WEBVTT - Jason Momoa Talks Vodka Company

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>We want to talk about natural resources, maybe because the

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<v Speaker 2>natural resources from the great state of Montana are being

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<v Speaker 2>used to fill a soul called void in the vodka industry.

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<v Speaker 2>May Leave Vodka. It promises to lift your spirits with

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<v Speaker 2>locally sourced, high quality grains and natural spring water. And

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<v Speaker 2>if that's not enough to sell one of its sustainable

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<v Speaker 2>bottles of star Power behind, it might do that just

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<v Speaker 2>as well. I'm happy to say that the co founders

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<v Speaker 2>of Maylee Vodka join us right now here on the

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<v Speaker 2>Big Program, Blaine Halverson and the actor Jason Momoa. Thanks

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<v Speaker 2>for both of you, gentlemen, for joining us here today here,

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<v Speaker 2>and of course, Jason, I'm going to start with the

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<v Speaker 2>very obvious question here. Just tell me what sets this

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<v Speaker 2>vodka apart from all the others.

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<v Speaker 3>Why does this set apart from all the other vodkas? Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>the other vodkas don't taste good. I think we set

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<v Speaker 3>out to make this vodka just because we wanted to

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<v Speaker 3>treat it like a spirit sets out of an ingredient.

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<v Speaker 3>So it's been as kind of our gold sickens quite

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<v Speaker 3>a while time to do that. But we found out

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<v Speaker 3>that it was actually because of it's the water we use,

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<v Speaker 3>and you know, vodka sixty percent water, we use a

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<v Speaker 3>live water for Montana.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, give us a sense here to blame when we

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<v Speaker 2>talk about how you sort of market this and more importantly,

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<v Speaker 2>I guess getting on shelves and what we know is

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<v Speaker 2>a very crowded space. I mean, there are a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of liquor brands, a lot of vodka brands specifically out

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<v Speaker 2>there here. How do you get this in front of

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<v Speaker 2>people in a way where they look to your to

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<v Speaker 2>mainly vodka rather than all the others.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean listen with Jay and I started this thing,

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<v Speaker 3>like I said, but you know, we were not vodka guys.

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<v Speaker 3>We were more in the whiskey and tequila things we

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<v Speaker 3>saw avoid and vodka just to us, vodka was really

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<v Speaker 3>looked upon as an ingredient. So we've just sort of

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<v Speaker 3>charged in creating something that was that was different and

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<v Speaker 3>giving vodka an actual flavor profile and something smooth, and

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<v Speaker 3>treating it more, as Jason said, as an actual spirit

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<v Speaker 3>rather than a than an ingredient.

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<v Speaker 4>So you know, it's been a big piece.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, obviously the vodka market is really kind of

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<v Speaker 3>controlled in general, by kind of the big the Big

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<v Speaker 3>four that have been around quite some time, and it

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<v Speaker 3>just felt like it was a it was a you know,

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<v Speaker 3>a piece of the liquor industry that that was ready

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<v Speaker 3>for a change and needed something different.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, both of you have a history together, right, You

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<v Speaker 1>started on this journey to create something eight years ago,

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<v Speaker 1>and it sounds like you kind of stumbled upon vodka

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<v Speaker 1>as your collaborative you know product here. But part of

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<v Speaker 1>the origin story of Meinlee Vodka is that neither of

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<v Speaker 1>you actually like vodka. I'm guessing that has changed now.

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<v Speaker 4>But I love we love, we love vodka now, right,

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<v Speaker 4>So I mean, I mean.

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<v Speaker 3>That's the beautiful thing like this, this bottle, like what

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<v Speaker 3>we set out to do.

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<v Speaker 4>Just the design quality of it.

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<v Speaker 3>It ticks off everything that we love, so the sustainability

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<v Speaker 3>aspect of it. We wanted something that tastes good, it's

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<v Speaker 3>got a great story behind it, and to be able

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<v Speaker 3>to drink this and we take it to everybody.

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<v Speaker 4>We asked them to.

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<v Speaker 3>Drink it neat and drink it, you know, warm room temperature,

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<v Speaker 3>and and it tastes beautiful. And we most of the

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<v Speaker 3>we went up for all the competitions and we poured out.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a blind taste test that we won everything. So

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<v Speaker 3>it's been the most one of the most decorated spirits

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<v Speaker 3>in the world. We've got seven platinum or seven goals,

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<v Speaker 3>three platinums, and two perfect perfect scores. So we've been

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<v Speaker 3>out for a year and a half and it's just

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<v Speaker 3>been wonderful actually to take it to people and show

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<v Speaker 3>it to them, and at the price point where it's

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<v Speaker 3>still you know, anywhere from twenty dollars to twenty four

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<v Speaker 3>dollars for a bottle, and it's beautiful and it tastes good.

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<v Speaker 3>It's like we wanted to make that some of the

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<v Speaker 3>affordable luxury.

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<v Speaker 4>You know.

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<v Speaker 1>Right, we should point out that no two bottles are

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<v Speaker 1>the same, because each bottle is different. The manufacturing the

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<v Speaker 1>last bottle is really a point of pride for you, Blaine.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm curious when you as you bring your Voka around

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<v Speaker 1>and you you know, have different people taste it. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>wondering if you've gotten any kind of feedback from the

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<v Speaker 1>big players in the industry, you know, the Constellation Reds,

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<v Speaker 1>the Diadios, whether anyone's talk to you about the flavor

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<v Speaker 1>profile that you have come up with for melee vodka.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, listen, most people in America don't think actually

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<v Speaker 3>even know what vodka tastes like. I mean, they're used

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<v Speaker 3>to drinking it in a drink, and that that's that

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<v Speaker 3>was sort of our point. I mean, the fact that

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<v Speaker 3>we go around and and have people try it at

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<v Speaker 3>room temperature in its natural form. I mean you can

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<v Speaker 3>kind of tell a lot just by people's first sort

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<v Speaker 3>of impression of when you're asking them to drink vodka warm.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, most of them sort of turn their nose

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<v Speaker 3>because they're you know, the ones that have they sort

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<v Speaker 3>of know that in general, vodkan tastes like rubbing alcohol.

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<v Speaker 3>It's it's hot, it's got that it's got that burn.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's why, you know, it became something covered up

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<v Speaker 3>in drinks. We wanted to we wanted to create a

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<v Speaker 3>beautiful spirit that he didn't have to cover up and

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<v Speaker 3>then would give the bartenders and mixologists and the people

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<v Speaker 3>in the industry actually be something to actually build off of.

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<v Speaker 4>Uh, you know, we single the still for that reason.

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<v Speaker 3>We wanted to leave all the beautiful you know, the

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<v Speaker 3>beautiful grains that we use and most of all, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>what we call the unicorn this this unbelievable water.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we'll talk about that, Blaine, because that was the

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<v Speaker 2>part I was interested in. I mean, most with these vodkas,

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<v Speaker 2>they are distilled several times, primarily to make it a

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<v Speaker 2>neutral spirit, which, as you've pointed out, because a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people use it as to mix in with something else.

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<v Speaker 2>By only distilling this once, so you're leaving behind those grains,

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<v Speaker 2>or at least a flavor from those grains. Why do

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<v Speaker 2>you think other vodka companies, I guess effectively are throwing

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<v Speaker 2>that out for lack of a better word, Well.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it's been Listen, it's I think it's been

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<v Speaker 3>mainly a marketing tool because I don't think people necessarily understand.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, in general, the more you're distill it, the

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<v Speaker 3>only thing surviving distillation is the alcohol. And to me

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<v Speaker 3>it's why you know, we never liked it, because drinking

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<v Speaker 3>alcohol and its natural form.

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<v Speaker 4>Isn't very good.

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<v Speaker 3>And listen, anybody who this whole myth of vodka of

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<v Speaker 3>this you know no, you know, no no smell, no taste.

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<v Speaker 3>If that was the case, I mean everyone has failed.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean there's tried vadka naturally, like there's nothing about

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<v Speaker 3>it that doesn't have you know, heat in itself tastes

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<v Speaker 3>like something. So we wanted to create something that was actually,

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<v Speaker 3>like I said, more smooth. We age our bok as well,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, given at that time similar to like a whiskey,

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<v Speaker 3>also helped smooth it out. But that single desolation because

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<v Speaker 3>we're leaving and again leaving this beautiful water, yeah in

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<v Speaker 3>it as well.

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<v Speaker 4>It's it's going to be smoother.

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<v Speaker 3>Because you're not you're not cooking down, you're not getting

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<v Speaker 3>rid of everything but the alcohol.

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<v Speaker 1>Right right, Jason, let me ask you the final question here.

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<v Speaker 1>What has surprised you most about the spirit industry. I

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<v Speaker 1>know that you've been in the entertainment industry for a

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<v Speaker 1>long time, you have other business interests, but as you

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<v Speaker 1>you know, move further into into the spirit industry, what

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<v Speaker 1>surprises see the most?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, and nothing at this point really surprised me as

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<v Speaker 3>much as how I mean, it was extremely challenging from

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<v Speaker 3>the get go. So you know, it took us eight

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<v Speaker 3>a little over eight years, nine years to actually build

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<v Speaker 3>this to where it's at. This wasn't an overnight thing,

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<v Speaker 3>and no one came to us and I'm like, hey,

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<v Speaker 3>would you be a part of this and that it's

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<v Speaker 3>just been Blaine and I. So there's no there's no partners,

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<v Speaker 3>there's no the odd you know, there's nothing.

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<v Speaker 4>It was just us.

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<v Speaker 3>So that whole time to give us, you know, time

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<v Speaker 3>to trial and air test this out. We really, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>Blam really was the the genius behind. And obviously I

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<v Speaker 3>know a few things about water, but it's like it

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<v Speaker 3>was all about these pure water sources. And so we

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<v Speaker 3>traveled in that time with expedition studios. We brought back

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<v Speaker 3>water from Antarctica, we brought back Everest, we brought back

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<v Speaker 3>the Shackleton around from the Greenland, and like bringing back

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<v Speaker 3>all these like the Northwest Passage, bringing back waters, mixing

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<v Speaker 3>with our mash, finding out that people are like, no,

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<v Speaker 3>you're just gonna distill it.

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<v Speaker 4>It's gonna go away. But it didn't.

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<v Speaker 3>And each flavor profile was different. So when we use

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<v Speaker 3>ro water, which most spirits are made out of, it

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<v Speaker 3>doesn't taste good.

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<v Speaker 4>If you have a.

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<v Speaker 3>Really beautiful, one of a kind water, which we do,

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<v Speaker 3>it's our Unicorn in Montana, and like that water source

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<v Speaker 3>is high, it's low in sodium, so it doesn't cover

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<v Speaker 3>up the grains. And so I think the hardest part

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<v Speaker 3>was the beginning, because it took a long time to

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<v Speaker 3>get into it and like really perfect us a place

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<v Speaker 3>where we didn't know much about. But now it's like

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<v Speaker 3>we know how to sell. I mean, we know how

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<v Speaker 3>to sell. We know how to be intimate and be

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<v Speaker 3>able to go to places and meet with people, and

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<v Speaker 3>so now it's actually quite fun. I mean I'm going

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<v Speaker 3>to go on stage and play music with my band

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<v Speaker 3>right now, to share, you know, drinks with thousands of

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<v Speaker 3>people and really just experience what it's like and having

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<v Speaker 3>a good time. So I think the marketing aspect of

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<v Speaker 3>that is already passed the hard part in the sense

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<v Speaker 3>of we just now it's just getting it to people

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<v Speaker 3>going like, hey, here's the thing. We love Scott's, we

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<v Speaker 3>love mescal whiskey, all that stuff. You can have tons

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<v Speaker 3>of them, tons of different bourbons. You need one vodka,

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<v Speaker 3>you really need one, and so take one of these

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<v Speaker 3>bottles home, tested it with your friends, blind taste tests them,

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<v Speaker 3>and just try it out.

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<v Speaker 4>It's twenty bucks. You'll have a.

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<v Speaker 1>Ball, all right. Jason Momo and Blaine Halverson spoken like

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<v Speaker 1>true entrepreneurs. There the journey of you know, stumbles and

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<v Speaker 1>starts before I kind of find your way co founders

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<v Speaker 1>of Mainly Vodka. Thank you both so much

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you very much, begg you