Interesting small distiller using Terresentia’s technology and exploiting both the Private Label (your own brand) and Celebrity brand market.
Created in 2010 by “Pixie” Paula Dezzutti Hewlette, Local Choice Spirits (LCS) helps celebrities and entrepreneurs build brands by creating custom boutique spirits. Paula has an extensive background in the spirits industry and leverages her connections and experience in creating, promoting, and managing spirit brands.
The company emphasizes partnerships with celebrities in order to create private-label brands; some notable partnerships include The Legendary Hatfield & McCoy™ Family Brand Whiskey, Dwight Eubanks and his Eubanks Gin Collection, and Boosie Badazz’s Boosie Juice Vodka.
Terressentia Corporation, inventor of the TerrePURE® technology, is a distillery headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, which specializes in contract production of distilled spirits. They produce spirits for large retail chains, individual brand owners, and other distilleries or exporters.
- Revenue up over 200% from 2014 through 2017
- Existing private label deals with several celebrities and artists
- CEO has more than a decade’s worth of experience in the spirits industry
Local Choice Spirits (LCS) have collectively won more than 40 awards in the past five years
LCS manages its own brands of spirits and enables clients to build their own private brand or private label (a.k.a. partnership brands) by coordinating distilling, bottling, distribution, and storage services on their behalf. Partners can develop their own exclusive formula for their brand, and LCS will custom design the bottle and packaging. LCS manages the entire production process and will work with the partners to promote the products and move them through distribution process and ideally into retail.
LCS partners with celebrities and other entrepreneurial clients to develop their brands through custom-made craft spirits. LCS has partnered with musicians, television personalities, historic families, and behind-the-scenes producers.
Through strong ties with its suppliers, LCS can leverage favorable pricing on product development. In the case of one large distiller ─ Terressentia Corporation ─ LCS has a unique supply agreement to utilize patented technology.
Terressentia’s patented distilling process is designed to:
Reduce unwanted, harsh-tasting congeners that potentially contribute to hangovers.
For clear spirits, such as vodka and gin, the distilling process helps reduce alcoholic burn and creates a pleasant aroma.
For brown spirits, such as bourbon and whiskey, the rapid filtration system helps reduce the aging process from four to six years to four to six months; the reduction in time needed to age and mature the spirits allows clients to bring their products to market quicker and cheaper than some other standard distilling processes.
Both LCS boutique brands and partner brands can be sold through the LCS website in addition to retail locations where the respective brands are distributed.
LCS Boutique Brands
LCS sells its spirits through its online store and distribution network. The company has established wholesale distribution relationships in more than 30 states via several national distributors. The majority of retail stores that offer LCS products are located in South Carolina. Prices for LCS spirits on its website range from $19.95 to $32.95, with a median price of $29.95.
LCS Partnership Brands
For partnership brands, LCS offers a variety of services that include, at a minimum, managing the development process and regulatory compliance. Optional additional services include introductions to wholesale distributors, warehousing, and product promotion through the LCS e-commerce store and at events. These options are all offered through four-tiered packages that determine entry pricing and equity positions held by LCS depending on the capital collected up front.
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