Business of Drinks

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Episodes

135

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Welcome to the Business of Drinks, where we go behind the bottle, interviewing beverage innovators and icons about how they built their businesses. We take a data-driven approach, analyzing the brands, products, and categories that get consumers excited. And we cover many drinks categories — from wine, beer, and spirits to non-alcohol drinks — as well as THC, adaptogen, and functional beverages. So whether you’re working in drinks — or just interested in the stories behind your favorite brands — join us each week as we explore how companies are unlocking growth at every stage in the game.

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August 19, 202643 min

130: How Arette Built a 100K-Case Tequila Brand From the Bar Out With Eduardo Orendain

How do you build a 100,000-case tequila brand without a big marketing budget — or, until recently, even a U.S. sales team? Arette Tequila did it largely from the bar out. The family-owned brand shipped more than 100,000 nine-liter cases in 2025, growing about 20% last year, with another 20% growth projected this year. More than 80% of its U.S. sales are still in bars and restaurants — the result of a strategy built around bartenders, independent distributors, and years of relentless market work. In this episode, we talk with Arette CEO Eduardo Orendain about what that kind of brand building actually looks like. For much of the past decade, Eduardo was essentially working the U.S. market himself, at times traveling 36 weeks a year. He joined distributor ride-alongs, went account to account, and stayed at bars through the end of the shift — listening to what bartenders and customers were actually saying. The goal was to make Arette a tequila bartenders would recommend when nobody from the company was in the room and no incentive was attached. That approach also shaped Arette’s distributor strategy. Rather than moving toward the biggest national houses, the company has largely grown alongside smaller independent distributors — and has stayed with essentially the same network for more than a decade. We also get into: How Arette narrowed its business from bulk tequila, private label, and multiple brands to focus on one Why Eduardo believes “awareness creates trial, but quality creates loyalty” Why data is a rearview mirror — and working the market can reveal what’s coming next How bartender demand turned Arette Fuerte from a distillery pour into a commercial product Why smaller brands can sometimes win more distributor mindshare by choosing smaller partners Arette’s next phase: building its first U.S. team and expanding beyond its on-premise stronghold This episode is a practical look at how patient, focused, trade-led brand building can compound into meaningful scale. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

August 12, 202651 min

129: Is Your Drinks Brand Actually Growing? With Danelle Kosmal

How do you know if your drinks brand is actually growing? It sounds like a simple question. But in beverage alcohol, the answer can get complicated fast. Shipments may be up because inventory moved into distribution. Revenue can rise because of a price increase even as volume declines. And a brand can add dozens of new accounts without generating enough velocity or reorders to make those placements sustainable. In this episode of Business of Drinks, we talk with Danelle Kosmal, Consultant at 3 Tier Beverages, about how to use data to understand what’s really happening in your business — and distinguish true consumer traction from growth that may look better on paper than it does in the market. Danelle spent more than a decade at NielsenIQ, ultimately leading its beverage alcohol practice, and later served as VP of Research at the Beer Institute. She brings a deep understanding of the datasets available to drinks companies, as well as their limitations. She explains why no single metric tells the whole story — and why emerging brands, in particular, need to know which numbers actually matter. We get into: 🔶 Why distribution is only the beginning — and velocity is critical to understanding whether a product is working 🔶 What shipments, depletions, and scan data each tell you 🔶 Why revenue growth can mask declining volume 🔶 Why repeat rate may be one of the best measures of real consumer traction 🔶 How to diagnose whether slow growth is coming from distribution, price, promotion, placement, or demand 🔶 Which numbers matter most when pitching retailers, distributors, and investors 🔶 How smaller brands can access useful data without paying for more than they need One of Danelle’s most important points: Data isn’t strategy. The goal isn’t to accumulate more reports or build bigger dashboards. It’s to use the right information to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and where to focus next. For drinks entrepreneurs trying to build healthier, more sustainable growth, this episode is a practical guide to knowing what the numbers are really telling you. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

August 5, 202643 min

128: How Yes Way Rosé Grew to 167K Cases as Wine Declined With Erica Small

Yes Way Rosé is growing while wine is shrinking. The brand closed 2025 at roughly 167,000 cases and, in the first half of 2026, grew depletions 16% over the prior year — notable performance in a market where both rosé and wine overall have been declining. So how is Yes Way Rosé taking share? In this episode, we talk with co-founder Erica Small about the playbook behind the brand’s growth — and why there isn’t one silver bullet. Instead, Yes Way Rosé has built momentum by combining strong national-account relationships, consistent retail execution, cultural relevance, approachable pricing, and a product that keeps consumers coming back. National accounts have become the brand’s “bread and butter,” with Yes Way Rosé earning and retaining shelf space at major retailers including Target, Walmart, Publix, Albertsons, and Total Wine. But getting onto the shelf is only the beginning. Erica explains why velocity, reorders, seasonal programming, and ongoing marketing support determine whether a brand actually gets to stay there. We also get into the importance of winning the cold box, how Yes Way Rosé uses shipment, depletion, and retail data to understand brand health, and why maintaining relevance matters even after a brand reaches meaningful scale. Plus, Erica shares the unconventional story behind Yes Way Rosé’s launch: She and co-founder Nikki Huganir built the lifestyle brand and community years before there was ever wine in the bottle. And when they finally launched the wine nationally in 2018, they knew the liquid had to over-deliver. For drinks entrepreneurs navigating a slower-growth market, this episode is a case study in an increasingly important reality: When the category isn’t growing, the brands that outperform have to win share. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

July 29, 202649 min

127: How Trail Magic Grew to 100K Cases and Diversified Ahead of a Possible Ban With Jason Dayton

How do you scale a THC beverage brand to 100K cases while preparing for the possibility that the category could be disrupted by federal regulation? Jason Dayton and his co-founders launched Trail Magic just 19 days after Minnesota opened the door to hemp-derived THC beverages. The brand quickly grew from one wholesaler to more than 60, reached roughly 5,000 retail doors, and closed last year at about 100,000 cases, with approximately 25% year-over-year growth. In this episode, Jason explains what enabled that early momentum and what became harder as the business expanded. He shares how Trail Magic moved from racing into every available market to launching more deliberately, supporting distributors more closely, and focusing on the accounts most likely to drive sustainable velocity. We also explore what actually works at retail. Jason discusses the importance of sampling, displays, consumer education, and consistent account follow-up, along with why Trail Magic performs best in stores where shoppers value flavor and quality rather than simply seeking the most THC for the lowest price. Jason also takes us inside the company’s relationship with Target and explains what it takes to earn the trust of a major retailer in a category with significant compliance and reputational risk. With hemp-derived THC facing the possibility of a federal ban, Trail Magic is now preparing for multiple outcomes. Jason shares how the company is protecting cash, managing inventory, and diversifying beyond THC with a new line of Trail Magic Cocktails in 2.9% and 8% ABV formats. This is a candid conversation about first-mover advantage, the operational strain of rapid growth, and how to protect a brand when the rules governing its fastest-growing category may change. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

July 22, 202654 min

126: How Drinks Brands Can Survive the Structural Reset With Jon and Matt Moramarco

Beverage alcohol is not simply in a downturn. It is undergoing a structural reset, according to Jon and Matt Moramarco of bw166. In this episode of Business of Drinks, we talk with Jon, Managing Partner of bw166, and Matt, Chief Data Scientist, about what the total market data says is really happening across wine, beer, and spirits, and what founders and operators need to do differently as a result. Their argument is that the industry can’t wait for the old market to return. Demographic change, affordability pressure, health concerns, changing social occasions, and new competition for consumers’ time and money are reshaping demand. The question is no longer simply, “When will the market recover?” It’s, “Where is demand moving, and how should brands respond?” Jon and Matt also explain why beverage alcohol should be viewed as one market. Consumers move across categories, formats, occasions, and price points constantly. Every growth story is ultimately a fight for market share. Wine may face the biggest challenge. Since 1994, overall consumer prices have roughly doubled and median household income has risen about 2.5X. But the average price of wine has climbed about 3.4X, while Napa Cabernet pricing has risen roughly 5.7X. Premiumization created significant value, but it also made wine more expensive, complicated, and risky for new consumers to explore. In this episode, Jon and Matt unpack: • Why the current slowdown looks structural, not cyclical• Why the industry may be losing drinking occasions more than drinkers• How single-serve formats and personalization are reshaping consumption• Why health messaging has become a public-relations challenge• The difference between shipments, depletions, and scan data• Why distribution gains mean little without reorders• The “black holes” in industry data, from on-premise to private label• Which metrics belong in investor decks, buyer pitches, and founder dashboards For brands, the takeaway is clear: Stop chasing breadth for its own sake. Build depth where the product works, measure reorder and churn, improve the value proposition, and use data to understand what is actually happening, not just what the latest headline says. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor. Caroline Lamb LinkedIn Instagram @borkaline Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

July 15, 202648 min

125: Bootstrapping Saint Spritz to 55K Cases With CEO Ben Patton

How do you become a top RTD spritz brand without raising outside capital? That’s the story behind Saint Spritz, the wine-based canned spritz brand inspired by Italian aperitivo culture. In this episode of Business of Drinks, we talk with Ben Patton, CEO and co-founder of Saint Spritz, about how the brand reached 55,000 nine-liter cases in 2025, grew triple digits, expanded into 43 states, and became the number-one RTD spritz — while remaining fully bootstrapped. For Ben, that constraint became a discipline. Without VC money or growth-fund capital, Saint Spritz had to measure every dollar, test small, kill what didn’t work, and scale what did. The team couldn’t afford to “buy” growth. They had to prove velocity. That mindset shaped everything: The early DTC launch through co-founder (The Bachelorette) JoJo Fletcher’s audience, the move into national retail with Target, the buildout of a 100-person brand ambassador team, and the focus on turning shelf placement into repeat purchase. One of the biggest lessons? Getting on shelf is not the same as getting found. Because Saint Spritz is made with wine, retailers often place it in the wine aisle. But consumers shop it like an RTD canned cocktail — near High Noon, Surfside, White Claw, cold boxes, and grab-and-go occasions. Ben calls that problem “wine jail,” and says better placement can drive a 3x to 5x lift in velocity. In this episode, Ben breaks down: — How Saint Spritz used DTC demand as an early signal for retail — Why Target became the brand’s first major national growth driver — What retailers need to see before expanding a brand nationally — How a bootstrapped team decides which marketing bets deserve money — Why Saint Spritz built its own ambassador team instead of relying only on third-party tasting companies — How in-store tastings can move five to six cases when the team is trained and incentivized properly — Why “accessible premium” works when the liquid, packaging, and occasion all line up — How the brand’s non-alcoholic line quietly launched on Amazon and quickly became a major growth signal — Why cold-box placement may be the next big unlock as Saint Spritz expands through beer-distributor networks This is a tactical episode for any drinks founder trying to scale without unlimited capital. Saint Spritz shows what happens when a brand combines a clear consumer occasion with disciplined spending, strong retail execution, and a relentless focus on velocity. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor. Caroline Lamb LinkedIn Instagram @borkaline Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

July 8, 202647 min

124: Taking on Big Beer With Outlaw Light CEO Ari Opsahl

What does it take to challenge the giants of domestic light beer? In this episode of Business of Drinks, we talk with Ari Opsahl, CEO of Tivoli Brewing and Outlaw Light, about building a new light beer brand in one of the most entrenched categories in beverage alcohol. Outlaw Light is taking aim at the biggest names in beer — Bud Light, Coors Light, Busch Light, Natty Light — with a strategy that runs counter to much of the industry’s premiumization playbook. Instead of asking consumers to trade up, Ari argues that light beer needed to get back to what made the category powerful in the first place: affordability, drinkability, and mass appeal. That pricing story is at the center of Outlaw’s David-and-Goliath strategy. While the macro brewers have continued to raise prices, Ari saw an opening for a brand that could deliver a quality light beer at a price that felt fair to consumers. But as he explains, competing with big beer is not just about liquid or price. It means taking on decades of distributor relationships, chain-store influence, stadium sponsorships, planogram control, and what he calls the “golden handcuffs” that protect incumbent brands. Ari also gets into the unglamorous realities of scaling fast. In just a few years, Outlaw has grown from a Colorado launch to more than 1 million case equivalents annually, with ambitions to reach roughly 3 million cases in 2026. But getting there means executing across chain resets, distributor alignment, pricing, scanning, floor displays, sampling, and field sales — the operational details that often determine whether a brand actually wins at retail. We discuss: • Why affordability can be a disruptive strategy in a category dominated by legacy brands • How Outlaw Light is trying to win without a Super Bowl-sized marketing budget • Why distributor “golden handcuffs” make challenging big beer so difficult • How chain placements only matter if the brand can execute at store level • Why Outlaw invested in field sales and sampling while many brands pulled back • Why persistence — hearing “no” again and again — may be the most important founder skill of all For anyone building, scaling, or trying to disrupt a legacy drinks category, this episode is a sharp look at how a smaller brand can find an opening against giants — and what it really takes to turn that opening into growth. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor. Caroline Lamb LinkedIn Instagram @borkaline Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

July 1, 202649 min

123: Inside Southern Glazer’s: How Distribution Really Works With Mark Chaplin

For many drinks brands, distribution can feel like the big unlock. Get the right distributor. Win the right placements. Add more doors. But inside the distributor tier, the math is more complicated. In this episode of Business of Drinks, Mark Chaplin, President, Commercial Sales at Southern Glazer’s Wines & Spirits, takes us inside how one of the most important companies in U.S. beverage alcohol thinks about growth, velocity, account strategy, data, and execution. Southern Glazer’s is the largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States. Shanken’s Market Watch estimates the company generates $25.2 billion in annual sales revenue, servicing more than 250,000 on- and off-premise accounts across 47 states. That scale makes this conversation especially useful for founders and commercial teams trying to understand what happens after a brand gets into distribution — and why more accounts do not always mean a stronger business. Mark explains why adding doors can lower sales per point of distribution, why not every placement creates the same value, and why suppliers need to think carefully about the tradeoff between expansion and velocity. We also get into the parts of distribution that are easy to underestimate: • The hidden costs of returns, wrong orders, stockouts, and poor program timing • Why trade spend gets wasted when brands are slow to decide where to focus • Why targeted “liquid to lips” often beats broad sampling for emerging brands • What makes a strong annual plan with a distributor — and why it has to start before the year begins • Why chain placements require long lead times, authorization strategy, and follow-through after the win • How the distributor salesperson’s job is shifting from order-taking to consultation as data, B2B platforms, and e-commerce change the sales call We also talk about pricing strategy, on-premise economics, convenience channel authorizations, Southern Glazer’s Proof platform, and the broader changes reshaping the distributor landscape. For anyone trying to build a drinks brand inside the three-tier system, this is a practical look at how distribution really works — and what brands need to understand before they chase the next door. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor. Caroline Lamb LinkedIn Instagram @borkaline If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

June 25, 202633 min

How SpeedKeg Turns a Draft Line Into a High-Volume Cocktail Placement With Chase Brooks

Cocktails are one of the biggest opportunities in the on-premise — but also one of the hardest drinks to scale. In this sponsored episode of Business of Drinks, we talk with Chase Brooks, founder of SpeedKeg, a draft cocktail system built to help high-volume bars, restaurants, venues, clubs and stadiums serve more cocktails, faster. SpeedKeg’s model is simple: the kegs come filled with the non-alcoholic ingredients for cocktails like margaritas, espresso martinis, mango daiquiris and barrel-aged tea. The operator adds the spirit they want — tequila, vodka, whiskey, rum or anything else that fits their program — then uses SpeedKeg’s Kinect system to mix and prep about 160 cocktails in around five minutes. That flexibility is key. SpeedKeg isn’t asking operators to give up control of their cocktail program, and it isn’t asking spirits brands to step aside. Instead, Chase argues that draft cocktails can become a powerful new kind of on-premise placement — one that can help accounts move more volume while making service easier for the team behind the bar. In this episode, Chase breaks down: Why cocktail demand has outpaced the ability of many operators to serve cocktails efficiently How slow service can cap revenue, especially in high-volume environments Why operators should think less about shaving pennies off pour cost and more about getting more drinks across the bar How SpeedKeg evolved from a ready-to-pour kegged cocktail into a more flexible B2B system Why letting venues choose their own spirits brand was essential to the model How draft lines may become an underused growth opportunity for spirits suppliers The Gillette Stadium case study, where draft cocktails became one of the top alcohol sellers by revenue during major events For drinks entrepreneurs, this is a smart look at what happens when a founder solves a real operational bottleneck — and then redesigns the business model around how the trade actually buys, sells and serves. Because in today’s on-premise, the next big growth lever may not be another cocktail trend. It may be getting the drinks people already want into their hands faster. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor. Caroline Lamb LinkedIn Instagram @borkaline Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

June 24, 20261 hr 0 min

122: Selling Smarter in a Tough Drinks Market With Ben Salisbury + BCB Recap

In this episode, we talk with Ben Salisbury, Founder and President of Salisbury Creative Group, about why beverage sales needs a reset. Ben has been selling wine and spirits since 1984, with leadership roles at Fetzer, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Constellation Brands, and Glazer’s. Today, he advises beverage companies on how to sell more effectively in a market that looks nothing like it did 10 or 15 years ago. His core argument: The old “more is more” playbook — more accounts, more markets, more points of distribution — does not work the way it used to. Distributors are overwhelmed. Buyers have more information than ever. And suppliers can no longer expect the middle tier to build demand for them. Instead, Ben makes the case for a narrower, deeper, more disciplined approach to growth. Brands need to know who their highest-value accounts really are, how those accounts make money, and what their product can do for the customer’s business — whether that means driving revenue, controlling costs, or improving guest satisfaction. We also get into one of Ben’s biggest themes: product knowledge is table stakes. What differentiates great salespeople now is business acumen, customer empathy, and flawless follow-up. In this episode, you’ll hear why “less is more” may be the smarter growth strategy in a down market; how the supplier-distributor relationship has changed; why sales should be treated as a customer journey, not a one-time pitch; how CRM can drive trust, follow-up, and reorder velocity; and how AI can help sales teams research buyers, sharpen messaging, and make their pitches more customer-focused. Plus, we open the episode with a Bar Convent Brooklyn recap: A few things stood out this year: The energy on the floor was strong, even in a tough market. Non-alc felt much more integrated into the broader drinks conversation. And flavor and function are continuing to evolve, from yuzu everywhere to electrolyte-positioned mixers and matcha liqueur. We also talk about rum momentum, the surprising uptick in gin and vodka producers, the lighter-than-expected RTD presence, and why sessions on retail and distributor strategy felt more urgent than conversations about M&A. For founders, sales leaders, and anyone trying to grow in today’s beverage market, this episode is a sharp, practical reminder: selling is no longer about pushing product. It’s about creating value for the customer. For the latest updates, follow us: Business of Drinks website (sign up for our newsletter!) Business of Drinks YouTube Business of Drinks LinkedIn Instagram @bizofdrinks Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Erica Duecy LinkedIn Instagram @ericaduecy Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. Scott Rosenbaum LinkedIn Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor. Caroline Lamb LinkedIn Instagram @borkaline Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!