As part of its national marketing campaign, Tanqueray has partnered with bitters company Hella Bitter through a sweet two-year partnership.
The Diageo-owned gin company is featuring Hella Bitter and its three co-founders — Tobin Ludwig, Jomaree Pinkard and Eduardo Simeon — in a commercial running on Tanqueray’s website, plus Hulu, Pandora and ESPN.
“We were blown away when Tanqueray reached out and offered us this opportunity,” said Pinkard, who focuses on strategy and finances.
Hella Bitter — “hella” is San Francisco slang for “very” or “a lot of” — is part of a white-hot category.
“In the past two years, bitters sales have exploded due to increased interest from bartenders and consumers in craft cocktails using premium and natural ingredients,” said Jim Pickett, co-founder and co-owner of Gotham Artisanal.
Originally a product that two of the co-founders made in their kitchens as gifts for friends, Hella Bitter launched in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2011 after receiving nearly $3,000 in funding through Kickstarter.
It began commercially selling its citrus and aromatic varieties the following year.