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James Yoakum opened Cooper River Distillers in 2014 in the heart of Camden, New Jersey - just wanting to make good whiskies and rum. He and his team did just that, but they learned an important lesson along the way: size matters. They couldn't make enough whiskey and rum to meet the demand, but they also couldn't make enough money to expand the distillery. Faced with that dilemma, Yoakum decided to close the distillery with one final Kentucky Derby party on May 5, 2018.
James Yoakum opened Cooper River Distillers in 2014 in the heart of Camden, New Jersey - just wanting to make good whiskies and rum. He and his team did just that, but they learned an important lesson along the way: size matters. They couldn't make enough whiskey and rum to meet the demand, but they also couldn't make enough money to expand the distillery. Faced with that dilemma, Yoakum decided to close the distillery with one final Kentucky Derby party on May 5, 2018.
Every distillery opens as a dream, with the backers hoping to become the next Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey, or one of countless other mainstays of the whisky business. During Friday night's American Whiskey Convention in Philadelphia, many startup distilleries showed off their whiskies next to those mainstays. A couple of miles away, James Yoakum was pouring drinks in his tasting room at Cooper River Distillers, days after making the decision to close the distillery after one last Kentucky Derby party May 5th. He'll share some of the lessons he learned over the last four years, and we'll meet some of the distillers still full of optimism - yet tempered with reality - on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, four Kentucky distilleries celebrated milestones this week, while Wild Turkey's partnership with actor Matthew McConaughey has led to a new Bourbon and Diageo has given us a preview of this year's Special Releases single malts...with no Port Ellens or Broras in the mix.
Camden, New Jersey has a long manufacturing heritage dating back decades, but the city's glory days ended decades ago - leaving behind empty buildings, crime, and many other problems. James Yoakum is one of the entrepreneurs trying to bring back some of that faded glory with Cooper River Distillers in the heart of downtown Camden. He's been making whiskies and rums for the last couple of years, and stopped by our studio the other day with a sample of his first batch of Cooper River Bourbon. The Kentucky native tells us why he gave up on the real estate business to open an urban microdistillery on this week's WhiskyCast In-Depth. The whisky world lost two of its leaders this week, and we'll honor the legacies of Silvano Samaroli and Dr. Jim Swan. While we never had the chance to interview Silvano Samaroli, Jim Swan was a frequent guest on WhiskyCast, and we'll listen to part of a 2007 interview with him in the news. We'll also have details on master blender Rachel Barrie's decision to leave Beam Suntory to join BenRiach as its lead whisky maker, along with details on what the new trade deal between Canada and the European Union means for whisky lovers.
You Have To Have a Core Network James has a family that is supportive of his ideas. If he didn’t have that, none of this would be impossible. "Whether its family or friends, you need to have that support network. Having someone push you to do better is always good..." Plan Properly "Plans never go exactly how you expect. If you don’t have a baseline plan to start with, success is much harder. You need a plan to communicate and say: Here is what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. Get used to writing it down and your plan not just being in your own head. Be Stubborn "Throughout this process you have so many people giving you ideas of what they think you should be doing. People throw out their ideas, some are good and some are bad, but knowing what you want to do and knowing your vision is important. Be stubborn enough to stick to the plan. Have that ability to know this is your baby and you’re the one driving it. Stick to the path. #Timestamps 00:30: Introduction 01:45: How Did James Start Cooper River Distillers? 03:05: Passion Comes From... 05: 35: What Makes a Good Rum and a Good Bourbon? 07:30: Resources and How to be More Precise 09:10: Getting Investment For His Idea 12:00: Efficiency 14:30: Sales Calls VS Cold Calls 18:15: You Have To Have a Core Network, Plan Properly, and Be Stubborn 21:50: TACOS James Yoakum Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-yoakum-1b87564 Website: http://cooperriverdistillers.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/njdistiller Personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamesryoakum __________ Techie, Millennial Author, WWE Fan, Podcaster. Philadelphia native, Johnathan Grzybowski started his career at 14 mowing lawns. Over 5 businesses later, Johnathan has a deep passion on bettering the lives of millennials and helping them execute their ideas into profitable businesses. It’s never been easier to start a business, but how do you make it successful? Constantly millennials are claiming to be entrepreneurs, but may not truly know what it takes to either become one or last long enough to succeed at being one. By listening/viewing The Blind Entrepreneur, we are determined to help those who are “blind” see the true struggles of business, successes, and the grind it took these millennials to succeed. #LINKS Email: Johnathan@wearedino.com Podcast: http://theblindentrepreneur.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jgrzybowski Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/grzybowskij Instagram: http://instagram.com/grzybowskij Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/grzybowskij #SUBSCRIBE iTunes: http://bit.ly/TBEPodcast #PS. I’m a huge WWE Fan and I also love to laugh. Send me a question or phrase that makes you laugh, and I will incorporate it into my podcast. I’ll even tag you in the show notes and handle in the video!