E111 Oliver Leung

Oliver Ljöng joined the show this week from Toronto Ontario, Canada. Oliver is the Canadian Brand Ambassador for Luxu Solvavodka and Viblerova vodka. Born in Hong Kong, Oliver moved to the GTA when he was 13. Oliver got his start in the industry after he graduated from the University of Guelph, from the Hospitality Tourism Program.

Oliver eventually became a W-set Level 3 holder and is bartended across many different bars in Toronto. We talked with Oliver about such topics as the importance of working with social media influencers to improve brand awareness, and the specific strategies that Oliver employs in this process. We cover some of the other unique approaches Oliver takes to promote his vodka brands, and we talk about what makes Luxu Solvodka and Viblerova vodka special in a crowded spirits market. We also want to thank Oliver for sending along a wonderful package of vodka and swag.

Thanks very much. Enjoy the show. We're back with another episode of the Industry Podcast. I am Kip Saunders.

This is Dan Soretta. What's going on buddy? I'm still doing well. Doing awesome.

Looking plates really. Just working like a chump all day long. Sounds awesome. Yeah, that's great.

I love it. We're yourself. How are you doing? We had a big private party at the one bar this weekend.

It was pretty sure fueled by a lot of drug money. Nobody ever pays in cash anymore. So let's say for a hypothetical example, we did like 10 grand in sales on the one night. Like generally $9,800.

So that would be credit. Is that okay? Yep. On Saturday night, it was a flip.

All cash. I was crazy. Then you got to take these big fucking stacks of sticky money to the bank. They hate it.

But it was good night. Most of the bills rolled up. Yes. Yeah, you got an iron on mine.

And then try them off. Yeah. So that party, we're all down with the private bookings. I'm interested in sugar run in Kitchener.

And then Babylon's sister's wine bar in uptown water. The places you want to check out this weekend. Yeah. What about how can you find them in this?

That one's sister's bar. Sugar run bar. Perfect. And as always, as I mentioned, we'll have links to everything we talk about in these show notes.

Yeah. We've had a bunch of great episodes lately. In the archives, we should be checking them out. Last week we had...

Rose Fernando. That's right. Probably that we had Tommy Yulea answer doing her first regular segment there. Jules O'Roumas, part of that.

Time miners. Marili. Jose Mariano. And then a bunch more before that.

Yeah. So check those out in the archives. A few more interesting meetings I guess on the show you should reach out to us on Instagram at the industry podcast or you can email us directly info at the industrypodcast.club. In addition, we always like it when you subscribe, rate and review.

The show, even if you want to leave a shitty review, just make sure it's got five stars attached to it. That's right. So yeah, that helps us out greatly. As always, massive thanks to Zacannath.com, who does all the amazing artwork for us and deals with all my professional fuck ups when I send them misspelling people's names and then have to get them to correct it later.

So thanks, Zac, if you're listening. Okay, so that's enough about us. Why don't we bring in our... this week's fantastic guest, Oliver Leung, who is the Canadian Brand ambassador for LuxaSova and Vibro.

I already fucked it up. Vibrova. That was about to happen. Well, gentlemen, thank you so much for having me, Marili.

Thanks for doing it. Good to put on the show. Yeah. So let's just jump right into it.

First I want to talk a little bit about you and your history in the bar industry. How did you get your start in the service industry? Well, I actually went to school at the University of Guelph. So I actually majored in the Health and Food Administration.

So it's the hospitality program. And I started my first job at the convention center during summer, summer school credits or thing. And that's how I got started. And then I was super, I was far back at the beginning.

And I just left the money to be honest at the beginning. And then I saw those bartenders where they were making like two, three times more money than me. And I was like, yeah, I got to jump in on that shit, right? And I saw them at the bar tent and then we actually sort of met a mentor, sort of thing where he teaches me how to bar tent and then I just went down the hall.

Where are you mentoring your mentor? What bar would you mentor and do you want to mention his name or do you rather leave that up? I obviously got out. It was kind of shy.

But yeah, it was my first bar. Okay. And I was at the convention center. And yeah, afterwards I sort of like went on on my own and then I bartended a couple of places, a couple of golf courses during the summer.

And then I went to several hotels and then talked about bars. So when did you start sort of getting into the craft talk dealing part of it? I think I always knew, I always, I think it's my personality where, you know, when I do something I want to do the best and most nerdy, you know, in a way, right? Like I want to be like, you know, if I'm doing a conference, I want to be the craft talk.

I don't know. I don't know. Just doing anything. I want to be the best of the best.

Right? So that's how I started, you know, getting nerdy about, you know, spirits, cocktails and things like that. And then I think my first actual cocktail bar is, it's also going 14 that bar. It's close now because of COVID.

But then that was a great experience for me where it's easy in Toronto, where you have to climb off three, five stairs to sort of, you know, find a space. Yeah, it's a dope place where I sort of, you know, found, you know, where I really truly want to do, you know, where I, yeah, yeah. Yeah. When you first learning about the craft, how did you find it?

You were learning sort of on the job or were you doing a lot of it in your spare time? Yeah, honestly, I was learning on the job mainly. And also just a lot of googling and reading content books, right? And I think that's, you know, most of the people that's how they learned it as well, right?

Just on the job and reading, you know, and experimenting, making a certain zero, all of your background, whatever, you know, yeah. What were you reading at the time? I was reading a lot of that. I was, you know, not nerdy, but I was as precise as you know, bar share.

I was reading bar share book. I was doing like a lot of liquid, you know, the intelligence that was super helpful. I think everyone in the industry, you know, love that book, right? And that rather than things like that.

Yeah, I think so. Yeah, for sure. Sure. Yeah.

All those standards. We hear them a lot. Yeah. Yeah.

I was doing a training session at one of my bars last night and we had a new employee there and he'd never heard of death and co and I was like, hmm, this might be your last meeting. But that's true though. I mean, you know, first of all, is everywhere. Yeah.

You know, you can see the boat everywhere and it's pretty like, you know, it catches your eyes too. Yeah. When you type cocktail boat, the first thing you should always probably that boat too. Yeah.

Exactly. You got to know it. You got to get the cocktail bar and they ended up with a wine bar. And then we know why.

Okay. So you are the one of the bars that you worked at the collar eye because we had one of their bartenders on here was a private giggle water. Yes. Do you know, David Adima?

I do. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So now did you guys work together or?

Yeah, we worked together for like briefly, you know, he went on to the ceiling. I think right now he's still at this spirit of you are. I think something like that. He's been working together and he's the best nightmare.

Yeah. Great man. Yeah. So, no, no, go ahead.

No, the project in the water is the last bar that I worked at before this ambassador role. And now it's industry bar right in the way. So, you know, that helped me build the connections and also, you know, help me sort of get my name out there in a way and then also like, you know, help me get a job too. Yeah.

Right. So yeah, I want to talk about that a little bit. I want to talk about that a little bit. I need to decide to switch gears and sort of go into the ambassador life.

Yeah. I mean, I think in the back of my mind I always wanted to do this because I think maybe it's my education background in a way where, you know, I'm counting a little marketing sort of thing. So I wanted to, you know, and ambassador role is always something that I can get back on the mind. And I think COVID is something that just also like pushed it to the next level where like, hey, I really want to say well, John, now I got more to pay, you know, I got to go fucking build the pay.

So like, you know, and that's where during COVID time I got laid off because not laid off but like another bar shut. So where I have to, you know, it was like, oh shit, it's real now, you know, I'm actually jobless, you know, I'm actually relying on EI. There's no, oh, when it's over, I'm going to find new jobs or a thing, right? And I mean, we're in the bar and we can get a new job pretty easily.

And then, you know, my point is that, you know, I was actually panicking in a way where, you know, I'd never been laid off that way, you know. And so I just started applying and then learning a lot of pictures in a way, right? Because social media is a big thing for the ambassador role, especially for my role, smaller brand where, you know, I have to be the face of it rather than like, hey, a big brand where, hey, you know, if a big brand can afford just a beaver, you don't need a fucking ambassador. You know, I'll be just while they're in the bottles behind the bar, you know, you know, you know, and so because it's a small brand where like nobody's not been coming where I want it, we would, the brand wants to push it a little more so that we need a face in way.

So yeah, I learned a little, you know, photography during the time in social media as well. And that's how I landed the role and I'm happy. Yeah. Yeah.

You don't see too many ambassadors for that new tequila that the rock makes. Not really. That's not really that's. Yeah.

Well, what the fuck do you do? I just fucking pay yourself. Yeah. So yeah, that's interesting to know that like social media sort of basically essential for what you do.

Yeah. And it's crazy how like I was just talking to my colleague the other day back in back in the morning, like 10 years ago when you actually the brand is when you go on the website and then how the website makes you feel right. And that's sort of like in a ways the brand to write the brand image to right. And nowadays obviously the website but then like it's there is like when you're typing an Instagram how this not like the content necessarily in, you know, what you captioned or copy is sort of is more like, hey, when you click into it, how does it grid sort of what, you know, and that feeling is the brand and is so crazy how, you know, the world is changing like that, right?

I know I still haven't got my handle on that. Like my wife always gives me shit about her Instagram page because we'll go to promote something and then like, but then it doesn't fit with the flow of the page. So you kind of got to take it out after the shows over or whatever. Yeah, I know.

I know. I'm talking about you. I'm talking about you editing old content. It's like, fuck this.

But I think it matters maybe less for a bar and definitely more for like a product line. 100%. 100%. And we spend so much time even like internally, you know, our brand page.

Not necessarily my page, my page can be a little more like a opinion where it doesn't have to be the best page, but then we spend so much time on the brand page of like, hey, what to post, you know, we're like one or two months ahead of time, you know, knowing what to post and then we may change this along the way, but then it's very piggy, you know. Yep. So you got your job during the pandemic. Talk to me a little bit about what the job entails during the time when you can't even go to any fucking bars.

Yeah. No, it was again, right? I would say, oh, for 50% of my job is actually online on social media. For example, like not just, you know, like taking pictures and like talking to the camera and like, you know, posting show online, but more like, hey, influencer, right?

Like working with influencer, the material, like just everything that comes to between and it actually adds up, right? And I, you know, I finally, after this job, I understand, hey, social media influencer is, I guess it's a full-time job. And I swear to God, two years ago, 2019 before the pandemic, I swear, like influencer was not even like a job. Like you don't even actually say influencer as if they're a job.

You're just like, hey, this guy is an influencer. And you know, but now they are actually a job and then they actually like realizing how much they get paid. It's crazy, right? And I, yeah, after this job, my point is not actually realized it's a full-time job.

Like it's actually more than both time and I try to post as consistent as a influencer, quote and I can't keep up. Right. I don't have enough content. Like this is mad.

And yeah, I was so, to answer your question, right? So I would say 50 to 60% of my job is actually online and especially, I think, obviously I can't get into that. And being Fodka is a little bit harder to do like virtual pacing because people are bored of that shit. Like, you know, Fodka at the end of the day is Fodka, right?

And then also like a trend and whatnot, it's not like a scotch or like, you know, bourbon. So I think at the end of the fuck is Fodka and I understand that, right? I don't want to do 30 bucks too. So, you know, I couldn't do it too much for virtual pacing or anything like that.

So it was all just sort of social media marketing turned to panic. Yeah. So when you're talking about that and it's not an interesting thing, like obviously you're trying to be a bit of an influencer, but are you reaching out to social media influencers to push your product? 100%.

How's that work? Like, who's worthy of this? Like, just this kind of whole process about how you find and if you connect with them. I, I, well, I mean, I'm sorry, short, I wrote the dice.

Yeah. I'm sorry, short, I wrote the dice man. I hope the best. Right.

I didn't, Dave. We can't really see so much of the stats. You can ask them for stats, but then like it's kind of like an asshole to be like, hey, show me your results before I pay you, you know, because I don't trust you, you know, then like what are you working with me in a way, right? Right.

You know, so it's more like, hey, let me look into, you know, your engagement. For example, if you post something that I find it, you know, sort of I catch him interesting. So I will click into the post and see that if the likes are comments aligned and if I click on the comments and I start reading them, get their thoughts or not. All right.

Yeah. Right. So some people do buy into I do buy what followers. Followers.

Yeah. Yeah. And then you can see that right away because it's like hell, you have like fucking 35k followers, but you have 25 likes. Yo, like my home.

I'm only 25. I like right away. And I will immediately know, you know, they probably bought it. And it's yeah.

So it really just, yes, really, right? Yeah. So like how many followers are you looking for from them to even before you're even interested and leading up to them. How many followers do you have?

Oh, and to be honest, man, I love working, and I truly believe in this. I believe in micro-influencer, and I don't want to say micro to make them like a smaller, and I'm not going to do it enough or not. It's more like, hey, like smaller following, where the people who are following actually care. Rather than like, hey, you know, again, like I don't know why it's just a beaver, but like, you know, unless it's just a beaver, right?

And sure, obviously engagement is really high, but a lot of people who follow, don't even see his shit anyways, because it's just another, you know, you know, it's cool. Yeah, exactly, I think that's where I went. So I like working with micro-influencer, we're massive, like, instead of like, you know, having one big influencer, I would do like 20 small influencers. So my range, I usually look for like, you know, minimum five to seven K to like 25 K.

Anything I found about 25, the prices are low to zero. Right. Yeah, we're like, eh, you know. And so you have a certain amount of budget to play with for that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And which is great, right? You know, like, you know, yeah. So I send them a box and they post something, and I forward it and see how hard it goes.

And you know, I'm massive, I'm usually just, you know, when you see five times, you know, you see product coming from different people and all of a sudden you're like, ah, I will remember this product rather than like, seeing one big person, there's one point, right? Yeah, that makes sense. I want to find some engagement. Are you finding these yourself?

Or is your company also finding these for you? Some of them? Yeah, I know, it's just all of my own, man. Like, that is something that I love about this job too, right?

It's, especially this working for these two brands where they're smaller in Canada in a way, right? Which is, I believe they're going to blow up, right? But because I got a lot of freedom. So, so, so it's like running your own business in a way where, hey, don't bother me in a way.

I can do whatever if I want. And obviously in a controlling brand, I can do whatever I want. But then compared to other big brands, where like, hey, these are KPIs, like, you know, then you have to meet, you know, but then I'm like, hey, it's more relaxed. Hey, just find something that you think might, might, might, you feel right and then just do it and see what happens, you know?

And I got a lot of those. And that's why I love, you know, for a lot of the companies as well, right? It's that small business, you know, feel like a business owner. Every bartender is totally each other accountable because it's a small business.

If you don't fucking perform, if you're a fucked up, you fuck up the bar and you fuck someone's life. And then like, hey, let's go do like, you know, whatever chain restaurant and then you don't give a shit, you know, and I love about that because I'm like, at the authority, I can like do whatever, how I want to care so much. Right, that's great. And so now that like bars are back open and people are going out again, are you doing more on the spot sort of ambassador roles, like kind of coming to bars and doing tastings and what have you?

Yeah, 100% and I'd be more active and sort of like, you know, cut down my social media kind of a little bit. It's quite addicting, but also hiring at the same time as social media. And I definitely love going out there and just having a drink and just talking to bartenders and I think with them. And I said a lot of time doing that, a lot of activations, a lot of creative as possible, you know, I'm trying to do with one bar, I got on pitching to them.

Hey, what did we do? Like a fucking karaoke cocktail competition where you have the fucking sing a song and make it back. We're gonna find a local, we're gonna find like, because everyone's doing fucking competition right now, right? Yeah.

And like, it's so saturated, but then what if I wait a month and then I do something that no one fucking things up, right? Like, it's like, you know, you have to sing a song and then we're gonna find a local musician or whatever, right? And then we're gonna, that person is gonna judge your forts, right? And see if you're on pitch on beat and then we're gonna judge your back, by your feet, by your feet, and by your, you know, how great the balance is going on, right?

And then I, yeah, I started to do something outside of the box right now, you know, traditional what other people can do. No, that's cool, that's a good idea. Yeah. Maybe we should just do it in Sugar One, then.

Let's do it. Let's do it. I mean, it won't be a factory, it will be like a espresso martini or a cosmo. It will be with people all of us, yeah.

Yeah, I like it. I'm down to do that, we'll talk about that, have to do the show. And then we'll push it. Okay, so let's talk about talking a little bit about vodka in general.

Like you mentioned earlier, a lot of people are just like, vodka is fucking vodka, like what, you know? So how do you, how do you, like it's down for you to sort of make your vodka stand out in a way, especially people I'm trying them before. So how do you sort of attack that issue to begin with? Like you're going to a bar and pitching them on your vodka or doing it ourselves with me or however you market it?

What, like sort of how do you, like how do you get your brands to stand out? Yeah, I think the most special thing about my brands, both of them is the GI, you know, the PGI, the PGI to protect the geographical indication. So for them, both of them are actually, you know, certified Polish vodka, the term, you know, quote unquote Polish vodka. So just like, you know, I compared to like, you know, Kanye, Scott, whatever, right?

They have a certain regulation of how they're, you know, being made qualities and whatnot, right? And it's the same thing. And, you know, a lot of fakya is not getting brands, but a lot of them they're allowed something called rounding, which is like, you know, any, maybe such asset or sugar. Not to make it sweet as sour, obviously, it's vodka.

But you round it up a little bit to give you any question. Like, oh, it's so smooth. You know, and for Polish vodka, you can't, it has to be just watered, watered down, right? As you do 40%.

And also, you know, with the GI, everything's made cool. So we know every aspect, every confession and line process, we know where the ingredients coming from. We know the farmer rather than like, hey, let's sort of shit out and fucking, you know, or wherever. And then we're going to bring it in, you know, because it's cheaper material, cheaper labor.

And then we're going to distill the talk out of it. You know, we know every farmer. And in a way, we're protecting the farmer. We're protecting the ecosystem so that, you know, we're protecting country, protecting people.

And that's something that I believe in too, right? You know, yeah, so that's why, you know, all the things so important to me. And with, you know, the Soba, which is the red label, is a potato vodka, right? There's not, there are not a lot of potato fucking market.

So it is the number one selling potato fucking in Canada. And so it's an each, right? So there's no, I don't find any competitor really that can compete with us. So it's something that, you know, easy sell, easy buy it.

And yeah. So what does that mean? I think they're great. And that's what I like that.

The vote, vote, vote, vote. I'll fucking up again. People, people, people. Okay, people's good.

That's what's happening with it. It's right, 100% right. Right, okay. So yeah, exactly.

So you see a lot of fuck out there in the market. It's actually right and weak, I mix a vote. But you know, you don't really, should we know, voice percentage. So you know, there's a little weird, but then like, for this, it's 100% right.

And you don't see 100% right. But I get in the market as well. So it's also in a way, an each, then that's where I sort of like, you know, let my, my bar knows and my bartender's not. That's how I, you know, sort of like, not sell my product, but educate my people.

Yeah. And so like, let's say, okay, so you got your right vodka. You got your potato vodka, which, like if you're sort of recommending to make a cocktail out of those vodka, which, like, what's the difference in like, okay, the right vodka would go better with this cocktail? Or potato with that cocktail?

Yeah. You're gonna, if you were to make a Caesar and a super spicy Caesar, and then you're telling, if I tell you that, hey, you know, put one in the vodka again, it's gonna taste so much different. It's gonna make, you know, make the biggest difference. I'll be lying, right?

Like, I'll be a pretentious, you know, mouthful. Okay. So let's just punch me in the face of that. I'll have to give you permission.

But, you know, but I, you know, before I vodka, I'll generally just like, you know, whiskey, right? Anything I mean, right? A little spicy, you know, you got a little more cake to it. Right.

You know, as more punch and more structure, you know, so you get that, you know, a black pepper to it. You got that, you know, almost like, you know, I always describe, right? A bunch of Brazilian nuts, and then you just sort of like put your mouth in your shoe it, and then you sort of like breathe out in that, like, rye dough nutty flavor to it. Right?

So it's more pronounced, right? And then for, with, uh, potato vodka, it's known to be smooth. So like, you know, it's more creamier, it's a little more like, uh, so that gives you the impression of like, smoother, right? So to tell a potato vodka from a grain vodka is when, you know, when you sip it, right?

And then you find that the potato, sorry, you find that, uh, the vodka sort of like stays on your tongue, but in the rest of your mouth. And that's immediately how, you know, this potato vodka. Yeah, interesting. And again, I apologize for not sending you guys the two bottles, because I'm sending it very, very, very, very, after the show, and then you guys are actually like, you know, face it different.

Well, we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll take it on the next show so that people know you've done it. Yeah. So, yeah, in a way, so if you want your cocktails to be a little more, uh, a little more spices, a little more, you know, uh, stronger in a way, people don't know what would be the way to go. And if you're making a classic martini just with, like, no touch of a restaurant from move, not 31, just a normal martini.

Uh, listen to so guys, I wonder you have to be a little more controlled, a little more, uh, pay attention to it because when you go into a bar and try to pitch them as opposed to other ones, have you, have you had a chance to do any cocktail competitions with them yet? I have done one in, out in the West, like London. And then yeah, it was funny. It wasn't, it wasn't, yeah, it was right.

It was right. What was it? What kind of cocktails were you making with it? Oh, I mean, yes.

No, no, like, what was, was it, was it, what's the people came up with their own cocktails and? Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Exactly.

Exactly. And I was a judge of it. I was, you know, as an ambassador. Yeah.

Yeah. It was great. A lot of people love the little silver and then they love the, um, again, potato foggy. They love mixing with sort of like, you know, beats or like, you know, sort of like fruits, vegetables.

So then it goes well with that, you know, everything is, that I do talk to it. Yeah. Yeah. It's funny to mention that too, about like the Caesar, because I once ate a girl who swears, you could tell the difference with vodka in vodka cranberries.

And I'm like, I was like, I want to just put this to the test. In blind case. Yes. I mean, like, if you find case, I mean, like, you're not a fine case, like, you know, you're having a side by side.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Like, like, if you drink anything, you're gonna be able to tell the difference, but like a percent, yeah, it makes them a bunch of cranberries. You just taste the cranberries. Basically. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

And then that's the point of vodka, right? It was colorless, tasteless and odorless and, you know, and yeah, that's the point of it. Right. Yeah.

That's how you can drink it work. Yeah. Exactly. As a result, is it a hard sell when you go to bars and try to get them to promote yourself versus like other brands?

Um, one of the biggest things is that what I actually believe is I don't think you can really run a bar without vodka. I mean, there is there are, right? I've seen it, right? And there's, there's, there's a bar in Toronto that's pretty famous that doesn't have any vodka, right?

But yeah, yeah, but what is everyone who's called like a piece of bill? Yeah. Fuck you. Yeah.

I mean, I'm like, oh, my God, hold on. If you, if someone asks for a fuck of soda and then what are you going to say? You're going to be like, yeah, fuck you. Have a scotch, you know, like, I mean, I have a tea scotch, you know, I just don't get drunk, man.

You know, yeah. So, so, so, yeah. Also people like, especially with like people being on crazy special diets all the time and like low carb diets and all that shit, like vodka, vodka, water, vodka, sodas have become way more popular than they used to be. Like, as opposed to people wanting to drink like rum, Coke or whatever, right?

I love crushing those. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I see a lot of RTV, right? Like, uh, ready to go drink. It's like, they're all just talking based.

Like, you know, the most famous one I'm not going to say to brand, but then, you know, the opposite of that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. And like, it's what it is, right? You know, it's just flavored. Fought.

Flavored vodka soda. Yeah. Yeah. That's it.

And then it's been selling like no tomorrow. Yeah. Talk a little bit about that. Like, I feel like a flavored vodka, like, sorry, a revolution came and went very quickly.

Like, all these brands had to have 14 different flavors of their vodka. And then all of a sudden nobody's asking for that shit anymore. Right? Yeah.

Yeah. I think it's just trends, man. I think, like, you know, it's going to come back, you know, like everything is a trend. It's like 10 years ago.

If you were fucking, well, like 20 years ago, you were fucking skinny jeans, you'll be like, you know, you be crucified, you know, like, and then now if you're back in jeans, you're stupid, you know, like, this is all just trending. You know, and I believe in every product they have a place, right? I love using flavor. Right?

You know, it's like, you know, it's like, you're using fucking, it's your flavor. It was a fucking different, right? You know, so yeah. So I think it's gonna come back.

I know right now obviously the trend of the market, flavor. Fuck is absolute shit right now. And, you know, it's gonna come back. Yeah.

I was like, those bars that have like 18 different kinds of flavors and you're not but then also 18 different flavors of Iraq and what the fuck? Also, like, I mean, I'm not saying the two brands that you named are shit. I mean, you can say there's not a shit, but I think it's artificial flavor that people nowadays understand. It's bad.

But I mean, like, again, right? Like, maybe give it a couple years to go out and figure it out. How to make it not artificial and things better. You know, I mean, it's gonna come back.

Yeah, because that's got that aspartame flavor to it all the time, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, like, it makes sense. How the fuck do you make a product that can be real, but at the same time, it can be stabilized on the, you know, on a product shelf and not expired. Right. It's an exciting sense.

You know, it makes sense. Like a lot of like, I see the thoughts of soda. He's like, shit. Yeah, exactly.

Because they're real. No, and that's why a lot of bartenders don't would rather infuse than use the flavored stuff, right? Because then you're getting more like a fresher flavor to it, right? Yeah.

What's, so like, what's sort of next where you now that things are going back to normal? If people are in bars again, do you have any big events planned or are you still just working on putting that stuff together? No, I just been working putting this stuff together. And I got like, you know, several like Polish festival coming up and a lot of trades, you know, coming up as well, you know, because you know, COVID is, I would love to say is over.

Hopefully, right? And I just trying to get the brand out there, man. I just eat this just so much more love. And that's what I'm trying to do, you know?

Yeah, just watching it. Yeah. It's really good to be back into the world where we're doing trades shows again and it's like that. Yeah.

Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. I'm guessing that your vodka is going pretty well at Polish festival, though.

Oh, yeah. Yes. I guess. You know, Polish Polish the polls they take their fucking serious, you know, it's like, it's like, there's a lot of shots on Ukraine and I went to Poland a couple years ago.

I know it was shot city. Yeah. Well, it's just normal. Yeah.

Yeah. They have everyone knows everything about fucking born, right? And so, you know, it's sort of like a little hang-in food for us where, you know, we have to take care of the Polish people, the Polish community, you know, to do his justice and attend those festivals and be there and to, you know, show that, hey, we have love where you guys are so we never forget about you because you guys are the blues, right? Right.

Yeah. Nice. I'm just curious about this. This is for either of you actually, but like, and Poland, are they chilling their vodka as well?

Or is it just like they just drink it? Well, I was there. They're both. They're both, yeah?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's why I've already beat each other vodka as well.

And, you know, and then just to get us a shot. Yeah. And you know, that was, I know stuff people would like modify the, like, they would buy vodka and add stuff to it. So for instance, I had dandelion vodka where they actually just like a bunch of dandelion, like, little, like, pedal and stuff, you have to infuse and stuff which is really neat.

And I know people have different like, morals and stuff. So I went to check this out. I modified this a little bit and then we'd be getting doing a shot and drunk by 150. What's the worst news with your head while you're over there?

There were no bad ones. Everyone because everyone's drunk. I'll fix that problem. No, yeah.

They love their vodka over there. And I'm like, okay, so shit over there too. So, you know, they love you. You know, everything.

So have you gotten a chance to go over there? Or is that like in the plan? So if you're like, you can do it. No, yeah, but it's like, I don't know how to do it.

But yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm just waiting for COVID to be a little more calm. And because right now it's internal, just too busy.

Ready to go. But just, you know, I think it just opens up right now. So I have to, you know, just be more attention and locally and figure out first before I can figure out sort of like a halfication. Let me just do the distillery for work, you know.

Also, Poland is maybe not the best area of the world to be visiting right now anyway. So at the moment, yeah. Exactly. Oh, so like, what's your recommendation for chilling vodka?

Like, would you recommend that to people or do you say like, just drink it? Brings, temperature? To me, honestly, just drink however you want. Again, like, to me is like, hey, like the last thing I want to tell anyone or be speaking to anyone to be pretentious, you know, I hate that.

You know, just if you enjoy it, what are you going to do? Like, I always say, right? Hey, if I want my first to be like, you know, 5,000 gin, 1 ounce vodka and then rinse through my asshole. And that's why I like it.

That's why I like it. Nice job. Listen, you know, I think that, you know, like why do you care what my snack is? Why do you care about, you know, how I drink my vodka?

How I drink my drink, my gin or whatever, you know, so yeah. Now we know the recipe for the karaoke cocktail competition. I thought that was just one ounce of vodka. Rinse through your asshole and then put back into your yarri and straining into the canora.

There we go. All else I can show, dude. Amazing. All right, Oliver, thanks so much for joining us.

This was super fun. Yeah, let us know. Let us know where they can find you on social media so that we can reach out for all their vodka questions. Yeah, 100%.

So my Instagram is Oliver underscore, L-E-U-N-G underscore. So Oliver underscore, yeah, underscore, and I guess we can find me there and, you know, all my activities and everything is a personal, you know, professional, everything is there. So looking forward to being everyone. Awesome.

Well, that's a lot of command when you're getting back to On the Road and into the bars and yeah, well, thanks again for doing the show. It was great. It was a pleasure. Yeah.

We'll talk about these, uh, the cocktail karaoke with uh, Rinzing asshole. Yeah. Thank you again. Thank you so much.