64: How Elwyn Gladstone Built Hit Spirits Brands Shanky’s Whip and Malfy Gin - Business of Drinks
Business of Drinks
Intro
This chapter explores the theme of brand building in the beverage industry, emphasizing differentiation through packaging, quality, and marketing. The hosts welcome a spirits branding expert who shares successful strategies from their experience with notable brands like Malfi Gin and Shanky's Whip.
What does it take to create a spirits brand that’s irresistible to both consumers and potential acquirers?
For Elwyn Gladstone, the answer lies in big ideas, bold packaging, and global hustle. Elwyn is the founder of Biggar & Leith, the spirits company behind hits like Malfy Gin, acquired by Pernod Ricard in just four years, and Shanky’s Whip, a black Irish whiskey liqueur now sold in 80+ countries and tracking toward 130,000 cases in 2025.
In this episode, Elwyn unpacks his approach to building globally resonant brands — from his roots on the teams that launched Hendrick’s Gin and Kraken Rum, to creating one of the most original and fastest-scaling brands in Irish whiskey today. With no outside capital and a lean team, he’s showing just how far smart storytelling and standout design can take a brand.
Elwyn shares:
Why differentiation is everything — from liquid to packaging to positioning
How Malfy Gin was built to stand out at shelf with color, Italian provenance, and flavor innovation — and why “lemon gin from Italy” worked everywhere
How Shanky’s Whip won over skeptics with a unique flavor (vanilla + caramel + Irish whiskey) and a product story that was fun, not intimidating
Why Biggar & Leith ignored the “go deep before wide” rule — and built brands in dozens of countries from Day One
How the team uses a plug-and-play playbook for each market, with toolkits, pricing, and targeted channel strategies
How Elwyn keeps his team lean (fewer than 10 FT hires), yet executes in 80+ countries
What most drinks founders misunderstand about scale, distributor relationships, and brand-building priorities
Last Call:
On Last Call, we’re commemorating the 20th anniversary of Granholm, which was decided on May 16, 2005. On Last Call, we’re joined by Sean O’Leary of O’Leary Group, one of the country’s leading liquor lawyers, to break it all down:
Why Granholm helped wineries — but left retailers and spirits brands behind
The legal trends that could reshape shipping again
Where producers are still blocked — and what states to watch
What smart founders should know about future DTC expansion
Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on May 21.
For the latest updates, follow us:
Business of Drinks:
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.
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. He currently serves as Head of Search at Distill Ventures. He was formerly the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.
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.
SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks
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