Altamar Brands
Founded in 2005 by W. L. Lyons Brown, III, Altamar Brands is a small, entrepreneurial outfit founded to develop and import esoteric, artisanal spirits that offer unique and distinctive production stories in their respective categories. These brands include, among others, High n’ Wicked Whiskies, Foursquare Rums, Elvelo Tequila, Kübler Absinthe, Right Gin and Lágrimas del Valle Tequila. Their motto is, “With Cocktailing, Quality Bests Quantity.”
Back Bar Project
Back Bar Project is the exclusive US importer of a collection of boutique spirits that aims to elevate the level of offerings available in the US market. Every product in Back Bar Project’s portfolio carries a unique story representing regions, cultures, individuals, and families. Some of BBP’s marquee brands include Giffard—the largest range of premium French liqueurs currently available in the US—as well as El Jolgorio, a range of artisanal mezcals from Oaxaca, the diversity and quality of which are second to none.
Brazos Wine Imports
Brazos Wine Imports, run by Brian Ravitsky and Jon Chaplin, represents wineries from South America who share a terroir-driven approach to vineyard management and winemaking. Together they look to discover small production, one-of-a-kind wines with a focus on single vineyards, estate production, and environmental stewardship.
Becky Wasserman Co.
Becky Wasserman & Co. was founded in 1979 by the late Becky Wasserman-Hone, an American expatriate who lived in Burgundy since 1968. Today, her legacy is carried on by a passionate team of wine lovers, including her two sons Paul and Peter, exporting wines from small domaines throughout France who honor their terroirs.
Charles Neal
Charles Neal Selections scours the back roads of France to bring you the finest in Armagnac, Cognac, and Calvados from the most respected estates in their regions. These expertly distilled and prepared brandies and liqueurs are bottled with little or no intervention. They are pure, unadulterated spirits produced with the highest respect for tradition and carefully selected for import when they would otherwise never be known to the US market.
Diamond Importers
In 1992, Ted Diamantis created Diamond Wine Importers out of the belief that Greece continues to produce some of the greatest wines in the world, with its natural terroir of mountain vineyards, maritime influenced climate, volcanic and alluvial soils, and over 200 ancient indigenous varieties. They have compiled a portfolio of the best artisan, vineyard-driven producers who work with the best native varietals from the best appellations. Their goal is to now educate and enlighten the American wine market about these varietals, appellations and, most importantly, the spirit of their outstanding producers.
Europvin
Europvin was founded by Christopher Cannan in 1978 on a simple yet astute concept: select a unique portfolio of the finest estate wines in Europe and bring it to the attention of discerning importers and opinion makers around the world. Today Europvin is directed and managed by a dynamic team of professionals who combine a passion for working with terroir driven wines. They pay particular attention to sourcing a range of wines that represent genuine value for the consumer as well as maintaining the strict quality criteria for which Europvin is renowned.
Floating World
Floating World Artisan Sake Imports was founded by friends Deborah Fleig and Linda Tetrault in 2011. Their travels in Asia inspired them to immerse themselves in sake and eventually an import business that is committed to sourcing rare and unique brews from around Japan. All of the sake they import can be considered artisan: made by hand in small batches by family-owned companies using rice that is locally grown. Many of the sake are part of the shizenha “natural movement” of brewers who have been reviving ancient techniques and farming methods and then minimal intervention with the sake after brewing. They are excited to share these unique and rare sake with the US!
Heavy Métl
Founded in 2015, Heavy Métl Premium Imports is an import company based in Austin, Texas, that specializes in sourcing authentic, high-quality artisanal mezcales and destilados for the US market. Founded by mezcal enthusiast William Scanlan III, the company partners with small-batch producers—many of whom have been farming and distilling since the 1800s—to ensure quality and heritage. Its product lineup includes brands like Real Minero, Rey Campero, and Caballito Cerrero, along with other outstanding small-batch Mexican distillates.
High Road Spirits
High Road Spirits is an importer of distillates at the nexus of tradition and innovation. With modern whiskies from Mars, Chichibu, Akkeshi, The Ki One Distillery, and more, along with an exciting collection of gins, vermouths, and Japanese bitters, no bar or retailer in the know is without an expression from this coveted collection. They also import a select series of ultra-premium Kotsuzumi sake from Hyogo prefecture, including the gorgeous Kurobotan ‘Peony Shadow’ Junmai Daiginjo made from the unusual and distinctive Tajima Goriki strain of sake rice.
ImpEx Beverages
ImpEx boasts an impressive portfolio, including some of the world’s most notable small- and medium-sized distilleries and independent bottlers. In 2008, Sam Filmus followed a vision to import premium and rare spirits from around the world, with a special emphasis on the best of what Scotland has to offer. Today, with the addition of Chris Uhde as partner, ImpEx Beverages imports Whisky, Gin, Rum, and Mezcal from Scotland, Japan, Israel, Mexico, England, the Caribbean, India, and New Zealand.
Indigenous Selections
Indigenous Selections is owned by the renown Giorgio Rivetti, the founder of La Spinetta and Casanova della Spinetta and the current owner of Contratto, Piedmont’s most famous winery for the production of sparkling wines. Indigenous represents a collection of carefully selected Italian wineries including E. Pira – Chiara Boschis and Ciacci Piccolomini. Their mission is to showcase some of Italy’s most captivating and terroir-driven wines from their respective regions, while honoring indigenous Italian grape varieties and winemaking traditions.
KMS Imports
KMS Imports works with the growing number of Korea’s family owned breweries/distilleries to introduce their traditional ferments and distillates to the world. Founded by Master Sommelier Kyungmoon Kim (formerly of NYC’s two Michelin star JUNGSIK) out of a desire to share the richness and diversity of Korea’s centuries long history of alcohol fermentation.
In part due to KMS’s ambassadorship, the authentic Korean alcoholic beverages known as sool are one of the most unique and exciting subjects in the beverage world.
Little Peacock Imports
Little Peacock Imports is an Australian wine importer run by husband-and-wife duo Gordon Little and Lauren Peacock. Their motivation in starting their company was to change the American perception of Australian wine. They represent small, family-owned wineries from the likes of Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Hunter Valley, Margaret River, Frankland River, Limestone Coast, Swan Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, and Barossa Valley.
Marc De Grazia
Marc de Grazia Selections has been promoting the great terroirs of Italy since 1980. Over ninety small estates from fourteen Italian wine regions are represented with an emphasis on “terroir” and a preference for indigenous varietals: Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Greco, and Nerello Mascalese, to name a few. The company’s efforts are by no means limited to exporting: from the beginning the founder, Marco de Grazia, has worked closely with his partner vignerons in all phases of production.
Niigata Sake Selections
With more sake breweries than any other part of the country, there is perhaps no other area of Japan with as strong a culture of making and drinking sake as the northern prefecture of Niigata. Niigata Sake Selections was created by Ataru Kobayashi, who was born into a Niigata brewing family but pursued a different path in life before deciding to bring the excellent sake of his home to the world. The sake they bring to us shows both the refined and elegance of the classic Niigata tanrei karakuchi style and the range of styles the region is now producing.
PIL
Pacific International Liquor (PIL) is a leading sake importer and brand owner of exclusive, top-selling sake brands like KUROSAWA, KIGEN and LUCKY CUP. Established in 1997, PIL has closely observed the American market and hand-picked previously undiscovered alcohol beverage brands that would go on to sell exceptionally in the US PIL’s carefully curated collection brings the best of Japan’s premium sake and beer, to the US ensuring your customers experience authentic, high-quality flavors.
Selection de la Viña
In 2013, Alvaro de la Viña started the company with his wife, Ana González. Originally from Sevilla, Spain, the couple began importing wines from southern regions of their native country, focusing on the fresh selections with immediate appeal that they loved as opposed to the super ripe, extracted Spanish wines that they felt had dominated the market. Selections de la Viña now works with more than 50 producers from across the Iberian Peninsula that practice minimal-intervention winemaking and conscientious farming. It also highlights lesser-known regions and their indigenous grape varieties.
Spiribam
SPIRIBAM is one of the primary forces behind today’s rapidly developing ultra-premium rum category in the United States. SPIRIBAM’s mission to bring the taste for rhum agricole to American shores dates to 2006 when Rhum Clément was introduced to the United States with the initial ambition to organize a direct route to market for the brand. The role of the company quickly evolved into an educational one, focused on the advancement of rhum agricole and all styles of premium rum from different origins (including celebrated brands such as Rhum J.M and Chairman’s Reserve) as well as French spirits such as Cartron Liqueurs and Hardy Cognac.
Vyno Ukrainy
Vyno Ukrainy is dedicated to introducing the US market to the rich history and diversity of wine growers, regions, and grape varieties in Ukraine. Founded by Bruce Schneider, a third- generation wine industry figure with ancestral ties to the country, Vyno Ukrainy imports four of the top wineries in the country: Beykush from the Mikolaiv region that touches the Black Sea, Chizay and Stakhovsky from the Zakarpattia region on the Western border with Hungary, and Stoic by Prince Trubetskoi from the Odesa region.