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The Crazy Story of How Candela Mamajuna Was Built

From Poolside Shots to Building Candela

This week, I sat down with Alejandro Russo, the founder of Candela Mamajuana, a fast-growing premium liquor brand with one of the wildest founding stories you’ll ever hear.

It all started when Alejandro stumbled across Mamajuana at a Dominican resort—a botanical-infused rum with a 200-year history but no real premium brand behind it. What followed was a rollercoaster of hustling cases into college parties, building in The Dominican Republic, surviving COVID shutdowns, and eventually bringing Pitbull on as a key investor.

A Drunken Epiphany

Sitting by the pool in Punta Cana, Alejandro realized:

• Millions of Americans drank Mamajuana every year, but nobody bottled it properly.

• It was like Mezcal 20 years ago—huge cultural roots but no premium branding.

• He thought: “Someone’s gonna make millions off this. Why not me?”

So he started Candela: the first premium Mamajuana brand, infused with authentic Dominican botanicals and crafted like a high-end spirit.

How He Proved It Could Work

With no money for marketing, Alejandro hacked his launch:

• He imported 250 test cases to Chile.

• Partnered with a friend running massive college parties.

• Let students drink it for free at open bars—and they loved it.

• Word spread, and his first big batch sold out.

From there, Candela slowly grew—case by case, party by party.

Surviving COVID: Pitbull To The Rescue

At the peak of COVID, Candela was on the verge of bankruptcy, selling zero bottles in April 2020.
Then came a call:
"Pitbull loves your brand. He wants to meet you."

Alejandro thought it was a prank—until he walked onto Pitbull’s yacht.

• They took shots of Candela.

• Pitbull opened his notebook and said: "I love this. How can I help?"

• He became an investor and later stepped in to save the brand financially when other investors backed out.

"Candela wouldn’t exist today if Pitbull hadn’t stepped up," Alejandro says.

Candela’s Big Leap

Today, Candela is:

• Sold in 700+ stores

• Partnered with top Dominican resorts

• Relaunching with new premium branding (designed by the same agency behind Hendrick’s Gin)

• Expanding into 9–10 new U.S. markets this year

And Alejandro isn't stopping. He’s also leading a sustainability push, bottling liquor in reusable eco-containers across the Caribbean and Mexico.

Advice Worth Saving

When asked what he’d tell his 18-year-old self, Alejandro dropped this:

Candela is living proof that big bets, wild ideas, and good people can create something unforgettable.

🥃 Learn more about Candela: drinkcandela.com

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