Babco, founded 11 years ago, is an international brand company that wholly owns the intellectual properties, formulas and rights to brands. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, the company has a portfolio of five brands, the fifth is slated to launch this year in Europe—Beaux Jangles Iced Tea Vodka.

The company may most notably be known overseas for its Mickey Finn Apple Liquor, made with 22 apples in every bottle. Another buzz-worthy brand in the portfolio is Agwa de Bolivia Coca Leaf Liquor, which is described as a 100 percent natural herbal coca leaf spirit that is macerated, distilled and blended in Holland from Bolivian coca leaf and is compliant with EU and US FDA certification. The brand officially launched in the United States in 2008 and with the help of a new import company,

Babco Imports, and Des Moines, Iowa-based CDS Global, which acts as a fulfillment center for the company’s flow goods, Wilson plans to gain some momentum with Agwa this year. The brand retails for about $30.

“We’ve got a brand that really performs well in the shot category whether it’s a Bolivian Kiss with a bite of lime and shot of Agwa, or with some lime powder. We do well in a bomb or a blaster, and I think the most important thing in terms of the potential of a brand like Agwa, is mixability. The coca leaf mixes with anything,” he says.

The two newest additions to the portfolio that are on the market are Bad Angel, a frappe liqueur in wild acai berry and wild strawberry (in Europe), and Cola Cubed Botanical Rum Liquor (also available in cherry and bubble gum in Europe). Wilson plans to introduce the brands in the US at this year’s Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. convention and exposition.

“Bad Angel is about women being bold when they go out on a Friday and Saturday night,” he says. “This is a brand that we marketed and developed with a number of ladies working in the organization, so it’s developed by women for women.”

This frappe liqueur is purple in color and when whipped in a glass, doubles in size, says Wilson. Aside from the theatrics of the brand, the cream liqueur offers female consumers a lighter alternative at 78 calories per serving.

Some might say launching three brands in one year’s time is ambitious, especially in a recession. Wilson disagrees. “I think the recession is a tremendous opportunity for smaller companies and for new ideas,” he says, “because the same old is not going to deliver the same sort of business growth and profitability anymore.”

From Beverage World February 15, 2010