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Mary Jane’s Primo Hemp Vodka: Booze Meets Grass

February 12, 2014 3 Comments

What do you think about Vodka made with hemp?

Well, there is one, and it’s called Mary Jane’s Primo Hemp Vodka™ on sale in Canada.

With the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington many wonder which state will be up next in going pro-cannabis (Speaking of “going pro” the outcome of the Super Bowl suggests Washington might handle their grass a bit better than those Coloradans– but I digress).

Let’s look at another approach.

What is the story behind Mary Jane’s Primo Hemp Vodka?

An entrepreneur in Canada named S.R. Collier (founder and CEO) developed a vodka brand with a 4.20% infusion of Hemp, which is introduced during distillation. That negligible amount of THC (the chemical responsible for marijuana’s effect) and the distillation process do not affect the buzz but rather give the brand some “fun, naughty and interesting marketing hype,” according to Mr. Collier.
I have not had the opportunity to try it yet but from what I am told it provides a distinctive and unique taste with overtones of hazelnut. Collier explains that the Hemp oil yields an “ultra smooth” profile.

Are you wondering why this Mary Jane Vodka isn’t available in the United States? Enter the alcohol regulatory authority.

The product was submitted to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) for formula and label approval. The formula was approved but due to the label containing the image and phrase ‘Mary Jane’ (slang for marijuana) the product was ultimately rejected. Who knew the TTB are so hip?

But wait a minute. This is the same regulatory agency that approved alcohol labels with such names as Fokker Ale, Fuchen Liqueur, Chockin’ Chicken, Fat Bastard, Big Dick Beer, along other classy names. Never mind, Mary Jane’s Primo Hemp Vodka cannot be sold in the US under that name. But, the product itself is okay. Check out Robert Lehrman’s blog for more information.

Enter Washington’s Revolution Spirit.™

It turns out that our founding fathers (Washington and Jefferson included) grew Hemp on their farms. The crop was useful for rope, paper, and clothing. Hemp was long promoted in Virginia as an alternative cash crop to tobacco. According to some sources, Washington, not only grew Hemp, but also actively promoted its growth. It’s claimed that in letter to his plantation field manager, he wrote: “Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, . . . and sow it everywhere!”

So, Mr. Collier has changed the name of his product to Washington’s Revolution Spirit.™ for US distribution. The TTB approved that label and it uses the Mary Jane’s Primo Hemp Vodka formulation currently used in Canada. Same recipe, different name.

Very clever idea, eh?

By the way, the brand is for sale including the brand names, websites, intellectual property, glass molds, inventory, and so on. Let me know if you’re interested.
Check out the different labels:

Diversity Booze – Who Drinks What and Why?

January 30, 2014 No Comments

Wine & Spirits Daily had a terrific article last week titled, “Capitalizing on the Growing Ethnic Trend.”

The article includes data on the growth rates and buying power of the Latino, African American, and Asian consumer markets. Further, it reports on data gathered by Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) and describes who drinks what.

Some of the reported drinking habits are well known to spirits marketers and some show shifts from the past.

A few highlights from the article:

Everyone drinks vodka.
Latino consumers primarily drink beer, followed by tequila and rum.
African American consumers drink rum, cognac and gin primarily, but tequila is up there in consumption (I guess PDiddy knows what he’s doing with his new involvement in DeLeon Tequila).
Asian consumers show a preference for scotch.

What I find so interesting is that compared to the past, while there are some diverse drinking preferences, everyone drinks everything. There are differences but not as sharp as I’ve seen years ago.

So permit me to add some comments and cautions concerning marketing to diverse population segments.

The Latino/Hispanic market is not one market.

It is a diverse group of consumers consisting of those from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central America, Cuba, and other Caribbean Islands. Further, these sub-segments are geographically dispersed so the Mexican American consumers in Texas, for example, are different from those in Chicago or LA.

The African American consumer category and brand preferences also vary by geography and urban, suburban and rural residence.

And along with that the “Asian” category doesn’t account for consumers from China, South Korea, Philippines and other countries that each have there own cultures and customs.

The point is, a smart brand builder pays attention to diverse consumer markets as a starting point, but understands that further knowledge (micro marketing) is necessary.

A Memorable Experience in Ethnic Marketing Research:

I was conducting focus groups on behalf of Patron Tequila when Seagram had the brand. The research was among Anglo and Mexican American consumers. At the time, Patron was only just beginning to grow and we wanted to know attitudes and perceptions about the brand.

Many Anglo consumers told us that their favorite brands were those they believed to be “authentic” tequilas and brands like Cazadores and Herradura were mentioned. But, so was Patron.

At the time Patron was not available in Mexico (except for Duty Free) and was only an export product. Yet, it’s name and packaging made it ”authentic” tequila.

Among the Mexican American consumers, the attitudes became even more telling. Those who strongly maintained their Mexican identity stuck with brand preferences from “back home.” But, second and third generation Mexican Americas (those more assimilated rather than acculturated) also added Patron to their repertoire. When challenged about the lack of heritage for Patron, the most frequent reply was, “Hey, my Anglo friends drink it so it must be good.”

So, looking at the market from a diversity standpoint is great but it’s critical to remember that there are many layers to a culture and one size doesn’t fit all.

The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) market also make up a very interesting drinking segment of the population and are also a deeply layered group of communities. Ah, but that’s a subject for another posting.