recobs and Chris Buglisi, founders and owners of Misunderstood whiskey, have been friends since childhood, age seven to be exact. They grew up a block apart in Montclair, NJ and often worked together in various “enterprises” ranging from lemonade stands to DJ events to house painting.

Their college years were characterized by the usual and expected choices until graduating. The end of college and entering the workplace also brought a graduation from Captain and Coke to bourbon. Unfortunately, their ardor for whiskey was not shared by their friends who hated whiskey. And, yet their friends were drinking flavored whiskey and liking it. A eureka moment followed and the idea of a new and different flavored whiskey came to the surface.

As they put it on their website:

“We started this business with absolutely no experience besides drinking the stuff. We just had a vision. This made us work harder to develop a unique, high quality whiskey that was the perfect balance between complexity and drinkability. We spent many sleepless nights running home from our corporate jobs to blend, infuse, and spit out lots of homemade infusions. In 2017, after four years of development and feedback, we finally bottled Misunderstood Ginger Spiced Whiskey. The next question was, would anyone buy it?”

The Journey

Satisfied with the product they had developed in their kitchens, the path to launch involved the usual obstacles — finding a manufacturer, raising money, getting distribution, and much more. Fortunately, they found a manufacturer in Bardstown, KY and began production of what they describe as the whiskey for everyone — “an introductory whiskey for the novice yet complex enough for the connoisseur.”

So, after bottling their first run, they drove overnight back to New Jersey with cases in their car and launched at The Jersey City Whiskey Fest (the inaugural event in 2017) and 1,500 thirsty attendees. On the way they dropped off cases to an online retailer. They quickly depleted their first production run.

Here’s how they describe the reaction to Misunderstood Whiskey:

“1,500 people were in attendance to taste products showcased by nearly 100 established brands…and well, us. Much to our surprise, we were overwhelmed by the people’s reactions as Misunderstood became a crowd favorite that night. No one actually believed it was our first day in business. We immediately knew we had something people wanted …”

What followed next was a back office and distribution relationship with Park Street Imports and adding Florida and Upstate NY to their market repertoire. And, if you can imagine, all initially sold by the guys and delivered by them.

As many startup booze business entrepreneurs will tell you, launching a brand is not for the faint of heart or the lazy.

Enter 375 Park Avenue Spirits

Sean O’Rourke was the head of the craft spirit division at Fedway Associates, an important and powerful distributor in New Jersey. Sean is one of those executives with a strong entrepreneurial orientation and a keen eye for high potential brands. Somehow, he knows intuitively which craft or startup will make it. So, when he heard glowing reports about Misunderstood from the trade, he reached out to JD and Chris and added them to his portfolio. It quickly became the number one craft brand at Fedway.

The scene shifts. Sean left Fedway and joined the Sazerac Company, which in addition to the namesake brand company, also has the Bond & Royal and 375 Park Avenue Spirits divisions. Sean is the GM of Bond & Royal. As luck would have it, Sean ran into the guys at the Louisville Airport and what followed was a press release with this headline:

MISUNDERSTOOD WHISKEY BECOMES FIRST DOMESTIC BRAND TO JOIN SAZERAC’S GROWING 375 PARK AVENUE SPIRITS PORTFOLIO

They have entered into a strategic alliance with plans for regional and national rollout over time. According to Sean, “JD and Chris set out to make a whiskey for everyone and it has proven to resonate with novice drinkers and cocktail enthusiasts alike. In an age of fleeting brand loyalty and increased consumer curiosity, Misunderstood is one of the few brands I’ve seen consumers return to time and time again as a staple in their pantry and cocktail repertoire.”

Jason Schladenhauffen, president and CEO of 375 Park Avenue Spirits, added, “The success that Chris and JD have been able to achieve…is a testament to the strength of the brand and the stewardship they’ve provided,”

I’ve always said that for a new brand to succeed, it needs to be relevant and unique. But let’s also add the drive, enthusiasm and hard work of the founder.

About the product

Misunderstood is an American Whiskey blended with two types of all-natural ginger. In fact, the ginger is visible (well ground up) in the bottle and collects at the bottom if it’s left to sit for a while. The product is distilled at 80 proof from 100% Midwest grains in Bardstown KY, and aged in American Oak barrels. The SRP is roughly $30 for a 750ML.

I’m not much of a taste expert but their description resonated with me as I drank the product. The aroma (nose) provides ginger (of course), but also vanilla, and a bit of citrus. I loved the taste — ginger bread, toasted oak, caramel, vanilla. The finish is a very enjoyable butterscotch and baking spices.

I tried it many different ways, but on the rocks with a twist of lemon peel was my favorite. I asked about a signature drink and was told that the “Stood and Soda” (a High Ball) was becoming popular. It is not a shooter product, in my view, but a very pleasant sip and savor experience. As you can imagine the Misunderstood Mule is outrageous.

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The obvious question is, what’s ahead for JD and Chris. With 375 Park Avenue Spirits providing the wind to the brand’s back and with their work ethic the formula for success is there. Remember, a winning new brand needs relevance, uniqueness and hard work by the founders.

Interestingly, the subtitle on the label is “Legend One.” So, I’m guessing that Misunderstood Ginger Spiced Whiskey is just the beginning.

Booze Business Heroes

March 23, 2020 1 Comment

Distillers are Making Hand Sanitizers and More

The current pandemic is not the first time that the nation’s distilleries have answered the call to do their patriotic duty by using their facilities to help fight a war. In World war II, most distilleries were converted to produce industrial strength alcohol to make such products as plastics, ammunition and synthetic rubber for tires.

Most important, a few distilleries and their chemists were recruited to make a crucial medicine — penicillin. Making that lifesaving product by growing spores was very similar to cultivating and growing yeast. Massive amounts were produced and who knows how lives were saved by this development.

So, it’s really no wonder that many distilleries, both large and small, have turned their attention to meeting the hand sanitizer shortage and manufacturing them.

Industry Leadership

The large companies have the most capacity and resources to enter the battle. Mark Brown, President and CEO of Sazerac (Buffalo Trace Distillery) and publisher of the leading industry newsletter, has devoted time and attention (including over the weekend) to inform distillers on a wide range of matters — FDA, TTB, and WHO guidelines and directives.

Pernod (Absolut), Bacardi, Amber Beverage Group, Brew Dog, and others have entered the fray. In addition, it should be noted that, aside from making hand sanitizers, many spirits manufacturers and wholesalers are actively supporting a wide range of resources aimed at helping bars, restaurants and service workers. The list is endless — Buffalo Trace, Michter’s, Diageo, Gallo, Jameson, Beam, Patron, Tito’s, and many more. The list of distributors supporting local hospitality establishments and staff covers the nation.

Craft Distillers

From New York to Illinois to Oregon, craft distillers have begun manufacturing sanitizers and either selling them at what it costs them to produce or just giving them away. In a March 19 NY Times article, Brad Plummer, a spokesperson for the American Distilling Institute (a craft producers association) indicated that this is not “an economic lifeline” for distillers.

Mr. Plummer said that craft producers have received calls from health care workers, police, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and the general public. He also indicates that as many as three-fourths of craft distillers are involved.

The biggest problem? Finding plastic containers to use. Some are using glass bottles and others are asking people to bring their own containers to be filled.

Let me tell you about a few of them

Brooklyn-based New York Distilling Company is using its straight off the still, undiluted Perry’s Tot Navy Strength Gin, to create bulk hand sanitizers. According to Alan Katz, co-founder and owner, “We have access to off-the-still gin made in our Brooklyn distillery that we can turn into a homemade sanitizer that meets CDC recommendations. We can use our resources to help support friends in the hospitality and trade who are in need right now.”

Koval Distillery in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago is also turning spirits into sanitizers. “This is war, this really is war,” said Koval Distillery co-founder, Sonat Birnecker Hart. “Like in any other war effort, people are asked to step up and right now hand sanitizer is needed a lot more than whiskey.”

The bottles produced will be given to Chicago hospitals, retirement homes and daycares. “Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, these are people on the front lines that are dealing with this and if they’re concerned with not having hand sanitizer and that makes me worried, so I want to help them,” Birnecker Hart said.

The Vale Fox Distillery (Tod & Vixen Gin) in La Grange, NY (Duchess County) is a brand-new startup launched late in 2019. Despite their size, they have turned their attention to this crisis and dropped everything, in order to do what they can to help. As mentioned earlier, the biggest issue has been getting plastic bottles.

According to the founder and owner, Eral Gokgol-Kline, “Making hand sanitizer allowed us to support the health of our community and raise funds to support the bars, restaurants and employees who are struggling during this difficult time. In short, it was a no brainier and we are privileged to be able to help.”

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I have always loved and respected this industry and the men and women in it. This horrific situation also makes me very proud of these heroes.

Together we will get through it.