Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/844641
6 / the tasting panel / july 2017 from American corn and rye, which is used for all the flavors. Over the past few decades, Miles and Susan, along with Marko and wife Jenni (who joined the distillery in 2004), have introduced high-quality spirits, many of which people had never before tasted. These include the very limited-produc- tion Nostalgie Black Walnut Liqueur (which takes two years to extract and is made in 75-case batches) and R5 Whiskey, distilled from Bear Republic Brewery's Racer 5 IPA. The idea for the R5 Whiskey came to Marko in 1999, when he proposed turning bottle-ready beer into flavorful whiskey; the first of these was the highly regarded Pilsner Whiskey (still available and highly allocated as the Whiskey III Release). The Karakasevic family also collabo- rated with Carlos Camarena, the Master Distiller behind such brands as Tequila Ocho and El Tesoro (among others), to become the first Americans to distill their own tequila in Mexico. Through the growing relationship of these distill- ing families, Charbay became the sole U.S. importer of Camarena's Tequila Tapatío, a 80-year-old brand with a longstanding following. In 2016, Marko and Jenni—now the distillery's official owners—brought in industry veteran Joshua Freedman as Charbay's Vice President of Sales. Joshua's experience at brands like High West Distillery and Sagatiba Cachaça brought an understanding of how to build and sustain growth. He works closely with Marko and Jenni crafting a strategic approach for developing the business on a national level—crucial for a family whose story has rarely been told. "There is something uniquely differ- ent in working for a family and its inde- pendently owned business," Freedman says. "You become an extension of the family, a part of that story. And all of the pride and hard work that goes into it—that's the best part: You have this incredible narrative to go along with introducing these amazing products. We have seen some great growth in the past couple of years by finding the right partners, like Young's in California, and strategically opening new markets. We aren't looking to do everything at once; Charbay's first vodka, Meyer Lemon, hit the market in 1998. The portfolio now includes Green Tea, Pomegranate, Ruby Red Grapefruit and Blood Orange. The family also sells the base unflavored vodka, made from American corn and rye. PHOTO: FREEDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC PHOTO COURTESY OF EMPLOYEES ONLY Long-term account partner Employees Only in New York has had success since opening with the Westside cocktail— featuring Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka—poured here by Principal Bartender Steve Schneider.