Altamura Distilleries has recruited alcohol industry veteran Kevin Schmudde to lead its recently expanded US division.
Schmudde (below) joins the founder-owned vodka company in the newly created head of USA role following three years as CEO of Kástra Elión Vodka in Los Angeles. He previously held various senior roles at tequila and mezcal importer Global Beverage Team, Citizen Cider and Kindred Brewing.
Schmudde began his career as a sales operations manager for Brown-Forman in New England, moving on to spend three years at Constellation Brands as a business unit director.
“In his new role, Schmudde will lead Altamura Distilleries Vodka’s [sic] US business and will be responsible for shaping its long-term commercial strategy, strengthening distributor and retail relationships, expanding the brand’s footprint across key states and building a team capable of delivering sustainable national growth,” the company said in a statement today (20 August).
The start-up’s head of brand, Lorenzo Di Cola, added: “Kevin’s appointment is a significant moment for Altamura Distilleries and one of the clearest statements yet of our ambition in the US. We have already established strong foundations across the US, but we believe the opportunity ahead is far greater.”
Schmudde’s appointment follows a period of expansion for the Italian vodka brand in the US, which appointed ex-Campari Group on-premise specialist Leah Miller as its director of sales for New York late last year.
In February, the single-SKU company, owned by founders Frank Grillo and Steve Acuña, announced the distribution expansion of Altamura into 20 states – which has since increased to 26 states. These include the “key” markets of California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and New York.
The brand was also launched in India with Delhi-based Amistad Spirits in 2024 and in mainland China and Hong Kong through Elire HK and Six Days Distro last year.
