There has never been a plan nor a method. The very first distillates (Cognacs) were brought just because they really tasted great. Initially, I did not want to bother with the inexpensive and had decided against bringing the VS and VSOPs, focusing solely on the old eaux-de-vies.
But like everything, as one keeps on doing something, one might start seeing a pattern; in the case of PM, the initial one was:
1- Smell / taste -> Does one’s brain go WOW? Does that product have a personality? Would we want to drink it more than once?
2- Ask detailed questions about who/how/why -> Are corners cut? Does it feel artisanal vs. industrial? Is there a sense of place and/or tradition?
Over the years, a third principle appeared important:
3- Are the people good humans -> Does it click? Is there a genuine human connection? Are these people we would want to see/talk to/interact with?
As the business expanded to countries where the workforce might not be naturally well protected by the laws of their land:
4- Are the people who are part of the chain that makes the product fairly treated and compensated?
We have never negotiated pricing; we assume that the people we deal with have established a price that is fair for their work, which we respect.
We never used brokers to gather samples because we were looking to fill a category or a price point.
We never thought about whether the stuff would sell or not: if we get excited about it, we decide we will do our utmost to share that excitement and work hard to try and succeed.
We never had a goal to hit all main categories and/or all obvious price points.
We are looking for good products with personality, made without cutting corners, by people who are genuinely good humans and that express some sense of place and/or tradition.
We also believe that the importer can foster change by doing its due diligence as to how the product is made and how the people making it are treated. The importer can decide to import - or not - based on these findings, it has the ability to foster change for the better by creating discussions and should aim at doing so whenever possible.