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The Spirit Of Giving Back: How FAIR Vodka’s Growth Is Helping Communities In Bolivia

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Every year around this time, a spotlight is trained on the brands and companies that are the most charitable, the most giving, the most altruistic. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get jaded: Without a certain level of assurance, it’s difficult to know which of their claims are true and how committed the companies actually are.


As we’re in the midst of the holiday season, then, this is the perfect time to focus on a spirits company that practices what they preach in a most unexpected part of the world, and to a notable extent.


They also make some seriously delicious spirits.

FAIR was founded in 2009 by Alexandre Koiransky, a Frenchman who had moved to the United States years earlier and worked with several French spirits companies. When he decided to strike out on his own, he saw both the business benefits of focusing on products that give back in some way, as well as the humanitarian ones.


Despite the fact that the vodka market was already saturated with brands that often boasted massive financial backing and distribution, Koiransky saw an opportunity, not just in terms of differentiating himself from a philanthropic standpoint, but also from a production one, as well.


It was a risky yet ultimately fortuitous time to launch a new vodka: After years of sustained growth, the category had become a key component of the spirits market in the United States. Even today, a decade after Koiransky went into business, the market for vodka is strong. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), “Vodka has become the backbone of the spirits industry, accounting for 32% of all volumes. In 2018, 72.5 million 9-liter cases of vodka were sold in the United States, generating $6.4 billion in revenue for distillers.”


Koiransky is working to increase his slice of that substantial pie, and in a way that taps into an often-dissected trend among consumers: The potentially generational shift in buying habits, as younger wine and spirit consumers increasingly want to have some sort of connection to what’s in their glass, and to know that there is a core set of (often socially beneficial) beliefs guiding the decision-making behind them.


Koiransky saw this as his opportunity.


“It is true, the market is [and was] saturated,” he told me. “However, consumers are actively looking for products with a soul. That is why we see a bright future for the brand in California and in the rest of the United States for the years to come. We are committed to sustainability, and the brand was built with that mission.”


To that end, Koiransky partnered with Andean Naturals and Jacha Inti in Bolivia to help source and process the high-altitude quinoa that’s grown by the small community farms in the Altiplano that are such an important component of the vodka. Through Jacha Inti, the communities where the quinoa is grown have improved access to water, electricity, and agricultural help, which aren’t always easy to come by in these often impoverished areas.


FAIR Vodka is emblematic of the brave new world of hyper-local products finding their way to the global market. After the quinoa is harvested in the Altiplano, and then processed in El Alto, just outside of La Paz, it’s shipped to France, where the vodka itself is distilled in Cognac. This is a case of generations-old traditions in Bolivia and France coming together in a way that no one had seen before.


As always, however, it’s the liquid in the bottle that matters; consumers and larger restaurant accounts will typically buy their first bottle for the story (assuming the product is well-made), but they only become regular customers if the spirit itself stands out when it’s poured or mixed into a cocktail.


FAIR Vodka has managed to find an excellent sense of identity there, too. It’s gluten-free and vegan, and sings with a quiet sweetness that is irresistible in the context of its silky texture. In addition to the vodka, FAIR produces excellent Fairtrade-certified liqueurs and other spirits, too. These other products also find their roots in the sort of unexpected places that draw attention. Their gin is based on organically farmed juniper berries from a nature reserve in Uzbekistan; the coffee liqueur is crafted from organic Mexican arabica; organic sugar cane from Belize is transformed into an excellent rum.


The company is in a significant growth mode right now, yet Koiransky still regularly travels to the communities that are the heart of these products. As a result of this hands-on approach, he’s benefited in unexpectedly personal ways. “The Fairtrade impacts on communities is amazing because it is real,” he explained. “We see concrete projects, concrete achievements. Fairtrade is also rewarding because we build friendships and bridges with other cultures.”


It’s a business model that has proven to be remarkably successful. All of the elements have come together for Koiransky, who even now, at the helm of a company poised to make a significant impact in the notoriously difficult-to-crack American market, takes it all deeply personally.


“We believe that quality remains the core element of a good spirits brand,” he said, adding, “We also feel that social responsibility can be an addition to taste. FAIR Vodka is fair to the people (quality, gluten-free certified, no-sugar added), fair to the planet (vegan certified, quinoa is organically grown) and fair to the farmers (giving back through Fairtrade programs).”


It’s a formula that has proven to be exceptionally successful. And it makes for an outstanding martini, too.

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