Park Street Insider Podcast

Hosted by Park Street Companies

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Episodes

101

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The Park Street Insider Podcast is a spirit industry-focused podcast dedicated to bringing you closer to the key brands, topics, and trends driving the drinks business. We host the spirits category's most influential leaders and entrepreneurs to uncover the business strategies, stories, and brand-building tips behind some of the biggest brands in the industry. Whether you're interested in Agave spirits, whiskey, read-to-drink, low & no, or any other category, our hosts will bring you closer to the heart of what's happening in each. In each episode, hosts Emmett Strack and Andres Correa speak to spirits industry thought leaders to discuss the moves that shaped their careers, how they built some of the brands we all know and love, and some of the tools they can’t live without. They'll also zero in on the hottest subjects taking hold of beverage alcohol, keeping listeners up to date on the trends shaping spirits. Want to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Fill out the form below: https://share.hsforms.com/1MEb-81x2TXi3f15qO_yEpA4tip1

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60 recent

June 3, 2026Episode 1619 min

Diageo's Essential Bar & Consumer Trends Every Brand Needs to Know in 2026— Expert Talks

Send us Fan MailBar trends don't wait for brands to catch up, and in 2026, the gap between brands that understand what's driving consumer behavior and those that don't is only widening. In this episode, Tom Cavanagh, Advocacy Manager at Diageo, breaks down the flavor trends, category shifts, and on-premise dynamics set to define bars this year. From the martini's striking resurgence and tequila's continued climb against a down market, to the texture-forward and bitter-led flavor profiles gaining serious traction with today's drinkers, Tom covers the shifts that should be on every brand's radar.But Tom's talk goes beyond trend-spotting. He makes a direct, data-backed case for why brand advocacy is the most powerful lever brands have for driving sales, and the numbers behind a single bartender's influence on consumer choice might surprise you. If you want to understand which trends are reshaping bars right now, and why the brands investing in real human relationships are the ones winning at the register, this is the episode to hear.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. marketFeatured Guests:Tom Cavanagh, Advocacy Manager, DiageoMentioned in this episode:DiageoWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here.Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

May 20, 2026Episode 1545 min

What the World's Top Bartenders Want: How Brands Can Land Placements and Win the On-Premise in 2026

Send us Fan MailLanding a placement at a top bar program doesn't happen by chance. It's the result of trust, timing, and understanding what the people behind the bar actually need from a brand partner. Recorded live at Bar Convent London, this fireside chat brings together Nidal Ramini, Advocacy Director for the EAA Division at Brown-Forman, Emanuele Mensah, Director of Liquid Nation, Giulia Cuccurullo, Head Bartender at Artesian at the Langham London, and Pietro Collina, Group Beverage Director at the Thesleff Group. A panel with deep roots in some of the world's most celebrated bar programs.Together, they unpack what brands consistently get wrong when approaching bars, why one-off activations rarely move the needle, and what a relationship worth investing in actually looks like from the operator's side of the table. From navigating the realities of an increasingly selective consumer to understanding how beverage directors and head bartenders think about menu building and brand partnerships, this conversation offers a candid, practical playbook for any founder or brand team looking to build real traction in the on-premise channel.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guests:Nidal Ramini, Advocacy Director - EAA Division, Brown FormanEmanuele Mensah, Director, LiquidNation Giulia Cuccurullo, Head Bartender, Artesian, the Langham LondonPietro Collina, Group Beverage Director, Thesleff GroupMentioned in this episode:Brown FormanThe World's 50 Best BarsArtesianThesleff GroupWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here.Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

April 22, 2026Episode 1416 min

2026 Spirits Market: Category Shifts, Flavor Trends & What They Mean for Your Brand— Expert Talks

Send us Fan MailThe 2026 alcohol market is bumpy, but for brands paying attention to the right signals, the opportunities are real. In this episode, Giuseppe Gallo, Founder and CEO of Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto and Savoia Americano, delivers a data-driven talk on the category and flavor shifts quietly reshaping what consumers reach for on the shelf and at the bar.He gets specific about the category and flavor shifts, gaining the most momentum with the new generation of drinkers, and why the brands catching on early are the ones best positioned to win. But he also goes beyond trends, tackling the harder strategic questions around distribution, sustainability, and what it actually takes to build a brand that lasts.He also breaks down how the M&A strategies of major beverage giants have fundamentally shifted in the last 24 months, and what that means for independent brands navigating a crowded market. If you're trying to understand where the new generation of drinkers is heading, and how to position your brand to meet them there, this episode is the place to start.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guest:Giuseppe Gallo, Founder & CEO, Italspirits - ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto & SAVOIA AperitivoWatch on YouTube: The Key Trends in the 2026 Alcohol MarketMentioned in this episode:Italicus Rosolio di BergamottoSavoia AmericanoWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here.Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

April 8, 2026Episode 1333 min

AI in Spirits: The Tools and Strategies Every Brand Needs to Know— Expert Talks

Send us Fan MailAI is reshaping the spirits industry, and for founders willing to embrace it, the opportunity is real. In this episode, recorded through Park Street University's AI for Spirits Marketing series, Justin Noland, Vice President of Digital Experience for Treasury Wine Estates, and Antonia Fattizzi, Founder and President of Cork and Tin, get specific about where AI can immediately win back hours in your week, from condensing long email chains and preparing for vendor meetings to analyzing social media ROI without an agency.Then they go deeper, sharing practical frameworks for weaving AI into your brand's day-to-day. They'll give you an idea of how to write prompts that actually work using Justin's 'Brilliant Intern' framework, and how to structure your website so that tools like ChatGPT and Gemini start citing your brand as the authoritative source for spirits recommendations. If you've been curious about AI but unsure where to start, this episode makes the case for why it might be the most powerful marketing tool your brand isn't using yet.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guest:Antonia Fattizzi, Founder and President of Cork and TinJustin Noland, Vice President of Digital Experience for Treasury Wine EstatesWatch on YouTube: AI for Spirits Marketing Pt. I: The Great Equalizer for Craft Beverage BrandsAI for Spirits Marketing Pt. II: Putting AI Into Practice for Small BrandsMentioned in this episode:Cork & TinTreasury Wine EstatesWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here. Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

March 25, 2026Episode 1218 min

Former Campari CEO's 6 Steps for Spirits Brand Expansion— Expert Talks

Send us Fan MailBuilding a spirits brand in one market is hard. Building one across multiple continents, at the highest level of the industry, is a different game entirely, and few people have played it better than Matteo Fantacchiotti. A 25-year veteran of the drinks industry with senior leadership stints at Diageo and Carlsberg, Matteo briefly took the helm as CEO of Campari Group before turning his attention to a new challenge: becoming Partner and Chairman of the Board at Cygnet Distillery, where he's applying everything he's learned to building a super-premium gin brand from scratch.In this episode, recorded live at Bar Convent Berlin, Matteo shares his six-pillar blueprint for luxury spirits brand expansion: from building sustainable brand value and prioritizing the right markets, to why the smartest brands think in cities rather than countries. We explore the hard truths around funding and resource allocation, the people decisions that make or break international growth, and why the best advice he can give any brand looking to expand is to go fewer places, and go much deeper.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guest:Matteo Fantacchiotti, Partner and Chairman of the Board, Cygnet DistilleryWatch on YouTube: The 6 Pillars of Luxury Spirits Brand ExpansionMentioned in this episode:Cygnet DistilleryCampari GroupDiageoCarlsberg GroupWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here. Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

March 11, 2026Episode 1140 min

Former Pernod Ricard Chief Whiskey Officer Kaveh Zamanian on Building a Bourbon Brand— What It Takes

Send us Fan MailNot many people can say they've founded a bourbon distillery and run one of the world's largest whiskey programs. Kaveh Zamanian isn't most people. A prolific whiskey brand founder and former Chief Whiskey Officer at Pernod Ricard, Kaveh built Rabbit Hole Distillery from a creative vision into a brand compelling enough to catch the eye of one of the world's biggest spirits companies, and when Pernod Ricard came calling, he didn't just take the deal, he took the wheel, going on to lead their whiskey program at the highest level.In this episode, Kaveh reveals what it really takes to build a bourbon brand with a creative mindset: from the founding principles behind Rabbit Hole Distillery, to the realities of being acquired by a global spirits giant, to how he architected a portfolio strategy that balanced heritage and innovation. We explore the surprising link between whiskey and human psychology, his approach to brand building that goes beyond the liquid in the bottle, and the leadership lessons learned from running one of the industry's most storied whiskey programs.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guest:Kaveh Zamanian, Founder, Rabbit Hole, Mary Dowling, and Mash & Mallow Whiskey CompaniesMentioned in this episode:Rabbit Hole DistilleryMary Dowling Mash & MallowPernod RicardWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here. Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

February 25, 2026Episode 1016 min

How to Launch a Beverage Alcohol Brand: A Data-Driven Framework— Expert Talks

Send us Fan MailBefore you invest in liquid, labels, or a launch strategy, the most important question any founder can ask is: does this brand actually have a viable path to market?This Expert Talk features Felipe Gonzalez-Gordon, Partner and COO of Colangelo & Partners, delivering a data-driven framework for launching a spirit, wine, or RTD brand in today's saturated market, drawn from his presentation at Bar Convent Brooklyn 2025. Felipe walks through the financial and strategic groundwork that separates brands that scale from those that stall: how to size your addressable market realistically, how to model capital requirements, and how to allocate marketing spend without burning through runway prematurely. The episode also tackles brand positioning with precision, examining how founders can identify and defend a differentiated position on the shelf in a category where retailer fatigue and distributor consolidation make first impressions increasingly important.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guests:Felipe Gonzalez-Gordon, Partner & COO, Colangelo & PartnersMentioned in this episode:Colangelo & PartnersWatch on YouTube: How to Launch a Beverage Alcohol Brand: A Data-Driven FrameworkWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here. Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

February 11, 2026Episode 916 min

The On-Premise Playbook: A Guide to High-Value Bar Partnerships— Expert Talks

Send us Fan MailAs on-premise venues navigate an increasingly fragmented spirits landscape, the relationship between brands and bars has reached a critical inflection point. This Expert Talk features Chris Maffeo, the Founder of MAFFEO DRINKS, to examine why most brand-bar partnerships fail before they begin, and how misaligned incentives, from listing fees that deliver no ROI to guest shifts where brand managers never appear, erode trust on both sides.Chris explores the disconnect between boardroom strategy and bar-floor execution, introducing a practical "if-then" framework for sustainable partnerships that balances bartender personal brand-building with genuine brand advocacy. Chris reveals why treating activations as transactions rather than relationships undermines everyone's bottom line, and demonstrates how accountability gaps, from finance teams demanding immediate returns to bartenders rotating between competing portfolios, can be transformed into long-term value creation.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guests:Chris Maffeo, Founder, MAFFEO DRINKSMentioned in this episode:MAFFEO DrinksWatch on YouTube: The On-Premise Playbook: A Guide to High-Value Bar PartnershipsWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here.Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

January 28, 2026Episode 850 min

Branca USA CEO Chris Watt: How to Accelerate Spirits Brand Growth

Send us Fan MailWhen a 175-year-old Italian heritage brand decides to double down on the American market, the playbook isn't always obvious. But Christopher Watt, CEO of Branca USA, has cracked the code, delivering a 5% volume increase for Fernet-Branca, an explosive 91% growth for Borghetti coffee liqueur, and helping Carpano Antica Formula become the number-one sweet vermouth by value in U.S. retail. In an industry where heritage brands often struggle to stay relevant, Watt has proven that legacy and innovation aren't mutually exclusive; they're the foundation for breakthrough growth.In this episode, Watt reveals the strategic moves behind Branca USA's remarkable performance: from democratizing Fernet-Branca beyond high-end mixology into college towns and neighborhood bars, to riding the espresso martini wave with Borghetti, to capitalizing on the vermouth renaissance with Carpano Antica. Join us as we unpack his "pilot fish" distribution strategy, the data-driven approach that guided a lean team to outsized results, and why partnering with Reyes Beverage Group was the right strategic move for the portfolio.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guest:Christopher Watt, CEO, Branca USAMentioned in this episode:Branca USAFratelli BrancaReyes Beverage GroupWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here.Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram

January 14, 2026Episode 714 min

Brown-Forman’s Algorithm for Unlocking Hospitality Growth— Expert Talks

Send us Fan MailAmidst a volatile economic landscape marked by significant job losses in the hospitality sector, the alignment between spirits brands and on-premise venues has never been more critical. In this episode, we join Brown-Forman Advocacy Director Nidal Ramini to unpack the "Hospitality Algorithm," a strategic framework that helps suppliers and entrepreneurs understand the operational mindset of successful bars.We explore how Ramini evolves Danny Meyer’s "Enlightened Hospitality" into a roadmap for business resilience, demonstrating why "culture eats strategy for breakfast". We also discuss key entrepreneurial lessons, from distinguishing between passion and vision to prioritizing community investment, and analyze why treating awards as a result rather than an objective is the key to sustainable brand growth.Park Street Imports is the back-office and importing solution for alcoholic beverage brands launching and scaling in the U.S. market.Featured Guests:Nidal Ramini, Advocacy Director - EAA Division, Brown FormanMentioned in this episode:Brown-FormanWatch on YouTube: The Hospitality Algorithm: A Playbook for On-Premise SuccessWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Click the link here.Learn More About Park StreetSign up for our Daily Industry Newsletter.Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter.Check out Park Street's Guide to Getting Started in the U.S. MarketFollow us for more industry insights onLinkedIn FacebookTwitterInstagram