ColdCock Whiskey Interview 6/12/14
In the corporate world, Quality and reputation are the two main ingredients for success. For this young Whiskey company, the eight months it has spent utilizing its partner/sponsorships has foreseen a rapid transformation unlike any I have ever seen. For Rick Zeiler, founder of the company, his precise stratagem to market and push his product has been to targets those with influence. Channeling artists on the national scale like Upon A Burning Body and Emmure, to local acts like New York City acts like Cilver and The Things They Carried, the reach to music in the rock and roll world has found those endorsed not only receiving help from a major brand, but who also assist in helping EACH-OTHER. I got to speak with Rick Zeiler over the phone and this was a compelling interview worth reading.
Derek: ColdCock American Herbal Whiskey is Kentucky bourbon blended with a variety of meaningful herbs including green tea , ginger, eucalyptus and ginger eucalyptus and gingko. The inception of ColdCock Whiskey and the adversity of being a whiskey brand going against some of the top in the nation such as Jim Beam, Johnny Walker and Jack Daniels. You use several herbs and leaves in your drink to reduce burn, why is this?
Rick: “we really wanted to create a product unlike anything else in the market. A high end aged bourbon and infused the herbs into it. It tastes like bourbon and tastes whiskey is an acquired taste. I’m 41 and I haven’t acquired it yet. Its that pursuit that fuels me and the others who are part of this. To acquire that right taste.”
Derek: Your sponsorship roster and partners are ever growing. Examples like Don Jamieson, Smile Empty Soul, Metal Blade Records, Adrenaline Public Relations, Wilson, Schecter Guitars and the list goes on. With the sponsorship of having your own stage at Mayhem Festival, the marketing demographics will definitely increase value and interest in the product itself. How do you hope the variety will spread beyond music where your roster consists of comedians, Dj’s, Athletes, Songwriters, Tattoo Artists, Reggae etc. etc.
Rick: “A few things. #1 its all about relationships. The friendships from the get go are what we need to thrive. Natural fitting relationships are key and share in the profits as we do. The purpose was to fortify a whole group of like minded people who going out there to build a brand. To be able to travel to a city, and visit investors and friends and party with your own product and with the people you work with. This logic, makes you feel good about drinking. Almost like a domino effect. When you work with hundreds of bands and then C.A.A, we can almost walk through the back door instead of the front. Our brand just secured Hawaii, Florida, New Mexico and Kentucky. We take nothing for granted in the eight months we have been around. Considering our vast connections in music to artists, bands, athletes, tattoo artists, public relations companies and much more, ColdCock has specifically taken 15% of the company and put them into a profit-sharing fund for people who move the needle for us. Doesn’t matter occupation and they earn ownership of the brand.
Derek: Going through your roster, I see you have some independent Rock N’ Roll / Metal artists from NYC such as Cilver, I Ignite, The Things They Carried and Angel Vivaldi. The spread to indie music is an untapped aspect in Public Relations and Marketing, how does the brand benefit from reaching to partner with up and comers in the represented business they work in?
Rick: “The big brands go for the A listers and we knew we wouldn’t have that luxury of doing that. It was never about padding their pockets, it was about going out and creating the opportunity for these bands to go out and build the brand. We knew local bands rarely get support, so for us, it was about pushing the bar and the bands who can drive our business as we can build their notoriety. It’s the perfect compliment for eachother. Fundamental relationships across the board. The acceleration My belief is that you start building in the right direction and good things will happen.”
Derek: is a follow up to #3: How does one become sponsored whether it be on an Indie or National Scale and how does this create an advantage over other major brands of alcohol?
Rick: “If you like the drink, if you like to party, and you don’t mind talking about a specific product. we’re the right company for you. We want the same passion for our roster as they would give out to others. Like I said before, you build in the right direction and good things will happen.”
Rick’s enthusiasm on product strategy was intriguing. Talking to a successful entrepreneur about his journey was a direct reflection of my own journey as a journalist. Undertaking so much with a prowess not only to succeed, but to achieve meaning and propriety under a product is of high belief in the people you work with AND the people who support it. Although ColdCock is only available in under 20 states in the continental U.S.A, Rick has not stopped and has musicians, tattoo artists, athletes, local talent across the country and many more under the ColdCock banner. COLDCOCK American Herbal Flavored Whiskey is a PRODUCT OF ZEILER SPIRITS, SAN DIEGO, CA USA
Available NOW in CA, AZ, NV, TX, GA, IN, IL, SC, NY, TN, NE, ND, SD, NJ, MD, DC. Please check them out and go to their website at ColdCockwhiskey.com and catch them with their first stage appearance for the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival going on in the continental United States this Summer.
See you all on the flip side
–Derek–
