“We have to start off in Italian because it’s Italian vodka.”
Mike Piazza expressed his gratitude in Italian, unprompted, by dropping a “grazie a tutti” 4 completely different instances throughout a Friday night time occasion selling True Vodka, his newest enterprise endeavor.
“The Italian part is something that we’re very proud of,” stated Piazza, who not way back bought an Italian soccer group solely to sink them into chapter 11.
True Vodka, in accordance with their very own advertising and marketing materials, is for wealthy folks. They’ve recognized their goal demographic as folks aged 30-50 with family earnings starting from $125,000 to $350K, residing in “aspirational urban venues and neighborhoods.” As one of many faces of the Mets, a group that’s at all times represented the town’s working class, Piazza is conveying a message that appears way more aligned with the yuppie Yankees.
But, lest you overlook, True Vodka is extraordinarily Italian. This is just not one thing that Piazza, who’s from Pennsylvania, takes frivolously. When requested about how significant it’s to be concerned in a pursuit with such robust Italian roots, he was ready.
“It’s an honor, without a doubt,” stated Piazza, admitting that he was skeptical of the concept at first. “Then I tasted it and did some research on the history of the spirits. Obviously, in the north of Italy there’s a tradition of fine distilled spirits. Grappa, moscato, other products that are made there.”
Yes, every syllable of grappa and moscato got here out approach too Italian-ized.
“Look, I mean everyone knows about Italian cars, Italian suits, Italian wine, Italian food, everything,” Piazza stated. “We feel that they put the same passion, emotion and quality into the vodka. I think it shows.”
What confirmed on Friday night time, as Piazza shilled vodka from his namesake Piazza 31 Club at Citi Field, with the complete blessing of the Mets, is that this enterprise is generally vibes and never lots of enterprise acumen. In addition to Piazza’s previous historical past of, in his personal phrases, “dissolving” a beloved Italian soccer establishment, he additionally just lately threw his help behind a California gubernatorial candidate who had already accepted defeat and blamed voter fraud for the loss earlier than the election was over.
Everything in regards to the True Vodka expertise reeks of Tom Haverford, the character from “Parks and Recreation” who drummed up massive concept after massive concept with no plan or information of the right way to observe via on them. On Friday, Piazza had Vinny Cotona sitting subsequent to him, a really well-dressed, tanned man who spearheaded this “family project.” It is unclear if Cotona and Piazza are literally associated or are simply household within the Italian sense.
Piazza and Cotona would possibly need to get a youthful member of the household to take over the corporate’s on-line presence. True Vodka highlighted, very vaguely, the idea of social media as considered one of their important methods for rising the model. On the corporate’s web site, clicking on the Twitter icon on the backside of their “About” web page hyperlinks to an account that does not exist. While the Hall of Fame catcher touted the momentum that the corporate was constructing, its Instagram web page notes that True Vodka could be ordered via one thing referred to as the GrapeStars app.
GrapeStars seems to be a service that enables celebrities starting from Dan Marino to Christie Brinkley to pitch their very own liquor. It additionally doesn’t look like obtainable within the Apple app retailer. GrapeStars has a web site, however typing its identify into the app retailer returns a daring “No Results”.
If Piazza has something, he has his weird attachment to the previous nation and the Mets. True Vodka is outwardly distilled seven instances in Friuli, Italy and created from Tuscan spring water, which is possibly why he thinks it’s not for low-income households and their unsophisticated palates. Still, the person with 427 house runs is definitely a Mets legend, and the group is welcoming him again for Old Timers’ Day on Aug. 27.
“I was in the gym this morning and my daughter said, ‘Daddy, you better stretch.’ I realized that I’m not very flexible,” Piazza stated. “It’s just one game. I’ll probably be in the tub afterward because I’ll be really sore.”
In between determining new methods to take a position the thousands and thousands he made enjoying baseball, and plan occasions the place he largely simply needs to indicate off his Italian accent, Piazza has apparently discovered time to observe the Mets this 12 months.
“They’re a very good ball club and they’re doing a lot of things right,” he stated. “But, look, the playoffs are another season, and it’s tough. What you do is try to bring the momentum up to the end of the year.”
Only time will inform if the True Vodka momentum will carry via the tip of the 12 months as effectively. If not, he might need to shut down a second Italian enterprise.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com