Madre Mezcal has become one of the fastest-growing brands in the agave spirits space — and it’s done it without the deep pockets of a corporate parent. Co-founder and CEO Chris Stephenson joins Business of Drinks to unpack how an indie brand captured 11% U.S. market share in a category dominated by global strategic-backed brands like Del Maguey, Ilegal, and 400 Conejos.

Before founding Madre, Stephenson spent nearly 30 years shaping culture at MTV, Xbox, and SFX Entertainment. That experience laid the foundation for a different kind of drinks company — one built from the ground up through community, creativity, and culture.

In this episode, Chris shares how Madre:

🔶 Launched culture-first: The team spent a full year building brand identity and community before selling a single bottle — earning 15,000 Instagram followers pre-launch.

🔶 Competes on authenticity, not ad spend: Madre’s “shoe-leather marketing” includes more than 300 in-person events a year (!!) and micro-influencer partnerships that drive organic credibility rather than paid reach.

🔶 Leads on retail velocity: Madre has been #1 in retail velocity in 42 of the past 45 months, proof that brand love and turnover at shelf drive long-term health.

🔶 Expanded strategically: With a focused lineup — premium Ensamble, bar-friendly Espadín, sessionable RTDs, and an additive-free tequila — Madre built a full-funnel agave portfolio designed to bring new drinkers into the category.

🔶 Scaled smart: Now on track to sell 35,000 nine-liter cases a year, Madre’s 140-member investor base and grassroots network have fueled steady growth from independents to chains like Safeway, Kroger, and Albertsons.

Whether you’re building a craft brand or managing a multinational portfolio, this episode delivers, revealing the Madre “secret formula” of patience, strong brand identity, and sales velocity.

Last Call:

The RTD boom isn’t over — but it’s evolving fast. In our latest Last Call, Erin McVickers of 3-Tier Beverages joins us to break down new data from their “Buzz or Bust” report, which tracks how consumers are shifting across malt-, wine-, and spirits-based RTDs. Tune in for the insights!

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Nov. 12.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

Lemon Perfect is one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in America — a zero-sugar, organic lemon water that’s redefining what “better-for-you” can mean. Since launch, the company has sold more than 150 million bottles, is pacing for $100 million in retail sales this year, and projects $160 million in 2026.

In this episode, Lemon Perfect Founder and Executive Chairman Yanni Hufnagel shares how he turned a simple ritual — morning lemon water — into a national phenomenon, and what it’s taken to scale in one of the most competitive categories in beverage. TL;DR it wasn’t easy! He talks about the moments that tested Lemon Perfect’s survival, the pivots that unlocked scale, and the mindset that turned a near-failure into a $100 million success story.

We discuss:

🔶 The near-collapse that forced a rebuild — and what “competitive stamina” really looks like when your co-packer walks away mid-production.

🔶 How a cold-chain product pivoted to shelf-stable — unlocking nationwide scale and multiplying revenue from $500K to $27M in three years.

🔶 Why velocity is the lifeblood of beverage growth — and how Lemon Perfect balances share gains and margin discipline.

🔶 How packaging drives impulse trial — and why “packaging isn’t brand,” according to Yanni’s biggest brand-building lesson.

🔶 The evolving role of influencers and celebrities — why Lemon Perfect is working with big names like Beyoncé, alongside a set of high-engagement creators.

🔶 The founder mindset required to survive — why Yanni believes perseverance and adaptability matter more than any strategy deck.

This conversation is a reality check for every drinks entrepreneur chasing scale. From early formulation to $100 million in sales, Yanni lays out a playbook built on execution, resilience, and an obsession with velocity — the unvarnished truth of what it takes to build a billion-dollar beverage brand.

Last Call:

Park Street’s 2025 midyear report tracks 80+ new product launches across spirits, wine, RTDs, and non-alc. The Business of Drinks team breaks down what’s driving innovation — from collector whiskies and celebrity RTDs to the rise of savory and NA spirits.

Link to the article: https://www.parkstreet.com/alcohol-beverages-products-brands-launched-in-2025-so-far/

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Nov. 5.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

How do you keep a 60-year-old wine brand growing—especially when it’s already the biggest in America? You appeal to a new generation of wine drinkers.

In this episode, we sit down with Britt West, Chief Commercial Officer at Gallo, to unpack the growth playbook behind Barefoot Wine, the country’s #1 wine brand by dollar sales.

When Gallo acquired Barefoot in 2005, it was a 600,000-case business. Today, it’s more than 14 million cases and still expanding — bringing in an estimated 2.6 million new consumers to wine last year alone.

Britt shares how Barefoot continues to unlock growth through smart innovation, consumer-driven formats, and bold marketing that meets people where they are.

 We discuss:

• The growth engine behind America’s biggest wine brand: How Barefoot keeps growing year after year in a flat category.
  

• Consumer obsession as strategy: Why longtime winemaker Jen Wall’s 30-year run is built on being “intellectually curious about consumers” — not just about wine.
  

• Format innovation that fuels recruitment: How Tetra packs, single serves, and flavored wines are attracting Gen Z and bringing new drinkers into the category.
  

• How Barefoot wins culture: From the NFL partnership to viral campaigns like the Bandwagon Box with Donna Kelce, Britt explains how Barefoot makes wine feel right at home in football season and pop culture.
  

• Branding lessons for every entrepreneur: Britt’s advice for founders on why packaging is your silent salesperson — and why brand relevance beats perfection in the glass.
  

• The future of wine: Why Britt believes the current wine slowdown is cyclical, not structural — and how the industry can fight back for consumer attention (and dollars).
  

For any drinks entrepreneur or marketer trying to understand how legacy brands stay fresh this episode is packed with takeaways on modern brand building.

🎧 Listen now to hear how Barefoot has stayed relevant for 60 years—and what it teaches us about recruiting the next generation of wine drinkers.

Last Call:

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on October 29th.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

In this special collaboration episode, Business of Drinks teams up with Park Street Insider host Emmett Strack to tackle one of the biggest questions in the drinks industry: How does distribution actually work — and where is it headed?

From the end of Prohibition to today’s fractured and consolidated landscape, co-hosts Erica Duecy and Scott Rosenbaum join Emmett to break down what every drinks entrepreneur needs to know about navigating the middle tier — and what the next decade might look like for beverage alcohol, non-alcohol, and THC brands alike.

Together, we explore the systems, players, and shifting power dynamics that shape whether brands scale or stall — and share the most useful lessons for anyone working to grow a drinks business today.

We discuss:

🔶 How the three-tier system came to be — and why it’s still here

Why the U.S. created this complex system after Prohibition, how it keeps alcohol markets regulated, and why it’s both a safeguard and a hurdle for modern brands.

🔶 The four major distribution models and how they differFrom national wholesalers like Southern Glazer’s and RNDC, to specialty importers, beer DSD networks such as Reyes, and control states — plus how brands can work effectively within each.

🔶 How new categories are changing the rules

Hemp-THC and adult non-alcohol brands are writing their own distribution playbooks — blending natural-food DSDs, direct shipping, and e-commerce to stay nimble.

🔶 Inside the RNDC California exitWhat happened when RNDC left the country’s biggest market, how it disrupted more than 200 brands, and what it revealed about consolidation and fragility in Tier 2.

🔶 Why more spirits and RTD brands are joining beer networksFrom Sazerac to Tito’s, brands are moving to beer distributors for better cold-chain coverage, convenience-store access, and faster retail velocity.

🔶 What distributors actually want from brands in 2025They’re looking for brands with pull — not promises. That means showing velocity, market understanding, readiness, and real partnership.

🔶 How to future-proof your route-to-market strategyThe next decade will be defined by omnichannel distribution: mixing regional and specialty wholesalers, self-distribution, and selective DTC to stay closer to the consumer.

Listen now on both Business of Drinks and Park Street Insider — and get ready to rethink your route to market.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Oct. 22.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

When a 20-year-old Moscato brand suddenly becomes one of the fastest-growing wines in America, the industry takes notice.

In this episode, Bill Terlato, President and CEO of Terlato Wine Group, shares how his fourth-generation family business pulled off one of wine’s biggest rebound stories — relaunching Seven Daughters with actress Taraji P. Henson and turning it into a phenomenon with younger consumers.

According to Nielsen, Seven Daughters is now the #8 ranked Moscato in the U.S. between $9–15, with over $3.4 million in 2024 sales and on pace to hit nearly $4 million in 2025. Right now, it’s the only Top 10 Moscato showing growth across every metric — sales, velocity, and distribution.

Bill walks us through how his team — and Taraji — completely reimagined a legacy brand through bold packaging, inclusive storytelling, and a billion-impression media blitz. From 800 fans lining up at a Miami retailer to a Times Square takeover, the results speak for themselves.

But this episode isn’t just about celebrity partnerships. It’s about how to reignite growth for any brand:

🔸 Why packaging and positioning — not product — often hold brands back🔸 How to identify the “authentic overlap” between your brand and a potential partner🔸 The marketing formula that drives trial and sustained repeat purchases🔸 How “everyday luxury” wines can win over younger, wellness-minded consumers🔸 Why Bill believes wine’s future remains bright — and why cycles, not collapse, define this industry

For drinks entrepreneurs, Bill also shares advice from decades of leading one of the world’s top privately held beverage portfolios, spanning more than 85 brands across wine, spirits, and non-alc.

Last Call:

The latest Sovos ShipCompliant Mid-Year DTC Wine Shipping Report confirms what many in the industry have been sensing: the once-unstoppable DTC channel is losing momentum.

🔸 Shipments are down 12% in volume (to 2.7 million cases) and down 6% in value (to $1.7 billion) — the steepest mid-year decline since 2018.🔸 The average DTC bottle price reached $52.68, an 8% year-over-year rise and 38% higher than 2018, showing steady premiumization across regions.🔸 The average order value climbed 13% to $521, with shipments averaging 9.9 bottles per order — consumers are consolidating purchases and trading up.

Are we witnessing the premiumization of DTC wine — or are we pricing out the next generation of consumers?

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Oct. 15.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

How do you build one of the fastest-scaling independent alcohol companies in America — without diluting ownership?

That’s the story of Mom Water, the fruit-infused vodka water RTD brand that has gone from a backyard experiment in 2018 to a 850,000-case business by 2024 — and continues to grow. With playful, first-name flavors like Linda, Susan, and Kathy, Mom Water blazed a new path in the RTD category by staying still (non-carbonated) while everyone else went fizzy.

In this episode, CEO Kara Woolsey walks us through how the brand:

• Turned a vacation resort hack into a disruptive category play
  

• Survived co-packing disasters and empty warehouses to stay alive in Year One
  

• Went viral on TikTok and built a cult following among Gen Z — even though it was designed for moms
  

• Landed major retail accounts like Target, Walmart, and Publix, with chains now driving more than half of its business
  

• Launched Dad Water, a tequila water, and the very different challenges of scaling a second brand
  

• Balanced explosive growth with profitability by staying lean, resisting big checks, and keeping ownership in the family

For drinks founders, Kara’s story is a rare playbook in discipline and execution: Building a national brand that can compete with the big RTD players — without selling a majority stake.

If you want to understand how to scale a breakout brand in one of the most competitive categories, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Last Call:

🍷 Wine’s future is on the line. A new report from Three Tier Beverages shows: 

🔸 Wine’s core consumer base is aging—most are 55+, higher-income, and white🔸 Smaller packages are still just 5% of sales (vs 20–25% for spirits)🔸 Sparkling is the Trojan horse—bringing in younger, more diverse drinkers in casual and celebratory occasions

The opportunity? New formats, better-for-you SKUs, and showing up where younger consumers are. If you’re building a wine brand, the playbook is shifting fast.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Oct. 8.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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Instagram @bizofdrinks

Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

De Soi is one of the breakout stars of non-alc cocktails — selling more than a quarter million cases per year across all channels. Under CEO Scout Brisson, the brand has climbed to the #1 fastest-growing NA cocktail brand in mass channels, growing nearly 500% YOY, per SPINS data, with distribution in 6,000+ doors — and a new national partnership with Southern Glazer’s set to take them even further.

So what’s driving this rocket ship? In this conversation, Scout pulls back the curtain on the operator mindset behind De Soi’s rise. She shares why velocity — not awareness or impressions — is the brand’s North Star metric, and how focusing on the fundamentals of execution is what keeps the shelves turning.

We discuss:

• How De Soi overcame early Amazon challenges and built a winning channel strategy

• Why Scout says “influencer marketing is dead” — and how local IRL businesses are becoming the new influencers

• The flavor development process with co-founders Katy Perry and Morgan McLachlan, and how they balance sophistication with mass appeal

• Fundraising lessons, including how to convince skeptical investors in an emerging category
  

Scout also speaks candidly about setbacks (including a major production issue and retailer loss in the same week) and the resilience required to keep building in a fast-changing category.

For drinks entrepreneurs, this episode is a case study in scaling a non-alc brand — full of takeaways on growth strategy, retail execution, and building a category leader from the ground up.

Last Call:

Hiring in the drinks industry looks very different than it did even a few years ago. In this sponsored Last Call, Rachel Doueck of Force Brands shares what every founder should know about scaling teams today:

🔸 The fastest growth is happening in $20–$100M brands, where investors are circling.🔸 Sales structures are shifting — fractional sales teams are replacing the traditional “boots on the street.” 🔸 The biggest founder mistake? Over-hiring too early. Fractional or interim executives can bridge the gap until a business is ready for full-time leadership.

For drinks entrepreneurs, listen in for a practical playbook for aligning people strategy with growth strategy.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Oct. 1.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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LinkedIn

Instagram @bizofdrinks

Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

Garage Beer isn’t just having a moment — it’s on fire. Backed by Travis and Jason Kelce, the brand was just valued at $200 million after its first institutional funding round. It’s on track to do $60–70 million in revenue this year, and is rewriting the playbook of what a modern beer brand can be, with its irreverent, lo-fi brand presence. TL;DR — Garage Beer is a rare bright spot in a beer category that’s facing headwinds.

In this episode, we sit down with Garage Beer’s Chief Creative Officer, Corey Smale, the mastermind behind the brand’s nostalgic-yet-fresh, tongue-in-cheek approach. Corey shares how the team is blending old-school beer marketing magic with today’s hyper-online, community-first culture — and why they’ll still hand-mail you a sticker if you send them a UPC code.

We discuss how Garage Beer is:

• Turning a “beer-flavored beer” into a $200M rocket ship

• Using cult-like creative activations — from Goosebumps-inspired Halloween art to the production of retro-style, martial arts spoof films — to appeal to broad audiences, from Gen X to Gen Z 

• Balancing celebrity horsepower from the Kelce brothers with a DIY, hyper-authentic brand voice

• Winning in social media, outpacing major domestic beer brands on engagement with a lean, five-person marketing team

• Building lifetime customers through niche communities like pro wrestling and ball hockey, instead of chasing expensive sponsorships

For insights on how challenger brands can outmaneuver industry giants with creativity, speed, and authenticity — while having a heck of a lot of fun — this episode delivers.

Last Call:

Americans are partying less — a lot less. Per a recent analysis in The Atlantic:

📉 Just 4.1% of U.S. households host or attend parties on a typical weekend.📉 That’s down 50% since 2003.📉 For ages 15–24, party time has fallen 70%.

Instead, screens and solo behaviors are taking over — changing how young people connect, and how (or if) they drink together.

But at the same time, social media is full of hosting tips and #tablescape trends. Are we craving something we’ve forgotten how to do?

This week’s Last Call unpacks the data and what it means for drinks brands trying to build social occasions.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Sept. 24.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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LinkedIn

Instagram @bizofdrinks

Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

Andrew Jones never set out to start a wine brand. What began as a side project to help him connect with vineyard clients has become Field Recordings — a 50,000-case winery with national distribution, strong retail partnerships, and 30% case growth projected in 2025.

So what’s fueling this momentum at a time when many California wineries are shrinking? Andrew has tapped into what Gen Z and Millennial consumers actually want: wines that are authentic, experimental, and fun. Think Skins, an orange wine that dominates its category; Freddo, a chillable red that’s gaining prime shelf space in the cold box; and Fiction, a red blend built to be an everyday favorite. Together, these wines now drive nearly 70% of Field Recordings’ production.

In this conversation, Andrew shares how he’s scaling differently by:

• Leaning into orange wine and chillable reds that resonate with younger drinkers

• Disrupting grocery wine sets by pushing unconventional SKUs into prime real estate

• Using private-label deals as growth accelerators without cannibalizing his core brand

• Rethinking distributor relationships with road trips, pool parties, and pop-ups that actually engage buyers

• Building a winery team of 16 with low turnover and high buy-in

• Balancing authenticity with scalability in an industry often stuck in tradition
  

For any drinks entrepreneur, this episode is a playbook on how to grow by connecting with the next generation of wine drinkers while still staying true to your roots.

Last Call:

What does the animal on a wine label say about quality and value? A lot, it turns out! Scott, Caroline, and Erica discuss a recent post from The Pudding that analyzed nearly 1,500 wines with animals on their labels and uncovered some surprising insights.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on September 17.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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LinkedIn

Instagram @bizofdrinks

Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

What does it really take to build billion-dollar beverage brands — and spot the next ones before anyone else?

Danny Stepper, co-founder and CEO of L.A. Libations and co-founder of Taste Tomorrow Ventures, joins us to share his insights from the cutting edge of beverage innovation. If you’ve ever wondered how to get your drink on the shelf at Kroger, Walmart, or Sprouts, or what separates founders who make it from those who don’t, this episode is worth a listen.

We discuss:

• How Stepper went from Coke merchandiser to creating an incubator that’s helped build brands like Zico, Core, and BodyArmor — with exits in the billions

• The playbook behind breaking Gatorade’s exclusive deals at 7-Eleven, Walmart, and Costco, unlocking BodyArmor’s path from $100M to $1B+

• Why L.A. Libations’ role as “emerging category captain” with retailers is one of the most powerful positions in beverages — and how to pitch for placement of your brand

• The traits he sees in the most successful founders — red flags that make him pass every time

• The trends retailers are making more shelf space for right now, including protein-fortified drinks, adult non-alc, and what Stepper calls the “fourth category” 

• Why he launched Taste Tomorrow Ventures, a $30M fund investing in founder-first brands right now

From near bankruptcy to billion-dollar exits, Danny Stepper has lived the highs and lows of this industry — and his lessons could change the way you think about your own brand’s path to growth.

Last Call: 

Pitching a distributor can make or break a drinks brand. But most founders are making the same mistakes — losing opportunities before they’ve even started. On our latest sponsored Last Call, Alex Cherniavsky, managing partner at SWIG Partners, joined us to share how to avoid those pitfalls and stand out in a crowded market.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on September 10.

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

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Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

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Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

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Instagram @borkaline

SPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: ⁠https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinks

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!