Furthering their commitment to source as close to home as possible, Manhertz says they are finding ways to be more involved in the production of their grains and ingredients. “We actually bought a small farm next to us a couple of years ago. And this past year we just grew some soft red wheat and we are using that in a couple of batches to see what it does.” Speaking of ingredients, as previously mentioned, their vodka is wheat-based, rather than the potato base you would find in many of the macro-produced brands. The choice to go this route was mostly based on taste pref- erence, and as Manhertz points out, is common amongst other popular brands. “We like the finish of the wheat. Many of the other higher-end vodkas also use wheat, Grey Goose, Belvedere and a few others.” And their efforts have not gone unnoticed. Manhertz also offers that the awards keep rolling in. “We just won more awards this week. Portland, we won the “Best in Category” for international whisky. We also won the same award for our Coffee Whisky Liqueur and our Vodka. And we won a Gold Medal for our vodka this week as well.” All this, along with six recent awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Awards has put Wolfhead firmly on the “distillers to watch” map. At this point, if you are sufficiently thirsty, fear not! The web of availability is spinning wider and wider everyday for Wolfhead products. “Right now, we have three of our products in the LCBO (Ontario’s liquor retail outlets). We just got into Saskatchewan last week, and we’re inManitoba, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. And the US government has just recently approved us to sell down in California.” “I guess you can only go to so many wineries in a day, so it’s nice to throw a craft distillery in the mix.”
The online retail experience is the latest experiment to be tackled by the marketing department at Wolfhead. The slightly-over- 60 Manhertz freely admits that he was sur- prised by the uptake. “I didn’t think putting our products online for sale was a big deal. But it’s becoming a big deal. I personally don’t order anything online, but the next gener- ation does. It’s like making a product that only you like and nobody else does. It’s not a good business plan. So I took the advice and it’s working out.” “We like the finish of the wheat.” Nevertheless, if you ever find yourself in the Windsor area, it might be worth your while to take a trip over to the Wolfhead Distillery. You will find not only a retail store (where you can purchase your favourite Wolfhead brands as well as a selection of unique gift ideas), but their own restaurant as well. In fact, it’s the first distill- ery in Canada to have their own restaurant, according to Manhertz. “It was definitely worth the wait to get the licensing for the restaurant,” Manhertz assures. “It has made it a destination. There are about 21 wineries down in this area. So people are making a stop here. I guess you can only go to so many wineries in a day, so it’s nice to throw a craft distillery in the mix.” The restaurant is definitely a feature that would set Wolfhead apart from other craft distilleries. Most offer a tour and a tasting. Then off to the retail store and out you go. You can do all of the above at Wolfhead, but you can also sit down in a restaurant atmosphere and taste the spirits in context. Try a Mojito with Grapefruit vodka or a Big Apple Manhattan! Down the road, Manhertz says new flavours may be in the offing. “We’re at a crossroad right now. People are asking us for gin, we’re working on a pralines and cream whisky. Things like that, but there are only so many marketing dollars.” He goes on to explain, “What my concern is, people work their whole lives to get a product to be as suc- cessful as this Coffee Whisky Liqueur can be. So do I take the marketing dollars I have and spend them on a new product, or do I spend them on bringing the Coffee Whisky up to the next level? I’m kinda leaning towards that. As opposed to bringing in three more flavours or something. But in another three months we’re going to have our own whisky that’s been aged three years on site, so that’s going to take some marketing dollars as well.” Whether Wolfhead decides to expand their roster or promote their best sellers instead, one thing is certain — their spirits will not disappoint. So buy, order or better yet, visit Wolfhead Distillery and join the Wolfpack!
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APRIL 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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