By MIMI BECKER

ROTARY CLUB

Danville is fast becoming a part of the growing distilled spirits industry.  Zachary and Tom Baeker presented an overview of their developing products to the Rotary Club of Danville.

AmBraBev, which derives its name from American Brazilian Beverage, launched its first two products in January 2015.  Soon they will have up to eight products in 16 markets across the U.S., with the headquarters and primary operations housed in Danville.

The journey began when Baeker’s daughter, Jordan, served as a volunteer in one of the neediest areas of Brazil. While there, she became immersed in the culture of the country which was a blend of native and European elements. Eventually, she married and it was the trip to her wedding which introduced her family to the drink which would change their plans for the future.

One distinctly Brazilian product is a beverage called Cachaça, which is distilled entirely from local sugar cane. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugar cane. Cachaça is the third most consumed beverage in the world by volume.Records indicate it was first developed in 1532, making it one of the oldest distilled spirits in the world.

AmBraBev combines the Brazilian sugar cane product with their own processes to create and distribute the Cachaça and a sugar cane based vodka. The Baekers have designed and constructed a new 10,000-square foot facility on the Danville bypass to house their complete operations, including a tap room and gift shop. Tours will be offered to educate visitors in the process and the operations.

The AmBraBev line of products is based on the careful selection of ingredients and processes from the hand harvesting of the cane in Brazil to the design of the bottles and packaging in Danville. The Baekers brought the American parts of the process to Danville under one roof to assure the integrity and control of the finished product. When fully operational, the Danville facility will have up to 10 employees, with the capacity to expand the beverage line to include a cane based gin.   

The new building is distinctively designed and decorated with symbols representing the operations painted on the exterior wall visible from the bypass.

AmBraBev produced 3,880 cases of beverage in 2016.  The Baekers project 2018 will see the production and distribution of 20,000 cases of their signature lines, all from the facility in Danville.