I’ve been off the air for too long, but I have an excused absence — I’ve been working on my new book. It’s called The Big Apple Bites Back. It’s a collection of short stories about NYC, none of which are about the booze business. The manuscript is done, and now it’s time to go back to this blog.
The story, or fable, below occurred to me when I was writing about the history of alcohol. I hope you like it.
Hagbah and Gelilah were partners. They lived in a two-story walkup cave somewhere in Asia-Pacific. Hagbah was a terrific hunter and the alpha male in the area. Gelilah was a ravishing beauty and the foremost gatherer in the valley. They did okay. Not rich but comfortable.
The start of their relationship was rocky, especially when Hagbah broke into her parent’s cave, hit her over the head, and dragged her off. Her parents, recognizing this act of endearment, were proud that the prominent Hagbah selected her. When she came to, Gelilah was pissed. With an enormous bump on her head and a splitting headache, she grabbed Hagbah by the nether region and said, “Hit me one more time, jackass, and I’ll feed what’s left of you to the T-Rex up the road.” Their relationship improved appreciably after that.
Over time, things settled down with hunting, gathering, and avoiding predators. Although, on one occasion, Gelilah was fed up with Hagbah’s idea of lovemaking and demanded he find a way other than grabbing her from behind while she picked berries. “Listen, Mr. Neanderthal, try a little kindness and gestures of love. Otherwise, go sleep with the pterodactyls.”
Hagbah was a slob among his other faults, and Gelilah had to pick up after him. He would come home from a hunt, throw the meat on the floor along with his animal skins and expect her to clean it up. But what bothered her was that he left a pile of her gatherings everywhere. We’re talking fruit, vegetables, seeds, and other stuff. Just left to rot.
Over time, she noticed a pleasant smell from the rotting debris and its liquid. She tasted it, which was awful, but a big smile crossed her face after a few minutes. Hey, she thought, this isn’t bad. She convinced Hagbah to try it that night. He had the same reaction as her. They drank, they laughed, they relaxed, had fun, and, um, uh, fantastic sex.
Revelations began to emerge. Gelilah wondered why they ate raw meat. Hagbah agreed and remembered that their neighbor Spankle had rubbed some sticks and stones together, and their cave lit up, and their food was hot.
It was decided that the downstairs and upstairs cave dwellers would get together and explore this new phenomenon every day. So, they and Spankle started a group of like-minded cave dwellers to partake of the rotting liquid.
This is the story of an Agave Spirit called Revel, made from 100% agave in Morelos, Mexico, and known as Revel Avila. More about this in a moment.
In the alcohol industry, spirits and wines are protected by law, known as Denomination of Origin. What that means is that it “is a designation that protects geographical status and refers to products specific to a particular region or town, which convey a particular quality or characteristic of the designated area.” (Spirits Beacon)
Some examples: Scotch can only come from Scotland; Champagne can only be called that if it comes from the region with that name; Cognac must come from the Cognac region in southwest France, and so on.
In the world of Agave Spirits, until recently, there were five types of products in Mexico:
Mezcal: Comes from nine different states, most notably Oaxaca.
Raicilla: It is the same as mezcal — but since it is not made in one of the nine states, it goes by another name. Raicilla comes from the Western side of the state of Jalisco.
Bacanora: Can only be found in the mountains of Sonora, a state in northern Mexico.
Sotol: An Agave Spirit that is technically not an agave spirit. While the base plant, Dasylirion or Desert Spoon, is also in the asparagus family, it is not classified as an agave. Still, the spirit is often roped into the category.
But wait, there’s more. Some time ago, I wrote about Agave Spirits made in India. A Wine Enthusiast article points out that “the plant is now being grown and distilled in California, Australia, South Africa, Peru, Venezuela, India, and elsewhere.”
It is interesting to note that Designation of Origin does not preclude drinkers from choosing Prosecco, Cava, and other sparkling wines; Brandy instead of Cognac; American Single Malt whisky instead of Scotch, etc. Bourbon, however, does not have to be made in Kentucky. Most of the Bourbon comes from KY (over 90%) but also from other states.
Revel Spirits — the Product
In 2018, Revel Spirits created the new agave-based spirit category and named it Avila. Distilled in Morelos, Mexico, Avila must utilize agave grown within the state’s borders, which boasts a terroir different from other regions in the country. According to Revel Spirits:
“An active volcano to the north provides the state’s nutrient-rich, virgin soil, which produces incredibly healthy and robust agave. REVEL’s award-winning Avila is handcrafted using both roasted and steamed pinas of 100% blue weber agave, a process that yields a flavor profile that combines the smoky notes and characteristics of mezcal with that of tequila.”
It turns out that Revel is the world’s first Avila, but this spirit has been enjoyed in Morelos for generations, with deep local roots in the region. The people of Morelos are incredibly proud of this spirit – Revel is simply giving them a conduit to showcase it to the world by bringing the brands to market.
Avila is offered in three variants: Blanco, which is bottled straight after distillation; Reposado, which is aged for 12 months in ex-whisky oak barrels; and Añejo, a 47% AbV spirit that is aged for 24 months in new French oak barrels.
I’m not a tasting expert or even a tequila/mezcal aficionado, but I found the products very smooth, flavorful, and a combination of the smokiness of mezcal and the characteristics of tequila. Yet, the taste is quite distinctive.
The Flaviar tasting notes included this: “Flavor / Taste / Palate We wish we could call it a Tequila, but we can’t, so we’ll call it very Tequila-like with a rich mouthfeel and notes of cilantro, succulents, mint, white pepper, and a hit of zest.”
In addition to the base brand and variants, Revel Spirits have also produced a line of Ready-to-Drink (RTD) products called Avila Spritz with some unusual flavor combinations (my favorite is Grapefruit Rosemary).
Meet the people behind the brand and new category
The founder and CEO of the company is Micah McFarlane, who has spent most of his work life in the music industry as a tour manager. I’m always struck by the ‘smarts’ of some entrepreneurs entering the booze business — eager to learn, adapt their skills, and work their asses off. Micah is all of these and much more. We had a terrific conversation about the similarities between the alcohol and music industries. Both businesses cater to specific consumer tastes, and the packaging is vital, as is promotion activity and dealing with distributors and retailers.
Micah McFarlane (L) and Justin Harley (R)
Speaking of distributors, among the things that impressed me was that Neil Barnett is an advisor to the brand and brought it to my attention. In case you don’t know him (it must be because you are either new to the industry or not in it), Neil was President and COO of Fedway distributors in NJ, the largest independently owned wholesaler. Neil is smart, knows the business better than most, and is very tough and discerning about new products. He is also a great guy, and if he likes a brand, I, for one, will stand up and take notice.
McFarlane partnered with Héctor Ruiz, a restaurateur in Minneapolis and a Morelos native, to bring the agave-based spirit to consumers. Revel Spirits is made at a farm and distillery in Morales, in the south of Mexico, which the Ruiz family owns. For generations, the Ruiz family has produced the agave spirit in Morelos. However, it was only consumed by friends and family until Revel Spirits were formed.
By the way, Micha met Hector Ruiz’s cousin, whose name is Noa Avila, hence the name Revel Avila.
To round out the team, Justin Harley joined as a partner. Justin is an award-winning Actor, Producer, and Director. He starred in NBC’s critically acclaimed, award-winning drama series “This Is Us” and is also known for “Smallville” and “Revenge.”
In addition…
Revel Spirits is the steward of this category and takes its role very seriously. They are leading the charge to get the Mexican federal government to grant a Denomination of Origin protecting Avila and ensuring that no spirit can bear that name unless it’s produced using agave grown and distilled within the borders of the state of Morelos.
During the Covid pandemic, Revel Avila donated 30% of the profits from online sales to the United States Bartenders’ Guild’s (USBG) Covid-19 relief fund to support on-trade workers during the pandemic.
Revel is available in 13 states — CA, TX, ND, MN, MA, NY, NJ, NV, MN, KS, MD, RI, and CT, with more on the way. It’s also available online at ReserveBar and Flaviar.
The Blanco sells for around $50; Reposado for roughly $70; and the Añejo for $175.
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Just this past week, two major industry resources have pointed out the impact on tequila from other agave spirits:
Every day, spirit brands seem to be crowing about the awards or accolades they have won. Whether meaningful or not, press releases and brand pitches abound with “we won this” or “we won that” to the point where I often wonder what difference it makes.
At the same time, the purveyors of the award programs are all over the place with implicit vows of brand supremacy and recognition. They seem to be saying that if you enter our contest or event and vie for glory, not to mention recognition, you’ll succeed.
So, let’s take a brief look at awards and accolades from several viewpoints — the awards in general, the trade, the makers, and the impact on consumers. Let’s separate fact from myth, with a few opinions thrown in.
Int’l games award medals. Oriental Trading co.
Fact: Major and mainstream brands don’t need or use awards as a distinguishing characteristic. Of course, they don’t need to at this stage in their development. But, even at the outset, brands like Tito’s, Patron, Absolut, Bulleit, and others did not use accolades as a reason for being. Perhaps it was because there were far fewer award contests or because their message, brand attributes, and market positioning were sufficient to win over the trade and consumer.
The only exception I’ve seen is on behalf of line extensions, and then only sporadically. I suspect that a zealous brand manager from a top brand managing a line extension will be attracted to enter the brand in an award contest to show management that the investment in the extension is worthwhile. (Not to mention how great they manage the brand.)
Opinion: Among award suppliers, not all are created equal. I’m not looking to review these companies or make any recommendations, but the two that stand out, in my opinion, are theUltimate Spirits Challenge andSan Francisco Spirits Competition. Sure, there are many other excellent suppliers, but I’m impressed with these two because of their longevity, the people who run them, and the acumen of the judges most of the time.
Speaking of judges, that’s a critical dimension. I have a client and friend who entered his craft product in both these events. Interestingly, one is on the east coast, and one is on the west: same product but markedly different scores. There must be palate differences east and west — why else would he have received double gold in one place and bronze in the other? The only further explanation is that the product produced in one area reflected the taste of that area but didn’t translate across the country.
Fact: Craft brands enter contests that they presume will enhance their go-to-market ability. It’s about recognition and trying to influence distributors and retailers.
Fact: If a craft brand has deep enough pockets, they can enter tons of award events and collect medals (some meaningful, most not) and get lots of bragging rights.
Fact: The best aspect of awards is the opportunity for brand publicity and use on social media.
Fact: But…It’s not about the award itself; it’s how to monetize it.
Fact: Awards don’t build brands. A unique and relevant proposition, together with sound strategies and tactics, and pounding the pavement is what it takes. There are no shortcuts.
Myth: The trade cares about brand awards. The reality is that they look at new brand awards, and it becomes a sort of ‘ticket of admission.’ For many, it’s like chicken soup when you have a cold; it might not help but can’t hurt.
That’s because…
Fact: Brand awards are overdone and a dime a dozen.
Myth: Consumers focus on awards in their decision-making process.
Let’s get real — there are tons of prizes and brands shouting about them — some are multiple golds and some ‘honorable mention;’ some are from no-name award events, some from meaningful ones. Who has time or interest in considering awards to make a purchase?
I’ll tell you what, in my experience, works best — a number on a shelf talker (adjacent to the bottle). A rating of 90+ captures the attention of someone looking to try something new and has more meaning than tons of not understood and pointless glitter. Thank you, wine industry, for using numeric ratings in highlighting top wine brands.
Fact: The only people benefiting from awards are the organizers of the award events. A close second is the brand owner, who thinks that awards are the quick and easy way to succeed.
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If I were to be philosophical and more than a little meanspirited (who me?) I’d say that the award culture we live in stems from the past 40 years or so, starting with camps, organized sports, and other efforts, whereby just showing up earned an award, plaque, or trophy. As my friend and business partner, Rob Warren, says, “It’s the syndrome where everyone who plays or pays gets an award.”
Sure, show them an award or two as an aside, but not the focal point of your brand proposition. To win in the booze business, you need way more than that.
