NEWBIES: Mario’s Hard Espresso – the story is the brand
Marketers and founders love to talk about storytelling, but Mario’s Hard Espresso is a genuine example of how narrative can build a business.
We’ll be sharing quick profiles of some newer bev/alc brands (like Wild Mannered and The Original Southside). If you like this, then we’d love you to subscribe (or get in touch and tell us about your brand).
Mario’s Hard Espresso is a bottled coffee liqueur, established in 2021 by founder Joe Grasso and built and named for his late father’s time-honored recipe (he’s the grinning man on the label).
“Every bottle we produce feels like a little piece of him, and I still get goosebumps when I see it on a menu, back-bar or store shelf and customers tell us how much they love it.”
A quick bit of back story
Every year, for as long as he can remember, Joe Grasso’s dad made his hard espresso. He only ever made a dozen bottles for family and friends, but by the time Joe was a teenager people were asking: “Hey Mario, am I getting a bottle this year?”
Mario passed on the recipe to Joe, who kept up the tradition (with his son, Aaron) and started adding photos of his dad – sadly now passed – to the label.
The story might have ended there. But Joe found himself wondering, “could this really be something?”
From family tradition to business
Joe – who’s a writer, director and cinematographer by trade – spent three years researching distilling, licensing, ingredients and compliance, and in 2021 partnered with a contract distiller in San Diego to produce his first batch of 1,500 bottles.
“We had no customers, no distribution – just the brand, the recipe, my dad’s story. I put a bottle in my backpack and started walking the streets of LA, sharing it with any bartender or store owner who was kind enough to listen.”
How the brand has grown
Despite humble beginnings, Mario’s Hard Espresso now has 900 accounts across five states and, as of 2023, handles all their own production. Bartenders are mixing it into classic cocktails (using true espresso means there’s no bitter edge, so it blends well), and bakers are adding it into truffles and tiramisus.
Joe says that bars and restaurants have been great partners, as have off-prem accounts open to featuring small-batch, handcrafted brands. But building a direct relationship with consumers has been the real growth-driver. The brand uses a mix of “awareness and availability”: social media, advertising and word of mouth, as well as getting liquor-to-lips at consumer-facing events.”
“When we’re out at festivals, markets, cigar nights, or pouring tasters anywhere that people gather, that’s when the real magic happens, and so we’ve really leaned-in to consumer awareness and DTC sales. People hear the story, take a sip, and more times than not, they’re all-in.”
The story is the thing
It helps that Mario’s Hard Espresso is an easy sell (four ingredients: 100% Arabica dark roast espresso, organic Madagascan vanilla, cane sugar and triple-distilled GNS – what’s not to like?). But the real hook is the narrative that sits behind it. As Joe says: “Our story is genuine, and so our truth does all the heavy lifting.”
That story shines through the branding, packaging and the language. It’s hard not to like that flat bottle with its big orange type and Mario beaming out from it. And it’s hard not to smile at the setup of the family story – a secret Sicilian recipe, a man who made a small amount every year for the most special friends, and a son carrying on the tradition. Job done.
Sometimes, brand is just instinct
Maybe it’s because founder Joe has worked as a writer, but he says he knew his dad’s story would be at the heart of the business from the get-go. This was instinct, not strategy. As he says: “For me, a lot of it has just been going with my gut. That particular photo of my dad just felt right. It felt familiar and iconic”
Maybe it’s worth remembering that instinctive feeling of something just being right, particularly in a time when so much branding and marketing is numbers first, humans second.
Finally, as with all our Newbie founders, we asked Joe:
What’s the brutal truth you’ve learned about building a bev/alc brand?
“Well, first off – it’s hard. Really hard. If you start a brand, you’ve got to go all-in: long hours, endless days, constant hustle, so you better love it. Bev/alc is a volume game. We’re three-and-a-half years in, with over 900 accounts across five states, which I’m very proud of, but truthfully 9,000 would sound a lot better! Luckily, I’ve got a small, dedicated team of believers working their tails off every day to get us there.”
“It also takes enough capital to stay consistent, and every dollar has to translate into sales. You’re always hustling, building awareness, moving cases, creating and maintaining relationships. Some days it’s exhausting, some days it’s terrifying, but most days it’s deeply satisfying.”
And then we asked: is there anything you’d recommend other founders focus on or do differently?
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned for sure while building Mario’s Hard Espresso is how important story and ethos are. Every brand needs a brand-story, a backstory, a clear sense of who you are, what you stand for and what makes you different from other brands. It’s not just about why you make your product—it’s about why it should matter to your customers.”
“That’s really what I’d tell other founders; know your story, be passionate, work really hard, learn from everyone you meet, show gratitude, and make sure to be nice along the way. Find your Northstar, and follow it relentlessly.”
THE NEW RULE:
It’s easy to be cynical about ‘storytelling’ as a business strategy, but humans love a good yarn. Go to consumers with a true, relatable, appealing (and quite lovely) narrative, and that’s half the battle won.
Love this story, thanks so much for sharing. Genuinely inspiring and that backstory is great