DrinksWorld

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

Sean Wakeford one of Holger's oldest industry friends is a guest in this episode. We take a walk down memory lane, from the days at the Crossways Hotel to Bierfassl were he has just celebrated his 20th year anniversary.

Stubbornly unique, makes it stand out and difficult to copy and difficult to compete. There must be a reason for people to visit your outlet. What makes your outlet unique. Next time you visit the Bierfassl ask for an Eisbein, a Erdinger Weissbier and a Kleiner Keiler or a merry mountain goat.

Sean is always willing to try new ideas and believes in offering his customers something that they can treat themselves with.

Sean reminded me our trip the Wartburger Hof and he tells me that I insisted that he had to Wartburg before he was qualified to open the Bierfasl.

Both Sean and Holger turn 50 years old this year and are now official industry veterans.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

Our guest Alwyn Liebenberg studied transport economics at University and then worked in the distribution department of SAB Polokwane.

Alwyn has a passion for port and wines. He has made many trips to Portugal and has worked at numerous distillers and wine businesses.

Alwyn believes blending is the key to making great products and believes he learned this valuable lesson from the Portugese. Alwyn takes us on adventure of starting a bootstrapping wine and gin adventure.

Alwyn sees himself as the Uber of winemaking. Alwayn shares with us how he started a a wine and gin business in the new “Uber” economy. He obviously refers to the new Sharing Economy which is the term used for the new economy where you don't own a farm, a warehouse a distillery.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor http://lieben.wine/

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

We caught up with Jan-Nico Coetzee, KwaZulu-Natal's favourite wine ou, before his move back to the Cape. We talk wine, craft beer and gin with Jan-Nico. Jan-Nico proudly tells us about the progress the local Kzn wine farms are making.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

From South Sudan to Cambodia, our guest, Louis Peters, loves working with beer sales teams. Louis started his beer career as a SAB sales rep east of Pretoria, but soon was appointed to his dream and was responsible for training sales teams for SAB all over Africa. From Tanzania to war-torn South Sudan, and selling traditional beer in Botswana and Kwa-Zulu Natal, Louis is a hands on sales expert and adventurer who even sold wine in Ethiopia. Another call from the SAB old boys club and Louis was off to South East Asia, to help a 5 million hectolitre-family brewery in Cambodia.

Not only for the Beverage Industry Professionals and Entrepreneurs.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

Dirk Prinsloo is the distiller of Floating Dutchman Rum. Floating Dutchman Rum is distilled at Frankenstill Distillery based at Triggerfish Brewing in Somerset West. Dirk explains, in detail, how he distills his rum using locally sourced ingredients and then rests the rum in locally sourced red wine barrels.

Rum is a very interesting spirit, but it is still a very young spirit in South Africa, so look out for some exciting stuff in the next few years.

Someone needs to start a TIKI Bar.

Dirk always tries to have some interesting Floating Dutchman cocktails on tap at the Triggerfish Taproom.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

Listen to Tony da Costa owner of Liquor City Claremont, one of my favourite speciality liquor stores in South Africa. Tony does so much of what we stand for and teach at DrinksBiz.

Tony da Costa opened his little Liquor City Claremont and an OK store only 7 years ago. From the beginning Tony focused on service and on being different. Tony’s team has a tremendous amount of product knowledge and always try use their knowledge to help and up-sell their customers. From the start Tony did not want a typical Liquor Store to compete with Chain Stores, he wanted something different. When asked if anyone can copy this concept, Tony thinks he is lucky to be in a good area, but everyone can make a success by being different and supporting smaller brands. BUT it is not easy. It is a FULL TIME business placing orders and find new brands. The bottle store does 2.5 times the turnover of a supermarket. Tony has 3 people who are employed to place the 300 - 400 orders every week. 40% of Tony’s turnover is from wine.

Tips for a good wine business: Keep lots of stock!

Tony has a whisky club, with about 100 members, that meets once a month. Where a brand ambassadors present products. A Gin club is next on the cards.

Beer about 43% is craft and import and the rest Heineken and SAB in Rand value. He does promote the smaller brands by giving less exposure and space to them.

Liquor City Claremont is a destinations store and customers travel from all over to visit the store. People will travel if you offer good service and a good selection. Tony spends a lot of time in the store himself.

Tony meets with his team once a week to discuss the business and train them about new products.

Tony has noticed that all the chains are reducing their craft beer selection so he is increasing his range of local craft and imported beer. Canned Craft beer is working very well. Rob Heyns has started a mobile canning operation, Tiny Keg, that is supplying many exciting new beers in cans.

Tony has a massive selection of 500 whiskies. Tony makes sure his knowledge of whisky is better than other retailers.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

Today's guest is craft gin pioneer, Simon von Witt, who started making liqueurs after enjoying aperitifs in Italy. His first taste of Inverroche Gin inspired him to start experimenting with Gin. Simon founded the Woodstock Gin Co which he sold to E Snell & Co and he is now working on a range of new brands for Distillers Union, his new distillery.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier

Interesting conversation with Bryce Kennard, the founder of Copper Republic Distilling Co. Bryce a former pub owner who started his beverage career exporting cheap spirits into Africa has made a complete turnaround now makes super-premium spirits with awesome packaging.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier Unofficial ambassador of Brazil's national cocktail, Ludgero Da Cruz, master salesman and storyteller, joins us in this episode of the DrinksBiz Podcast. Ludgero is a veteran of the Beverage Industry and one of the founders of Covert Distributions, importers of Arbikie Distillery's range, Cachaça da Tulha and Richland Rum.

A Beverage Industry Podcast with Holger Meier Kasper Hagedorn, one of the founders of Knut Hansen Dry Gin, joins us on this episode of the DrinksBiz Podcast, from Munich. Kasper shares his journey of starting a world class gin brand in Germany in the beautiful stoneware bottle with the picture of the famous Hamburg sailor. Knut Hansen is now available in more than 15 countries, including South Africa.

Kasper tells us that they were able to outsource most parts of the business. Just last our last guest, Grant McMurray from Zululand Distilling Co, Kasper and Martin have just taken delivery of their brand new still from Arnold Holstein GmbH. The distillery will be in Lokstedt, Hamburg.