MAFFEO DRINKS: Built Bottom-up

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 58, I chatted with Stephen Myers, Founder of Dynamic Beverage Consultants. He is also one of the Originals at Ilegal Mezcal. We dived into the crucial aspects of launching a new brand in the (US) market and how to avoid expensive mistakes. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:51 About Steve 4:26 Brand Or Liquid Lead 6:34 Brand Story & Differentiation 12:28 Target Occasion 14:06 Creating Demand 16:57 Great Marketing, Bad Commercials 21:20 Beyond Categories 22:36 Breaking Into New Markets (Relationship Chaining) 28:07 Drinks Relationship Ecosystem 33:50 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Stephen Myers This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In episode 57, we've created a cross-episode with the Park Street University Insider Podcast. I spoke to Emmett Strack, and we dived into the latest 2024 trends in the drinks industry. We compared the US and Europe, talking about the cross-pollination of trends in the cocktail scene, and in the overall bottom-up trade. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:16 Role of Convenience & Occasion 8:51 Ascension of Flavor 15:38 Pressurization 18:35 On-Trade In Europe 23:05 Euro Cocktail Trends 30:51 Gen Z & Drinking Occasion 36:42 Euro Drinking Categories 41:41 American Drinking Trends 46:14 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Emmett Strack This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 56, I continued the conversation with Georgie Bell, The Heart Cut's co-founder from Ep.55. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:24 Where Do You Start 4:46 Importance Of Follow Up 7:41 Importance Of Normal Bars 13:05 Importance Of Off-Trade 15:18 When To Wholesale? 17:09 One Bottle, One Case, One Pallet 23:40 Building Demand With Partners 30:56 The Drinks Ecosystem 34:20 Start Up Challenges 47:34 Contact Details 49:19 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Georgie Bell This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 55, I enjoyed chatting with The Heart Cut's co-founder Georgie Bell. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 2:03 Brand or Liquid? 6:43 Social Currency 12:43 Story Telling 23:22 Taste Profile 25:39 Target Consumer Vs Target Occasion 36:35 Women In Whisk(e)y 36:24 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Georgie Bell This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 054 I had the pleasure of speaking with Vani Gupta Dandia. I was a guest in her Marketing with Vani Podcast were she interviews marketing people from various industries. We dived into the Drinks Industry, looking at it from outside. I hope you will enjoy our chat Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:26 Background 2:00 What Differentiates Alcohol 3:05 Target Occasions 7:35 Bridging Categories 9:22 Gender Stereotypes 11:12 Tracking What You Can Track 13:47 Educating Consumers 18:11 Role Of Storytelling 20:24: Bottom Up Trade 24:17 Being Everything To Everyone 26:40 Playing with Variations 31:39 Cross Generational Appeal 36:36 Functional VS Recreational 39:54 Building Brands Bottom Up 46:17 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Vani Gupta Dandia This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 053, I continued the conversation with Justin Medcraft from Episode 052, so feel free to listen to that as well. He is the Founder of Mate Maker Hard Kombucha. He brings a wealth of previous experience in Spirits and Beer. We discussed building demand for a start-up drinks brand, standing out amongst a sea of products, and focusing on building momentum. I hope you will enjoy our chat. One last thing: If you enjoy this podcast, you will also like the MAFFEO DRINKS Guides. You can subscribe free or paid on maffeodrinks.com Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:24 When To Open New Markets 10:31 Community Driven Marketing 15:45 Growing From Your Community 18:33 Getting The SKU In, Increasing Rotation 26:33 Advantages Of Small Brands 36:19 Discipline 39:15 Contacts 39:54 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Justin Medcraft This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 52, I enjoyed chatting with Justin Medcraft, the Founder of Mate Maker Hard Kombucha. He brings a wealth of previous experience in Spirits and Beer. We discussed how to build demand for a start-up drinks brand, stand out amongst a sea of products, and focus on building momentum. I hope you will enjoy our chat. One last thing: If you enjoy this podcast, you will also like the MAFFEO DRINKS Guides. You can subscribe free or paid on maffeodrinks.com Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 2:04 Building Demand 3:49 Building Community: Brand Or Liquid? 6:15 Mate Maker Elevator Pitch 11:26 The Consumer Pitch 13:07 The Ring Road 19:39 Determining Direction 26:05 Home Turf Advantage 35:09 Growing Beyond Your Hometown 38:01 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Justin Medcraft This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 051, I continued the conversation with Ilias Mastrogiannis from Episode 050 so feel free to listen to that as well. I hope you will enjoy our chat Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:15 Winning Large Retailers 5:28 Securing The Foundation 8:34 Non-Scalable Tasks 13:31 1% Better Everyday 17:57 The Necessity of Obsession 25:07 Wrap Up 27:24 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Ilias Mastrogiannis This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 050 I had the pleasure of chatting with Ilias Mastrogiannis. He is the Founder of Distillery Nation Podcast and Mastrogiannis Winery and Distillery, based in Washington State, inspired by Greek tradition. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:51 Ilias' Podcast 3:59 Building Demand 5:30 Starting Product 6:46 Traditional Vs Modern Occasions 10:38 Ring Road of Messaging 16:23 Event Driven Messaging 20:26 Event Specialized Products 24:25 Dusty Vs Vibrant Categories 28:22 Primacy of Cocktail List? 30:52 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Ilias Mastrogiannis This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 049 I continued the conversation with Stephanie Jordan from Episode 048. She is the Co-Founder of B-Corp Avallen Calvados. She brings fantastic insights as he runs her Sales & Marketing Consultancy, Drinking Out Loud. Before that, she ran Sales & Global Advocacy for la Hechicera Rum and was the Global Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray Gin after starting her career in drinks on the Global Diageo graduate scheme. I hope you will enjoy our chat.Time Stamps0:00 Intro0:14 Sustainable Packaging9:36 Selecting Sustainable Outlets?13:18 Role Of An Importer16:10 Ensuring Wholesaler Rotation20:00 Big Fish Small Pond, Small Fish Big Pond?23:19 Biggest Professional Change Becoming A Founder?31:38 Wrap-Up33:12 OutroAbout The Host: Chris MaffeoAbout The Guest: Stephanie Jordan This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com