4 minute read
Q+A
QA &QA
with KASAMA RUM
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ALEXANDRA DORDA FOUNDER
Alexandra Dorda is the founder of Kasama Rum, a small-batch rum inspired by her mother’s native Philippines. Dorda’s love of craft spirits comes from her Polish father, who co-founded Belvedere & Chopin Vodkas. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in International Relations, Dorda worked at Chobani Yogurt before returning to Poland to work for the family business. She then moved on to work in private equity before she was drawn back to the spirits industry, forging her own path with the development of Kasama. Dorda’s first solo venture not only brings to light her industry knowledge, heritage, and entrepreneurship that runs in her family, but also a sense of optimism that many consumers are craving right now. 1 What led you to start a rum brand? I grew up in the spirits world, so in some ways it feels like Kasama Rum has been in the works for my whole life. I was just two years old when my dad started working in the industry, and he later went on to launch Belvedere & Chopin Vodkas in the United States.
I’ve always loved rum, but I didn’t feel like any of the existing rum brands were speaking to me. They were often focused on really tired nautical tropes like pirates, sailors, and sea monsters. A few years ago, I learned that the Philippines is one of the largest producers of rum in the world. Even though my mother is from the Philippines, I have to be honest and say that that really surprised me. I realized I could create the rum that I wanted while also celebrating the Filipino heritage that I am so proud of.
2Tell us more about Kasama. Kasama is a seven-year-old rum from the Philippines that is distilled from Noble sugarcane. Our goal is to breathe fresh air into a tired category, both in the flavor profile but also the branding. Sugarcane is actually native to southeast Asia—our warm and humid climate, coupled with our rich volcanic soil and the fact that sugarcane is originally from this region means that we’re able to produce some of the best rum in the world. Kasama is a golden rum with a light and pleasing taste featuring notes of pineapple, vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt.
3How are you changing the tropes associated with rum? I created Kasama to bring a breath of fresh air, both in palate and branding, to the rum market, while showing a global audience everything that our islands have to offer. Kasama means “together” in Filipino, and the brand is about celebrating good times with good company.
When I was designing the brand, I tried to stay away from nautical tropes as much as possible. Our brand is joyful, convivial, and modern.
4What are your thoughts on the state of the rum market? In my opinion, premiumization is the most important trend affecting the entire alcohol segment, rum included. Over the last few years, rum consumption has been mostly flat, but super-premium rum has experienced double-digit growth for much of the last decade. Consumers want to drink less but drink better, and I believe that sentiment is here to stay. In my opinion, rum has everything going for it. It is aged, which consumers love, but has a more approachable flavor profile than some other brown spirits. Plus, it has really positive connotations with holidays and warm, tropical escapes.
5Advice for other young professionals in hospitality? The hospitality and liquor industry is vast, and there are so many ways to get your foot in the door. The liquor industry, in particular, is filled with many peculiarities that are not at all intuitive, so I recommend getting as much experience as you can so you can learn the different angles in this industry. For example, I interned at Southern Wine & Spirits (the largest alcohol distributor in the country) while in college, and that experience has been invaluable in helping me to develop Kasama. During my time at Southern Wine & Spirits, I experienced every part of the business, from on-premise to off-premise, the chains, supplier meetings, and even supply chain and logistics. Through this process, I met many business owners, bar managers, brand ambassadors, and sales reps, which helped me to better understand the complex threetier system as well as what makes products succeed and fail. Another important training ground for me was food festivals. In the pre-COVID days, I used to help manage the booths for my family’s brand at food festivals all over the country.
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