PHENOMENAL SPIRITS written by Devon Trevathan photos provided by Phenomenal Spirits
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here are some challenges that are all too common to anyone starting a spirits brand, such as route to market, and then there are difficulties that are more acute, ones that fall into a category that could be labeled as “once in a lifetime” without any element of exaggeration. Launching a spirits company during a global pandemic when bars and restaurants are closed, person-to-person contact is nearly non-existent, and distributors have been thrown into a tailspin would certainly qualify as such an unparalleled experience. That was the situation that Phenomenal Spirits’ founder Karthik Sudhir was in when his first two products hit the American market in March 2020, and despite incredible odds he has managed to make lemonade out of some very sour lemons. Sudhir was raised in India as a national track and field athlete for the country. He eventually made his way to the United States with nothing more than a couple of old duffel bags, a broken laptop, and $400 in his pocket. He forged his own path in the tech industry, quickly climbing the ranks and taking opportunities in different parts of North America. “The thing about software is,
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