Ep. 91: Coolhaus CEO: Branding Is a 'Point of View And a Culture'

A super-premium ice cream brand that got its start slinging sweet treats out of a repurposed, beat-up postal van, Coolhaus is changing the perception of frozen pints, one scoop at a time. Known for its off-beat style and inventive, indulgent flavors -- think Fried Chicken & Waffles and Balsamic Fig -- Coolhaus is certainly not your father's ice cream. But it's not for him. Lauded by food critics and adored by celebrities and social influencers who've championed the Los Angeles-based brand since its 2009 launch, co-founder and CEO Natasha Case sees Coolhaus as "the signature millennial ice cream brand." In an interview included in this week's episode of Taste Radio, Case explained the her belief that Coolhaus, which is represented at thousands of grocery retailers across the U.S. and is sold at company-owned stores and food trucks in Southern California, New York City, and Dallas, has made its mark by positioning the brand as a "point of view and a culture." "The ice cream is our outlet," she said. "The ice cream is our canvas for cool ideas." Also included in this episode: A conversation with Trevor Smith, who's the co-founder of cold-brew beverage brand Secret Squirrel. Starting as a side hustle selling cold brew coffee at farmers markets in L.A., the brand has since emerged at national retailers, including Target. Smith shared lessons from his entrepreneurial journey, from his time with the U.S. Army through to the sale of Secret Squirrel in 2016. And in this week's edition of Elevator Talk, we hear from Eduardo Pentagna, the CEO and Master Brewer of Brazilian-inspired beer brand Novo Brazil. Show notes: 1:45: Review Taste Radio! -- Please do us a solid and review us on iTunes. It'll improve our search rankings on the app and help other folks find Taste Radio. It's a pretty simple process and will take about 2-4 minutes. Thanks! 3:15: That Sh_t is The Bomb, Yo -- Much of the Eastern U.S., including our beloved home of Watertown, Mass., has been recovering from a brutal storm aptly dubbed a "bomb cyclone." It's not a good thing. But while snow and ice ain't our bomb, good food and drinks are. The hosts kick off the episode with a discussion about libations and snacks, including Olivious Daily Olive Oil Shot, GT's Kombucha Pure Love and Ayoba-Yo Biltong South African Jerky, that caught their attention over the past week. 8:55: Interview: Natasha Case, Co-Founder/CEO, Coolhaus -- Project NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg met up with Coolhaus co-founder and CEO Natasha Case at BevNET Live Winter 2017 where they chatted about the inspiration behind the company ("Farchitecture" -- the intersection of food and architecture), Case's perspective that "e-comm is the new food truck" and why Coolhaus is "in the game of one person buying us 1,000 times, not 1,000 people buying us once." 36:11: Interview: Trevor Smith, Co-Founder, Secret Squirrel -- How to stay lean and mean in the early days of your brand? Bootstrapping. Natasha Case talked about it and we also heard it from Trevor Smith, who's the co-founder of cold-brew beverage brand Secret Squirrel. In a conversation recorded last month in Santa Monica, BevNET Managing Editor Ray Latif spoke with Smith about his journey, including the early days of Secret Squirrel ("We weren't prepared for the fundamentals."), why entrepreneurship can often be a "lonely endeavor," and how he defines success. 1:00:07: Elevator Talk: Eduardo Pentagna, CEO/Master Brewer, Novo Brazil Brewing -- Craft beer with a Brazilian vibe made in Southern California. What's not to love? We caught up with the brand's founder and CEO Eduardo Pentagna at Brewbound Session Winter 2017 where Novo Brazil triumphed in the event's Startup Brewery Challenge competition. Just before the big win, Eduardo offered us for a quick introduction to the brand. Brands in this episode: Olivious, Ayoba-Yo, GT's Kombucha, Jameson, Fireball, Gatorade, Essentia, Murray's Bagels, Coolhaus, Secret Squirrel, Novo Brazil