Three Tier: Recent Episodes
Jacob Gluck & Taylor Foxman
Three Tier features insights and interviews with the alcohol industry’s most interesting and impactful business people. The movers, and the shakers. Here we explore the minds of those on the front lines and those behind the scenes. The folks that make the booze business tick. This is the place where we talk about the industry we love the most—three tiers and all.---Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck and Taylor Foxman.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
MakerWine.com
They make it. We can it. You drink it.We work with independent winemakers to bring you their award-winning wines in a can.
Great wine. Groovy people.We’re local ladies shining a light on fascinating makers that craft award-winning wines. Each can of wine highlights the story of the small producer who made it.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Pa'lante was created with this ethos in mind: We’re from here and from there – de aquí y de allá.
Eric’s love of rum stems from his father’s rum-making days at a major distillery in Cuba. He grew up hearing stories of his heyday on the island, and now he’s on a mission to showcase rum’s versatility and Latinify the spirits industry. For him, Pa’lante is equally about making damn-good rum and bringing authenticity to how our community is represented in this space. Eric believes uplifting our community and excelling in business are inseparable goals.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
“I envisioned something new, a brand that could transform how women thought about tequila.”
Mara Smith, a former attorney, had no industry experience when she started wondering if the clean spirit she and her girlfriends enjoyed could be reimagined from a female perspective. She committed herself to a singular mission – to create a new tequila brand that honored the traditional spirit while innovating to reveal a fresh, new offering.
https://inspirotequila.com/
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Will Woodington is the Natl. Whiskey Brand Ambassador for Grain & Barrel Spirits.
Grain & Barrel Spirits is an innovative-driven global spirits portfolio that develops and scales authentic brands - connecting the best artisans with markets and consumers around the world.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Justin Stiefelis the CEO and Co-Founder of Heritage Distilling.
Largest Independently Owned Craft Distillery in the PNW: HDC is the only craft distillery in Washington or Oregon with 6 distillery Tasting Rooms.
Most AwardedFor 9 years running, HDC has won more awards than any other craft distillery in North America by the American Distilling Institute.
Innovation & AdaptationHDC's signature innovative membership programs Cask Club®, My Batch® and Spirits Club® encourage our customers to become part of the HDC family. At the same time, our team is constantly innovating products, programs and processes.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Robert Haynes is the co-founder and creative force driving the Gold Fashioned, the world’s most uncompromising ready-to-drink cocktail.
Over the years, he’s been behind the stick at some of Chicago’s most innovative cocktail programs, spinning tens of thousands of Old Fashioneds before transitioning to the production side - distilling and blending over 75,000 gallons of spirits and liqueurs. Now, here at Sunday’s Finest, he’s creating his best cocktails yet.
In 2020, witnessing the rise of packaged cocktails, Robert saw an opportunity to bring impeccable sourcing and bar-quality hospitality to the bottled cocktail arena. Selfishly, he also wanted to make something he’d be damn proud to pour for his friends and family. The result was the Gold Fashioned 2021 Blend - pushing the envelope yet again and crafting cocktails with top-notch ingredients and masterful execution for wherever suits you best. The best part? This is just the beginning.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Amanda Thomson, CEO and Founder of B Corp Certified Thomson & Scott, was voted one of Business Insider’s Coolest People in Food & Drink 2019. Leading the global shift to alcohol-free drinking, Thomson recently launched game-changing Noughty - the first top quality alcohol-free, organic, vegan, halal, low sugar sparkling.
Amanda is also driving the debate for greater transparency in wine production and labelling and wants consumers to push to know what’s in their bottle.
Raised on a plant-based, no sugar diet by her health-conscious mother, Thomson has always had a keen interest as to what’s in her food.
Formerly an Arts Broadcaster at the BBC, Thomson moved her young family to Paris and studied for her Diploma in Wine at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu School where she was Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 and an EY Winning Woman. Thomson is also a Department of International Trade Export Champion.
Thomson & Scott now sells to the world’s coolest bars, restaurants, hotels and spas in key territories including Australia, Europe and North America.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Nick Scarff is the Master Blender and VP of Business Development at Next Century Spirits.
Established in Raleigh, NC in 2018, Next Century Spirits blends together traditional techniques and unique finishing technologies to create enhanced distilled spirits. Our patented post distillation filtering and finishing technology creates a tool for the traditional distiller to expand their repertoire of achievable flavors and aromas while improving quality, maintaining consistency, and reducing supply chain issues. This technology allows for tight control over the entire production process, resulting in the ability to create bold and unique flavor customization options for brands to choose from in order to expand product portfolios and fulfill market needs.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
ANDREW MERINOFFis the Founder of DisPact Ventures.
A seasoned industry leader and advisor, Andrew Merinoff has spent his career building and refining his skills as a growth strategist and brand development expert. Merinoff’s extensive experience spans multiple sectors and industries, most notably in F&B, Wine & Spirits, Hospitality, Investing, and Marketing.
Merinoff founded DisPact Ventures in 2015 with the goal of disrupting industries with impact investing. What started off as a small fund to assist his close friends and confidants eventually grew into a 16 venture portfolio. Currently, the portfolio companies have operations in 12 countries with visibility in over 60. The most recent success stems from SevenRooms which raised $50M in April 2020 at a $250M pre-money valuation. DisPact maintains ownership of the company whose co-investors are AMEX, Amazon Ventures, MGM Grand, Comcast Ventures, and many others.
Most recently, Merinoff worked to develop intuitive spirit branding for premium spirits importer Proximo Spirits, where his focus centered around creating added value and brand development for the company’s current portfolio.
Along with brand development, Merinoff was also responsible for developing a complete greenfield product, from creating the liquid to building the overall business, visitor experience, four separate restaurants and bars, and a distillery in Manhattan.
Merinoff’s passion for building companies, particularly in the Wine & Spirits space, has led him to invest in disruptive spirits brands ranging from the world’s first-ever shelf-stable fresh fruit liqueur, called Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur (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, which is on track to reach $40M in their third year and currently holds some of the largest stocks of premium Japanese whiskey and Sochu in the world (launching in 2021).
Investment firms ASM Ventures LLC and Tequity: Capitol and Communications were founded when Merinoff was in college. He began using his skills as an industry disruptor and innovator to develop market strategies and advise on business plans, networking, key needs, priorities, and efficiencies. He co-founded these companies and collectively raised over $25M in funding and exited several companies to various entities including Fortune 500’s before graduating and moving back into the food and beverage industry.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Mike Solow is a Partner at 99 Proof.
99 Proof Partners (“99 Proof”) is an investment firm that organizes and manages investments in the craft spirits space. We work with individuals and family offices that desire to invest in private deals for exceptional returns without the high fees and infrastructure costs often associated with traditional private equity funds.
99 Proof organizes and manages direct investments in early stage, growth stage, and established businesses with high-caliber teams, attractive valuations, clear growth paths, and lucrative exit opportunities.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Kevin Wong is the Co-Founder of Lunar.
Asian Americana.
In a can.
Award-winning craft hard seltzer made
with real fruit from Asia. Pair with a
K-town night out or mom's cooking.
REAL, PREMIUM FRUITS FROM ASIA
Just like us, the fruits and ingredients that flavor each can of Lunar are brought over from the motherland.
And that's also why our products have real colors, real calories, and a touch of real sugar.
That also means no artificial flavors and chemicals that other brands use, which our mothers would shy away from as well.
UNCOMPROMISED TASTE & QUALITY
With over 300+ recipes tested, each can is deliberately designed and crafted with the best ingredients (see above) and uncompromised quality to deliver an experience—one of home, of memories, and of pride.
WE'RE BUILDING A MOVEMENT
Lunar is more than just a delicious beverage; we're building a movement.
With the alcohol industry being 93%+ white, we're aiming to take ownership of our narrative and share the stories of our community.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Douglas Watters is the owner of Spirited Away in New York City. Established in 2020, Spirited Away is New York City's first booze-free bottle shop dedicated to non-alcoholic spirits, wines, beers & cocktails.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Zeke Bronfman is the Founder and CEO of SESH.
SESH is inspired to deliver a more authentic product that aligns with consumer macro trends: health and wellness, premium, and purpose driven products. We aim to usher in a new wave of drinking culture as we have officially launched in February 2021.
Shop here.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Stephen Vlahos is the Founder of Gratsi Wine, a Direct-to-Consumer wine company putting a new, fresh spin on simplifying great wine for the masses. In Gratsi's words:
Pairs well with... everything
MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRED
Delicious wine is a part of life, not a luxury. Our wine is meant to be consumed as casually and regularly as the Romans do.
LOW SUGAR
Containing less than 0.5g per glass.
BUY DIRECT
Avoid retail markups and expensive packaging. We put delicious wine in a box, and ship it to your door.
BETTER FOR THE PLANET
Our boxes have a carbon footprint that's 80% less than glass. Drink Gratsi, save the world... sound good?
SHOP NOW
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Justin Pass is the Founder and CEO of Sera Luce.
INSPIRED BY AN ITALIAN CLASSIC, SERA LUCE VENETIAN SPRITZ AWAKENS YOUR PALATE WITH THE PERFECT BALANCE OF BITTER AND SWEET.
For over a century, cosmopolitan Italians have gathered in the evening hours between work and dinner to partake in the ritual known as Aperitivo, a daily social gathering that includes a pre-dinner drink (or, more often, drinks) accompanied by snacks. The term comes from the Latin word meaning “to open,” as in a beverage to open the appetite by stimulating the pallet and stomach. In its modern Italian form, the word holds equal weight in describing the hour and spirit of the evening tradition as much is it does the beverages themselves.
Perhaps the most iconic Aperitivo cocktail, the Spritz Veneziano, or Venetian Spritz, is beloved throughout Italy and beyond. Available in a convenient 250ml can, Sera Luce ® (SEH-ruh LOO-cheh) is a Venetian Spritz that's ready to drink anywhere. It offers a convenient way to enjoy this refreshing beverage, and feel transported to that magical and romantic time of day that Italians know so well.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
Ted Fleming is the Founder & CEO of Partake Brewing.
At Partake, we’re on a mission to prove that alcohol doesn’t own good times and that taking a break from beer to focus on your interests, priorities, and responsibilities shouldn’t mean sacrificing your social calendar.
Brewed by beer lovers for beer lovers, we craft great-tasting, low-calorie, non-alcoholic beer that you can proudly drink without judgement on any occasion. Whether it’s a chill night with friends, a post-workout beverage or being called to parent duty, you can enjoy a brew that makes being responsible refreshingly satisfying. Cheers to Adulting!
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob GluckandTaylor Foxman.
MHW Ltd. is a beverage alcohol importer, distributor, and a service provider with licenses that date back to 1934. Since 1995, MHW has been dedicated to delivering service excellence in the global beverage alcohol industry, helping thousands of international brands enter and excel in new markets around the world.
Scott Saul is an Executive Vice President at MHW. He has been with the company for 25 years, and as Employee #2, has helped grow MHW into the industry leader it is today.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequilaand Infinite Agave.
Today's episode features Lawrence Cisneros, CEO of DRNXMYTH.
OUR DRINKS ARE MADE DIFFERENT.TRULY UNIQUE, WE USE CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO BRING TOGETHER TOP SHELF SPIRITS AND NEVER HEATED FRESH INGREDIENTS.
We make these drinks because we have a passion for the craft of mixology. We knew that to make a great craft cocktails, fresh ingredients are the key. We developed a unique patent pending tech and manufacturing approach that yields the freshest bottled cocktails the world has ever seen.
STEP ONE
TRULY FRESH. NOTHING ARTIFICIALOur fresh ingredients come from farms across California same day to be batched and mixed. We never heat, we never use artificial ingredients.
STEP TWO
BOTTOMS GET FILLEDThe bottom chamber gets filled with fresh ingredients. Part of mixology approach requires that the fresh ingredients remain separate from the spirits until the moment of consumption.
STEP THREE
CAP THE BOTTOMSOur bottles have two chambers. The bottom chamber contains all of our fresh ingredients. It gets filled and capped, then they're cold pressurized at 85,000 pounds per square inch. The pressure inactivates microbes and allows for 5 months of refrigerated shelf life.
STEP FOUR
ASSEMBLE THE TOPSOur bottles have a special assembly process. Once the fresh juice is batched and filled and pressurized, the tops get pressed on via pneumatic press and then go off to the liquor filling line.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequilaand Infinite Agave.
Josh Jacobs is the Founder and CEO of Speakeasy Co., an e-commerce and logistics platform that allows beverage alcohol brands to sell direct to consumers from their own website. Listen as we take a deep dive into the genesis of the company as told through the eyes of its Founder, and discuss what the future holds for Speakeasy and DTC.
More about Speakeasy:
WHY
Empower brands to own their own growth, increase coverage and have direct communication with their customers and corresponding data
HOW
Democratize the beverage alcohol industry by giving brands access to the tools, capabilities, and analytics of selling direct to consumer
WHAT
Speakeasy Co. is an e-commerce and logistics platform that allows beverage alcohol brands to sell direct to consumers from their own website
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequilaand Infinite Agave.
Taylor Foxman, Founder of The Industry Collective, has spent the past 11 years of her professional career serving various Communications and Public Relations based roles for 70 global wine, beer and spirit brands such as Edrington Americas, Pernod Ricard North America, Gruppo Campari, Patrón Spirits Company, Stoli® Group, Jägermeister, Boston Beer Company, BANFI Wines and many more.
In addition to her role within The Collective, Taylor currently serves as the Vice President of Communications and Experiences for Parallel, one of the leading privately-owned cannabis companies in the United States.
Taylor was also recently awarded PRWeek 40 Under 40 and Brand Innovator of the Year’s 40 Under 40.
About The Industry Collective:
The Industry Collective is comprised of many of world’s top experts across the wider beverage sector that have come together to shape the future of the industry.
It encompasses world renowned professionals, some of which include Mixologists, Communications Professionals, Drink Influencers, Trade Advocates, Beer Cicerones, Sommeliers, Sustainability Experts, Editors From National Publications (e.g. Fortune; Esquire; Food & Wine) and Book Authors.
Nicola Nice is the Founder and CEO of Pomp & Whimsy, one of the fastest growing craft spirits brands in the country.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequilaand Infinite Agave.
Pomp & Whimsy brings modern sensibilities to the tradition of gin making by infusing classically distilled gin with a delightfully flavorful botanical liqueur.
The result is a highly refined, yet playfully sensorial spirit, that is both graceful by itself, and effortlessly dressed, up or down.
Twice infused and re-distilled with a select blend of 16 natural and whole botanicals, including juniper, coriander, grapefruit, orange, lychee, cucumber and jasmine pearls.
Today’s guest is Michael Vachon, the Founder and CEO of Maverick Drinks, a UK-based craft spirits distributor that has won the IWSC distributor of the year award four out of the last six years. The Maverick Drinks portfolio includes some of the most award-winning and respected craft spirits brands in the world, and in 2018 Maverick was acquired by AB-InBev’s ZX Ventures. Today Michael shares his story as well as insights into the European craft spirits market.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequila--a premium, hand-crafted tequila distilled in the highlands of Jalisco.
David Stein is the Founder of Creature Comforts Brewing Co., one of the largest breweries in Georgia producing upwards of 50,000 barrels a year. On this episode you're going to learn what it takes to turn a hobby and passion, into a thriving business. You'll also hear the story of how Tropicalia--one of Jacob's favorite beers of all time--was created, and the thought behind it. Lastly, David talks about why giving back is so important to him and his brewery's mission.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequila--a premium, hand-crafted tequila distilled in the highlands of Jalisco.
Carlton is Managing Partner at Goat Rodeo Capital - A venture capital fund focusing on early stage opportunities in the beverage alcohol space. In his own words, he is, "Constantly searching for the intersection of the interesting and the obvious." In turn this has led him from working in the Dept. of Homeland Security, to living in the Cayman Islands developing Hotels, back to school for an MBA, to Modesto to work for E&J Gallo, and finally to his current gig at Goat Rodeo.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequila--a premium, hand-crafted tequila distilled in the highlands of Jalisco.
Brad Mora is the CEO of SpaceStation, which "offers turnkey contract-manufacturing and co-packing solutions for companies seeking to develop cannabis-infused consumable products." In addition to co-packing for others, SpaceStation also produces its own brands, namely Matt's High Sodaand Nectr.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequila--a premium, hand-crafted tequila distilled in the highlands of Jalisco.
Yoni Reisman's unlikely journey from the world of live music as a Founder of the mega-festival Governor's Ball, to founding Tip Top Proper Cocktails.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequila--a premium, hand-crafted tequila distilled in the highlands of Jalisco.
About Tip Top: "Our roots are in live music – a world where experience is everything, yet delicious cocktails are often out of reach. And we believe the good things in life should be more accessible. Enlisting the help of our favorite bartender and James Beard finalist, Miles Macquarrie (Kimball House, Watchman’s Seafood & Spirits), we developed classic cocktail recipes and packaged them up to drink at any time and, just about, any place. Tip Top Proper Cocktails are always within reach, especially if a trusted bartender or fully-stocked bar are not."
info@tiptopcocktails.com
Jim Riley has spent his entire life saying yes to career changes and unique personal opportunities. Just ask him where he is headed next and you might be surprised at the answer. Jim is currently the host of the successful podcast “The Answer is Yes” on top of consulting for several successful companies, life coaching, and overseeing 2 of his own businesses.
Jim has had an extensive background in Marketing, Food and Beverage, and everything in between. Jim’s career began as one of the most successful managers for In N out burger in the early 90’s. He transitioned that role into becoming the Food and Beverage Director for Booth Creek Ski Holdings at one of their critical properties in Lake Tahoe. As a guy not willing to sit around, Jim also hosted a 20-minute cooking segment every Saturday on PAX TV in the Northern Ca/Nevada regions.
Jim's career later transitioned into becoming the VP of Public Relations and Events for Ketel One Vodka for 9 years. When the company sold to the worlds largest spirit company Diego for almost 1 Billion dollars Jim moved on. He formed his own brand “Azunia Tequila” with a top-notch sales team and distillery partner in Mexico. Jim raised over 5 million in capital during the market crash of 2008, to make the tequila company sustainable and competitive in the marketplace. Today Azunia Tequila is thriving in over 30 states and Jim has stepped away 100% to write his final chapter.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequila--a premium, hand-crafted tequila distilled in the highlands of Jalisco.
Known as “The Whiskey Professor”, Bernie Lubbers is the Whiskey Ambassador for the family owned and operated Heaven Hill Distillery located in Bardstown and Louisville, KY. Producers of Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, Henry McKenna, Parker’s, and other American Whiskeys, Heaven Hill is the largest American Family owned distillery in the U.S., and their Bernheim Distillery is the world’s largest single site bourbon distillery producing 1300 barrels every day. With over 1.7 million barrels aging in their 59 Rickhouses; roughly 20% of the world’s bourbon supply.
Three Tier is hosted by Jacob Gluck, who is also the Founder and CEO of Goza Tequila--a premium, hand-crafted tequila distilled in the highlands of Jalisco.
Bernie hosts the popular website; www.whiskeyprof.com, and wrote a book on the subject which is in its Third Edition from Blue River Press; “Bourbon Whiskey – Our Native Spirit”. Bernie was recognized by writer/author Fred Minnick as “The person that single handedly brought Bottled In Bond whiskey back to the forefront.” Twice in 2009, & 2016, Bernie has been named the top Bourbon Ambassador of the United States and went on to be named the top Bourbon Ambassador of the WORLD in Whisky Magazine’s highest honor of their Icons Of WhiskyAwards.
With his Fellow Kentucky Bluegrass Music pickers, he has written and performs a live music show/whiskey tasting called; “Bourbon Thru Bluegrass” where folks get to sample whiskies from the style of the 1700’s, through the 1800’s, & then the single barrel and small batch bourbons of today. All throughout the tasting folks simultaneously hear bourbon history paired with live bluegrass music to help bring bourbon stories and history alive. They have appeared with this on the Direct-TV Documentary called Bourbontucky, (available on itunes).