It is no surprise that whiskey and other spirits are commonly thought of as beverages made for men, a perception frequently reinforced through marketing campaigns that target male consumers. However, the reality is that the demographics of spirits drinkers have shifted over time, with women making up 30% of whiskey drinkers in the United States. California natives and twin sisters, Alexandra and Samantha Blatteis, have made it their mission to capitalize on these changing demographics with their venture, Home Base Spirits.

As a whiskey enthusiast and generally curious person, Alexandra felt frustrated when her efforts to learn more about the spirits she loved were not taken seriously. As Alexandra struggled to discover more about spirits, her sister Samantha was learning through her work with farmers how people enjoy supporting their local communities, economies, and the environment by buying local products. The sisters decided to combine their experiences to meet the needs of an untapped market, which lacked clarity and was ripe with opportunity. Home Base Spirits, which launched in 2017, is the Californian spirits company that is inclusive, ecologically friendly, and growing quickly. 

“We started Home Base to make delicious spirits approachable by being transparent and environmentally friendly,” said Alexandra. “We invite people to connect with their spirits by celebrating the ecologically farmed ingredients used to make our spirits from scratch.”

To ensure that all of the ingredients that go into their selection of spirits are environmentally friendly, the sisters have partnered with farmers and distillers whose products are top quality and sustainably sourced. The sisters also take pride in their relationships with the bar owners and retail shop managers that purchase their products. 

“We do all of the sales ourselves and we have relationships with the bar owners, the bartenders, the retail shop managers.” Samantha said. “They love our story, they love the way our product tastes, they like our uniqueness.” 

Home Base Spirits has grown an average of 37% each year since their launch. Despite bar and restaurant closures, the sisters’ venture is on track to double revenue in 2021. While they continue to expand their market, they hope to get their community even further involved in the consumption of spirits. They plan to launch a distillery and tasting room in their home base of the Bay Area, where their consumers can taste the spirits, learn more about them, and foster a community of like-minded spirit enthusiasts.

“We want our community to have the fun and educational experience drinking spirits that we wish had been available to us,” said Alexandra.

As one of the 12 companies in the inaugural Georgetown Startup Accelerator (GSA), the Home Base Spirits team is working hard to expand their business and to ensure that everyone feels welcome when drinking their products. Learn more about Home Base Spirits.