Latest news Jun 06, 23

The Community Spirit Vodka Puts Forward a ‘People Over Everything’ Philosophy

The Community Spirit Vodka’s dedication to support the communities around them is detailed in feature stories on Forbes and Barron’s, including interviews with key brand team members.

In a Forbes story titled, “Let’s Raise A Glass To A Brand That Truly Cares,” our Casa Lumbre Co-Founder, Moises Guindi talks more about the brand and its founding values:

Christopher Marquis: Please tell me about the background of The Community Spirit Vodka and what your mission is?

Moises Guindi: Since its founding, The Community Spirit Vodka has built a platform to celebrate and support organizations and individuals working to better their communities through education, fundraising and other forms of support. Our mission is simple. By purchasing a bottle of The Community Spirit Vodka, consumers are donating revenue to charities and organizations that uplift marginalized voices. We hope changemakers use our blank canvas label as a springboard to creatively elevate and amplify their message to the world.

Marquis: Why is vodka – and an alcohol brand more generally – the type of business you chose to advance this mission? Or put another way, can you say more about the connection between vodka and community?

Moises Guindi: We chose vodka as the vessel to carry out the brand’s mission because people come together over drinks to connect, create memories, and discuss the things they care about – like the community. The Community Spirit wants to be a part of and encourage those conversations.”

Additionally, The Community Spirit’s brand ambassador, Ashley Eldefri, discusses the brand’s vision and commitment in Barron’s PENTA, with excerpts including:

When bars and restaurants were forced to shut down, often for months, in the early days of the pandemic, the hospitality industry suffered a crushing blow. To respond to the crisis, vodka maker the Community Spirit Co. was founded.

“[We] realized that the industry is composed of some of the most underrepresented members of our community and we wanted to elevate and amplify their voices,” says Ashley Eldefri, the company’s brand ambassador.

The Community Spirit is “dedicated to using every aspect of our brand to better the communities around us,” adds Eldefri, 26. “Our job isn’t to create community, but rather facilitate, deepen, and inspire community connections.”

What’s the Good?

“We are committed to contributing a percentage of our revenue and support to organizations where they need it. While we are not a nonprofit, we have been recognized by B Lab as a company ‘designed to give,’” Eldefri says.

The Community Spirit revenue is committed to contributing a minimum of 5% of its revenue to other causes; in 2022, it donated 25% of revenue, largely giving to community focused groups, collectives, and organizations who are associated with underrepresented, misrepresented, or marginalized communities.

What’s Next?

The Community Spirit “recently received the highly coveted B Corp certification from B Lab, a nonprofit network that is transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet,” says Eldefri. “We are also working on future innovations for the brand in 2024.”