Startup Series – Rob Forster, Wonderbird Spirits - Making Gin Is Truly An Art | #333
In episode 333, we welcome our guest, Rob Forster, co-founder of Wonderbird Spirits, Mississippi's first grain-to-glass gin distillery. In today’s episode, we hear how Rob stopped practicing law and decided to open up a distillery to create two gold-medal winning gins. Rob shares what it was like to get the company off the ground and then dives into the process of distilling the alcohol from start to finish. We talk about the regulatory differences to sell directly to restaurants and sell DTC in 37 states, and why the little things like choosing what bottle to use makes a huge difference. As we wind down, we hear about Wonderbird Spirits’ current fundraising experience and what the future holds for the company.
Key Points
- Wonderbird Spirits is Mississippi's first grain-to-glass gin distillery, producing award-winning gins using a unique rice base and botanicals sourced from their own property.
- The distillery's meticulous process involves creating a base alcohol through fermenting rice with a Koji mold spore, followed by individual distillations of each botanical, resulting in a gin that is best appreciated neat or with minimal additives.
- As they scale their operations, Wonderbird Spirits is seeking to expand their reach through a mix of direct-to-consumer sales, engagement with bars and restaurants, and a targeted fundraising round to enhance production and marketing efforts.
Follow Rob: Website
Resources: Shonda Warner on The Meb Faber Show in June 2021 Lost Spirits whisky distillery Scribe winery
Chapters
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| 9:33 | |
| 24:45 | |
| 37:29 | |
| 42:20 | |
| 44:28 | |
| 59:40 | |
| 1:03:00 | |
| 1:09:26 | |
| 1:10:51 |
Transcript
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