Samuel J and Alfred S Bernstein had a passion for spirits and cocktails. They were amongst the first to introduce vodka sold in the US as a bootlegged item purchased from European immigrants during prohibition. As soon as prohibition was lifted they launched Vladimir Vodka which is still real Vodka since 1933! They also sold Gold Crown Blended Whiskey, McCall’s Gin, McCall’s Vodka and Ron Pablo Rum, Orange Driver, and Kamikaze Cocktail under the name Pride of Baltimore.
In 1984 they introduced 42 proof Montebello Long Island Iced Tea which became an instant success.
Sam and Albert were visionaries and entrepreneurs and invested their last dollar to make their vision a success. Over the years the company continued to innovate and launch new products.
In 1990 they purchased the Frankfort Distillery from Seagram’s and moved from Little Italy to their new location. The new plant is 175,000 sq.ft. located in a prime location on a 20 acre property in Baltimore, MD.
In 2020 Harmeet Sandhu took over the helm of Montebello Brands as CEO. Building on the success of Long Island Iced Tea, Harmeet introduced Mango Long Island Iced Tea, Passion Fruit Long Island Iced Tea, Peach Island Long Island Iced Tea, and Screwdriver. All RTD’s are 42 proof, and very well received.
