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UPDATE! Have added a PERFECT example for this episode which happened a week after it launched, while I was doing deliveries in SF. To just listen to that experience, skip ahead to 17min: 16sec. Enjoy!

In the alcohol beverage industry, you have big beer. Macro labels that are brands we all know, all got excited about drinking once we hit college. They were small brands once and have built beer empires in this country by flooding the market with easy drinking, standardized products. And on top of that, they maintain a stranglehold on local draft lists and grocery store cold boxes through discounts, perks, and simple market share muscle flexing through their regional distributors. So here is my letter to Big Beer that I have always wanted to write, giving them a piece of my mind as they continue to create challenges for us little guys in this large alcohol market.

Have you been out in the market in your industry and had similar issues with the big brands? Need to let off some steam about your experiences? I’d love to hear all about it! Email me at [email protected].

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

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I’ve talked to suppliers and distributors, and now we’re circling back to talk to another awesome cider entrepreneur in the Bay Area - Jolie Devoto of Golden State Cider. She has been the heart and soul of a couple cider brands in Northern California and is joining me to talk about her journey, the evolution of those brands, and her passion for flavors and the local farm.

Golden State Cider Club! Join today to receive your own packs of farm-focused ciders from California delivered directly to you. 

In CA? Make sure to visit the taproom at The Barlow in Sebastopol

180 Morris Street, Ste. 150
​Sebastopol, CA 95472

Mon & Tues: 12pm-5pm
Wed & Thurs: 4pm - 8pm
Fri - Sun: 12pm - 8pm
*Hours subject to change

To learn more about their awesome ciders visit Golden State Cider ONLINE or follow them on the socials @drinkgoldenstate

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

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Putting together a logo for your company is both exciting and super stressful. But it is OH SO important to how you will communicate your brand and your product to the world. It also might be the only thing they remember about your product besides the fact that they liked it. We always had a company name that we loved but the branding was much more of an adventure. I’ve mentioned it before but really want to dive into what that creative journey looked like for us.

Special mention - Kroneberger Studio, @kronebergerdesign

Are you looking to start a business and brainstorming a logo? Are you stumped? Just launched a brand with a new name and new logo? I’d love to hear all about it! Email me at [email protected].

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

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One important thing that you need when selling cider is a container to put it in. We can all of our ciders as I’ve mentioned many many times. But we also put it in kegs! And one lady has helped us build our fleet and helped us adapt it to fit our needs as we’ve grown. But how do you even get into such a packaging position? Jill from Keg Logistics shares her personal journey and what it’s been like to work on the supply side of this industry.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help out this podcast! 5 stars goes a long long way and I so appreciate your support. I know it says write a review and that can be daunting but apparently Apple isn’t asking for a novel. A simple Hey! What’s up? Would be more than fine! And for more information about me and this podcast visit us online at othercwords.com or follow me @othercwords on Facebook and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for listening!

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

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She’s here! We did it! Little one has finally joined the family and we are of course over the moon. And now that we have all survived six weeks, I thought I’d check in, in case you’re wondering how it’s going. I think the statement - when it rains, it pours is the perfect one for how I feel life is going right now...

And that’s a wrap! Anyone else survive maternity leave and feel like they got a god rhythm down? Anything you’d suggest in these early days of raising a newborn besides buy better ear plugs? I’d love to hear all about it! Email me at [email protected]

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

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Wholesale distribution is how many of us in the alcohol industry get our products out on shelves and onto menus at bars. But how does one get into that business? What could that journey look like? Lauren joins me to share her story, talking about the distributor relationship from the other side, and how that sector of the industry has been for the women who work in it. 

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

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I know lately I’ve been talking a lot about cider and babies. So for this episode I want to switch gears to get back to talking about beer. Beer and awesome women making beer. To help me with that I have a very special guest - Erica of Tumbled Rock Brewery Company - who has brought her awesome ideas and California-raised brewery production experience to this great new brewery in Wisconsin.

Special Mentions:
Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen

Pink Boots Society - We are the female movers and shakers in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry. We get the beer brewed and fermented with the highest possible quality. We also own breweries, package the beer, design beers, serve beers, write about beer, and cover just about any aspect of beer/fermented/alcoholic beverages industry, and we are all women. Most importantly, we teach each other what we know through our own seminar programs, and we help each other advance our beer careers by raising money for educational scholarships.

@ratmagnet is providing a steady stream of testimonials from women and others across the beer community who have been victims of toxic work environments and abuse. Scroll through to read the stories of all these strong individuals who have now been empowered to speak up. 

Need a resource to create a more safe and equitable work environment? #NotMe - #NotMe is a customizable, mobile platform that provides everyone across organizations a safe place to easily report any issue, regardless of their position. In turn, that information is centralized, organized and prioritized for your leadership in an intuitive AI-powered dashboard. #NotMe greatly improves your listening strategy and creates a productive feedback loop for all.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review to help out this podcast! 5 stars goes a long long way and I so appreciate your support. I know it says write a review and that can be daunting but apparently Apple isn’t asking for a novel. A simple Hey! What’s up? Would be more than fine! And for more information about me and this podcast visit us online at othercwords.com. Talk to you soon! And thanks for listening!

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

Send us a text

Let’s face it, being pregnant is a uniquely female experience. As much as they say it’s a journey for both in the relationship, there’s only one who is lugging around the extra pounds and the little bundle of joy for 40 weeks, trying to keep her body from completely breaking down on her. For this episode I will talk less about the pregnancy pains, and more about the process of preparing for maternity leave as a small business owner - and all the joys, frustrations, and challenges that come with it.

Have you had to make this difficult decision between child and career? Any helpful maternity leave tips? I’d love to hear all about it! Email me at [email protected].

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

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In the small business world you have to grow to survive. It’s the grow or die mentality. And it’s rough. Usually you go through the usual networks of sales and distribution, playing every angle to see what works. Sometimes you try new things to bring in additional dollars. And sometimes you have to look at the larger picture, think outside the box, and make big decisions for your company. That is our experience with South City Ciderworks at least and I want to share that journey and the happy news that it has led us to! Let’s go!

Have you made a growth decision in your own life and it was totally worth it? Or you totally regret? Do you work for a company where you see growth potential but no one is listening? I’d love to hear all about it! Email me at [email protected].

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!

Send us a text

Besides South City Ciderworks there is but one other cider company in San Mateo County and that is Redwood Coast Cider. They specialize in super dry ciders and experiment with interesting yeast strains and varied fermentation processes. Same county, two very different cider models. I catch up with one of their owners to hear more about their cider vision and how they have survived this difficult year.

Redwood Coast Cider

It’s this non-sparkling, Old World style that’s difficult to find in the Bay Area and what helped prompt them to create Redwood Coast Cider, a name that plays on their Coastside upbringing. In addition to this uncommon style of cider, Redwood has also developed sparkling varieties and plans to work with other fruits and herbal blends.

“The apple varieties that Johnny Appleseed planted were for cider and they weren’t sweet,” Ferarris said. “This type of cider was huge in the states until Prohibition. We want to re-introduce it into American society.”

The taste and alcohol content of cider are determined by the sugar content and the type of yeast that is used, according to Ferarris. “Different apples, different quality, too,” he said. “It’s like with grapes and making wine.” But cider also has a lower alcoholic content than wine with the common range from 4.5 to 6.5 percent.

“The terroir also plays a factor, as well,” Ferarris continued. “Fruit from fertile ground will produce better cider.”

Redwood’s ciders pair well with food, in place of a dry white wine, according to Ferarris, a vegan, and Lucas, a vegetarian. Their tastes have also shaped their ciders to err on the side of dry rather than sweet.

(HMB Review)

Visit their San Mateo or San Carlos taproom locations!

Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you see for every episode.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it with a family member, a friend in the alcohol industry, or even just a stranger on the street! I so appreciate your support.

For more information about me and this podcast visit us online at drinksbizwomen.com or follow the podcast @drinksbizwomen on FB and Instagram. Talk to you soon! And thanks for joining me today!