Ready To Drink Podcast

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

  1. 2D AGO

    Quick Sips: 84% of Americans Want THC Drinks

    Send us Fan Mail Pete Olander, founder of Happie Beverages, sits down to discuss the massive gap between what the people want and what politicians are doing. With an 84% approval rating for THC beverages among adults, the data is clear - the "cannabis-curious" market is becoming the mainstream market. Pete breaks down why he’s staying the course despite the political noise and why the future of drinkable hemp is brighter than ever. Check out Happie Beverages: DrinkHappie.com More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    1 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Quick Sips: The New Way to Socialize: Why Hemp Hits Different with Goodmellow

    Send us Fan Mail It’s not just about what’s in the glass, it’s about how you feel the next morning. Dylan & Brandon, Co-founders of Goodmellow sits down with the Ready To Drink Podcast to discuss the evolving culture of hemp beverages. From coffee shops to late-night hangouts, the experience of social drinking is changing. It’s no longer about "large doses" of alcohol; it’s about intentional ingredients that let you stay social without sacrificing your next day. Connect with Brandon & Dylan at Goodmellow.com More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    1 min

  3. 5D AGO

    The Science of Terpenes: How Abstrax Tech is Revolutionizing Beer & Cannabis

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate sits down with Jack Peat, the entrepreneurial force behind Abstrax Tech and Abstrax Hops. Jack shares his journey from selling weed at 15 to running a massive swimming pool automation business (including a wild story about a billionaire at the Ritz Carlton) and finally co-founding one of the most advanced terpene and flavor extraction companies in the world. What you’ll learn in this episode: 2D Gas Chromatography: How "flying a helicopter" over chemical peaks helps Abstrax discover hundreds of hidden aroma compounds.The Thiol Secret: Why sulfur compounds are the "ethereal" key to that fresh OG Kush scent.Brewing Revolution: How Quantum extracts can 5x flavor aroma while increasing beer yield by 30%.The Future of Hemp Drinks: Why the "hemp taste" is so hard to mask and how TTB-approved cannabis terpenes are changing the game.Navigating 2026: Jack’s take on the current regulatory landscape for hemp-derived beverages.Connect with Jack & Abstrax Tech at AbstraxTech.com & AbstraxHops.com  More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    42 min

  4. 6D AGO

    Quick Sips: How to get 30% MORE beer from your hops with Abstrax Tech

    Send us Fan Mail "Holy Hell." That was the reaction when Jack Peat, founder of Abstrax Tech dropped the numbers on our latest clip. Imagine turning 500 lbs of hop pellets into 2,500 lbs of aroma equivalent while simultaneously increasing your beer yield by 30%. Less biomass means less beer soaked up in the tank + much more shelf stability. Catch the full episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast tomorrow to see how Quantum extracts are changing the game for brewers everywhere. Check out AbstraxTech.com More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    1 min

  5. MAR 21

    Quick Sips: The Story Behind Appalachian Girls Cannabis Co

    Send us Fan Mail Co-founder Josh Crozier shares the story behind the naming of Appalachian Girls Cannabis Co, how it represents the spirit of Southeastern Ohio and the female cannabis plant. It is about more than just a label, it is about representing a region historically exploited for its natural and human resources, while honoring the female cannabis plant that produces the intoxicating buds. Based in the heart of Southeastern Ohio and grown with Hocking Hills spring water, this brand is built on purity and Appalachian pride. Check out AppGirlsCannabis.com More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    1 min

  6. MAR 20

    Quick Sips: PR Has a PR Problem & Why the Human Story is the Future of Public Relations

    Send us Fan Mail PR has a PR problem. It is something we are all trying to figure out right now: what is the right angle and what can we actually do to stand out? But the truth is, consumers are questioning transparency and authority more than ever. They see right through the kitschy skits and superficial campaigns. Those of us who have been in this career have a real opportunity to get the stories of the humans out there. This is the year founders need to focus on sharing true, emotional, collective narratives. We still need to talk about our products, but we all must bring the human story back to everything we do so that we can authentically connect with consumers and build lasting trust. How is your brand bringing the human story to the forefront this year? More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    1 min

  7. MAR 19

    Quick Sips: The Craft Beer Lesson the Cannabis Industry is Ignoring

    Send us Fan Mail Over 32 million Americans walk into a grocery store every single day. Half of the U.S. population conducts a transaction at a convenience store on a daily basis. If we want to build a sustainable, normalized hemp and cannabis industry, this is exactly where these products need to live. Fifteen years ago, I was running craft beer development for a wholesaler, the industry loved to villainize approachable brands like Blue Moon and Goose Island. I was the guy on the island defending them. Why? Because they were the entry point to the journey. If someone asked me about craft beer, the first drink I handed them was a Blue Moon. They would say, "Okay, I can do this." Then the second drink could be a little more obscure, and the journey naturally progressed toward your Surleys and Revolution IPAs. You cannot go to step seven without going to step one. Right now, parts of the cannabis industry are fighting to lock all THC products behind dispensary doors. But if you cold-plunge a new, sober-curious consumer straight into a high-potency product or a heavily regulated dispensary environment on their first jump, you turn them off. When you don't allow that consumer journey to flow correctly, they are gone from the entire industry. Hemp-derived THC beverages are our Blue Moon. They are the approachable, low-dose, commoditized entry point. To introduce the mainstream consumer to this space, we need these beverages sitting in age-gated, easy-access retail venues - grocery stores, convenience stores, and bottle shops. That is how you build the journey. That is how you grow the entire pie. Education. Regulation. Normalization. Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    1 min

  8. MAR 18

    Why Hemp THC Beverages Belong in Bars + Retail, Not Dispensaries | Adam Peabody of Flora + Reddi Beverage

    Send a text In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Adam Peabody, co-founder of Reddi Beverage and Flora. Like always, there was no script, no prep and no agenda - just two humans with deep roots in the hospitality and adult beverage industries having a completely organic conversation about the reality of the hemp THC beverage space. Adam went from wrestling guys at the door of a Chicago club to running high-end hotel beverage programs and now he operates an 11,000-square-foot manufacturing facility dedicated to non-alcoholic THC-infused spirits and mocktails. We get into the grit of building a CPG brand from scratch, the early days of hand-dipping wax seals on bottles in an apartment and why Flora formulates their drinks from a liquid-first, bartender's perspective rather than just chasing the seltzer trend. But the real meat of this episode is the controversial truth that a lot of people in the cannabis industry do not want to hear: intoxicating hemp beverages do not belong in the dispensary channel. If we want to truly normalize THC and build a sustainable industry, we have to meet the consumer where they are and that is in America's bars, restaurants and traditional retail stores. Beverage is the ultimate entry point and putting it behind the double-locked doors of a dispensary only hurts the movement. This is real talk about the future of adult beverages, the 2018 Farm Bill and how we normalize and scale this category the right way. Check out Adam and the incredible liquids his team is producing at drinkflora.com and reddibeverage.com. You can also connect with him directly on LinkedIn. As always, look people in the eye as you walk down the street, say hello to a stranger and hold the door for somebody. Put some real positivity out into this crazy world. Subscribe to the channel so you never miss an episode. Connect with Adam Peabody:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-peabody/ Website: DrinkFlora.com + ReddiBeverage.com Connect with Nate Fochtman:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natefochtman/ Website: FMGStrategy.com + ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + TheLeadersArenaPodcast.com Support the show Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

    49 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    The FreeMind Group
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ready To Drink Podcast
  • Show Website
    Ready To Drink Podcast