You can’t help but warm to Fraser Graham.
From his sense of humor to the fact that he is so utterly genuine.
Raised in a working class family, Fraser’s mum put in shifts at the fish factory and clearly instilled a sense of hard work in her son.
Now a parent himself, Fraser has carried his have a go attitude through life.
It is his sense of adventure, and ability to keep on trying, which has seen him chap on doors and even walk through a building site, in a bid to share his passion.
Marketing development director by day, there’s no denying that Fraser knows how to spin a good yarn.
But he also knows a good product, and the honest tale behind it which started off with two chaps launching a rum company.
One half of Cabezon Beverage, Fraser has been in business with his good friend, David Smith, for a year and a half now.
The pair aren’t looking for swanky brand partnerships, nor are they claiming that their poison will change your life.
But if you let them, this pair want to come along for the ride.
To be a part of your nights out, celebrations, or just plain old chewing the fat with your mates.
With latest stockist, Kevin Dalgleish and his new restaurant, Amuse, the brand is already well on its way to becoming a well known Aberdonian name.
We caught up with Fraser and found out why this is just the beginning.
“I worked in bars for years, from Siberia to The Chester,” said Fraser.
Passion for hospitality
“I met David at Siberia, he was on one side of the bar and I was on the other.”
Fast forward to David trying to launch a rum brand, and Fraser was in complete agreement that the dummy run tasted amazing.
But a sensation on the palette is only one half of the battle, you need people to know about you in the first place.
“My background is in marketing, I was having a chat with David and giving him some pointers,” said Fraser.
“I ended up coming on board.”
The rum is distilled at a distillery in Aboyne, Royal Deeside, and Cabezon Beverage was born.
“It’s a funny story about the name,” said Fraser.
Cabezon is a nickname David got when he was living in Barcelona, it has dual meaning.”
“It can mean pig-headed and stubborn.
“And that’s very much on brand for us because of course we’re stubborn.
“We do things the way we want to do them, we forge our own path.
“There’s also the very literal meaning of big head, I tell David that’s in reference to him.”
All jokes aside, these two mean business when it comes to distilling seriously good rums.
Local ingredients
Currently on offer is Botanical Rum, alongside The Accord.
Botanical, as you might imagine, is infused with botanical ingredients, including honey which comes from the farm opposite the distillery.
The concoction is then instilled with Royal Deeside Spring Water, and tastes particularly delicious when served with cola or ginger beer.
“We always start with a traditional Caribbean rum which has been aged for five years,” explained Fraser.
“Then it goes through fruit maceration, we use sultanas to get that sweetness and dark coloring.
“We also have a top secret blend of spices and botanicals, we haven’t made any compromises in the flavor.”
The Accord is a rather special nod to Aberdeen, where rum meets whisky in a glass.
We’ve forced this relationship with whisky, a rival really, because it is aged in Speyside Whisky casks,” said Fraser.
“We’re now sold as far south as St Ives, all the way back to Glasgow, Edinburgh and of course Aberdeen.
“You can enjoy a Cabezon Royal cocktail at The Chester Hotel, and then we’re served at the likes of The Dutch Mill and The Noose and Monkey.
“I went for a walk on my lunch break and ended up climbing a fence as work was going on at Kevin Dalgleish’s new restaurant, Amuse.
“Luckily the right people were there at the time for me to have a chat with.
“So we’ll be available as the house pour, which is fantastic.
“So much of this has been chapping on doors, coming right to the doorstep either literally or digitally.
“That’s what sets us apart. You can be completely obsessed with the process of how you make the rum.
Future plans for Cabezon Beverage
“For me, it’s about visibility. It’s about making sure that people see us.”
With Cabezon Beverage available at around 85 licensed premises, it’s certainly crossing people’s radar.
It is also stocked in more than 70 independent bottle shops.
I’m sure my wife finds it a little bit infuriating when we go out for dinner, and I’m nipping away to speak to the manager with some samples,” said Fraser.
“Of course it’s harder to grow to a larger retailer, they want someone tried and tested.
“But how do you become that someone in the first place?
“I think we are pretty authentic, we are exactly who we say we are.”
The trend of shopping local both during and post pandemic has also proved mighty successful for the company.
“There has been a huge drive for providence, and community support,” said Fraser.
“We aren’t claiming that we can offer you a certain type of lifestyle.
“We’re this soft, subtle social lubricant.
Famous nods
But did Fraser and David ever predict that their rum would go on to be such a success, with mentions on The Chris Moyles Breakfast Show, and Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh?
“That was amazing, the chef on Alan’s show made boozy mince pies with our rum, and they were eaten by Paul Hollywood.
“I knew we had a nice story, but I would say confident is the wrong word for us.
We were hopeful more than anything, I’m an eternal optimist.”
The company is currently undergoing a slight rebrand, with a freshen up of the website and plans to sell further afield.
“We want to spread out more geographically and grow into a sustainable business,” said Fraser.
“We were breaking even within the first year, now we’re in conversations to suppliers for on trade in London.”
Fraser is also determined to make sure that almost every pub and restaurant in the north-east receives a sample, which has led to an exciting opportunity at Meldrum House.
“We want to drive the conversation,” he said.
“It has been incredible to work with guys at the top of their game.
“Take Alan Clarke, who is the executive chef at Meldrum House.
“He made this incredible Rum Baba which was on their winter menu, using our rum of course.
“I think that’s anyone’s hope in this industry, that you keep getting opportunities like that.”
For more information, head to https://www.cabezonbeverage.com/ or check them out on Instagram and Facebook @cabezonbeverage
