MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab

Chris Maffeo
  • 5.0 (5)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast delivering actionable insights for drinks leadership. For founders, directors, distributor MDs, and hospitality leaders navigating the tension between bottom-up reality and top-down expectations. 20+ years building brands across 30+ markets. Each episode features drinks builders: founders, distributors, commercial directors, sharing how the drinks industry actually works. Not the conference version. Honest conversations. Insights come from sitting at the bar. Beyond episodes: advisory for leadership teams, subscription with episode deep dives and principles to navigate your own reality. Beer, wine, spirits, Low and non-alcoholic. Bottom-up Insights & Episode Deep Dives at https://maffeodrinks.com

  1. 120 | Guest Shifts That Actually Work | How Maybe Sammy's Hunter Gregory Balances Technique and Experience to Scale Cocktail Culture

    2D AGO

    120 | Guest Shifts That Actually Work | How Maybe Sammy's Hunter Gregory Balances Technique and Experience to Scale Cocktail Culture

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   In this second part of the conversation on MAFFEO DRINKS, host Chris Maffeo continues with Hunter Gregory, Bar Manager at Maybe Sammy in Sydney, diving into the delicate balance between technical excellence and guest experience that determines bar success.  The discussion explores why bars focusing too heavily on technique without guest experience have closed in recent years, while others with great atmosphere but weak drinks programs also struggle to survive. Hunter introduces the "pie and cherry" philosophy of guest shifts. You can't have the cherry (guest shift excitement) without the pie (consistent bar quality), revealing why some bars create amazing guest shift experiences but disappoint when visited in person.  We examine the backbreaking work of scaling cocktail culture person by person, teaching 15 guests about proper espresso martinis who then tell their friends, slowly building educated consumer base over years. The conversation covers bartender education expectations versus consumer reality (they don't care about cocktail history like we don't care about stock market details), menu design strategies that include twisted versions of top 10 classic cocktails people actually order, and the challenge of explaining how to order a martini properly without overwhelming guests. Hunter shares why eight or nine team members designed Maybe Sammy's new menu rather than the bar manager alone, ensuring both technical innovation and guest-focused accessibility.  We explore when technique-driven approaches work (Bangkok's Burus with beef broth cocktails for ready demographics) versus when they fail (Sydney's upper-middle-class scene not ready for extreme experimentation), the role of social media in playful consumer education, and why guest shifts succeed when they create curiosity rather than just industry networking. The discussion addresses the frustration of overly technical bartenders explaining entire drink concepts when guests just want a twisted Americano, the importance of brand managers attending guest shifts they sponsor, and understanding that people seek experiences making them feel better rather than cocktail education lectures. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Occasions Over Demographics in Cocktail Culture03:15 Journey Through Spirits: Negroni to Boulevard to Whiskey06:40 Maybe Sammy's Clientele: Tested and Fortunate10:25 Balancing Boundary Pushing with Guest Experience14:50 Bangkok's Burus vs Sydney Demographics18:20 Consistency, Persistence & Building Regular Trust22:35 The Technique vs Experience Disconnect26:10 Scaling Cocktail Culture Person by Person29:45 How to Order a Martini: Consumer Education Challenge32:50 Guest Shifts: The Pie and Cherry Philosophy35:30 Wrap up: Creating Curiosity Through Fun and Experience This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    51 min
  2. 119 | Does Culture Really Eat Strategy for Breakfast? How Matilda Andersson uses the 4Cs Framework to Bridge Gut-Feel Insights with Rigorous Research

    MAR 2

    119 | Does Culture Really Eat Strategy for Breakfast? How Matilda Andersson uses the 4Cs Framework to Bridge Gut-Feel Insights with Rigorous Research

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   In this second part of the conversation on MAFFEO DRINKS, host Chris Maffeo continues the discussion with Matilda Andersson, Managing Director at Truth Consulting, diving deeper into practical frameworks and methodologies for consumer research in the drinks industry.  The conversation introduces the Four Cs Framework (Consumer, Culture, Category, Company) as a holistic approach to brand strategy that moves beyond focusing solely on consumers to incorporate broader cultural shifts and company truths—revealing why culture is the most neglected element despite being critical for long-term success. We explore the dangers of drinks industry echo chambers where brands become too geeky about serves and specifications while missing how consumers actually behave.  Matilda shares insights on customer closeness programs that take design teams and brand managers out of offices to meet real customers in their natural environments. The discussion examines whether passion for the category matters for drinks professionals, the tension between short-term KPIs and long-term vision, and the challenge of bridging qualitative gut-feel insights with rigorous research methodologies.  We address what makes research genuinely useful versus a bureaucratic chore, emphasizing honesty, collaboration, and actionable insights over data dumping. The conversation reveals how brands can stay relevant across multiple generations without alienating existing customers, focusing on cultural connection points rather than manufactured demographic differences. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Making Brands Relevant Across Generations02:45 - The Four Cs Framework: Consumer, Culture, Category, Company07:20 - Culture as the Most Neglected Element in Strategy10:50 - Settling Arguments: When Research Briefs Have Hidden Agendas14:30 - Category Myopia in Drinks Industry18:40 - The Geek Problem: Serves, Specifications & Echo Chambers23:15 - Customer Closeness Programs: Taking Teams to Meet Real People27:50 - Does Passion for Category Matter for Drinks Professionals?31:20 - KPIs, Short-Termism & Fear of the Future34:45 - Bridging Gut-Feel Insights with Rigorous Research37:30 - What Makes Research Useful: Honesty & Collaboration40:15 - Wrap-up: Participation, Co-creation & Breaking Down Walls This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    38 min
  3. 118 | What Bottom-Up Actually Means: Mark Ward, Founder of Regal Rogue on the Behaviour Between One and Ten

    FEB 16

    118 | What Bottom-Up Actually Means: Mark Ward, Founder of Regal Rogue on the Behaviour Between One and Ten

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   Mark Ward, founder of Regal Rogue, joins for a conversation validating bottom-up principles through 15 years of vermouth brand building. The discussion explores the actual mechanics of turning one account into ten, ten into a hundred, and the behavior that happens in between those numbers. The conversation challenges common misconceptions about bottom-up building: it's not about being small, building slowly, or lacking ambition. It's about the specific actions required to convert relationships, the constant auditing of whether your message connects with buyers, and understanding that past success guarantees nothing about future performance.  Through examples spanning Seedlip's category creation, Diageo's Distilled Ventures program, CÎROC's P Diddy turnaround, and Regal Rogue's 15-year journey to simplifying their serves down to three drinks, the discussion reveals how the nuances of brand building remain fundamentally different across environments.  What worked in 2011 operates differently in 2026, and expertise from one launch doesn't translate automatically to the next. The conversation establishes that bottom-up isn't a "small brand" strategy. It's the behavior required at any scale when building genuine relationships and advocacy, whether you're at 1,000 nine liters or 1,000,000 nine liters. The critical work involves constant checking that what you think you're saying actually connects with what buyers hear, because the gap between brand intention and market perception determines everything. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Greetings00:40 Discussing Bottom-Up Mentality01:51 Challenges in Building a Brand03:57 Realizations and Reflections05:34 Simplifying the Brand Message08:09 Insights on Craft Brands and Big Brands12:55 Principles of Brand Building22:37 Consistency in Brand Messaging31:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    34 min
  4. 117 | The Spirits Apocalypse | How Steve Grasse's Brand Mysticism Principles Separate Survivors from Casualties in Market Correction

    FEB 2

    117 | The Spirits Apocalypse | How Steve Grasse's Brand Mysticism Principles Separate Survivors from Casualties in Market Correction

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   Steve Grasse returns to MAFFEO DRINKS for a conversation about the current state of the spirits industry. Grasse, founder of Quaker City Mercantile and Tamworth Distillery, brings perspective from both the brand building and distillery sides of the business. His previous work includes Hendrick's Gin and his current portfolio spans luxury craft spirits at Tamworth to the non-alcoholic Pathfinder brand. The previous episode with Grasse (Episode 27, recorded roughly two years ago when Brand Mysticism first came out) was one of the best-performing episodes on the podcast. The discussion examines what Grasse calls the "Spirits Apocalypse," a structural correction facing the industry through overproduction of bourbon and whiskey, shifting consumer habits, and the fading novelty of craft distilling. The conversation moves from macro industry dynamics to brand fundamentals, exploring how core brand strength determines survival when market conditions turn hostile. The talk emphasizes the importance of strong brand fundamentals, challenges of rapid expansion, and the rise of new-to-world Ready-To-Drink innovations, providing actionable advice for both established and emerging brands navigating this tumultuous market. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back 00:19 The Spirits Apocalypse: An Overview 01:15 Craft Distilling: Challenges and Changes 03:47 Brand Fundamentals and Market Shifts 05:23 Advice for Craft Distillers 08:54 Innovative Success Stories 11:53 The Importance of Core Brand Values 13:50 Adapting to Market Changes 16:07 Tamworth Distillery Portfolio and Business Model 18:45 The Celebrity Exit Delusion vs Building for Passion 21:30 Experimentation and Pragmatism Over Big Bets 23:15 Brand Ambassadors Must Drive Sales, Not Just Talk 25:40 FMCG Invasion vs Old School Intuition - Industry Polarization 28:20 On-Trade vs Off-Trade Debate is Obsolete 30:10 Board Pressure and Why Solid Brand Core Enables Tactical Freedom 33:25 Physical Fitness Core Analogy - Brand Strength as Insulation 35:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    39 min
  5. 116 | Everyone Agrees Bottom-Up, Few Execute It: Eric Franco on Why Funding Pressure Makes You Skip What You Know Works

    JAN 19

    116 | Everyone Agrees Bottom-Up, Few Execute It: Eric Franco on Why Funding Pressure Makes You Skip What You Know Works

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   Eric Franco, a former SABMiller colleague, recently Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Brewdog USA and entrepreneur who started as a bar owner, joins for a discussion validating core bottom-up principles through battlefield experience. Working long days running his own bar before selling for global brands, the conversation confirms what becomes clear through market observation: everyone agrees on bottom-up methodology in theory, but execution fails when immediate gratification culture, social media distortion, and funding pressure collide with foundational discipline. The discussion explores patterns visible across markets: brands hiring VPs before mastering founder-led selling, Target distribution forcing unsustainable multi-state expansion, and burning retail relationships in concentrated markets. Eric's owner-operator perspective adds depth to the systematic approach to channel selection, geographic expansion, and the three-year foundation period required before authentic scaling becomes possible. ​ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Catching Up01:11 Defining 'Bottom Up' in Brand Building04:36 Challenges in Brand Growth and Market Expectations09:41 The Importance of Local Market Mastery15:16 Balancing Big Opportunities with Realistic Growth32:02 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    35 min
  6. 115 | Why The Cocktail Renaissance Was Built Bottom-up: Author Robert Simonson on Documenting Cocktail History While It Happens

    JAN 5

    115 | Why The Cocktail Renaissance Was Built Bottom-up: Author Robert Simonson on Documenting Cocktail History While It Happens

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   Robert Simonson, author of seven cocktail books including "A Proper Drink: The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World," joins to discuss how the modern cocktail revival actually happened. This conversation explores how dead crafts come back to life through individuals rather than institutions, why certain innovations spread while others stay local, and the challenge of documenting history while participants are still alive. Simonson spent 18 months interviewing over 200 people across multiple continents to map how a small group of obsessives rebuilt an entire profession from scratch. The discussion reveals patterns about how quality movements emerge, scale, and risk being forgotten by the next generation. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:26 Discussing 'A Proper Drink'02:47 The Cocktail Renaissance05:07 Global Influence and Cross-Pollination12:23 Modern Classic Cocktails23:22 Local Influences on Cocktails32:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    36 min
  7. 114 | Bootstrapping Global Brands While Keeping 100% Ownership: Steve Perez on What Rally Driving Can Teach You About Focused Business

    12/22/2025

    114 | Bootstrapping Global Brands While Keeping 100% Ownership: Steve Perez on What Rally Driving Can Teach You About Focused Business

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   Steve Perez reveals how he bootstrapped Global Brands (Owner of VK Vodka Kick and Franklin & Sons) from £200k to £65 million in four years without giving away equity. Starting with zero salary while working nights as a waiter, he funded growth by convincing suppliers to extend £100k monthly credit through radical transparency.  His philosophy: "Your business is your soul, your heart. Don't give it away too easily." From his 400-acre farm supplying beef to his hotels, to using venues as R&D labs for drinks innovation, Steve's vertical integration proves you don't need London to build global brands. With 400 employees including three-generation families, he explains what rally driving taught him the about business: Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:47 Steve Perez: From Rally Driver to Businessman 02:26 The Beginnings of a Business Empire 05:40 Overcoming Early Business Challenges 08:29 The Rise of VK Vodka Kick 16:17 Bootstrapping and Supplier Relationships 22:33 The Perks of the Drinks Business 22:59 Building a Lasting Business Legacy 24:27 Family Business Dynamics 28:32 The Importance of Delegation 32:29 Navigating Risks and Trends 37:31 Vertical Integration and Local Impact 41:20 The Benefits of Smaller Cities 43:20 Conclusion and Contact Information This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    46 min
  8. 113 | Scaling Ultra-Premium Gin: Alex Watson on Growing Renais from London's Cocktail Bars to National Retail & International Distribution

    12/08/2025

    113 | Scaling Ultra-Premium Gin: Alex Watson on Growing Renais from London's Cocktail Bars to National Retail & International Distribution

    Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary   The family had been making wine in the Chablis region for 35 years. Looking at that grape pomace every harvest, Alex Watson saw what everyone else missed: repurposing it making Gin. In this conversation, Alex (who co-founded Renais with his sister Emma Watson) reveals the counterintuitive path from London's most exclusive cocktail bars to Waitrose shelves and why both require completely different strategies for the same gin. We dig into: • Why prestigious bars that love you most often move the least volume • The unexpected channel that actually builds premium brands • How wine sommeliers became his secret weapon in Michelin restaurants • The Instagram strategy that works when you're "naturally private" • Why he leads with flavor, never sustainability (even though the sustainability story is incredible) • The specific moment he knew the traditional gin playbook was broken This isn't about choosing between credibility and volume. It's about something more interesting. Listen to find out what. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: The grape distillation opportunity02:30 Renais origin story: From Chablis winemaking to spirits05:45 Leading with flavor over sustainability in brand messaging08:15 Provenance, terroir, and wine culture in spirits storytelling12:20 B Corp certification and circular economy positioning15:45 Building early credibility account by account in London19:30 The role of bartender advocacy in brand building26:15 Social media approach for naturally private founders28:40 Scaling from independent bars to national restaurant chains32:10 Drink strategy differences: Martinis vs spritzes by venue type35:20 Navigating serve complexity across different bartender skill levels38:25 Hybridization of hospitality venues and menu evolution40:15 Premium positioning strategy: Ultra-premium gin challenges42:50 Market agility and testing new initiatives at consumer events This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary

    47 min
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About

The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast delivering actionable insights for drinks leadership. For founders, directors, distributor MDs, and hospitality leaders navigating the tension between bottom-up reality and top-down expectations. 20+ years building brands across 30+ markets. Each episode features drinks builders: founders, distributors, commercial directors, sharing how the drinks industry actually works. Not the conference version. Honest conversations. Insights come from sitting at the bar. Beyond episodes: advisory for leadership teams, subscription with episode deep dives and principles to navigate your own reality. Beer, wine, spirits, Low and non-alcoholic. Bottom-up Insights & Episode Deep Dives at https://maffeodrinks.com

Information

  • Creator
    Chris Maffeo
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    123
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023-2026 MAFFEO DRINKS s.r.o.
  • Show Website
    MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab

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