Melkon Khosrovian is the co-founder of Greenbar Distillery, L.A.’s first distillery since Prohibition and one of the first craft distilleries in the U.S., boasting the world’s largest portfolio of 100 percent USDA-certified organic spirits, alongside ready-to-drink cocktails, spritzes and more. Plus, Greenbar plants a tree in Central American rainforests for every bottle of spirits sold, amounting to over one million trees thus far. Learn about Melkon Khosrovian…
Hometown: I was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. But, my real hometown is Los Angeles.
First job: If you don’t count getting paid, then my first job was running the cash register and hemming chef’s uniforms at my parents’ dry cleaners in Providence after class during high school. Best education in customer service.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in CA: I love hiking the trails around the city with my wife and friends…especially the ones that have edible herbs and flowers. Finding underappreciated restaurants with killer food and no waiting is a close second.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: Greenbar is my biggest accomplishment so far, because it lets me combine a fun way to make a living with making the world a little better every time someone buys one of our spirits or cocktails. Uniting entrepreneurialism with environmentalism is not very common these days, but we hope to set an example for others to follow. Running the business with Litty, my wife and the love of my life, makes the accomplishment that much sweeter!
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Running a small company that takes lots of risks can be dangerous, and we’ve almost gone bankrupt twice. Finding a way back from the brink taught us more than we bargained for.
Someone who inspires you and why: This sounds corny but my parents inspire me the most. We’re refugees who came to the US in pursuit of freedom and had to overcome obstacle after obstacle. They never gave up, and it taught me to do the same.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Learn everything you can from others but trust your instincts. Success often starts in your gut and comes to fruition through careful planning and execution.
Favorite quote: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” –Abraham Lincoln
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I had no experience or interest in spirits before starting Greenbar Distillery in 2004. The company emerged from a home hobby to make complex spirits for my now wife to drink at my Armenian family gatherings (she hated the fruit brandy and vodka we served). Lots of mistakes and 19 years later, we run one of the largest craft distilleries in the US.
What makes someone fabulous: Confident humility. It’s a rare combination but, then, fabulous people are rare beings.