Jeff Tomastik’s idea to innovate the spirits industry might’ve sounded bananas at the time, but it has paid off.
His company — Derby Spirits, which he co-founded with company CEO Sami Omar in August 2016 — launched its first product, Ambros Banana Whiskey, last year.
“I have always gravitated to the enjoyment I get from curating experiences, and there is no better way to be involved in people’s lives than creating a product that genuinely resonates with them,” said Tomastik, Derby’s president.
The company created a process that allows spirits to be infused with 100 percent real fruit — no added flavoring, syrups or sugars of any kind. As the most popular fruit in the world, bananas were a natural choice for Derby’s first offering, Tomastik said.
“Our company is brand new, so our biggest accomplishment so far is really getting Ambros from just an idea to a thriving product, and completing our state-of-the-art facility right here in Henderson,” said Tomastik, who has previous experience in the nightclub industry at the Light Group and Hakkasan Group, and for the past two years has participated in the Hakkasan Group Golf Tournament, which raises money for Keep Memory Alive. “We have some of the most sought-after venues in the world carrying our product, and our focus in 2019 is expansion. We have recently launched Ambros in California, with New York launching April 1 and Arizona coming later this year.”
Tomastik holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Oregon State University and a master’s degree in luxury business and services from the International University of Monaco in Monte Carlo.