After launching in Miami last year, premium Latin Gin is exhibiting at the Summit of the Americas with global travel retail its next target.
Available in Latin Spice, Latin Lover, Latin Secco and Latin Beach expressions, Latin Gin was inspired by elements of the Latin lifestyle, says co-founder Ivania Sher.
“I’m a Latina who loves to travel and go to different countries and learn the cultures around the world. I wanted to create a gin that would represent the Latin culture,” says Sher.
“We wanted to create an authentic gin so we used only Latin botanicals and designed the bottle with Latins in mind.”
Latin Gin co-founder Ivania Sher
Sher grew up in El Salvador amongst a family of international diplomats and witnessed how her parents entertained guests from around the world with beautiful, inventive cocktails. Those moments inspired her to create a premium gin from a female and worldly perspective.
“I wanted a modern, easy to drink gin, that is smoother to the palate,” she says. “Latin Gin is something fun and sexy. And the bottle looks so beautiful. It is completely different than your traditional London Dry gins.”
Co-founder John Kuelbs says after launching in south Florida, the gateway to the Americas, he believes Latin Gin will do well in duty free, even with non-Latins.
“We launched in Miami, a natural place to launch Latin Gin. To our surprise, we are seeing that we are getting reorders online from the Midwest. It is people wanting to experience Latin culture rather than just Latins wanting to buy something Latin,” says Kuelbs.
“Latin culture is trending right now all over the world. Music, the performing arts, the culture of celebration. We have actually captured a culture with Latin Gin, and we think this will help us attract millennials and Gen Zs.”
Latin Gin represents a new category of gin, says Sher.
“When you are walking in the airport you are sometimes looking for something. Latin Gin is a breakaway from the old school gin. It is something different and innovative. Duty free stores are a place of discovery, a place where people are looking for something new and unique. Latin Gin appeals to the traveler’s desires of culture, adventure, and unique expressions.”
Four Latin Gin expressions
Each of its four expressions conveys a love story, taking consumers on a journey of passion, romance, tradition and joy, says Sher.
Latin Spice Premium Gin is sophisticated and seductive, says Sher. It is well-balanced, with warm Calabrian chili pepper notes that linger on the palate. It is inspired by the passion and the spark of a newly formed romance.
Latin Lover Premium Gin is infused with strawberries and roses. It is inspired by a blossoming love. This spirit is designed with fruit-forward cocktails in mind.
Latin Secco Premium Gin is a fresh interpretation of the spirit’s classic tones. Infused with authentic Italian juniper and blended with the water of Mont Blanc, it is inspired by the tradition of Latin culture. The profile is balanced and smooth, allowing for a variety of options for blending in cocktails.
Latin Beach Premium Gin reveals a touch of citrus with each sip. The flavor profile includes passion fruit, coconut, papaya, and mango.
Kuelbs says the two best sellers so far are Latin Lover and Latin Beach, but each of the four gins offers something different.
“Latin Lover and Latin Beach are not your traditional gins. They really appeal to the gin drinker and to the non-gin drinker, because we dialed back the juniper so much, it is smoother. For Lover we took the ABV down to 37.5 because we are seeing that women and the younger drinkers want quality over quantity. They are going to drink less cocktails but are going to drink better ones,” he says.
“Whether it is Latin Europe, Latin America, or Central America, every Latin country except for Paraguay and Bolivia has an ocean beach. And for hundreds of years that is where they go to celebrate. It really resonates.”
“Latin Beach expresses the joy, the happiness, the fun. It is a kiss of citrus in your mouth,” says Sher. “We target every palette with our gins.”
“I have had Latin people come up to me and say this is a brand that represents me. That is what I wanted to do. Mission accomplished.”
Distilled in the foothills of the Italian Alps, Latin Gin is currently available in Florida, Texas, California, Spain, the UK, as well as online.
