Interview Chris Pinta founder Of Hot D Beverage Company maker of Hot-D Bloody mary energy Mix 04/25/08
Question 1. Who are you and what is the name of your company.
My name is Chris Pinta and I'm the creator of Hot D Wake Up Juice and the owner of Hot D Beverage Company
Question 2. How many people work for your company?
We have five regular employees, as well as two interns. Most of our operations are contracted which has helped keep our company lean and remain independent and family owned.
Question 3. How did you come up with the idea for Hot D bloody mary energy drink?
I thought of the idea while at a training class in Chicago. After a day night double header at Wrigley Field, we had sales role plays the next day at 8 am. As I was drinking a can of Red Bull (This was 2002 when there was basically only one energy drink out there) and a bottle of V8 with breakfast, I thought, the reason I was drinking both of them was to make me feel better in the morning. Flash forward 2 years later. After being on the road, sleeping in 30 states in a year and a half, I put my mind to getting out of the corporate world. The only two drinks I was drinking at the time were bloody mary’s with dinner and Vodka and Red Bull’s at night. So in a hotel room in Jackson, Tennessee, somewhere between Memphis and Nashville, I started from square one treating it like a chance to free myself from the Man. And as a life long tomato juice drinker and having sampled bloody mary’s all over the country, I figured I had a chance.
Question 4. How did you decide which ingredients to put in Hot D?
Hot D stands for Hair of the Dog, so fittingly I wanted to put ingredients in Hot D that would make you feel better. I started my list with 30 ingredients based on there healthy and rejuvenating qualities. Every weekend, when I returned home from traveling, my brother and I would cook our bloody mary mix prototypes on the stove. We narrowed the ingredients down based on their flavors, healthy benefits, and sourceability.
Question 5. Do you plan on releasing other types of drinks/mixes?
We are introducing our New “Thick and Spicy Bloody Mary Elixer” mix next month. The new version is a 5 pepper blend with extra horseradish and a hint of garlic. The new spicy version is also all natural and vegetarian friendly. The third product in our Bloody Mary Mix line will not have the energy portion of the mix. Eventually we will be coming out with different variations on the Bloody Mary Energy Mixes
Question 6. Who is your target market?
Our target market is males and females 18 to 70. Hot D’s great as a pre warm up drink, without the alcohol, as the sodium helps keep an athlete hydrated during his workout, which makes it popular among the younger age groups. With energy products becoming so accepted and popular our target includes even the old time bloody mary aficionados.
Question 7. Who is your products main competition? Energy drinks, Coffee?
Not really any other energy Bloody mary mixes out there.
What makes Hot D unique is that it a non carbonated, non-sugar based, 100% juice based energy drink. Our main competition is other national Bloody Mary Mixes and most of those use inferior ingredients and none of them have the added benefit of energy. We are coming out with a single serving size for Hot D and once we do V8 will be a main competitor.
Question 8. Obviously you can mix Hot D with alcohol. Can you just drink
Hot D like you would a V-8 or Clamato?
I feel Hot D tastes the best sans alcohol. It’s very popular as a morning drink. Like getting your cup of coffee and juice all in one delicious gulp”
Question 9. Tell me about the bottle you chose. It is not you’re typical
bottle for mixes like yours.
Our bottle is a classic Boston Round. Historically used for medicines and tonics. We felt this worked perfect for our focus of Hot D being a drink to make you “feel better faster”. We chose the amber color of the bottle because Hot D has no artificial preservatives or thickening agents and there was naturally separation of the product in the bottle, as well it theoretically helps preserve the Hot D longer
Question 10. Who came up with the label design? Give us some insight as to
the design and why you choose it.
The label design is based on an ancient gaelic symbol meant to represent the combination of a dog and a fish.. Our designer Brandon Abate from Cleveland, Ohio updated the logo and did an outstanding with the label design.
Question 11. Tell all Energy junkies out there why they should use and support Hot D.
Hot D is a practical energy drink with or without booze. It's a healthy alternative to all the sugar based, carbonated energy drinks. Not only is Hot D a great tasting bloody mary mix, it also provides an energy boost without that gritty, teeth clenching taste you get with other energy drinks.