Daily Inspiration: Meet Andrew Bernauer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Bernauer.

Andrew, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Well, I did a lot of consulting and engineering work for major distilleries (predominantly whiskey/bourbon), so I had a pretty good grasp of the production side of the spirits industry.

As an enthusiast, it was a dream of mine for a long time to create my own brand, and as I saw how commercialized and mass-produced the bulk of spirits we drink in the US are, I lost interest in those products and fell in love with Agave spirits from Mexico.

The Mexican spirits were so complex, flavorful, unrefined, and part of their beautiful culture passed down through generations. Almost all the distillation and production processes with true “Artisan” agave spirits are done by hand, unlike the automated machines and technology we see in the mainstream spirits producers today.

I compare it to buying fast food at a drive-through vs. having dinner at a James Beard award-winning restaurant that makes everything from scratch. They’re both foods, but made in a completely different manner (one with preservatives and chemicals to alter and maximize profit), and the other product is true and pure with no adulteration, which is how Artisan Agave spirits like Raicilla are made.

So once Covid hit and everything got shut down, I had an enormous amount of time in isolation and started contemplating what my passions are, and what I want to do with my time – and I started creating the business plans, and visions for the brand, coming up with the name which means everything to me, doing the artwork at home on a canvas – the whole experience was a creative outlet that was exactly what I needed, and for the first time, I felt I made something that truly represents my beliefs, dreams, goals, and everything all in one.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
That’s a tricky question….if you ask most people, they will say the Spirits industry is one of the most competitive/cutthroat industries out there. I’ve seen that to a degree, but I’ve also been blessed with meeting some of the best human beings and I couldn’t be more thankful. I also believe if you have a great product with a passion and truly love what you’re doing – you may have struggles, but you can overcome them with passion and purpose.

In the beginning, when I had no clue where to start, I connected with some people in L.A. and their brand Raicilla De Una, which I now consider super close friends. A lot of other brand owners certainly didn’t want to talk to me or provide any advice, but Amber and Ethan the owners of Raicilla De Una are just amazing people and went out of their way to help give me direction. Without them I wouldn’t be here – so I think if you’re driven and will put yourself out there in uncomfortable situations, you can accomplish way more than you might think possible.

I also think with the “Artisan” products we’re bringing to the US, consumers are becoming more educated and are gravitating to these spirits over the mass-produced products with flavorings, additives, etc. – we’re coming out as the opposite of that commercialized product, with our authentic, artisan spirits made from the heart, and I see that connecting with people all over.

I’m also thankful to have my Raicillero Benito Salcedo Rios in Mascota, Jalisco that makes El Viaje, because he is so talented, and once again without him, I wouldn’t have El Viaje Raicilla and the recipe that people have fallen in love with.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For my day job, I’m a sales engineer and I work with manufacturing facilities on various projects, process improvements, energy savings, and so on….technical sales in essence.

And then of course, El Viaje Raicilla is the brand I’ve created and when I’m not working my day job, I am traveling to different states, expanding distribution, having events, tastings, education, etc…..so no shortage of things to do.

I guess it’s two jobs – one during the day and one at night you could say.

I’m blessed that my day job gave me extensive knowledge of the spirits industry, and I love that when I’m free I get to introduce people to El Viaje Raicilla and continue to grow it throughout the US.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elviajespirits.com
• Instagram: @drinkelviaje

Image Credits
Liesa Cole Photo, Mary Fehr, and Insouth Production