INVEST IN CUENTACUENTOS TODAY!
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$258,524.39 Raised
Reasons to Invest
Growth Potential: The mezcal market is expected to exceed $1B by 2025. It is already the fastest growing sector in alcohol five years running.
Experienced Team: We are a team of experienced entrepreneurs and industry veterans with multiple successes under our belts. Our marketing team famously developed Hangar One Vodka and sold it to Proximo (makers of 1800 Tequila).
Support the Little Guy: Our brand offers exceptional agave spirits while empowering the people who create them.
Overview
Cultivating Spirits and Cultural Heritage by Empowering Rural Latin America
We believe Cuentacuentos is considered by industry insiders to be a definitive, authentic brand and the families we work with have all prospered under our label. Cuentacuentos sells at the top of the market, ensuring outstanding quality and fair margins all the way up the supply chain without cutting corners and yes, without celebrities.
We pride ourselves in producing authentic agave spirits with the help of the people who have been making them for the last 400 years. (Source)
Cuentacuentos was born from our founder Read Spear's desire to help small businesses in rural Latin America. Read then spent three years traveling through the Oaxaca countryside, learning about mezcal, its production, the economic abilities and limitations of the families who make it, and what they needed to build their businesses. He then settled on about half a dozen families that saw the vision of a brand under which they could sell their products, build their small family companies, and prosper. Our business ethic is our sales pitch: we expand by adding more small family producers. We will add three new families in 2022. Save mezcal by buying ethically.
Today, Read regularly gets requests from families having heard about Cuentacuentos and wanting to be part of the Cuentacuentos family of producers. From these people, Cuentacuentos brings to you the quality mezcals, from the most motivated families.
The Problem
The Marketplace is Increasingly Anonymizing and Commoditizing Mezcal
Mezcal has been made in small batches by family producers for over 400 years. The new excitement and demand for mezcal is distorting production methods and threatening the economic wellbeing of small producers, who are being replaced by wealthier investment groups.
Image of what a typical Tequila production factory looks like, and why Tequila brands don't show off their methods.
The large production facilities that these investment groups create are diminishing the quality of mezcal on a massive scale, which contributes to the tasteless, nameless, and environmentally destructive product that Tequila has become. (Source)
The Solution
Quality Agave Spirits Produced by the People who Know Mezcal
Our company has spent years doing the work necessary to develop a platform that allows us to meet market demands without distorting production methods, or promoting watered-down, compromised products. How are we able to meet the demand for excellent quality products? By helping small producers grow their family businesses, and by adding new family producers – people who have been making mezcal for generations.
Cuentacuentos does not set prices for our products, our producers do. We put these numbers into our price calculator and charge the consumer accordingly. Typically, our products land between $70 and $120 MSRP per bottle. ( Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source)
Cuentacuentos builds up the local communities we work with by lending to the producers who want to expand, and then getting paid back in mezcal which we believe to be a unique aspect about our business model. Our goal is to empower the families we work with by letting them make their own growth and development decisions. We believe that this is the best way to preserve the traditional methods, quality, and variety of agave distillates that aficionados want.
In short, we curate for quality, but we do our best to stay out of the way of tradition. Our marketplace wager is that people who love agave distillates will pay for quality and authenticity. So far, we have been proven correct in our assumption.
Our products:
- Ángel Cruz Calvo Coyote, A. Americana var. oaxacensis (Core expression)
- Ángel Cruz Calvo Tobalá S, A. Seemanniana (Core expression)
- Ángel Cruz Robles Arroqueño, A. Americana (Core expression)
- Ángel Cruz Robles Coyote, A. Americana var. oaxacensis (Core expression)
- Ángel Cruz Robles Espadín, A. Angustifolia (Core expression)
- Ángel Cruz Robles Tobalá S, A. Seemanniana (Core expression)
- Daniel Leon Tobalá, A. Potatorum (Guest expression)
- David Pérez Tobalá, A. Potatorum (Guest expression)
- El Barro 1L Espadín, A. Angustifolia (Core expression)
- Alejandrina Aragon Hernández Tepeztate, A. Marmorata (Periodic expression)
- Abel García Madrecuish, A. Karwinskii (Core expression)
- Abel García Tepeztate, A. Marmorata (Core expression)
- Abel García Tobalá, A. Potatorum (Core expression)
- Fausto, Darwin, and Daniel de Los Ángeles Coyote, A. Lyobaa (NEW, coming soon)
- Francisco Frutoso González Tobalá, A. Potatorum (Guest expression)
- Juan Rey Arroqueño 60% ABV, A. Americana (Guest expression)
- Laurentino Santos Martínez Mexicano, A. Rhodacantha (NEW Core expression)
- Maximiliano Serafín García Gerónimo Cuishe, A. Karwinskii (Core expression)
- Maximiliano Serafín García Gerónimo Espadín, A. Angustifolia (Core expression)
- Maximiliano Serafín García Gerónimo Tepeztate, A. Marmorata (Core expression)
- Maximiliano Serafín García Gerónimo Tobalá, A. Potatorum (Core expression)
- Miguel Ángel Cruz Rios Arroqueño, A. Americana (Core expression)
- Miguel Ángel Cruz Rios Espadín, A. angustifolia (Core expression)
- Thomas Jaime Gonzalez Ramírez Arroqueño, A. Americana (Guest expression)
- Thomas Jaime Gonzalez Ramírez Espadín, A. Angustifolia (Guest expression)
- Thomas Jaime Gonzalez Ramírez Sierra Negra, A. Americana (Guest expression)
- Antonio Sonido Papaolte, A. Cupreata (Guest expression; Guerrero Series)
- Tomás Gutiérrez Papalote 11 year in-vidrio, A. Cupreata (Guest expression; Guerrero Series)
- Benigno Sánchez Gatica Papalote 2 yr capón, A. Cupreata (Guest expression, Guerrero series)
- Tso'ok Rum Sugar cane juice aguardiente (Core expression)
El Barro - a 46% ABV, clay-finished agave spirit that is available to bars in batches of 30 liters (5 x 6-ltr case) with their name and logo on the back label.
El Barro is fundamentally different from the other expressions. The concept with this product was to offer a low-cost “house mezcal” that disrupts brands whose business model is to chase costs to the bottom (38 ABV watery mezcal). We wanted a product that forced cheaply made brands to change business practices back to authentic methods or at least higher ABV.
Tso'ok Rum - Recently launched, a cane juice aguardiente from the Sierra Mixe region of Oaxaca
Our Agave spirits check every box a conscientious consumer requires:
- Transparency
- Connection to the maker
- Craft ethos that preserves tradition
- Support for the little guy
- Plan for social good
- Outstanding quality
Our traction
What We've Accomplished
Agave tastemakers and aficionados are already aware of and love Cuentacuentos. We've earned $256,000 in 2021 sales despite the damage done by the pandemic to the food and beverage industry, while establishing a marketing partnership with the people who created the famous Mezcalero brand, and have already developed the well-known mezcal brands, Alipus, and Los Danzantes, as well as Las Perlas raicilla. These people were fundamental to the success of Hangar One vodka and Germain-Robin brandy.
The market
Spirits are High
According to Jake Emen of the SevenFifty Daily, within the past five years, “...every major spirits industry player has waded into mezcal’s smoky waters.”
He continues as follows:
“The way the industry’s top producers are laying the foundation for sustainable growth today—or not—will go a long way towards determining the fate of the product and its producers, along with the relative quality and authenticity of what consumers are purchasing in the next decade and beyond.”
–“Overcoming the Risks of Mezcal’s Huge Growth”
Analyst predictions vary, but two things they all agree on is that the market is big, and is expected to grow. Here are a few predictions from our trusted industry sources: The global premium spirit market size was valued at USD $107.74B in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% 2020 to 2027. ( Source, Source)
More specifically, the mezcal market, estimated to be $387.10M as of 2020, is poised to grow to $1.06B by 2025, progressing at a CAGR of about 22% ( Source)
U.S. Mezcal sales by volume grew 24.8 percent in 2019 and 14.5 percent in 2020, and is forecasted to sustain a 10.5 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2021 and 2025. (Source) Mezcal’s 2016-20 CAGR of close to +30% is 2.5 times that of Tequila. (Source)
Anyone can establish a brand of mezcal or tequila, but not every brand succeeds. The agave spirits consumer wants transparency, information, ethical business practices, and to know that the producers have a stake. They want the business owner to be involved with the producers – we provide all of this.
Agave spirits offer a connection to tradition in a marketplace that is increasingly anonymizing and commoditizing; simply put, it is the anti-Tequila. Hand-crafted agave spirits offer the hope that globalization is not all bad.
Why invest
For the Storytellers and the Good Mezcal
We are getting quality mezcal to the shelves, and in powerful placements, by empowering rural families in Latin America to produce their products with tradition, heritage, and passion. In the same spirit, we want to stimulate the development for the everyday investor in the United States.
And regarding storytellers, our label art, by up-and-coming Oaxacan artist, Cesar Ruiz Conseco, tells the story of how old man tlacuache (opossom), of all the human-animal allies, was able to outsmart the demons to steal the tools of the fiesta: mezcal, fire, and tobacco. The tlacuache is revered as a figure who represents the cunning and generosity of the native Mexican people and is featured as Cuentacuentos' logo.
If you feel like you connect to our mission and believe that agave spirits have a future rooted in quality and ethical production, we want you with us.
We are all, in the end, the narrators of our own lives—storytellers. Cuentacuentos.
Mezcal brings people together, stories make us friends.
ABOUT
HEADQUARTERS
233 Pratt St.
Longmont, CO 80501
WEBSITE
View Site
We promote and distribute small-batch traditional mezcal by creating a platform to bring numerous small, family producers together under one brand. Since launching in the US in late 2018, Cuentacuentos, which has a portfolio of over two dozen revolving expressions, has placements in some of the nation’s finest retailers, restaurants, and bars.
TEAM
Read Spear
Director and President
From 2008 to 2020, Mr. Spear worked in various enterprises within the burgeoning medical and adult use cannabis arenas. Following the sale of his dispensary and cultivation operation in Lyons, CO in 2013, as RS Consulting, Inc, Mr. Spear began doing business consulting work with private investment groups seeking licensure in states around the US as those states added legal cannabis programs. Mr. Spear worked with groups entering nearly every state in the US that has announced a cannabis program, helping them comprehend and accommodate the extreme level of regulatory scrutiny in this arena. Mr. Spear used the proceeds from his business consulting activity to fund Origen Imports, LLC (now Origen Imports, Inc) in May of 2015.
Mr. Spear earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree (cum laude) in Philosophy at The Pennsylvania State University in 1992, and his Master of Arts in Philosophy (cum laude) at Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost in 1994. Early success in business has led Mr. Spear to want to help people who otherwise would have no access to US markets.
Christopher Stevens
Advisor
In 2008, Mr. Stevens began work at Craft Distillers as a Regional Sales Manager. At Craft he moved from a six-state territory to a twelve-state territory, and is now the Director of Sales for all of the US. At Craft, Chris has developed working relationships with nearly all of the main US distributors including Republic National Distribution Company, Breakthru Beverage, Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, Johnson Brothers, Major Brands, Tenzing, Favorite Brands, Standard Beverage, Quench, Vin Sauvage, A. Bommarito, and Pinnacle.
Mr. Stevens is responsible for beverage programming (brand positioning, pricing, placement, and logistics) of approximately 75 SKUs through their distribution chain of 14 national distributors. Mr. Stevens’ relationships, developed over decades, are the key to his success in this industry.
Mr. Stevens earned his Bachelor of Science (cum laude) in Psychology at the University of Houston. Chris works on a contract basis for Cuentacuentos approximately 16 hours per week.
Alan Lara
Gerente de Operaciónes
Carlos Mendez
Director de Operaciónes
In 2011, following the untilmely death of his father, he took direction of the family mezcal business, later launching his mezcal packaging plant, offering production and packaging services to his clients, as well as establishing agave plantations in many different regions of Oaxaca.
In 2018, he built his second distillery and in 2019, he built one more distillery. He has recently ventured into the rum industry, working again with small producers and selling under the TSO'OK brand.
He is currently the director of the company Productores del Buen Agave SA de CV and of MFM Productores SAPI de CV mezcal company, focused on the production of maguey (agave), mezcal production, packaging, and export.
Carlos works on a contract basis for Cuentacuentos approximately 4 hours per week.
Steven Adelkoff, Esquire
Director, Consultant, and Legal Counsel
After spending the first 20 years of his career (first as an associate and then equity partner) for the global law firm K&L Gates, Mr. Adelkoff helped run diverse businesses from Shariah compliant hedge funds to an international developer of power projects. Today, he acts as the Chief Compliance and Legal Officer for Fairwinds International Bank, LLC (located in Puerto Rico), manages all investment activities for a family office and is an active private equity investor.
Mr. Adelkoff earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (where he graduated Magna Cum Laude), his Master of Business Administration degree from Cornell University – The Johnson School of Management, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University. A Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Mr. Adelkoff also holds the Series 7, Series 63 and Series 24 broker dealer licenses. He is also a certified anti-money laundering specialist. His favorite activity is teaching graduate students at Rutgers University and Point Park University, where his academic interests lie in international business ethics, behavioral economics, social entrepreneurship, and decision analysis.
Steven works on a contract basis for Cuentacuentos approximately 4 hours per week.
Sandra Luquin
México Counsel
Sandra has more than 20 years’ experience in business operations across a number of countries. She founded and ran two businesses from the Netherlands: Mexican Cooking and Taco Gallery. These companies brought authentic Mexican cuisine and beverage events to the Dutch, French, Belgium, UK and Irish markets. Events included tequila tasting, food pairing, cooking workshops and vibrant Mexican parties.
Sandra studied law in Mexico, where she practices today. Sandra works on a contract basis for Cuentacuentos approximately 4 hours per week.
Blanca Esther Salvador Martínez
México Counsel
Professionally, she is expert in international comerce law, specificaly with respect to TLCAN (NAFTA), antidumping and subsides, and she has worked under the Ministery of Economy. Other areas of specialty include exportations and domestic comerce (Oaxaca State Goverment); foreign investment, mezcal exportation, international contracts, intellectual property; and academic development and research.
Dra. Salvador is the founder of Institute of Institute of International Research and Studies, Civil Asociation (https://iinvei.org/) which studies human rights, women's rights, gender equity, and publishes on research and cultural activities.
She has been a Professor of university of international commerce, law and marketing at UNAM, Anáhuac University, ITAM, and anothers universities in México.
Dra. Salvador is the author of several articles and books, including, "El ABC del Negocio de Mezcal" (The ABCs of the Mezcal Business). Blanca works on a contract basis for Cuentacuentos approximately 8 hours per week.
Ansley Coale
Director
In 2002, working with Jorg Rupf of St. George Spirits, Ansley helped create the vodka brand Hangar One, and, a year later, founded the marketing company Craft Distillers. At Craft, Mr. Coale developed an innovative model of marketing that stressed the details of production and the people making the product, using the story of production to replace the traditional “push” method of sales, focusing on the trade itself as the route to the consumer.
In 2004, working with Destileria Los Danzantes of Oaxaca, Ansley brought mezcal to the USA at a time when the category was scarcely known. In 2009, he created the brand Mezcalero, the first mezcal to focus on single-batch production and on wild agaves, and in 2010 took on Mezcal Alipus, which now has twice placed No. 2 on lists of brands preferred by bartenders.
In 2010, Mr. Coale used the proceeds from his sale of Hangar One in 2010 to establish the niche brands Low Gap Whiskey, Henry Russell Gin, and Vodka DSP CA-162.
Mr. Coale earned his Bachelor of Arts in Classics and History at the College of Wooster in 1966, his Master of Arts in Ancient Greek and Roman History at the University of Michigan in 1968, and his PhD in the same field of study 1971, also at the University of Michigan. From 1971-1975, Mr. Coale lectured in Classics as an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley. Mr. Coale has vast experience and good industry relationships in Oaxaca, having walked five times from Oaxaca to Juquila. He is working now on a project to stabilize a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Toledo, OH.
Ansley works on a contract basis for Cuentacuentos approximately 8 hours per week.
TERMS
Cuentacuentos
Overview
PRICE PER SHARE
$1.25
DEADLINE
Dec 31, 2022
VALUATION
$6.16M
FUNDING GOAL
$10k - $1.07M
Breakdown
MIN INVESTMENT
$300
MAX INVESTMENT
$1,070,000
MIN NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
8,000
MAX NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
856,000
OFFERING TYPE
Equity
ASSET TYPE
Common Stock
SHARES OFFERED
Common Stock
Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares
*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.
Investment Incentives and Bonuses*
Time-Based:
Friends and Family Early Birds
Invest within the first week and receive 15% bonus shares
Super Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first two weeks and receive 10% bonus shares
Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first three weeks and receive an 5% bonus shares
Amount-Based:
$500+
Mezcal Newbie
Set of 2 copitas (investors edition)
$1,000+
Mezcal Aficionado
One bottle of Special Investor’s Batch Mezcal and set of two copitas (investors’ “agaves of mezcal” edition)
$5,000+
Mezcal Mageuyero.
5% Bonus Shares + two Bottles of Special Investor’s Batch Mezcal and set of four copitas (investors’ “agaves of mezcal” edition)
$25,000+
Mezcal Mezcalero.
5% Bonus Shares + $500 travel credit and two nights stay at a hotel with a tour of the distillery + Annual Strategy call with Board of Directors + one six-bottle case of your choice of any of our mezcal expressions and one set of four copitas (investors’ “agaves of mezcal” edition)
$50,000+
Mezcal Palenquero.
5% Bonus Shares + $1000 travel credit and 2 nights stay at a hotel with a tour of the distillery + Quarterly Strategy call with Board of Directors + Two six-bottle Casesof your choices of any of our mezcal expressions and two sets of four copitas (investors’ “agaves of mezcal” edition)
*All perks occur when the offering is completed.
The 10% StartEngine Owners' Bonus
Origen Imports, Inc. will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.
This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of Common Stock at $1.25 / share, you will receive 110 shares of Common Stock, meaning you'll own 110 shares for $125. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.
This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors' eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are canceled or fail.
Investors will receive the highest single bonus they are eligible for among the bonuses based on the amount invested and time of offering elapsed (if any). Eligible investors will also receive the Owner’s Bonus in addition to the aforementioned bonus.
Irregular Use of Proceeds
The Company might incur Irregular Use of Proceeds that may include but are not limited to the following over $10,000: Vendor payments. Salary payments made to one’s self, a friend or relative. Any expense labeled “Travel and Entertainment”. Inter company debt or back payments.
ALL UPDATES
01.10.23
Campaign Closing Update
Hello Investors!
Our StartEngine campaign is now closed. Thank you for participating! We have a 60 day hold before we receive our final investor list. Meanwhile, we one of our talented mezcaleros is going to get busy during this time distilling a special investors' run of mezcal in fulfillment of your investment premiums. Those bottles will be shipped out, along with your copitas, as soon as we get ahold of that list and can ship the mezcal into the US for distribution to you.
Quick update: I (Read) just came back from a productive sales junket in Miami and Orlando. We made several new placements, and we had the opportunity to meet in person with some of our best clients. We continue to position Cuentacuentos as a premium product, worthy of the world's finest dining and shopping establishments. Some of the accounts we met with:
- Sexy Fish Miami -- maybe the world's most opulent fish and sushi restaurant, their chandeliers were designed by Frank Ghery and the mens' room is a legit photo op---Google it.
- Fisher Island Club -- this is a former Vanderbilt property that is now a private club--invitation only, again... Google search this place, it's got peacocks!
- River Oyster Bar -- where we did definitely eat some oysters.
- Maison Mura -- and exceptionally beautiful wine and spirits shop--and I do mean that. It is worth seeing this shop even if you don't buy anything.
- Orland Chapter US Bartenders Guild -- we talked their ears off over tacos for about two hours, a great way to tell the Cuentacuentos story to many people at once.
- Reyes Mezcaleria -- elegant, to be sure, and the most spacious mezcaleria I have yet visted.
- The Guesthouse, perhaps the Platonic ideal of a neighborhood bar with a stellar mezcal selection.
- Five Star Liquor and Wine, a small shop packed with outstanding quality selections (maybe the area's largest selection of Armagnac) and including, of course, Cuentacuentos.
- and, finally, we presented CC to Pig Floyd's BBQ in anticipation of something new they are working on for 23!
And did you know that El Barro is in the Mexico Pavilion at Disney's Epcott? Yeah, I didn't either until this week--not sure how I missed that.
Thank you, again, from everyone here at Cuentacuentos. We are looking forward to a big 2023 and we wish you a healthy and prosperous new year!
Saludos,
Read Spear, President
11.14.22
Cuentacuentos Announces New El Barro Partnership
Cuentacuentos is pleased to announce the signing of a new agreement between Origen Imports, Inc dba Cuentacuentos (“Cuentacuentos”) and MFM Productores SAPI de CV (“MFM”) for the production of its product, El Barro. El Barro, the brainchild of Read Spear (Origen Imports, Inc) and Carlos Mendez Blas (MFM Productores SAPI de CV) is a low cost agave spirit product that is unique in its production method. Mezcal is a two-distillation product. El Barro makes its first distillation in copper and then does the final distillation in clay pot stills. The unique partnership between MFM, one of the largest traditional mezcal producers in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Cuentacuentos, one of the most respected agave spirits brands, means that El Barro is ready to tackle on-premise accounts aggressively.
At 46% ABV, and with a beautiful colloidal texture that is made possible by the second run in clay, El Barro is available at close to the same cost as the cheap mezcals frequently found in most bars’ well and cocktail mezcal programs. El Barro thereby presents an almost irresistible upgrade for bars and restaurants that are already using lower quality mezcals. The partnership is a natural extension of the business arrangement and friendship shared by Carlos and Read since 2013. In exchange for a lower-cost product, MFM will acquire a minority ownership stake in Cuentacuentos.
10.28.22
Cuentacuentos Locks in New Distributor.
Cuentacuentos Community,
Cuentacuentos has always valued authenticity, and we're proud to be a part of the communities that we serve.
We don't depend on celebrities or flashy marketing schemes to drive our sales - we rely on the strength and consistency of our quality, the authenticity of our stories, and the good will of our clients and partners in order to continue making a positive impact in rural Latin American communities.
Our families have all prospered under our label and Cuentacuentos sells at the top of the market, ensuring outstanding quality without cutting corners.
In pursuit of our mission, we recently brought on a new distributor - Origin Beverage Company. Origin works with a collection of independent brewers and distillers, and has extensive experience in promoting the best of these brands to New England retailers and restaurateurs.
There is a great deal of individuality in the kinds of beverages people enjoy, so Origin's philosophy is to seek out products that reflect unique areas and climates from around the world. They search for handcrafted spirits, craft beers, high-quality mixers and cocktail ingredients that reflect passion and personality.
Origin aims to introduce the best of these brands to New England retailers and restaurateurs, providing a variety that expands beyond their regional borders - Cuentacuentos is now added to that list.
This partnership is just another step toward ensuring that our mezcal and its producers reach their highest potential - we look forward to keeping you updated as we move forward.
Be a part of the Cuentacuentos story, and invest on our raise page today.
Warmly,
Read Spear
10.27.22
Notice of Material Change in Offering
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello! Recently, a change was made to the Cuentacuentos offering. Here's an excerpt describing the specifics of the change:
Issuer is extending campaign end date.
When live offerings undergo changes like these on StartEngine, the SEC requires that certain investments be reconfirmed. If your investment requires reconfirmation, you will be contacted by StartEngine via email with further instructions.
10.18.22
Meet the Visionaries Planting Seeds of Entrepreneurial Opportunity in Rural Latin America
Cuentacuentos Community,
Cuentacuentos promotes and distributes traditionally-made Mezcal. We cultivate and curate a network of traditional family producers, who have been making mezcal for generations. By adding more family producers, we are able to meet demand while still offering small batches of high-quality mezcal that can be enjoyed by aficionados around the world.
Our vision is that these families thrive as producers of quality mezcal, becoming true ambassadors of their culture, so they can pass down traditions to future generations.
The Cuentacuentos team wants to help promote cultural heritage and the ancestral know-how of these families by empowering them to take charge of their future. In today’s update, I want to take a moment to highlight the visionaries bringing this dream to fruition.
Read Spear, Director and President
Donald Read Spear’s entire professional career has been in regulated, consumable products requiring a high level of internal company organization. (Mr. Spear believes that a high barrier to entry combined with the need for a high level of organization makes for an unfair playing field, an advantage worth the effort to acquire.) From 1997 to 2004 he was one-third owner and COO of an online dietary supplements company, which sold in late 2004. For this company, Mr. Spear did all product research, wrote all sales copy, created and managed the back-end data management and order fulfillment system, did regulatory compliance for product labeling, and managed the fulfillment center in Boulder, CO. Following the sale of that company, Mr. Spear traveled around the world, ending his two-year trip in the fall of 2006 in Oaxaca, Mexico, where he had his first experience with traditional mezcal.
From 2008 to 2020, Mr. Spear worked in various enterprises within the burgeoning medical and adult use cannabis arenas. Following the sale of his dispensary and cultivation operation in Lyons, CO in 2013, as RS Consulting, Inc, Mr. Spear began doing business consulting work with private investment groups seeking licensure in states around the US as those states added legal cannabis programs. Mr. Spear worked with groups entering nearly every state in the US that has announced a cannabis program, helping them comprehend and accommodate the extreme level of regulatory scrutiny in this arena. Mr. Spear used the proceeds from his business consulting activity to fund Origen Imports, LLC (now Origen Imports, Inc) in May of 2015.
Mr. Spear earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree (cum laude) in Philosophy at The Pennsylvania State University in 1992, and his Master of Arts in Philosophy (cum laude) at Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost in 1994. Early success in business has led Mr. Spear to help people who otherwise would have no access to US markets.
Alan Lara, Gerente de Operaciónes
Oaxaca-born Jacob Alan Lara Ruiz studied Business Administration at the Universidad Anáhuac Oaxaca from 2015 to 2020. While a student, he belonged to the "IMEF Universitario" (Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas) in the position of director of social responsibility. He has broad experience in the mezcal industry, from agave purchasing to product production and sales. Alan began working in 2017 as an administrative assistant for a well-known white-label mezcal producer, then in 2019 he worked as a sales agent for another brand of mezcal. He has been with Cuentacuentos since 2020.
Carlos Mendez, Director de Operaciónes
Carlos Méndez Blas grew up in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, the "World Capital of Mezcal". He is one of the fourth generation of a family of master mezcaleros. At the age of eight he started helping his father to produce mezcal on the family palenque.
In 2011, following the untimely death of his father, he took direction of the family mezcal business, later launching his mezcal packaging plant, offering production and packaging services to his clients, as well as establishing agave plantations in many different regions of Oaxaca.
In 2018, he built his second distillery and in 2019, he built one more distillery. He has recently ventured into the rum industry, working again with small producers and selling under the TSO'OK brand.
He is currently the director of the company Productores del Buen Agave SA de CV and of MFM Productores SAPI de CV mezcal company, focused on the production of maguey (agave), mezcal production, packaging, and export.
Steven Adelkoff, Esquire, Director, Consultant, and Legal Counsel
For over three decades, Steven Adelkoff has worked in all aspects of the structured finance, alternative investment, off shore private wealth, securities and capital markets industries. He has led teams negotiating domestic and international transactions involving real estate, commodities, power generation, renewable energy, commodity exploration, structured finance, investment management platforms, and investment funds representing a range of strategies. His diverse skill set allows Mr. Adelkoff to meld legal, regulatory, compliance, tax and accounting aspects of transactions to achieve world-class results.
After spending the first 20 years of his career (first as an associate and then equity partner) for the global law firm K&L Gates, Mr. Adelkoff helped run diverse businesses from Shariah compliant hedge funds to an international developer of power projects. Today, he acts as the Chief Compliance and Legal Officer for Fairwinds International Bank, LLC (located in Puerto Rico), manages all investment activities for a family office and is an active private equity investor.
Mr. Adelkoff earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (where he graduated Magna Cum Laude), his Master of Business Administration degree from Cornell University – The Johnson School of Management, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University. A Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Mr. Adelkoff also holds the Series 7, Series 63 and Series 24 broker dealer licenses. He is also a certified anti-money laundering specialist. His favorite activity is teaching graduate students at Rutgers University and Point Park University, where his academic interests lie in international business ethics, behavioral economics, social entrepreneurship, and decision analysis.
Sandra Luquin, Mexico Counsel
Sandra is the CEO and Founder of CASA LEGACIA, both a Tequila and mezcal brand, and a consultancy providing end to end service for people creating new Tequila and mezcal Brands. A Mexican businesswoman who is passionate about authentic Mexican spirits, food, beverages and culture, she is a Maestra Tequilera (Master of Tequila).
Sandra has more than 20 years’ experience in business operations across a number of countries. She founded and ran two businesses from the Netherlands: Mexican Cooking and Taco Gallery. These companies brought authentic Mexican cuisine and beverage events to the Dutch, French, Belgium, UK and Irish markets. Events included tequila tasting, food pairing, cooking workshops and vibrant Mexican parties.
Blanca Esther Salvador Martinez, Mexico Counsel
Dra. Blanca Esther Salvador Martinéz was born in Oaxaca, August 25th, 1968. Her studies include law at the Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (PDH Law). She studied English at San Francisco State University, International Law at the Academy of International Court of Justice. La Haya, Holanda.
Professionally, she is expert in international commerce law, specifically with respect to TLCAN (NAFTA), anti dumping and subsidies, and she has worked under the Ministry of Economy. Other areas of specialty include exportations and domestic commerce (Oaxaca State Government); foreign investment, mezcal exportation, international contracts, intellectual property; and academic development and research.
Dra. Salvador is the founder of Institute of Institute of International Research and Studies, Civil Association (https://iinvei.org/) which studies human rights, women's rights, gender equity, and publishes on research and cultural activities.
She has been a Professor of university of international commerce, law and marketing at UNAM, Anáhuac University, ITAM, and other universities in México.
Dra. Salvador is the author of several articles and books, including, "El ABC del Negocio de Mezcal" (The ABCs of the Mezcal Business).
Ansley Coale, Director
In 1981-1982, working with Hubert Germain-Robin, scion to Jules Robin Cognac, Ansley Coale co-founded Alambic, Inc, the first craft distillery since Prohibition stopped all alcohol production- This company is famous for producing Germain-Robin Brandy, served at the White House as a favorite of President Ronald Reagan. In this business, Mr. Coale raised the necessary startup money, managed construction, managed the business operations, and all distribution, sales, marketing, and publicity until 1995, when they added a second salesperson.
In 2002, working with Jorg Rupf of St. George Spirits, Ansley helped create the vodka brand Hangar One, and, a year later, founded the marketing company Craft Distillers. At Craft, Mr. Coale developed an innovative model of marketing that stressed the details of production and the people making the product, using the story of production to replace the traditional “push” method of sales, focusing on the trade itself as the route to the consumer.
In 2004, working with Destileria Los Danzantes of Oaxaca, Ansley brought mezcal to the USA at a time when the category was scarcely known. In 2009, he created the brand Mezcalero, the first mezcal to focus on single-batch production and on wild agaves, and in 2010 took on Mezcal Alipus, which now has twice placed No. 2 on lists of brands preferred by bartenders.
In 2010, Mr. Coale used the proceeds from his sale of Hangar One in 2010 to establish the niche brands Low Gap Whiskey, Henry Russell Gin, and Vodka DSP CA-162.
Mr. Coale earned his Bachelor of Arts in Classics and History at the College of Wooster in 1966, his Master of Arts in Ancient Greek and Roman History at the University of Michigan in 1968, and his PhD in the same field of study 1971, also at the University of Michigan. From 1971-1975, Mr. Coale lectured in Classics as an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley. Mr. Coale has vast experience and good industry relationships in Oaxaca, having walked five times from Oaxaca to Juquila. He is working now on a project to stabilize a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Toledo, OH.
Christopher Stevens, Advisor
Christopher Stevens has decades of experience in alcohol sales, having worked his way up the ranks from his early days at the Rainbow Lodge in Houston, TX where he managed day-to-day operations for one of Houston’s elite restaurants from 2003- 2006. From there, he went to Hawaii to work for Young’s Market, at the time the fourth largest liquor distributor in the US. At Young’s in Hawaii, Mr. Stevens managed a team of five sales representatives to grow the fine wines category, tripling sales by his two year anniversary.
In 2008, Mr. Stevens began work at Craft Distillers as a Regional Sales Manager. At Craft he moved from a six-state territory to a twelve-state territory, and is now the Director of Sales for all of the US. At Craft, Chris has developed working relationships with nearly all of the main US distributors including Republic National Distribution Company, Breakthru Beverage, Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, Johnson Brothers, Major Brands, Tenzing, Favorite Brands, Standard Beverage, Quench, Vin Sauvage, A. Bommarito, and Pinnacle.
Mr. Stevens is responsible for beverage programming (brand positioning, pricing, placement, and logistics) of approximately 75 SKUs through their distribution chain of 40 national distributors. Mr. Stevens’ relationships, developed over decades, are the key to his success in this industry.
Be a Part of Our Story, and Invest in Cuentacuentos on StartEngine
We are on a journey to create social and environmental value for producers and customers alike. This journey consists of building the world's most transparent, sustainable, and ethical mezcal brand
As we grow our company and preserve that sense of community that has defined us since the beginning, we would love for you to join us.
If you feel as though you connect to our mission, we strongly encourage you to visit our StartEngine raise page and join us as an early investor.
We are all, in the end, the narrators of our own lives - storytellers. Cuentacuentos.
Warmly,
Read Spear
10.10.22
Get Rewarded for Investing in Cuentacuentos!
Cuentacuentos Community,
Cuentacuentos is a mezcal brand that supports small, family-owned producers.
Our mission is to bring together numerous small, family-owned mezcal producers and create a platform to distribute their product to aficionados across the world. We provide these producers with technical assistance, exposure and branding in order to promote the craft of traditional mezcal production, one that has been passed down for generations within each family.
As you may have heard, we're currently raising capital on StartEngine - and we’re giving you an opportunity to be a part of our story.
To show our gratitude to those who connect to our mission and want to join our investor community, we've designed a number of perks that reward you based on the amount you contribute:
$300+ Investment (StartEngine Owner’s Bonus) - This offering is eligible for StartEngine Owner’s 10% Bonus program. For details on this program, see the Offering Summary on our raise page.
$500+ Investment - Set of two copitas (Investor’s “Agaves of Mezcal” Edition).
$1,000+ Investment - One bottle of Special Investor’s Batch Mezcal and set of two copitas (Investors’ “Agaves of Mezcal” Edition).
$5,000+ Investment - 5% Bonus Shares + two bottles of investor’s batch mezcal and a set of four copitas (Investors’ “Agaves of Mezcal” Edition).
$25,000+ Investment - 5% Bonus Shares + $500 travel credit and two nights stay at our hotel with a tour of the distillery + Annual Strategy call with Board of Directors + one six-bottle case of your choice of any of our mezcal expressions and one set of four copitas.
$50,000+ Investment - 5% Bonus Shares + $1000 travel credit and two nights stay at a hotel with a tour of the distillery + Quarterly Strategy call with Board of Directors + two six-bottle cases of your choice of any of our mezcal expressions and two sets of four copitas.
There’s no better time than the present - visit our StartEngine raise page and join us as an early backer today.
Warmly,
Read Spear
10.05.22
Just in Case You Missed Our Webinar.
Cuentacuentos Community,
We recently held a webinar to spread the word about Mezcal’s rich heritage and meaningful tradition.
During this event, we discussed our mission, solutions to problems facing the marketplace, and our current equity crowdfunding raise on StartEngine.
If you were not able to attend, we’ve provided a recording of the discussion for you to watch at your earliest convenience. We’ve also highlighted some of the important topics that were covered directly in this update.
We hope to see you at the next one!
What Is Mezcal?
I think for a lot of people maybe they had some mezcal in their teenage years and they don't understand why people are interested in it now and what's behind the growth of the category. Most people will have heard of tequila, but most people don't know that tequila is a subtype of mezcal.
Mezcal has been made for over 400 years, and it's the oldest spirit in the Americas. It doesn't have these restrictions that tequila has on it, so you can pick up a bottle that's made from anywhere up to around 40 different kinds of agave as a source of sugar.
The method of production hasn't been industrialized, so it's mostly still artisanal. It's made by hand in small batches, by families who have learned the process from their fathers, their grandfathers, their grandparents. And now you see a lot of women coming into the industry and placing their names on the bottles as the mezcaleras.
What Sets You Apart From Your Competitors?
One of the things that is separating us from our competition is that we have spent a tremendous amount of time examining and organizing our process.
We have an outstanding programmer who's been working with us for well over a year now, and is intimate with the mezcal production facility. We are able to hit efficiencies that other mezcal producers can not.
But there's a greater push in the craft distillery segment in the United States to start to overcome the three tier limitations. What I mean by that is, in about 16 states, distillers are now able to set up their own restaurant, their own tasting room, or even in some states for collectible items. These are bottles that are two years or older, and able to sell directly to consumers. We’ve developed ways to streamline our own direct to consumer pipeline without circumventing the three tier system.
What Problem is Cuentacuentos Solving?
We're on a mission to prevent the tequilafication of mezcal. The solution is to have all the small producers remain in business. They need a platform to get the products to the consumer. We have that.
The reason why we want to do that is because we think mezcal is a fantastic cultural heritage that's much more profound than just an alcoholic beverage.
I knew I wanted to get involved in small business development in Latin America back in 2012, 2013, when I conceived this project. The thing that is great about mezcal is it's there from literally the moment that you're born, to well after you're gone and in the grave.
Your parents conceived you, mezcal is served. You're born, mezcal is served. You have your baptism, your communion, mezcal is served. You have a birthday, a quinceañera, a wedding, so on and so forth, it's there.
Join the Cuentacuentos Investor Community on StartEngine
If you believe in our vision and that agave spirits should be continued to be produced with integrity and quality, then we want you with us along this journey.
I encourage you to head over to our StartEngine raise page for more information on our mission and how you can join our community of early investors today.
Be part of the story.
Warmly,
Read Spear
09.27.22
Notice of Material Change in Offering
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello! Recently, a change was made to the Cuentacuentos offering. Here's an excerpt describing the specifics of the change:
Issuer is extending campaign end date.
When live offerings undergo changes like these on StartEngine, the SEC requires that certain investments be reconfirmed. If your investment requires reconfirmation, you will be contacted by StartEngine via email with further instructions.
09.27.22
Time is Running Out - Less Than 24 Hours to Register!
Cuentacuentos Community,
Cuentacuentos is about to shake up the anticipated $1 billion mezcal market by offering a new business model that helps both producers and consumers.
The market for mezcal is poised to grow at an incredible rate, making it one of the most lucrative spirits markets in the world.
At Cuentacuentos, we lend our profits directly to the producers and are repaid in mezcal - a business model which we believe makes us stand head and shoulders over competing brands.
We want to share our new investment opportunity with you, and what better way to introduce ourselves than a live discussion?
There are less than 24 hours left to register for our FREE webinar!
Join the Cuentacuentos team as we take an in-depth look into how we’re changing the mezcal game and how you can join us on this incredible journey.
What are you waiting for? Now is your opportunity to be a part of our story…
Sign up today, and join us on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 at 1:30PM PST!
We look forward to seeing you and your network in virtual attendance.
Warmly,
Read Spear
Director & President
Cuentacuentos
09.25.22
Less Than 3 Days to Register - Join us For a LIVE Webinar!
Cuentacuentos Community,
Cuentacuentos has developed a business model designed to create a transparent, community-driven, and mutually beneficial experience for both consumers and small producers of artisanal mezcal.
Sustainability is at the heart of our company’s existence.
We focus on supporting small mezcal producers by helping them connect with consumers who are interested in learning more about their product and the stories behind it.
Does that sound like you?
We're hosting a FREE webinar where we will take an in-depth look at our mission, the solutions we offer to problems facing the marketplace, and our current equity crowdfunding raise on StartEngine.
In less than three days, you can learn all about the exciting world of the anticipated $1 billion mezcal market and how Cuentacuentos is helping it thrive!
Time is running out - so act fast and secure your virtual spot today.
Register here, and join us on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 at 1:30PM PST (US and Canada) for an event you don't want to miss.
Our team is looking forward to seeing you and your network soon!
Warmly,
Read Spear
Stack Owner's Bonus & Rewards!
Members get an extra 10% shares in addition to rewards below!
REWARDS
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
0/2500
Adam Field
10 INVESTMENTS
8 months ago
I'm sad, I have a third-party equity crowdfunding aggregator that's supposed to tell me when offerings launch in categories that I care about, and this is a category I extremely care about! So I'm sad that it clearly failed to tell me about it, so I missed out on the bonus shares from investing early. Oh well - I still put money in already, as a company that turns around and funds other small-batch producers of great spirits, is a company I need to help succeed!
I am curious, though, I haven't seen anyone ask, whether you have an idea what your end goal might be in terms of producing value for our shares; I know the most common in the spirits industry would be to get bought by a bigger company eventually, but I'm curious whether that's something you would want, given the goals of the company?
Also, if I knew of a couple spirits shops locally that I feel like would be a perfect demographic for this mezcal, is there somewhere specific I could suggest it to? (Partially selfishly, since I'd love to be able to buy it locally!)
1
0
Tim Kaneda
7 INVESTMENTS
9 months ago
Aloha Read,
Sorry I missed your call last week. I wanted to know or see if I could be any help in targeting Japanese market. I'll be in Japan visiting family in October and would like to see Cuentacuentos there! Also I think it'll go very well with many Japanese cuisines. Also I live in Hawaii and have not found a decent Mezcal at the stores, can't wait to get the investor package to try it out! I invested more recently from 1000+ to 5000+, will I be upgraded to the 5000+ bonus package?
Mahalo,
Tim
1
0
Donald Mader
10 months ago
My wife and I are interested in investing in this company. Have concerns about your revenue projections also will like to have more information on your past year financials, interested in investing with significant amount. Thank you in advance for this information.
3
0
James Jackson
a year ago
I have invested in companies before and have an accounting background. After reading the memorandum I have some questions. Looking at the information, after several years in business, the company makes $45,000 profit, has $95,000 in debt, $36,000 in total equity and $256,000 in annual sales. Questions: 1 After funding, how is the business going to afford the new $25,000 monthly payments to the officers (Reed and Steve) when the company makes only $4,000/month? Is the money raised just going to the officers? 2. Is the money raised going to be used to pay off the $95,000 debt that is due in 2022? 3. I have seen companies valued at a value/profit multiple on cash flow ranging from two to eight. The value/profit multiple on this company is listed at 136 ($6,162,500/$45,002). Will the business have to grow in profits over ten times before the investors break even?
2
0
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Scott Terry
9 INVESTMENTS
a month ago
1
0