You are here:
Home /
News / Firefly goes to Kentucky to beat out competitors
Firefly goes to Kentucky to beat out competitors
In an effort to put its sweet tea-flavored liquor on shelves nationwide before emerging competitors can get there, Firefly Vodka has joined with a distillery in Kentucky to ramp up production.
Production of Firefly’s sweet tea-infused vodka began this week at Buffalo Trace, a Kentucky distillery known for its bourbon. Firefly Vodka is finalizing a joint venture with Sazerac Co. of New Orleans, which owns the distillery, said Scott Newitt, a partner in the local vodka venture.
“We need to go as fast and as far as possible so we can be first to market,” Newitt said.
Typically, the first brand of a product that enters the market will remain the most popular, he said. With companies that Newitt calls copycats beginning to produce vodka of the same Southern flavor, Firefly wants to beat them to market to ensure long-term success.
The company started out producing its sweet tea-flavored vodka on Wadmalaw Island in April. Sales of the product exceeded expectations, Newitt said, and Firefly soon called on a distillery in Florida to help keep up with the demand.
Production will continue in Florida and South Carolina, Newitt said. But the venture with Sazerac allows Firefly to produce more bottles at a faster rate and gives the local company access to a larger sales force and distribution network.
Newitt said he is the president of the joint venture, which allows him to make decisions.
Eventually, Firefly wants to bring all production to South Carolina, he said. But before building a large facility locally, the company needs to understand the demand for its product.
“Our goal is to get out as fast and far as possible, but to bring it back here,” Newitt said. “I can’t really build the huge facility (locally) until I understand our sales opportunities.”
Newitt said the company’s plan is to distribute in all 50 states, though he doesn’t know how fast that will happen.
He is confident that sweet tea-flavored vodka will catch on with people on the West Coast and in the Northeast as well as it has in the South. Tourists from those areas already like the non-alcoholic version of the drink, he said.
“They come down and vacation here and drink it like it’s honey,” Newitt said.
By Ashley Fletcher Frampton , Daily Journal Staff
www.charlestonbusiness.com
Sign up to receive breaking news
Loading ...