Business of Drinks

Welcome to Season 2 of the Business of Drinks! This season, we ask the biggest question on everyone's mind: “Where have all the young wine drinkers gone?” Are millennials and Gen Z really drinking less alcohol? And if so, why? And what are they drinking instead? We're embarking on a wide-ranging quest to understand millennial and Gen Z drinking behavior. We'll be talking with researchers and experts from the drinks industry and beyond, and we even commissioned our own study on this topic!  Tune in for Episode 1, coming up on Wednesday, September 20th About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.    To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy   About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.    To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/ Cheers!

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Business of Drinks podcast, our Season 1 Finale. We are joined once more by Hamlet Hound founder, Christy Frank. She’s been listening to all our interviews with experts, all of whom had great advice on how to build and grow a successful drinks business. Did she agree with any of it? And what did we learn along the way? Were we successful in our mission to show how a startup can go from idea to national distribution? Tune in and then let us know!  Stay tuned for the key takeaways at the end of the interview as well as a sneak peak into what Season 2 will bring!  And be the first to know about the insights, data and stories that we’ve captured ― sign up for our shiny new (and free) newsletter here. Show concept: This season, we followed a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound from launch to growth. Along the way, we interviewed key experts and asked them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution. We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we pulled the band-aid off and delved into actual dollars and cents. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in to all the episodes we released in this season! About Christy Frank, guest: Christy Frank is the Founder of Hamlet Hound, a line of canned cocktails. She has over 20 years of experience in business and the drinks world. She worked for many years as a brand manager at Moet Hennessy, overseeing both spirits and wine brands. She has founded two retail wine shops, including Copake Wine Works in Copake, New York, which she opened in 2015 with her husband Yannai Frank. Her original retail shop, Frankly Wines in New York City — which she launched in 2007 and sold 10 years later — was often touted as one of the top small wine shops in the country.  Learn more about Hamlet Hound: https://hamlet-hound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hamlet_hound/ About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.  To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/

Welcome, thirsty listener, to Episode 8 of the Business of Drinks podcast. Today’s show is called “Drinks M&A”, with guest Andrew Merinoff, the founder of DisPact Ventures, and co-founder of Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur. Tune in as Merinoff  identifies current drinks trends and shares some of the most effective ways to roll out, develop and market a brand. He also reveals where in the US are the best places to grow a company, especially those with an eye on future mergers and acquisitions, and how investors evaluate a company. This episode is packed full of value-add insights. Let’s go! Show concept:   This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth.   We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents.   You’ll get an inside look at what works, and what doesn’t.   Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate!   About Andrew Merinoff, guest: Andrew Merinoff has spent his career as a growth strategist and brand developer. Merinoff’s extensive experience spans multiple sectors and industries, most notably in F&B, Wine & Spirits, Hospitality, Investing, and Marketing. His company DisPact Ventures began in 2015. It started off as a small fund to assist his close friends and confidants, it eventually grew into a 16 venture portfolio. DisPact’s co-investors include giants such as AMEX, Amazon Ventures, MGM Grand, Comcast Ventures, and many others. Merinoff has made several notable investments such as in Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur (a company which he co-founded),  a rum called Coconut Cartel in Guatemala, a distillery in Copenhagen run by two Ex-Noma founders, a brand development distillery and innovation lab in Long Island, as well as an RTD, called The Long Drink, and many more.    Learn more about Andrew Merinoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-merinoff-95ab7959/ https://www.dispactventures.com/about-us https://chinola.com/ https://www.instagram.com/chinola/ About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.    To learn more about Erica Duecy:   https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy   About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.    To learn more about Felicity Carter:   https://twitter.com/felicitycarter

On today's episode, we speak with Brian Rosen, the Founder at Growth Beverage and BevStrat LLC. Rosen’s BevStrat advocates for smaller brands, helping them grow and thrive, and as such, he has a deep understanding as to why brands become successful when they do; the top mistakes brands make, and how much it costs to hire a boots-on-the-ground sales-force vs. what a brand will spend slogging it out on their own. Rosen divulges brands he thinks will work and those that won’t, also unpacking “flex” purchases, and the psychology around luxury brand sales and obscure passion projects.  Show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents. You’ll get an inside look at what works, and what doesn’t. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate!   About Brian Rosen, guest: Brian Rosen is the Founder of Growth Beverage and BevStrat LLC. He has an Executive Leadership degree from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business’ MBA program and a degree in marketing and finance from DePaul University. Globally regarded as a leading authority in the three-tier system, retail, off premise, marketing, and go to market strategy in the alcohol beverage space, Rosen was CEO of his own 100M-retail liquor enterprise, a  partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in alcohol beverages, and lead consultant in Trade Marketing at Anheuser-Busch.  Today BevStrat is America’s leading brand sales and marketing arm for brands under 100,000 cases in the market, operating in 7+ states. Rosen is also General Partner at InvestBev with nearly $250M under management for alcohol beverage investing, he is general Partner of Algoma Capital, lending $100M into distilleries and for barrel aging, and he is Founder of Sprout Beverage, the largest Alc Bev brand incubation eco system in the US.   Learn more about Brian Rosen: linkedin.com/in/briandavidrosen bevstrat.com  investbev.com  About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy   About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.    To learn more about Felicity Carter:  https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/

Welcome, thirsty listener. This is episode 6 of the Business of Drinks podcast. Today’s show is called “Brand Accelerators” and in this episode, we sit down with Scott Rosenbaum, the Search Manager for Distill Ventures, North America.  Scott likens his role to a talent scout for booze, where he goes searching for brands with the potential to break out. In this conversation Scott defines what a drinks accelerator does, outlining the difference between how an accelerator can help your brand grow vs. what an investment giant like Diageo is looking to achieve. He also explains what a brand accelerator will look for when considering new clients, and discusses the trends happening in today’s drinks business market.   Show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents. You’ll get an inside look at what works, and what doesn’t. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate!   About Scott Rosenbaum, guest: Scott Rosenbaum is the Search Manager for Distill Ventures, North America. Distill Ventures provides investment and support for spirits startups and entrepreneurs who want to create the global drinks brands of the future.   Scott was previously the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor. While there, he created their craft spirits portfolio which represented over two dozen brands including La Gritona Tequila, Wigle Whiskey, Lágrimas de Dolores Mezcal, Far North Spirits, and Arette Tequila.   Learn more about Scott Rosenbaum: https://internationalwinecenter.com/instructor/scott-rosenbaum/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-m-rosenbaum/ ahsoinsights.com  https://www.distillventures.com/ https://twitter.com/distillventures   About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.    To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy   About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.    To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/ Cheers!

Welcome, thirsty listener. This is episode 5 of the Business of Drinks podcast. Today’s show is called “Finding Funding” and in this episode, we sit down with Taylor Foxman, The Industry Collective founder and CEO to talk all about where to find investment cash when starting a drinks brand. Taylor talks about all the ways you can raise capital, from angel investors, shared sales services, accelerators and family offices, to private equity partners.   Show concept:   This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth.   We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents!   You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t.   Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate!   About Taylor Foxman, guest:   Taylor Foxman is the founder and CEO of The Industry Collective.  Her background is in communications, where she’s worked with more than 70 global wine, beer and spirit brands such as Pernod Ricard North America, Gruppo Campari, Patrón Spirits Company, Stoli Group, Jägermeister, Boston Beer Company, BANFI Wines and many more. Taylor currently acts as the Vice President of Communications and Experiences for Parallel, one of the leading privately-owned cannabis companies in the United States. In addition to all this she was also awarded PRWeek 40 Under 40 and Brand Innovator of the Year’s 40 Under 40, Brand Innovators of the Year. And she’s parlayed all this experience into advising venture capital funds on investing in beverage alcohol.   Learn more about Taylor Foxman: theindustrycollective.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-foxman/ https://www.instagram.com/taylorfoxman/?hl=en https://twitter.com/taylorshocks   About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.    To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy   About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.    To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/   Cheers!

In this episode, we sit down with Woody Hambrecht, co-founder of the DTC aperitif brand Haus, which spectacularly crashed in the summer of 2022, after its lead investor, Constellation Brands, reportedly pulled out of a $10 million Series A raise at the last minute. If you need a refresher, Haus was a drinks industry darling that raised — and burned through — $17 million in its 3-year run. During that time, the company also saw considerable success, selling more than $10 million in product. In a candid conversation, Hambrecht shares what went wrong at Haus, from growing its team too quickly to skyrocketing customer acquisition costs. It's a cautionary tale for any drinks entrepreneur. But don't count him out just yet: Hambrecht discusses how learnings from Haus's fall are fueling his new companies, including Ami Ami, a boxed wine business that just launched. He's even procured outside funding in a challenging economic climate. Hambrecht's take on the state of bev-alc investment reveals astute insights that will benefit any drinks business. This season’s show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts just like today’s guest, Woody Hambrecht, asking them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution, finding out what works and what doesn’t. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Stay tuned as we investigate! About Woody Hambrecht, guest: Woody Hambrecht is a third-generation winemaker and organic grape farmer based in Sonoma County's Healdsburg, California. In 2018, Hambrecht launched Haus as co-founder, upending the DTC alcohol industry with a stylish, low-ABV aperitif that quickly became one of the most recognized beverages on the market. Now with Ami Ami, Hambrecht, together with his co-founder Ross Dawkins, have set out to innovate in the boxed wine category. Learn more about Woody Hambrecht: https://www.ami-ami.vin/ https://www.instagram.com/woodyhambrecht/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/woody-hambrecht-66b923a0 About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.  To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ Cheers!

Welcome, thirsty listener. This is episode 3 of the Business of Drinks podcast. In this episode, we are joined once again by Hamlet Hound founder, Christy Frank, to talk all about money. Money is a topic often seen as taboo, yet it is fundamental when going about establishing a drinks business in today’s market. The good news is, starting-up might not be as expensive as you might think. In this episode we cover a whole host of topics, so if you are interested in knowing more about how to scale your business, understanding direct to consumer sales, establishing your markups and profit margins, working with a distributor and why you might want to do that…then listen up, because this pod is filled with liquid gold!  Show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts and ask them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution. But back to the money. We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents which you will discover in this episode! You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t. We’ll also be looking at funding models, from venture capital and drinks incubators to bootstrapping your way to success. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate! About Christy Frank, guest: Christy Frank is the Founder of Hamlet Hound, a line of canned cocktails. She has over 20 years of experience in business and the drinks world. She worked for many years as a brand manager at Moet Hennessy, overseeing both spirits and wine brands. She has founded two retail wine shops, including Copake Wine Works in Copake, New York, which she opened in 2015 with her husband Yannai Frank. Her original retail shop, Frankly Wines in New York City — which she launched in 2007 and sold 10 years later. Frank has also worked as a marketing officer at Wine Australia, among other roles.  Learn more about Hamlet Hound: https://hamlet-hound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hamlet_hound/ About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.  To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/ Cheers!

In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Malkin, attorney and sage advisor when it comes to setting up a drinks business. Not only is Ryan in-the-know in terms of what is going on in today’s drinks world, he understands the path that budding drinks entrepreneurs need to follow in order to avoid pitfalls. Even more interesting are his thoughts on how much it will cost to fulfill your drinks business aspirations. You might be pleasantly surprised to find out that you don’t need a large (or even a small) fortune to make your drinks business a reality. This season’s show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts just like today’s guest, Ryan Malkin and ask them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution. You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t. We’ll also be looking at funding models, from venture capital and drinks incubators to bootstrapping your way to success. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Stay tuned as we investigate! About Ryan Malkin, guest: Ryan Malkin is founder and principal attorney of Malkin Law, PA, a firm focusing on alcohol beverage and cannabis law. Ryan has extensive experience giving advice to suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, agencies, and third parties within these regulated industries. Ryan is a regular contributor to Craft Spirits Magazine, Artisan Spirit, VinePair and SevenFiftyDaily. Malkin Law is also counsel to the American Craft Spirits Association, Florida Craft Spirits Association and Cannabis Beverage Association. Ryan was named one of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 2022 “Future 40” and Imbibe 75 as one of the most influential people in the alcohol beverage industry.  Learn more about Malkin Law PA: https://malkinlawfirm.com/ https://www.instagram.com/malkinlaw/ https://twitter.com/malkinlaw https://www.linkedin.com/in/malkinlaw?trk=hp-identity-name https://www.facebook.com/malkinlaw About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.  To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/ Cheers!

In this episode, we establish the roots of Hamlet Hound; introduce Christy Frank, founder of the company, and find out how she came up with the idea to start her line of spirits-based canned cocktails. We also learn about some of the problems Christy faced as she developed the product, key details about her marketing strategy, and the process behind creating cocktails that work in a canned format. Join us as we begin our investigation of what it takes to start and run a real drinks business. This season, we’re going to follow a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts and ask them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution. But back to the money. We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents. You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t. We’ll also be looking at funding models, from venture capital and drinks incubators to bootstrapping your way to success. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate! About Christy Frank, guest: Christy Frank is the Founder of Hamlet Hound, a line of canned cocktails. She has over 20 years of experience in business and the drinks world. She worked for many years as a brand manager at Moet Hennessy, overseeing both spirits and wine brands. She has founded two retail wine shops, including Copake Wine Works in Copake, New York, which she opened in 2015 with her husband Yannai Frank. Her original retail shop, Frankly Wines in New York City — which she launched in 2007 and sold 10 years later — was often touted as one of the top small wine shops in the country. Frank has also worked as a marketing officer at Wine Australia, among other roles. Learn more about Hamlet Hound: https://hamlet-hound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hamlet_hound/ About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. As a consultant, she has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, Union, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Previously, she was Chief Content Officer for the wine-discovery platform Pix, and Editor in Chief for the wine/spirits publications VinePair and SevenFifty Daily. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and also works as a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop at Pix.Wine, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong. As a writer she has contributed to the Guardian USA, Delicious magazine, and the Sydney Morning Herald, among many other publications. Felicity is also an international wine judge, who has judged in France, Portugal, Germany, Luxembourg and Georgia. To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ Cheers!