Dano’s Dangerous Tequila EXPOSED! Micaela Piccolo Tells All!

[00:00:01] Speaker A: All right. Mikayla, how you doing today? [00:00:03] Speaker B: I am doing so well. I'm very excited for this. [00:00:07] Speaker A: Well, I'm excited to have you on. This is. This is some really, really cool product for me. I love the marketing. I've heard a little bit of some of the stories. I find it really cool that, you know, a. A really dangerously good pineapple drink can turn into a tequila brand. And to me, that's just super cool. So. So thanks for taking your time with me today. [00:00:28] Speaker B: Absolutely. We're excited, and we are celebrating the Dangerous name now more than ever. As you can tell, we've made it a little bit bolder and bigger on this label. [00:00:38] Speaker A: Yeah, the Dangerous name is good. I mean, especially with the origin of it being so good that it's dangerous. That, to me, is just awesome. So you are. [00:00:47] Speaker B: No, sorry, go ahead. [00:00:48] Speaker A: No, go ahead, go ahead. [00:00:50] Speaker B: I was going to say we definitely turned a lot of heads when we decided to double down on making the Dangerous stand out a little bit, because I think in the tequila world, you know, while we do celebrate tradition and we honor that, we are trying to live a little boldly. So it's nice to know we get appreciated for being called Dangerous. [00:01:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I think it's awesome. And I. I know how dangerous tequila is for me since I drink it like a bottle of water, so I already understand. So you are the chief marketing officer. Tell me about your journey in tequila. How did you end up working with such a cool brand? [00:01:28] Speaker B: This is a fun story, actually. I started off as a bartender in New York City. Was a craft bartender kind of got into when we were first using, you know, fresh juices and, you know, nobody carried Red Bull. And we were very anti, you know, all these things. And I had a really fun journey working at a lot of places. Saxon and Parole, Distilled Gold Bar, a lot of great bars that introduced me to some great brands. And from there I moved on. Actually ended up in Asia. I was in Shanghai for a couple months. And while I was in Shanghai consulting on a bar program is when I realized, you know, this market out here is just fascinating. It was a completely different ball game. The way people would drink was, you know, it was just such a different. They loved certain cocktails that we didn't like in the US And I wanted to make my way back there. So I ended up finding a brand, Amazon Ferrand, which I. If you know anything about the Rome world and the gin world, they in cognac, they are huge. Gave me a chance as their brand ambassador, and I ran the brand for all of Asia Pacific from across 14 countries. China being our biggest market and helped grow that brand. And we did phenomenal. I'm so proud of them. Prior to being Plant Planter Ray Rum and then I moved back to the US and after, after that I had worked in marketing for so long and helped brands grow in Asia. Not only Maison Ferran. I kind of helped other brands understand that market. That Doyen, which was the original TikTok became the one thing that I was an expert in. And so when I came back to the US after Covid, I was trying to figure out what was the next step and I sort of built a marketing agency, like the plane on the way down sort of thing. And everybody was coming to me kind of asking like, what do we do with Doyen? What do we do with TikTok? And funnily enough, marketing alcohol on TikTok was a very gray area. So I was helping a lot of brands navigate that space. And one of the people that came knocking on my door was Danos, one of the team members I had known from Cherry Hearing days. She had worked there a long time ago. And she said, look, I have this brand are trying to figure out what they're doing with social there. It's a great product. And I started off just doing the Instagram, just doing a TikTok. And then slowly it just, I took on the email newsletters, I took on the target audience. Then they brought me in for the brand label flip to oversee that and then sort of just kind of worked my way up. So I still kind of consult on the side with a lot of cool marketing projects and help people understand the space of social media. But really this has become such a important part of my life that I've decided the full time role was the right way to go. I want to see this brand succeed. It's. It's a great brand. [00:04:12] Speaker A: That's very cool. So you've been all over the place. That's really awesome. So tell me about your relationship with Tequila. Because some people have a good relationship. Some people have like a. The. The past ex Tequila. What about you? What's your Tequila story? [00:04:27] Speaker B: You know, I think now it's a loving story. Be asleep. I would say I. Me and Tequila were like, I did a lot more Mezcal. I was drinking the Del Del Miguel Vida out of the Copitas, you know, when they were coming by the bar, introducing it, you know, the first time it was hitting the market, I loved Mezcal. But I think now, having spent a lot of time in the rum space. That's what was a big one for me. Coming into the world of agave has really opened my eyes to just different ways of production, different ways of marketing. And how fast this sector has grown has really fascinated me. So I'm really just. I'm kind of in awe of all the brands that have been able to succeed in this space. And, you know, it's fun to be tasked with the job of how can we differentiate a brand now and still remain true to making a good product? So I. I'm. I'm in love. I'm having a bit of a love affair right now. It's a good time for me. [00:05:27] Speaker A: Awesome. So do you do very much neat tequila drinking? [00:05:31] Speaker B: I do, actually. Especially our flavors. They don't need much, so I do. And I will have probably a little anejo here neat with you. Although I'm getting back into the swing of it. I actually had a little one. I'm like seven months postpartum, so I was out of my tequila game for a while. And so I've been enjoying slowly getting back in with some cocktails or like a tequila soda. You gotta pace it a bit. [00:05:53] Speaker A: Somewhere around age 2, the little one will really drive you to tequila drinking. [00:05:57] Speaker B: Well, good thing I'll be stocked by then. So that's good. [00:05:59] Speaker A: Yes, you will be. That's awesome. So, okay, so answer the question. Everybody has. Who is Dano? [00:06:07] Speaker B: Yes. Dano is a real man. He's a wonderful, wonderful man. He is a man of adventure. Dano actually started off just making the pineapple jalapeno in his basement, and he was making it for parties. And his one friend, Chris Timmerman, who I also adore very dearly, said to him, man, this stuff's delicious. You've got to make this. Like, we should just go to Mexico. It was kind of a whimsical thought at the time. Now, Dano, to give you some ideas, Dano has done a lot of things. He modeled and was a marble around. He has escaped a kidnapping. These are all true stories. He's actually. A couple years ago, when I first joined him the company and I met him, he had just recovered from getting kicked in the head by a moose. Yes, this man is. So the challenge for me when I came on was, how do I explain who Dano is without. Because he's always out and about. It's hard to get him here. Obviously, I'm here for this interview. How do we, you know, get him his story out here? But, yeah, so they went down to Mexico and happened to run across the Reyes family. So Sylvia Reyes and her father and her husband Diego were in the midst of reviving the hacienda that had been open since 1840. And they kind of came into ownership around 2015, 2016, and they were in a position that they were making flavored liqueurs and things like that. And so they were willing to push the boundaries when it came to making a flavored product and doing it right. And so they just got to tasting and talking and lots of tequila and late nights later, they had kind of their first go at this pineapple jalapeno tequila. And it's kind of history after that. Wow. [00:07:47] Speaker A: He sounds like there's a movie of a. Like an adventurous guy who's a multi millionaire who can't get life insurance. And they keep telling him that. That's what he sounds like to me, like, no, you have to wear a parachute if you're going to jump out of the plane. [00:07:59] Speaker B: I always find out what Dan has done after what Danny's done, like what. Later. I. They don't tell me in advance because I will panic. I'm like, no, he needs to show up to this thing, you know. No, I. He's. He's out doing his thing and he's always experimenting. So he. In his basement true into true form before he even goes down to the hacienda to chat with a team to talk about another flavor or experiment. He's always working on stuff at home, so that's always fun to see. [00:08:25] Speaker A: And if I'm. Is he from the Colorado area? Is that where Colorado Springs. [00:08:29] Speaker B: Steamboat Springs is where they. They are all friends and from where all the good parties were held, where this tequila was enjoyed before. [00:08:38] Speaker A: That is a lot of fun. I've been there many times. That's an awesome place. [00:08:41] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:42] Speaker A: So how did they meet up with the Reyes distillery and land at nom 1507 to kind of get it all started? Did they meet them by chance or did they kind of know somebody already? [00:08:52] Speaker B: Yeah, it was a chance meeting, actually. They just kind of walking around with this experiment that they had on their bag and they were just tasting and willing whoever would talk to them. And the Reyes family gave them the time of day and were very interested in what they were doing. And I think a lot of it came from that, what the Reyes family had been producing and the integrity that they had and what, you know, Dano and Chris really wanted to preserve, making a true tequila without adding any additives. And a lot of people told them like, that's. There's no way to do it. It's. You can't stabilize it. It's going to be complicated. And we will say for sure we had issues in production where we had batches of the pineapple jalapeno. We're changing colors and things like that, but it's. It was an ode to us actually trying to do it right, you know, without adding any flavorings or sugar. So they just. They spent a lot experimenting. It took a while for the final bottle to be done. There's actually another label. So this is our new label. There was actually two different versions of the product previously, so I think now we're in our fullest form, finally ready to, like, showcase on the outside of the bottle, what's inside? [00:09:57] Speaker A: Yeah, I did. Did you have a lot of input in creating this amazing label? Because the. Each label is. Honestly, it's. They're fascinating. Like, they're. They're so colorful and really appears that each one of the labels has a story to tell. [00:10:11] Speaker B: I feel very fortunate. I wish I could say I can take all the credit, but it was a massive team effort. We teamed up with qcm, Quaker City Mercantile out of Philadelphia, who is infamously known for creating the world of Hendrix and Sailor Jerry. And it was a very strategic partnership because we really wanted to build a world and do something different, because we're doing something different in this agave space, you know, and it was storytelling. You know, if you look at the coffee Reposado label, you see that they're dropping coffee beans and agave into a coffee cup, and we created characters, and so the world building was something that they're really, really good at. And then our team had a ton of contribution when it comes to the colors and how does it look from far away and all that. What story are we telling? So you can see the core range. They work seamlessly together, and then all of the flavors will kind of be similar, but always be a little bit more bold. [00:11:05] Speaker A: It has to me a Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, like, really cool vibe. I thought they were really neat. [00:11:15] Speaker B: So we've said. We. We like to say that it's wisdom. Hippie. Hippie wisdom. Dad vibes kind of meets this most interesting man from Dos Equis, kind of, you know, or we are, you know, who is Dano? Where is he in the world? You know, we also. I also like to call the team some of our. His, like, Charlie's Angels. It's like he's on the intercom. You know, he's there, he's influencing all of it, but he's not with us on the day to day. [00:11:39] Speaker A: That's incredible. [00:11:40] Speaker B: You know, so he knows everything, but he's not there. [00:11:43] Speaker A: I was picking up the international man of mystery. Like, I'm thinking it's not the Dos Equis guy. I'm thinking it's Dano. [00:11:49] Speaker B: Yeah. More. Yeah, it is for sure. [00:11:52] Speaker A: So the distillery, it's woman owned and woman operated, correct? [00:11:57] Speaker B: Yes, it is. [00:11:58] Speaker A: And then is it a female master distiller as well? [00:12:01] Speaker B: No, it's actually her father, Dan Raul is a master distiller. So he is the direct correlation to, you know, the great grandfather that had, you know, the hacienda prior they took ownership over, I think, you know, 2015, 2016. And when they, when that happened, Sylvia really stepped up in terms of creating something that functioned really well. Um, her husband Diego really led some of the cool operations and facility management and making sure that a lot of the, the team that was hired felt very seen and heard too. But yeah, she, she's done such a great job bringing that hacienda back to life. It's a, it's a treat to visit, so I hope you get to visit soon. [00:12:40] Speaker A: Yeah, that'd be awesome. So I know Dano had this amazing recipe for this. When it comes to the tequila that went inside of it, did they bring like a family recipe or was Dano part of creating that palette that, that we have here? [00:12:55] Speaker B: So actually this is a fun story. So they have open fermentation tanks in the back of the hacienda. And prior to them throwing up coverings or whatever, when they took over the hacienda, they actually cleaned out and tried to harvest as much of the yeast and, and you know, particles that were left behind. And so they used that to be the foundation of the fermentation process for all of the skus you see there. Dano loved them all and so did Chris. I think there moderation of percentages of things that they, they tasted over time. But essentially we just loved the liquid with them that we kind of went with, you know, what you guys are doing is what exactly what we want to do. And they wanted people to taste that product that had such history. So they take a lot of pride in holding on to that years old yeast and flavor. It's fun for me coming from the rum world and knowing what they did to preserve that and like years old yeast is fascinating to me. [00:13:54] Speaker A: It has a great agave flavor and. [00:13:57] Speaker B: I'm glad you like it. [00:13:58] Speaker A: It has There's a little citrus, there's a little floral, there's a little. It's very minerally. It's, it's, it's a really good. To me, it's a really strong blanco. It's a good sipper. And I, I can't wait to taste it in here. All I've done is smell it. Like I've just been waiting. [00:14:12] Speaker B: So I think they, I think they did a very good job with all of the products and because we also use for the, the repo and the anejo unaged oak barrels, but really did a job of celebrating that agave forward note like, you know, with the tequila, put it in a cocktail or sip it by itself, you still feel it tastes like a tequila that's. Feels like, it tastes like the land, like all that had been collected around it. So it brings me back every time I sip it. [00:14:37] Speaker A: Yeah, I can, I can, I can agree with you that whenever I get that earthy mineral and I, I can tell it's lowlands. I'm assuming they're all lowlands agaves as well, because it doesn't have like, it has a little citrus scent, but it does have like a, a really strong floral or like you get from some of the highlands agaves. It has that earthy minerally. [00:14:59] Speaker B: Yes. [00:15:00] Speaker A: Goodness. That, that's what tequila to me is supposed to taste like. It's really good. Oh, the blanco then they're resting is American oak. Virgin oak too, Right? Like first time used barrels. Yes, that's, that's not very common. You know, in, in the tequila world, a lot of used barrels. Are they then reusing the barrels? [00:15:20] Speaker B: No, they're just finding ways to reuse them in the, in the neighborhood. Actually in the city of Tequila, they are find ways to repurpose. It's actually part of our sort of sustainability mission is to make sure that everything gets reused in some capacity because we only keep it new. [00:15:35] Speaker A: That's very cool. And it, you know, for a new oak and it's a really nice light reposado. You know, it's not super dark. Are they aging to time or are they, you know, tasting and kind of aging to taste? [00:15:47] Speaker B: I will say after speaking with them my last trip, I think it's to taste. We do aim for nine months actually. That's, that's the goal. But sometimes there's taste and we get a great barrel and it's a little bit younger. And so we always say up to nine months. The minimum we would ever do obviously is a six or seven month. But it's usually is about nine months for us, but you're. You're dependent on climate. You have no idea what the season may bring. So we, we try to be as transparent as we can by sharing all that. But, yeah, to taste is where it's at because that reposado is delightful. Well, I'm going to get it right. [00:16:24] Speaker A: I'm going to taste it while you tell us about the anejo. So the Anejo, same. Same tequila, same barrels, just sitting past a year. What's your time frame that you usually do on the Anejo? [00:16:35] Speaker B: 18 months. [00:16:36] Speaker A: 18 months. Awesome. [00:16:38] Speaker B: Much longer also. And we. The color is such a beautiful color because I love that it's not too dark. It's got this beautiful lightness to it. And we have really. I think the anejo is the silent, the one that surprises people because we do flavors. When you do get a chance to taste the anejo, you're like, whoa, you guys make this also? And that's always a really fun. [00:16:58] Speaker A: You know, that's why I started here. You know, so many people see a flavored tequila and they instantly think, oh, they, they're covering up something bad. Or they're. [00:17:08] Speaker B: Yes. [00:17:09] Speaker A: They don't know how to make a really good tequila, but this wouldn't taste good if it didn't have a good tequila in it. You're right. The. The repo is really good. You get a little bit of barrel hint, but not a lot. You get a little teeny bit of caramel, but it really kind of pushes the agave a little more forward. And I get a little bit of a vanilla from that agave. And I actually picked up a little cinnamon in the finish that I was going to say, that's really good for me. [00:17:33] Speaker B: Yeah, I get the spice often myself. And that is the foundation, which is, you know, going to be the blanco, the foundation for the pineapple jalapeno and the reposado, the foundation for our coffee, reposado. So it's. They're labors of love. The other. The flavors for sure. [00:17:49] Speaker A: Now, since it says coffee, does this mean I can drink it in the morning before work? [00:17:54] Speaker B: That's the idea. That's what we're going for. [00:17:56] Speaker A: That's good. [00:17:57] Speaker B: You'd be surprised at how many people ask me that. Or join a work call and say, is there coffee or is there coffee reposado in my cup? [00:18:05] Speaker A: Exactly. I'm really liking the idea. My wife's going to love that you gave me permission to drink it for breakfast. You know, Saturday was National Margarita Day. [00:18:16] Speaker B: Yes. [00:18:16] Speaker A: So. So I thought it'd be important to do a margarita video because I knew I'd wake up to a thousand of them. So I presented a breakfast margarita. And that was a margarita, that is whatever your favorite ingredients are, a good tequila. And then it is all about the cup. So I put it in like a big coffee cup. So I'm walking around where it's. I said in the video, five o'clock, nowhere, drinking a margarita. So then nobody would think I was an alcoholic. [00:18:43] Speaker B: Like, we got to. Next time we do this, we'll make coffee margaritas together. Once you try the coffee in a margarita, then you're. You're like, oh, man, I can drink these any time of day. It's a bit, it's a bit dangerous. [00:18:56] Speaker A: I can drink tequila any part of the day anyway, so it's already dangerous. All right, well, I'm going to give this anejo a shot. And you, you have some too, don't you? [00:19:04] Speaker B: Yes, I do, I do. Surprisingly. I'm. This is how, you know, I'm working hard. I'm out of tequila. It's gone to a lot of other places recently, so I've got to restock myself. [00:19:14] Speaker A: And you're drinking before 5, so I'm drinking after 5 for you. [00:19:18] Speaker B: Yes. Well, cheers. [00:19:19] Speaker A: Cheers to you. I get a lot better. Not better, a stronger oak, you know, a little bit more of that barrel, a little bit more caramel, even a little bit of very like a. I get a dried fruit. [00:19:34] Speaker B: Like I say, like there's there for me, there's a bit of a nuttiness in here actually. Like a subtle, like you're not getting like full caramel. Almost like a. But that, that nut is a definitely like a stone fruit. Almost like a very. But very, very light. Very. And you get a little bit on the nose too, but it's subtle. [00:19:52] Speaker A: Yeah, I almost get like a, almost raisin a little bit in the, in the nose. Like it's a. Like a dried fruit, but almost like a raisin. That's really good. [00:20:03] Speaker B: Yeah, this is my. I do love our flavors and I love the coffee repo. But the anejo is. It's got a special place in all of our hearts. [00:20:12] Speaker A: That's got a great finish. [00:20:14] Speaker B: So smooth. [00:20:15] Speaker A: It's great agave. You still get the agave. That's the first thing. I got more of that spice and cinnamon. [00:20:22] Speaker B: You'll also notice too, it's a full bodied experience. Like, I don't. You don't feel it heavy in the back, you don't feel it heavy on the front of the tongue. Like, they've our copper pot stills, and the way we've kind of produced this product is to really have that entire mouth feel experience. So it's almost that, like, I like to say this one's creamy. Like, it's got a silkiness to it in a way. [00:20:40] Speaker A: It does. It's. It's. We use the word smooth, but of course, I'm not a fan of the word smooth because that, like, people will grab, you know, one of the celebrity tequilas, and the first thing they say is, it's, oh, it's so smooth. But this. This has a great mouthfeel, a nice viscosity to it with a really nice finish, and you get all of those barrel flavors. But the agave still there, really strong. It has a really nice sweetness, too. [00:21:04] Speaker B: And you. You'll notice, too, I mean, if you look at it against the light, it is lighter than an average, you know, anejo that you're seeing on the shelf, because we're new American oak. Right. But I think that's what's also. We're kind of, like, challenging that. That notion that it doesn't have to be dark for it to be delicious and aged well. So I. I think it's, like I said, the silent. The silent but amazing one. [00:21:25] Speaker A: It's really good. Do you know what, like, level of char they're using on the barrel? Are they doing a, like, what char level are they doing? [00:21:31] Speaker B: About number four. So it's a bit of a medium, ish, heavy, heavier, medium side. [00:21:36] Speaker A: But number four, heavier than what I thought it would be. Because usually the lighter ones, some, you know, I've had someone say, oh, we're just doing a toast. So that. That's a he are to. Or. Yeah, to have that light of a color that's, you know. [00:21:49] Speaker B: And that one. I know. That one I know was tested with Chris and the team also, like Dano and them, wanted to make sure that you got that flavor from the barrel without it overpowering. You know, the. [00:22:00] Speaker A: The agave, a testament to the additive freeness, too. People are adding so much caramel color to them, and they're. They're faking that mouth feel and they're faking that sugar, and I pick those up pretty easily, and nothing like. It is so clean and so good. Yeah, this is awesome. [00:22:18] Speaker B: I love when I get to, like, experience someone experience the line for the first time, because I remember when I did it, and I went. I remember thinking, you know, I Have my marketing agency. I'm building something. But I just love this brand. I just think they're so great, and I love the family, and I love what they're creating. And I said, this stuff is so. I. I'd be so proud to put this product in front of someone, to let them try it for the first time and just say, like, that is exactly why I'm doing this. You know, this. This is the moment. [00:22:44] Speaker A: So I appreciate that. I don't open them on purpose. Like, I'll open them and let them rest, you know, so we can taste them, you know, let them rest for 20 minutes or so. But I like to share that first time with the person I'm interviewing as well, because I. I want to experience what it is. And although sometimes I have to be careful, you know, if it's one that I don't like. And I'll be honest, there's. I had that same skeptical thought process coming into the brand as well, of, oh, they've got a flavored tequila. [00:23:13] Speaker B: Yes. [00:23:13] Speaker A: And. And I did get. There was another brand out there that has a flavored brand at the same distillery of the brand that sent me tequila. And my only thought was, they're only making flavored tequilas. This tequila can't be good. That. That was where I went into the thought process of tasting the tequila. And it. It punched me in the mouth. It was so. So then I only had a little bit of skepticalness because of that experience of knowing that, no, you can make a good tequila. And. And I've read a lot about the brand. I knew that Dano was very pure in what he was making at home and that he wanted it to be clean and he wanted no additives. So my expectation was hoping it was just as good as what it just was to me. [00:23:55] Speaker B: Yes. Cool. So it makes me happy. [00:23:58] Speaker A: Yeah. Very good. Very good. And I've. I've only heard one podcast that I've been able to find that had Dano on it. So I really wanted to be able to share this to the people that maybe haven't heard those older. That older podcasts to know that, look, this is. This is a great tequila to be looking for. So I'm glad that you took the time. [00:24:17] Speaker B: I think. No, thank you so much. I think coming in from the marketing angle, you know, I love. I love the team, you know, especially like Chris and Dana. I just love them all, but they've for a long time have just been them selling this product and growing and growing, and it was really a gift to be able to be brought in. And, you know, them being receptive to me saying, look like we have something, but we don't know how to tell this story in a way that's going to really differentiate us. And there was even conversation about removing the word dangerous. And I was like, no, we know we're doubling down. And QCM also agreed. And we were like, yes, keep it. We're dangerous. And it's challenging the way you think about tequila. And I think we love that. Like, that is the reaction that I want. And actually the idea that other brands are going to go in this additive free, fresh fruit infusion realm is, is a testament to we're doing the right thing. You know, we're setting the stage for something else. And I believe, and I can double check on this, but I believe we were the first certified fresh fruit infusion when it comes to agave in the market. [00:25:16] Speaker A: And just, we'll run through this real quick just for people that haven't been to your website, but you guys are very open on how this tequila is made. Lowland agaves, I see that they have a really old clay stone oven that they're doing the cooking in. And I believe it said 28 hours for cooking. [00:25:34] Speaker B: Yes. [00:25:35] Speaker A: And then you're resting probably another 12. [00:25:38] Speaker B: We actually rest for about six to eight, not too, too long. But it's dry there, so it works out pretty well. Have you had a chance to go into the field and harvest? [00:25:48] Speaker A: I did. We were with one of the brands, Renee with NOM 1599 and Shasheed took us into the fields and they weren't harvesting agave, so they had us harvest the hulos and cut the babies from the bottom. And she told this amazing story how that's like an umbilical cord that you're cutting to pull it out. Like, she had this great story. [00:26:11] Speaker B: That's great. [00:26:11] Speaker A: And then they took us through prepping the huilos, how to check if they're healthy before you plant them, and then how to actually plant them. And they told me, next time I'm down, we're going to a field to harvest. So I can't. [00:26:24] Speaker B: I was gonna say we'll make sure we, we got a time so you can come for a harvest as well. We've, we've taken a few people out there. It's a good time. But you very quickly realize how much, how much strength you need to harvest that agave and how much hard work goes into all of these tequilas. All of ours are still hand labeled and written lot numbers and Everything. So, yeah, we are. We're still holding on true to that. I don't see it going away anytime soon. [00:26:49] Speaker A: And the labels have a really cool feel to them. So my question is, are these made out of, like, agave fibers? [00:26:56] Speaker B: No, I wish. [00:26:58] Speaker A: Okay. Because they have that. They have that feel to them as the agave fiber logos here. [00:27:02] Speaker B: It's a. It's more of the texture thing, but it is. I believe it is like, a repurposed material. I'll double check on the exact one for you. But it is supposed to be. Considering that we're trying to be more green when we are producing, but. Yeah, no, not that yet. It is. It's still a bit expensive to do those kinds of things, but as it's getting more popular, it's becoming more affordable. So I could see it being something maybe that happens one day with a product. [00:27:28] Speaker A: Sure. So, roller mill. Do you know how many pass your roller mill? Is it. [00:27:32] Speaker B: That's a good question. I believe it was. It's a few. I want to say three or four. But Diego, who kind of oversees that part of the thing, he's always says to me, I wish I could give you a concrete answer. He's like, it's really just until I feel like the juice is all out. [00:27:47] Speaker A: There you go. [00:27:48] Speaker B: It's a very. And I've asked these kinds of. That's probably why I don't know it, but it's usually because he's very particular about. They know sometimes they just need a little extra press. And I'm like, okay, so that's awesome. [00:28:00] Speaker A: That they're doing it to product not, you know, to produce a great taste. Not necessarily just doing it for a certain way. So that's really cool. [00:28:07] Speaker B: I will say that when we're in coming up with marketing materials, you know, I'm trying to write down exactly how something happens and be fully transparent. But how do you do that when you also have, you know, a team of people who are just completely fluid and always trying to make the best version of something. So. And that actually working with Alexander Gabriel, who created Citadel gin, and Pierre Ferran cognac, I learned a lot. I worked a lot with the team, the blending team, to build master classes for our bartenders. And so I knew a lot of all of this. So when I got the chance to really sit down with Diego and say, hey, how do I talk about this with bartenders and things? He's like, look. He's like, this is the best thing I can say is that we do this. How many Times, I can't say. I don't know. He's like, but if you want to come watch and film me, I'll tell you, that's probably on average, I was like, okay, I'll make my way back. [00:28:58] Speaker A: Just getting to watch is so fun, though. Let's dive in to the coffee, because this is. Is this the newest product out of the product line? [00:29:06] Speaker B: I say we dive into the pineapple jalapeno first. [00:29:08] Speaker A: Okay, you want to go there first? [00:29:10] Speaker B: I think you want to finish with the coffee reposado. Just, you know what it is. It's such a powerful flavor that, you know, I don't want it to take over. [00:29:17] Speaker A: The pineapple jalapeno, yeah, they know to wipe that out. I brought this just in case. [00:29:21] Speaker B: Yeah, okay, good. The pineapple is where we started, you know, that is, we use fresh cut pineapples. It depends. We're. We're very picky about, you know, ripeness. We make sure they're pretty ripe. And then we de seed the jalapenos so you actually don't get an overwhelming amount of spice. You just get a really nice touch of that, especially on the finish. But this was the secret to making it not too spicy. It's 35%, so it's still up there, but it's. You could throw it over ice. It doesn't have to go in a cocktail. It's that good by itself. So it's all a lot of. A lot of late nights, that one. [00:29:56] Speaker A: So I was really excited about this. And you get, like, a great pineapple smell. It has, like, a fresh pineapple smell. And I like that you. You know, it's real because you have some particles. You can see a little bit of pineapple. Like, I shook it all up really good. And that's another thing. If you had a whole bunch of preserve preservatives and fake flavors, you wouldn't see the pineapple that you have. [00:30:19] Speaker B: And even when we filter that out, we try really hard to keep, you know, some of those particles in there. So people do know that it is real fruit, you know, and we. We've debated internally, you know, is it worth taking it out so people feel like it's a prettier spirit. We're like, no, we are dangerous. And we want people to know that this is. This is how we make it. [00:30:40] Speaker A: I didn't get any heat the first time, and I get a little bit of heat the second time. [00:30:44] Speaker B: Like, it builds, actually. I always tell people it builds. And, you know, there is a world where people have also asked, like, why is it as spicy? I mean, I think for us the Dangerous is really combining the two and trying to do a fresh fruit infused tequila first, you know, and. But there are many spicy things out there. We are trying to be fresh and like an enjoyable spice, you know, it doesn't have to be overpowering to be a yummy drink, you know, I know. [00:31:11] Speaker A: Why this is called Dangerous. [00:31:13] Speaker B: This is just going down a little easy in it. [00:31:15] Speaker A: So has Dano. Does he have like. Like a book where he knows how many children were made because of this tequila? [00:31:24] Speaker B: I should probably start as some kind of ledger for him. [00:31:27] Speaker A: Yeah, he should have like a yearbook. [00:31:31] Speaker B: Yeah, something like that. I'll work on it. [00:31:35] Speaker A: So I don't really put my tequila ever on ice. And I make a lot of cocktails with ice. This is something that I wouldn't add anything to it. And put it in some ice. [00:31:46] Speaker B: We actually do. So like almost our version of the ranch water with this. So we. It's great in a margarita, but we do this with soda and a splash of pineapple juice because it's just refreshing and so easy to drink. But really, most of the time people just say, I will just take this with one ice cube and sip it that way. So. And that's kind of again, what makes it a little bit dangerous because you're drinking just something by itself. [00:32:08] Speaker A: But what year did they first bring this to the market? [00:32:14] Speaker B: I believe they started in the year right before. So 2019, I think was like the official, if I. If I recall correctly. Yeah. [00:32:23] Speaker A: And do you know what year he started making it in the basement? [00:32:26] Speaker B: That goes back further than I probably asked. I think he's been doing it for a long time, so. [00:32:31] Speaker A: He did it for a long time. [00:32:33] Speaker B: Yeah, he's. He's been definitely making this for like 10 to 15 years, for sure. [00:32:38] Speaker A: Think of a pineapple jalapeno drink as a. As a summer drink. [00:32:42] Speaker B: Yes. [00:32:42] Speaker A: But to me, you could drink this year around, no matter what the temperature is outside, because you get a little bit of that heat. And that pineapple is so refreshing. I mean, I could see coming off the slopes at Steamboat Springs and really just saying, I just want some of that with an ice cube. [00:32:58] Speaker B: It's a solid after people say they drink it to warm up. And then the other. We've also used it in all kinds of different. Like a pineapple negroni, basically a spicy pineapple negroni. So replacing that so you get that nice winter drink with it. It works great in a lot of ways. So it's become, surprisingly, to me, one of the most versatile spirits that we have, actually, because it just can do so much. It molds itself to the occasion. [00:33:23] Speaker A: Do you have a subscription where so much can be sent to the house every month? [00:33:28] Speaker B: You know, it's so funny. It's actually been in conversation because we have such loyal followers and we have this great D2C that we're growing. We're available now in 16 states and growing like, we're signing new states fast this year, which is. We're very grateful. You know, the D2C, the. Our. Our E Commerce you can order online has, you know, you can get it mostly anywhere. And everyone's written as like, but if I buy in bulk, do I get a. Can I. Can I get a discount? Yeah. We're working on. We have. We've been having some good conversations. I'm pretty. The team is. I think the labels and the. Are more storytelling now. And that was part of, you know, the challenge was a lot of people didn't really understand previously how. How great the juice was. And you looked at the bottle and you're like, it just kind of felt. Not just. Just not fully the who am I? Who is this product? Who am I if I pick this bottle up? You know, and that's when we pick up a lot of bottles and we want to drink something. It means something about us too. Right. You know, that's part of the marketing world. And so it was, how do we tackle that without losing a sense of self? And so this is kind of our approach. And now because of that, I think a lot of people are coming to us and very interested in what we're putting out there. [00:34:40] Speaker A: This is pretty awesome. [00:34:41] Speaker B: Hey, thanks. This is. It's exciting to share this new. We were like, kind of coming out again, you know, with. With the labels and really trying to. I think. I think the feedback we've received in market is that people are ready to try something different, but they also want to drink better. If they're drinking, they're drinking a little bit less here and there occasionally, and they want something that, you know, mirrors their values. And so we check a lot of boxes. And that's, like I said, it was one of the reasons I was like, make me full time. I'm staying with you guys. I'm not going anywhere. I'll keep preaching this to everyone. [00:35:12] Speaker A: I mean, it's a crowded market, and your label definitely stands out. So before we dive into the coffee, talk about that, as a marketing person, how do you stand out and get Your product to the right distributors and into the right stores. As a marketing person, how hard is that for you? [00:35:30] Speaker B: It is probably the most exciting challenge that I've had in marketing for a while. I think that what I've noticed is when you're marketing anything, it's what community are you calling in? Who belongs here? What does it mean when I sip this product? What does it mean about me? You know, and we like to think when. When a lot of people are getting into marketing a product, all they want to do is talk about their own product. They want to talk about themselves, and they want to push that out there. But really, if I really were to sit down and talk about what makes this brand, it's the people around us and the people, the family that's made in danos relationship and danos crazy ideas, and it's who we all are. So I think that I needed to figure out, how do we say we are doing flavored tequila, but in a way that's, like, unlike anything else that's out there? And coming from the world of rum previously, I knew that when Alexander did his pineapple flavored rum, you know, the plantation pineapple, I thought, like, we were doing something different and we were changing that, you know, idea of flavored products. But I knew that we needed a label that was really strong, that could actually tell that story. And I wanted to do sort of this, like, black sheep angle, which. Or I like to call it the liquid death angle, actually, which is do something really well and then just tell its story even better and put it in a package that just, like, sells itself. And so we are looking at oatly liquid death. I'm not taking a lot of nods from, actually, the spirits world. If I did, I would say it was. Hendrix was one of the inspirations. Of course, working with QCM was building this. This whimsical world of. Of characters and design. But it's really about this, you know, how do we take what people already love and just show them another way to do it? That's. So I'm looking at other brands, and I think from a marketing perspective, if other brands are looking to get in the space, that's what I would say is stop looking at everyone around us, because we're. They've. They've mastered how to tell the story of tequila. Like, what are. What else can we do to be a little bit different and kind of push the envelope? [00:37:34] Speaker A: And you have a lot of great social media as well. I'm figuring out that you're probably the monster behind that social media, aren't you? [00:37:40] Speaker B: I wish I would. I am, I'm. It was a one. I'm a one man person who works with a lot of amazing freelancers and I'm grateful for it. But yeah, we like to have a little bit of fun. You'll start to see some more fun stuff coming out too in the. This year now that the labels are out. [00:37:54] Speaker A: Do you spend hours on social media? Because I, I have a whole lifetime spent on social media now. I'm telling you. [00:38:00] Speaker B: Gosh, I, I wish I didn't, but, you know, the rate at which content is made, I have to keep up with it, you know, and so I have a, like a little app on my phone that tells me, like, you, you're doing too much, you know, go have a drink, sit down. So that helps. But to keep up with what everyone's doing, you know, you gotta have a pulse on it. But so I try, I try, I try to balance it out. [00:38:20] Speaker A: You did a great job. Your social media is really strong and I, I love it. Okay, so let's hit this coffee. So you said this is the repo? [00:38:28] Speaker B: Yes. [00:38:28] Speaker A: And then tell me how they're making this. What's your process on making the, the coffee? [00:38:34] Speaker B: So this is really fun. We are taking slightly toasted coffee beans and then adding them straight to the reposado and letting it age. This is again to taste kind of thing. It really depends. We've learned the same thing with the pineapple jalapeno, that at least you're doing like three days minimum across the board. But then it can go a little longer depending on what we need. And then with this, we strain that out. We take a little bit of that and we redistill it. And then we use a little bit of that just on the top note, just to give you that top finish so you don't get that heavy sweetness on the finish. But yeah, that is, that is probably this, this product signifies the relationship between Dano and Don Raul, the master distiller. Actually, Don made him a coffee, something agave something when he came to visit as a thank you for the partnership. And Dano was like, we need to, we need to bottle this. We need to do something. And so they together collectively worked on that recipe. So actually the pineapple jalapeno was Dano's first idea. The coffee reposado was done Raul's kind of introduction and then they worked together on that one and really brought it to life. [00:39:43] Speaker A: You're missing a word on the, on the label. This Is stupid dangerous. [00:39:49] Speaker B: Stupid dangerous. [00:39:50] Speaker A: My gosh, that's like drinking coffee candy. It's so good. [00:39:55] Speaker B: Mind you, I started bartending when Patron xo, you know, and all these coffee brands and the espresso martini was also still having its moment then. Now it's. Now it's full force, you know, And I've tasted a ton of coffee products. I've never tasted anything like this. I've never tasted anything this smooth, this well balanced, but flavorful. And I was wildly impressed once we did the tasting before the label was produced. And I was like, guys, this is. This is it. [00:40:25] Speaker A: This reminds me of. I wish I could remember the Mexican name. There's a coffee drink when you're in Mexico. Yeah. But they serve it warm 43. [00:40:36] Speaker B: The liquor 40. [00:40:37] Speaker A: Is that what they put in it? [00:40:39] Speaker B: Well, there's. Yeah, there's a couple. There's a couple of drinks. But I think the one that most people have said reminds them is It's a liquor 43 and coffee. And they usually serve it neat. It's. It's usually just, you know, no ice or anything. Not only did I think the first flavor was our introduction to the world and doing tequila flavored tequila. Right. And that's what made that one the most dangerous because it went down so easily. This one is our way of saying, like, there's heritage, there's aging, there's flavor in this. And it's just, it's. I really am impressed with how they were able to produce such a high quality product and then still managed to sell it at a really reasonable price. And then bottle. And now people are messaging us all the time just being like, where can I get this? Where can I get it? And so we're trying to meet that demand, actually, which it's an exciting problem to have. Right. [00:41:28] Speaker A: It's amazing how the agave is still there, how the. How the barrel influence is still there in the flavor. You get it in the finish. I get that cinnamon still in the finish, which I did not expect. And then to have that coffee influence with it. This. This is really good. This is. That's really good. [00:41:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:41:48] Speaker A: Okay. [00:41:49] Speaker B: I've been excited for me. Bartender turned marketer. You know, we've. We've. In a lot of ways, the brand has not been in the inner circle of the tequila world for a lot of reasons, because we've. We had the flavors and people would just look at us and say, like, no, no, we know you guys aren't serious. And it was that assumption that we've talked about, you know, before, and I think now it's exciting that people are taking a moment to really look at us and. And have enjoy the product. We just want people to have a good time and enjoy them. And we just want to do it right. And we say, can't promise that you won't have a hangover, but it'll definitely be a dangerously better day the next day than most. [00:42:25] Speaker A: So you said people can buy it from the website, right? [00:42:28] Speaker B: Yes, we are available online. We ship to almost 48 states, I believe. I think it's 46 now. They fluctuate, but. 46 states. We're available for purchase in store across 16 states and growing so slowly, slow and steady. [00:42:42] Speaker A: What about merch? People ask me all the time. [00:42:46] Speaker B: We're actually. We've actually created a. We have a couple on the site that you can get. And then eventually if you run into us, someone is always handing out a hat or something that's out there and about. But we have a couple good shirts. But we have a pair of sneakers with all of our characters on there, on the site. Eventually we'll get the five o'clock somewhere watch in there for a more permanent place. Those who have seen it, you've seen our watch. It's a watch with our son. So the sun is our Dano in the everyday life. You see him at the top there. And then if you look on the coffee reposado, there's a moon with a. The little glass, the. What do you call that? The slate, the sleep cover, the eye covers. [00:43:24] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I see that. [00:43:25] Speaker B: And so eventually we're gonna sell. We're gonna have those out too. So we'll be giving those to. To some people. We actually do some tastings blindfolded. The night experience, the dangerous night experience. So you'll see a couple of those. But yeah, I highly recommend checking out the sneakers. They're a lot of fun. [00:43:41] Speaker A: That's very cool. People love having the merch. And I think part of it is because we. All the. All the tequila people like to walk into like Total Wine and wait till the tequila person starts to talk to us. [00:43:54] Speaker B: And we're like, huh, hey, do you know this brand? So you know, do you know exactly? No, I've been there. That's my favorite one. I've been there. I've. I visited. [00:44:03] Speaker A: Well, you have such a great product. It's such a great story. I'm so glad that you came on here to do this with me. I know that. I know you're busy. You know, everybody's not waiting around to talk to some goofy guy on the Internet. But I really appreciate it. [00:44:16] Speaker B: I'm so grateful. Thank you so much. And for me, it's a fun, nice segue into bringing the men behind the magic. Will probably be with you next time, and they'll be able to tell a lot more fun stories than I could probably remember on my own. But you will. You will get to meet the man, the myth, the legend, and then his partner in crime, Chris. That'll be fun. [00:44:36] Speaker A: Can't wait. So I have two questions I ask at the end of every show. One of them is, is there anything new that Danos is going to be bringing out in the future that somebody could be like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe you're doing that. So is there any other products in development or something? Something coming? [00:44:52] Speaker B: Yes. We're actually going to be launching our third flavor this year. I can't give it away. [00:44:58] Speaker A: Okay. [00:44:58] Speaker B: But I can say is that nothing's been made like this before, which is our. Who we are, but. And it is a rendition of your favorite classic. And that's all, like. That's all I can say. I'll leave. [00:45:09] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. That's so many things. [00:45:11] Speaker B: Yes. It's. It's a rendition of your favorite classic. [00:45:14] Speaker A: Okay. That is very exciting. I. I think I have an idea of what that might be, but that's going to be awesome. Yeah. I know that you're not like a tequila brand maker. I ask this a lot of times to the people that have created this brand new brand. So I'm going to ask you, as a person who's marketed and been a bartender all over the world, if you could sit down and have a drink and talk to any person in the world, alive, dead, whatever, who would the person that you would love to sit down and have a drink with? [00:45:47] Speaker B: At least in the spirits world. I've had a lot of drinks with a couple legendary people, bartenders, Dale DeGroff, and, you know, these wonderful people have come to my. The. My bars and have been a part of things. I really. I really think. I know this is funny, but I think that I would want to sit down. This is actually an homage to, like, my previous boss, Alexander Gabriel. I'd want to sit down with either, like, Stiggins, Fancy, the guy who we like was inspired by the plantation pineapple from that era, or like, the Ernest Hemingway kind of thing. And I know that sounds a little probably cliche in some ways, but from a storytelling perspective, for me, there's just the way that they've always talked about spirits, how they integrated in their lives, how it was brought to life. And I just. I want to understand that more. And I think this. The wisdom that I would experience in that I think would be a lot of fun. That are probably like someone really cool in stoicism. And I know that's even a little nerdy, like Marcus Aurelius or something, but just because I want to pick his brain and be like, hey, do you like this? This? Is this intrigue you? [00:46:52] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, you had this. [00:46:54] Speaker B: This is. Have you had this yet? Yeah, No. I. Somebody. I could have really long, long, late night tequila conversations with someone like that, you know, that. That would really intrigue me. That's a great question. I have to really think about that again some more. [00:47:09] Speaker A: That's a great answer. You're coming from a side of really learning some more information and then being able to share something with somebody that's going to bring some insight that you haven't had before. Hemingway is. That's such a cool answer. You know, I know I was. [00:47:24] Speaker B: I feel like in a part of me is like, people might say that, but I was like, no, I really want to just sit down and pick. Pick his brain and hear the stories. And I think there's so many storytellers who have influenced the way that not only do we market, but we. The products that we are thinking about even using to this day that they've inspired. So it would just be really cool to kind of exchange words and exchange drinks. I would love to try to see if I could keep up. Probably not, but corny. [00:47:51] Speaker A: I learned tequila in Cabo San Lucas at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo in 2000. Something. Right? So I'm like, awesome to sit down and talk to Sammy Hagar about tequila. To me, it would be like, like, so cool. [00:48:03] Speaker B: That's a great. That's a good one, though. I mean, but if it's something that's influenced your life in such a way, it makes so much sense, you know, I mean, that's like, for me, storytelling is. Is what I've enjoyed the most about marketing and how. Why this brand. And I'm. I'm very excited that they've given me the trust they've. They've given me is. They were never really into marketing in that way. They didn't like the idea that they had to market the brand. And it's funny because when I worked for Ferranda, it was a very similar feeling. And then they got really good and they realized how much it helped. But, but storytelling is really where we've been telling stories for decades, for generations. You know, that is who we are. And so we're just trying to find a way to do it, you know, in this new modern era with bottles and labels and stuff like that. But how do we keep it fun? That's, that's the challenge. And they keep me on my toes. So that's, that's why I'm going to need a lot more tequila this year. [00:48:52] Speaker A: Well, I know you've proven to them how talented you are to be able to do what you do marketing wise with social media to help create these amazing labels. All of the marketing things I've seen from the packets that people get down to the, the watch and all of the stuff that you guys have, you're doing a fantastic job. And it really is a testament to how you're not just marketing, you're actually sharing their story and you're bringing their story in a way that people can receive it, understand it and get excited about it. You're doing a, just an absolutely phenomenal, phenomenal job. [00:49:26] Speaker B: Well, thank you. I'm so glad that you came across us and invited us to be on here. You know, I, I like to speak on behalf of the team because I know it's, it's, it's not one of us doing it. You know, we're all moving that needle. So I am, I'm very proud to be a part of the team and I'm proud to see them kind of out and about and we just had our first like big all hands on meeting for the year on Friday and we were all like really pumped about this year. So you'll see us making a lot more noise as the, as the month, months go on. [00:49:53] Speaker A: Well, I guarantee you this product is going to make a lot of noise. I'm really excited to have you on and promote it. I'm really excited to do some reviews about it and talk about it. I can't wait to do individual videos on these two. So thanks for coming on today. I, I actually beg everybody to go like Dano's Dangerous Tequila on all of this social media platforms. Go find them all, follow them. They got great information. Check out their website, place an order and just, just buy them all and then beg them to set up a subscription because this is absolutely a great product. So thanks for being on today. I really appreciate you. [00:50:27] Speaker B: Thank you so much, Brad. Appreciate it. [00:50:29] Speaker A: Have a fantastic.