Ask 10 entrepreneurs why they decided to start their own thing, and you’ll get 10 different answers. For Andy Roiniotis, it came down to this: “I got tired of building other people’s brands,” he told Entrepreneur.
In 2019, the Illinois-based entrepreneur fulfilled a dream when he and his wife Isabelle’s Bella Rio Consulting branding firm became the parent company of ROCK’N Vodka, a unique, award-winning spirit made using sugarcane and water sourced from the site of their production in Harvard, Illinois.
While attending an investor meeting for the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Illinois, Roiniotis crossed paths with homegrown music legend Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist and leader of Cheap Trick. Nielsen is known for writing hits like “I Want You to Want Me” and slinging his iconic five-neck guitar, but what isn’t as well known is that he is a savvy business investor, as well. “ I like stuff that doesn’t fail and I like stuff where I don’t have to do any work,” he says with a laugh.
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Roiniotis pitched Nielsen as a partner on ROCK’N Vodka, and Nielsen replied that he would be interested with two conditions: 1. It had to be great, and 2. It needed to create jobs in Illinois. The vodka delivered on both points, and five years later, it has won multiple awards, is distributed in 17 states, Canada, and Europe in over 2,400 locations including Walmart, Costco, and Total Wine, and is offered in iconic venues like Hard Rock Casinos, Rock & Brews, and the NOW Arena.
The fact that it is made from sugarcane and has a rock star icon as one of its primary owners isn’t the only thing unique about this brand. Fans of ROCK’N Vodka are not only able to imbibe it, but they can also invest in it. To date, the company has raised $2.4+ million with over 1,600 investors.
Entrepreneur spoke with Roiniotis and Nielsen about their brand’s beginning, growth and future outlook. You can watch the entire conversation in this video (it is equal parts informative and hilarious), and read highlights below, which have been edited for length and clarity.
Entrepreneur: What makes ROCK’N different?
Andy Roiniotis: Well, there are a lot of vodkas out there and most are made out of corn, potatoes, or wheat. There are very, very few sugarcane vodkas in the world. We’re non-GMO, gluten-free and distilled four times — the result is a smooth finish with a nice sweet taste to it. We were born in Rockford, Illinois, and then we moved production to Harvard, Illinois, where we source our water.
Rick, has vodka been a big part of your rock ‘n’ roll life?
Rick Nielsen: I’ll tell you a story. We were the opening act for Queen for two shows in 1977, before our first record came out. They heard our stuff and liked it. So I got invited by Roger Taylor, the drummer from Queen, to his house in England. We went out to a place called Nikita’s, which was a frozen vodka establishment. And then…that’s the last I can remember. [Laughs]
You’ve done a lot of in-store appearances — how do Cheap Trick fans compare to ROCK’N Vodka fans?
AR: Almost every bottle signing that we’ve done has been a sellout. We’ve done everything from Costco and grocery stores to Hard Rock casinos across the country. They bought 4,000 bottles at the Hard Rock Tampa and 3,000 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood. Sometimes people show up for the vodka, sometimes for Rick Nielsen, or both.
RN: I treat everybody equally awful. [Laughs] And my handwriting is just as awful. I tell people when I sign the bottle, “Don’t worry — I can’t read it either.” And these are our fans and our investors.
Tell us a little bit about this unique investor setup you have.
AR: We have over 1,600 investors in our company. The minimum investment right now is about $320. Anyone can learn about it at invest.rockvodkas.com. There are about 650,000 shares left. We originally started with 2 million. It’s all regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission through the Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF). You can invest until around June or when the shares are sold out.
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You’ve branched out from vodka. Can you tell us about that?
AR: We did a joint venture with Kennay Farms Distilling. And not only do we get to sell their products, their gin, and their whiskey, but they have over 3,000 aging barrels. So we were also able to create our own bourbon. And we’re letting fans help us name it on our website. Right now, Five Neck Bourbon is one of the top choices. That’s obviously an ode to Rick’s legendary five-neck guitar.
RN: Carrying that damn guitar around made me two inches shorter. [Laughs]
Credit: ROCK’N Vodka
What’s your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?
AR: My job is a puzzle maker, right? I have all these puzzle pieces that Rick Nielsen throws at me. Celebrities, venues, all of these connections. We all have connections like that that may seem random, but you put them together. If you don’t play your cards right and utilize those puzzle pieces, you’re never going to go anywhere.
RN: My advice is, don’t give up. Don’t listen to the naysayers because everybody’s gonna tell you it’s a stupid idea. I started playing guitar and never gave up. Now I’m too old and too dumb to quit! And write your ideas down. I write everything down and hold onto every scrap of paper. I’ve written songs where I didn’t have the right bridge part till 20 years later. That’s what happened with “Dream Police.” Hold onto everything, you might be able to piece them together ages later. I’ve had more bad ideas than good ones, but I’ve had a lot of ideas.
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