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www.HartfordBusiness.com • June 18, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 5 14 Bobala Road 3rd Floor Holyoke, MA 01040 Tel: 413.536.3970 www.WAdvising.com Headquarters 280 Trumbull St 24th Floor Hartford, CT 06103 Tel: 860.522.3111 One Hamden Center 2319 Whitney Ave, Suite 2A Hamden, CT 06518 Tel: 203.397.2525 The majority of the new tax provisions begin in 2018. These changes will have a dramatic effect on both individual and corporate tax rates. Early planning can help identify opportunities to manage your tax liability. Contact a Whittlesey advisor. Start planning today. 860.522.3111 Tax Reform Impacts Everyone ASSURANCE | ADVISORY | TAX | TECHNOLOGY Millennials kick-start sales of W. Hartford's Bellis Bourbon By Joe Cooper jcooper@HartfordBusiness.com L ongtime friends Mike Bellis and Colin Santacroce are out to prove that family and busi- ness do mix. The friends of 14 years began June 11 selling their American whiskey as own- ers of West Hartford's Bellis Bourbon. They are shipping their booze to 60-plus stores and restaurants between Stam- ford and Manchester, including five establishments in West Hartford. Bellis, 28, and Santacroce, 29, say more bottles will soon hit shelves as the owners continue inking deals with more liquor distributors across Connecticut. Bellis Bourbon's ascent is a family effort, the owners said. The partners are getting legal and web development advice from Mike's father and brother (Steve and Matt) and social media and marketing support from his soon-to-be brother-in-law, Matt Paolini. Santacroce, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, said the company's launch was the culmi- nation of a year's worth of hustling through a seven-day workweek. "We are selling Bourbon that is aged off of a friendship that involves close family," the Westport resident said. "We share a mutual love for bourbon and knew we had a chance to do some- thing to introduce it to as many people as possible." The fledgling company currently handles business operations at Bellis's West Hartford home, with its prod- uct distributed from a warehouse in Southbury. Its bourbon, meantime, is produced and initially distilled in Indiana. Bellis Bourbon, the owners say, offers a smoother finish compared to other barrel-aged whiskeys because it is distilled for a second time in Califor- nia before it is bottled in Missouri and shipped to Connecticut. The cross-country exchange, known as product sourcing, is a common technique for entrepreneurs to break into the liquor industry, the owners said, reflecting on their commitments to long-term whiskey sales. Shared passions The friends forged a close bond through sports during their freshman year at Hopkins School in New Haven before Bellis became an actuary for a Fortune 500 company in downtown Hartford and Santacroce served two combat tours in Afghanistan. Santacroce pitched the idea of start- ing a bourbon company to Bellis in July 2017. They devised a plan to begin selling their own bourbon, the nation's fastest- growing brown liquor market, within the next year. Santacroce, a bartender nearing a December graduation from Syracuse University's ROTC program, noticed that bourbon lovers reach for brands with appealing bottles, logos and overall packaging, especially when buying gifts. The friends are now awaiting pat- ent approval on their barrelled bottle combination, which features a rustic barn and abutting silo canvassed with an American flag, an ode to U.S. military veterans. Looking for business in March, the owners identified 550 liquor stores across the state before beginning advanced sales on May 21. On June 11, Bellis Bourbon began selling to more than 60 stores and restaurants and it has pending agreements with down- town Hartford restaurants. Santacroce, the company's head of sales and marketing, said the process has left him feeling nostalgic about his home state. "It has been one of the best times of my life going through Connecticut, our home state, and meeting really great people who want to talk about the product," he said. And with more sales, others will prosper. Bellis Bourbon will help plant a tree with Vermont-based nonprofit One Tree Planted for every case of whiskey sold. Land conservation is crucial to the own- ers, who kept lettering off their packag- ing to encourage repurposing. Bellis Bourbon has begun selling its booze to over 60 stores and restaurants. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED