Sammy Ibala is the founder of Muse, a RTD (ready to drink) cocktail company that incorporates tequila and gin into their concoctions.
Ibala, a charismatic engineer, could seemingly do anything.
His brain is gifted with an aptitude for math and science, but the Denver native can also work a room, seamlessly floating from one conversation to the next without a hiccup in confidence or competence.
In that sense, he’s different from your average corporate employee, which perhaps explains why he’s attempting this foray into spirits.
“I didn’t want to be one of many,” Ibala reveals as we sit in a brewery, happy-hour descending upon us on a balmy Friday afternoon, the Rocky Mountains simultaneously serving as an exquisite backdrop to our conversation.
“I wanted to push the bar higher.”
In pursuit of excellence, Ibala has crafted Muse, a pre-prepared drink that aims to scintillate the taste buds while also enhancing one’s overall nightlife/event experience.
“This was always something that I saw myself doing, but truthfully, I thought this would happen later in life, once I had become more established,” Ibala admits.
“If I’m good enough, and if my cocktails are as good as I think they are, then the market will dictate that, and call it youthful exuberance, or maybe it’s impatience, but either way, I didn’t want to wait to find out if I could do this thing.”
Like any ambitious entrepreneur, Ibala’s intuition is as much responsible for this undertaking as is any business plan or market research he conducted.
Which is to say, Ibala doesn’t have this entire venture mapped out, but he’s not operating blindly or without monetary support (he’s already secured significant financial backing).
A tequila connoisseur, Ibala recognizes the business element of Muse, but he also understands the history of tequila, and that what makes the alcohol so revered is equal parts taste, equal parts culture.
“If you were to make a tequila that was from a plant that was not from Mexico, then technically you cannot call it tequila. It’s the same thing with champagne, in that it’s not a true champagne unless it comes from France,” Ibala explains.
“Too often culture gets diluted for profit, but because of regulations, culture will be in every sip of tequila that you take, and that’s something that I want to be evident when you drink Muse; not just in terms of taste, but also in providing a high-level experience that you can’t get by drinking any other brand of tequila.”
For context, the name Muse originated in Greek mythology, specifically in reference to the angels of Olympus.
“These angels inspired all of the artists and creatives,” Ibala says.
“This concept of inspiration is important because I want to pay homage to all of the people who inspired me to get to this point. Inspiration is also something that I want to epitomize my brand.”
Cultivating inspiration, as it relates to alcohol, may seem like marketing fodder, but Ibala is tapping into a segment of the population who see a cocktail as more than just an avenue to inebriation.
For those with a more comprehensive palette, and perhaps discretionary income, Muse promises to revolutionize the tequila drinking experience by being the counter to abrasive spirits that require salt and lime to become potable.
“With Muse, the concept of mixology is quite evident,” Ibala says.
That being said, Ibala and Muse are not competing with an industry titan like Patron for tequila supremacy.
Unlike other top-shelf brands, Muse wants to deliver premium flavor, without forcing their clientele to drastically reorganize their budgets.
“As a consumer, you want tequila that is relatively affordable, but you also want it to taste good,” mentions Ibala, before adding that Muse will also feature gin-based recipes as part of its initial rollout package.
“This often gets overlooked, but I also want to capture the market that thinks they don’t like tequila or gin. When someone drinks Muse, I want them to feel that it is a transcendent type of flavor, that the experience of drinking this liquor supersedes what they previously thought about tequila or gin.”
Allowing these aspirations to come to fruition won’t be easy, but Ibala is also not in a rush to see Muse become a nationwide brand.
At least initially, Muse will likely have limited exposure in megastores.
“To ultimately compete at the level I wish to compete at, it would hurt my brand to be in Target or some of the other common spaces,” Ibala believes.
“Rather, the aim is to partner with event venues because I want my brand to be associated with celebration. When someone goes to a wedding, I want them to think of Muse, but when someone goes grocery shopping, I don’t want them to think of Muse.”
His preliminary strategy could be deemed financially nonoptimal by experts in the beverage sphere, but Ibala is not averse to enduring the excruciating labor of niching his brand into a class that, if attained, will likely enable Muse to thrive for years to come.
For comparison, vodka behemoth Grey Goose carries a steep price tag, but the entity also adeptly markets itself in a way that attracts vodka enthusiasts looking for exclusivity.
Muse, while clearly not yet on par with Grey Goose, could still experience that type of growth.
At present, Ibala plans to retail 750 milliliter bottles of Muse for around $30, a price tag that rivals Grey Goose.
“We want someone to look at this bottle and take it seriously. It’s not going to be a bottle that an undergrad picks up to bring to the frat party,” Ibala emphasizes.
Muse’s marketing campaigns will also focus on limelighting other entrepreneurs and creatives whose efforts align with theirs.
“Our social media strategy isn’t going to center around simply selling alcohol,” Ibala notes.
“Working off the theme of inspiration, we think that highlighting key individuals will not only bring awareness to them and what they do, but also indirectly lead to the growth of Muse, and in theory, more sales.”
In the coming years, Ibala would like to see Muse establish itself as a recognized name in the spirits industry.
“Ideally, the reach of Muse will transcend state borders,” he says, but that’s just the beginning of the RTD’s expansion.
“The trajectory of Muse is not linear. It’s not a stretch to one day envision us evolving into traditional liquor or becoming a fashion brand due to having curated a strong enough presence that designers from outside the industry want to partner with Muse.” QS
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