Ohanian is the Great Grandson of Armenians who fled the genocide. Since his very first visit to his homeland in 2010, he's searched for a way to pay homage to his heritage, a means of bringing a piece of Armenia back to America with him. During his time spent in Armenia, Ohanian was introduced to sipping local konyak out of halved apricots. In addition to chess, Armenia's other beloved tradition is this very activity: enjoying Armenian brandy.
“Armenian brandy is something Armenians are really proud of," explains Ohanian. "But outside of Armenia and the Armenian community, no one really knows it, which is a real shame—it’s legendary.”
After witnessing how Flaviar launched Son of a Peat, a whiskey, for its own members he decided to pitch them the idea of him launching his own spirit. Shakmat, the final product of the collaboration between Ohanian and Flaviar was launched on Nov. 12.
Author of the article Chelsea Davis chatted with Ohanian on how Shakmat evolved, his 24-hour research and development trip to Yerevan and his goal of spreading awareness of Armenia's rich culture with the rest of the world and more.
-Most Americans know nothing about Armenian brandy, what makes this spirit particularly special, one that you felt the desire to share with the rest of the world?
-Drinking brandy is an Armenian tradition that goes back many centuries and it’s something that everyone in the community knows and adores. Aside from Winston Churchill who apparently loved it, it hasn’t been exposed to the world, so now I’m trying to make that happen.
-Is your endgame to put Armenia on the world spirits map with the launch of Shakmat?
-Absolutely! I feel like Brandy in particular is due for a renaissance because so many original cocktails were brandy-based.
-What are you hoping comes out of this collaboration with Flaviar? How do you think the launch of Shakmat will help raise awareness of this country's rich culture?
-I’ve worked with the Flaviar team since I was advising them at Y Combinator about seven years ago. They understand the worlds of fine spirits and technology better than anyone and I couldn't imagine better partners to bring this brandy into the world with —especially now, given that the country just had a peaceful revolution and is modernizing.
-Talk a little bit about your 24-hour trip to Yerevan, Armenia and how this blend came together.
-It was a whirlwind! We landed before sunrise, ran out and caught a glimpse of the sun rising, and then proceeded to tour Yerevan, making stops at haunts from when I was living there and visiting different distilleries where we did final tastings. The Flaviar team did the legwork ahead of time (i.e. sorting grapes, picking the different juices, etc.), so we just did the final tastings and then feasted on a traditional Armenian dinner.
I also bought a few carpets to ship back to the US, and got together at one of the local bars with a bunch of different people who made the project possible. Another highlight of the trip was meeting the Prime Minister. It was a really exciting meeting and there is an optimism you can feel throughout the country because of the work he’s done and will continue to do to help Armenia thrive, reduce corruption and prosper. It’s exciting because Armenians have thrived all over the world and it’s only appropriate that the motherland thrives too. It’s abso...
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