Maple Gets Into the Beverage Industry

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Never satisfied with just his hockey career and always looking for the next business opportunity, Vancouver Wolves forward Dogwood Maple has entered the beverage business this offseason.

 

"You know, I was thinking a lot about my future and how I may not have too many more years of playing at a high level. I want to be able to cash in on my connections while I'm still in the game and make sure to set up a future for my kids and grandkids.  I've already got my toes in the restaurant and airline industries, but now I think it's time to launch a full leap into the alcoholic beverage industry.  And I'm not going to discriminate - we're talking beer, wine, liquor, everything.  With my restaurants, my potential partnerships within the sports community, and the VHL league as a whole, I feel like this is a great opportunity for me," Maple explained.

 

His beverage launch actually began 24 months ago when he purchased 1,000 acres in Northern California for his vineyard.

 

"I knew that wine wasn't just an overnight thing and that there had to be a lot of infrastructure in place before we could be successful, so I started buying land a couple of years ago to get the ball rolling.  It's not that far of a flight from Vancouver so I'm able to go down there a lot.  And when it comes to wine country, it's hard to beat northern California.  Great weather, great soil, and just ideal for a vineyard.  So we've already got that in place, so we should be bottling in the near future and with the marketing plan we've laid out, I fully anticipate that it'll be successful.  The other big branch of this launch is beer.  I've always been a fan of darker beer myself, so that's where my focus will be.  Plus, with the dreary weather in Vancouver, there's nothing like a nice stout to warm you up.  I'm talking about everything from dark ambers, coffee stouts, porters, if it's dark we'll have it."

 

When it came to naming this company, it was an easy choice for the star forward.

 

"Everything will be under the umbrella of 'Maple Mill'.  There's a river and working mill on the property in California that dates back to the 1700s and I really wanted in integrate that into the branding.  That's what the wine labels will feature as our official logo, as well.  And I know what you're thinking - what about liquor?  Well we already have some infrastructure for a thrice distilled vodka and floral gins that we're very excited about.  No matter what your preferences are, Maple Mill will be able to offer a delicious beverage at a reasonable cost.  And I'm also happy to announce that we've already partnered with the Vancouver Arena to serve our beer and wine for home games starting next season.  A portion of the profits will go to the Vancouver Children's Hospital, as is the case with my business ventures, to make sure we are taking care of our area's most important residents," Maple said.

 

No matter how much longer Maple takes the ice for the Wolves, one thing is abundantly clear - he's got his post-hockey life setup for him in a very exciting way.

 

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[VattghernCZ 902]

Kerr may be able to arrange a supply of czech hops from Žatec