The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast

By Chris MaffeoBusiness Marketing Management

The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast episodes

August 15, 2023 021 | Alex Frezza | Co-Creating Vs Dictating in a Bar: Why you shouldn't worry about conquering a bar and instead fit in
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

In this episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast, We continue interviewing Alex Frezza, Owner of L'Antiquario Bar in Naples, part of the World's 50 Best Bars. He's credited with building up the Neapolitan Cocktail Bar Scene, provides top-shelf hospitality and, best of all, recognized me when I was a customer at his bar. I hope you enjoy his wisdom as much as I did.

Main topics discussed:

From 0 to 1 bottle
• The importance of the Target Occasion
• How occasions change by City, State, and Country
• Dark Demand Generation
From 1 bottle to 1 case
• Up or Out: how cool bar owners choose their brands
• Analyzing cocktail menus to decide where to focus on
• Avoid brands vs. following brands: different strategies
From 1 case to 1 pallet
• Big brands & the taste setting effect
• Choosing the right Distributor for your brand.
• Localization Challenges

About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠⁠
About the Guest: Alex Frezza

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

39 min
August 09, 2023 020 | Alex Frezza | Decoding Cocktail Bars: Translating Between Consumer, Bar and Brand
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

This is the first part of the chat I had the honor of having with Alex Frezza. He is the Owner and Founder of L' Antiquario in Napoli, currently number 46 on the Global list of 50 Best Bars. He is a bar legend in Italy and internationally. I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Main topics discussed:

From 0 to 1 bottle
• Understanding the thought process of a bar owner being pitched to
• The Wholesaler Paradox (Why bars have an aversion to brands without a wholesaler)
• The Importance of the Target Occasion

From 1 bottle to 1 case
• What attracts bar owners to a product
• Communicating your brand identity to consumers through bartenders
• Being approachable to consumers for bars and brands

From 1 case to 1 pallet
• Big brands vs. Small brands approaches
• Localization Failures
• Building Distribution Networks

About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠
About the Guest: Alex Frezza

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

41 min
August 02, 2023 019 | Krista Schubert | Negroni vs. Old Fashioned type of cities: how trending cocktails change between cities and can be used as target occasions
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

In this single episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Krista Schubert from Overproof, an AI-powered market intelligence platform & field execution software for the beverage alcohol industry. She has extensive industry experience and brings incredible insights and data to our chat.
If you are interested in using OverProof, you can do it ⁠here⁠ and get $250 discount.

Main topics discussed:

From 0 to 1 bottle
• The importance of the Target Occasion
• How occasions change by City and State
• How to choose the correct city to start building your brand

From 1 bottle to 1 case
• Brand Owners' vs. Distributors' approaches to city strategies
• Analyzing cocktail menus to decide where to focus on
• Avoid brands vs. following brands: different strategies

From 1 case to 1 pallet
• Big brands vs. Small brands approaches
• How to move from one City / State to the next
• How Independent Bottle Shops can complement your On-trade strategy

About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠
About the Guest: Krista Schubert

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

51 min
July 27, 2023 018 | Adrián Michalčík | Back Bars & Cocktail Menus: from being visible to driving rotation
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

This is the second part of the chat between Chris Maffeo and Adrián Michalčík. He is the Global Winner of the Diageo WorldClass 2022 and Global Top 6 in 2016. He is the Director of Mixology at Pier 42 in Oslo.

Main topics discussed:
• What happens after selling the first bottle to a bar
• How to drive rotation in bars
• Visibility: Back bars, beverage menus, and cocktail menus
• Support bars with physical and development tools
• Being specific vs. versatile on a target occasion

About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠
About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adrián Michalčík⁠

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

34 min
July 20, 2023 017 | Adrián Michalčík | Bar Scene dynamics: from advocacy programs to how to approach top bars
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

This is the first episode of the chat between Chris Maffeo and Adrián Michalčík. He is the Global Winner of the Diageo WorldClass 2022 and Global Top 6 in 2016. He is the Director of Mixology at Pier 42 in Oslo.

They discussed:
• The importance of On-trade in brand building, especially in dark markets.
• What can small brands learn from Global Brands' Advocacy Programs.
• How Salespeople can prepare themselves before approaching a bar.
• Latest developments in the Czechoslovak and Nordic bar scenes.
• The Italian and Czechoslovak connection in the Global bar scene.
• How top bars decide which brands to list on their offering

About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠
About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Adrián Michalčík

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

27 min
July 13, 2023 016 | Filiberto Amati | Brand Ambassadors, Advocacy & KPIs: how to set up the role to build demand bottom-up
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Filiberto Amati.
He is a Growth Advisor. He has extensive Spirits experience having spent many years in Campari in the Netherlands, Mexico, the Caribbean and in Di Saronno in Central and Eastern Europe. He has been in both marketing and commercial roles.

They spoke about Brand Ambassadors from how to define the role, set up KPIs and enable them to build demand from the bottom-up.
They continue by talking about how big brands have shaped their success by focusing on a core occasion. How did they master with perfect market execution that did not happen overnight.
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your
friends and colleagues.
About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠
About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Filiberto Amati

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

32 min
July 06, 2023 015 | Filiberto Amati | Cities & Distributors: how to choose the right city and RTM to start from
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Filiberto Amati.
He is a Growth Advisor. He has extensive Spirits experience having spent many years in Campari in the Netherlands, Mexico, the Caribbean and in Di Saronno in Central and Eastern Europe. He has been in both marketing and commercial roles.
They speak about how to choose the right city to start from in a market, as they are not all the same. They dive into how to win there before moving to the next city and how to ensure you get the right distribution set-up based on your brand lifestage.
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your
friends and colleagues.
About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠
About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Filiberto Amati

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

33 min
June 29, 2023 014 | Marcus Pedersen | Nordic drinks conquering the world: how to build a local category beyond its borders, bottom-up
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with his ex-colleague Marcus Pedersen.

They use Aquavit, a typical Nordic distillate, to discuss how niche categories can create demand and appeal beyond their borders. They talk about traditional and modern target occasions, how to approach bars, get on the back bar, cocktail menus, and ultimately drive rotation.

If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues.
About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠
About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Marcus Pedersen

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

41 min
June 22, 2023 013 | Philip Duff | Old Duff Genever | The 80/20 rule in export: how to focus on winning on a couple of markets first
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

This episode is the second part of the selection of Chris Maffeo's chat with Philip Duff.
They started speaking about how to avoid spreading yourself too thin by entering numerous markets you cannot control effectively; having one person handle to trade at the street level while avoiding bureaucratic processes that may hinder your progress is better.
They closed the episode by discussing how brands should avoid relying too much on past success when looking toward future growth opportunities. What works today might not work tomorrow due to changing market dynamics or consumer preferences.

If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues. Listen to the Philip Duff Show (podcast) to find out more.
About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠
About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip Duff

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

34 min
June 17, 2023 012 | Philip Duff | Old Duff Genever | The shelf-life mindset: what can spirits learn from beer to drive rotation
Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!

This episode is a selection of Chris Maffeo's chat with Philip Duff.
They spoke about the difference between beer, wine, and spirits and what Spirits marketers can learn from the beer industry by better understanding the ecosystem - from breweries/distilleries through importers/distributors/wholesalers/bar owners/staff/bartenders/consumers. The importance of avoiding the far too common disconnect between marketing guidelines and actual bar practices. They spoke about cocktail occasions being a popular trend many brands want to participate in. Some have a credible story, while others seem like random marketing inventions.
If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues.
To find out more, listen to the Philip Duff Show (podcast).
About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠
About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Philip Duff

Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.

37 min

About The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Maffeo Drinks Podcast is a leading business podcast in the drinks industry. 135 episodes. Listened to in more than 120 countries. This podcast closes the gap between Bottom-up reality and Top-down expectations with conversations about how brands are actually built, from the field, not the boardroom. Chris Maffeo, founder of MAFFEO DRINKS, hosts the show with over 20 years of experience across 30+ markets.