Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Boujo.
Eric, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My professional career has had many different twists and turns, none of which would ever (typically) get one to the spirits industry. After college, I decided I want to work in the world of professional sports (as most Sport Management majors typically do). After years of ticket sales for two different LA-based teams, I decided it was time to move on, and get into what I always wanted to do in the sports industry, which was marketing. I moved on to a boutique marketing agency, and was able to finally use my creativity more, and loved working on campaigns and events that could help showcase that. After a few years, when my uncle decided he wanted to start and build a whiskey brand here in Los Angeles, it was an easy decision for me. The opportunity to not only build something from scratch, but to also work with family, was too good to be true, and that brought me to KIN Whiskey, and the world booze.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The liquor industry is no easy industry to conquer, and anyone who tells you (or thinks) differently is either lying or hasn’t tried it themselves. We entered this industry with an idea, a product, and a desire to make it work. There was a lot of trial and error and learnings from the start, and we are still learning so much daily about what works, what doesn’t work, and what is allowed in such a heavily regulated industry. Early on in the process, I would speak with anyone who would give me a few minutes to chat about building a liquor brand, selling spirits, etc. One thing that really resonated with me, and I still remind myself daily is the idea that we need to sell every bottle of KIN twice. This is so true. You can sell a bottle to a bar or restaurant, but if there is no support behind that bottle, it could sit on a shelf for months or years, never get touched, and you will never see a reorder, no matter how good your product is. This has been almost a mantra of mine, which has really helped us find success in such a competitive industry.
Please tell us about KIN Whiskey.
KIN Whiskey is a family business, made up of myself, my uncle Bernard (founder/owner) and my cousin Taylor. We are based in Los Angeles, and all three of us were born and raised here in LA. Bernard has a friend who is originally from Georgia. He used to get moonshine the old fashioned way…from some guy making it himself in the backwoods, without any sort of regulations. Over time, he began making it himself, and eventually, moved out to Venice, CA, where he would continue to make moonshine in his closet. Growing up, my uncle would always have mason jars full of the homemade booze, and while it was pretty harsh (as you’d expect most homemade moonshines to be), it was always a little smoother than your standard ‘shine. Back then, the idea for KIN was born (although with a different name at the time). The goal was to bring the concept of moonshine into the present and make a more contemporary, approachable version that could be enjoyed by your everyday spirits drinker.
While it took some time for the dream to become feasible, KIN White Whiskey was born in 2016 and started making its way into bars, restaurants and liquor stores all over Los Angeles. Taylor and I were (legally, with proper licenses) slinging booze out of our trunks, driving around, and showcasing a brand new, and most importantly drinkable, moonshine (or white whiskey) to the public. Since then, we have also released KIN Brown Bourbon, and both the white whiskey and bourbon have gone on to win numerous awards from different competitions in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York. You can now find KIN Whiskeys in over 100 locations all over California, and making its way into Las Vegas soon.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
We have learned so many lessons in this industry in such a short time, and are continuously learning as we go. I think there were definitely some things I would have done differently early on, knowing what I know now, but I also think a lot of what we may have done wrong has helped us get to where we are currently. Some areas we spent on may have been premature, or unnecessary at the time, but they all helped us realize how to better utilize our resources moving forward. One other thing I would’ve done differently…started in this industry when I was about ten years younger. As you age, going out too late night bar events gets harder and harder…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kinwhiskey.com
- Email: eric@stillassets.com
- Instagram: kinwhiskey
- Facebook: kinwhiskey
- Twitter: kinwhiskey
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