Spirit Spotlight: Cloud Nine Spirits

The entrepreneur is essentially a visualizer and actualizer. He can visualize something, and when he visualizes it he sees exactly how to make it happen. -- Robert L. Schwartz

Starting and maintaining a business is one of the most risky, yet rewarding things you can do in life.  There's no one I admire more than an entrepreneur passionate about their product, whatever it may be.  When I spoke with Jason Rotta, Chief Marketing Officer at Cloud Nine Spirits, I couldn't help but to feel his enthusiasm about the launch of Cloud Nine Spirits' radiate through the phone.  While he is not the founder, Jason has been working with Cloud Nine Spirits almost since inception. We discussed how and why Cloud Nine was created, and its imminent product launch.

Will Drink For Travel: Hi, Jason.  Thanks for taking the time to talk with Will Drink For Travel. How did Cloud Nine get its start?

Jason R.: Cloud Nine Spirits started a year and a half ago when our CEO, Blake Belluschi, moved to Vegas. In college, we messed around with our own home brewed beer and always talked about how awesome it would be to make a living off brewing (Beer in general. Who doesn’t like beer?). Once Blake moved to Vegas, he learned that legislation had recently passed allowing distilleries to operate in Nevada. 

The laws that were replaced had not been changed since prohibition. In light of the fact that Las Vegas (Sin City) is fueled by beverage alcohol , nightlife, and gambling (Sin Industries; they go hand-in-hand), he saw this as an opportunity to start Cloud Nine Spirits and take a shot at competing with the major producers and other craft distilleries. Fast-forward a year, Blake needed help to get the venture moving faster as he could only do so much in one day. Over the next six months, he brought on the rest of the team, each one of us bringing a different expertise and focus.

WDFT: The spirits game is very competitive.  What made you guys want to start your own spirits company?

Jason R.: We are pursuing the distillery for a couple reasons. Numero uno, we all share a common goal, which is we all want to work for ourselves. We don’t see ourselves working behind a desk all day as all of us are more hands-on and active (nothing is more rewarding than a hard day's’ work, especially making spirits); we don’t mind getting our hands dirty so long as we are having a good time doing it.

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WDFT: Working with friends can be tough. How have you guys overcome that?

Jason R.: Some say that it isn’t a good idea to go into business with friends because you run the risk of ruining friendships due to difficult business decisions. However, we don’t see this as an issue because we share similar mindsets, respect each other, and understand that work needs to be put in to make this a success. We know that there will be sometimes that call for us to put our friendships aside and work as business partners; however, this is something we are prepared to do. As long as there is a cold drink to be consumed after the business decisions are made, we will remain friends, and remain happy.

WDFT: So when can we expect to see the product on the shelf? 

Jason R.: Our flagship product, DEITY Vodka, is an organic, non-GMO, and Gluten-Free, ultra-premium vodka. Our goal is to have the product on shelves between January and March of 2016. Production of our other products will depend on how well DEITY performs. Our goal is to begin production of Seven Sands Gin in 2017 (Earlier if things go well), followed by Area 51 Agave Spirit in 2018 and High and Dry Whiskey in 2019. All of our products will be organic, and non-GMO; Gluten-free where possible.

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WDFT: What's in the future for Cloud Nine Spirits?

Jason R.: Our plan is to start off big enough so that we can easily achieve our production numbers, meet sales, and keep our distributor happy. Essentially, we aim to compete with the macro spirits producers on a micro level, i.e. Las Vegas. The ability to personally connect with a brand of vodka, gin, or whiskey, because it is made locally, is something that we want to show consumers is possible. Additionally, the quality of spirits that craft distilleries can produce is limitless; with plenty of room left for creativity and innovation. All of which Cloud Nine Spirits hopes to bring to the Las Vegas Valley (and beyond). 

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I love supporting small businesses and look forward to seeing Deity on a shelf near me soon! Check out more about their products here. Cheers!

A Girl Overseas: Lessons Learned in London

A Girl Overseas is a series written by contributor Abby Rasweiler, as she settles in Palma de Mallorca, Spain during a semester abroad.  Abby will offer her own stories & recommendations for adjusting in a new country, one glass of vino at a time.

Keeping in pace with virtually every other basic study abroad student, my weekends are filled with cross-continental voyages. All of these trips have the same end goal of seeing as much of the world – or at least of the European Union – as I can during the year that I am here. Next up on the list was the home of fan-favorite Princess Kate – London, baby!

Don’t Count Out Any City

To be frank, London wasn’t placed too high on my travel bucket list. With so many incredible, culturally diverse places in Europe, I arrogantly thought that going to London was a waste of time. I thought it would be very similar to an American city and I would have preferred to go somewhere completely different. However, as we are all slaves to social alliances, I packed my bags and hopped on a flight so that I could spend the weekend with a group of 20 other study abroad students from my school. Honestly, it was the best trip that I have been on yet.

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After only 24 hours in this magical city, my presumptuous attitude had faded completely and I had fallen in love. London is full of iconic sights such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. We even managed to arrive just in time to see the changing of the guard! (The pouring rain and see of umbrellas only served to enhance the quintessential London experience.) However, what really sets London apart is the ambience of the city. There is so much life in the streets and, despite the eternally penumbral weather, everyone is happy to be there.

Follow Instructions At Airport Security

Saying I hopped on a plane makes it sound like it was so simple and carefree, but let me tell you – it was not. Here’s an insider tip – if you’re using your school backpack as a suitcase, make sure to clean it out first. Turns out security doesn’t find it funny when you have a knife in your bag, left over from yesterday’s lunch. Also, when the instructions tell you to put all liquids in a separate plastic bag, assume that applies to you and your makeup or risk holding up the group for 45 minutes (Sorry, friends!).

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Traveling On A Budget

It’s no secret that London is expensive. The current conversion rate to British pounds from US dollars is 1.52! As always, it’s best to plan ahead and stick to your budget. Some of the best ways to make sure your wallet doesn’t drop too many pounds over the course of your trip are: 

• Explore as much as you can on foot. Many of the tourist sights and monuments are within walking distance of one another!
• Invest in an Oyster card. These work for the bus and subway system, and are way more economical than paying for each trip individually. They require a 5 pound deposit on the card but will refund you when you return it.
• Skip the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus. While this may seem like a typical London experience, you can get the same effect by riding the public buses (they are still as red and photogenic!).
• For night life, think about investing in a ticket for a Pub Crawl. This is a great way to get discounts on entrances and drinks, as well as to see several different bars in various parts of the city!
• If you are staying in a hostel and want to be with your friends, book together. We learned this lesson the hard way as all of us ended up alone in separate rooms on opposite ends of the hostel!

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Traveling With A Large Group

Traveling with a large group is always difficult, and led to a few bumps in the road on our trip, but we learned quickly. Sometimes it’s best to separate because everyone is going at different paces. Allow for the perfect combination of freedom and structure within the group. For instance, don’t expect to have every minute of the day planned out for the whole group. Instead, choose a few planned activities for everyone, and leave ample time for exploring. As I’ve learned, sometimes the best way to see a city is just to roam around and see where you end up!

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- Abby Rasweiler