The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
By Chris Maffeo
Host Chris Maffeo brings all his industry experience, building premium brands across 30+ markets. He interviews drinks founders, managers, salespeople, bartenders, and distributors in each episode.
Brands are built bottom-up.
www.linkedin.com/in/christianmaffeo/
www.winningwithdrinks.com/
maffeodrinks.com/
The MAFFEO DRINKS PodcastSep 26, 2023
027 | Brand Mysticism: how to create winning brands from the bottom-up | with Steven Grasse, Founder of Quaker City Mercantile (Philadelphia, PA, USA)
In episode 027 I had the honor of interviewing Steven Grasse. He is the founder of the renowned agency Quaker City Mercantile and of Tamworth Distilling. He is a legend in the drinks industry, having created brands such as Hendrick's gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, and having crafted great rebirths such as Pilsner Urquell, Guinness, and Miller High Life. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Main Topics Discussed:
0 to 1 Bottle:
- Differentiating Liquid
- Why Not to Chase Trends
- Bridging Categories through Taste Profile
1 Bottle to 1 Case:
- Building a Rich Brand World
- The Importance of Rituals
- Choosing Partners & Distributors
1 Case to 1 Pallet
- On, Off-Trade and State Monopolies
- Institutional Knowledge
- Award Show
About The Host: Chris Maffeo
About The Guest: Steven Grasse
026 | Balancing Love & Money: how to build value for all the links of the value chain | Part 2/2 with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky (London, UK)
This is the second part of the chat with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky. He is a business coach and brings 3 decades of industry experience, having held senior leadership roles at Bacardi, William Grant & Sons and Suntory. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Main Topics Discussed:
0 to 1 Bottle
-Figuring out pricing
-Back bar analysis
-Targeting the right bars
1 Bottle to 1 Case
-Cocktail opportunities in bars
-Strengthening customer-brand relationships (Love & Money)
-Creating volume focused KPIs
1 Case to 1 Pallet
-Beyond the back bar
-Ironing out the value chain
-Incentivizing your value chain
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Maurice Doyle
025 | Starting from the Taste Profile: when liquids transcend categories and solve a customer's need. | Part 1/2 with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky (London, UK)
This is the first part of the chat with Maurice Doyle. He's the CEO of Compass Box Whisky. He's a coach and brings three decades of industry experience, having held senior leadership roles at Bacardi, William Grant and Sons and Suntory. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Main Topics Discussed: From 0 to 1 Bottle - Conceiving of your brand - Differentiating yourself - Why people drink From 1 Bottle to 1 Case - Building Demand Efficiently - The importance of repeat consumers - The value of On-Trade From 1 Case to 1 Pallet - Expanding your drinks range - The power of consistency - Always think of the second sale About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Maurice Doyle
024 | Knowing Your Brand and Sticking To It: The importance of identifying your target occasion Bottom Up, not chasing trends | with Alex Ouziel Founder of 9diDANTE Vermouth & CEO of FIOL Prosecco
In Episode 024, I had the privilege of interviewing Alex Ouziel, Founder of 9diDANTE Vermouth and CEO of FIOL Prosecco. He's a veteran of our industry, with many years in the game. He has previously spent ten years in Bacardi, from VP and Managing Director of Eastern Europe to President of Asia, Middle East, and Africa. He possesses a truly international perspective on drinks. I hope you enjoy our conversation.
Main Topics Discussed:
From 0 to 1 Bottle
- Dark Marketing
- Importance of Differentiation
- Selling to Bars when Small
From 1 Bottle to 1 Case
- Why be on the Cocktail Menu?
- Necessity of Hunting & Farming Systems
- Adapting to what Bars need.
From 1 Case to 1 Pallet
- Building Distribution Networks
- Advantages of Brand Ambassadors
- Working with Distributors
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Alex Ouziel
023 | Bootstrapping & Investors | How the founder's role evolves with scale | Part 2/2 with Paul Hletko of FEW Spirits and Goza Tequila (Chicago, IL, USA)
In this episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast, we continue interviewing Paul Hletko, Founder of FEW Spirits & Owner of Goza Tequila. FEW was part of the vanguard of the Craft Spirits Movement, with Paul leading the charge. They are a masterclass in building a drinks brand bottom up. I hope you enjoy our chat.
Main Topics Discussed:
Zero to One Bottle
• Finding your target occasion
•Bootstrapping Vs Investor Starts
One Bottle to One Case
• Is your target occasion scalable?
• Adapting your drinking occasion
• Winning distributors
One Case to One Pallet
•Advantages of a broad portfolio of drinks
• Importance of Founder Field Visits, even when big
•Transitioning to Indirect Sales
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Paul Hletko
022 | From Traditional to Modern | The Evolution of Drinking Occasions and What Consumers Need | Part 1/2 with Paul Hletko of FEW Spirits and Goza Tequila (Chicago, IL, USA)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Paul Hletko, Founder of FEW Spirits and CEO of Goza Tequila. He is one of the founding fathers of the Craft Spirits Revolution, founding FEW in 2010, and has a unique perspective on the evolution of the drinks ecosystem over the past 13 years. He is the Former President of the American Craft Spirits Association. We hope you enjoy our chat.
We discussed:
From 0 to 1 bottle
• What's Your Target Occasion?
• Evolution of Identity over Time
• Home Turf Advantage
From 1 bottle to 1 case
• New Consumption Adaption
• Traditional Vs Modern Occasions
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Paul Hletko
021 | Co-Creating Vs Dictating in a Bar | Why you shouldn't worry about conquering a bar and instead fit in | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Alex Frezza, from L'Antiquario (Napoli, Italy).
In this episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast, We continue interviewing Alex Frezza, Owner of L'Antiquario Bar in Naples, part of the World's 50 Best Bars. He's credited with building up the Neapolitan Cocktail Bar Scene, provides top-shelf hospitality and, best of all, recognized me when I was a customer at his bar. I hope you enjoy his wisdom as much as I did.
Main topics discussed:
From 0 to 1 bottle
• The importance of the Target Occasion
• How occasions change by City, State, and Country
• Dark Demand Generation
From 1 bottle to 1 case
• Up or Out: how cool bar owners choose their brands
• Analyzing cocktail menus to decide where to focus on
• Avoid brands vs. following brands: different strategies
From 1 case to 1 pallet
• Big brands & the taste setting effect
• Choosing the right Distributor for your brand.
• Localization Challenges
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Alex Frezza
020 | Decoding the Ecosystem of a Cocktail Bar: Translating Between Consumer, Bar and Brand | Part 1/2 with Alex Frezza from L' Antiquario (Napoli, Italy)
This is the first part of the chat I had the honor of having with Alex Frezza. He is the Owner and Founder of L' Antiquario in Napoli, currently number 46 on the Global list of 50 Best Bars. He is a bar legend in Italy and internationally. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Main topics discussed:
From 0 to 1 bottle
• Understanding the thought process of a bar owner being pitched to
• The Wholesaler Paradox (Why bars have an aversion to brands without a wholesaler)
• The Importance of the Target Occasion
From 1 bottle to 1 case
• What attracts bar owners to a product
• Communicating your brand identity to consumers through bartenders
• Being approachable to consumers for bars and brands
From 1 case to 1 pallet
• Big brands vs. Small brands approaches
• Localization Failures
• Building Distribution Networks
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Alex Frezza
019 | Negroni vs. Old Fashioned type of cities: how trending cocktails change between cities and can be used as target occasions | with Krista Schubert from Overproof (Miami, FL, USA)
In this single episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Krista Schubert from Overproof, an AI-powered market intelligence platform & field execution software for the beverage alcohol industry. She has extensive industry experience and brings incredible insights and data to our chat.
If you are interested in using OverProof, you can do it here and get $250 discount.
Main topics discussed:
From 0 to 1 bottle
• The importance of the Target Occasion
• How occasions change by City and State
• How to choose the correct city to start building your brand
From 1 bottle to 1 case
• Brand Owners' vs. Distributors' approaches to city strategies
• Analyzing cocktail menus to decide where to focus on
• Avoid brands vs. following brands: different strategies
From 1 case to 1 pallet
• Big brands vs. Small brands approaches
• How to move from one City / State to the next
• How Independent Bottle Shops can complement your On-trade strategy
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Krista Schubert
018 | Back Bars & Cocktail Menus: from being visible to driving rotation | Part 2/2 with Adrián Michalčík, Global Winner Diageo WorldClass 2022 (Oslo, Norway)
This is the second part of the chat between Chris Maffeo and Adrián Michalčík. He is the Global Winner of the Diageo WorldClass 2022 and Global Top 6 in 2016. He is the Director of Mixology at Pier 42 in Oslo.
Main topics discussed:
• What happens after selling the first bottle to a bar
• How to drive rotation in bars
• Visibility: Back bars, beverage menus, and cocktail menus
• Support bars with physical and development tools
• Being specific vs. versatile on a target occasion
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Adrián Michalčík
017 | Bar Scene dynamics: from advocacy programs to how to approach top bars | Part 1/2 with Adrián Michalčík, Global Winner Diageo WorldClass 2022 (Oslo, Norway)
This is the first episode of the chat between Chris Maffeo and Adrián Michalčík. He is the Global Winner of the Diageo WorldClass 2022 and Global Top 6 in 2016. He is the Director of Mixology at Pier 42 in Oslo.
They discussed:
• The importance of On-trade in brand building, especially in dark markets.
• What can small brands learn from Global Brands' Advocacy Programs.
• How Salespeople can prepare themselves before approaching a bar.
• Latest developments in the Czechoslovak and Nordic bar scenes.
• The Italian and Czechoslovak connection in the Global bar scene.
• How top bars decide which brands to list on their offering
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Adrián Michalčík
016 | Brand Ambassadors, Advocacy & KPIs: how to set up the role to build demand bottom-up | Part 2/2 with Filiberto Amati from Amati & Associates (Warsaw, Poland)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Filiberto Amati. He is a Growth Advisor. He has extensive Spirits experience having spent many years in Campari in the Netherlands, Mexico, the Caribbean and in Di Saronno in Central and Eastern Europe. He has been in both marketing and commercial roles.
They spoke about Brand Ambassadors from how to define the role, set up KPIs and enable them to build demand from the bottom-up.
They continue by talking about how big brands have shaped their success by focusing on a core occasion. How did they master with perfect market execution that did not happen overnight. If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues. About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Filiberto Amati
015 | Cities & Distributors: how to choose the right city and RTM to start from | Part 1/2 with Filiberto Amati from Amati & Associates (Warsaw, Poland)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Filiberto Amati. He is a Growth Advisor. He has extensive Spirits experience having spent many years in Campari in the Netherlands, Mexico, the Caribbean and in Di Saronno in Central and Eastern Europe. He has been in both marketing and commercial roles.
They speak about how to choose the right city to start from in a market, as they are not all the same. They dive into how to win there before moving to the next city and how to ensure you get the right distribution set-up based on your brand lifestage. If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues. About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Filiberto Amati
014 | Nordic drinks conquering the world: how to build a local category beyond its borders, bottom-up | with Marcus Pedersen from O.P. Anderson Aquavit (Malmö, Sweden)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with his ex-colleague Marcus Pedersen.
They use Aquavit, a typical Nordic distillate, to discuss how niche categories can create demand and appeal beyond their borders. They talk about traditional and modern target occasions, how to approach bars, get on the back bar, cocktail menus, and ultimately drive rotation.
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues.
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Marcus Pedersen
013 | The 80/20 rule in export: how to focus on winning on a couple of markets first | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Philip Duff, Founder of Old Duff Genever and Liquid Solutions (NYC, NY, USA)
This episode is the second part of the selection of Chris Maffeo's chat with Philip Duff.
They started speaking about how to avoid spreading yourself too thin by entering numerous markets you cannot control effectively; having one person handle to trade at the street level while avoiding bureaucratic processes that may hinder your progress is better.
They closed the episode by discussing how brands should avoid relying too much on past success when looking toward future growth opportunities. What works today might not work tomorrow due to changing market dynamics or consumer preferences.
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues. Listen to the Philip Duff Show (podcast) to find out more.
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Philip Duff
012 | The shelf-life mindset: what can spirits learn from beer to drive rotation | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Philip Duff, Founder of Old Duff Genever and Liquid Solutions (NYC, NY, USA)
They spoke about the difference between beer, wine, and spirits and what Spirits marketers can learn from the beer industry by better understanding the ecosystem - from breweries/distilleries through importers/distributors/wholesalers/bar owners/staff/bartenders/consumers. The importance of avoiding the far too common disconnect between marketing guidelines and actual bar practices. They spoke about cocktail occasions being a popular trend many brands want to participate in. Some have a credible story, while others seem like random marketing inventions.
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues.
To find out more, listen to the Philip Duff Show (podcast).
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Philip Duff
011 | How to get on Cocktail Menus: thinking out of the box to achieve rotation | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (London, UK)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo spoke to Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (Trinity 25)
In the farming part of their chat, we dive into practical strategies for increasing sales in bars. We explore the importance of targeting independent outlets and overcoming skepticism from bar managers/owners. To drive awareness and generate interest, offering free samples and designing special promotions/events prove beneficial.
We also discuss the power of relatable cocktail names and segmenting drinks based on their approximate alcohol content (ABV) to attract customers. Tracking bar menu changes and creating a pipeline for future opportunities is emphasized. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it. About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Brad Crompton
010 | Building demand for a new category: the journey from lower ABV to Session Spirit ™ | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (London, UK)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo spoke to Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (Trinity 25)
In the hunting part of their chat, they discussed the importance of building demand before capturing it. How, by talking about the broader category, a brand can establish its relevance and make the pie bigger for others, by launching a magazine covering both alcohol-free and fully alcoholic drinks.
Brad explained how they've trademarked the "session spirit" category and shifted their focus to finding bars that understand and support their vision. Instead of competing with established brands for shelf space, they aim to create a new shelf altogether where their product can thrive in its own right. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it. About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Brad Crompton
009 | Tech and Geographic Strategies: how CRM tools can drive flawless execution | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Dom Bowcock, Co-founder of Bowimi (London, UK)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo spoke to Dom Bowcock, Co-founder of Bowimi. They discussed the importance of executing their strategy in a focused way and understanding how to prioritize an area before moving on to the next one. They spoke about the difference between selling beer and spirits brands and how crucial it is to sustain sales velocity instead while expanding distribution. They closed the episode by discussing how founders can ensure they hire the right people in their team and set them up for success. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it. About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Dom Bowcock
008 | Data Analysis in On-trade: how to systematize your approach to bars | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Dom Bowcock, Co-founder of Bowimi (London, UK)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo spoke to Dom Bowcock, Co-founder of Bowimi. They spoke about the importance of having a simple system to capture and analyze data to identify which customers to focus on. They discussed the importance for brands to secure new accounts and nurture relationships with existing ones so that their products continue selling well. They chatted about how small-scale experiments are beneficial when trying out different strategies across various venues - but balance is key to gathering useful data points without causing paralysis by analysis. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it. About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Dom Bowcock
007 | Farming Sales: how to drive sales velocity in bars after you sold the first bottle | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Mike McGrail from the Drinks Noise Podcast (Edinburgh, UK)
006 | Hunting Bars: how to start selling a new Drinks Brand in a city | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Mike McGrail from the Drinks Noise Podcast (Edinburgh, UK)
005 | Building demand: how to educate about the occasion and the category vs. only the brand | Part 3/3 of the Interview with Ilias Mastrogiannis from the Distillery Nation Podcast (Seattle, WA, USA)
They spoke about the importance for brands to build demand and trust by educating consumers about the category and drinking occasion rather than just talking about their brand. They also suggest that brands offer something unique to stand out without overcomplicating things by creating a product just for geeks. In the end, Ilias asked Chris questions to help listeners understand better who he is and what he does.
I hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it.
About the Host: Ilias Mastrogiannis
About the Interviewee: Chris Maffeo
004 | Cracking the Drinks Value Chain: debunking the myth of bypassing the links of the chain | Part 2/3 of the Interview with Ilias Mastrogiannis from the Distillery Nation Podcast (Seattle, WA, USA)
They discussed how drinks brands should focus on winning in their backyard and build relationships with distributors, importers, and retailers instead of looking for shortcuts and hacks. They spoke about the importance of building Cost-of-Goods COGS from the glass to avoid becoming too expensive in the market. They discussed the hidden costs of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, such as margins and marketing costs, and the danger of scaling too quickly while not being cash strong to satisfy large orders.
I hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it.
About the Host: Ilias Mastrogiannis
About the Interviewee: Chris Maffeo
All rights reserved: Distillery Nation
003 | The Target Occasion: how to sell to bars focusing on occasions rather than categories | Part 1/3 of the Interview with Ilias Mastrogiannis from the Distillery Nation Podcast (Seattle, WA, USA)
In this episode, Chris Maffeo spoke to Ilias Mastrogiannis, host of Distillery Nation and founder of the Mastrogiannis Distillery and Winery.
They discussed how the On-trade scene has changed by blending occasions and categories in recent years. They dived into why focusing on target occasions is important rather than categories. They discussed the importance of building demand for a brand before attempting to capture it and how On-trade sales have changed in the last few years. They discussed sales, building demand, targeting and filtering on-premise accounts, and the importance of focusing on the essentials, focusing on bottle-by-bottle sales.
I hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it.
About the Host: Ilias Mastrogiannis
About the Interviewee: Chris Maffeo
All rights reserved: Distillery Nation
002 | The Sell-out Ladder: how to increase drinks sales in bars | Interview with Jason Littrell from WMR (New York City)
In this episode, Jason Littrell and I face the challenges of listing drinks brands in bars and restaurants. We deep dive into the steps from selling one bottle to one case. How do you start from being on the back bar to be on the menu? What are the triggers in the conversation between a salesperson and a bar manager? How do you start from the glass and build brand pull rather than brand push?
I hope you enjoy the conversation. Share it with friends, click follow and rate it if you liked it.
About the Host: Jason Littrell
About the Interviewee: Chris Maffeo
All rights reserved: The Littrell Show
001 | The Drinks Ecosystem explained | Interview with Luboš Kastner from the Český GASTRONOMICKÝ podcast (Prague)
This is my very first podcast interview from January 2021. My friend and ex-boss Luboš Kastner invited me to his Czech Gastronomic Podcast to discuss my approach to the Drinks Ecosystem. We wanted to share this episode as it aged well, being so actual now after two years.
What are the challenges of drinks companies in the ecosystem? How can they improve how they interact with the On-trade? We hope you enjoy it.
About the Host: Luboš Kastner
About the Interviewee: Chris Maffeo
All rights reserved: Český GASTRONOMICKÝ podcast
000 | Bonus Episode: 15 simple tips to build drinks brands bottom-up | Presentation for Park Street University at BCB Bar Convent 2022 (Berlin)
This bonus episode was recorded at Bar Convent Berlin, where Chris Maffeo held a presentation as a guest of Park Street University.
In his presentation, he talks about the MAFFEO DRINKS approach to building brands from the bottom up, explaining the most common mistakes brands make and how to solve them.
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the venue: BCB - Bar Convent Berlin
All rights reserved: Park Street
Trailer: welcome to The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
This is a podcast for people interested in the drinks industry. With a no-nonsense approach, it focuses on how beverage brands are built in the On-trade. Each episode brings insights on building a brand from the bottom up, from glass to bottle, to case, to pallet.
Host Chris Maffeo brings all his industry experience, building premium brands across 30+ markets. He interviews drinks founders, managers, salespeople, bartenders, and distributors in each episode.
Brands are built bottom-up.
twitter.com/maffeodrinks
www.winningwithdrinks.com/
maffeodrinks.com/