SW: What do you have planned for brown spirits?
BF: Both Sean and I are bourbon heads and we’d love to see a day when Tommyrotter vodka, gin, and bourbon all have a home on the liquor shelf. We’re currently planning a brown spirits program and hope to start building it soon.
SW: Where do you see your distillery in the greater craft-spirits industry?
BF: We believe that there is a unique space for our brand. We aim to be a regional brand that appeals to a target audience that transcends demo (who they are) and behavior (what they do), but focuses on attitude (why they do what they do).
SW: You operate a tasting room. What has been the goal there?
BF: It is to build a personal relationship with customers and give them firsthand knowledge of the products and our distillery. Those who visit us tend to be very interested in the process or interested in discovering new/emerging brands. In addition to building a personal relationship, the tasting room really reinforces our craft brand equity in that people can see where it’s made.
SW: What’s next for Tommyrotter Distillery?
BF: We will continue to expand across New York state throughout 2016 and plan enter a second state in fall of 2016. We also will continue to build our brand and its equities and will add selectively to our product offering.
Kyle Swartz is the associate editor of StateWays Magazine. Reach him at kswartz@epgmediallc.com
