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  • Karate Cowboy Disrupts Category Norms Through Innovation

    • 09/28/2015
    • ADB
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     In a world where people are thirstier than ever to try something new and innovative, the American Spirits industry is designed to bucket and categorize products rather than encourage outside the box thinking.  This means that new entrepreneurial companies are tasked to bring real innovation to the forefront and use their small and unique position as a competitive advantage over the major Spirits producers in the industry.  And this is exactly what start-up spirit company Revolution Experiment is pushing for with their Honey Wasabi Sake infused Spirit called Karate Cowboy.  A new true East meets West brand that combines the young American thirst for strong shot brands with the social ritual experiences of Japanese Sake, with a sweet and spicy twist.

    Creating Something Wholly Unique

    Although the product stands out in the category of “new”, co-founder and President, Mark Tinus, describes the journey to get to shelf as a “long road with a lot of detours along the way to navigate the regulatory and branding environment in the US”.  Throughout product development the company had to test and reformulate multiple Supply Chain alternatives in order to figure out how to properly manufacture this cross category blend of a Distilled Spirit and fermented rice wine.  “It takes persistence and the ability to be flexible to create brands like this, but this is the job of us brand creators to bring new experiences to consumers.  Sometimes consumer consumption habits don’t fit into category boxes, Sake for example has a lot of equity in America as a social product that could be better understood as a Spirit rather than a Wine.  Why not push hard to create products that open the door to the masses to try new things in the way that they want to try them?  If you never hear the word ‘no’, and pick yourself up and find a way, you probably haven’t pushed far enough,” said Tinus.

    “Additionally, while sake has become very popular in the U.S., we found through our market research that more often than not, people had a very hard time naming a particular brand.  Our goal was to create a brand that people would remember and we believe we have done this through Karate Cowboy,” said Tinus.   

    Tinus, who has 12 years of experience in various functions of the alcohol industry for many Global Brands, is trying to take some of his learning to bring new to the forefront.  Although the uphill battle of start-up companies in this space is large, there is great opportunity for those that navigate their way to shelf.  “This industry is all about learning and adapting in product creation.  We started thinking we could make a product wholly in the US, but ended up needing to create a truly global Supply Chain with all new relationships.  Relationship building is definitely at the center of everything in starting up a company like this, whether that means meeting for a coffee somewhere or jumping on a plane to Japan to meet a new supplier.”

    About Karate Cowboy

    Karate Cowboy is a 28% ABV specialty spirit naturally flavored with Honey and Wasabi.  They are positioned as a new social shot experience that will truly allow you to experiment and discover.  It is affectionately described as a “blast of Honey followed by the burn of Wasabi”. They have now launched their product both in the Chicago, IL and Columbus, OH markets with hopes for state-wide expansion in both markets.  You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @KarateCowboy or learn more about them at their website www.karatecowboyspirit.com.  They are distributed through Wirtz Beverage in Illinois and work through Southern Wine and Spirits brokerage in Ohio.  Explore something new today!   

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Karate Cowboy Disrupts Category Norms Through Innovation

 In a world where people are thirstier than ever to try something new and innovative, the American Spirits industry is designed to bucket and categorize products rather than encourage outside the box thinking.  This means that new entrepreneurial companies are tasked to bring real innovation to the forefront and use their small and unique position as a competitive advantage over the major Spirits producers in the industry.  And this is exactly what start-up spirit company Revolution Experiment is pushing for with their Honey Wasabi Sake infused Spirit called Karate Cowboy.  A new true East meets West brand that combines the young American thirst for strong shot brands with the social ritual experiences of Japanese Sake, with a sweet and spicy twist.

Creating Something Wholly Unique

Although the product stands out in the category of “new”, co-founder and President, Mark Tinus, describes the journey to get to shelf as a “long road with a lot of detours along the way to navigate the regulatory and branding environment in the US”.  Throughout product development the company had to test and reformulate multiple Supply Chain alternatives in order to figure out how to properly manufacture this cross category blend of a Distilled Spirit and fermented rice wine.  “It takes persistence and the ability to be flexible to create brands like this, but this is the job of us brand creators to bring new experiences to consumers.  Sometimes consumer consumption habits don’t fit into category boxes, Sake for example has a lot of equity in America as a social product that could be better understood as a Spirit rather than a Wine.  Why not push hard to create products that open the door to the masses to try new things in the way that they want to try them?  If you never hear the word ‘no’, and pick yourself up and find a way, you probably haven’t pushed far enough,” said Tinus.

“Additionally, while sake has become very popular in the U.S., we found through our market research that more often than not, people had a very hard time naming a particular brand.  Our goal was to create a brand that people would remember and we believe we have done this through Karate Cowboy,” said Tinus.   

Tinus, who has 12 years of experience in various functions of the alcohol industry for many Global Brands, is trying to take some of his learning to bring new to the forefront.  Although the uphill battle of start-up companies in this space is large, there is great opportunity for those that navigate their way to shelf.  “This industry is all about learning and adapting in product creation.  We started thinking we could make a product wholly in the US, but ended up needing to create a truly global Supply Chain with all new relationships.  Relationship building is definitely at the center of everything in starting up a company like this, whether that means meeting for a coffee somewhere or jumping on a plane to Japan to meet a new supplier.”

About Karate Cowboy

Karate Cowboy is a 28% ABV specialty spirit naturally flavored with Honey and Wasabi.  They are positioned as a new social shot experience that will truly allow you to experiment and discover.  It is affectionately described as a “blast of Honey followed by the burn of Wasabi”. They have now launched their product both in the Chicago, IL and Columbus, OH markets with hopes for state-wide expansion in both markets.  You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @KarateCowboy or learn more about them at their website www.karatecowboyspirit.com.  They are distributed through Wirtz Beverage in Illinois and work through Southern Wine and Spirits brokerage in Ohio.  Explore something new today!   

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