Whiskey Stories: Meet Rachna Hukmani, The First South Asian Woman to Open a Whiskey Company
“I look for the story the whiskey has to tell. That first sip is always the strongest and I take my time with that whiskey letting it breathe.” Meet today’s woman dreamer, Rachna Hukmani, the First South Asian Woman to Found a Whiskey Company, Whiskey Stories LLC. Known for the immersive, multisensory, Whiskey In the Dark® experience, Rachna brings her passion and creativity to all things whiskey: tastings, pairings, and the interesting world of whiskey investing. She shares her dynamic and inspiring journey and advice for young female entrepreneurs.
Photos copyright of Whiskey Stories LLC. Please do not share without permission
What brought you to the world of whiskey initially?
I had just moved to the US from Cyprus on a work visa with a job in advertising but got laid off. I had a month to find another job or leave the country. But I refused to give up. I had been dreaming of moving to the US since I was 5 years old. Literally a few days before my work visa expired I found a job working at an agency with Johnny Walker as my client. It was at that job that something awoke in me. The intricate art form of whisk(e)y, versatile flavor profile, its history and the people behind these legendary whiskies intrigued me. I was hooked. I started to dig deeper into the art form and I loved it. I had found my calling. The rest is history.
That was more than a decade ago and since then I've worked at Pernod Ricard, Edrington and with several whisk(e)y makers to help market existing whiskies and design new ones (I was part of the team that helped design & launch The Macallan 12 Double Cask, Highland Park Magnus, Noble Oak Bourbon, Relativity and more. Such an honor)
You are the first South Asian woman to start a whiskey company. What is it like being a South Asian woman in the whiskey business?
I feel with anything that is unexpected or perhaps a bit niche, one has to create their own path and finetune it as we go along. This is my calling and my passion in life so I always knew at that some point I would branch out on my own. If we can allow our paths to unfold, stay the course and know that we will be fine tuning and that it will not start out perfect but that's okay - then it really doesn't matter if I am a woman in the whiskey industry or the first South Asian woman to start a whiskey company. My desire to be authentic has brought forth people who believe in me, who step up to help me succeed and spread the word about my business, my story and my reason for being. I hope to inspire anyone reading to know that if you pursue your passions, the right people, opportunities and moments will come. The universe has a way of paving the path for us when we are ready. All we have to do is step on it and watch that story unfold. I hope you join me as my Whiskey Story unfolds.
What exactly is Whiskey Stories and how did you come up with the idea?
Photos copyright of Whiskey Stories LLC. Please do not share without permission”
Immersive and Multi-sensory. Whiskey In the Dark®
Whiskey Stories LLC is my Michelin Guide recommended luxury multisensory immersive whiskey tasting company where premium/high end whiskies are paired with music, comedy, storytelling, blindfolds, gourmet chef food courses, sensory elements like our pairings with our whiskey based colognes and more. No two experiences are alike and we sell out months in advance.
I came up with the idea almost 7 years ago at an entrepreneur brainstorming session. I had attended several whiskey tastings by then and always felt there were elements missing to allow people to truly understand whiskey. When people attend a typical whiskey tasting they do not actually get what it means to taste the grain of a whiskey, the different barrel notes and the impact a change in water source/temperature has on whiskey grain and flavor (for e.g Indian whisky is very different from Scotch or Japanese whisky)
So I decided to create just that. A way to truly help people understand whisk(e)y via multisensory elements. At Whiskey Stories experiences I use flavor, fragrance, sight, sound, emotion and more to open people's minds and palates which allows them to tease apart flavors, aromas and more in their whiskey. Even the entertainment like our comedic performance are built in with multisensory elements to help people truly decipher whiskey (I have a sensory science background). People are more likely to retain information this way and also feel like they are part of something special. As a result Whiskey Stories is more than a company, it is a community and our guests often celebrate special occasions with us (birthday, anniversaries, promotions). We are also very popular as high end corporate experiences
What’s your best advice to young female entrepreneurs?
Just go for it. There will be people who don't support you but I believe one of the best things someone can do for us is underestimate us because that contrast sheds light on what we really want. As long as we continue to believe in ourselves, the rest falls into place, including the right company that helps us along the way rather than tell us we can’t do something. So, keep at it and the right avenues of abundance will come along. And ask for help from the right people.
I once heard someone say, ‘If you don’t need help, your vision isn’t big enough.’ So, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just be fussy about who you ask
What do you look for in a good whiskey and what’s your advice to people just starting to appreciate its taste?
“Photos copyright of Whiskey Stories LLC. Please do not share without permission”
In a very simple way, I look for the story the whiskey has to tell. That first sip is always the strongest and I take my time with that whiskey letting it breathe. Allowing your whiskey to sit brings out other flavors and that is where the versatility of whiskey can be experienced. When a particular whiskey is new to me, I try it neat first, let it sit for a bit, then with a splash of water and an ice cube or two to see how all the flavors that particular whiskey will impart so I can decide how I like that whiskey. This is also my advice to people just starting to appreciate whiskey. Take your time with it, spend some time with and you'll see the story it has to share.
Whiskey investing is also an interesting business. Whiskey Stories also offers a program on how to learn to invest in whiskey. Can you tell us a bit more about this?
Very little is known about whiskey investing yet The Macallan is one of the most luxurious whiskies in the world with a rare Macallan expression selling for $1.9 Million at auction last year. Rachna has been personally investing in whiskey/whisky for more than a decade so she wanted to share that knowledge. As one of the first to formalize investing is whiskey/whisky in the US, our Whiskey Stories VIP Whiskey Investment Club not only allow me to share my knowledge and insights on how to invest in whiskey but also create custom individual investment portfolios. Our members have made upto 17X ROI on select whiskies over the past several years.
Your company is in the experience business. How has your business been affected by the pandemic?
Immersive and Multi-sensory. Whiskey In the Dark®
“Photos copyright of Whiskey Stories LLC. Please do not share without permission”
As was the case with any small business in the hospitality industry we had to pivot quickly. We launched our virtual experiences with our proprietary multi sensory in home kits in March 2020 and it has been incredible with us discovering new opportunities nationwide. We are getting booked well into spring of 2021. I also released a line of hand sanitizers to meet market needs and demand, proceeds of which have been used to help at risk communities book services like groceries and prescription pick up so they can stay at home. I also wrote this article on how to pivot in a pandemic as a small business as a way to give back to the community.