The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast

In Episode 59, I continued the chat with Stephen Myers, from Ep. 58. He is the Founder of Dynamic Beverage Consultants. He is also one of the Originals at Ilegal Mezcal. We dived into the crucial aspects of launching a new brand in the (US) market and how to avoid expensive mistakes. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:34 Your First 1,000 Pounds 4:00 Building Presence In The Trade 8:22 Being Relevant 14:35 Portfolio Strategies, One Bar 17:11 Portfolio Strategies, Many Bars 20:51 Independent Vs Chains 24:17 Be Careful What You Wish For 29:26 Last Thoughts On Entrepreneurship 34:15 Last Thoughts About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Stephen Myers

In Episode 58, I chatted with Stephen Myers, Founder of Dynamic Beverage Consultants. He is also one of the Originals at Ilegal Mezcal. We dived into the crucial aspects of launching a new brand in the (US) market and how to avoid expensive mistakes. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:51 About Steve 4:26 Brand Or Liquid Lead 6:34 Brand Story & Differentiation 12:28 Target Occasion 14:06 Creating Demand 16:57 Great Marketing, Bad Commercials 21:20 Beyond Categories 22:36 Breaking Into New Markets (Relationship Chaining) 28:07 Drinks Relationship Ecosystem 33:50 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Stephen Myers

In episode 57, we've created a cross-episode with the Park Street University Insider Podcast. I spoke to Emmett Strack, and we dived into the latest 2024 trends in the drinks industry. We compared the US and Europe, talking about the cross-pollination of trends in the cocktail scene, and in the overall bottom-up trade. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:16 Role of Convenience & Occasion 8:51 Ascension of Flavor 15:38 Pressurization 18:35 On-Trade In Europe 23:05 Euro Cocktail Trends 30:51 Gen Z & Drinking Occasion 36:42 Euro Drinking Categories 41:41 American Drinking Trends 46:14 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Emmett Strack

In Episode 56, I continued the conversation with Georgie Bell, The Heart Cut's co-founder from Ep.55. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:24 Where Do You Start 4:46 Importance Of Follow Up 7:41 Importance Of Normal Bars 13:05 Importance Of Off-Trade 15:18 When To Wholesale? 17:09 One Bottle, One Case, One Pallet 23:40 Building Demand With Partners 30:56 The Drinks Ecosystem 34:20 Start Up Challenges 47:34 Contact Details 49:19 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Georgie Bell

In Episode 55, I enjoyed chatting with The Heart Cut's co-founder Georgie Bell. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:03 Brand or Liquid? 6:43 Social Currency 12:43 Story Telling 23:22 Taste Profile 25:39 Target Consumer Vs Target Occasion 36:35 Women In Whisk(e)y 36:24 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Georgie Bell

In Episode 054 I had the pleasure of speaking with Vani Gupta Dandia. I was a guest in her Marketing with Vani Podcast were she interviews marketing people from various industries. We dived into the Drinks Industry, looking at it from outside. I hope you will enjoy our chat Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:26 Background 2:00 What Differentiates Alcohol 3:05 Target Occasions 7:35 Bridging Categories 9:22 Gender Stereotypes 11:12 Tracking What You Can Track 13:47 Educating Consumers 18:11 Role Of Storytelling 20:24: Bottom Up Trade 24:17 Being Everything To Everyone 26:40 Playing with Variations 31:39 Cross Generational Appeal 36:36 Functional VS Recreational 39:54 Building Brands Bottom Up 46:17 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Vani Gupta Dandia

In Episode 053, I continued the conversation with Justin Medcraft from Episode 052, so feel free to listen to that as well. He is the Founder of Mate Maker Hard Kombucha. He brings a wealth of previous experience in Spirits and Beer. We discussed building demand for a start-up drinks brand, standing out amongst a sea of products, and focusing on building momentum. I hope you will enjoy our chat. One last thing: If you enjoy this podcast, you will also like the MAFFEO DRINKS Guides. You can subscribe free or paid on maffeodrinks.com Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:24 When To Open New Markets 10:31 Community Driven Marketing 15:45 Growing From Your Community 18:33 Getting The SKU In, Increasing Rotation 26:33 Advantages Of Small Brands 36:19 Discipline 39:15 Contacts 39:54 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Justin Medcraft

In Episode 52, I enjoyed chatting with Justin Medcraft, the Founder of Mate Maker Hard Kombucha. He brings a wealth of previous experience in Spirits and Beer. We discussed how to build demand for a start-up drinks brand, stand out amongst a sea of products, and focus on building momentum. I hope you will enjoy our chat. One last thing: If you enjoy this podcast, you will also like the MAFFEO DRINKS Guides. You can subscribe free or paid on maffeodrinks.com Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 2:04 Building Demand 3:49 Building Community: Brand Or Liquid? 6:15 Mate Maker Elevator Pitch 11:26 The Consumer Pitch 13:07 The Ring Road 19:39 Determining Direction 26:05 Home Turf Advantage 35:09 Growing Beyond Your Hometown 38:01 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Justin Medcraft

In Episode 051, I continued the conversation with Ilias Mastrogiannis from Episode 050 so feel free to listen to that as well. I hope you will enjoy our chat Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:15 Winning Large Retailers 5:28 Securing The Foundation 8:34 Non-Scalable Tasks 13:31 1% Better Everyday 17:57 The Necessity of Obsession 25:07 Wrap Up 27:24 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Ilias Mastrogiannis

In Episode 050 I had the pleasure of chatting with Ilias Mastrogiannis. He is the Founder of Distillery Nation Podcast and Mastrogiannis Winery and Distillery, based in Washington State, inspired by Greek tradition. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:51 Ilias' Podcast 3:59 Building Demand 5:30 Starting Product 6:46 Traditional Vs Modern Occasions 10:38 Ring Road of Messaging 16:23 Event Driven Messaging 20:26 Event Specialized Products 24:25 Dusty Vs Vibrant Categories 28:22 Primacy of Cocktail List? 30:52 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Ilias Mastrogiannis

In Episode 049 I continued the conversation with Stephanie Jordan from Episode 048. She is the Co-Founder of B-Corp Avallen Calvados. She brings fantastic insights as he runs her Sales & Marketing Consultancy, Drinking Out Loud. Before that, she ran Sales & Global Advocacy for la Hechicera Rum and was the Global Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray Gin after starting her career in drinks on the Global Diageo graduate scheme. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:14 Sustainable Packaging 9:36 Selecting Sustainable Outlets? 13:18 Role Of An Importer 16:10 Ensuring Wholesaler Rotation 20:00 Big Fish Small Pond, Small Fish Big Pond? 23:19 Biggest Professional Change Becoming A Founder? 31:38 Wrap-Up 33:12 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Stephanie Jordan

In Episode 048 I had the honor to talk to Stephanie Jordan. She is the Co-Founder of B-Corp Avallen Calvados. She brings fantastic insights as he also runs her Sales & Marketing Consultancy, Drinking Out Loud. Before that she has ran Sales & Global Advocacy for la Hechicera Rum and was the Global Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray Gin after starting her career in drinks on the Global Diageo graduate scheme. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 3:04 Bringing A Non-Trendy Category To Market 5:54 Brand Or Liquid Led 9:19 Target Occasion Vs Category 14:58 Multi or Single Target Occasion 24:11 Sustainability Messaging 30:03 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Stephanie Jordan

In Episode 047 I continued the conversation with Jack Orr-Ewing from Ep. 046. He is the CEO of the Westbourne Drinks Company - The Duppy Share. He brings an incredible experience of the various stages of brand development from the start to reaching scale in a market. We dived into efficient marketing spend and how to align the route to market to each brand stage. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 00:14 Shifting Into Management 6:52 Dangers of Overeating as a Brand 9:48 Systematizing Selling To 100's of Bars 25:21 Adapting To Local Ecosystems 29:01 Best Brand Awareness Tools 33:15 The Fools Gold of Big Brand Events 38:23 Sponsoring Events: Invisible Downsides & How To Capitalize 43:38 Ending Segment About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Jack Orr-Ewing

In Episode 046 I had the pleasure of chatting to Jack Orr-Ewing. He is the CEO of the Westbourne Drinks Company - The Duppy Share. He brings an incredible experience of the various stages of brand development from the start to reaching scale in a market. We dived into efficient marketing spend and how to align the route to market to each brand stage. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Building Demand 5:09 Entering A New Market 10:43 Selecting Bars 15:11 Differentiating Your Brand For On-Trade 23:08 Utilizing Portfolio To Enter Bars 28:47 The Target Consumer 31:45 The Duppy Share 34:21 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Jack Orr-Ewing

In Episode 045, I continued the conversation with Francesco Sapienza from Episode 044. He disclosed some tips about Drinks Photography and unveiled the behind-the-scenes of working with some of the best bars and restaurants in NYC. It is also in video on Spotify and YouTube. Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 0:22 A Food Photographer's Red Flags 6:39 Creating The Photograph 10:34 The Role of Light in Sales 16:24 Ensuring a Follow Up 20:04 The Value of a Professional 27:20 Photographic Tricks 29:33 Difference Between Food & Drink Shots 32:40 Taking Shortcuts 35:48 Best Color For Liquid 40:17 Pragmatic vs Aspirational Imagery 44:50 The Professional as an Educator 55:00 Ending Remarks 57:09 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Francesco Sapienza

In Episode 045, I continued the conversation with Francesco Sapienza from Episode 044. He disclosed some tips about Drinks Photography and unveiled the behind-the-scenes of working with some of the best bars and restaurants in NYC. It is also in video on Spotify and YouTube. Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 0:22 A Food Photographer's Red Flags 6:39 Creating The Photograph 10:34 The Role of Light in Sales 16:24 Ensuring a Follow Up 20:04 The Value of a Professional 27:20 Photographic Tricks 29:33 Difference Between Food & Drink Shots 32:40 Taking Shortcuts 35:48 Best Color For Liquid 40:17 Pragmatic vs Aspirational Imagery 44:50 The Professional as an Educator 55:00 Ending Remarks 57:09 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Francesco Sapienza

In Episodes 044 I had the pleasure to chat with one of my best friends, Francesco Sapienza. He is a NYC-based Food & Drink Photographer. An Engineer by trade, he left a successful career in Stockholm, Sweden to pursue his dream in NYC. We spoke about how to best work with the different players in the hospitality ecosystem. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:09 About The Guest 3:57 Choosing a Niche 9:36 Choosing Your Target Customers 11:45 Photographer-Brand Communications 15:00 When The Customer Doesn't Know What They Need 20:00 Creating Demand As A Photographer 25:36 Outro About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Francesco Sapienza

In Episode 043 I continued the conversation with André de Almeida from Episode 042. In this part we digged into GTR, Global Travel Retail as a Bottom-up Channel. André is a Drinks Industry Consultant and Founder of the "Inside the Cask" website. André has 20 years of experience having worked with Loch Lomond Group, William Grant & Sons, Edrington, and other drinks companies. He is also a Drinks Jury Member at Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:14 Global Travel Retail Logistics 7:55 Segmenting Airports 10:31 Local Airport Advantage 13:42 Airport Stakeholders 18:35 Staffing Airports 22:11 Identifying Your Consumer 34:42 Local vs. Standardized Airport Selection 41:07 Wrapping Up About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Andre De Almeida

In Episode 042 I had the pleasure of chatting with André de Almeida. He is a Drinks Industry Consultant and Founder of the "Inside the Cask" website. André has 20 years of experience having worked with Loch Lomond Group, William Grant & Sons, Edrington, and other drinks companies. He is also a Drinks Jury Member at Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 1:39 Starting From Brand or Liquid? 3:51 Bringing In New Whisk(e)y Drinkers 9:18 Whisk(e)y Education 12:53 Category Bridging For Whisk(e)y 18:53 Category Jumping With Wood 25:41 Clear Target Occasion Vs Pigeonholing 27:38 Recruitment Via Cocktails 35:22 The Role Of Bottom-Up Trade 40:49 Outro About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Andre De Almeida

In episode 041, I had the pleasure of chatting with Arturo Isola, Co-Founder of Amazzoni Gin. An architect and designer by training, he entered the Drinks Industry co-creating the first Brazilian Gin on his journey to craft the perfect Negroni. I hope you will enjoy this inspiring Founder’s story. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 2:16 The First Brazilian Gin 8:48 Brand or Liquid Led Business? 13:14 Conceiving The Business Idea 20:06 Breaking into the On-Trade 23:02 Starting Without Investors 27:45 Entrepreneurs and Consistency 32:21 Should You Adapt to the Market? 37:00 Committing to The Dream 41:34 Contact Info & Ending About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Arturo Isola