Casa Komos Beverage Group: Distilling Community

Two years ago, Richard Betts, entrepreneur and all-around amazing human, partnered with our very own Joe Marchese to create Casa Komos Beverage Group — a new beverage company focused on creating one-of-a-kind spirits and products. Now, the first two of those products are hitting the market, say hello to Superbird and Komos!

Food and spirits are the cornerstones of building community. As far as history goes back, that has been the case. No one knows this better than Richard Betts. Richard has spent his career as a skilled entrepreneur in the spirits world. But his accolades are not what sets him apart from the rest. Richard’s love of bringing people together has translated into transformative experiences and products in the spirits world. He brings people along for the journey, allowing them to become experts and fully immersed in the story behind the beverage they are enjoying.

“I’m a big believer in doing what you love,” Richard shared. “For me, this means two things: making delicious drinks and sharing them with people. If our creations make you smile then we’ve done good work.”

When Joe and Richard met, they connected over their mutual appreciation for the community that food and spirits bring together. They became fast friends who had a lot of respect for each other’s craftsmanship. They spoke about working together for years, and one day on Richard’s roof in Amsterdam, they shook hands and decided to start Casa Komos Beverage Group. Richard has extensive international experience in developing established and emerging brands in high growth markets. He previously founded and exited spirits brands Sombra Mezcal and Astral Tequila, and the wine companies Betts & Scholl and Scarpetta. In the spring of 2003, Richard passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Masters Exam on the first attempt, the ninth person ever to do so. He recently resigned from the Court of Sommeliers. Joe is a widely recognized leader in the media and technology industries and was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement in 2016. Joe’s experience as a multiple-time founder and media executive has led to his obsession with building transformative brands in new media environments.

“The brands that we’re bringing to life are special in as much as they each fit a specific need that may not yet be recognized or compete in an underserved segment of the market,” Richard shared. “Furthermore, each brand stands alone as it’s own company allowing it to both exist and pivot as best suits its needs while still taking advantage of the overarching support structure of CKBG.”

All of CKBG’s spirits are made with the highest quality, pure ingredients, which is evident in their first two beverages: Superbird and Komos.

Superbird: CKBG is the first beverage company to put the same quality cocktail that you would drink at the best bars and restaurants in the world in a can. A recipe that took six years of research and development to perfect, the cocktail contains 100% blue agave tequila, grapefruit juice, agave nectar, and sparkling water in a conveniently packaged 12 oz can. Superbird is available to order to the following states: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IN, LA, ME, MN, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, OH, RI, and SC.

Komos: Komos is a completely unique expression of the very best Tequila can be. Komos is made with a unique five step process. First, they make great tequila in the namesake town from agave of perfect ripeness from both the highlands and the lowlands for complexity. Then, the tequila is aged in only the finest wine barrels for twelve months. Next, the tequila is refined again removing any impurities. From here, the tequila is rested in the ancient Greek amphorae which makes it even more smooth. Komos is packaged in handmade ceramic bottles recalling Greek ceramic traditions in a modern expression. Komos is now available to pre-order with limited quantities available.

“I couldn’t be more excited about CKBG and the opportunity to partner with Joe, Heather, and Human Ventures,” Richard said. “We’ve brought together an especially talented and thoughtful group of complementary skill sets which allow us to innovate in the beverage space and bring these new brands to life in unique ways leveraging all of our various strengths. It goes beyond the traditional because we leverage skills sets from so many different areas.”

Until now, Human had not focused directly on spirits in our studio or fund. However, Casa Komos Beverage Group is a perfect example of what it means to build with a great human, who is phenomenal in their field and we know will do it the right way. We partner with founders who have unique experience and a deep passion for what they are building. Richard brings passion, experience, and a keen focus on creating products that bring people together. He cares deeply about focusing on the history and origin of the spirits he creates, carefully ensuring that they are representative of the region and culture and sustainably produced.