Co-founder and creator of Jon BasÍl puts new twist on popular summer drink
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There's a new twist to this summer's most popular drink. And Uduimoh Umolu is the man behind it.
Umolu is the co-founder and creator of Chicago-based Tequila brand Jon BasÍl. We met at Soho House in the West Loop to check out his version of the espresso martini, where the vodka is replaced with his brand of tequila.
"So with the espresso martini, we were trying to find a way to really elevate it as well and to really make it our own," said Umolu.
"Jon BasÍl is one of the first multicultural millennial-owned and operated spirits brands in the world, but definitely the first tequila brand," said Umolu.
With a name still in the works, this espresso martini is made with another local treat: Monday Coffee– sourced from Michigan, brewed, and bottled in Chicago.
"So this is a Black-owned coffee brand and it's called Monday Coffee…we approached them, and we wanted to do a collaboration on and spin on our espresso martini," said Umolu.
The drink is set to drop next month, but as of now you can get Jon BasÍl at most grocery stores or order it at bars around the city.
"With tequila, it's very similar to champagne or like cognac. So it needs to come from a specific region. So our tequila comes from Tequila, Jalisco. But no one really realizes that Tequila, Jalisco, is a space. Even like here, people think Tequila is just the spirit. But it's this community. It's rich. The tradition has been passed down from generation to generation," said Umolu.
"I really identify with the spirit just because of like, some of those alignments. It's very similar to my culture. So being of West African descent, we're all about tradition. You know, it was really important for when we were getting into the spirit space to have a spirit that could align and represent and that we can really identify with culturally," said Umolu.
He says it wasn't easy getting the now nearly 4-year-old company from being just an idea to an actual product.
"I think in any business, especially the spirits business, especially launching in Chicago, it's very heavily relationship based. You have to build those relationships. It doesn't really happen overnight. I really started to do the education and enter the space. So I started doing multicultural marketing for some of the larger houses that, you know, have a lot of these relationships that you can just really understand and see how certain things work," said Umolu.
"So some came from that, some came from, you know, just being in the community, actively doing events, creating experiences. The name itself, Jon BasÍl, and where that comes from. John is my grandfather's name and Brazil is the name of the person who made it possible for my dad to come to school in the States. And it was very authentic to who we were and what we were trying to do and who we were specifically speaking to," said Umolu.
As the brand grows, Umolu aims for both his tequila and his espresso martini to become classic Chicago staples.
