Luxury goods take a hit as consumer sentiment changes

Firstly, I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing holiday over this festive season and ready for the New Year that is now upon us. Now we are into the first work day of the year and only a few days left till we get the second part of our launch out, we have our work cut out for us. Covering this launch we have four principle entities involved, along with several vendors, so pulling things together is taking a bit longer than I had initially planned as a stand alone company. How it looks right now, I think we will be delayed a little to get the second stage of the launch out, either way we will let you know.

As most of you will now know, this new collection we are offering is called the Mendis Luma Collection, though you will have to wait till we launch the second stage as to why it is called such. The second stage of the launch will reveal the Mendis Luma Collection emblem along with a much clearer picture of what the Mendis Luma Collection is all about. This collection is much more than just another bottle of Mendis Coconut Brandy or something special done to the bottle itself.
The market for luxury goods has recently been experiencing a softening due to consumer spending in this market segment declining over the past two quarters, subsequently, with this has come a shift in consumer sentiment.

The luxury consumer market over the past few years experienced strong grow, with this came numerous new product lines trying to cater to this market segment to capture some market share. As such, the market was barraged with an array of new (and old) product offerings touting themselves as luxury, so much so, that they lost sight of offering true value to the consumer for the sake of obtaining quick market share. Consumers, in general, offered little thought to the true value of a luxury good, buying it based off the face value of the brand name or fancy packaging, with little analysis given to the long term value of their purchase.

What we are seeing now with consumers in the high-end luxury market segment is a more educated purchasing decision making process; purchasers are looking for long term value in the brand/product they are purchasing. In assessing their purchase, buyers want to see real value in the product and aligning themselves with what they perceive as the most exclusive luxury brand names that offer true intrinsic value.

This means luxury product offerings must price their goods realistically to the true value of the craftsmanship of the piece they are offering, plus the perceived value the brand holds in the consumers eyes. Over priced goods will be perceived as excessive, cheap brands that entered the luxury market will realign to their old core product offerings and established luxury good brands will reduce their prices to clear product in an over saturated market.

The key to succeeding in the luxury goods market is in offering something unique and priced at fair value, of which Mendis new collection is precisely such. Mendis Luma Collection is about offering true long term value through the alignment of the Mendis brand with other luxury brands to bring about a one-of-a-kind consumer good that can not be acquired anywhere else or with any other brand and offers the consumer true collectible appreciable value. Exactly just how much value, you will have to wait and see.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Uncovering the world's first Signature-Premium brand

So this week we put up a basic intro as to what is coming in the next 20 days concerning news over our Million Dollar Bottle and our world first Signature-Premium collection. For those of you that have visited our main site already, you will know the name for our first Signature-Premium Collection. For those of you that haven’t, to find out what Mendis first collection is termed visit mendisbrandy.com. This collection carries the name it does for a very specific reason, though as to what specifically you will have to wait till that clock counts down to zero on the site. As you may have also noticed, we have pulled down most images of the Mendis Million Dollar Bottle, in preparation for release to the media of our new collection coming out and news over the Million Dollar Bottle. So hang on for more news and ultimately the release of the world’s first Signature-Premium collection, that we are sure is going to stimulate you visually.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Million dollar count down

So the final days are here, we are going live with the first part of our three part website roll out next Monday, 15th December. This release on Monday will provide a little insight into what is going on and when to find out the next stage of the release. We are not releasing any press releases on the back of this part of the campaign, that will come under the second part of the roll out, that you will find out about on Monday morning. So stay tuned for more on Monday.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Veblen goods theory and why we buy expensive goods

With the set launch date of our milliondollarbottle.com site fast approaching, I can definitely say we have things cut out for us, as this is the biggest task we have undertaken as a company to release information and our new signature premium product “collection” (as we like to coin them). In relation to these collections we will be offering in 2009, I received a very interesting article about Veblen goods, from an industry person whom reads this blog. So I wanted to explore this theory in relation to Mendis and our price points and buyers, as I had stated a few weeks back I would touch on this topic.

Veblen goods are high-status luxury goods that are desirable because of the price they are sold at and the associated status that comes from purchasing something so expensive. In such a case, the desirability of a good is perceived to lesson should the face value of the high-status good be reduced, because accordingly the status or should I say luster is reduced. High-status goods that fall into this category are generally cars and jewelry and are termed Veblen goods.

Mendis signature-premium coconut brandy collections could potentially be termed as a Veblen good. Although these signature-premium collections we are offering in 2009 hold intrinsic value due to their; uniqueness, artistic scarcity and signature markings, which makes them priceless, it is ultimately the price points of these priceless collectibles that has created demand for them through our agent.

Now it is true that our goods hold intrinsic value at the price we are offering them at, but should we lower the price below the value of the good itself, the status of the good would in turn be tarnished and potentially not attract buyers. Therefore, appropriate pricing levels must be enforced for high-status luxury goods (or as we call them signature-premium) that are offered as very limited highly valuable collectibles.

In effect, yes entities buy certain high-status luxury goods for the status associated with possessing such a good, though in reality goods termed as Veblen goods are not just over priced goods but goods that are innovative, of supreme quality and of the finest craftsmanship, anything less and the status associated with such goods would be lower. Case in point, not all cars or jewelry are perceived as a Veblen goods, it has to be broken down by brand.

If a brand is perceived as high-status luxury that is desirable because of the price it is sold at, introducing lower priced goods to reach the mass market must be done carefully so as not to tarnish the image of the brands flagship product. One brand that has perfected the art of this is the car maker BMW, they executed the introduction of their cheap mass produced 3 series and now 1 series cars without tarnishing their desirability of their high price point 7 series car. People are still willing to buy the most expensive BMW regardless of price, in order to attain the “perceived” status of driving it, not that I care to be seen in a BMW, though I do like and drive a German car.

In regards to alcohol, there may be a few brands that have the potential to offer product at an unjustifiable price point due to the status they hold, of which can been seen with some vodka brands, that are inflating prices of this basic flavorless neutral ethyl alcohol product purely off demand, with what I perceive as holding little intrinsic value to the face value they are retailing at.

At the end of the day I believe in offering a valued luxury good based off the unique offering. I would not offer the first bottle of coconut brand for $1 million, that we have US TTB world first “coconut brandy” COLA approval for, unless this product is going to offer the purchaser of it true long term collectible value. The Mendis coconut brandy products are priced as such due to unique attributes of our liquid, exclusive signature marking, limiting offering and supreme craftsmanship.

If Mendis is to be perceived as a high-status luxury brand that is desirable because of the price it is sold at, it will be due to the quality and the real value of our brand. When someone buys our million dollar bottle of coconut brandy they valued it based off acquiring the first of a new category, just as if they could buy the first bottle of vodka or say first bottle of ultra-premium Grey Goose, had the founder Sydney Frank signed the first bottle.

Mendis coconut brandy and our soon to be announced signature premium collections for 2009 is more than just an offering of a new alcohol product, it is about bringing lifestyle to alcohol in a way no other alcohol company has been able to do, creating a luxury status in alcohol unheralded to date. You’re not going to see Mendis being swilled by the bottle at some hot night spot, but you will see Mendis showcased and treated like a fine piece of art work, treasured and valued, also maybe, just maybe, enjoyed by a select few.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Something from the past

I have discussed Mendis prestigious heritage a couple of times on this blog and our main website provides an overview of it, though we have never officially released photos depicting our past, except for now. This week I decided to provide an exclusive insight into our company’s heritage by releasing an old photograph from several decades ago of Mendis. This also provides a snippet into what to expect to see on our new website heritage section, that we are currently having worked on, in line with our new promotion campaign.

Ferrari on a showroom floor

I am finding now prior to writing these posts, I need to skim over just what exactly I have discussed prior, because so much is taking place and I have a lot of day to day things to address that I am losing track of what I have and haven't discussed. Two weeks ago, in my last blog, I stated I would provide a bit more insight as to what it is we are doing and when precisely we will be going live with our new promotion campaign.

The last fortnight has been used to firm up past talks with companies over our signature premium collections, although I can’t tell you whom we have signed (though they are well known brand names), what I can tell you is that we have two companies signed on to our signature premium collection line, that will be rolled out in 2009, with a fair bit of interest for these collections already brewing with our agent, Billy Yip.

We have also entered into talks with whom we view as one of, if not the most prestigious and the most suitable company in the world to handle our unique luxury collection. As I stated in the past, how we are retailing our product does not involve the traditional bricks and mortar or ecommerce approach, it is an entirely new way how alcohol is going to be sold, hence the secrecy over the concept and roll out, until we actually have everything secured with whom we want to work with in the short term horizon.

Without giving too much away, I think the best way to think of our signature premium collection is; like a Ferrari on a showroom floor. In relation to time frames, it is rather hard right at this point in time to pin the projects down to a firm deadline. We are hoping to have the first part of the news concerning our Million Dollar Bottle, at www.milliondollarbottle.com up in three to four weeks.

Unfortunately, that is all I can really divulge on matters right now without breaching any Non Disclosure Agreement. Rest assured as we progress with matters, I will release more info and as soon as we go live with the news over our Million Dollar Bottle you will hear about it first here. At the same time we release news over the Million Dollar Bottle, we will also be disclosing news concerning our signature premium collection, companies we have signed with and our unique luxury retailer concept.

Next week I want to talk more about the luxury market segment, buyers of our collections and the current economic conditions effecting our buyer demographic, and of course provide more insight, if possible, over what we are doing. After all that is why I assume you are reading this. On a final note if you have anything you want to ask me about what we are doing, please do not hesitate to post a response, I like to know what you are thinking and want to know more of.


Chris S. Richardson
President

New luxury retailing concept takes nontraditional approach

Over the past month I have covered certain aspects about our current business model, focusing on; Mendis Million Dollar Bottle, our signature premium collection and our new promotion campaign being released in January 2009, starting with the promotion at milliondollarbottle.com in the next month. However, Mendis unique product and our signature premium concept is not only what makes our business unique in itself, but also in how we intend to retail our product.

Here at Mendis, we have come up with a very unique approach to the sale of alcohol that does not involve selling through traditional retailers or online, this approach is part of our Luxury Retail Store Promotion Campaign. This campaign involves us forming exclusive alliances with other companies to sell our product in a unique way (I’ll leave it at that for now). We are forming exclusive deals with our partners for two principle reasons, firstly, because we are the innovators of this concept, we are selecting the ideal companies to partner with for this campaign to achieve optimum ROI, secondly, so that no other alcohol company can come along and align with whom we have selected as the best to work with and be brand aligned to.

Correct brand association is critical when building a luxury brand; you want to make sure you have control of your brand by; where it is placed and who is being seen with it. Therefore, we want similar status luxury brands aligned with the Mendis name and the brand placed in an environment where we know the audience is of the caliber we are targeting to purchase our product. A traditional alcohol store is too low end for the Mendis signature premium brand to be positioned in, as such, our Luxury Retail Store Promotion Campaign is about developing a unique environment in which we can have a fair amount of control in the placement and audience, which also contributes to building Mendis brand identity.

I could go on and on for pages about this concept and how we are going about developing it, as our report on this is rather lengthy, but then that would be giving away too much information about what exactly we are doing, spoiling all the fun. So check back next week when I will provide a bit more insight as to what it is we are doing and when precisely we will be going live with our new promotion campaign.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Mendis Million Dollar Bottle goes confidential

Over the past two weeks we have entered into an agreement over Mendis Million Dollar Bottle with another party, now exactly what this agreement is all about, you will have to wait until January 2009, as we are now confined to confidentiality under the agreement until then. However, I can tell you one thing; it is going to be some breaking news when we do announce what is taking place with the Million Dollar Bottle. If you want a hint what is going on, keep an eye on milliondollarbottle.com in the next month as we will be releasing the first part of what is going on there. For now we have this domain directed to our main page, though that will change in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, now we are tied into confidentiality agreements on our business I really can’t spill the beans, so to speak, on what is going on until we actually have everything completed. That said, we have a few things working out and will soon start releasing information and promotional material, starting with the site milliondollarbottle.com, which will lead to our new official website in January.

To back this news we have coming out in January over Mendis Million Dollar Bottle, we have a national media promotional campaign being rolled out also. This promotion will be our first large scale, planned promotion campaign for the Mendis brand, which makes this a very exciting time for us here at Mendis.

As I mentioned a few weeks back, we at Mendis have decided to build the Mendis brand in line with the Million Dollar Bottle and exclusive "signature-premium" collection of limited release bottles. Mendis Million Dollar Bottle was the first bottle in this collection, though we will have more news on our second release in the New Year and pricing for it. For now, I don’t want to mix up our campaigns we have going so I will forgo discussing more about this second collection, until we release full details what is going on with the Million Dollar Bottle, so keep an eye out for more on this.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Fresh perspective to saturated market segment

Today I was going to post the name of the company whom we are in talks with in relation to Mendis Million Dollar Bottle, but we are not quite finished with the terms of the agreement, so for now, I will hold off on that news.

As you may know from last week’s blog, we have decided to develop upon Mendis luxury brand and not move the product into mass market production. Mendis coconut brandy is a very unique product, that we have gone through a lot of production and legal work to achieve, which no other beverage company has, as such we want to maintain the integrity of it.

Currently in the market, you get premium, ultra premium and super premium alcohol. There are numerous brands touting themselves as the next best product in each of these categories, but no one has taken it upon themselves to go about creating a unique product that no other has, refined to a level of such exquisiteness and luxuriousness, except for Mendis. As such, Mendis being the leader as it is in luxury, we have coined (and own digital rights to) the term “Signature Premium” as the new level of premium in alcohol and consumer goods.

The Luxury ladder will now look like this;

Premium (level determined by production process)
Ultra Premium (level derived by pricing of final product)
Super Premium (level derived by pricing of final product)
Signature Premium (level determined by intrinsic value)

“Signature premium” is defined by us as limited short run collectible consumer goods that hold intrinsic value due to their uniqueness, artistic scarcity and personal signature marking. At this point in time I don’t want to give too much away of what our business model is, as no one has done what we are going to be releasing, but you will find out in the first week of Janaury 2009 all about this new exciting concept in alcohol.

Currently, we are having a completely new flash site being built to align with Mendis coconut brandy “Signature Premium” brand, though the branding is not the unique element of our business model, it is in how you will be able to browse and buy alcohol, Mendis is going to change the world on how alcohol is marketed and sold. This is the most exciting stage in our companies history and it is something that will change not just our history but also the industries.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Niche market opportunities open up for luxury branded goods in bad economic times

The past few weeks have been both extremely busy and also highly productive. As some of you will be aware, we are selling our first production bottle, the first and only bottle in the world of coconut brandy, for $1,000,000, this unique bottle comes signed by the founder of Mendis, Mr. Mendis, whom founded The House of Mendis back in 1947. The past fortnight, both Billy Yip (Mendis agent) and I have been in detailed discussions over this bottle with a another company. We will have further news relating to this exclusive deal, though no public announcement via media will be released until we have talks completed. This development and association further strengthens the Mendis name as the ultimate in luxury.

Given the current world economic condition and feedback our agent Billy Yip has had in relation to our Million Dollar Bottle, we have found that investors and wealthy individuals are looking for unique investment opportunities in tangible collectible investments, as such we have decided to align our business model more with our Million Dollar Bottle; signature branded limited release art bottles. Mendis will be the world’s first and only exclusive limited production run alcohol brand.

This concept is expanding the original idea of Mendis Million Dollar Bottle, Mendis is a one of a kind luxury product and as such we want to keep it that way. We want to continue building out Mendis luxury brand, particularly in light of demand from people of a certain investment class that are looking for unique collectibles. This is what Mendis coconut brandy was founded upon and as such we should continue grabbing traction in our specialty niche market segment.

So for now, watch this space to fill in the blank for developments with Mendis Million Dollar Bottle.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Mendis featured in Bora Magazine (UBS Bank)

Mendis Million Dollar Bottle has received quite a bit of publicity, from being on E! to the Times Square Big Board, since its launch over a year ago. This one of a kind priceless luxury item has received coverage in numerous high-end publications around the world, which has proven hard for us to follow where it is being covered and even harder getting copies of the editorials to show our readers here.

Luckily we managed to get a copy of a review done by Bora Magazine this month; which is published by one of the world’s most renowned wealth management institutions, UBS. The publication is distributed to Bora Magazine and UBS clients. The Mendis name is synonymous with luxury, as such, it is fitting for Mendis to be covered by one of the world's most prestigious institutions for the super rich.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Look at the facts

It has obviously taken a considerably longer time to get Mendis into the market than we first thought, though unlike most other alcohol products, with Mendis coconut brandy we have had to lobby the Federal government to get this new product approved as a "new product". Unlike other alcohol products that simply fit within existing pre-defined categories, with Mendis we have had to have it defined. This creates a competitive advantage over other similar branded products (in our case brandies/Cognac).

Mendis has three key advantages in both the white spirits category and within its own category of Brandy that give it a competitive edge. Firstly, by using a unique maturation process with a light wood called Hamilla, Mendis is the world’s first white matured Brandy produced from coconut. Secondly, Mendis has an unmatched smoothness as it is matured for a minimum of two years in the tropical climate of Sri Lanka, as opposed to most Brandies that are matured in sub-tropical/temperate climates that mature at a slower rate. Lastly, Mendis has created a brand new niche category in distilled spirits, namely “Coconut Brandy” (not to be confused with all other products that are Flavored Brandy/Vodka, by law they must carry the word "Flavored" on the bottle). Therefore, Mendis offers both Brandy and white spirit drinkers a quality and refinement that they have never experienced in either category before.

Distilled spirits supplier revenues have grown on average 6.5% since 2000, with white ultra-premium and Flavored Spirits driving that growth. In the two largest selling categories, Vodka and Rum, ultra-premium brands grew 38% and 43% respectively in 2007. With Flavored Spirits, Flavored Vodkas now account for almost 14% of all Vodkas sold while Flavored and Spiced Rums now account for over 48% of all rums sold. There is a clear demand by consumers for ultra-premium flavored white spirits. A "matured" naturally flavored (made from the fruit) white product does not exist today. Mendis Coconut Brandy is that product!

Mendis will not just stand out as the world’s first white matured coconut brandy, but it will also stand out on store shelves as a clear brandy against all the dark brandies. The other added benefit of Mendis is that is has a very neutral base over all other brandies. By neutral, I mean, it does not possess the common harsh characteristics associated with brandy- this lends itself to being mixable like vodka. However, that said, the natural coconut flavor really comes out when mixed in cocktails, giving a complexity to drinks that no other clear natural spirit can offer.

Yeah, I am drinking the Mendis cool aid, but you know what, so will you once you get to taste this truly unique clear spirit we have created. I truly believe within 3-5 years, matured clear natural fruit brandies will take over artificial flavored vodkas as the drink of choice. As I view it, nothing comes from hindsight, only foresight, so with that, we must look to new invigorating products that add a new dimension/edge to pre-existing products, not just following the heard as so many brands have done with this vodka boom and are now subsequently failing because of it. Most small vodka companies are running at deep losses, purely and strategically in the hope of being bought out, how Grey Goose was by Bacardi for $2 Billion, though little do these companies realize those vodka days are gone and their days are numbered.

The true art of luxury and premium spirits comes from the craftsmanship involved in creating flavor in the product, not over boiling it (like vodka) to burn out all discernable characteristics, there is no art in doing that, anyone can do that and they have as is evident in all the vodkas in the market.

Craftsmanship in alcohol comes from the balanced distillation of a product achieved through years of experience the master distiller has earned over the years, along with the skill in laying product down for maturation, turning it and blending it to create a masterful creation. This process is what makes a “premium” distilled spirit, not some over boiled ethyl-alcohol mass produced by some out sourced distillery.

What the market needs is a specially crafted clear spirit produced straight from fruit, aged and refined to a velvety smoothness second to none, with natural fruit favor and mixable like vodka to meet the demand by consumers for mixable products- this is the true definition of “ultra-premium” / “super-premium”. Unfortuately the market hands out such definitions to over priced vodka. Currently, in the global alcohol market no such product exists and it is a sector that will be the next biggest boom market in alcohol. Mendis has been specially crafted with this idea in mind.

From the tastings we have held to date, consumers and industry people present have been so impressed with Mendis' taste, that they go so far as to say that it is by far the smoothest product in the market bar none, along with being extremely mixable, unlike any brandy currently in the marketplace. Now, I know there are many consumers (and peripheral industry people) that perceive taste by image and will categorically state that such and such a product is the best. Though give me 5 minutes with them in a private blind tasting and I will change their mind- challenge me on that if you want.

Like all great ideas and visions, it takes a starting point. This is the point we are at now, with time I believe this new sector of clear spirits will soon become broadly recognized with distributors and mixologists and blossom into the next multi-billion dollar market for alcohol. Nothing happens over night, but it will with time and education.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Advisory board

As I mentioned the other week we have been in talks with several parties pertaining to a couple of different matters concerning Mendis operations, well one of these sets of talks was over Mendis Million Dollar Bottle. To date, we have not spent much effort in getting the bottle much publicity, this has been in part due to us allocating our company resources to legal matters for the successful prosecution of our Federal permit and state level licenses to bring into the U.S. the world’s first clear brandy made from coconut.

However, since we are near completion of our Federal and state level legal work for licenses we decided to start directing attention to providing a platform to promote the Mendis Million Dollar Bottle from on a larger scale, this involved us bringing in someone to handle this operation under a strategic alliance. In short, the end result of these talks is assignment of a reputable experienced agent to exclusively handle the branding and promotion of the bottle. Effective from this week Mendis Million Dollar bottle will be handled by our exclusive agent, Billy Yip. Billy Yip has extensive agency experience in the fashion world and entertainment industry.

In addition to the appointment of Billy Yip as the exclusive agent to Mendis Million Dollar bottle, in co-ordination with him we have entered into talks with several different parties relating to the marketing and promotions of Mendis Million Dollar Bottle, this will extend to the potential re-branding and image of the bottle under strategic sponsorship deals we are working on with it.

Even though we have not released Mendis yet for sale, we have been proactive in the development of marketing deals to make sure when we do launch there is a comprehensive marketing and promotions campaign to back the brand into the market.

To make sure we have the appropriately experienced individuals working with us for success, we have created an advisory board to Mendis Board of Directors that holds several individuals that we view as key to assisting Mendis in achieving its goals during our launch stage in our target markets. These individuals have extensive relationships relating to distribution and marketing.

Later this week, I will cover why these delays have exist and what benefits Mendis has gained through procedures we have gone about dong that has given rise to these delays.


Chris S. Richardson
President

Thanks ladies!

Things have been busy at Mendis as we host tasting nights at bars and venues. We have been hectic planning a couple of big events over the past two weeks and will disclose what we have up our sleeves once we get all the paper work signed off on. I think the past two weeks have been some of the most productive on a marketing and events front and more details will be disclosed as we firm things up.

I just wanted to quickly say a big thanks to our impeccably dressed servers and models at our past events, without you we could not do it. Thank you ladies! Below are a few pictures of them from our last tasting event.


Ladies mixing it up with Mendis- taking a pose for the camera behind the bar as they do their mixology genius with Mendis.



Lindsay concocting some delicious cocktails with Mendis coconut brandy. New bottle being popped open as that one is nearly empty.



Ladies taking a break, why not have a drink.

VIP Private Event

Over the next few days we will be mailing out invites to select VIP to attend an exclusive private tasting of Mendis Coconut Brandy/Mendis Million Dollar Bottle at a venue in Atlanta, Ga.

The invite will not disclose the venue, rather, contact details will be on the invitation to call for reservations (which has been blotted out), for which we will require your unique VIP number. So keep an eye on your letter box to see if you have been invited for this exclusive private event in Atlanta.

Kimberly Thomas styles Mendis bottle

Fashion model, Kimberly Thomas holding Mendis Million Dollar Bottle.

BUZZ UP Mendis

Check Mendis out in TrendHunter Magazine and on Yahoo.

Mala Bryan styles Mendis bottle

Fashion model, Mala Bryan holding Mendis Million Dollar Bottle.

Mendis at Baltic White Nights - Swimwear by Tara Matthews July 2008

The other week, Mendis was presented to models at the Baltic White Nights - Swimwear by Tara Matthews July 2008 fashion show, held on 5th Avenue in NYC, as part of a post shoot interview to get their reaction to Mendis Million Dollar bottle. The video is in the process of being edited and will be a few weeks before we have it, but here are a couple of shots from the night.

Big thanks

Last night was the soft launch of Mendis in NYC at the 49 Grove Lounge. The evening involved product tasting along with the photo and video shoot for Mendis new digital media campaign. I firstly have to pass my sincere thanks to Aram for allowing Mendis access to his plush lounge in West Village, without such, the evening would not of been made possible. In addition to Aram, I have many other people to thank for attending and assisting in setting up the evening, though you know whom you all are, as always, I am greatful for your attendance and assistance.

Post analysis, the evening was a great success, with Mendis being sampled neat and also as a cocktail and I’m sure everyone present will vouch just how smooth and mixable Mendis is. We have some amazing video footage shot by an awesome film crew, that we will up loaded to the web, as soon as we are in receipt of it, which will be once it is all edited by the guys.



Chris S. Richardson
President
Mendis International, Inc.

Mendis Coconut Brandy Unveiled at World Premier for Exclusive Tasting

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 30, 2008 -- Mendis International Inc., creator of the world's most expensive bottle of Brandy- the Mendis Million Dollar bottle, announces today the exclusive World Premier tasting of Mendis Coconut Brandy- the world's first Coconut Brandy, at the 49 Grove lounge in NYC on July 31st.

This evening affords the opportunity for a select few to be the first in the U.S. to experience Mendis Coconut Brandy. "Luxury goods are not created overnight, but with passion and dedication combined with a commitment to excellence, Mendis is a product of such standard. It is with the utmost pride that I personally present this exclusive evening of sampling that will set the benchmark in liquid luxury," stated Christopher Richardson, Founder and President of Mendis International, Inc..

About Mendis Coconut Brandy:
Mendis Coconut Brandy is a 100% all-natural clear Brandy distilled from coconut essence. It is matured for a minimum of two years in Halmilla wood casks. Mendis has a subtle taste of coconut with a velvety sweet texture and unmatched smoothness. The product can be experienced neat or on the rocks and offers limitless options for mixing as a clear spirit.

About the Mendis Million Dollar Bottle:
The Mendis Million Dollar bottle is the world's first ultra-premium Coconut Brandy bottle. This exclusive collector's bottle has been signed, dated and numbered by the Founder of the House of Mendis, who founded Mendis back in 1947.

For brand information visit: http://www.mendisbrandy.com

For press enquiries or media event access, please contact:
Cherise Brogdon
Director, Media Relations
cbrogdon@mendisbrandy.com

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