Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Giildenzopf.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We formed the company in April of 2017. 12 months later, we launched our first two whiskey expressions, Oak & Eden, in-bottle finished bourbon and rye whiskey.
We’re two brothers, James and Joseph, who have long been inspired by a good bottle of whiskey, so, we made our own. Now, our whiskey is somewhat different, even unique. Our whiskey is “in-bottle finished”. That is a technique we pioneered and patented whereby we add a 5 inch long spiral cut piece of American Oak (the same species of wood from which whiskey barrels are made). We call this our “Spire”. This spire is added to each bottle to finish it, adding flavor, complexity and nuance.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course not, but it has been a blast. We have experienced typical “start-up” challenges, but our product has been received extremely well. In just five months since our launch we have gained distribution in over 600 retail locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma. We are poised to launch in Louisiana and Colorado in early 2019. All in all, we have done very well and we are very grateful. Thank God for Good Whiskey.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Sanctified Spirits, or Oak & Eden Finished Whiskey – what should we know?
We specialize in finished whiskey, with a twist. We distill and barrel age our whiskey traditionally, in American oak barrels for two years. We finish our whiskey untraditionally, by placing a five inch long, spiral cut piece of wood in every bottle. Instead of putting our whiskey into a secondary barrel to finish it, we pioneered (and patented) a way to put the second barrel into the bottle.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
God provided the Vision and the provision. Next, we have a group of passionate employees, investors and advisors, all of whom are dedicated to the success of our little whiskey business.
Pricing:
- Average retail price for the bourbon and rye is $39 – $44
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oakandeden.com
- Email: joe@oakandeden.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/oakandeden
- Facebook: facebook.com/oakeden
Image Credit:
Brad Neathery, Brent Whaley, Jillian Lukiwski
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