Ransom Wines & Spirits Q UA L I T Y I S T H E B E S T M A R K E T I N G
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“ make the best product I thought, ‘I want to
that I possibly can, I’ll price it as fairly as I can, and try to design a nice package and hope that that works.’” — TAD SEESTEDT 88
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alk into any good cocktail bar in the Northwest and you will probably see at least one Ransom label. Whether it’s the Old Tom Gin, Dry Gin, The Emerald 1865 Irish-style whiskey or another one of Ransom Wines and Spirits’ products they are everywhere, and they all came from Tad Seestedt’s farm and distillery in Sheridan, Oregon. Ransom distributes to more than 40 states and a handful of export markets, and managing that distribution keeps Seestedt hopping — they even have two distributors in some states, one for wine and one for spirits. Their widespread success is remarkable, especially since it was not a feat of marketing, but rather word-of-mouth
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sharing between spirits lovers, writers, and bartenders who think Ransom’s spirits taste like what they hoped small distillers were capable of creating.
A Quality-First Approach From the beginning, Seestedt has spent his time, money and energy working on the farm and in the distillery rather than investing in marketing. It’s where he loves to be, and that dedication to the process created such a strong reputation and demand for Ransom’s spirits that the sixperson team is having trouble keeping up. “Promotion and marketing is really not my strong suit — at all,” laughs Seestedt. WWW.ARTISANSPIRITMAG.COM