#89, Ambre van de Berg, founder of Lala Tequila, wellness consultant & yoga instructor (but definitely not woo)

Nov 13, 2024

Ambre van de Berg, founder of Lala Tequila, is a trailblazer in the spirits industry, hailing from the Netherlands. She discusses the journey of launching her woman-owned tequila brand and challenges of women in a male-dominated industry. Ambre elaborates on the CRT controversy, the balance between profit and purpose, and the unique experiences of navigating cultural stereotypes in business. She also highlights the rise of canned cocktails and the Paloma, all while maintaining her wellness-focused approach—proving that tequila and self-care can coexist!

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

Wellness, Tequila, and Business Ventures

04:00 • 18min

Gender Dynamics in the Beverage Industry

21:53 • 16min

Rethinking Female Empowerment and Leadership

37:25 • 2min

Cultural Stereotypes and Gender Dynamics in Business

39:11 • 4min

Balancing Profit and Purpose in Tequila

43:04 • 6min

Navigating Tequila's Complex Landscape

49:28 • 18min

The Paloma: From Niche to Mainstream

01:07:06 • 16min

Crafting Community: The Rise of Canned Cocktails

01:22:52 • 12min

Controversies in Wellness: Balancing Fame and Integrity

01:34:28 • 2min

Mixology and Margaritas

01:36:51 • 4min

I met Ambre at the infamous pre-Bar Convent Berlin networking hosted by Thorsten Husmann a couple of years ago, and learned she had just founded the first woman-owned tequila brand in the Netherlands, Lala.
Ambre is fascinating: a wellness guru but not woo-woo (very likely due to her no-nonsense Dutch upbringing) who came to love great tequila after living and teaching fancy yoga classes in Williamsburg (of course!) Brooklyn, she got the idea for Lala after avocado toast brunch and many a glass of good tequila, and she now lives and runs the company from Amsterdam.
We had a great chat, covering the CRT controversy around tequila additive labelling, Uncle Nearest whiskey founder Fawn Weaver's baffling Instagram posts on the same topic, grappling with the realities of establishing an all-female supply chain, why I should become a full-time transatlantic Casamigos smuggler, the role of assholes in the workplace, the poverty tourism of trade visitors to mezcal and tequila distilleries, and how to decompress after Athens Bar Show!

Enjoy!

Ambre on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ambrevandeberg/?hl=en
Ambre's website: https://www.ambrevandeberg.com/
Lala Tequila on IG: https://www.instagram.com/drinkelala?igsh=MWNkaGJwb2d6aXI5cw==
Lala Tequila website: https://www.lalatequila.com/

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Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

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