FAQs
The difference between a micro-brand and any other brand lies in its use-case. By referring to your own house brand as a micro-brand, we’re drawing a parallel to the microbrewery explosion in the beer industry over the past three decades. Moreover, anyone who’s been paying attention knows that having your own unique beer offerings makes your restaurant or bar stand out and become more appealing. The same concept applies to hard alcohol.
The key is ownership: it’s your brand. This fact alone can save you 35% or more compared to the cost of someone else’s brand. Additionally, you can use the brand beyond just your establishment or locale. You can keep it small, generating tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, or you can take it nationwide, or even worldwide—and earn millions!
Alchemy Beverage Consulting handles everything for you, except for tasks you prefer to have your own counsel manage. Furthermore, we can discuss which steps might involve outside counsel, but, generally, we avoid paying attorneys for tasks that experienced professionals like us can easily handle. Whether you source your product from outside the U.S. or just outside your state, we know the process and can move your product from source to destination efficiently and inexpensively. We’ll even find you an in-state distribution partner who will cooperate and take a nominal fee to clear the product for you.
Our Turnkey Tequila package includes:
• Brand ownership.
• All ground and paperwork on both sides of the border.
• Contract and brand license with producer and bottler.
• Brand design, brand story, label design, brand use guide, and carton design.
• Materials sources (glass, carton, label printer, etc.) identification for one (1) SKU, set up and ready to fill your first order.
• Cooperative importer and distributor in your state identified
Add-ons:
• Additional SKUs (e.g., reposado, añejo, cristallino) available at reduced cost of $1,500 per SKU.
• Website and content (four pages) SEO optimized $1,500
The timeline depends on where you source the liquid. If it’s from Mexico, the process typically takes about 3-6 months, depending on your pace and how quickly the Mexican trademarks office (IMPI) and other relevant agencies process your various papers. This step usually takes 3-4 months, though we’ve occasionally seen faster processing times in the past. Conversely, if the source is domestic, it will take less time.
We have our own, dedicated logistics company in Mexico. Nine times out of ten, we can save you time and money on your freight.
Contact us now to get started!
Elevate your Brand. Add Your Own Spirit.
Consult with us to turn your spirit micro-brand dreams into a successful reality.
Yes, absolutely! We adhere strictly to the law and fully respect the US’s three-tier system. Under our program, you will own the intellectual property, but not any other tier beyond the retail piece you already own. You won’t own production, wholesale, or distribution. Each tier operates independently and earns a fair market price that they negotiate. Additionally, we don’t just consult; we also hold federal licenses as importers and brokers, and we own a logistics company in Mexico, ensuring we handle everything legally and efficiently. Of course, if you are located in Europe… well, look at you with your fancy ‘modernized liquor legal schema‘!
For what? If houses were $25,000, we’d take a six-pack! You’re paying for expert guidance honed over decades of experience in the alcohol industry. For instance, our own first agave spirit brand cost us an estimated $80,000 to launch. Once you own your brand, you’ll generate a new income stream worth tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, per year—the sky’s the limit. Later, you’ll look back on this expense and wonder why you hesitated. To help, we can even break up the payments into five installments to make the fee more manageable. What we won’t do is sell ourselves short. And that’s exactly the kind of resolve you want when it’s time for us to go to bat for you with the producers!
Check out our ROI Calculator and see for yourself!
Yes, in most cases, having your own micro-brand can work even if your state controls the catalog of spirits. In some states, like Montana, a simple request from a retailer prompts the state board to procure the brand. In others, it may require a bit more effort. Rest assured, we won’t start a project unless we’re certain we can complete it successfully.
In high-tax locations, everyone pays the same tax rate, but the higher the bottle cost, the more tax you pay in absolute terms. That’s why creating your own micro-brand of liquor is especially advantageous in these areas—you save on both the base cost and the tax.