Alaskan entrepreneur Toby Foster is hoping to capitalize on two particularly viral pop culture memes--organic booze and Sarah Palin--with Permafrost organic vodka from his Glacier Creek Distillery.
Glacier Creek Distillery is Alaska’s first--and only--licensed distillery, according to the Alaska Journal. What’s more, it’s an eco-friendly operation that uses only locally-grown Matanuska Valley potatoes and Alaskan glacier water. The ethanol naturally created during the distillation process will be extracted to help run the plant’s electrical generators, and excess potato will all be composted.
Quality, however, comes at a price. Permafrost will cost about $50 wholesale for a 750 milliliter bottle--$6 of that comes from the pricey Italian glass bottles that hold the vodka. That’s at least $10 more than Belvedere, Chopin and Grey Goose at my corner liquor store, including the retail markup.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Organic Booze
- There is an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the alcohol industry by creating more organic and sustainable alcoholic beverages.
- Celebrity-inspired Products
- Capitalizing on popular figures like Sarah Palin through product branding can lead to innovative marketing strategies and increased consumer interest.
- Eco-friendly Distilleries
- Creating distilleries that prioritize sustainability, such as using renewable energy sources or locally-sourced ingredients, can offer disruptive opportunities in the distilling industry.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Alcohol
- In the alcohol industry, there is a potential for disruptive innovation in the form of producing more organic and sustainable alcoholic beverages.
- Marketing
- The marketing industry can explore disruptive strategies by leveraging the popularity of celebrities and creating branded products inspired by them.
- Distilling
- The distilling industry can embrace disruptive innovation by adopting eco-friendly practices, such as using renewable energy and locally-sourced ingredients.
