MIAMI, Fla.— Chinola, the handmade liqueur crafted from fresh passion fruit, announced co-founder Andrew Merinoff will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer and Filipe Carvalho, Chief Operating Officer. Roughly a year after its national expansion, Chinola(chee-noh-lah) experienced steady growth with distribution throughout the United States, for a total of 30 markets and 12 international markets.
“With immense growth and expansion comes a need for more dedicated leadership that will continue to steer the brand forward. Merinoff’s personal and professional background and passion for the business make him the most qualified for this role,” says Robert Pallone, co-founder of Chinola.
Asthe fourth generation of spirit heavy-hitters, Merinoff is fast following in his family’s footsteps, having recently helped launch New York City’s first whiskey distillery since the Prohibition, and investing in several brands through his Venture Capital firm, Dispact Ventures.
Pallone continues, “In addition to Merinoff’s leadership, Carvalho played an instrumental role in our domestic growth as Managing Director and most recently spearheading our international expansion.As COO, he will oversee both sides of the business and build a team that takes Chinola to the next level.”
Carvalho is a veteran in the wine & spirits industry with international experience in all areas of the management and commercialization of wine and spirit brands. He started his career in wine overseeing distribution and production at SOGRAPE, the largest Portuguese wine producer known for such international brands as Sandeman, Mateus and Offley along with operations in Spain (Bodegas LAN), Argentina (Finca Flichman), Chile (Viña Los Boldos), and New Zealand (Framingham). Prior to working with Chinola, he worked with Stoli Group and Diageo.
Gaining widespread popularity since arriving on the spirits scene in 2015, Chinola is the world’s first shelf stable fresh fruit liqueur that was inspired by old-world European style liqueurs. In states like Florida, the brand experienced double-digit growth since last year.
“Aside from growing our business and expanding our footprint, we have put a focus on continuing to support the local farming community in the Samaná Peninsula and El Valle de Chinola where Chinola is made. From functional improvements such as helping fund the build for a main access point into El Valle, which didn’t exist in 2015, as well as supporting the local farmers who harvest our fruit by buying back the passion fruit and paying fair wages.. Our goal is to spotlight this beautiful part of the island, create more jobs for the locals, and continue to give back to the community as we grow the brand. ” says Merinoff, CEO of Chinola.
Also joining the team are Scott Rutledge as Midwest Regional Sales Manager who will oversee the growth in Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin, and Chelsey Youse as Brand Manager.
About Chinola
Chinola passion fruit liqueur is a handcrafted beverage made from distilled spirits and fresh passion fruit. Chinola is a creative collaboration of hospitality experts, spirit industry professionals, and a multi-generational master blender. Their dream was to create an old-world style liqueur from fresh fruit and in 2013, they discovered the magic of the Dominican passion fruit locally called chinola(chee-noh-lah). The fruit’s unique tartness is balanced perfectly with natural sweetness and tropical essence which makes it ideal for creating sensational cocktails. Chinola is produced in the Dominican Republic with a commitment to authenticity and sustainability practices. Available in the United States, Australia, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.
For More Information:
https://chinola.com/