Page 70 - Adrenaline DEC

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MESSAGE IN SPIRTS BOTTLE
Chilean-Ecuadorean entrepreneur, and Aussie evangelist, Javier Olavarria, runs his pioneering business, The New
Australia Spirits Company, from Hong Kong. Where else... Confused? Well, Javier is an advocate of art of the paradox. What’s more he’s a living embodiment of ironic contrast in both life and business. In an English accent verging on plummy (courtesy of an English school education), yet softened by his native Latin American lilt, Javier tells us why an aristocratic Chilean-Ecuadorean rocker choose to start a spirits company in a foreign land, not known for its refined tastes.
“I fell in love with the vast country-continent that is Australia”, Javier confesses. “There is so much more to it than the clichés. I discovered that “Brand Australia”, is officially the most valuable “country brand” on our planet.”
So when Javier named the company the New Australia Spirits Company, it wasn’t simply that the company had created some new spirits brands. One of his greatest pleasures is introducing new friends to the brands and witnessing the surprise and delight on their faces when they taste, say the Wild Wombat
WORDS JAMES SINCLAIR IMAGE JENNIFER SCHAUERTE
Vodka or Bush Gin for the first time - with their heady mix of indigenous botanicals.
“I wanted to create drinking experiences like nothing else on planet earth - with the purest blend of ingredients including tropical rain water for ultra-soft clean natural textures and flavours. Each its own captivating Australian experience.”
The mission Javier chose to accept was, with each product he would channel aspects of this unique country and libertarian attitudes. Maybe its taken, Javier’s embodiment of contrary influences to appreciate the confluence of extremes that define Australia. Or may be it simply took an outsider to recognise the potential right under the lager- dipped noses of the masses who, until Javier made his move, only had a handful of spirits to their name.
Maybe this particular South American is more Australian than first meeting suggests. Either way we thank him for recognising the value of the intoxicating continent of contradictions and having the foresight to bottle it for us.