Andrew Merinoff will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer of Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur. Chinola, the handcrafted liqueur made from real passion fruit in the Dominican Republic, has experienced steady growth a year after its national expansion and is now in 26 markets.

The Merinoff name is a fixture in the spirits industry, dating back to before Prohibition.  Four generations later, Andrew is paving his own path with his Venture Capital firm, Dispact Ventures and his work opening Great Jones, New York City’s first whiskey distillery since the Prohibition. While he has been on both sides of the table for several M&A deals, this is his first time assuming a CEO position.

Carvalho is a veteran in the wine & spirits industry with international experience in all areas of the management and commercialization of wine and spirit brands. He started his career in wine overseeing distribution and production at SOGRAPE, the largest Portuguese wine producer known for such international brands as Sandeman, Mateus and Offley along with operations in Spain (Bodegas LAN), Argentina (Finca Flichman), Chile (Viña Los Boldos), and New Zealand (Framingham). Prior to working with Chinola, he worked with  Stoli Group and Diageo.