We recently connected with Robert Pallone and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I first discovered what is today Chinola Liqueur during a business trip to the Dominican Republic. I brought a sample back to Miami and shared it with notable mixologists, including Gabe Orta of Bar Lab Hospitality and Gui Jaroschy of Unfiltered Hospitality. They were big fans and loved how versatile it was. In fact, both of them were instrumental in finalizing the Chinola Liqueur recipe and are brand partners. That’s when I knew we could offer something new that would elevate the drinking experience by creating a handcrafted liqueur made with fresh passion fruit and no additives.

In addition to offering a liqueur made with the highest quality, fresh ingredients, I also care deeply about making sure our company is eco-friendly and that it makes a positive impact on our community in the Dominican Republic and our environment.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve worked in the hospitality industry since I was 16 years old, and it’s what I love to do. I worked my way from the bottom to the top, started off bussing, then became a brand ambassador, marketing consultant, and now co-founder of Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur. This has helped me gain a more holistic perspective and insight into an industry that I’m very passionate about.

As a small business owner, my business partners and I have worn many hats (often at the same time), especially at the beginning. I have pollinated the passion fruit by hand on our farm in the Samaná Peninsula, located in the northern part of the Dominican Republic. I’ve led the tastings at local liquor stores and events, did sales calls to bars and restaurants, and then shifted gears to working with my partners on our business plan and marketing strategy. These days I oversee our marketing efforts, ensuring that our brand story is coming up consistently on our social channels, at events, and our other marketing efforts.

What sets Chinola apart from other fruit liqueurs is our quality and attention to detail. Each bottle of Chinola contains roughly six full passion fruits, there are no additives and we do everything from harvesting the fruit to bottling in the Dominican Republic to reduce our environmental impact.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Co-founder Mike Krychowecky and I are longtime friends. We were the ones to bring Chinola back to Miami, knowing we had something unique that would disrupt the spirits industry. We shared with top mixologists and friends Gabe Orta and Gui Jaroschy, who were instrumental in finalizing the Chinola recipe we have today. Mike and I met Andrew Merinoff, another co-founder, who really guided the strategic launch for Chinola. Andrew comes from a long line of spirits industry leaders that dates back to Pre-Prohibition. We came together using our complementary expertise to launch the first shelf-stable, fresh fruit liqueur.

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

It took me and my partners eight years to get the recipe of Chinola exactly right. I am a perfectionist, and my business partners and I have exacting standards. We grew slowly and mostly in the on-trade, which means the bars and restaurants. Chinola really took off in the mixology community because it’s the first shelf-stable fresh fruit liqueur, and it’s a great citrus substitute for bartenders to use in cocktails. Just as Chinola was picking up, COVID-19 hit, and all the bars and restaurants closed.

During the lockdown, we focused on increasing our sales in the liquor stores, as did most alcoholic beverages. We also went from being sold in a handful of states to national distribution and expanding into some international markets in less than one year. The pandemic pushed us to double down and grow. We found the right distribution partners to help us grow and scale in both the on-and-off trade. We are now in 18 countries with plans for continued growth.   

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chinola.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chinola/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chinolaofficialpage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chinola-passion-fruit-liqueur/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChinolaOfficial?fbclid=IwAR02O3sthf2I7W14N-vg1BFWnx3iPfb25vTI-fqP6-lOX-fGLjQgYJeIfxQ

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur