

MAFFEO DRINKS
Chris Maffeo
The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks industry podcast delivering frontline insights for drinks leadership.
For founders, directors, distributor MDs, and hospitality leaders navigating the tension between bottom-up reality and top-down expectations.
20+ years building brands across 30+ markets. Each episode features drinks builders: founders, distributors, commercial directors, sharing how the drinks industry actually works. Not the conference version. Honest conversations.
Insights come from sitting at the bar.
Beyond episodes: advisory for leadership teams, subscription with episode deep dives and principles to navigate your own reality.
Beer, wine, spirits, Low and non-alcoholic.
Bottom-up Insights & Episode Deep Dives at https://maffeodrinks.com
For founders, directors, distributor MDs, and hospitality leaders navigating the tension between bottom-up reality and top-down expectations.
20+ years building brands across 30+ markets. Each episode features drinks builders: founders, distributors, commercial directors, sharing how the drinks industry actually works. Not the conference version. Honest conversations.
Insights come from sitting at the bar.
Beyond episodes: advisory for leadership teams, subscription with episode deep dives and principles to navigate your own reality.
Beer, wine, spirits, Low and non-alcoholic.
Bottom-up Insights & Episode Deep Dives at https://maffeodrinks.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 7, 2023 • 35min
033 | The Bottom-up Trade: aka where to build brands regardless if on or off-trade | Part 2/2 with Julian Marsili, Global Drinks Brand Director (Copenhagen, DK)
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 033, I continued the conversation I had in episode 032 with Julian Marsili. He is a Global Drinks Brand Director who has many years of experience in the drinks business. He is behind the successful global rejuvenation of the Carlsberg brand, the launch of Alcohol-Free brews and other Portfolio Innovations. He has previously managed Peroni Nastro Azzurro in Italy. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
This is a two part-episode, so Don't forget to listen to episode 032 as well. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Time Stamps
(00:35); The Bottom-up Trade
(02:45); Target Spaces
(07:23); Recovering Brand Essence
(12:24); Marketeer Disconnection From Trade
(19:57); 1% Everyday
(25:30); Distinctiveness Vs Differentiation
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Nov 1, 2023 • 33min
032 | Global Brands are built by Bus Drivers: how managers should look after brands for the next generation | Part 1/2 with Julian Marsili, Global Drinks Brand Director (Copenhagen, DK)
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 032, I enjoyed speaking to my friend and ex-colleague Julian Marsili. He is a Global Drinks Brand Director with many years of experience in the drinks business. He is behind the successful rejuvenation of the Carlsberg brand globally, the launch of Alcohol-Free brews and other Portfolio Innovations. He has previously managed Peroni Nastro Azzurro in Italy. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
This is a 2 part-episode so Don't forget to listen to episode 033 as well. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Time Stamps
(1:38); Brand Saliency
(11:57); Maintaining Basics
(17:05); Disconnected From Product
(24:31); Demand Space Vs Target
About the Host
About the Guest
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Oct 24, 2023 • 1h 8min
031 | Building brands bottom-up balancing Nordic minimalism with Italian flair | with Joonas Mäkilä, Co-founder of Mother's Milk Beverages (Helsinki, FI & Prague, CZ)
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In episode 031, Chris Maffeo had the honor of meeting in person with Joonas Mäkilä, a close friend and Co-founder of Mother's Milk Beverages, a Spirits Company based in Finland. He is a Finnish Commercial Advisor with two decades of experience in FMCG multinationals, private equity-backed hospitality groups, and other industries. We hope you will enjoy their chat.
This is a video episode if you watch it on Spotify.
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Joonas Mäkilä
Time Stamps
(2:00); Lingoncello Launch
(9:10); Breaking Into Outlets
(11:50); Taking Advantage of The Back Bar
(13:50); A Outlet Owner's View of Attempted Sales
(18:38); Small & Big Brands
(28:45); Brand Stories
(38:00); Target Occasion > Target Consumer
(40:20); Expand Or Focus Distribution
(50:00) Win at Home
(57:00); Internal Competition
(1:02:35); Cash Efficiency
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Oct 17, 2023 • 1h 2min
030 | The Future of Insights is sitting at the bar | with Paul Thomas, Global Insight Director at Beam Suntory (London, UK).
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In episode 030, I had the pleasure of talking to Paul Thomas. He is the Global Head of Shopper Insights at Beam Suntory. He has previously worked for Asahi International, Diageo, Ferrero, and Ipsos. He has an incredible global experience in Drinks Industry Insights. It was a pleasure to discuss it with such pragmatism and common sense. I hope you will enjoy our chat
(00:50); Insights in the Field(13:43); Adapting to Market Conditions(19:40); Chasing Trends; A Very Bad Idea(23:30); Why Do We Have To Chase Gen Z?(34:26); What A Bar Tender Needs To Know About Your Brand(36:18); Penetration Vs Spread(42:47); How Much Localization Is Good?(51:25); Bridging Categories(55:47); Insights At The Bar Level
About The Host: Chris Maffeo
About The Guest: Paul Thomas
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Oct 10, 2023 • 53min
029 | Building Bottom-up in the US 3-tier system | with Brian Rosen, Chairman of Growth Beverage (Chicago, IL, USA)
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 029, I had the pleasure of chatting to Brian Rosen. He is the Chairman of Growth Beverage and Founder of InvestBev, Sprout Beverage, Bev Strat and Algoma Capital. He has decades of experience in building drinks brands in the US. He gave us incredible insights about the dynamics of the US market. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Time Stamps
(5:08) How To Spend Money Effectively(12:28) Building Demand Effectively(15:04) Home Court Advantage(18:39) Doing The Boring Stuff(27:35) Running Out of Money(31:25) Breaking Into The US(40:00) Demand Generation
About the Guest: Brian Rosen
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Oct 3, 2023 • 56min
028 | Bottle Shops before Bars: starting at the liquid and work back towards the brand | with Duncan McRae, Co-Founder of Woven (Adelaide, Australia)
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 028, I had the pleasure of chatting with Duncan McRae, Co-founder of Woven Whisky and a Drinks industry veteran, having previously worked with William Grant's & Sons and Diageo. A living example of Building Brands Bottom Up. I hope you enjoy our chat.
Main Topics Discussed:
(00:00) Building Demand
(03:08) Brand Awareness
(08:58) Managing Relationships
(10:44) KPI's & Incentives
(13:46) "Blue Tick Moments": Becoming Known in the Ecosystem
(15:40) Bottle Shops vs. On-Trade Growth
(26:46) It starts with the liquid
(32:00) Adapting Your Sales Pitch
(37:52) Better Brand Training
(44:35) Taste Profile before categories
(52:00) Special Pours & Drawbacks
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Duncan McRae
About the product: Woven
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Sep 26, 2023 • 1h 10min
027 | Steven Grasse | Brand Mysticism: how to create winning brands from the bottom-up | Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, Guinness, Miller High Life
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In episode 027 I had the honor of interviewing Steven Grasse. He is the founder of the renowned agency Quaker City Mercantile and of Tamworth Distilling. He is a legend in the drinks industry, having created brands such as Hendrick's gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, and having crafted great rebirths such as Pilsner Urquell, Guinness, and Miller High Life. I hope you will enjoy our chat.Main Topics Discussed:0 to 1 Bottle:- Differentiating Liquid- Why Not to Chase Trends- Bridging Categories through Taste Profile1 Bottle to 1 Case:- Building a Rich Brand World- The Importance of Rituals- Choosing Partners & Distributors1 Case to 1 Pallet- On, Off-Trade and State Monopolies- Institutional Knowledge- Award ShowAbout The Host: Chris MaffeoAbout The Guest: Steven Grasse
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Sep 19, 2023 • 41min
026 | Balancing Love & Money: how to build value for all the links of the value chain | Part 2/2 with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky (London, UK)
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com This is the second part of the chat with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky. He is a business coach and brings 3 decades of industry experience, having held senior leadership roles at Bacardi, William Grant & Sons and Suntory. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Main Topics Discussed:0 to 1 Bottle
-Figuring out pricing
-Back bar analysis
-Targeting the right bars
1 Bottle to 1 Case
-Cocktail opportunities in bars
-Strengthening customer-brand relationships (Love & Money)
-Creating volume focused KPIs
1 Case to 1 Pallet
-Beyond the back bar
-Ironing out the value chain
-Incentivizing your value chain
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Maurice Doyle
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Sep 12, 2023 • 41min
025 | Starting from the Taste Profile: when liquids transcend categories and solve a customer's need. | Part 1/2 with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky (London, UK)
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com This is the first part of the chat with Maurice Doyle. He's the CEO of Compass Box Whisky. He's a coach and brings three decades of industry experience, having held senior leadership roles at Bacardi, William Grant and Sons and Suntory. I hope you will enjoy our chat.
Main Topics Discussed:
From 0 to 1 Bottle
- Conceiving of your brand
- Differentiating yourself
- Why people drink
From 1 Bottle to 1 Case
- Building Demand Efficiently
- The importance of repeat consumers
- The value of On-Trade
From 1 Case to 1 Pallet
- Expanding your drinks range
- The power of consistency
- Always think of the second sale
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Maurice Doyle
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com

Sep 5, 2023 • 51min
024 | Knowing Your Brand and Sticking To It: The importance of identifying your target occasion Bottom Up, not chasing trends | with Alex Ouziel Founder of 9diDANTE Vermouth & CEO of FIOL Prosecco
Episode Deep-Dive Analysis Available at maffeodrinks.com In Episode 024, I had the privilege of interviewing Alex Ouziel, Founder of 9diDANTE Vermouth and CEO of FIOL Prosecco. He's a veteran of our industry, with many years in the game. He has previously spent ten years in Bacardi, from VP and Managing Director of Eastern Europe to President of Asia, Middle East, and Africa. He possesses a truly international perspective on drinks. I hope you enjoy our conversation.
Main Topics Discussed:
From 0 to 1 Bottle
Dark Marketing
Importance of Differentiation
Selling to Bars when Small
From 1 Bottle to 1 Case
Why be on the Cocktail Menu?
Necessity of Hunting & Farming Systems
Adapting to what Bars need.
From 1 Case to 1 Pallet
Building Distribution Networks
Advantages of Brand Ambassadors
Working with Distributors
About the Host: Chris Maffeo
About the Guest: Alex Ouziel
Interested in Group Subscriptions, Keynote Presentations or Advisory? You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com or find out more at maffeodrinks.com


