Ready To Drink Podcast

The FreeMind Group
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship

The Ready To Drink Podcast is built for founders, operators and leaders navigating the next era of beverage.  These are honest conversations with the people doing the work, building brands that last in a crowded and regulated marketplace. Hosted by twenty-two year adult beverage industry veteran Nate Fochtman, the show pulls back the curtain on what actually drives growth - distribution strategy, regulatory navigation, sales velocity, and consumer trust. 

  1. 1d ago

    It Wasn’t a Loophole. It Was the American Dream. | The Federal Hemp Ban

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Nate Fochtman reads his latest article, “It Wasn’t a Loophole. It Was the American Dream.” It makes the free-market case for the hemp beverage entrepreneurs who built their businesses under the 2018 Farm Bill. A federal hemp ban takes effect on December 11. Congress opened the hemp market in 2018, and Americans answered with their own savings. They tested their products, carded at 21 and paid their taxes before any law required it. Nate tells the stories of the operators he has interviewed for the Hemp Beverage Alliance. Phillip McLamb self-funded Cümulo past $1 million in sales. Jacob Virgil’s family rebuilt NoDa Brewing after COVID and launched Happy Bird. Omari Anderson turned a lemonade made for his mother into The Best Dirty Lemonade. Marshall Thompson and his brother built Canworks from a single printer in Austin. Banker Ross Sloan explains why these are rule-following businesses that opened their books to the financial system. None of these founders is asking Washington for a bailout. They are asking for rules they can follow: 21 and over, honest labels, third-party testing and a fair tax. The 0.4 milligram per container cap that takes effect December 11 would end the category instead of regulating it. Tell Congress to regulate instead of ban: https://hempbeveragealliance.org/action-center Read the article: https://readytodrink.substack.com Watch and listen to every episode: https://readytodrinkpodcast.com Host: Nate Fochtman, Founder of The FreeMind Group Take Action TodayTo everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    It Wasn’t a Loophole. It Was the American Dream. | The Federal Hemp Ban

  2. 2d ago

    Quitting Alcohol at 50 and Finding Hemp Beverages | Tad Buck | What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me

    Send us Fan Mail Tad Buck quit drinking around age 50 and found a new kind of focus, energy and ambition. A few years later he picked up a can of Delta in a local North Carolina hemp shop, and it became part of how he winds down, recovers and connects with the people around him. In this episode of the What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me series on the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Tad, an enterprise software sales leader from the Raleigh area who also plays tennis, surfs, mountain bikes and plays bass in two bands. Tad shares how hemp beverages replaced his old social drinking routine, why he prefers a beverage to gummies and how he adjusts his milligram choice based on whether it is a social night or a recovery night after pickleball. He also talks about the quiet way hemp drinks spread through his circle of coworkers, neighbors and family, who now raid his refrigerator. Nate and Tad also cover the push to ban hemp beverages in North Carolina, how grassroots advocacy through Regulate Don’t Ruin NC helped stop a floor vote and what Tad would tell a lawmaker who believes a ban protects consumers. This series is brought to you by Delta Beverages.  Learn more at www.drinkdelta.com. Chapters  00:00 Meet Tad Buck  01:08 The fight over hemp beverages in North Carolina  03:12 Why Tad stepped up to tell his story  05:24 Life before hemp beverages  06:15 Sharing hemp drinks with friends and coworkers  07:19 What surprised him about his first can  08:38 Beverages vs. gummies and the dosage curve  09:57 When and where he reaches for a Delta  10:27 How it changed the way he shows up for family  12:24 Favorite Delta flavors  13:26 What he would tell lawmakers  14:50 The future of hemp beverages in restaurants  16:13 The five minute kindness challenge Listen to more episodes at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com and read more at ReadyToDrink.Substack.com. Hemp-derived THC beverages are for adults 21 and over. Please enjoy responsibly and follow the laws in your state. Take two minutes at the Hemp Beverage Alliance Action Center to tell your lawmakers that hemp beverages should be regulated, not banned. Take Action TodayTo everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

  3. Nov 5

    How Pennsylvania Libations Built a 500-SKU Local Spirits Portfolio | Christian Simmons

    Send us Fan Mail Christian Simmons found a loophole in Pennsylvania’s liquor laws and built a statewide business on it. In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, the founder of Pennsylvania Libations explains how his licensed management company couples satellite licenses from Pennsylvania distilleries, wineries and cideries under one retail address. Christian started Pennsylvania Libations in 2015 and opened the original Strip District store in Pittsburgh in 2017. The company now carries more than 500 SKUs from 30 to 35 Pennsylvania brands and runs retail stores in the Strip District, Shadyside and Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market. Its wholesale team sells to 600 to 1,000 bars and restaurants every month out of an 11,000 square foot warehouse. Host Nate Fochtman and Christian cover: How the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) satellite license and management company model worksThe lessons from his grandfather’s live bait shop that shaped his approach to retail hospitalityWhy his retail data shows consumers now choose on product first, price second and local thirdHow curating portfolios and rebranding took some brands from $2,000 a month to $20,000 a monthLaunching Blind Tiger as the company’s first non-alc brandWhy he stays away from hemp THC beverages under current PA law and what HB 2309 could changeHealth, wellness and the shift away from alcohol among younger drinkersWinning ACSA gold with the Strip District whiskey blendHis push for state tax incentives for bars and restaurants that buy Pennsylvania-made productsPennsylvania Libations: PALibations.com Wholesale inquiries: sales@pennsylvanialibations.com Watch and listen to every episode: ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com Read the stories: ReadyToDrink.Substack.com Host: Nate Fochtman, Founder of The FreeMind Group, York, PA Guest: Christian Simmons, Founder of Pennsylvania Libations, Pittsburgh, PA The FreeMind GroupOwner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

  4. Nov 4

    Evelyn Marlowitz’s Sobriety Journey | What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me | Drink Delta

    Send us Fan Mail For more than 20 years, Evelyn Marlowitz kept going back to alcohol, even after promising herself she was done. The turning point came one morning when she was too sick to play Barbies with her daughter on the stairs. She decided that day to be the healthier mom her kids deserved, and she has been alcohol free for more than three and a half years. In this episode of the What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me series on the Ready To Drink Podcast, the Chesapeake, Virginia mom tells host Nate Fochtman how she found Delta Beverages on a family trip to Nashville and cracked her first can at the Grand Ole Opry. She explains why having a drink in her hand keeps her on track at parties and campgrounds, and why she still hunts down rare bourbon for her husband without drinking it. Nate shares his own sobriety story, and the two talk about waking up with no regrets and being present for their kids. With a federal ban on hemp beverages set to take effect December 11, 2026, Evelyn has a message for Congress. She wants age verification, responsible marketing, independent lab testing and real enforcement, just like alcohol. She does not want responsible adults to lose access to these products altogether. Take two minutes at the Hemp Beverage Alliance Action Center to tell your lawmakers that hemp beverages should be regulated, not banned. North Carolina residents can also visit RegulateDontRuinNC.com. The What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me series is sponsored by Delta Beverages. Watch and listen to every episode: ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com Read the stories: ReadyToDrink.Substack.com Host: Nate Fochtman Guest: Evelyn Marlowitz, Chesapeake, Virginia If hemp beverages have changed your life, we want to hear your story. Contact us at nate@readytodrinkpodcast.com. Take Action TodayTo everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

  5. Oct 29

    Sober From Alcohol, Still Part of the Party | Moni Monk | What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me

    Send us Fan Mail Moni Monk gave up alcohol around Mother’s Day 2025, but she didn’t want to give up the social side of life. A few months later, on the way to the St. Pete Country Fest with her husband, she tried her first Delta Beverages hemp seltzer. She has been a fan ever since. In this episode of the What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me series on the Ready To Drink Podcast, the Central Texas resident tells host Nate Fochtman how hemp beverages keep her present with friends and family. She talks about splitting a can with her girlfriends, laughing like preschoolers and waking up clear-headed with no hangover. She also shares how Delta’s Garden Club membership makes the habit affordable, and why she thinks lawmakers misunderstand the category. With a federal ban on hemp beverages set to take effect December 11, 2026, Moni has a message for everyone who enjoys these drinks: “Get out there and contact your lawmakers. Let’s save these hemp beverages.” If hemp beverages have changed your life, we want to hear your story. Contact us at nate@readytodrinkpodcast.com. To everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice: lawmakers listen when they hear from enough people. Visit the Hemp Beverage Alliance action center and tell Congress, even in a single sentence, that you support safe, regulated sales - it only takes a few minutes, and December 11th is close. This series is sponsored by Delta Beverages. Hosted by Nate Fochtman of The FreeMind Group. Take Action TodayTo everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

  6. Oct 28

    Quick Sips: Why Breweries Should Treat Customers Like Family | Marty Nachel

    Send us Fan Mail What makes a brewery thrive? Marty Nachel, beer author and founder of the Craft Beer Hall of Fame, says the answer goes beyond the beer and the food. Breweries that host trivia, bingo and educational events give people a reason to gather. When you treat your customers like family, they treat you like family and support your taproom in a bigger way. Watch the full interview on the Ready To Drink Podcast, the beverage industry podcast for craft beer, brewery owners and taproom culture. The FreeMind GroupOwner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

  7. Oct 26

    Vietnam Veteran and Six-Time Cancer Survivor: How Hemp Beverages Gave Me My Life Back | What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me

    Send us Fan Mail Kevin Gill is a 78-year-old Vietnam veteran, a six-time cancer survivor and a retired 33-year Treasury Department law enforcement officer. After a 2012 diagnosis of head, neck, throat and spine cancer, Kevin developed severe anxiety, depression and PTSD. Antidepressants did little for him, and he refused to depend on addictive benzodiazepines. Hemp-derived THC seltzers from Delta Beverages changed that. In his own words, hemp beverages gave him his life back. On December 11th, these products are set to become illegal without a federal regulatory framework in place. Kevin turns 79 in January. He worries that if lawmakers ban hemp beverages now, he will not live long enough to see them return. This is the first episode of What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me, a new series on the Ready To Drink Podcast. We sit down with everyday hemp beverage consumers to hear how these products changed their lives and what the pending federal hemp ban would take from them. These stories are going straight to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and state capitals across the country. In this episode, Kevin shares:  - His service in Vietnam and 33-year career with the U.S. Treasury Department  - How cancer and combat led to PTSD, anxiety and depression  - Why antidepressants and benzodiazepines were not the answer for him  - How he discovered Delta’s hemp THC seltzers  - Why he quit alcohol in 2010  - What the December 11 hemp ban would mean for veterans and seniors  - His message to lawmakers and to the founders fighting for this industry If hemp beverages have changed your life, we want to hear your story. Contact us at nate@readytodrinkpodcast.com. To everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice: lawmakers listen when they hear from enough people. Visit the Hemp Beverage Alliance action center and tell Congress, even in a single sentence, that you support safe, regulated sales - it only takes a few minutes, and December 11th is close. This series is sponsored by Delta Beverages. Hosted by Nate Fochtman of The FreeMind Group. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Veterans can press 1. Take Action TodayTo everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

  8. Oct 23

    A Lemonade Made for Mom: Omari Anderson on Building The Best Dirty Lemonade | Ready To Drink Podcast

    Send us Fan Mail Omari Anderson made his first infused lemonade for his mother. She had early-onset Alzheimer’s and had stopped eating and sleeping, and he remembered the drinks she used to make him as a kid. He thought the lemonade might last one summer, but five years later, The Best Dirty Lemonade sells seven flavors across multiple states, recently won Best in Grass in Massachusetts and is racing to sell 35,000 cans before the federal hemp ban takes effect. Omari is a lawyer who never practiced law and has always been an eat-what-you-kill entrepreneur. He talks with Nate Fochtman about moving from a 21-day shelf life to a scalable product with food scientists from Snapple and Coca-Cola. He explains why hemp beats dispensaries for beverages and the moment it felt like a real business. He also shares the customers he never expected: people in recovery who just want to hold a drink and feel social. They cover SOPs, why silent expectations are killers and the three-tier system. Nate explains why perpetuity franchise contracts are a trap hemp brands do not have to sign. Nate also shares his own sobriety story and his hard-won lesson for new parents who run a business. Chapters 00:00 Meet Omari Anderson 01:31 Why the hemp ban is “doom” 03:57 A lemonade made for Mom 05:37 From a 21-day shelf life to scale 06:40 Where to find The Best Dirty Lemonade 07:39 Eat what you kill 08:38 Don’t let the business take those moments 09:55 When it became a real business 11:35 The customer he never planned for 18:47 SOPs and silent expectations 20:00 Run your business like you could get hit by a bus 23:39 Going wider and the three-tier question 25:13 Franchise laws and perpetuity contracts 29:48 Monthly distributor meetings and the dust test 32:45 Chargebacks 34:22 Where to find Omari and the candles 35:28 The five-minute challenge Try the lemonade: TheBestDirtyLemonade.com Read the story: ReadyToDrink.Substack.com Watch and listen to every episode: ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com No script, no agenda, no prep. Host: Nate Fochtman, Founder, The FreeMind Group Guest: Omari Anderson, CEO and Founder, The Best Dirty Lemonade Take Action TodayTo everyone who enjoys these drinks, or who simply believes adults deserve the choice.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Ready To Drink Podcast is built for founders, operators and leaders navigating the next era of beverage.  These are honest conversations with the people doing the work, building brands that last in a crowded and regulated marketplace. Hosted by twenty-two year adult beverage industry veteran Nate Fochtman, the show pulls back the curtain on what actually drives growth - distribution strategy, regulatory navigation, sales velocity, and consumer trust. 

Information

  • Creator
    The FreeMind Group
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    109
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The FreeMind Group
  • Show Website
    Ready To Drink Podcast

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