Movers and Shakers with April Wachtel: Recent Episodes
April Wachtel
Movers and Shakers is the podcast about people and ideas that are changing the beverage landscape. Hosted by mixologist and Swig + Swallow Founder, April Wachtel, this podcast examines stories from innovators and thought leaders throughout the beverage ecosystem.
Hey hey Movers and Shakers, it's your host April Wachtel, and I’m pleased to present to you a most unusual episode of Movers and Shakers.
If you’re a regular listener and are familiar with our standard format- this isn’t that.
In today’s episode I interviewed an old friend and the cocktail mastermind behind world-famous New York bars Employees Only and Macao Trading Co- Dushan Zaric. Dushan is widely recognized as an industry leader and a pioneer in craft bartending; his innovative work behind the bar has revolutionized the art of the cocktail.
Dushan and I hadn’t spoken in about a decade and what started as the pre-interview ended up being the actual interview. For anyone who knows Dushan, it will not surprise you that he broke the format of my podcast, and we love him for it. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Dushan Zaric.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- What we’ve both been up to for the last decade
- Dushan’s new Youtube show, 4am Chicken Soup
- Dushan’s perspective on avoiding burnout and rediscovering the privilege of being of service to others
And so much more. It was amazing catching up with Dushan after so many years. Please enjoy my interview with Dushan Zaric.
Find Dushan:
www.dushanzaric.com
4 am Chicken Soup show on Youtube
On Instagram: @4amchickensoup
Find Movers and Shakers:
www.moverssshakers.com
On Instagram @moverssshakers
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
www.cheekycocktails.co
Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today’s interview is with Elayne Duff from the Beverage Brand Ambassador Academy.
Elayne Duff is a 20-year veteran of the spirits industry. She was Diageo U.S.A.’s first head mixologist and luxury spirits ambassador, has appeared on the T.V. show Bar Rescue numerous times as a beverage expert, and was a Global Manager of experiential events and education at Ab-InBev.
More recently Elayne founded “Duff on the Rocks,” an on and off-trade brand strategy consultancy, launched a YouTube show “Celebrating the Brand Ambassador” and created the “Beverage B.A. Academy,” the first online training academy for Brand Ambassadors.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- Elayne’s extensive background in beverage
- The origin stories behind Elayne’s various ventures
- What to expect from the Beverage BA curriculum
- …and so much more.
Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Elayne Duff!
Find The Beverage Brand Ambassador Academy:
https://beveragebaacademy.teachable.com
Find Elayne:
On Instagram @duffontherocks
On Facebook @Elayneduff
On LinkedIn @ Elayne Duff
Find Movers and Shakers:
www.moverssshakers.com
On Instagram @moverssshakers
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
www.cheekycocktails.co
Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today’s interview is with Allison Evanow from Square One Organic Spirits.
Allison is the Founder and CEO of Square One Organic Spirits and Cocktails. She is a pioneer in the organic spirits space, starting Square One as the U.S.’s first all organic spirits company and one of the first women to start her own spirits brand. Square One crafts a line of USDA Organic vodkas and botanical spirits and now also has two new products lines – organic cocktail mixers and convenient ready to drink sparkling vodka cocktails.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- How Allison harnessed her background in spirits marketing to launch Square One
- How she bootstrapped the brand to distribution in 42 states
- How she thinks about growth and new product launches
- And her advice for entrepreneurs just getting started
It was amazing speaking to Allison after hearing about her work for so long-
Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Allison Evanow
Find Square One
www.squareoneorganicspirits.com
On instagram @squareoneorganicspirits
On facebook @squareoneorganicspirits
On Pinterest @SQ1organic
On Twitter: @SQ1Organic
Find Movers and Shakers:
www.moverssshakers.com
On Instagram @moverssshakers
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
www.cheekycocktails.co
Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today's interview is with Lance Winters and Dave Smith from St. George Spirits.
Lance is the Master Distiller and Dave is the Head Distiller for St. George Spirits, one of the pioneer craft distilleries in the United States.
Founded by Jorg Rupf in 1982, St. George originally distilled eau de vie, then birthed and sold the Hangar One brand, and expanded their portfolio across categories to include base spirits like Gin, Vodka, and Whiskey, as well as liqueurs and more esoteric offerings like Absinthe and Shochu.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- How Lance and Dave have grown the brand organically within minimal startup funding
- How they think about pushing the boundaries with craft spirits
- How they consider the intersection between innovation and commercial opportunity
- And their advice for entrepreneurs interested in launching a spirits brand
Lance and Dave are icons in the spirits industry, and it was such a pleasure having them on the pod.
Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Lance Winters and Dave Smith.
Find St George
www.stgeorgespirits.com
On instagram @stgeorgespirits
On Twitter @stgeorgespirits
On facebook @stgeorgespirits
Find Movers and Shakers:
www.moverssshakers.com
On Instagram @moverssshakers
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
www.cheekycocktails.co
Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today’s interview is a special episode on the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition coming up in November of 2022.
Some of you know, I worked with the Foundation when they were starting out four years ago, and the event remains near and dear to my heart. It’s a competition for women founders in food, beverage, and cpg, with some great cash prizes and marketing services available to the winners.
I was fortunate to have Kim Lawton, the co-founder of the Enthuse Foundation and co-owner of Enthuse and Inspira Marketing join me on the podcast to talk about the Foundation, the competition, and how potential applicants can put their best foot forward.
Before we jump into the interview, I wanted to share some specific dates and deadlines-
- Applications for the competition open August 15th (2022)
- They are due October 3rd
- Finalists are notified October 18th
- And the pitch competition will be held in New York City on November 3rd
Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kim Lawton!
Find The Enthuse Foundation
www.enthusefoundation.org
On Instagram @enthuse_foundation
On Facebook @enthusefoundation
On LinkedIn @enthusefoundation
Find Enthuse Marketing and Inspira Marketing
www.enthuse-marketing.com
www.inspiramarketing.com
Find Movers and Shakers:
www.moverssshakers.com
On Instagram @moverssshakers
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
www.cheekycocktails.co
Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today's episode is an interview with Andrew Merinoff.
Andrew is the founder of DisPact Ventures, an investment fund focused on emerging retail, food & beverage and technology brands, and is also the co-founder of Chinola Passionfruit Liqueur.
Andrew’s experience spans multiple sectors and industries, including F&B, Wine & Spirits, Hospitality, Investing, and Marketing. Most recently, Andrew worked to develop intuitive spirit branding for Proximo Spirits, where he focused on brand development for the company’s current portfolio.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- How Andrew thinks about failure
- The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make
- How to strategically set your spirits brand up for acquistion…
- And Andrew’s advice for entrepreneurs raising capital in the current climate.
I think you’ll agree Andrew shared some incredible advice in today’s interview, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.
Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Andrew Merinoff.
Find Andrew
On LinkedIn
On Instagram @heymerinoff
Find Chinola
www.chinola.com
On Instagram @chinola
Find Movers and Shakers:
www.moverssshakers.com
On Instagram @moverssshakers
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
www.cheekycocktails.co
Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today's episode is an interivew with the man, the myth, the legend, David Gluckman.
David is the Author of the book “That S*it Will Never Sell,” and is the creator of Baileys (the number one selling liqueur in history, which has sold billions of bottles across 160 countries. David is also the mind behind Ciroc Vodka, Tanqueray 10 and dozens of other beverage brands.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- The story of Baileys and what he learned after presenting the brand to his clients
- David’s advice on advancing ideas through large organizations
- What large companies should do with their market research budgets
- …And so much more
David is truly a living legend in the world of beverage alcohol, and he shared a wealth of knowledge in today’s conversation.
Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my conversation with David Gluckman.
Find David
On LinkedIn
david@thwns.net
Find That S*it Will Never Sell
www.thatshitwillneversell.com
Buy That S*it will Never Sell
Find Movers and Shakers:
www.moverssshakers.com
@moverssshakers
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
www.cheekycocktails.co
Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
@cheekycocktails
Today's guest is Jackie Summers- a James Beard Finalist AND judge; a seasoned public speaker, and the creator of the award-winning Sorel Liqueur. His accolades are FAR too many to list, but to give you a small sampling, he’s been named one of the world’s “100 Most Influential Bar Industry Figures” by Drinks International Magazine (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), one of The 50 Most Influential People In Brooklyn Food by Brooklyn Magazine, The 2019 Award winner for “Best Food Essay” by the Association of Food Journalists and on and on. In the podcast today we discuss: 1. How a cancer diagnosis lead Jackie into the drinks business 2. How Jackie thinks about mental health and resolve 3. The incredible story of Sorel’s exponential growth after years of perseverance 4. And so much more
I’m probably not supposed to choose favorites, but this is one of my favorite interviews of all time, and I so appreciate Jackie’s willingness to speak about some topics that are often glossed over in these types of interviews. I hope you love this interview as much as I loved recording it Wthout further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Jackie Summers. Find Jackie: * @theliquortarian * jackiesummers.nyc
Find Sorel:
- @sorelofficial
- sorelofficial.com
Find Movers and Shakers: * www.moverssshakers.com * @moverssshakers
Find April: * On LinkedIn * www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky * www.cheekycocktails.co * Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order * @cheekycocktails
Today’s guest is Philip Duff- a renowned expert on distilled spirits and a beverage consultant to drinks companies everywhere. He bartended around the world for decades and founded Holland’s first bar to enter the World’s 50 Best Bars. Philip owns the lauded Old Duff Genever brand, served as the first Director of Education for Tales of the Cocktail, and regularly appears on TV & in publications like Esquire, Reuters, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- The evolution of Phil’s career in the global drinks business
- Why large companies struggle with innovation (and in Phil’s words make “bonkers” acquisitions):)
- Phil’s take on celebrity-owned brands
- And so much more
I think you’ll agree, Phil is both an informed and entertaining guest, and it was a great pleasure having him on the pod. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Philip Duff
Find Philip:
- On Twitter: @philipduff
- On Youtube: @philpstephenduff
- On Instagram: @philipsduff
- The Philip Duff Show (podcast)
- Old Duff Genever
Find Movers and Shakers:
- www.moverssshakers.com
- @moverssshakers
Find April:
- On LinkedIn
- www.aprilwachtel.com
Find Cheeky
-
www.cheekycocktails.co
- Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order
- @cheekycocktails
Today's guest is Stephanie Jordan, the CEO and co-founder of Avallen Calvados, and multilingual wine & spirits professional with over 15 years in the global drinks business. Stephanie is a former Global Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray Gin, and founder of the luxury marketing consultancy Drinking Out Loud. She and her business partner Tim Etherington Judge founded Avallen in 2019 with the mission to be the world’s most planet-positive spirits brand, and is a certified B corp sold in ten markets around the world. In the podcast today we discuss: 1. Stephanie & Tim’s path to launching Avallen 2. How to incorporate sustainability into your brand from day one 3. Why equity crowdfunding creates accountability within the business 4. Avallen’s partnerships with Ecospirits and Frugalpak 5. And so much more
This interview has been years in the making, and I was so thrilled to have Stephanie on the podcast. Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Stephanie Jordan. Find Stephanie on instagram @drinkingoutloud Find Avallen on instagram, twitter and facebook @avallenspirits and on their site www.avallenspirits.com Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order @cheekycocktails
Today’s guest is John deBary, the creator of Proteau, a line of zero-proof botanical drinks, a co-founder of Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, author of Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails, Food52’s first Resident Drink Expert, and a freelance journalist with bylines in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Thrillist, the Food Network, Punch, and more. In the podcast today we discuss: 1. The founding of the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation 2. The evolution of John’s non-alch drinks company, Proteau 3. Mental health, and how overnight success is rarely “overnight" 4. And John’s advice for entrepreneurs just getting started
I think you can tell that I’m a massive fan of John’s and am so impressed by everything he does for the drinks and hospitality community. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it, and without further ado, here’s my interview with John deBary. Find John www.johndebary.com Find Proteau www.drinkproteau.com @drinkproteau Invest in Proteau on Republic https://republic.com/proteau Find RWCF www.restaurantworkerscf.org @rwcfusa
Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order @cheekycocktails
Today’s guest is Allen Katz, Co Founder of the New York Distilling Company. Allen is one of the nation’s leading experts on distilled spirits and cocktails, Director of the Spirits Education & Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York and is at the forefront of industry training in New York and around the country. He is renowned for his public and professional seminars on topics of America’s food and cocktail heritage and was previously the host of The Cocktail Hour for Martha Stewart on SiriusXM. I interviewed Allen in February of 2020, just a couple of weeks before Covid landed in New York City. As we all know, the past year and a half have been strange to say the least, but I’ve missed making the pod and am hoping to be back on more of a regular schedule. The beauty of having brilliant guests, is their advice often stands the test of time, and that is certainly the case with Allen’s. In the podcast today we discuss: 1. The evolution of the contemporary cocktail renaissance 2. The founding of the NY Distilling company 3. What it takes to break through as a spirits brand, and 4. Allen’s advice to entrepreneurs just getting started
I can’t tell you how much I loved this conversation with Allen, and I think you’ll agree, he is a gifted storyteller as well as a fascinating and thoughtful business person. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Allen Katz Find Allen on most social media @nydistilleryman Find New York Distilling Company www.nydistilling.com @nydistilling Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram as @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com www.cheekycocktails.co
Today’s guest is Eugene Khabensky, Director of Business Development and Ventures at Diageo. Eugene specializes in finance, strategy, commercial insights, and business development, so I was excited to pick his brain on how he evaluates businesses for potential investment. In his tenure at Diageo, he has worked on many exciting projects and acquisitions including Diageo’s acquisition of Casamigos Tequila. In his current role, Eugene oversees the Diageo relationship with the Distill Ventures program in North America where he brings a comprehensive cross functional view to unlocking brand acceleration and building successful plans for growth.
In this interview, Eugene gives some great insights on what Diageo is looking for in potential investments, what level of detail you should present depending on the stage of your business, and which part of the pitch process is incredibly important, yet often overlooked.
I’m appreciative for Eugene’s time, and hope this interview helps founders prepare for the competition in November.
Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Eugene Khabensky.
Find Eugene on LinkedIn
Find Distill Ventures
www.distillventures.com/
Find Movers and Shakers:
On Instagram as @moverssshakers
www.moverssshakers.com
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Movers and Shakers is back! In today's episode, I explain our absence, introduce my company Cheeky Cocktails, and my colleague Aaron Moses steps in as host. We discuss some of my background in the beverage and hospitality industry, how I became an entrepreneur, how I think about team and culture building, and much more.
A special thanks to Cheeky Aaron for doing a great job hosting!
As always, if you have questions, comments, or feedback, it's always greatly appreciated, and please feel free to reach out anywhere below.
Find Cheeky:
www.cheekycocktails.co
@cheekycocktails across social media
Find Movers and Shakers:
On Instagram as @moverssshakers
www.moverssshakers.com
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
In today's special episode of Movers and Shakers, I speak to friends in industry icons, Chris Lowder and Micaela Piccolo about life in Shanghai during Coronavirus. They share what they're doing to stay positive and productive under quarantine, what you should expect if your market is not yet adapted for the virus, and what bars and restaurants are doing across China to persevere.
Please note, this was also the first video interview for Movers and Shakers. The video is available here.
Follow Chris and Micaela's updates on Instagram
@getlowdernow
@micaelapiccolo
Connect with April on LinkedIn
Shoot us questions, comments, or requests for specific content at hello@moverssshakers.com
Dearest listeners, In light of the impact Coronavirus is having on our industry, we will be adding coverage, interviews, and professional development opportunities to our regular programming, intended to help our community get through these next few months. Please stay tuned for tomorrow's interview with Chris Lowder, the General Manager of Proof & Company in China, on how bars and restaurants have been coping during the quarantine. Also, if you have more time on your hands than usual, and are looking for ways to build your professional online presence I created a video tutorial on building your personal brand through LinkedIn, creating a website, buying a url, and setting up a professional email account. Please shoot us a note at hello@moverssshakers.com with any questions, comments, or requests for specific content, and stay safe out there.
Today’s guest is Jen Batchelor. Jen is the co-founder and CEO of Kin Euphorics, an alternative beverage company intent on revolutionizing the future of social drinking. Launched in December of 2018, Kin has sold over 1 million servings of their three products- High Rhode, Dream Light, and Kin Spritz. Raised in Saudia Arabia, Jen built a decade long career in strategic innovation at the intersection of tech, wellness, and hospitality, and now brings her unique perspective to her work with Kin.
Find Jen
On Instagram as @jenofkin
Find Kin Euphorics
On Instagram as @kineuphorics
www.kineuphorics.com
Find Movers and Shakers:
On Instagram as @moverssshakers
www.moverssshakers.com
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Today's guest is Hugh Thomas. Hugh is the CEO and co-founder of Ugly Drinks, a flavored sparkling water brand founded in the U.K. Hugh and his co-founder, Joe met while working for Vita Coco coconut water before deciding to start their own business, disrupting the soft drinks industry.
In the podcast today, we discuss:
- How Hugh and Joe went from Googling how to build a business in their apartment in London, to having distribution in nearly 10,000 stores across Europe and the United States
- What makes a truly sticky consumer brand
- How Hugh defines success as a founder, and so much more
Hugh was such a wonderful guest and I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.
If you do enjoy the interview, please share the podcast and we'd really appreciate if you can leave us a review in Apple podcasts. It really does help. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Hugh Thomas.
Find Ugly Drinks
On Instagram
On Twitter
On TikTok
www.uglydrinks.com
Find Hugh
On Instagram
On Twitter
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Image Credit
Today’s guest is Paul Gabie. Paul is an investor, former lawyer, and co-founder and CEO of The Proof Collective, a portfolio of companies dedicated to spreading fine drinking around the globe. If you’re in the cocktail world and you don’t know their name, you definitely know their work. Their companies include:
- Proof & Company; a leading independent spirits distributor and consultancy with offices in five countries across Asia Pacific
- 28 HongKong Street, JERRY, EC Proof, True Believers, Junior, and ecoSPIRITS
- And last year alone, six of their projects were included on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, including Manhattan, ATLAS, 28 HongKong Street, Charles H, Bar Trigona, and The Pontiac.
In the podcast today we discuss
- The forces shaping the industry in Asia Pacific
- The "Hendrick’s moment" as a sign of market maturity
- Cross-pollination as an accelerant
- The challenges of managing growth, and so much more
Paul was such a wonderful guest, and I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did. If you do enjoy the interview, please share the podcast- and we would really appreciate if you can leave us a review in apple podcasts- it really does help.
Find Proof and Company:
On Instagram
www.proofandcompany.com
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Today’s guest is Mariena Mercer Boarini. Mariena is a second generation Las Vegan and a ten year veteran of the industry. Excelling in alchemy, and with a focus on experiential cocktails, Mariena oversees cocktail creation for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Mariena has been featured on The Food Network, Esquire Magazine, Saveur Magazine, Tastemade, and various other media outlets. She has been named “Top Bartender in Las Vegas” and one of the “Top 10 Female Bartenders in the World.”
In the episode today we discuss:
- The power of yes
- Balancing creativity and business in a high volume setting
- Being a mother working in the bar world
- What Mariena looks for when hiring staff,
…and so much more.
It was such a pleasure having Mariena on the podcast and hope you enjoy the conversation.
Find Mariena:
On Facebook
On Instagram
Mariena.Boarini@cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
Find the Cosmopolitan:
www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
Find Movers and Shakers:
On Instagram
www.moverssshakers.com
Find April:
On LinkedIn
www.aprilwachtel.com
Today’s interview is with Hillary Hughes from Foster Garvey. Hillary is a business, food, beverage and CPG, sports & entertainment, fashion & apparel and technology attorney. She represents sports & entertainment talent, entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and established brands as well as angel, venture capital and private equity investors. She's the Chair of the firm’s Sports, Arts & Entertainment practice and coleads the Food & Beverage practice.
Given what we know about our audience, I think this episode could hold the most bang for your buck of any of our episodes, as Hillary gives great insights about a range of legal matters that took me years to understand as a first time entrepreneur.
We discuss a range of legal topics including
- Entity formation
- How to split equity between founders
- How and when to think about raising capital
- Preparing your business for acquisition, and so much more.
I absolutely loved this conversation with Hillary, and hope you do too. As always, if you did enjoy the interview please like, subscribe, and share the podcast and give us a review in apple podcasts. It really does help.
Find Hillary on LinkedIn
Find Foster Garvey at
www.foster.com
On this Christmas Eve, instead of a regular show, I wanted to do something a little different, and share a few things I'm personally grateful for from this year.
Effie Panagopoulos is a 15 year veteran of the alcoholic beverage industry, and is founder of Kleos, the super premium Mastiha spirit.
Effie earned her stripes as a bartender and brand ambassador in Boston, later working for major spirits suppliers like Bacardi and Remy Cointreau, most notably as the US National Brand Ambassador for Metaxa, and as the first dedicated marketing manager for Disaronno in the US.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- Effie’s path to Kleos
- Selecting a name for your brand
- Why you should trademark everything
- How to turn off the internal gremlins
- And so much more.
Although we didn’t get to discuss it in the interview, I also wanted to mention that I witnessed Effie totally crush- and win- the Enthuse Foundation Pitch competition last month in New York City. If you’re interested in seeing a flawless pitch performance, check out the video here.
As always, if you enjoyed the interview please like, subscribe, and share the podcast and give us a review in apple podcasts. It really does help.
Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Effie Panagopoulos.
Find Kleos: www.drinkkleos.com
IG: @drinkkleos
FB: https://www.facebook.com/drinkkleos/
Find Effie:
IG: @greekspiritmuse
Shilen Patel is co-founder and non-alch lead for Distill Ventures, the world’s first accelerator for the spirits industry.
Shilen started in drinks by leading a team at Guinness that turned around over 20 years of brand decline. He then started his own business and has helped dozens of founders realize their potential. He loves asking provocative questions, helping develop brilliant propositions and compelling strategies and coaching high performing teams to deliver great results.
In the podcast today we discuss-
- What DV is looking for in potential investments
- The evolution and future of the Non-alch trend
- The importance of stoicism in entrepreneurship
- The biggest challenges facing food and beverage entrepreneurs today
...And so much more.
Find Distill Ventures
https://www.distillventures.com
Jeffrey Morgenthaler is an award-winning bartender working since 1996 in everything from neighborhood taverns and college nightclubs to fine restaurants and upscale lounges.
Jeffrey has been writing about bartending and mixology for years at his website, jeffreymorgenthaler.com- which is still one of the most respected blogs in the cocktail world. He is a regular columnist at Playboy.com, and his recipes and wisdom have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast and Wired, among many others. He is the best-selling author of “The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique,” and Drinking Distilled.
As always, Jeffrey tells it like it is, and we cover a range of topics including:
- Why the craft cocktail movement is due for change
- Why everyone should strive to contribute
- Why bartenders should stay behind the bar
- What drinking Manhattans at breakfast signals to others
...And so much more.
Nick Papanicolaou is a former investment banker and MBA graduate turned entrepreneur, who launched his own spirits brand which eventually brought him to Pernod Ricard. He led the M&A and Strategy team for the USA and helped build the New Brand Ventures unit as Head of Business Development. He was also CFO of New Brand Ventures and CFO of Smooth Ambler Spirits. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Del Maguey Mezcal, Smooth Ambler Spirits and Our Vodka as well as on the Investment Committee for a venture capital fund.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- Why large companies struggle with innovation
- Relationship building with investors
- What Pernod is looking for in potential entrepreneur partners
- The importance of timing in growing your business
- And so much more.
Nick was such a generous and insightful guest, and I hope you get as much value from this conversation as I did. Without further ado, please enjoy this conversation with Nick Papanicolaou
Find Nick on Instagram and LinkedIn
Robert Simonson writes about bars, bartenders, cocktails, spirits and travel for The New York Times.
His work has also appeared in Imbibe, Food & Wine, Saveur, Bon Appetit, Punch and many other publications. His books include “The Old-Fashioned” “A Proper Drink”, and “3-Ingredient Cocktails,” and his newest book, “The Martini Cocktail,” was released earlier this fall. His writings have been nominated for a total of eleven Spirited Awards; and two IACP Awards. He is the recipient of the 2019 Spirited Award for Best Cocktail and Spirits Writer, and he is the co-author, with Martin Doudoroff, of two apps, “Modern Classics of the Cocktail Renaissance” and “The Martini Cocktail,”
In the podcast today we discuss:
- Robert’s early writing career
- The role of instinct in creative work
- The evolution of the celebrity bartender
- The book someone should write on hospitality
- And so much more.
Robert was such a thoughtful and entertaining guest, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.
Find Robert online at
Robertsimonson.net
Or on Instagram at @robertosimonson
Find Robert’s latest book, “The Martini Cocktail,” at fine booksellers everywhere, or on Amazon
Charlie O’Donnell has been an active member of the NY startup community for over 15 years, with a reputation of being the most accessible early stage investor in New York. His fund, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures has made over 60 investments since it was founded, often leading or co-leading investments in a wide variety of startups including The Wing, Petal, Clubhouse, Hungryroot, and Ample Hills Creamery, among others.
In today's podcast we discuss:
- Misconceptions about angel investment versus VC.
- Reasons to avoid raising money from friends and family.
- Why raising small amounts of capital is as difficult as raising large amounts.
- Who should pitch him for investment.
- And so much more.
If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you’ll notice there’s a recurring theme around what it takes to bring an idea into the world. I think many of the principles are universal- you have a great idea, you see a need, you find your audience, and so on. However, what I think is not very clear to the average person is how money affects the business you build, how quickly you get started and grow, the culture of your company, and so forth. If you listened to the last episode with Ryan Chethiyawardana, he says at the end that money is NOT the barrier to launching your idea, and I couldn’t agree more. So, in today’s episode, we do a deep dive into financing, and look at some of the questions startup founders may have as they’re trying to launch and grow their businesses.
Social handles
Find Brooklyn Bridge Ventures
http://www.brooklynbridge.vc
Follow Charlie
At @ceonyc on Twitter and Instagram
Read his blog “This is Going to be Big”
I am so excited to present my interview today with Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka, Mr Lyan. Ryan is an Internationally renowned bartender, businessman, and author, and he and his establishments have won heaps of awards- from International Bartender of the year to World’s Best Bar, to Best Bar Team, to World’s Best Bar Menu, and so much more. Currently his venues include Lyaness, Cub and Super Lyan (re-located from London to Amsterdam), and he's launching another venue, Silver Lyan, In Washington D.C this winter. In the podcast today we discuss 1. Ryan’s early days in food & beverage 2. Challenging the status quo 3. Rethinking sustainability 4. Opening and closing successful bars 5. Creativity & growth, and so much more
A quick note to our listeners- the audio is a little shaky for the first minute, but please stay with us, because Ryan is brilliant, gracious, and you'll kick yourself if you don’t. Find Mr Lyan www.mrlyan.com Follow Ryan on Instagram @mrlyan Follow Ryan’s businesses on Instagram @lyan.cub @lyanessbar @super.lyan @mrlyanstudio
I’m so excited to present my interview today with Ben Branson. Ben is the Founder of Seedlip and Æcorn Aperitifs, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs, intent on changing how the world drinks. With offices in the Chilterns, Los Angeles and Sydney, Seedlip is now available in over 25x cities including New York, Barcelona, Shanghai & Singapore and served in many of the world’s most awarded bars, restaurants and hotels. In the podcast today we discuss 1. Seedlip’s evolution from a kitchen project to a globally recognized brand 2. How Ben thinks about culture creation 3. Wellness as hygiene 4. Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, and so much more.
Ben is not only an incredible founder, but he is humble and generous as well, and I hope you love this interview as much as I do. Social handles Find Seedlip www.seedlipdrinks.com @Seedlipdrinks on IG Follow Ben on IG @seedlip_ben
I’m so excited to present today’s interview with Claire Warner. Claire has worked in the drinks industry for over 20 years, starting her career as a bartender and moving into brand advocacy and education, and later liquid development and innovation.
Claire joined Belvedere Vodka and LVMH in 2003, and was appointed Head of Spirit Creation and Mixology in 2009. In this role, Claire led the development of all new Belvedere expressions, as well as creating the global educational programs for Belvedere.
Claire joined the alcohol-free world of Seedlip in 2018 as Head of New Brands, and is currently managing director for Seedlip’s sister brand, Aecorn Aperitifs.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- Claire’s career trajectory
- The importance of knowing yourself and following your authentic path
- Risk taking in the startup world
The importance of coaching and mentorship - And so much more...
Honestly I can’t tell you how much I loved this conversation with Claire, and I hope you get as much value from it as I did. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Claire Warner.
Find Aecorn Aperitifs:
www.aecornaperitifs.com
@aecorn_aperitifs on Instagram
Follow Claire on Instagram:
@helloclairewarner
I'm so excited to present my interview today with Giuseppe Gallo. Giuseppe is a twenty year veteran of the beverage and hospitality industries, and founder of ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto, a liquor that is reestablishing a forgotten Aperitivo category. Prior to Italicus, Giuseppe was best known as a global brand ambassador for MARTINI & ROSSI and was recognized as Best International Brand Ambassador at Tales of the Cocktail in 2014.
In the podcast today we discuss:
1. Giuseppe's journey to launching Italicus.
2. The history of the Rosolio category.
3. Challenges and crucibles of launching a premium beverage brand as a start up.
4. Why big companies struggle with innovation, and so much more.
Follow Giuseppe on Twitter.
Follow Italicus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
I'm so excited to present my interview today with Ming-Tai Huh, Head of Partnerships at Toast, & Proprietor at Puritan & Company
As many of us know, restauranteurs are struggling with rising labor costs, and are adapting their businesses to accommodate for the increase in off-premise restaurant sales. In conditions like these, operators are constantly looking for solutions to cut costs and increase revenue.
Toast is a company strategically poised to make real change in the industry. It is a technology platform that combines restaurant POS, front of house, back of house and guest-facing technology with a diverse marketplace of third-party applications, helping restaurants streamline operations, increase revenue and deliver amazing guest experiences. Recently Toast raised $250 million in a Series E round, which brings their valuation to $2.7 billion.
David Yuan at TCV, the growth equity firm that co-led Toast latest round financing says, "At TCV, we invest in companies that have the potential to reshape entire industries, by providing restaurants of all sizes with access to innovative technology to the leveling playing field and leading industry transition to the cloud."
As you can imagine, I was super eager to know more about what Toast is up, and Ming-Tai was gracious enough to sit down and have a chat.
In the podcast today we discuss:
- Ming's background, and how he transitioned from consulting, to opening Puritan & Company, to working with Toast
- Toast features, and how it differentiates from the competition
- Hospitality as a differentiator in technology.
- How technology can help bring your restaurant, or restaurant group, to the next level.
Find Ming on Twitter
Follow Toast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Steve Luttman started his career at Unilever, working in Europe, the United States, and Brazil on various brands including Lipton Iced Tea, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, and Ragu Pasta Sauce. In 2003, he joined Diageo & Moët Hennessy’s Schieffelin & Somerset as Senior VP Marketing. In 2005, he created and launched Leblon Cachaça, the leading superpremium Cachaça in the United States. Leblon is now found in over 40 countries, and was acquired by Bacardi Ltd in 2015. Steve is now the Managing Director of Tortoise & Volt Marketing & Ventures, a boutique creative marketing and innovation agency based in New York City. In the podcast today we discuss 1. Why Steve decided to launch Leblon 2. Leblon’s initial go-to-market strategy, and barriers faced along the way 3. What characteristics make great entrepreneurs 4. When to bootstrap vs raise capital 5. Thoughts on how the Cannabis industry will affect the alcoholic beverage industry
…...And what brands have to do to persevere in today’s world Follow Steve on Instagram Learn more about the host of Movers and Shakers, April Wachtel
I'm so excited to present my interview today with Ryan Magarian. Ryan is president of Ryan Magarian Concepts and Hospitality, he is co-founder of Oven and Shaker, and co-founder of Aviation American Gin, which was recently purchased by the actor Ryan Reynolds. For over two decades Ryan's unique chef like approach to mixed drinks, along with the development of several innovative professional bar cultures locally, nationally, and internationally, has gained him recognition as one of america's top craft bartenders. In the podcast today, we discuss the evolution of his career in food and beverage, mentorship/relationship building in hospitality, and advice for entrepreneurs starting out. Without further adieu, I'm so excited to share my conversation with Ryan.
In this episode we discuss:
- Ryan's start in the industry and how he helped found Aviation American Gin
- Mentorship / Relationship building in hospitality
- How to know if you've found the right business partner
- How to build a small brand
- Dealing with the isolation that can come with being an entrepreneur
- Current projects and how he chooses those projects
...And much more!
Find Ryan on Instagram
Kerry Preston is an executive coach and founder of Growtality, where she works with clients to optimize individual and organizational performance, growth, and vitality through research based methodologies. Kerry's worked with luxury brands, individuals, and businesses to help them reach their full potential. She spent over ten years with Unilever, eventually taking her expertise to run workshops and coaching for Credit Suisse, I.B.M., Equifax, NARS, La Paris, Moet Hennessy USA, Johnson and Johnson and SANAFI. She's a highly sought after business expert, the co-author of three books including; "You Did What?", "You Said What?", and "Enhancing Your Executive Edge: How to develop the skills to lead and succeed". Kerry and I met earlier this spring when she presented at an Enthuse Foundation pitch night in New York City, and I asked her to come on the podcast to share some of her amazing insights with our audience.
In this episode we discuss:
- How Kerry came to found Growtality
- How to reverse engineer your dreams
- How to get started on our next chapter
- Building your own personal board of directors
- How to build your tribe
- Identify your blind spots
- Steps you can take to find your best coach
- A professional coaching use case in action
Simon Ford is a legend in the cocktail and spirits worlds and is a co-founder and president of the Ford's Gin Company, formally the 86 Company. While he started his career working in wine, he's probably best known for his time in spirits marketing, working with some of the world's largest brands launching Plymouth Gin in over ten countries, directing on-premise strategy for Absolute Vodka in the U.S., and creating and executing programs for a myriad of brands including Jameson, Chivas Regal, and The Glenlivet. In 2012, Simon co-founded the 86 Company, an award winning spirits company including Ford's Gin, Caña Brava Rum, Tequila Cabeza, and Aylesbury Duck Vodka.
In Today's Episode we discuss:
1) New products in the pipeline
2) How Simon went from working in the nonprofit sector to founding The 86 Company
3) Brand-building as a Brand Ambassador
4) Mistakes made along the way
5) And so much more!
Follow Ford’s Gin on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Follow Simon on Twitter and Instagram
Elliott Clark is the founder and creative director of Apartment Bartender. Apartment Bartender is a private digital content agency that specializes in the drink and lifestyle category. Elliott is also the co-founder of Earn Your Booze, a drink and fitness event company geared towards helping industry professionals to find balance between wellness and imbibing.
In Today's Episode you'll learn:
1) How Elliott got into photography and social media, and how he knew to leave his job and focus on AB full time
2) Elliott's perspective on timing, and the importance of choosing a name for your brand or business
3) What Elliott would do differently, if he were to do it all over again
4) The dangers of comparison, and the importance of consistency
5) Incorporating authenticity and vulnerability into your personal or professional brand
6) How to think about diversification among social media channels
7) The importance of pursuing your passion and meaning, and surrounding yourself with mentors and advisors
I'm so thrilled to have Billy Melnyk on the show with me today. Billy and I go way back- from when he was Director of Influential Accounts at Bacardi, and I was the New York based Brand Ambassador for the rum portfolio. Billy is now the Founder and CEO of Soto Sake a super premium junmai daiginjo sake. Billy's experience spans music and nightlife and marketing and the spirits industry. He is a super savant, so I really hope you listen all the way through- there are tons of gems scattered throughout the conversation and he's a great storyteller as well. Without further ado, please enjoy this interview with Billy Melnyk.
Hey y'all- So sorry for the long absence, and a belated happy new year! Here's a quick update to let you know what's in store for Movers and Shakers in 2018, plus an opportunity to participate in Swig + Swallow's instagram giveaway with @apartment_bartender. More interviews coming soon with Billy from Soto Sake, Aidan and Andrew from Fora Foods, and Austin Allan from Tio Gazpacho.
We are super excited to welcome Noah Rothbaum on this episode of Movers & Shakers. Noah is the drink and food editor of the Half Full section at the Daily Beast. He's the author of "The Art of American Whiskey" and "The Business of Spirits." And he hosts the podcast, "Life Behind Bars" with the esteemed Dave Wondrich. Today we discuss the evolution of drinking culture in New York and beyond, life as a journalist in food & beverage, and so much more. I hope you enjoy the show.
I'm so pleased to have Jim Meehan on this episode of Movers & Shakers. He's best known as the proprietor of PDT, a speakeasy-style bar in New York City. He's also the author of the "PDT Cocktail Book" and "Meehan's Bartender Manual," released in October, 2017. On this episode we discuss his career trajectory, the global expansion of cocktail culture, and curation in the cocktail world and beyond. I hope you enjoy the show!
It's been an amazing year so far, having such wonderful guests on. And it's finally holiday season and we're super hard at work putting together our next show. So until then, if you've got questions or comments for the show, or potential guests, email host April Wachtel at hello@moverssshakers.com.
Today i’m incredibly pleased to present to you our first episode recorded in front of a live audience. We recorded this show in October, in front of the Activation Army, a 200 person team working across the US on spirit brands you probably know- Smirnoff, Ketel One, Crown Royal and Captain Morgan, to name a few. We recorded the episode panel style -- Tobin Ellis made his return to the podcast, and my friends and esteemed colleagues Anthony Caporale, Natalie Jacob, and Jason Litrell sat on the panel as well. Please bear with us, as the acoustics and many mics in the room made recording a bit challenging, but trust me, the panelist insights and the questions from the audience make it a worthwhile listen. I’m super excited to present this to you -- I really hope you enjoy it."
Today's show is the second episode of Top of Mind, the freestanding solo-series within "Movers and Shakers." The episode is short and sweet, and focuses on the essential organizational tools needed to be a productive and effective freelancer, remote employee, or entrepreneur.
What's up Movers & Shakers, it's your host April Wachtel. And today on the show I have Thi Lam, the co-founder of Keepers Coffee Soda, a citrus coffee soda based out of Brooklyn, New York. On this show, we discuss everything about the evolution of the product, the brand, and the company. From being a crazy accident in an office space, to bottling on a rooftop, getting a co-packer, and getting into Whole Foods.
My guests on today's show are Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero, the badass founders of Speed Rack. If you don't know it, Speed Rack is an international cocktail competition featuring female bartender, it benefits charities that combat breast cancer, it's heading into its seventh season, and has raised over $600,000 to-date to fight breast cancer. Pretty amazing stuff! These ladies are a force to be reckoned with!
I am pleased to welcome Alex Kratena to this episode of "Movers and Shakers." He is best known for his work as the former head bartender at the Artesian in London, and most recently for his work as the founder of P(OUR), a not-for-profit that is based in London but has global influence already in and around the bar community. On the show today we discuss creativity, cultivating fear in your life, and so much more. You can learn more about Alex at www.alexkratena.com
Today on the show we have the inimitable Lauren Mote. She's an icon in the world of Canadian bartending. In the episode, we discuss how she originally fell in love with food and beverage, her work in Vancouver at The Refinery, Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar, and The Four Seasons, her company Bittered Sling, and most recently her work with Diageo World Class.
I am thrilled to welcome the infamous Steve Schneider to this episode of "Movers & Shakers." Steve is known throughout the community from Employees Only and then he went to open Employees Only in Singapore. Most recently he opened The Strangers Club in Panama. Today on the podcast we are talking about his roots in bartending, how to succeed in bartending competitions, mentorship, opening his own bar, and so much more!
What's up Movers and Shakers, it's your host April Wachtel. My guest today is Nick Devane, the super-savvy CEO of Foodworks, a fast-growing food incubator that's based in Brooklyn, and expanding nationally. Today on the show we discuss Foodworks' trajectory, from Grazer to Homemade to Foodworks, the principles of raising venture capital, and Foodworks' longterm vision. Without further ado, here's the show.
I am so excited to have Ann Tuennerman, founder of Tales of the Cocktail, on this episode of Movers and Shakers. If you don't know Ann or if you don't know Tales of the Cocktail, you absolutely should! Tales is one of the world's must must-attend cocktail festival. It's held every year in New Orleans. Since its inception 15 years ago, it's attracted more than 150,000 drink experts as well as cocktail enthusiasts. It also injected more than $100million into the local New Orleans economy.
Today my guest is the one and only Tony Abou-Ganim, also known as "The Modern Mixologist." Tony is a legend in our community -- he’s written books, launched iconic cocktail menus across the country, won 3 Iron Chef competitions, is a National Ambassador for the US Bartenders Guild and so much more. On the show today we talk about how he got started bartending, pairing food and cocktails, and bringing craft cocktails to stadiums.
My guest today is Lindsey Johnson, founder of Lush Life Productions, best known for conceiving and producing Portland Cocktail Week, Camp Runamok, Cane Camp, and now Bar Institute. Today we talk about her passion for community building, her past in the punk scene, and how she keeps organized, energized, and inspired.
Today we’re launching the first episode of “Top of Mind” a series of stand alone podcasts you’ll hear on Movers and Shakers. These will be solo episodes- I will have no guests, and we’ll cover everything from innovation to food + tech to notable events in food and beverage - basically “stuff we find interesting”
Today my guest is Tobin Ellis, the owner of Bar Magic of Las Vegas. Bar Magic is an award-winning hospitality design and consulting firm. You may have seen Tobin on ABC, NBC, USA, E!, A&E, Food Network, Travel Channel, Spike, HBO, and much more. In today's episode we discuss good design, Tobin's background in flair, his love of the Mai Tai cocktail -- and so much more.
I am thrilled to welcome Chris Lowder to Movers and Shakers. Lowder has been nominated for countless awards, including NYC 30 under 30 by Zagat, New York Rising Star Bartender by StarChefs, and one of Americas Best New Mixologists by Food & Wine. Lowder is fluent in Mandarin and Japanese, and most recently launched and ran the multiple cocktail programs at the Four Seasons in Seoul, South Korea. In this interview we discuss his background in language translation, his passion for food and beverage, and his unique approach to education.