Business of Drinks Business of Drinks

Remember the lockdowns? It was a time when too many people spent their time drinking too much. But Nick Bodkins’ wife was pregnant, so he gave up alcohol in solidarity. And, immediately, he confronted a problem that needed to be solved — non-alcoholic beverage options for adults who want something more sophisticated than a soda to drink. So he took the leap and created Boisson, a chain of non-alc stores with a DtC arm — and he’s secured more than $34 million in funding, including a recent $5 million investment from Pernod Ricard’s Convivialite Ventures.

In this episode he tells us why the non-alc category is exploding; why non-alc creators need to think in terms of occasions, rather than flavors; and why the way forward is to build a “Sephora of drinks,” because this is a space where consumers are looking to get their problems solved, rather than looking for particular brands. Nick also discusses why bars and restaurants are crying out for these products. Above all, Nick says, follow the data. Boisson targets customers based on their browsing and purchasing behavior to drive sales and boost engagement. 

As always, we follow the money and ask where the opportunities are in the dynamic non-alcohol space. 

Brands mentioned in this episode:


Proxies


Studio Null


Leitz


Oceano Zero


Pathfinder


Ghia


Three Spirit


Aplos


Wilfred’s 


Heineken 0.0



Stay tuned for our next episode dropping on December 13. 

Shoutout to our sponsor! A big round of thanks to AccelPay — a leading ecommerce solution for bev-alc brands. From a one-tap, compliant checkout to comprehensive sales data, AccelPay has you covered and can make your existing website a storefront. For an exclusive 10% off your account, visit: https://www.accelpay.io/bod

Business of Drinks is more than a podcast — we’re also a strategic content consultancy for drinks brands and platforms. Learn more about us at Businessofdrinks.com

About Erica Duecy, host:

Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. 

To learn more about Erica Duecy:

https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/

https://twitter.com/ericaduecy

 

About Felicity Carter, host:

Felicity Carter is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy. Also the Editorial Director of Areni Global, the London-based fine wine think tank, she was previously Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She is a regular media commentator, appearing on platforms as diverse as CNN, France24 and the New York Times, and has consulted to New Zealand Wine and the Dutch government. Felicity is an international wine judge as well as a regular keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events. Her work has appeared in The GuardianUS, The Sydney Morning Herald and numerous other publications. 

To learn more about Felicity Carter:

https://twitter.com/felicitycarter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/

https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/

And if you like what you heard, help us spread the word! Follow Business of Drinks, and rate and review our episodes on any platform where you’re listening. It helps us find new listeners. Thank you!

Bill Shufelt, co-founder of Athletic Brewing, hasn’t just built a successful drinks company — he’s revolutionized the entire American market for non-alcoholic beer. And he’s done it in just six years.

Bill gave up a comfortable life in finance because he knew that if he was interested in drinking non-alcoholic beer, other people would be too. But it was an uphill battle, because non-alc beer has been a stigmatized product in the U.S. almost since Prohibition. He was turned down by almost every brewer he approached, and at times was reduced to approaching strangers in liquor store parking lots to help him sell his product.

Today, Athletic Brewing has grown to become the 13th-largest U.S. craft brewery and the second-largest non-alcoholic beer brand in the U.S. In 2022, Athletic was ranked as the 26th fastest-growing private company in America by Inc. Magazine and named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential Companies.”

Join us for a fascinating conversation, as Bill explains how he built the company, and where he sees the market going next.

Key Insights:


Why non-alc beer is a major volume saver for retail and on-premise accounts.


How Athletic got its first Whole Foods placement (awesome story!).


How 66 individual investors took Athletic from its Seed Round all the way to Series B.


Why DTC is the best channel for innovation.


What the U.S. non-alc drinks segment can learn from their counterparts in Europe.


The path Athletic sees for NA beer to grow to 10-20% of all adult beverages.



Stay tuned for our next episode dropping on November 29. 

Shoutout to our sponsor! A big round of thanks to AccelPay — a leading ecommerce solution for bev-alc brands. From a one-tap, compliant checkout to comprehensive sales data, AccelPay has you covered and can make your existing website a storefront. For an exclusive 10% off your account, visit: https://www.accelpay.io/bod

About Erica Duecy, host:

Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. 

To learn more about Erica Duecy:

https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/

https://twitter.com/ericaduecy

About Felicity Carter, host:

Felicity Carter is co-founder of Business of Drink and the Editorial Director of Areni Global, the London-based fine wine think tank. Previously, she was Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She is a regular media commentator, appearing on platforms as diverse as CNN, France24 and the New York Times, and has consulted to New Zealand Wine and the Dutch government. Felicity is an international wine judge as well as a regular keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events. Her work has appeared in The Guardian US, The Sydney Morning Herald and numerous other publications. 

To learn more about Felicity Carter:

https://twitter.com/felicitycarter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/

https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/

And if you like what you heard, help us spread the word! Follow Business of Drinks, and rate and review our episodes on any platform where you’re listening. It helps us find new listeners. Thank you!

Heidi Dillon is a mover and shaker who’s innovated in the functional foods sector, launched energy bars, and is now coming for the drinks sector — alc and non-alc alike. 

She’s the managing director of Distill Ventures, a company that supports founders and helps grow drinks businesses — and she was tapped to come in and turbo-charge the low- and no-alcohol landscape.

In this episode, she discusses why generic is out, and storytelling around ingredients and a sense of place and authenticity is in, and why beverage entrepreneurs need to understand the changing demographics of the market if they’re going to succeed. 

She also discusses how the new craft beverages connect with food, ingredient and wellness trends, and how founders of successful non-alc drinks are taking a whole new approach to hedonism. Most importantly, she reveals where the financial opportunities are to be found in this space, from emerging trends to what will help brands earn a place on the shelf.

Best of all, she’s an engaging guest who is more than willing to help Business of Drinks do what it is known for — following the money.

Stay tuned for our next episode dropping on November 8, 2023. 

Shoutout to our sponsor! A big round of thanks to AccelPay — a leading ecommerce solution for bev-alc brands. From a one-tap, compliant checkout to comprehensive sales data, Accelpay has you covered and can make your existing website a storefront. For an exclusive 10% off your account, visit: https://www.accelpay.io/bod



For more on the Millennial and Gen Z drinking behaviors report we discuss in the episode, it's available for purchase and download at Research & Markets: ⁠https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5892638/millennials-gen-z-comprehensive-study-alcohol



About Erica Duecy, host:

Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. 

To learn more about Erica Duecy:

https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/

https://twitter.com/ericaduecy

 

About Felicity Carter, host:

Felicity Carter is co-founder of Business of Drinks. Also the Editorial Director of Areni Global, the London-based fine wine think tank, she was previously Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She is a regular media commentator, appearing on platforms as diverse as CNN, France24 and the New York Times, and has consulted to New Zealand Wine and the Dutch government. Felicity is an international wine judge as well as a regular keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events. Her work has appeared in The GuardianUS, The Sydney Morning Herald and numerous other publications. 

To learn more about Felicity Carter:

https://twitter.com/felicitycarter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/

https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/

And if you like what you heard, help us spread the word! Follow Business of Drinks, and rate and review our episodes on any platform where you’re listening. It helps us find new listeners. Thank you!

This is an exciting episode! We’ve just launched a major, national study into the drinking preferences of Millennials and Gen Zs. Here, we reveal the results of that report, from how much these audiences spend on wine, to their evolving relationships with soft drinks, canned cocktails, and spirits. More importantly, we have fresh insights into why Millennials and Gen Zs make the drink choices they do.

This is groundbreaking research that answers the key questions that are currently gripping the beverage alcohol industry — from why wine consumption is falling to what younger audiences think about alcohol and health.

Five things we discuss:


Why soft drinks are so important to Gen Z and what they say about how the social norms around drinking are changing.


The two top wine regions for Millennials and Gen Z — what’s the appeal?


What makes Millennials and Gen Z choose one drink, or one brand, over another?


How are demographic changes impacting the alcohol market — and what are the implications for marketers?


What are the biggest influences shaping what Millennials and Gen Zs buy and drink?



We partnered on the study with Roger Brooks, founder of Research and Marketing Strategies, a market research consultancy to organizations in technology and alcohol. Join us — Roger, Erica and Felicity — as we take a deep dive into the findings and emerge with answers and opportunities for people working in the drinks industry — from wine, beer and spirits to soft drinks and seltzers.

If you work in drinks and you only listen to one podcast this year, make it this one. Because by the end of the episode, you’ll have the answer to this big question: Where have all the younger drinkers gone?

The report is available for purchase and download at Research & Markets: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5892638/millennials-gen-z-comprehensive-study-alcohol

Stay tuned for our next episode dropping on November 1, 2023. 



Shoutout to our sponsor! A big round of thanks to AccelPay — a leading ecommerce solution for bev-alc brands. From a one-tap, compliant checkout to comprehensive sales data, Accelpay has you covered and can make your existing website a storefront. For an exclusive 10% off your account, visit: https://www.accelpay.io/bod



Business of Drinks is more than a podcast — we’re also a strategic content consultancy for drinks brands and platforms. Learn more about us at Businessofdrinks.com

About Erica Duecy, host:

Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Level 3-certified wine communicator, wine judge, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips.

To learn more about Erica Duecy:

https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/

https://twitter.com/ericaduecy

About Felicity Carter, host:

Felicity Carter is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy. Also the Editorial Director of Areni Global, the London-based fine wine think tank, she was previously Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She is a regular media commentator, appearing on platforms as diverse as CNN, France24 and the New York Times. Felicity is an international wine judge as well as a regular keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events.

To learn more about Felicity Carter:

https://twitter.com/felicitycarter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/

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What does it take to succeed in the no- and low-alcohol space? The man to ask is Derek Brown, the award-winning bartender, author and National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified wellness coach.

Derek was one of the most successful bartenders in the U.S. when he decided to re-think his relationship with alcohol. In 2020, he wrote an article for Vox called “Becoming a mindful drinker changed my life.” The article changed his life, too, as it went viral and established him as a leader in the exploding no- and low-alcohol space. 

Today he’s the founder of Positive Damage, Inc., a company dedicated to “making room for everyone at the bar with delicious no- and low-alcohol drinks” — and he brings his bartender’s sensibility to creating products that people love.

In this episode, he tells us why the days of the mocktail are well and truly over, and why so many no- and low-alcohol products fail to catch fire. He also reveals the four elements that are needed to create a truly satisfying substitute for alcohol.

Best of all, he tells us where to find the biggest opportunities in this space, including for wine companies.

Listen along as we follow the money through the no- and low-space.

Stay tuned for our next episode as well! Episode 3 drops October 18, 2023

Business of Drinks is more than a podcast — we’re also a strategic content consultancy for drinks brands and platforms. Learn more about us at Businessofdrinks.com



About Erica Duecy, host:

Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. 

 

To learn more about Erica Duecy:

https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/

https://twitter.com/ericaduecy

 

About Felicity Carter, host:

Felicity Carter is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy. Also the Editorial Director of Areni Global, the London-based fine wine think tank, she was previously Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She is a regular media commentator, appearing on platforms as diverse as CNN, France24 and the New York Times, and has consulted to New Zealand Wine and the Dutch government. Felicity is an international wine judge as well as a regular keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events. Her work has appeared in The GuardianUS, The Sydney Morning Herald and numerous other publications. 



To learn more about Felicity Carter:

https://twitter.com/felicitycarter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/

https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/

Everyone who works beverage alcohol right now is asking just one question:

“Where have all the young drinkers gone?”

Not only are young people, both GenZs and Millennials, drinking less alcohol, but a significant number aren’t drinking any alcohol at all. According to Google, 41% of GenZers don’t touch alcohol, while the number of college-aged Americans who are teetotal has risen to a whopping 28%.

What’s going on? Is this a generational blip — or a permanent change?

This season on Business of Drinks, hosts Erica Duecy and Felicity Carter explore these questions from every angle. We’re also going to seek out bright spots and opportunities — and of course, we’ll look for the money to be made in this rapidly evolving segment.

We also commissioned ground-breaking, original market research to give a nuanced, 360-degree picture of the issue. Trust us, it’s a FOMO inducer!

Stay tuned for our next episode as well! Episode 2 drops October 4th, 2023

Business of Drinks is more than a podcast — we’re also a strategic content consultancy for drinks brands and platforms. Learn more about us at Businessofdrinks.com



About Erica Duecy, host:

Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. 

 

To learn more about Erica Duecy:

https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/

https://twitter.com/ericaduecy

 

About Felicity Carter, host:

Felicity Carter is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy. Also the Editorial Director of Areni Global, the London-based fine wine think tank, she was previously Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She is a regular media commentator, appearing on platforms as diverse as CNN, France24 and the New York Times, and has consulted to New Zealand Wine and the Dutch government. Felicity is an international wine judge as well as a regular keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events. Her work has appeared in The GuardianUS, The Sydney Morning Herald and numerous other publications. 



To learn more about Felicity Carter:

https://twitter.com/felicitycarter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/

https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/

https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/