Celebrating 15 years of Heavenly Spirits, From France with Love

On June 8th, 2008, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued an alcohol import permit and wholesale license to Daniel and Christine Cooney, and Heavenly Spirits officially opened its doors.

From the very beginning, the Cooney’s mission was to represent exceptional craft spirits produced in France. Due to previously created industry relationships as spirits brokers, the Cooneys were immediately able to hit the ground running, distributing in six states with a dozen French spirit brands. Since that time, Heavenly Spirits has experienced steady and consistent growth, today representing over twenty producers in almost forty states.

One year into starting the company, Heavenly Spirits established themselves as the leading importer of Armagnac to the United States, with brands that included Delord, Marie Duffau, Dartigalongue, and Artez, a distinction they still hold to this day. Soon after, this husband-and-wife team went from being a two-person company to a twelve-person crew, as well as import leaders in several other categories of French spirits, including: organic Cognac, organic Calvados, and French Whisky.

Proud of the success they have achieved over the first fifteen years, the company continues to find new and innovative ways to connect with American spirits consumers, as well as the publishing of a quarterly newsletter and constant updating of their Heavenly Spirits Catalog, which is available both in print and on their website.

When asked to what they attribute their success, Christine answers, “Unlike most typical importers, Heavenly Spirits proudly builds and promotes our family of French spirit brands as well as the culture and savoir-faire that they grow from. In addition to being importers/distributors, we see ourselves as educators and ambassadors for the delights and pleasures of French spirit culture.” The couple have traveled all over the United States conducting educational seminars and tastings.

People and relationships are the keys behind Heavenly Spirits success. “Most of our suppliers are small, to medium-sized, family-owned, multi-generational businesses, who we consider part of our family of authentic French spirits,” says Daniel, adding that their two sons, “Austin and Keenan are already getting involved in different aspects of the company business. Austin recently held the position of World Export Manager for one of the cognacs Heavenly currently represents. Keenan recently completed a university degree in communications and will begin work toward an MBA degree in the fall.”

The people who craft these spirits are as important as the liquid in the bottle because they are the ones whose passion and savoir-faire translate to the high-quality spirit in the glass. “The Heavenly family of producers is not just limited to how we represent their brands in the United States, but also to building relationships on French soil that spur creative collaboration,” says Daniel. Armorik, distillers of the first French whiskies, used a cask from Armagnac Dartigalongue to finish one of its single malts. Armorik Breton Single Malt Armagnac Cask Finish was the first single malt whisky available in the United States to be finished in Armagnac casks, now something of a trend, and is bottled at 46% ABV. Their most recent producer collaboration just landed in May, an Organic Cask Strength XO Calvados from Claque-Pépin, which is aged 8 years and finished in Organic Cognac casks from Distillerie Du Peyrat, just landed in May.

And finally, Heavenly Spirits wouldn’t be where it is today without its growing and dedicated staff. “Everyone from our salespeople and territory managers to our office and warehouse crew are invested in our business. We taste new products as a company, and everyone gets to voice their input. It’s made our portfolio and our business stronger and developed a very cohesive awareness of what makes Heavenly Spirits stand out. We recently did a Brand Strategy workshop and our whole team was in alignment that the word best describing Heavenly Spirits is our ‘authenticity.’ That is as true for the French spirits we represent, as for the people who make them, and our team who work so hard to educate and share them with American consumers,” adds Dan.

When asked about the future of the company, Dan responds, “As we reflect on the challenges and successes of the past fifteen years, we have also been working on plans for future growth. The whole Heavenly team is looking forward to building on our past successes, as we find new and creative ways to introduce our exceptional spirit brands to the increasingly passionate and knowledgeable consumers in the United States market. This October, we are planning an invitation-only portfolio tasting event hosted by the French Library in Boston, and we are also working on plans to bring interested parties to France, where they can learn more about how these amazing spirits are made.”

For more information on Heavenly Spirits and the spirits they represent, please visit their website at: www.heavenlyspirits.com