Urbanite Magazine – 6.30.11
Spirit Savant
Inside the mind of Steven Grasse, the creator of Root liqueur
by Tracey Middlekauff
Philadelphia’s Steven Grasse is not a maker or distiller of spirits. He is instead a successful creator and brander of them. An all-around Renaissance mogul—ad exec, author, producer, marketer extraordinaire—he was the creative force behind Hendrick’s gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, and now Root, a unique liqueur that just became available in Maryland (it launched in Philly in 2009). It’s touted as the first truly American spirit in more than 100 years—Grasse is all about branding after all—but this lofty claim actually does have merit.
In coming up with Root, Grasse drew inspiration from the alcoholic root tea drunk by early American colonials, a beverage that likely originated with Native Americans. In the late 1800s, in a move that foreshadowed Prohibition, Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Hire created a nonalcoholic version of the drink and dubbed it root beer. And while Root certainly evokes root beer, it is not sickly sweet or syrupy thanks to its smoky, earthy, and spicy notes, flavors that pair extremely well with whiskey or stout.
Root is branded through Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, an artists’ collective and merchandising group owned by Grasse’s umbrella marketing company, Quaker City Mercantile, which used to own the Sailor Jerry Company. (Grasse sold his stake to William Grant & Sons three years ago; Quaker City still does all the branding and marketing, though.) Grasse took time out from taking over the world (one spirit at a time) to share his thoughts on the liqueur that award-winning bar chef Brendan Dorr of B&O Brasserie calls “cool and versatile.”
Urbanite: There is a clear love of history evident in all of the liquor brands you’ve had a hand in—is Root the logical culmination of that?
Steven Grasse: I am a history nut. Particularly my family’s personal history…which is both Pennsylvania Dutch on my dad’s side and New England Puritan on my mom’s. I spend all my spare time reading books and wandering around cities reading plaques. The history of Baltimore is very intriguing to me. However, Edgar Allan Poe belongs to Philly, by the way.
Urbanite: Did you set out to create something that tied in the elements of Prohibition and American history in the particular way that Root does, or did this spring organically from your research?
Grasse: I was interested in pre-pre-prohibition. After the success of Hendrick’s and Sailor Jerry, I wanted to see just how weird I could make something, and still have people buy it. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised at Root’s success, because it truly is like nothing else out there. All the [so-called] authorities said, ‘You are going to sell 5 bottles of that stuff, son.’ But it’s been a total homerun. We are far outselling where we were with Hendrick’s two years in.
Urbanite: What prepared you to create these spirits, from a culinary perspective? What sort of beverages were you attracted to before creating your gin, rum, and Root? In other words: Why make spirits?
Grasse: I am like an idiot savant when it comes to spirits. I have no idea why I am good at it. I am not even that big of a cocktail geek. I am interested in things from a historical perspective. I do detective work tracking down old recipes, then I just try them out. I am very careful to make it clear that I am inspired by these recipes. I fool around with them, tweak them here and there to get the taste I want. I have always been intrigued by our founding fathers and how they tinkered. Franklin, Jefferson—they did so many things, fooled around until they got them right. I have directed and produced movies, published books, started clothing companies. That is how I approached spirits as well, and for some reason, it really took off.
Urbanite: Can you describe the process of collaboration with your partner [Melkon Khosrovian of Modern Spirits LLC, an organic distillery based in California] that led to the creation of Root from a flavor standpoint?
Grasse: It’s funny. I send him a list of ingredients, he sends me back three bottles with those ingredients in various ratios. I pick one. We did no other research. We didn’t even do any tastings with bartenders. [We] just said, ‘Oh, I like this one.’ That is it.
Urbanite: When coming up with these brands, what comes first: a mental sense of the flavor you’re going for? The look? The feel? The packaging? The consumer?
Grasse: I always start with a topic that I am personally interested in. For instance, I have always loved root beer as a kid. I knew root beer had its roots in Philly, so I simply did a little research. I never think about demographics or any of that. I create products that I would personally buy.
Urbanite: Did you expect Root to appeal to a particular sort of consumer, and have your expectations been met, or were you surprised?
Grasse: Like I said, I made Root to appeal to me. I am just surprised there are so many weirdos like me out there.
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UrbaniteBaltimore.com, 6.30.11