In the three years since Juan Gentile created Distribution Spirits Company (DISC), the company has stayed true to its founding vision, and has consolidated and strengthened its presence in the Caribbean market and duty free sector.
Gentile, who worked for Edrington for almost 20 years, most recently as Senior Vice President, Managing Director Americas Travel Retail at Edrington Americas, tells TMI that while DISC has added strategic brands to its portfolio, its goal is to continue to reinforce its presence in the regions it operates with its current portfolio of premium wines and spirits.
“We aim to solidify our position as a trusted partner for both our customers and brand owners, ensuring that we continue to deliver the right brands to the right territories and channels,” says Gentile.
“I want to say I’m truly pleased with our progress since we began in 2021. Throughout our growth, we’ve stayed true to our original strategy, which has led to a natural expansion to further reach our brands’ target consumers more effectively.”
DISC and its brands have primarily targeted North American nationals, with a lesser focus on Western Europeans and Latinos, says Gentile.
“Recognizing that these consumers travel frequently by air or sea within the region, we’ve capitalized on the concept of the consumer travel trail, ensuring that we engage with them throughout their journey. This strategy has naturally extended into duty free markets, particularly those brands that we also carry for Caribbean domestic.”
Gentile emphasizes how important it is for DISC to be constantly in the market, as the Caribbean is made up of many different islands with people who speak different languages and might drink different spirits.
“Drawing from over 20 years of experience connecting brands with consumers across Europe, Latin America, and Global Travel Retail, the one fundamental lesson reaffirmed is that people always come first. This principle applies not only to our team and company but also to our customers and consumers.
“Ultimately, the journey with DISC has reinforced the importance of putting people and relationships at the forefront of everything we do,” he says.
“In particular, serving the Caribbean market has highlighted the region’s remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity. Each market has unique consumptions preferences and purchasing behaviors. By understanding the nuances of this diversity and their dynamics, we can tailor our strategies and offerings to better resonate with our target audience in the markets we serve.”
Warehousing
DISC has consolidated its FTZ warehouse operations in Miami, a move Gentile says was key to his company taking its next steps in the region.
“One of our key priorities is to further enhance our customer service standards by consolidating our FTZ warehouse operations. With a focus on brand building, customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and strategic partnerships, I’m confident that we’ll achieve our objectives and further solidify DISC’s position as a leader in the region,” he says.
“Our recent acquisition of our own FTZ zone underscores our commitment to providing innovative supply chain solutions and further enhancing our distribution capabilities.”
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Cruise
While Gentile founded DISC with a focus on the Caribbean and duty free markets, the cruise business was the obvious next step, he tells TMI.
“Our cruise business is an exciting new venture for us. We’re just beginning to introduce our premium portfolio of brands to the cruise market, and it’s been a good journey so far.
“We’ve listed Tequila Kah and Rooster Rojo on Virgin Atlantic, offering travelers the opportunity to experience premium quality tequila brands, and Ballotin on Norwegian Cruise Lines.
“In our efforts to expand our presence within the cruise industry, we’re actively engaged in conversations with major cruise retail and Ship Chandlers. Our goal is to establish our portfolio as a preferred choice among cruise passengers, offering our customers a selection of premium spirits to enhance their passengers’ onboard experience.”
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The right partner in Promo
From the beginning in January 2021, Disc has partnered with Promo International, which has the infrastructure and history in the Caribbean that has allowed DISC to succeed, says Gentile.
“Partnering with Promo International and particularly with Sergio Sanchez, Promo’s owner, has been crucial to the growth and success of DISC since day one. I feel incredibly fortunate to have met Sergio, who brings a wealth of business experience and entrepreneurial mindset. His extensive experience in navigating the Caribbean markets for over 30 years has been invaluable to help us strike the perfect balance between the long-term brand- building goals and the short-term business delivery objectives,” he says.
“One of the critical contributions from Promo has been their supply chain solutions and strong back-office team. This infrastructure has been instrumental in ensuring the efficiency and reliability of our logistics operations, so important to supply a complex region.”
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A growing premium portfolio
DISC has announced a number of critical premium portfolio additions over the past year that Gentile has begun to introduce to the market.
This February, Sazerac Company Inc. and DISC announced a distribution partnership for select Caribbean domestic markets. Last September, Ian Macleod Distillers (IMD) appointed DISC as its exclusive distribution partner for Americas Travel Retail.
“From the outset, DISC been committed to building a robust portfolio of premium brands. The recent announcements regarding partnerships with Ian Macleod and Sazerac mark exciting milestones in our journey adding to our strong portfolio including Edrington, Amber Beverage Group, Brockmans, Bottega, amongst others,” he says.
“With the addition of Ian Macleod’s esteemed brands, such as Edinburgh gin, Glengoyne and Tamdhu, we’ve further strengthened our presence in the gin and Scotch whisky categories in the Duty Free channel, offering our customers high- quality brands that are successful in DF Europe.
“Similarly, joining forces with Sazerac for Caribbean domestic, has expanded our portfolio offering in categories we were not playing to include iconic American brands like Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Fireball and Mr Boston, catering to the diverse preferences of our consumers.”
Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey is another exciting addition to the DISC portfolio, says Gentile.
“It offers a delightful fusion of rich chocolate and smooth whiskey, creating a decadent flavor experience. One of the trends we’ve observed in the spirits industry is the growing popularity of flavored whiskies, especially those designed for crafting cocktails. Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey taps into this trend, offering versatility and creativity for both professional mixologists and consumers alike,” he says.
“Additionally, we’re expanding our presence of Ballotin in most Caribbean domestic markets, offering consumers the opportunity to enjoy this exceptional whiskey beyond the confines of the cruise ship during their Caribbean voyages.”
Gentile is thrilled about what comes next for DISC.
“Together with our partners, we look forward to shaping the future of the spirits and wine industry in Travel Retail and Caribbean, delivering exceptional experiences to consumers, and building lasting success. DISC has a deep gratitude to our partners for entrusting us with their brands and to our customers for partnering with us, and here’s to many more years of fruitful collaboration and shared achievements.”
