This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
News
Ex-Blue Run executive joins Desolas
Female-founded spirits brand Desolas Mezcal has welcomed former Blue Run Spirits executive Sammy Halpern as its new chief strategy officer.
Halpern will manage operations in Mexico and all distribution channels throughout the US, Canada, and beyond, as well as working alongside GG Mirvis, CEO and co-founder of Desolas, to develop and execute all sales and marketing strategies.
Before joining Desolas Mezcal, Halpern was a managing partner and global brand director at Blue Run Spirits. Alongside Shaylyn Gammon and Trey Wade, he is said to have played a key role in developing Blue Run into a successful brand.
In this position, Halpern was responsible for expanding distribution to 39 states and generating US$15 million in global sales by the brand’s third year.
Prior to his tenure at Blue Run Spirits, Halpern was a portfolio manager at Moët Hennessy, where he was responsible for building the company’s portfolio of wines, spirits, and Champagnes in the Florida market.
In addition to his brand-building expertise, Halpern has extensive knowledge of sales and distribution, acquired during his time at Coastal Wine & Spirits, a Southern Glazer’s division.
Halpern commented: “As I move onwards into the agave world, I plan to bring the ideas and strategies I learned while building Blue Run. I wish nothing but the best to the founders and the current team with Blue Run Spirits, and I look forward to continuing my career with Desolas Mezcal.
“Desolas Mezcal is the ideal brand to sink my teeth into with the growth in the agave sector right now. I love the brand’s approach to mezcal, focusing on the San Luis Potosí region, offering a lighter, less smoky taste profile for mezcal. As consumers continue to educate themselves on all the types of agave that Mexico has to offer, it’s only a matter of time before the entire world knows about Desolas Mezcal.”
Desolas launched in 2020 and is inspired by ‘traditional, time-honoured techniques of mezcal production, the artisanal process of crafting the agave spirit and the natural elements of the sun and the land’.
Made with 100% salmiana agave from the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, the spirit boasts a smooth and balanced flavour with notes of citrus, black pepper, and vanilla on the finish.
Desolas is available in six states: New York, Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Texas, and California, and it continues to expand into new markets. The mezcal is also available for shipping nationwide and in Canada.
Related news
Absolut and Tomorrowland: ‘We are here to connect people’