Orca Communications Client Spotlight: Designer Dram
WELCOME TO THE ORCA COMMUNICATIONS PR CLIENT SPOTLIGHT. EACH MONTH OUR CLIENTS TELL YOU IN THEIR OWN WORDS WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO AND PROVIDE TIPS FOR OTHER GROWING SMALL BRANDS AND BUSINESSES.
Designer Dram is the world’s first online luxury distillery. It enables you to curate a personalized blend of whiskey from barrel to label – all conveniently done online in just a few steps. Or, gift a recipient the chance to make their own blend and custom label! Designer Dram delivers an exceptional experience suitable for both beginners and aficionados. As the master blender, you’ll have full control over the creation process via Designer Dram’s innovative, user-friendly online platform, which guides you through every step. Each blend is meticulously crafted in the USA by master distillers. Every bottle is elegantly personalized with a custom label and presented in a stunning gift box, complete with an engraved notecard – ready for gifting. We spoke with the company’s co-founder, Chintan Dhanji, about his inspiration for the brand.
Designer Dram is such a wonderful concept for whiskey lovers. What inspired you to develop this brand?
I have always loved whiskey and this love drew me to consider creating my own barrel. Once I recognized the high costs (in both time and money), I really wanted to make the experience of owning whiskey, crafted to your palate with your branding accessible. This is how we formed Designer Dram!
What do you personally look for in a whiskey?
I enjoy all whiskeys, and I love to taste all of the bold and intricate flavors and textures that come from whiskey. The amount of art and science that goes into creating whiskey is incredible, and I am always intrigued to taste the differences between whiskeys that might come from the same region and use similar grains, yet have profound differences in their overall flavor
I love the personalized aspect of the At Home Blending Experience. Are there certain notes that seem to be more popular when customers create their own blend?
The At Home Blending kit actually has the most variation. I think that this occurs as customers get to go outside their typical comfort zones to taste new flavors and textures of whiskey. This results in them creating whiskeys that they might not have previously thought they would enjoy
Does any particular customer creation stand out in your mind as especially creative or exciting?
Not particularly, I think that every customer creation is special as the customer gets to choose the perfect whiskey for their palate, from our 21K+ possible combinations. I think this shows particularly when you read the reviews where customers talk about the process and their ability to craft a whiskey for their palates
This seems like a great gift idea, especially for celebrations like weddings or anniversaries. What should people know before diving into an experience gift like Designer Dram?
We have designed a process where a customer has multiple options to create a whiskey (palate test, mash bill finder, barrel descriptions, and the experience kit). We find that even though some customers are nervous about creating a whiskey for their loved ones, we have overwhelmingly seen that their loved ones always love their creations as they are crafted based on the knowledge the gift giver has of the recipient.
What has been the biggest challenge with launching a personalized business like this online?
This business has multiple challenges, that draw from the complex regulatory framework in the US and the complexities in crafting whiskey by the bottle.
Can you share one piece of advice for new entrepreneurs who may be thinking about diving into the alcoholic beverage space?
I would definitely ensure that I fully understand my market and the regulations governing the production and sale of your choice of alcohol
Now for a question that I ask all of our clients: Name one thing you like about working with Orca Communications.
I love working with Debbie. She is passionate about our brand and has been able to find incredible opportunities for us to showcase our offering
Are there any new products or projects you’re working on right now that you’d like to share?
We have some in the works, but nothing that is evolved enough to share at this point.