Shared Spirits, Author at Liquid to Lips Marketing.

Saving Craft Distilleries

We can play a role on saving craft distilleries. It's not difficult to understate the current state of play. Over 40% of all revenue evaporated overnight with COVID shutdowns. This posts isn't about the pros or cons of those realities. This post is about the necessity to save craft distilleries from permanent closure. What can we do? The first order of business needs to be the modification of direct to consumer shipping rules for craft distilleries. It's completely unfair that wineries receive far more favorable legislation than distilleries. The argument made for DtC is overwhelming. People want it. COVID mitigation…

By Shared Spirits

To-Go Cocktails and Wine. A Path Forward

It's no secret. The hospitality business is being decimated. For those independents that are still in business, to-go cocktails and wine allow for a path forward. State legislators have moved fairly quickly to address necessary changes allowing alcohol to-go and delivery options for restaurants that were shuttered or limited for in-person dining. More needs to be done. Permanent relaxation of laws around alcohol should be prioritized. In the meantime, there are operators that have attempted innovation in their to-go and delivery options. They are mindful of what customers miss when it comes to the cocktail and wine experience. What is…

By Shared Spirits

Meet the Distiller. H Clark Distillery

Sherman G. Mohr of Liquid to Lips Marketing and Nextupatthemic.com had an opportunity recently to meet the distiller. Heath Clark of H Clark Distillery shared a few minutes with Sherman to discuss the history of the distillery and much more. Heath Clark is a well respected health care industry lawyer located in Williamson County Tennessee. Over the course of years, his passion for launching a new distillery grew. We found this was the case due to early inspiration. Heath's family members have been employed in Tennessee's distilling business for 40 years. His family's association with one of the globally known brands…

By Shared Spirits

Live music, comedy, and craft spirits lovers are target of new entertainment collaboration

Nextupatthemic.com recently announced the launch of a series of virtual events and live music, comedy, and craft spirits lovers are target of new entertainment collaboration. The new effort is an online platform designed to continually provide attendees fun, memorable, and most importantly, COVID-Free evenings of entertainment. Included in the ticket price? Great drinks (direct shipped to each Attendee), music, and comedy all while enjoyed safely in the comfort of their own homes. From the Founder Nextupatthemic.com CEO and Co-Founder Kevin Caron described the purpose of the virtual events this way. “In the age of COVID-19, there are 250 comedy clubs and 2500…

By Shared Spirits

Would 150 Bottles Sold Next Month Matter to Your Craft Brand?

Seems like an obvious answer would come from this question. Would 150 bottles sold next month matter to your craft brand? It doesn't seem to matter to many online retailers this writer is contacting? Shared Spirits is heavily involved in a significant new virtual (online) entertainment project involving spirits, music, and comedy. I'm seeking on behalf of the project interesting craft expressions of whiskey, rum, bourbon, tequila, and perhaps gin. American scotch types are an option as well. The problem? I can't seem to get online retailers with the ability to ship to my future 150 plus monthly customers to…

By Shared Spirits

A Look at Online Cocktail Competitions

Many of us in the spirits, wine, and beer marketing world are taking a look at online cocktail competitions. We have had talks with hospitality and entertainment pros. There is a consensus. Large group gatherings are a year away. After doing some research, we found there is a shortage of virtual events featuring bartenders. Agencies should be promoting bartenders in virtual contests as part of the promotion of liquor and wine brands. In most cases, online events appear to be outgrowths of organizers being forced to move a previously scheduled event into a virtual format. Here's one example. The bartender/mixologist…

By Shared Spirits

The Future of Virtual Tastings. My top five predictions.

Many of us have taken part in what I call the future of virtual tastings. These online experiences, primarily on Zoom, are sometimes informative, fun, and a welcome diversion. It's time to share the future of virtual tastings and my top five predictions. Do they take the place of being side by side and across the table from someone interesting? Not yet. That may come. My best online experiences around cocktails and wine have been the impromptu "happy hours" arranged with another couple. We FaceTime or Zoom and have a fun conversation like we would at one another's home or…

By Shared Spirits

Build Your Brand With Strategy, Not Tactics

Strategic frameworks around brand building are more important now than ever before. The questions you ask are more important than the answers. You must build your brand with strategy, not tactics. As a spirits, wine, or beer brand owner or supplier, you need to pivot in today's marketplace. The six-paths framework from Blue Ocean Strategy will be helpful in your product and market development. “Note the objective is to adopt trends and then ultimately SHAPE them.“ In looking at trends across time let us first qualify what constitutes a trend. A trend will significantly shape what buyers value over time.A…

By Shared Spirits

Meet the Founders of Kentucky’s First Black-Owned Spirits and Wine Distributorship

Liquid to Lips Marketing CEO and Co-Founder had the honor of chatting with Kelvin Young Jr. and DJuan Ditto, the founder of Kentucky's first black-owned spirits and wine distributorship. You read it right. It took till 2020. I've known Kelvin for some time now and have tracked he and his business partner Djuan's incredible journey through building a company that qualifies for licensing. This is a federally and state level regulated industry. It's complex. The grit it takes to form a business and meet certain requirements well before one can expect revenue opportunities of any kind is commendable. Check out the…

By Shared Spirits

Does Your SWAG Spend Lead to Real ROI?

Not a complicated question really. Does your SWAG spend lead to real ROI? Do the hats, drink holders, bottle openers, and bar tools your agency convinced you to buy actually lead to measurable sales for you? In 2011, 29% of $3.45 billion in marketing dollars went to point of sale promotional items. In today's world of COVID-19 do you even have accounts that want the stuff? Learn more about our TAG for SWAG Points Program. We have technology and systems that add your merchandise into an online inventory. We share a portion of that in visible ways in a SWAG…

Author: Shared Spirits