SUYO was the Miscellaneous category winner of WSWA’s 2024 Brand Battle. SUYO is a Pisco discovery brand dedicated to exploring Peru’s distinctive terroir, empowering artisanal producers, and sharing unique, Single Origin Pisco with the world. They are 100% Latino-owned and operated and they share revenue from every bottle sold directly with our partner producers.
Below is a Q&A with SUYO, that will represent the innovation category live, on-stage in the 2024 Brand Battle Championship at Access LIVE.
Tell us about your brand. What was the inspiration to start this endeavor?
From a young age, I knew that I wanted to do something to build a stronger connection with my home country of Peru and give back to it. On a trip to Peru in 2019, my friend (and now business partner), Ian, and I visited a pisco vineyard/producer and it piqued our interest so we decided to visit another. After several more trips, we had explored dozens of villages and vineyards in remote regions of the country that we otherwise would not have visited and we had become enamored with the artisanal makers we met and their unique piscos. The vast majority of these piscos were only available locally so we became inspired to make them available to consumers globally. This is why we created SUYO.
What are your growth goals?
We strive to elevate pisco on a global scale, one sip at a time. We want to grow the category to a point where consumers walk into a bar and see several options of pisco, and have a choice from specific varieties of pisco, from specific regions, or from specific vintages. Shorter term, our goal is to strategically enter at least 2 high priority markets in the US in 2024 and triple the size of our business.
Successful distribution partnerships are key to brand building success. What can distributors expect when working with you and your brand?
Our priority to consumers is to create lasting, meaningful experiences. We believe it’s critical to activate our brand via 1) on-premise events such as dinners, pairings, and happy hours, 2) off-premise events such as tastings and participating in unique cultural experiences such as art gallery pop-ups, fashion shows, and sponsorship of galas and organizations that are aligned with our ethos, and 3) putting brand ambassadors in each market SUYO is in to lead these events and tell our story.
Consumer connections are key. What sets you apart from other brands? Why will consumers connect with your brand?
We value people and purpose above all else. This is evident in our product and in our consumer-facing communications. We have cross-over appeal between spirits and wine consumers alike, and all of our branding is thoughtfully crafted to create a lasting impression on the consumer.
How was your Brand Battle experience so far? What feedback from the judges resounded with you and will it have an impact on your business going forward?
The best piece of feedback I’ve heard so far was a suggestion to serve pisco and/or cocktails out of the ceramic ‘huaco’ that our bird logo was inspired by. We actually were doing this in Peru already, but now I’m convinced to make more and do the same in the US!
What are you looking forward to in the Championship or at Access LIVE overall?
To be able to tell our story on such a wide-reaching platform and receive valuable feedback from industry leaders.
Learn more about SUYO on Instagram @suyopisco, on LinkedIn, or visit their website suyopisco.com.