The Maker's Mark 1:1
Cheering on Toast™ Vodka and Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix
Thank you for subscribing to Dishtillery! This is the first installment of “The Maker’s Mark,” a themed issue focusing on entrepreneurs and artisans in the food-and-beverage space. We hope you discover plenty of great products! After this free introduction, “The Maker’s Mark” will be for paid subscribers only.
To make the perfect Bloody Mary, you need to start with a quality vodka and an equally exceptional mix. This is why we’re bringing you Toast™ Vodka and Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix this month. But the two makers behind these products, Dieuveny “DJ” Jean Louis and John Aquino, have so much to say and so much more in the works, we thought we’d let them tell you about it themselves.
JK / BK
Dieuveny “DJ” Jean Louis and Toast™ Vodka
Is there ever room for another premium vodka on the market? The answer is yes – if you find a way to make it unique. Dieuveny “DJ” Jean Louis did just that. An entrepreneur who founded a record label in 2012 and helped to launch and manage the careers of mainstream artists, he capitalized on the American wellness craze and built Toast™ Vodka by finishing it with coconut water. Today, Toast Vodka is just one product under the Toast Distillers, Inc. umbrella. The Miami-based spirits conglomerate includes brands such as Voka Vodka™, Amazing Brands, TMDC™ Spirits, Miami Club Rum, Pitbull’s Voli Vodka, E11EVEN Vodka (the official vodka of E11EVEN Miami), and more.
JK / BK
DISHTILLERY: How did you come up with the idea of Toast™ Vodka?
DJ: I was in Haiti doing a benefit concert with Rick Ross when the 2010 earthquake struck. I had just dropped my bags at the hotel and left. Everyone in that hotel died. Surviving a major disaster like that gave me purpose and inspiration.
The name came about because I developed an appreciation for the magic of life's simple moments, as for centuries “Toast!” has been the theme while celebrating life's highlights as well as life's simple moments with friends and loved ones.
As an entrepreneur and restaurateur, I recognized that vodka in the U.S. is a spirit that is predominantly consumed as a cocktail mixer, almost devaluing the quality and craftsmanship of the product. But there was so much competition with all the great vodkas out there, I knew it had to stand out. I wanted something that was tropical but would also hydrate. But I didn’t want it to be flavored. That’s how I decided on the coconut water.
DISHTILLERY: How do you reach customers?
DJ: Online and social media. In November, we’re opening a facility in downtown Miami that will be like the front-facing part of the company for tours and events and things like that.
DISHTILLERY: What's the biggest stumbling block you hit on the road to market (aside from the pandemic)?
DJ: The actual product was a four-year research and development mission. From conceiving the product to today, we didn’t stop. We went all out, getting accounts and distribution. We’re not in every state, but a lot of them. And Toast Distillers is introducing new products. We have hard seltzer coming out, one flavor also with coconut water. We have a whiskey coming, too. We keep it mobile. It’s a lot of moving parts.
DISHTILLERY: What's the biggest success you've had so far?
DJ: Partnering with America’s Cup. We got involved in that in 2017 and from there we got major distribution. And owning my own distillery, Miami Distilling Company. First, it was about half of the company, which made Miami Club Rum. Then I bought out the rest of it.
I also launched the corporate social responsibility division of my companies, Toast First Response, to fundraise and be the first response for natural disasters.
Note: For the pandemic, Miami Distilling Company teamed up with Veritas Farms to produce hand sanitizer. Get it here: https://www.theveritasfarms.com/product/8-oz-hand-sanitizer-gel-12-pack/
DISHTILLERY: How do you personally like to use your product?
DJ: On the rocks.
DISHTILLERY: Find this product at:
https://www.toastdistillers.com/
https://www.instagram.com/toastvodka/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/toastvodka
TILL: Recipe
Spicy Watermelon Spritz
1 ounces Lime juice
1 ounces Jalapeño simple syrup
1 ounces Fresh-pressed watermelon juice
2 ounces Toast™ Vodka
3-4 Mint leaves
Instructions:
Shake and strain all ingredients into a rocks glass.
Garnish with thin jalapeño and watermelon slices and a fresh mint sprig.
John Aquino and Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix
John Aquino has spent 34 years working in food-and-beverage. The founder of the USBG Charleston Chapter he’s a six-time Bacardi Mojito Champion. He’s also won three international competitions, fourteen national competitions and was named Gosling's Rum Bartender of the Month for March 2015. Now an entrepreneur, he’s the owner of Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix and a second business, Tipsy Mermaid Cocktail Co., which makes craft cocktails ready to freeze in biodegradable plastic pouches. Those will launch locally in the South Carolina region within the next week or two.
JK / BK
DISHTILLERY: How did you come up with the idea of Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix?
JA: I was approached by Ketel One to join a Bloody Mary Throwdown as a last-minute entry during our annual Charleston 10K Bridge Run in April 2012. While everyone was doing a traditional-style Bloody Mary, I wanted to do something a bit lighter and healthier, given that there were 40,000 runners entered. I went with a version that mimicked the recipe of a yellow tomato gazpacho that my chef friend Frank McMahon had on his menu (to this day one of my favorite dishes ever!). I won that, won another competition in November of that year, and the buzz started. I tweaked the recipe several times to get it where I was comfortable with the flavor and overall sustainability. That included choosing specific yellow tomatoes (Carolina Gold or Valencia Gold), making my own hot sauce and pickle vinegar, adjusting the spices to where they wouldn't dissipate during cooking, picking sauce jars instead of necked bottles, and using bigger lids to give a better seal since I use no chemicals or preservatives.
DISHTILLERY: How do you reach customers?
JA: Social media, tastings in many states and markets, and mostly word of mouth. Since I am on a strict budget, word of mouth has been a godsend! And I really have to thank my friends in the bar business across the country for helping spread the word.
DISHTILLERY: What's the biggest stumbling block you hit on the road to market (aside from the pandemic)?
JA: Capital has been a huge hurdle, and still is. Then there were the two years of trial-and-error as far as the recipe, bottling issues, finding a co-packer, labeling standards, and most of all the fluctuation of tomato prices. I use fresh yellow tomatoes, so I am totally dependent upon farmers and the weather. Once I finally started getting traction, in a six-year-period we had five hurricanes and the 100-Year Flood, which destroyed any forward progress I had built up. Then there's the price factor: Making a product that uses all fresh ingredients is a bit costly, so many retailers balked because of my wholesale price. But the quality is there. It’s one-quarter the salt content, low-calorie, no chemicals or preservatives... it is a niche product that’s well worth the price!
DISHTILLERY: What's the biggest success you've had so far?
JA: Despite all of the turmoil, challenges, natural disasters, etc., I'm still hanging in there! There are several write-ups in major magazines and such that makes this project very worthwhile, but I think that what I would consider my biggest success is the acknowledgment from friends and even people I don't know that this product is legit. And more so than that is the recognition from my peers, those who I truly respect and admire for their expertise and knowledge, and the help and kindness shown by them.
DISHTILLERY: How do you personally like to use your product?
JA: I personally like it with two ounces Wodka Vodka, six ounces Natural Blonde, and a splash of Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur in a tall glass rimmed with my Salty Blonde Bloody Mary Rimmer Salt, and garnished with a basil leaf skewered with some mozzarella pearls and drizzled with some balsamic glaze (you can see a picture of this on my website). It is like a Caprese Salad with a kick!
DISHTILLERY: Find this product at:
https://www.naturalblondebloodymary.com
https://www.facebook.com/naturalblondebloodymarymix/
https://www.instagram.com/naturalblondebloodymarymix/?hl=en
Note: For shipping, email john@naturalblondebloodymary.com or go to the website and/or Facebook page to get a quote before ordering. John will get you the best rates available once you converse. John also encourages everyone to send their favorite recipes, along with pictures, to any of the social media platforms so he can share the love.
TILL: Recipe
The Frozen Iguana (courtesy Dale DeGroff for NBBM)
4 ounces Natural Blonde Bloody Mary
2 ounces Mezcal
1.5 tablespoons Agave syrup
A few dashes of Dale’s Pimento Bitters
Instructions:
Toss everything in a blender and blend.
Garnish with… It's a Bloody Mary variation ... use your imagination!