The Voice of Craft Brands
All for one... Why Manifest Distilling’s success goes to the team and its unity
David Cohen, Head Distiller and President
Unity. If you are looking for the guiding principle driving the Manifest Distilling vision, that is where you will find it. When the Manifest team—David Cohen head distiller and president, partners Scott Kennelly, Trey Mills and Tom Johnson—talk about what continues to drive the Jacksonville, Florida spirit brand forward, they talk about each person’s contribution to the cause. Since joining forces in 2016, Cohen, Kennelly, Mills and Johnson have taken all the qualities of American craftsmanship—the grains, its network of co-ops across the country and those spirits, don’t forget the spirits—and turned Manifest Distilling into Jacksonville’s only organic distillery. Nestled in the revitalized downtown area near the baseball grounds and the Veterans Memorial Arena, Manifest continues to make it presence known in the spirits world. Cohen transitioned into the distillery business after spending years in film and publishing, even
6
CRAFT BRAND AND MARKETING
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019
attending the highly touted brewing school “The Siebel Institute” in Chicago, where he became a fixture in distilleries around the Windy City and in Kentucky. Living on the fringes of his dream, he learned the distilling craft, eventually heading back home to Jacksonville to kick things off. With an eye for sourcing the best ingredients, he focused on creating an organic brand defined by high quality. To get an inside look at how the Manifest team creates its magic, CBAM sat down with Cohen, GM Jim Webb and lead distiller Mike Mullis (MM).
CBAM-MAG.COM
