Cheers with Nat

Natalya Watson

5.0 (12)
Personal Journals
Updated weekly

Cheering on women in drinks. Each week, I share a cheers and a chat with women who work in the drinks industry — to connect, celebrate, cheer us up and cheer us on.

3 days ago

Ep 11 – Michelle Brampton: CEO, coach, and connector

Welcome back to Cheers with Nat – the podcast dedicated to cheering on women in drinks. Today's guest is Michelle Brampton, CEO of WSET, the world's leading provider of drinks education. Michelle shares how she first 'fell into' the drinks industry two decades ago, all thanks to a 6-month contract as a finance analyst in wine company. After working her way up to finance director then managing director there, she was ready for her next chapter and, as you'll hear, it sounds like she manifested her ideal role… with WSET! Michelle tells us what her day-to-day as CEO looks like, how she learned to do the job, and how she learned to believe that she could – all thanks to the transformational power of coaching. Now a trained coach herself, Michelle lets us in on the limiting beliefs that once held her back, the skills she's still developing, the importance of finding courage, learning by doing, and a whole lot more. ... I should mention that Michelle and I do know each other outside of this conversation, as I also work at WSET (in my day job as a beer educator), but any views shared on the Cheers with Nat podcast are my own. And any mess ups are mine to own, too. Unfortunately, Michelle's audio is a bit quieter than it should be, as I didn't quite get the mic set up right on this occasion. The conversation is still well worth a listen though, so please do bear with. What stuck with me from this conversation: On how to progress in your career: "…you won't progress if you can't let go. You can't do every job in the company before you do the MD role, it just doesn't work like that." On the importance of courage: "So often women are talked about not being confident enough, and it's not confidence, it's just finding some courage. Women are never really encouraged to find courage. For men, you get on with stuff. You feel the fear and do it anyway..." On the value of coaching: "It helped in me doing the role, but it helped me believe I could do the role, as well. That I didn't need to come in knowing all the answers, it was ok to come in and ask a lot of questions and just go from there." On empowerment: "If you like people and you want them to do great work and you want to create an environment where they can just be themselves and do their best work – that just kind of becomes self-fulfilling as well. People rise to the occasion, if you just give them the space to go figure it." On the importance of learning by doing: "The fastest way to learn is to act. If you don't do anything, you won't learn anything." Links & things: What we're drinking: M&S Southwold Pale Ale 0.5% Where Michelle works: WSET Global What we do More on WSET's recent brand refresh (featuring Michelle on The Drinks Business podcast) Coaching training: Mastering the Coach Approach Book recc: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni TV recc: Shrinking Recording info: July 2026 in London Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email
Season 7 Trailer

Coming soon: Cheers with Nat, Season 2

Welcome back to Cheers with Nat – the podcast dedicated to cheering on women in drinks. Exciting news! Cheers with Nat season two kicks off this Wednesday, September 16th. Each week on the show, I host curious, career-focused conversations with women who work in the drinks industry, so you can learn how each guest got to where they are today, what their day-to-day looks like now, what keeps them grounded outside of work, and a whole lot more. And every episode is recorded in-person… so we can kick off by sharing each guest's favourite beverage, of course! The aim of this show is to make us all feel connected, celebrated, cheered up and cheered on, whether you're a fellow drinks professional, an enthusiast, or somewhere in between. Listen in to find out who you can expect to hear from when the show returns – and be sure to get subscribed in the meantime! Cheers! Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email
15 Jul

Season 1 round up & what's next for Season 2!

Welcome back to Cheers with Nat – the podcast dedicated to cheering on women in drinks. When I (re)launched this show back in March 2026, the idea was to have conversations that made us all feel connected, celebrated, cheered up, and cheered on. (So, I hope you'd agree you feel that way when listening!) Importantly though, I didn't want those feelings to end after each episode. My vision for Cheers with Nat has always been to keep cheering people on… so that's what we're going to do in this episode! To wrap up Season 1, we'll hear from each guest – some in their own words – about what they've been up to since we recorded, as there's always something to celebrate. Please note that there won't be any new episodes of Cheers with Nat for the rest of summer, but I'll be busy recording for Season 2, which will launch in September 2026. I'll also be enjoying a bit of time off, and I welcome you to keep up with my adventures! (I'll be interrailing through Germany with my partner, Nigel, and will be sharing lots of updates on my Instagram, @cheers_with_nat) In the meantime, please do continue to spread the word about the show… and be sure to tag me in your posts, as I'd love to know who is listening! I also welcome any guest suggestions for future episodes. Of if you're part of a business or brand that might be interested in sponsoring a season or a dedicated mini-series, please get in touch via cheers@beerwithnat.com. Thanks, as always, for listening, have a lovely summer, and chat soon. Cheers! Links & things: Ep 1 – Georgia Kelly is now back in beer, working for Two Tribes Brewery in London. Ep 2 – Karina Aggarwal is now representing Swiss wines and El Cristiano tequila across India and working a lot more in food. She'll soon be in Macau for Asia's 50 Best Bars and has a long-awaited dive trip coming up in the Maldives! Ep 3 – Natalie Chiu and her team at Sachio Sparkling Tea have had a busy summer, from partnering with Cowdray Polo and World's 50 Best Hotels, to adding fun new cooler bags to the Saicho accessories range. They're also celebrating the full Saicho range now being available in Majestic Wines. And something delicious that Natalie tried recently is Jörg Geiger C.- Bratbirne Heritage Pear, an alcohol-free sparkling pear wine. Ep 4 – Dr. Christina Wade's latest book, Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland, was shortlisted for the Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards. Keep up with her latest writing and future book projects on her blog. Ep 5 – Nicola Hart and her team at Agua de Madre have added two limited-edition flavours of their Agua Fresca for summer. Plus, their Remedio infusion is now available in Anthropologie stores across the UK, and their Instagram has lots of fun ideas for how to enjoy it in the summer. Ep 6 – Luma Monteiro's been here there and everywhere lately – from the Chianti Classico DOCG area, to Portugal, to Armenia (including to the 'birthplace' of wine, the Areni-1 cave!). She also recommends we all need to try Croatian Malvazija Istarska. Ep 7 – Amélie Tassin shared that the Women in Beer mentorship programme is now entering its 5th cohort and that the Awards & Festival have been confirmed for the week of October 20th in Manchester. (See you there!) She also shouted out a new-to-me brewery, Sunken Knave, and their Boffle barley wine. Ep 8 – Elizabeth Townsend of Kerroo Brewing has launched a new podcast – First Draught! She's also studying towards her Beer Sommelier exam and loved trying Barney's Pickle Gose on a recent visit to Edinburgh. Ep 9 – Becky Paskin was named Diversity & Inclusion Champion at the 2026 Women in Food & Drink Awards for her work with the OurWhisky Foundation, which also recently welcomed 25 more mentees as the Atonia Programme Class of 2026. She's also continued to share her journey of rediscovering her whiskey collection on her Instagram and gotten her first few pieces published about wine, too! Ep 10 – Erika Haigh's been in Japan, no doubt gathering lots of updates to share in her next Mai Traveller newsletter. And she recently shared on Instagram that she'll be running the London Marathon next year! Super impressive! Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email
8 Jul

Victoria Garcia: Senior bartender, film fan, and team player

Welcome back to Cheers with Nat – the podcast dedicated to cheering on women in drinks. It's time for the final episode of my NYC mini-series! Today's guest is Victoria Garcia, senior bartender at Sip & Guzzle. You'll hear how Victoria got her start in hospitality, what keeps her here, and what it's really like to work at the recently crowned 'Best Bar in North America'. She also shares why mentorship matters, what makes a good bartender, the hobby that keeps her grounded outside of work, and more. What stuck with me from this conversation: On her shifts at Sip & Guzzle: "We have a good time" On her love of films: "When I was watching them, I kind of saw the magic of people and what they were capable of doing and their talent. It made me fall in love with people and their passion. And I think that ties a lot into what I do now in hospitality." On the impact of the 'Best Bar' recognition: "We're really excited and ready for it. We all work in such a cohesive unit that it just works, and it makes sense and we're prepared. I think what it means for the team is just locking in… We want to enjoy the upcoming weeks, months, years of all of it." On free pouring: "I count, I eyeball it, I feel the weight of the actual glass, and then I smell and I taste, so I really try to use all of my senses and incorporate it into every cocktail." On her self-talk before a guest shift: "Yeah, I just tell myself to chill the fuck out and it's going to be fine." On what she learned from her mentor Steve: "…not necessarily learning the science and dynamics of how to work behind a bar – obviously that comes with it – but also the emotional and mental part of it, and I think that that's really important." On what keeps her in hospitality: "I just love people so much" Links & things: What we're drinking: Coors Light Where Victoria's worked: Sip & Guzzle Employees Only Where she met her mentor Steve Schneider Victoria's film reccs: Harold & Maude Roadhouse (1989) Her favourite cocktails: Negroni Vieux Carre Check out the Difford's Guide data I mentioned here Highlights from our last call round: TV recc: I Think You Should Leave Producer we need to know: Donna's Pickle Beer Where Victoria wants to visit: Japan, Paris, and London Keep up with her adventures to these places here Another awesome woman in drinks we should meet: Victoria's colleague, Andrea Grujic Recording info: April 2026 in NYC Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email
1 Jul

Mandy Naglich: Professional taster, author, and silent retreat regular

Welcome back to Cheers with Nat – the podcast dedicated to cheering on women in drinks. We're continuing our four-episode mini-series from NYC! Today's guest is Mandy Naglich, an author, journalist, and professional taster. Mandy tells us about the daytime TV icon she aspired to be when she grew up, and the winding career path she navigated in pursuit of her passion for broadcast journalism. We also discuss what it means to be a professional taster and how Mandy became one, what inspired her to write a book about the topic, and how she trains bar teams with her tasting skills. The we get into Mandy's social media presence, her love of travel, how she stays grounded outside work, and more. What stuck with me from this conversation: On the why behind her book: "If I can help a couple people be more thoughtful about what they're tasting every day, that felt really exciting to me." On how scent makes us human: "About 20% of our genetic code is dedicated to us decoding different aromas… Like what makes us human – what our bodies and genetic code is built to do – is to decode scents around us all the time. It's what's keeping us safe, it's what's letting us know what we're eating, it's what's letting us know what environments were in. So I think it's something that's so important and really ignored. And when you think of what's making you a person and what makes you different to the person next to you, so much of it is how we smell the word and we just don't think about it." On her social media: "My goal isn't to make these beautiful things, it's to hopefully communicate knowledge in a way that is memorable and – it's such a buzz word, but – snackable. Someone can watch it, remember what I said, and then go to a party and be able to repeat it like they're a knowledgeable person. That's what's important to me." On what travel gives her: "What it does and [how] I've seen my life change is, really, understanding people better." On why she loves silent retreats: "We don't realize how little silence is in our life… being in silence, I can feel my brain function differently. I love a good podcast, I always love learning. But I really try to monitor how much time I have someone else's ideas in my brain rather than my own brain producing ideas." Links & things: What we're drinking: Mandy's 'special brew' (a tea blend made on the day at Nomadworks where we were recording!) Listen in to learn why tea is great for 'waking up' your palate for a tasting! Mandy's work: Her book – How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life Her other writing Her social media (don't miss the ice video we chatted about!) Her TV appearances Where she travelled (just in April!): Lisbon – visiting Red Frog and Imprensa groups Amsterdam – to prep for Europe's 50 Best Bars Barcelona – to judge the Torres Brandy Zero Challenge and speak at Barcelona Cocktail Fest Vancouver – for the North America's 50 Best Bars announcement Highlights from our last call round: Podcast recc: Experimental History Producer we need to know: Duvel Where Mandy wants to visit: National parks in the US & the Cotswolds in the UK Another awesome woman in drinks we should meet: Anna Sebastian Recording info: April 2026 at Nomadworks in NYC Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email
24 Jun

Tara Hankinson: Brewery co-founder, customer experience whiz, and loves a chilled red

Welcome back to Cheers with Nat – the podcast dedicated to cheering on women in drinks. We're continuing our four episode mini-series from NYC! Today's guest is Tara Hankinson, co-founder and co-CEO of TALEA Beer Co. TALEA was founded with a mission to bring craft beer to a broader audience – and you're about to hear exactly how they're doing it. From brand voice, to customer experience, to collaborations and partnerships, Tara tells us how her early inspiration and entrepreneurial spirit snowballed to get her where she is today… and she's got loads of great insight to share. What stuck with me from this conversation: On getting to where she is now: "This is probably my 5th or 6th career post-undergrad, so it's not as linear as most people think. I think a lot of people expect to find that dream job at age 23, 24 and that's just not practical. So, it took a bit, but I love it now. And I think Leann and I are actually good at it. Both because of all the non-linear starts and stops we've had in our career and because we are very agile and flexible and have built this business from the ground up." On her initial vision for a business: "I had always loved wine, and I felt such a connection to the experience of going to a great winery and wine tasting. And that high end hospitality-forward experience had never been a part of the beer world that I had explored. So that was kind of my original kernel for getting interested in beer." On being data-driven: "Nowadays, you can export every Google review you've ever gotten and put it into Claude or Gemini and say, what are the positive trends, what are the negative trends, what's the biggest opportunity in our negative reviews to turn this experience around. That didn't exist when we started the business, but I think just thinking of customer experience as something you can quantify, you can use data to make decisions and make investments." On TALEA's brilliant beer descriptions: "This is meant to be relatable and approachable and to convince you to stay on the beer side of the menu versus the wine and cocktails that are on the back." On collaborations and partnerships: "I think [they're] a way in which we are continuing to challenge the preconceived notions of what craft beer is and who it's for." On what the business is here to do: "In its simplest form, we are trying to give people little moments of joy." Links & things: What we're drinking: TALEA's spicy marg sour (and their brite lager as a back up!) TALEA's: Taprooms Social, and Latest collaborations x NYPL x Flamingo x Levain Other shout outs: An early inspiration: Wölffer Estate Vineyard A mentor: Mike Seitz at Bare Bottle Highlights from our last call round: Podcast recc: Acquired Producer we need to know: Wild East Brewing Where Tara wants to visit: Germany Another awesome woman in drinks we should meet: Jamie Fox from the New York Brewers Guild Recording info: April 2026 in NYC We recorded in the basement of Talea West Village… right next to a rather noisy ice machine that decided to chime in part way through our conversation! The background noise settles soon after, so please do hang in there. (And thanks for your patience and understanding!) Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email
17 Jun

Courtney Iseman: Drinks writer, media consultant, and obsessed with creative people

Welcome back to Cheers with Nat – the podcast dedicated to cheering on women in drinks. We're about to kick off a four-episode mini-series from my recent visit to NYC! Today's guest is Courtney Iseman, freelance drinks writer and media consultant. Courtney shares how her childhood love of Broadway turned into a degree in journalism and screenwriting and, later, a career as a writer. We also learn how she went from writing about fashion to craft beer, and the surprising parallels between the two. You'll hear about how she spots trends and makes connections, the many hobbies that keep her grounded outside of work, and lots more. What stuck with me from this conversation: On a dream piece of work: "The first time I wrote a story for Full Pour… I opened the contributors page, and to see my name next to some of these writers that I absolutely worship…that is, I think, the biggest deal. To see your writing in the company of writers that you've admired for so long. It is a pinch me moment." On a focus of her writing: "My whole thing with my writing – whenever I can – is I really like to bring in other subcultures and other things that speak to people and help break down the rigid 'bearded white dude' thing in beer." On how she helps businesses as a consultant: "Everyone has a story. You're not getting out there because maybe you haven't identified it. Here's how you do that. Here's how you pitch yourself… so it's just kind of giving them a toolkit." On freelancing: "It's not for everyone and it absolutely has its challenges and its downsides. Absolutely. But it is the only life for me. And I do ultimately love it." On what piques her interest: "Whether it was in theatre, music or fashion, I'm obsessed with creative people." On how she stays grounded outside of work: "I want to be consuming art every day" Links & things: What we're drinking: Yoju White Peach Courtney's work: Journalism (She's pretty prolific! See all her work here) Copy & consulting Newsletter & podcast (right here on Substack!) Instagram Highlights from our last call round: Podcast recc: Threedom TV (& podcast!) recc: Hacks (watch in the US & the UK) & Hacks podcast Producer spotlight: Bayab Gin Another awesome woman in drinks we should know about: Stephanie Grant Other topics Courtney touches on: Brewers she was starstruck to meet: Dan & Martha of St. Mars of the Desert One of her favourite publications: Full Pour Craft beer's #MeToo movement Attaboy unionizing Recording info: April 2026 in NYC We recorded in a private room in a co-working space in NYC… that happened to be right next to the kitchen! That said, apologies for the occasional chat and clinking in the background. Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email
10 Jun

Lucy Do: Micropub owner, community builder, and finds magic in the mundane

In our final throwback episode, we're catching up with another guest from Beer with Nat season two, who I chatted with back in June 2019. Today's guest is Lucy Do, owner of The Dodo Micropub. We start by hearing what Lucy has been up to over the past 7 years, then we revisit our original conversation. Lucy shares us what a micropub is and why she decided to open one. She also reflects on some of her key learnings over the years, the advice she wished she had when she first started out, and a whole lot more. What stuck with me from this conversation: On community building: "Moving away from the corporate world, being successful was about being happy with who I am and what I've created and that's why I wanted it to be a community. I wanted people to not feel lonely. I wanted people to come in here on their own and make friends. I love that people make friends in here – I genuinely, genuinely love that. It's just heartwarming." Links & things: Lucy's micropub: The Dodo Follow her on follow here(and don't miss her creative reels and TV interviews, too!) You'll find a full list of the awards she's won here and a few highlights below: Industry Champion of the Year at the Women in Beer Awards 2025 Bar / Pub of the Year at the Be Inclusive Hospitality Spotlight Awards 2022 CAMRA Ealing & West Middlesex Pub of the Year 2020 & 2021 Her beginnings: The loan that helped Lucy get her start: Virgin Start Up Loan And the micropub that inspired her: The Just Reproach in Kent For more from Lucy: Listen in to the episode of the Good Beer Hunting podcast we recorded together in January 2021 P.S. If you're inspired by the idea of 'doodling at The Dodo', here's one of my favourite adult colouring books. Enjoy! 😄 Recording info: June 2019 in London + June 2026 voice note Subscribe | Follow on Instagram | Email

5

out of 5

12 Ratings

Women in Beer

08/11/2018

JogL31

There’s many podcasts about, but none focussing directly on women and the excellent work they do within the beer industry. Thanks for this Nat! Great to hear Jaega, whose doing amazing things in and outside the Brewery.

Cheering on women in drinks. Each week, I share a cheers and a chat with women who work in the drinks industry — to connect, celebrate, cheer us up and cheer us on.

Creator

Natalya Watson
Years Active

2018 - 2026
Episodes

79
Rating

Explicit
Show Website

Cheers with Nat