The Plume Room interview – John Manzione Talks with Andrea Ramaglia
To accompany our feature of ‘The Plume Room’ eLiquids I decided to contact Andrea Ramaglia, the head mixologist, also known as MadMixtress to discuss just a little of what’s been going on with them. Andrea has always been so nice, so generous, while we were a tiny little publication struggling for readers
SPINFUEL: Hi Guys! It’s been such a long time since we last talked! So much has happened with The Plume Room. You moved since we last talked. Where did you move, and how did it go?
TPR: John! How are you, my friend? The Plume Room moved to Sunny Minnesota! Of course, moving a lab across the country and setting it back up takes some time and energy. Overall- it went very well. We couldn’t wait to resume, and were immediately backlogged upon re-opening.
SPINFUEL: So, you’re all set up I suppose. Do you have a lot more capacity for eLiquid production or are you producing about the same amount?
TPR: We have easily quintupled our production- if not more. The demand for TPR is at a constant rise right now. We turn down wholesale requests from the US and international every day.
SPINFUEL: We’re reviewing a few new flavors from you, how do you decide on a new flavor? Does it come to you out of the blue or do you sit around and discuss what kinds of flavors The Plume Room needs to add to its lineup?
TPR At this point, new flavors come from inspiration and availability of realistic flavoring. A spectacular dinner or divine dessert can do wonders for inspiration. However, if I don’t have a realistic chocolate or pomegranate flavoring, I know I won’t be able to accurately represent that in a juice. We are very picky about what we release.
SPINFUEL: We noticed your line is now available at Vapor Revolution (VapeRev). How did that come about? Can you talk about it?
TPR: Vape Rev contacted TPR almost 1 year ago about carrying our line of artisan juices. We recognize Vape Rev as one of the leading eCig shops in the country and we are happy that they carry quality products, and that TPR can be featured in the store.
SPINFUEL: What other companies are selling your juice? Or, what “new” companies have you added in 2013?
TPR: We have remained very selective about where TPR is sold- mainly because we’ve had a hard time keeping up with the high demand for our product. Aside from Vape Rev, you can find TPR in a store in Bulgaria and most recently, Delicious Monsta has set up as our Australian distributor. You will soon be able to find TPR at The Vape Shop in Salem-Winston, NC. We are currently looking at allowing a few more B&M’s to carry our line as we continue to grow and expand.
SPINFUEL: Are there any new flavors in the works right now that you can talk about?
TPR: Yes, there are new flavors in the works. …but we can’t talk about them just yet! How about a chance to get the first crack at them when they come out?
SPINFUEL: That would be so great! Thank you, that’s just awesome! Are you doing anything special for the upcoming holidays?
TPR: Possibly. We are really focused on keeping our shipping times where they are right now. With our newest addition to the team, we have been able to not only keep up with daily orders- but it’s common to have your order shipped the same day the order is placed. This has been a goal of ours for some time now- and now that we’ve reached it, new flavors are getting more attention. It might be tough to do a release before the holidays hit, but we look forward to having some giveaways and sales!
SPINFUEL: Keira, one of our staffers, published a piece a couple weeks back that talked about the lack of limited edition, or time-limited flavors in the eLiquid industry. It’s been one of our most popular articles we’ve ever published. What’s your take on limited edition or time-limited flavors? Have you ever done that? Do you plan to? Obviously our readers responded to this desire to have the opportunity to buy limited edition eJuice.
TPR: We have discussed a limited edition, or limited-time flavors. Part of it sounds fun and exciting- while part of it doesn’t. Andrea will not release a flavor if it doesn’t meet her standards. It can take a lot of work to get a juice to reach the release stage. …Seems that if it’s worth creating- it’s worth creating as long as people like it. We’d hate to create someone’s ADV and then pull it. With that said, there are other possible flavor themes that we will work on as time permits.
SPINFUEL: There seems to be a trend this year of eLiquid brands beginning to sell hardware. The Plume Room has always resisted this. Why?
TPR: TPR has dabbled in hardware, but we realize that it’s best to pick one thing to do exceptionally well and stick with it. One of the biggest issues encountered while selling hardware was the lack of quality in many items from China. At TPR, we pride ourselves in selling the best, building relationships with our customers, and standing behind what we produce. Since we couldn’t do that with Chinese hardware, we didn’t feel it fit the TPR brand. We are on the lookout for USA produced, one of kind items that we may carry, but it will be more of a specialty, American made line. Our main focus is on premium quality artisan juice. We think that it’s because of this philosophy that so many different vendors from all over the world have been contacting us to carry our line
SPINFUEL: You make so many great flavors, and you still the only artist behind the wheel of The Plume Room. Has moving into the new facility made it easier for you to work her magic? Are you even considering taking on an apprentice, or have already?
TPR: The move has helped TPR grow and produce for sure. We’ve brought in a few hands to help with packing and shipping- that helps us a lot. It’s difficult to let someone else in the lab. The levels of trust and confidence in the person that are needed are insanely high. We take quality seriously- and letting someone else take over recipes or production has proven difficult. I’ve allowed Troop to help out in the lab to a degree- but still remain the one and only MadMixtress of TPR!
SPINFUEL: It has been a real pleasure to speak you again. It feels like a forever ago that we’ve talked or reviewed your eJuice. Thank you for giving us a little of your time, and best of luck for whatever plans you have with The Plume Room.
TPR: Thank you John! I will always make time for you guys!
Don’t miss the Spinfuel eLiquid Review Team’s new The Plume Room Review
