Welcome, thirsty listener, to Episode 8 of the Business of Drinks podcast. Today’s show is called “Drinks M&A”, with guest Andrew Merinoff, the founder of DisPact Ventures, and co-founder of Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur. Tune in as Merinoff  identifies current drinks trends and shares some of the most effective ways to roll out, develop and market a brand. He also reveals where in the US are the best places to grow a company, especially those with an eye on future mergers and acquisitions, and how investors evaluate a company. This episode is packed full of value-add insights. Let’s go!

Show concept:

This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to

growth.

We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents.

You’ll get an inside look at what works, and what doesn’t.

Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate!

About Andrew Merinoff, guest:

Andrew Merinoff has spent his career as a growth strategist and brand developer. Merinoff’s extensive experience spans multiple sectors and industries, most notably in F&B, Wine & Spirits, Hospitality, Investing, and Marketing.

His company DisPact Ventures began in 2015. It started off as a small fund to assist his close friends and confidants, it eventually grew into a 16 venture portfolio. DisPact’s co-investors include giants such as AMEX, Amazon Ventures, MGM Grand, Comcast Ventures, and many others.

Merinoff has made several notable investments such as in Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur (a company which he co-founded),  a rum called Coconut Cartel in Guatemala, a distillery in Copenhagen run by two Ex-Noma founders, a brand development distillery and innovation lab in Long Island, as well as an RTD, called The Long Drink, and many more. 

Learn more about Andrew Merinoff:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-merinoff-95ab7959/

https://www.dispactventures.com/about-us

https://chinola.com/

https://www.instagram.com/chinola/

About Erica Duecy, host:

Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at

Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video

programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET

Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail

book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. 

To learn more about Erica Duecy:

https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/

https://twitter.com/ericaduecy

About Felicity Carter, host:

Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong. 

To learn more about Felicity Carter:

https://twitter.com/felicitycarter