I sit down with Onye Ahanotu, founder of Ikenga Wines, to unpack his wild idea of creating an entirely new beverage category in the U.S. Onye has invented a way to make palm wine, one of the oldest beverages on earth and a staple across the global South, without the palm tree.

By bio-designing a “molecular palm sap” from different plant sources, Onye produces palm wine locally in Berkeley, California. Ikenga is a powerful example of how new forms of science can enable more decentralized production.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Why palm wine is one of the oldest wine categories most people have never heard of

* Why traditional palm wine must be consumed within 1–2 days

* How Onye bio-designs molecular palm sap from plants

* Ikenga’s decentralized, local production model

* Palm wine’s flavor profile

* Why the middle market in wine is getting squeezed

* How palm wine could become the missing pairing for global Southern cuisines

Enjoy!

Watch on YouTube; listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Recording date: December 8, 2025

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:51 What Is Palm Wine?

02:47 Traditional Production Of Palm Wine

07:54 Making Palm Wine Without The Palm Tree

13:24 Onye's Journey To Making Palm Wine

19:48 Creating A New Beverage Category

21:28 Dialing In Different Flavor Profiles

24:10 Current Production Capacity

26:42 Understanding Shelf Life And Flavor Evolution

29:10 Distribution Challenges In The Alcohol Industry

32:38 Navigating Consumer Trends

38:20 Future Of Beverages

43:34 Pricing Strategy: Accessible Luxury

45:59 Developing A Technical Expertise

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* https://x.com/jrwolfe

Links to Onye’s Work:

* Website – https://ikengawines.com/

* Email – [email protected]

* LinkedIn (IKENGA Wines) – https://www.linkedin.com/company/ikenga-wines/

* Instagram (IKENGA Wines) – https://instagram.com/ikengawines

* Instagram (Onye) – https://instagram.com/onyeahanotu

* LinkedIn (Onye) – https://www.linkedin.com/in/onyeahanotu

Resources Mentioned:

* The False Promise of Optimization by Coco Krumme - https://www.amazon.com/Optimal-Illusions-False-Promise-Optimization/dp/0593331117

Remember to go direct!

Jordan

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