Berish: HK perfect market for ‘affordable luxury’

The CEO of Sovereign Brands Brett Berish believes that the Hong Kong market is ripe for his range of French sparklers, Luc Belaire, which he recently launched in the city.

CE O of Sovereign Brands, Brett Berish

“Years ago, the Hong Kong market was purely label-driven,” said Berish. “It has always been high-end but because people’s knowledge is growing regarding other brands, they become more adventurous and so, it’s up to companies and people like us to plant that seed and educate them on other premium labels they may like.”

Berish’s range of French sparkling wine – Luc Belaire made in Provence and includes a rose and ‘gold’ brut – is only available in Hong Kong’s top-end nightclubs and bars and includes the glowing ‘Fantôme’ editions which feature light-up labels at the press of a button.

“Nightclubs only do premium spirits and premium Champagne,” said Berish. “And I like to think of Belaire being ‘affordable French luxury’ by the glass or bottle that can compete with the big name Champagne brands but at a different price point. You won’t find Cava or Prosecco in nightclubs. Also I’ve been surprised by the growing popularity of bubbles in Hong Kong. It’s no longer celebration-dependent. People pop open bottles for all sorts of reasons.”

Berish was the brainchild behind the Armand de Brignac “Ace of Spades” Champagne brand, which he developed before the rapper Jay Z bought it for an undisclosed sum in late 2014.

When asked if he had created the premium Champagne brand (which sold for $300 a bottle) with celebrity endorsement in mind, Berish said: “It was my brand. My motto is that we never create anything to sell it – it was like selling a child! – it was totally unexpected [Jay Z’s purchase] but he was so passionate about it so I don’t have any regrets from that time, none at all.”

Berish has now turned his attention to his new venture which is a craft rum, ‘Bumbu’ which he has developed with his brother and business partner, Brian.

It purports to be a revival of an ancient West Indian spiced rum recipe where ‘Bumbu’ was the term given by visiting sailors to the local rum which was mixed with fruits and spices and is blended in Barbados but created from sugarcane from eight different countries, including Belize, Costa Rica, El Savador and Honduras.

It has just been released in Hong Kong, neatly in time for the upcoming Rum Festival.

Berish is upbeat about Bumbu’s launch and describes it as, “10 years in the making. A very personal project of ours. We’ve poured our hearts and soul into this.

“Sugarcane is also like wine in that it’s terroir-driven. Sugarcane in Honduras tastes like cinnamon whereas from Barbados it has notes more like banana. I’ve never had more fun in creating a brand. Rum is probably one of the most exciting spirits categories at the moment.”