Wanaka-born Broken Shed Vodka has tripled USA sales in 2017 and the number of outlets selling the product has increased by 1,300 per cent over the past 18 months.
Folliwing a huge surge in sales, the premium vodka brand has appointed two high profile alcohol industry veterans to top roles in the company in the past month.
Broken Shed Distilleries Ltd has appointed Jean-Marie Heins as Chief Marketing Officer, who comes from working with top shelf brands Casamigos Tequila, Grey Goose Vodka and Jägermeister.
The second appointment is Steve Bellini as Executive Vice President of Business Development. Steve has more than 40 years of experience on world-renowned brands such as Jägermeister, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Maker’s Mark and Absolut Vodka.
Bellini says the Broken Shed brand has shown great promise throughout Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Kentucky and California, with Michigan being introduced to Broken Shed on 1st June 2018.
“Now it’s time to move the brand to the national stage” he says. “It’s clear that retailers across the country are re-evaluating their selection of vodka brands. Since almost one out of every three bottles of spirits sold in the US is vodka, this evolution is quite natural. I’m confident that Broken Shed is a unique and profitable opportunity in the changing vodka set.”
This growth has coincided with a number of prestigious awards for Broken Shed Vodka including a Platinum Medal at the 2017 SIP Awards and Double Gold in Spirits at the 2017 74th WSWA Exhibition & Convention Tasting Competition.
Wanaka local and co-founder of Broken Shed Vodka, Mark Simmonds, says the brand is in a strong position going forward and believes these new appointments will play a pivotal role in growing the brand in the US and internationally.
“For a small vodka brand out of Wanaka, we’ve seen some great success over the years. This comes down to the smooth taste of our vodka, which has a universal appeal and a taste profile that has received some incredible reviews from drink critics across the USA.
“We are exactly where I dreamed we would be in terms of breaking into the US market and making some real inroads and traction there. I’m excited to see where our team will take the brand and the level of success we are yet to achieve,” he says.
Heins says she is proud to join Broken Shed Distilleries: “I am incredibly excited to have this opportunity to work with our Kiwi-based and US teams to further develop the brand. Broken Shed Vodka is a gem of a product with a fantastic clean, crisp taste and a wonderful brand story.”
