Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, everyone, Welcome to Beverage Chronicles.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Gary monterroso here and we're going to pick up with
part two of our interview with mister Bobby Guard, who's
the US exclusive importer for Rampor Distillery, the CEO for
SG worldwide. You may recall that last week we talked
with Bobby about the proud Indian tradition of distilling, some
of the awards that Rampoor has won, distribution across thirty
(00:24):
states in the US, and how the flavor profiles of
Rampur's single moths aligned with.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
The preferences of American consumers. Here's part two. Collaboration with
your distributors, your retailers, and even you know on premise
establishments is so critical to getting the product known. Tell
me how important that is and what you do to
create that brand awareness and to help spike sales.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, we really support every retailers or you know, be
it a retail outlet stores or be the on premise
bar establishment. And you know, definitely like there's there's in
store activations, you know, tastings, promotions, you know, I mean
engaging with the customers.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
You know, we have local uh, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Agencies, you know, like the tasting agencies who have who
have their local models, who are educated obviously, you know,
we we educate them. You know, we give them a
lot of zoom call trainings or in person training before
they even get into the stores or the bars to
do the tastings for our portfolio.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
So I mean we.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
We constantly work on that every single week to make
sure I mean when it comes to on premise. Obviously,
we do also make sure the mixologists, you know, if
they have their own mixologists or can we we can
hire somebody outside and see how we can help them,
you know, creating cocktails, you know, I mean specialized cocktails
based on the event night, if there is a special
(01:55):
event going on, like a cultural event, if there is
be it an Indian or be a Christmas or in Easter,
we try to create those cocktails around the rampoor and
our portfolio agree.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And you brought up a valid point. You're working with
the mixologists. You can get some tremendous input from them.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yes, yes, so trying to again you know, like you
asked me about keeping the local and keeping the local
consumers by the end of the day together. So obviously
we need them, We need them to create uh, you
know the cocktails which are already there obviously, you know,
it's how do we resonate them with Rampoor, you know,
(02:36):
and make that awareness that you know, because a lot
of times, you know, again the end consumers sometimes doesn't
know that. You know, they're just they're so used to
their standard brands, right, I mean they just don't understand
sometimes that are we could we could, we could create
something similar or something even more exciting maybe with the
Rampoor and do something great out of it.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
How important taking it to the street line, taking it
to the people doing events such as tastings, beverage events, partnerships?
Are these important aspects in improving and impacting distribution and
overall sales?
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Oh yeah, one hundred and one percent. We we again it,
you know.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
We we do this in and out every single day.
I mean we we we do use you know, like
the co branded events, and we know we use influence
for partnerships, you know, I mean we you know, we.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Do our best.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
I mean, you know, we do our a lot of festivals,
you know, uh, you know, tasting like like exclusive tasting events.
You know, we could be launching some parties, uh, and
you know we partner with a lot of uh, you know,
like private events that happen at times and they would
like us to be part of it.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
We do that.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
You know, we have you know, we.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Provide them with our glass where if we have you know,
T shirts and and anything anything that we can possibly
get our hands on, bar mats, you know, be it.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
You know, dresses.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
You know there are models usually wear the Ramport dresses
to make sure that we.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
We you know visible, you know, by the end of
the day, it's all about visibility.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And when we go on to the again, the the
Indian single malts, I mean, we can't admit that. We
have to recognize that they are really gaining some steam,
not just here in the US, but also worldwide. And
I guess I want to ask how does Ramport leverage
it's brand ambassador role within the hospitality industry to engage
(04:39):
with press and possibly connect with consumer audiences in the US,
helping to let's say, to elevate Indian Whisky's global profile.
That's so critical right now.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
I mean, you know, our brand ambassadors do collaborate with
you know, with the top chefs, you know, you know,
they're mixologists, you know, you know, bartenders, I mean they're
creating a lot of unique experiences, you know, to showcase
they're Ampoor. So obviously we again, we do keep partnering
with this. You know, we we create a lot of
cocktail menus, you know, you know, attracting the media attention.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Obviously, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
We're working again with the influencers and ambassador positions for Impoor.
So I think, you know, I hope I'm answering that
question correctly. You know, we're doing anything and everything possibly
in the industry that is required to do.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
One thing that you're telling me. What I'm gathering from
this is that the beverages are very flexible. And I
say that because I'm looking again and listening to the
process to create these beverages. What goes into it, the
American bourbon barrels, the various wine casks that are used,
which to me offer flavor profiles that are quite different
(05:56):
from most of the other products that are out on
the market. So I can see where the mixologists are
jumping on this, but also the chefs integrating them into
the process.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yes, yes, that's that's that's eliminated a lot of the
chefs that we are working with and a lot of
these uh be it hotels, Uh, you know, lounges and
bars and uh a lot of high end restaurants, be
it Indian restaurants or be it American or Italian restaurants.
(06:27):
We have done events and and uh the chefs are
getting involved and creating some really great Uh sometimes they
we see them creating some unique uh what do you
call h lamb shanks or something, and you know what
with a pinch of rampoor, Uh, you know on.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
It or in giving that, you know, giving a unique
taste profile. Uh, it's to the steak call. So it's
been it's it's been very helpful because the way the
chefs are also getting involved in this.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
And it is amazing. You're right, Broth with such a
good point. How the slight addition of a flavor like
that can alter a dish and give it a whole
new profile. Yep, no question about that.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
I want to ask you now about the close by
asking about the number of products. How many products in
all or in the ramp Or portfolio that are available
in the US.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
So you know our core expressions obviously, which to start
off with wet we have the ramp Or Select cask.
Then we launched the ramp Or Double cask. That's two.
Then we had the ramp Or Asava. Three. We recently
launched a you know, ramp or a battered Blush, so
(07:47):
that's four. So these are our four.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Core expressions that you're going to see on the shelves
in most cases in the stores, and you might see
some of them in the bar as well or restaurants.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Definitely, the two core.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Expressions that you're going to see mostly in most of
the locations is going to be the double cask and
the Asava cask. And going into twenty twenty five, you
will start seeing.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
A lot of battle Blush.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Like I originally said, the Ramper Select is very limited
edition now, so obviously you might see or you might
not see everywhere. But then we had launched many expressions already.
Are actually one of our high end expressions, which was
the Ramper Signature Reserve which was launched, which was one
(08:36):
of the oldest whiskeys coming out of Radical portfolio. Ramp
Or portfolio, I should say that whiskey currently, if it's available,
maybe a few bottles hidden there. Those bottles sell for
six thousand dollars a bottle.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Oh my, yeah for me, that's just pocket change. You
realize that book.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So yeah, so those bottles are very very I would
say we sold out. I mean we brought in about
two hundred bottles when we got it the first sound,
which was in twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen. By the time
we hit the pandemic, I mean pretty much those bottles
are sold out. They do have they do have a
few duty free shops in India might have a couple
(09:19):
bottles left, and there could be a couple bottles left
in the US. And if somebody, believe me, if somebody
went online, I won't be surprised if one of the
online retailers might be selling it at an old price
from before the pandemic, and if they get lucky, they
actually get it from much cheaper. But today that value
(09:40):
of that bottle is six thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
What I would give.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
That. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
And then we had the PX you know, the Pedro
Himenez Sherry cask edition models that came out, which were
sold for about one hundred and sixty to two.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Hundred dollars a bottle. Those we sold out.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
We are hoping that that comes back again at some
point in twenty twenty six. Then we also had the
Ramport Jogle Bandhi expressions. So Jigle Bundi is basically the
musical notes, you know, the eight musical notes that I'm
not sure if you're familiar with, Like you know, in
India we call it sorry ga mapada anisa, that's like
(10:25):
a musical note. So what we did is we launched
the one and two series, and then we launched a
three and four series. Now we just launched the five
and six series, which just came in a matter of fact,
it just came in yesterday into my warehouse. And then
obviously next year we're going to launch the last two,
which is the seven and eight. Now, these expressions are
(10:46):
limited again, you know, we normally get only like two
hundred to four hundred parttles the max of each expression,
and these partles retail anywhere from four hundred dollars a bottle.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
My last question for mister Bobby Guard, if you had
to look into your Crystal Ball and project, let's say three,
four or five years down the road, what do you
see in terms of distribution? Do you see that evolving
a bit? Do you see additional products coming out? Now
you hinted it's something that may be happening in twenty
twenty six. But what do you see for the immediate future?
(11:19):
By that, I mean the next three, four, five years.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Oh yeah, that's that's we We are on fire.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
So you know, to answer your question a little bit
more correctly, I mean, you know, you know, we we
see our distribution network in the US. You know, it's
it's really expected to evolve significantly, you know, over the
five years and hopefully sooner as demand you know, for
Ramport continues to grow, which it is. You know, we
are focused to expanding our presence in the key markets
(11:49):
across the country.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
I mean, we're.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Already in thirty states, but I think we continue to
grow within those thirty states and eventually across the country
and across the world. Definitely, we're going to be in
both the traditional whiskey hubs and emerging regions, you know,
where whisky culture is developing.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Which we see that already.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
We really want to work very closely with our distributors,
and not only our current distributors. I mean, we are
in the process of even expanding our distributors in each state,
so you know, we might have three or four or
five distributors in every state wherever we feel, you know,
the demand is so high that one distributor really can't
(12:29):
manage the entire portfolio.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Because the ramport line keeps growing.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Obviously, we are going to really continue to grow in
the top tier bars. Obviously, we want to get into
the mainstream bars, mainstream restaurants, not just the Indian restaurants,
you know, and same thing with the retail outlets. Obviously,
you know, our low hanging fruit was you know, the
markets or the areas where there was a lot of.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Heavy Indian consumer base.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
But I think we have really grown out of it
and Rampor is actually kind of uh spilling into the
mainstream market. And that's exactly our goal and our vision,
you know, to do that. Obviously, we plan to increase
our focus on premise channels, partnerships you know, with the
with the mixologists, which I mentioned, you know, in my
(13:18):
few I think we have talked about that many times already,
and creating the unique you know, tasting experiences, you know,
introducing it to the consumers. And eventually we would like
to see this full range of Rampoor being available, not
just limited editions, but you know, turning those limited into
maybe maybe ongoing expressions to be available to the world.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
We want to thank mister Bobby Garg again, who is
the US exclusive importer for Rampor the story and he's
the CEO for SG Worldwide. Bobby, thank you so much
for spending some time with us here on Beverage Chronicles.
And Michelle Lamb, who works with you, does an exceptional job.
We appreciate her arranging this for us. Bobby, thank you
(14:03):
for your time again.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Again, thank you so much, Garry, thank you for having me,
thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
We want to again thank mister Bobby Garg who is
the US exclusive importer for Rampor Distillery. He is the
CEO for SG Worldwide and if you missed part one
of our interview with him, please check some of the
top podcast platforms such as iHeartRadio, Spotify, and so many others. Well,
(14:32):
that's it for this week's episode of Beveridge Chronicles. I'm
Gary Montroso and we'll be back again next week.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
By everyone.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
For more information about Rampor Distillery, go to Rampor single
dot com. Rampor is spelled r A MPU R