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The Spirit Market
Tourists and islanders have quenched their thirst with the number of choices offered by Cisco Brewers, while relaxing on one of Nantucket's many beaches, at a backyard barbecue or down at the brewery on Bartlett Farm Road. The owners and employees of Cisco Brewers are looking for a solution to satisfy the demand for their products from those beyond Nantucket's sandy shores and to maintain the signature taste of their beer. "We're now available in 15 states," said Cisco Brewers CEO Jay Harman. "Right down the Eastern Seaboard - Vermont, New Hampshire - and we're looking to get into Florida as well." Harman joined Cisco Brewers shortly after it was established by Randy and Wendy Hudson. Another island couple, Dean and Melissa Long, founders of Nantucket Vineyards, joined forces with Cisco Brewers. The expansion does not stop with its march down the Atlantic Seaboard either. Cisco is poised to open a brewpub in Logan Airport and a second pouring station in Fenway Park, home of the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox. "We were in the EMC club (a section of seats behind home plate) last year and that was one of our biggest accounts," said Harman. "We're in the State Street Pavilion this year and have recently gotten Whale's Tale into Gillette Stadium." Even though the brewery recently went through a major renovation and expansion, the demand for products has outpaced the owners' ability to produce it on Nantucket. Cisco Brewers once again needs to expand. "The real growing pain for us is to pick and choose which beers we want to focus on," said Harman. For the last year, the brewers had been in talks with F.X. Matt Brewing Corp. in Utica, N.Y. to take on some of the brewing of beer, which will end up in one of the 15 states where is it currently available. Economically, it did not make sense to produce beer on Nantucket and ship it off island for distribution, Harman said. Also, the brewery on Bartlett Farm Road is not large enough to meet the demand of the growing thirst for the beer. "It made sense to look for capacity elsewhere to brew our stuff that is shipped off island, especially Whale's Tale Pale Ale, which is the flagship of the company," said Harman. Days before finalizing an agreement, the brewery in New York caught fire and sustained enough damage to derail the deal. "We have kind of been left scrambling, but we have talked to friends at a couple of different breweries in the area, and they have said they will help us out," said Harman. Things at the brewery would not be so hectic if they were just dealing with the expansion of the beer brands. But the trident of business that makes up the company - Cisco Brewers, Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyards - is expanded on all fronts. "Triple Eight started in 2000 and was intended to make a single malt whiskey," said Harman. "The idea stemmed from the fact we already had the brewery and whiskey is basically distilled beer." A consultant was brought in from Scotland to help with the process and after the second batch was completed, they were told, "not to change a thing," said Harman. The problem with single malt whiskey is it takes at least eight years to age properly. "We already had the distilling equipment there so we figured we'd put it to use and maybe help pay the bills. We never expected it to take off like it has," said Harman. The first run of Triple Eight Vodka was a small batch of 240 cases. This year, the distillery expects to ship about 10,000 cases. "It really made sense to expand into the spirit market," said Harman. "All we had to do at first was throw an extra box on the truck." The brand has also expanded into the blossoming flavored vodka market and the New York Times recently named its orange variety to a top five list. It is also available in cranberry, vanilla and blueberry. During the time Triple Eight Vodka went from 240 cases to 10,000, the whiskey - named "Notch" for Nantucket Scotch - has quietly been aging in barrels in the unique climate of the island. "Now its been in the barrels for eight years and we're going to be releasing it on August 8, at 8 p.m.," said Harman, who explained the release date was meant to fall on 08/08/08. The name of the distillery comes from the number of the well the water is drawn from, 888. "We're the only single malt in the country made on an island," said Harman. "The long term goal of the company has always been to be a single malt producer; we just never expected to have this much success in other aspects of the spirit market." Not only has the expansion of the various brands of the business been unique, but also the way in which they have spread - word of mouth. "We entered the super premium high-end vodka market and either had to do a lot of advertising or rely on people talking about the product and having the bottle catch their eye at a bar," said Harman who said the company chose the later. "We do a lot of training of bartenders here. We get them to talk about the brands and how they are produced. They are really our first line of defense when it comes to marketing. When a customer from off island goes to a bar where they serve our product, we want to make it a memorable experience. We want them to go home remembering the drink they had on their vacation and take that experience home with them." The experience of Cisco Brewers, Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyards has be intertwined with the community in which it is produced and Harman hopes to keep it that way. The brewery's expansion layout was meant to accommodate community events and gatherings as a way to give back to the island. This summer, they will host events ranging from their Notch launch and a local band's CD release party to wine dinners and fundraisers for island organizations. "It's an affordable way for nonprofits to raise money and its great exposure for us," said Harman. I |
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