Kapamilya actor Epy Quizon shared why he and his siblings started the liquor brand Banayad Whisky for the late King of Comedy, Dolphy. In an interview with veteran broadcaster Karen Davila, the celebrity son expressed how they wanted to relive their late father’s 1995 film, Father En Son.
Banayad Whisky has become a pop culture reference following Dolphy’s iconic scene in the film, in which he becomes increasingly intoxicated with each sip of the liquor.
READ: Dolphy’s family engages in a legal battle against Banayad Whisky
Epy recalled how they discussed it together as a family and admitted how big a gamble it was for them as they entered a new industry. Despite this, they wanted to preserve the brand’s name, as he revealed that other imitations of the brand are still being sold.
“Sabi namin, bakit hindi natin gawing totoo yung Banayad Whisky since maraming kumokopya. Maraming kumokopya ng Banayad Whisky at meron nag boobootleg hanggang ngayon,” he shared.
“If you guys really want Banayad Whisky nasa White Plains lang–– ito yung mga tunay,” he added.
Their office is located in Quezon City, which also serves as a bar that could be rented out for intimate parties.
“Ang pangarap ko dito is sundin ang pangarap ng mga kapatid ko kasi sila ang nagpapatakbo. Si Boy2 (Quizon) ang aming COO, so Boy2 is the one in charge of operating,” Epy said.
The Kapamilya actor then recalled how they started their business–– finding a contact to supply their whisky. He shared how hesitant their Scottish suppliers were in the start, but eventually saw how famous Dolphy is, so they agreed.
“To get real Scottish whisky, you have to know some real Scottish people… For them to give you a line of whisky, they have to agree,” he explained.
“Pinakita nung partner namin si Caloy yung mga videos ng daddy ko–– one million views, 20 million views, five million views–– sabi nung [partner] Oh it’s a cult. So pumayag sila pero dapat three containers. Ganun kadami,” he continued.
READ: Epy Quizon reveals he still receives an 'allowance' from his late father Dolphy
Epy revealed that they had already started expanding their business in several parts of the country and even in the Middle East. Despite this, he acknowledged that more needs to be done for their business to succeed.
“It’s gonna take a while to make it really big, but now we are in the United Arab Emirates, so at least meron na tayong two containers sa United Arab Emirates under Infinity Drinks. Alam ko meron na sa Dumaguete–– may mga ganun na,” he said.