For four years, the American Michael Kuryla has been producing “Andean whiskey” from Peru, the spirit that has toured the bars of the world from Miami to Taipei and also has a line of gin, vodka and cream liqueur with Andean ingredients and soon rum.
When Michael Kuryla opened that email announcing that one of his whiskeys had earned a double gold medal certification, he smiled. He thought it was “cool,” as this American who has lived in Peru for a decade usually says naturally. However, as it was not the first time he had received a distinction of this type, he let it pass as a friendly curiosity.
A few days later, a friend of his called him excitedly: “Hey, congratulations. You’re in Forbes magazine !” Kuryla took it as a simple joke: she wanted to see to believe. Finally, he did and was surprised: his company, the Don Michael distillery, had received the “Best in Show” award at the New York World Spirits Competition for its “Black Whiskey.” Thus, in October 2022, the publication announced with great fanfare that a Peruvian whiskey made from an Andean grain had emerged as the best in the world over more than 5,000 distillates. The competition included whiskeys from San Francisco, New York and even Scotland and Ireland.
What is behind this surprising success? The main ingredient in Black Whiskey is purple corn, a cereal native to the Andes, widespread in Peru. There, it is the base of numerous desserts and a popular drink, “chicha morada.” It is not associated with spirits, so its inclusion in a whiskey comes as a surprise. Even more so if you take into account that a special variety was used, INIA 601, developed by specialists from the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA), which operates in Cajamarca, northern Peru. The use of this corn provides a copper color to the distillate and a “slightly smoky” flavor that goes beyond the mid-palate when a combination of cloves and dark roasted coffee come into play,” Forbes described in its report.
The media impact was immediate. “Sales in the United States increased and the TikTok published by La República (Peruvian newspaper) has already reached more than a million views. And we have continued to win more medals this year. To the point that on my birthday, they called me to let me know that we had been recognized as the “Whiskey of the Year” in the United States,” Kuryla tells AméricaEconomía , while heading to her industrial plant, in Lurín, south of Lima. . The CEO's optimism is such that he even states that Peruvian whiskey can look at pisco, the national distillate, as an equal. Kuryla thinks it's a matter of time before wedding parties prefer a Peruvian whiskey to a Johnny Walker Black Label.
OVERSEAS REACH
Given the exoticism and curiosity that Latin American products arouse abroad, it is not surprising that there are also other distillates based on local ingredients and with international projection. “There are some whiskeys in Argentina that are very interesting, although they are Scotch style and use barley. There is even a distillery that has its own independent farm that carries out the malting process. It's interesting,” Kuryla confesses. Although he declares himself an admirer of these alternative proposals, the American clarifies that Black Whiskey is bourbon style , much rarer in these latitudes.
The differences lie not only in the origin, but also in the manufacturing. While Scotch whiskeys are distilled with peat, a Scottish charcoal, which gives it a “smoky” flavor; Bourbon whiskeys are produced from corn and are distilled only through the barrel. The result is a sweeter flavor than usual and that can be exploited thanks to the variety of corn that exists in South America: in Peru, there are at least 52 varieties of the grain, compared to 13 in the United States.
Kuryla is aware of this potential, which is why she took legal precautions; has registered the name “Andean whiskey” in Indecopi, the institution that protects author and consumer rights in Peru. He also wants international distilleries to become interested in the proposal and mass produce their creation. Just like that, consider that in the future you will see scenes like this: “My dream is that one day I can travel to London or New York and order an Andean whiskey. That the bartender looks at me and simply asks me: 'Which one do you want?'” says Kuryla.
To achieve this goal, although Don Michael has worked with a marketing agency for six years, Kuryla and his wife travel in person to new and expanding markets. They also do not miss diplomatic conferences to offer Black Whiskey as a gift of Peruvian culture. “We have been to two events in recent months: at the United States embassy, the German embassy. Then we traveled to Santiago de Chile and went to the Peruvian ambassador's house. We set up a stand and a bartender to offer our products and it was the best,” recalls the North American.
When asked if her aspiration is for Black Whiskey to be part of the Peru brand, Kuryla reveals that it is not a crazy situation. Don Michael is already working hand in hand with PromPerú to offer the whiskey in the international offices of cities such as Santiago, Miami and New York.
Although beyond the anecdotes experienced in Chile, Don Michael still maintains negotiations with importers to evaluate his official entry into the southern country's market. However, offers come and go: at the end of August, he received a proposal to export the whiskey to Uruguay; Likewise, in Ecuador they have already received official approval for the launch. And in Venezuela, usually an elusive market due to its political situation, the brand's products are already marketed.
A DRINK FOR EVERY PUBLIC
Diversification goes beyond sales markets, but also encompasses distillate classes. Thus, Black Whiskey has a version called single barrel . “It means that when we find a very interesting barrel, only the liquid from that barrel goes straight, undiluted, to fill about 200 or 220 bottles. So, it is like a different expression of our profile, which another type of consumer likes,” says Kuryla. The single barrel usually has 60% alcohol and has earned a place in countries as diverse as Taiwan, Germany and the United States. It also has followers in Peru, although according to Kuryla, the local consumer is not very accustomed to such a powerful distillate.
On the other hand, the “Black Whiskey Oxapampa Honey” has caused a greater stir, due to its peculiar sweetness, kneaded thanks to bee honey from Oxapampa, a town in the high Peruvian jungle. Its creator compares it to a Jack Daniel's made with Andean honey. Three years had passed since Kuryla and his wife decided to launch Black Whiskey, after a conversation they had in a bar in Oxapampa, in the high Peruvian jungle. While the rest of the market is made up of the “Andean” brand that offers gin, vodka and cream liqueur with Andean ingredients. “I would say purple corn whiskey represents 60% of our sales; The single barrel is around 10% and 30% is distributed among the Andean brand products,” explains Kuryla. The big news this year includes the launch of “Andean Rum” for October, the company's line of rums.
Until then, there is a more immediate challenge: increasing production. At Don Michael it is expected that the increase in international sales, which already represent 30% of the total, can cover the acquisition of a 10,000 liter still. “Now we have one of 6,000 liters and a smaller one. But the process with a 10,000 still would allow us to fill about 1,200 barrels per year. Now for production, we are filling about 600 or 650 barrels per year,” confesses Kuryla. The next idea in mind would be to expand the industrial plant by at least 1,000 more meters, since the manager wants to meet the space and progress ambitions of Andean whiskey. An initiative that aspires to become the “flagship distillate of Peru.” The market is competitive and changing, but full of surprises like the one Michael Kuryla received one morning while checking his email. And fighting is already an important step.
