Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to JOE GRASSO. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, JOE thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Once a year, for as far back as I can remember, my dad would make his hard espresso for family and friends. I think I was about 14 when I realized the excitement people showed when they knew a batch was on the horizon. He would only make about a dozen bottles or so, and each year people would hope to be on the list, clamoring for a bottle of their own. Obviously I could tell this was something pretty special, but I really didn’t realize just how special it was until I came of drinking age and started clamoring for a bottle myself.

When my Dad passed away about 12 years ago, it was important to me that my son Aaron and I continue the tradition in his honor. We continued to handcraft a small batch every year for family and friends. The only thing we did differently from my Dad was put his picture on the bottle. It was an awesome way to honor him, and to keep his tradition alive.

JOE, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In 2019 I got the notion to try and bring Mario’s Hard Espresso to market. Having a background in advertising and marketing was helpful, but not knowing anything about the Artisan Spirit world meant I had a lot of learning to do. I began reading everything I could, and speaking with anyone that was willing to entertain my queries. Needless to say I learned a lot, but most importantly I learned what I was not going to do; compromise. From the very beginning, maintaining my dad’s integrity, and the integrity of the recipe was the most important thing, our north star, the driving force for everything.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Some “experts” told me that we needed to alter the recipe to make it cheaper to produce. I was directed to artificial flavoring companies and to cheap alternative ingredients. It was a valuable lesson because I immediately learned that was never going to happen on our watch. I mean seriously, my Dad’s on the label! We would make it as he made it. Period.

Eventually I found a small distiller in San Diego that loved the story and was willing to give us a shot. They agreed to make a small batch adhering exactly to my Dad’s recipe. That first batch made about 1500 bottles. I still get goose-bumps when I think about it. It was amazing. My Dad’s recipe scaled beautifully. It proved those “experts” wrong, and it was everything I hoped for. Mario’s Hard Espresso was on the market. Then and now, the only domestically produced true espresso liqueur, and handcrafted in small batches from exact recipe of my father Mario. Incredible.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Keep in mind, at this point no one beyond our pretty tight circle of family and friends had ever tried Mario’s Hard Espresso. As a family we believed in it, and took a leap of faith that others would love it as much as we do, but in the fall of 2021 we were sitting on 1500 bottles of Mario’s, a warehouse that required monthly rent and no accounts. What to do? Liquor to lips baby! I knew we weren’t going to attract distribution without accounts, and so I obtained a Type 18 Wholesale Distribution License, and we hit the ground running. We went bar-to-bar, restaurant-to-restaurant, store-to-store, one by one we pounded the pavement. We told the story and poured Mario’s for anyone that would have us. To see the expression on people’s faces when they tried Mario’s for the first time was, and still is, overwhelming. People love it. And so little-by-little, step-by-step it became crystal clear that we created something very special.

Today Mario’s Hard Espresso has over 22,000 followers on social media, and is available in over 300 locations throughout California, Nevada and New Hampshire. We have been embraced by some of the most iconic and successful establishments including; Wally’s Wine and Spirits, Ysabel, , Soulmate, Gracias Madre’, Laurel Hardware, and Mandalay Bay and Resort World in Las Vegas just to name a (very) few. Mario’s Hard Espresso has also been accepted into the New Hampshire Liquor Outlets state controlled liquor system, which we plan to use as a springboard into the markets of the east coast. We are so honored by how we’ve been embraced and really overwhelmed by all the love and support we’ve received.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drinkmarios.com
• Instagram: @marioshardespresso
• Facebook: Mario’s Hard Espresso