(The bar at Chicago’s Rossi’s Liquors. If you know, you know.)

What are the most 5 popular cocktails in Chicago? What are emerging trends to watch in the world of booze? Is natural wine a fad or the future?

Wine + Spirits Guru Max Heinemann from Nielsen CGA — a data analytics firm for the on-premise market (aka bars) in the United States — stops by to give us the biz behind the booze.

EPISODE NOTES:

Ernest creates a brand-new segment mid-episode! - 7:30 

What category of spirit does Chicago drink the most? - 10:00 

"Y’all ever had a drink called the Incredible Hulk?” - 15:23 

What cocktail does Chicago consume more than any other city in America? - 27:40 

The Top 5 cocktails ordered in Chicagoland - 30:00 

Emerging trends in wine and spirits to watch - 38:00 

Natural wine: Fad or Here to Stay? - 48:00 

SONG OF THE WEEK: Big Lean Feat. Nipsey Hussle, “California Water”  

What's the most popular cocktail in Chicago? What are emerging trends to watch in the world of booze? Wine + Spirits Guru Max Heinemann from Nielsen CGA stops by to give us the biz behind the booze.

What's the most popular cocktail in Chicago? What are emerging trends to watch in the world of booze? Wine + Spirits Guru Max Heinemann from Nielsen CGA stops by to give us the biz behind the booze.

Learn about the culture and marketing strategy around Chicago's most famous (infamous?) liquor with Sam Mechling, the cultural ambassador for Jeppson's Malort.

This episode is so Chicago it HURTS. I’m really excited about this one because I feel like this episode encapsulates the whole point of Office Hours: “How/Why did this cultural moment happen and what lessons can we learn from it to apply to our own businesses?”

Also, I just hastily did my research and this episode = the only place where you’ll learn what the wild-as-hell Russian translation of “malort” is AND you’ll learn what the “4” in 4Loko actually stood for.

SHOW NOTES:

- An Abridged History of Malort (4:55) 

- We pinpoint the moment that made Malort “A Thing” in Chicago culture (08:25) 

- What Is The Chicago Handshake? (13:00) 

- How Malort built a network of fanatic brand evangelists without spending a cent on influencer marketing (30:00) 

- What’s the dream Malort partnership? (32:00) 

SONG OF THE WEEK: Statik Selektah feat. Mac Miller & Termanology “82-92”

RIP MAC MILLER.

If you enjoyed this issue, forward to a friend and tell them to sign up for the newsletter! Office Hours is written by Ernest Wilkins. Follow him everywhere online @ErnestWilkins

This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at officehours.substack.com/subscribe

Learn about the culture and marketing strategy around Chicago's most famous (infamous?) liquor with Sam Mechling, the cultural ambassador for Jeppson's Malort.

Learn about the culture and marketing strategy around Chicago's most famous (infamous?) liquor with Sam Mechling, the cultural ambassador for Jeppson's Malort.

This week’s podcast episode = we talk about blind spots in marketing and advertising, I do a dramatic reading of the racially tone-deaf McDonalds ad from the 70s that you see above these words (7:30) and we provide a solution to racism! (11:54).

If you enjoyed this story, forward to a friend and tell them to sign up for the newsletter!Office Hours is written by Ernest Wilkins. Follow him everywhere @ErnestWilkins

This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at officehours.substack.com/subscribe

A conversation around blind spots in marketing/advertising. We also solve racism once and for all!

A conversation around blind spots in marketing/advertising. We also solve racism once and for all!

This week’s podcast episode is a case study on the business of hot dogs in Chicago, a city that has strong opinions about encased meats.

From the distribution strategy to the raw economics of opening a hot dog stand in town, we're joined by food writer/Hot Dog University graduate (yes, that's a thing) John Carruthers from Revolution Brewing to talk about the larger culture around hot dogs and street food in general.

NOTES:

- What's the Hot Dog scene in Chicago in 2019? (4:35)- The monoculture around Vienna Beef in Chicago (05:55)- Behind-the-scenes at the Vienna Beef plant and why the stereotype about what goes into hot dogs isn't true (07:12)- The business of starting a hot dog stand in Chicago (12:10)- What to look for when you want a quality Chicago dog (16:13)- The Wild World of alternative meats  (20:18)- The culture around "no ketchup on hot dogs" in Chicago (21:30)- What is the best all-around hot dog spot in Chicago right now? (24:35)- The shift in restaurant culture from in-person to app-focused delivery (29:45)SONG OF THE WEEK - "Dennehey" by Serengeti (40:31)

This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at officehours.substack.com/subscribe