Differentiation is top of mind for many distillers nowadays. Competition is up, buying is down, and brands are doubling down on efforts to stand out on shelves.
This could mean bold branding, unique packaging, intriguing ingredients—or it could mean a spirit that no one else in the country is making. It could mean a spirit familiar to people of one culture that other drinkers can discover it for the first time.
In Petaluma, California, Barber Lee Spirits has been producing lambanóg, a distilled palm liquor from the Philippines. It has particular appeal in Filipino restaurants and greater potential as American consumers seek out new flavors—especially under the umbrella of Asian cuisine and ingredients. It also happens to be a versatile cocktail base.
Barber Lee’s lambanóg is proof that not everything under the sun has already been done—at least not in every country, by every distiller. It makes a case for looking to other parts of the world for inspiration. It also charts a path for those distillers figuring out how to just start making a spirit that no one else around you has tried.