Taliera, which manages a portfolio of spirits brands, is now looking for a third iconic brand to join Beach Whiskey and American Harvest Organic Vodka. The goal, says Taliera founder J. Smoke Wallin, is to transform a relatively unknown local or regional spirits brand into one with truly national distribution. 

Taliera, which is based in Indiana, is known for working hands-on with the brands in its portfolio, advising them and helping them find distribution. That’s the approach that Wallin took with Beach Whiskey, which is now found on the menu of hundreds of U.S. restaurants. When Wallin first launched Beach Whiskey, the concept of a drinkable whiskey you might bring to a beach vacation was novel, so Taliera worked to create a new market niche from scratch. It’s now possible to find Beach Whiskey in flavors like “Island Coconut” and “Bonfire Cinnamon,” and many consumers now view Beach Whiskey as a fun alternative to rum.

"I love creating something from nothing – turning ideas into reality, innovating and doing deals. This is where my passion in business lies,” says Wallin. “It's exciting when a startup becomes a real business and Beach Whiskey Company is not only at that place now with national distribution, but we also got there much faster than we ever imagined with two brands, American Harvest and Beach Whiskey.”

As Taliera looks for a third brand to become part of its portfolio, Wallin has laid out some of the core attributes that brand must have. First, he says, the brand has to have the potential to be scalable. Wallin is looking for a brand that can have a national footprint. Second, the brand must have sufficient resources to get to the next level. That’s where Taliera comes into the picture since the company can help provide some of the resources needed by a young startup.

And, finally, says Wallin, the brand needs to be owned by people with whom he wants to do business. When you’re working hard to scale a brand, you’ll be spending a lot of time with the company’s founders, and so you can’t underestimate the value of a good cultural fit between the two companies.

Wallin says he will continue to work on the expansion of Beach Whiskey as brand manager and a major equity owner, while also freeing him up for the next set of innovative brands that need strategic assistance, distribution, direction, brand management and national accounts. 

J. Smoke Wallin originally formed Taliera in 2005 to create, acquire, manage and advise brands in the beverage space. Since then, Taliera has advised some of the most successful brands, distributors, retailers, and start-ups on their strategy, branding, and "go-to-market" distribution & execution.

It’s a strategy that seems to be working well for Taliera - and one that resonates with brand owners who are looking for a strategic, not just financial, partner to help them bring their concept to market. Over the past decade, Taliera has worked with brands such as Napa Smith Brewery, Red Eye Bloody Mary, and Sugar Skull Rum. With a whiskey and a vodka as the two flagship brands at Taliera, the search is on to find a third spirit for the portfolio that will complement them both.

Source: PRNewswire