Beyond the Bottle: How Spirits Brands Can Build a Cult Following Before Retail
The drinks game isn’t just about what’s in the bottle anymore—it’s about what’s around it. Before you even think about retail, you need to build a scene, a vibe, a group of afficionados who will go out of their way to get their hands on your brand. The best spirits brands aren’t waiting for a distributor to make them relevant—they get people obsessed before they hit shelves.
How do we do this? Storytelling, scarcity, and culture—aka making your brand so desirable that by the time it lands in stores, people feel like they discovered it there. Let’s talk about who did it right and how you can, too.
Carve Out a POV & Make It Hot
Your brand has to stand for something—and it better not be “high-quality ingredients” (yawn). Casa Dragones didn’t just sell tequila; it sold elegance, aligning itself with the luxury art and fashion world. Now? It’s a staple for collectors of good taste, with bottles going for $150+ and endorsements from names like Pippa Middleton.
🔹 Do it like: Casa Dragones ($10M+ annual revenue)
🔹 Takeaway: Sell a lifestyle, not a liquid.
Build Hype on Social Before You Build Distribution
You don’t need shelves to get people talking. Empirical Spirits built a following through nerdy deep dives into fermentation on IG, attracting a global community of chefs, mixologists, and experimental drinkers before landing in bars. When they finally launched? Instant credibility.
🔹 Do it like: Empirical Spirits ($22M valuation, backed by Balderton Capital)
🔹 Takeaway: Let people into your process and philosophy before you let them buy.
Drop Small Batches, Make consumers Beg for More
Nothing gets people thirsty like exclusivity. The Long Drink made itself a “gotta-have-it” brand by rolling out strategically in nightlife hotspots—first Miami, then NYC, then LA. It became the drink of the moment before most people could even get their hands on it. Now? It’s sitting pretty at a $25M valuation with celebrity investors like Miles Teller.
🔹 Do it like: The Long Drink ($25M valuation, backed by investors like Kygo & Rickie Fowler)
🔹 Takeaway: If everyone can get it, no one wants it. Gatekeep, then expand.
Make It an IRL Experience
Your brand needs to be felt before it’s sold. Ilegal Mezcal didn’t just show up in stores—it showed up in scenes. From dive bars to punk rock shows, they made sure people experienced the brand before they could even buy a bottle. Now? It’s one of the most beloved indie mezcal brands, worth $21M+ and growing.
🔹 Do it like: Ilegal Mezcal ($21M+ valuation)
🔹 Takeaway: If you’re not where the culture is happening, you’re already behind.
Get the Right People Involved
Tastemakers are your best salespeople. Seedlip didn’t need to sell consumers first—it sold chefs and Michelin-starred restaurants. When The Clove Club put it on their menu, suddenly it wasn’t just a non-alc brand, it was a game-changer. Now? Diageo owns it.
🔹 Do it like: Seedlip (acquired by Diageo, rumored at $50M+)
🔹 Takeaway: Influence starts at the top, not the masses.
Final Pour: Don’t Just Launch, CULTIVATE
If you’re launching a spirits brand, stop thinking about where you’ll sell and start thinking about where you’ll be felt. Build desire, make it rare, and for the love of god, have a point of view.
The playbook:
✅ Make it about culture, not category
✅ Let people into the story before the store
✅ Use scarcity to drive demand, not desperation
✅ Embed in music, nightlife, & tastemaker spaces
✅ Make the right people care before everyone does
Do this, and by the time you hit retail, you won’t just have customers—you’ll have believers.