Andrew Bushby – Starting and Growing a Tequila Brand

Andrew is the CEO and Co-Founder of Buena Fé, a ready-to-drink (RTD) tequila-based cocktail.

Before founding Buena Fé, Andrew worked as a Director in the Savills Capital Markets Group, and before that he spent eight years as a development manager at The Blackstone Group where he managed the development and repositioning of over $6BN worth of real estate assets in Europe and Asia.

In our chat, Andrew spills the beans on how he and his fiancé started Buena Fé during the lockdowns. He shares the lowdown on the creation process, from picking flavors to bottling. And hey, he also gives us a quick and dirty rundown of the US liquor industry.

He's got some interesting thoughts on why they're going for crowd-funding to grow Buena Fé, and his plans for the future of the brand. Plus, he's got some golden advice for all you dreamers out there looking to start something of your own.

Listen in as Andrew talks about his journey, his ambitions, and the legacy he hopes to leave.

Show notes:
 
(0:00) Intro 
(1:16) What are Americans drinking
(3:26) Stricter liquor rules in in US compared to Europe
(5:10) Childhood & growing up
(8:29) London vs New York
(9:20) How the idea for a tequila brand was born 
(15:05) What’s a quencher
(15:52) Production process
(19:18) Mixto vs 100% agave
(22:32) Why are so many people drinking tequila
(23:16) What is the healthiest alcohol
(24:08) How did you decide flavors
(25:12) What is RTD alcohol and why are people drinking it 
(27:32) White Claw’s vodka
(27:53) What liquor is White Claw
(30:04) Big brands entering the market
(32:37) Current can sales
(33:38) Split between online sales and distribution partners
(34:46) Marketing strategy
(35:55) Tastings at liquor stores
(37:18) Why looking to raise capital
(39:05) Why should someone invest in Buena Fé
(40:31) 8 new flavors
(42:44) Barriers to entry in industry
(44:08) Rewarding part of growing Beuna Fe
(44:17) Timeline to exit
(44:27) QSBS qualified small business stock
(45:18) 5-year goal
(46:31) 300k cases in terms of revenue
(47:46) Why exit and not just hold Buena Fé
(49:05) Advice for entrepreneurs
­­(52:20) Rapid fire questions

Invest in Buena Fé: https://www.startengine.com/offering/purebrandscompany?utm_source=powerplayers

Andrew Bushby links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bushby-b3033289/
Beuna Fe website: https://drinkbuenafe.com/

My links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haroonbokhary
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haroonbokhary
Blog: https://www.haroonbokhary.com/