# MAFFEO DRINKS | Podcast Insights & Advisory > Every Strategy Works. Until It Meets The Field. MAFFEO DRINKS Shows You The Patterns Most Commercial Leaders Miss. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### What's our Commercial X-Ray? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/about_xray/ Last updated: 2026-05-10T12:58:14.000Z **Something is not working commercially. You can feel it.** The data exists. The team is capable. The strategy made sense when you built it. But somewhere between the room where decisions are made and what is actually happening in the field, something is broken. And you cannot see exactly where. > **That is what the Commercial X-Ray is for.** ### **What it is** A complete diagnostic of your commercial situation. Sales data, account typology, territory picture, team performance, field signals, and sell-in approach. Everything that tells you where the real problem is — not the symptom, the source. No slides. No theory. No fluff. A clear report you can act on immediately. ### **What you get** **The Diagnostic Report:** delivered in two weeks after a couple of video-call and analysis of your documents. A written report covering where your velocity is actually coming from, which accounts are worth developing and which are costing you time, where the gap is between your sell-in approach and what buyers actually respond to, and what to do first. ### **The investment** **€5,000** for a Full diagnostic If we both find that you need more support, we can move to monthly sessions. We'll figure that out together based on what your situation actually needs. **To start** Email [ciao@maffeodrinks.com](mailto:ciao@maffeodrinks.com) or buy directly here. [Get it here](#/portal/account/plans) ## Posts ### What a Bottom-Up Mindset Looks Like in Career, Strategy and Leadership URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/what-a-bottom-up-mindset-looks-like-in-career-strategy-and-leadership/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:29:31.000Z *Everyone agrees with bottom-up when it is just the two of us talking. Then they walk into the boardroom and do the opposite.* The top-down path is the path of least resistance. Water runs down it on its own. Targets get written on a whiteboard, plus five, plus ten, and the only question left is how to hit the number. So experienced people, inside well-funded companies, reach for the shortcut. The shortcut has a habit of sending you straight back to where you started like on a game of Monopoly. [The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast | 133 | Chris Maffeo & Mark Burgess | What a Bottom-Up Mindset Looks Like in Career, Strategy and LeadershipMark Burgess is a global executive search consultant with AIMS International who turns the mic around to interview MAFFEO DRINKS host Chris Maffeo about twenty-plus years of building brands across…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NzExOS5wbmc-5311a811-2e69-4f74-b960-4b524c70e679.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/YmMzZS5wbmc-330041bf-c8ec-4d9d-bbb7-4ad1c93cc295.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/133?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Mark Burgess spends his working life moving leaders in and out of the biggest drinks and FMCG businesses. As a global executive search consultant with AIMS International, he watches from the outside what works and what quietly fails. For this episode, he turned the mic around and interviewed me. He pushed on the one idea I keep coming back to. > it would be building at a pace that doesn't jeopardize the future. That sounds patient. It is the hardest thing to hold when the number is due this year, and it is the only thing that compounds. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. ## Presence Is Not Distribution A listing is not a sale. Putting a bottle somewhere a customer could theoretically find it is the start of the work, not the end of it. Distribution is countable, so it gets counted. Rotation is harder to see, so it gets ignored. A brand can look like it is everywhere and be selling almost nothing, because the unit on the shelf is a hope, not a habit. This is where my years in beer still shape how I read spirits. An opened keg goes bad in about three days, and draught needs real money upfront in the font, the lines, the cleaning, so you only chase outlets that can guarantee throughput. Auditing European markets at Pilsner Urquell, I found very few pubs actually moving the two kegs a week I treated as the floor. Spirits let you forget that discipline, because a bottle does not expire on the back bar. > You may go into a bar and see lots of bottles on the back bar, and they may be there already for five years. A distribution point nobody rotates is not distribution. It is storage you paid for. ## It Has to Make Sense for Everyone Brand building is simple to say and hard to do: a move only works if it makes sense for everyone it touches. The trade is treated as a chain, or a row of separate boxes, but it is an ecosystem. Marketing, the salesperson, the distributor and their reps, the bar owner, the bar staff, the drinker. The more of them a decision makes sense for, the better the odds. Leave one out and the move quietly dies. Favor one at the expense of the rest, and it does worse than die. The clearest version is the deal that looks too good to turn down. A prestige account offers to move you from a cocktail listing into the speed rack as the house pour, in exchange for a deep kickback. Take it, and the moment the terms spill across a connected city, every other account expects the same, and you cannot afford to give it. The reputation you were building becomes the price of the deal. > It's simple, but it's not easy. A win for one account that poisons the rest of the ecosystem was never a win. ## The Boardroom Forgets the Trade The distance between a strategy and the street grows every time a leader stops going to the street. People who built their careers in the trade reach the office and stop leaving it because the office is comfortable, and a bartender's complaint is not. Then they import the playbook from their last company, forgetting it ran on that company's budget and people. A tenth of the money and a fifth of the team cannot fast-track the same plan. I have been inside this, not just watched it. When a cluster of people move together from one big company into another, they carry what they call best practices and stop questioning them, the path of least resistance again. The leader who won somewhere else becomes a king without a kingdom, promising a result the new company was never resourced to deliver. In the one-to-one conversation everyone agrees. Only in the boardroom do the forces collide. > I have no army. I'm a fancy general. A strategy built away from the trade is a budget waiting to be spent on the wrong thing. ## Why the Shortcut Always Loses The scarcest resource is not money. It is time, or more precisely the belief that you have none. A founder with investors has to show fast growth. A manager hired into a three-year window is already mid-budget before they unpack. Both feel the clock, both reach for the shortcut, and the shortcut returns them to the beginning. I think about it like the board game everyone has played. You try to fast-track it, you land on the wrong square, you go back to start, because foundations will not be rushed. The move that actually works is quieter: make small bets, watch what the market rewards, and double down there, instead of going all in on something unproven because a target demands it. > you cannot go all in on something that you don't know if it works. What the example confirms is that speed bought on credit is not speed. It is a loan the brand repays at square one. ## Honesty Is the Differentiator Talent is common. What separates the people who fulfil it from equally gifted peers who waste it is honesty, starting with honesty about themselves. Honesty with yourself tells you which room you belong in. Honesty with everyone else, playing with open cards, builds the relationships that outlast any single deal. People can feel the difference between a real conversation and a rehearsed one, every time. The sharpest version of this came from a psychologist, not a boardroom. At a leadership programme she laid out a choice she called the school of pain: forcing yourself toward the skills your career supposedly needs, against who you actually are. I am a PowerPoint person, not an Excel person, and I chose not to take the school of pain, which eventually led me out of the corporate world and into work I actually like. The same trap catches the bartender promoted to ambassador to manager until they burn out, when staying where they were strong would have served everyone better. > People are eager to grow because we've been sold this dream of up or out. What the example confirms is that self-awareness is not a soft skill. It is the one that decides whether talent ever turns into anything. ## The Moral The moral is the same in a brand and in a career. The shortcut is a loan, and you repay it at square one. What compounds is building at a pace that doesn't jeopardise the future, making sure the move makes sense for everyone it touches, and being honest enough to know which game is actually yours. Two goals down with ten minutes left, you do not score by hoofing it from the halfway line. Score the draw first. Then go and win. ### One Case in One Bar: Why Rotation Beats Distribution URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/one-case-in-one-bar-why-rotation-beats-distribution/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:43.000Z *A listing is not a sale. A bottle on the back bar is a hope, and hope does not rotate.* Most founders chase distribution because it is countable. Accounts opened, doors won, a map filling in with pins. It photographs well, and it presents well to a board. Rotation is harder to see and harder to fake. It is the same crowd coming back to the same bar and ordering the same drink by name. That is the number that compounds, and it is the one most brands skip on the way to the next pin. [MAFFEO DRINKS | The Journey To The UK's Number One Super-Premium Gin | 132Tarquin Leadbetter on building the UK's number one super-premium gin bottom-up: winning the home turf, why rate of sale beats distribution, and staying profitable to buy an infinite time horizon.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/ZcinbS1IQUwKX7Z0orIqzz6CGx9Pk3uxwL5e3pjMmXM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jODRk/NzQxY2UyMDI2ZDQ3/MzllNGEyNzEwYzA1/OWJmNC5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/132?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Tarquin Leadbetter started Tarquin’s Gin at twenty-three with fifty thousand pounds and a still he taught himself to run. Thirteen years later it is the UK’s number one super-premium gin, the anchor of a four-spirit portfolio, and it stayed profitable and self-funded through a gin boom, a COVID spike and the correction that followed. He has run every channel a spirits brand can run and survived every cycle the pattern predicts. He keeps coming back to one distinction. > There’s a saying that it’s easy to sell the first bottle, but it’s hard to sell that second bottle. The first bottle sells itself on curiosity and a good story. The second only sells if the brand earned its place, and that is the number almost nobody builds for. This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Nothing Happens By Chance: How Brands Grow Without Betting the Company URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/nothing-happens-by-chance-how-brands-grow-without-betting-the-company/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:43.000Z *The brands that catch a trend are almost never lucky. They spent years ready for a wave nobody else could see yet.* A trend is not something you switch on. By the time everyone can see it, the brand that owns it was already there, with the distribution, the demand and the product built. Everyone else is early to a party that already has a host. And the brands still standing decades later share a second habit. They grow without ever betting the company. [MAFFEO DRINKS | The World's Best-Selling Limoncello Didn't Happen By Chance | 131Micaela Pallini on 150 years of Pallini, a premium Limoncello built before the Spritz, winning the home turf through duty free, and growing without betting the company.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/a0GbDAQE4FTfrzgsJnoJ0Ie1D3S2Fz2y-exEtxbj0BM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xZDNi/NmMxNGEyMzBkNGM3/YmIyYTI1OWY4Yzg1/OGE0ZC5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/131?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Micaela Pallini is the fifth generation to run Pallini, the Roman family distiller founded in 1875\. She has a PhD in chemistry, reformulated the family's premium Limoncello di Amalfi herself, and was the first woman to lead both the company and Federvini, the Italian wine and spirits association. Under her, Pallini went from a fading Sambuca house to roughly 60% of the global duty-free Limoncello business across more than 80 markets. She has a line for how the family thinks about movement and risk. > Business cannot stand still. If you stand still, you automatically go back. So you have to find your way of working, of investing, keep the company strong, and build it one step at a time. Most brands do the opposite. They stand still until a trend appears, then bet the company trying to catch it. This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Measure What Matters: Why Brands Are Built Where the Numbers Can't Reach URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/measure-what-matters-why-brands-are-built-where-the-numbers-cant-reach/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:44.000Z *The parts of a brand that actually last are the parts you cannot put a number on. So the industry spends its money on the parts it can.* Meaning, relevance, the reason a bartender reaches for your bottle without being asked. None of it lands cleanly in a report. Sellout from a supermarket does. So the budget follows the data instead of the impact. The off-trade hands you scale and a clean number. The on-trade hands you meaning and almost nothing you can . Guess which one wins the meeting. [MAFFEO DRINKS | How To Measure Trade Advocacy And What Actually Builds Brands In The On-Trade | 130Claire Warner on why the on-trade builds brands, why advocacy resists measurement, the overlooked middle tier, and the standards that let a brand scale.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/sdFf8q0FkEw-Z3zSFbqIqhfVCvvyJpwmxQPILxEUqqg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80OTlj/M2ZiYWU3NDRiNWQ2/NTIyNzI2YmUwMmE0/Y2M3My5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/130?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Claire Warner has spent twenty-five years in this business, most of them in advocacy. She ran advocacy and World Class at Diageo, worked on Belvedere when it was still a new brand, and has spent the last decade circling one question the trade keeps dodging: how do you measure what advocacy actually does. She has just launched the Good Measure Guild to answer it. She puts the problem in one line. > What advocacy does very well is it builds relationships and it builds meaning and it builds relevance for brands. And those things are very, very difficult to measure. Most brands answer that by measuring the easy thing and quietly defunding the hard one. That is where the brand starts to disappear. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Reinvent, Don't Invent: Building in a Category the Trade Wrote Off URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/how-to-build-a-craft-spirits-brand-by-modernizing-a-classic-category/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:44.000Z *The drinks that scale are almost never invented.* Every founder wants the new thing. A serve nobody has seen, a category to own outright, clean white space on the shelf. It looks like the safe bet because nothing else is there. The problem is that a drink with no competition usually has no demand either. Somebody has to teach the world to want it, and that lesson costs more than a young brand will ever have. The drinks that actually move are the ones people already know how to order. You do not invent the occasion. You reinvent the liquid inside one that already exists. Jean-Robert Bellanger did not come from drinks. He worked in music, television, energy drinks and luxury before he and his partner Thomas launched Amaretto Adriatico in late 2019, a few weeks before the world shut. Six years later the brand sells in more than forty countries, built from outside the industry in a category most of the trade had written off as a dusty cabinet bottle. [MAFFEO DRINKS | How To Build A Craft Spirits Brand By Modernizing A Classic Category | 129Jean-Robert Bellanger on building Amaretto Adriatico in a category nobody was watching: reinvention over invention, movement, and rotation over placement.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/wa5JAN4c5p3qwdLyTJRedioRLZqDJDrhZY7oOGzoUck/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85OTRk/NWQzOGU2YzNhMTg0/ZWRmODYwOTUzNDkw/ZWUzYS5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/129?ref=maffeodrinks.com) He puts the whole approach in one line. > ***You need to reinvent or put your own twist on something which is already successful.*** Most founders do the opposite. They invent, they launch, and they wait for a market that never learned to want them. That is where the money burns. This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### When Your Brand Stops Being Yours: Following the Market After Fifteen Years URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/when-your-brand-stops-being-yours-following-the-market-after-fifteen-years/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:45.000Z *The brand you launch is never the brand you end up with.* The day you go to market, everything up to that point was your assumption: this is what it is, this is how it behaves. Then bartenders and drinkers get hold of it, and they tell you what it actually is. [MAFFEO DRINKS | When Your Brand Stops Being Yours: Mark Ward, Founder of Regal Rogue | 128Mark Ward on fifteen years of following Regal Rogue instead of fighting it: the serve, the occasion, and the portfolio all stop being yours.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/8IbNMxdeCeO2Rj3gW21p7tISG1BKEqKokesevEEHOY4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yOGQw/YTMyOTdiMzc2YzQx/NGRlMTkxNGZmNmZi/NjA1MC5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/128?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Mark Ward founded Regal Rogue and has spent fifteen years inside that handover. He launched Hendrick's into Australia in 2005, hit 2,000 cases against a 500-case target, and has watched his own vermouth get redefined by the venues that pour it. He puts the whole thing in one line. > ***The minute you launch these brands, they're not yours anymore. You're the pilot making sure the supply hits the market, but the behaviour, the interpretation of what works well, is the bartender who gives you that feedback.*** Most founders hear that and keep flying the original plan anyway. That is where the budget burns. This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Non-Alcoholic Brands Must Not Be Stupid : Win on Mysticism, Not Absence with Steven Grasse URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-non-alcoholic-brands-must-not-be-stupid-win-on-mysticism-not-absence-with-steven-grasse/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:46.000Z *Most non-alcoholic brands introduce themselves by what they are missing. The ones that matter never mention it.* The category grew up inside wellness and sobriety. So the reflex is to lead with the absence: a non-alcoholic gin, a non-alcoholic whiskey, a name that signals a fresh Monday or a modern night off. Each of those choices invites the same quiet verdict. Compared to the real thing, it falls short. There is another way to build, and it has nothing to do with alcohol. It has to do with whether the brand is a great brand at all. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Why Non-Alcoholic Brands Must Not Be Stupid: Steven Grasse on Building Pathfinder | 127Steven Grasse on building Pathfinder: brand mysticism, the comparison trap, and why a non-alcoholic brand wins by being a great brand that happens to lack alcohol.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/dKvJeXahF2c8Y-Qoyb3YBLCwmCugjBFhSyUIuTJKpvY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81M2Zj/NmNiMWNjYjNiNDI3/M2M0OWZhYWE0Mzc5/NjA0Zi5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/127?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Steven Grasse has spent twenty-five years building brand worlds. Hendrick’s, Sailor Jerry, and a venison whiskey called The Deer Slayer. His firm, Quaker City Mercantile, builds the whole thing in one room: liquid, packaging, and story together. His latest is Pathfinder, a hemp-and-root-distilled non-alcoholic spirit that walked into every Total Wine and every Whole Foods without a single trial. He did not build it as a non-alcoholic brand. He built it as a brand. His line is the whole thesis in a sentence. > ***I wanted to create a great brand that just happens to not have alcohol, as opposed to creating a non-alc tequila.*** That sounds simple. It is not the same as easy. The discipline behind it is where the work lives. How the mysticism gets built. Where the comparison trap actually springs. Why a clever name can sink a brand. Most brands in the category never get there. They are too busy explaining themselves. This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Introducing the Maffeo's Cut: Sharp 15 Minutes from the MAFFEO DRINKS Catalogue URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/introducing-the-bottom-up-cut-sharp-15-minutes-from-the-maffeo-drinks-catalogue/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:29:11.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The US Market Obsession and Why You Must Build Demand Before You Can Capture It URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-us-market-obsession-and-why-you-must-build-demand-before-you-can-capture-it/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:46.000Z Your LinkedIn feed has the announcement. Finally available in the United States. Maybe you have posted one yourself. Maybe you are planning to. The board asked about it. The investors wanted to see it. The shareholders needed the tick in the box. The US is the most profitable beverage market in the world and the pressure to be there is real. What the announcement does not say is what being there actually requires. Not to be listed. To be bought. Repeatedly. In enough accounts to matter. With enough capital behind it to survive the learning curve before the market decides whether your brand belongs. [MAFFEO DRINKS | The US Market Obsession and Why You Must Build Demand Before You Can Capture It | 126Eric Franco on what 'available in the US' actually requires, and what beer learned about rotation decades before spirits did.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/phpvQVSBt1zbZAzAhf2YNfwf2S3_DnEAOAaMXJbf_tQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83NDFj/MDAyNDYxZDczZDcy/MGQ5NWZkMTAyMDI3/Y2I4Ny5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/126?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Eric Franco has spent thirty years inside that market. He opened his first bar in 1994\. He has run brands at every scale, from local craft to global. He knows what the US looks like from the outside and what it demands once you arrive. The gap between those two things is wider than most directors account for. Eric says it plainly: “For smaller brands that wanna go wide, too wide, it could bury you quickly.” Chris Maffeo puts the same point differently: “US itself is a huge market. It’s like, I’m gonna launch in Europe. You can’t launch in Europe. There’s no such thing.” There are fifty markets, each with its own three-tier complexity, its own chain dynamics, its own consumer profile. The brand that tries to be in all of them before it has proven the model in one tends to run out of capital before it runs out of ambition. This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Modern Classic Cocktails Stopped After 2012 with Robert Simonson URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-modern-classic-cocktails-stopped-after-2012-with-robert-simonson/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:43:47.000Z Your brand is not scaling at the pace you want. You have distribution. You have accounts. You have activations running. And the velocity numbers are still not where they should be. The instinct is to add. More touchpoints. More education. More presence. But the problem is not the quantity of what you are doing. It is something structural. And it has been running in this industry for over a decade without most people in commercial roles being able to name it. Robert Simonson spent twenty-five years documenting the modern cocktail era as it happened. Not reconstructed afterwards. Not filtered through brand mythology or oral history passed between generations of sales managers. He was in the room. He talked to the people making the decisions while the bars were still open and the drinks were still new. His account is a primary source. In an industry where almost everything gets retold until it resembles something useful to whoever is telling it, that matters more than it sounds. ## Listen to the episode [MAFFEO DRINKS | Why Modern Classic Cocktails Stopped After 2012 with Robert Simonson | 125Robert Simonson, author of seven cocktail books including A Proper Drink, returns to discuss why modern classics stopped emerging after 2012 and what that means for cocktail culture's future.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/Gro7lCZfj58STJxzge1kzWNglS03ciWz0xoOshv4t80/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82Mzkz/ZTNhNWYxY2FkZWI4/ZDdjNzlkZjVkNGZi/YTc3Ni5wbmc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/125?ref=maffeodrinks.com) The modern classic cocktail canon ran from 2000 to 2012\. It produced drinks that are still being ordered today by people who assume they have existed forever. After 2012, the list closed. Nothing has joined it since. Most people in the industry have an opinion about why. Almost none of those opinions are based on a documented account of what actually happened. They are based on what someone told them, which is based on what someone told that person. And somewhere in that chain, the sequence of how categories actually get built got reversed. Most brand directors in this industry are working from the wrong version of events. Not because anyone misled them deliberately. Because the oral history that travels between generations tends to flatter whoever has the budget to repeat it. The reason the canon closed is specific. It is mechanical. And the same dynamic is running inside your brand's commercial strategy right now, producing the same result at a different scale. This analysis, and the full archive of 125 episodes, is free for subscribers. If you want the frameworks behind the pattern and a direct line to apply them, that’s Silver and Gold. Subscriptions start at €80 per month. Subscribe at maffeodrinks.com. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why You Must Think About One Case Before You Sell One Bottle URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-you-must-think-about-one-case-before-you-sell-one-bottle/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T21:48:17.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Distribution Trap: How to Know When to Go Wide and When to Go Deep (Before You Burn Every Bar in the City on a First Impression You Were Not Ready For) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-distribution-trap-how-to-know-when-to-go-wide-and-when-to-go-deep-before-you-burn-every-bar-in-the-city-on-a-first-impression-you-were-not-ready-for/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:32:19.000Z Most brands treat the first bottle as a win. A new account. Progress. It is not. It is the opening of a diagnostic. The reorder is the answer. The work between placement and reorder is what most brands skip. And the number of accounts you run the diagnostic in at the same time determines whether you can hear the answer at all. This framework gives you that work in four phases. The placement. The diagnostic window. Reading the answer. Managing the expansion. If you want the full argument before you start, read The First Bottle Is Not Distribution. [Why You Must Think About One Case Before You Sell One BottleLet me tell you something obvious. Six bottles in one bar is better than one bottle in six bars. You already knew that. I know you did. And yet this is the most debated thing I say publicly. Half the room agrees immediately. The other half pushes back before I![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The MAFFEO DRINKS LabChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/1-case-in-1-bar-2-1-eb5092a3c0cdd15cc3de6dbca26f89c635c5852528f0fad41e01ae6d53816043.jpeg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-you-must-think-about-one-case-before-you-sell-one-bottle/) ### If you are ready to work, start at Phase 1. *Who this is for: brand owners and commercial teams working the on-trade with limited resources. You have placed bottles. You are not sure why some accounts reorder and others do not. You are wondering whether you need more accounts or whether you need to do something different with the ones you have.* _This post is for subscribers only._ ### More Than Blending: Social Terroir, Consumer Intention, and Building From the Ground Up URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/more-than-blending-social-terroir-no-playbook-consumer-intention-and-the-making-of-milam-greene-with-heather-greene/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:48.000Z *Most whiskey strategies still treat blending as a compromise, terroir as marketing, and the consumer as someone to translate the category to.* The whiskeys that travel furthest right now are the ones whose builders stopped chasing the category narrative and started reading the ground under them. That came up immediately in this week's conversation with Heather Greene, twenty-five years inside the whiskey trade and seven years building Milam & Greene in Texas. She came up at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh, ran her own advisory practice, wrote a book on whiskey, and recently stepped down as CEO to lead innovation and stay closer to the consumer. [MAFFEO DRINKS | More Than Blending: Social Terroir, No Playbook, Consumer Intention and the Making of Milam & Greene with Heather Greene | 124In this episode, Heather Greene shares her journey from Scotland’s Scotch Malt Whisky Society and William Grant & Sons to founding Milam & Greene in Texas, drawn by the chance to explore how the Te...![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/appzOeqJTGWCCPwA8EWkiXMpon-5Z767U_uCfUHfquQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:800/h:800/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83Zjhk/YzY4N2U4ZjgwYjI3/Mjc0OTViZGZiZDFk/OGQzOS5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/124?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## What Replaces the Recipe The brands holding ground right now run their own operating system. They build from where they stand, with the casks they have, the terroir they sit in, and the consumer they can actually reach. Three threads keep showing up. They read their social terroir before they write the strategy. They treat blending as the method, not the compromise. They design the portfolio around consumer occasions rather than category respectability. Each thread is easy to nod at and hard to actually run. Brands agree blending matters and quietly disqualify it from the premium tier. Brands agree terroir matters and still write the same strategy that worked in another state. Brands agree the consumer matters and design the next launch for the back-bar critic. What does the method look like once a brand stops nodding at it and starts running it? What does blending look like when it is the decision, not the workaround? What does terroir mean for what gets put in a cask in the first place? DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it’s because you’re living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it’s not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Best Brands Don’t Build Categories. They Catch Them. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-best-brands-dont-build-categories-they-catch-them/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:24:51.000Z *Brands that endure don’t invent categories. They catch them before anyone else names them.* I have spent twenty years watching drinks brands launch, fight, and either compound or vanish. The pattern that separates the two groups is not the size of the budget, the brilliance of the agency, or the strength of the distributor. It is whether the brand listens to what the trade is already telling them, or invents a category from a deck. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Bottle Shops before Bars: starting at the liquid and work back towards the brand | with Duncan McRae, Co-Founder of Woven (Adelaide, Australia) | 028In Episode 028, I had the pleasure of chatting with Duncan McRae, Co-founder of Woven Whisky and a Drinks industry veteran, having previously worked with William Grant’s & Sons and Diageo. A living…![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/BNjn-67fGJ57VmW4V-c3gYQ-n1uBWFFUa3-ElGOulng/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yYWQ5/NTZkYjY3NWI5Njli/N2M1N2ZjMWQzNzJm/MDE4Ni5wbmc.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/episodes/s1/28?ref=maffeodrinks.com) When you spend twelve months building the “premium gin” narrative. The bar team adopts you as a side-grade to a better-priced competitor. Your bottle shop sales, where you weren’t trying, outpace your bar sales four-to-one. You got it wrong from day one because you never asked the trade what they actually needed. If you sell your brand into a bar by saying it’s “just like Aperol but slightly different.” The bartender hears: a kinda copy. Nobody changes from a brand they already know to one positioned as a substitute for it. You ship into a hundred bars where your consumer never sets foot. Six months later, you are working capital trapped on a shelf. You miss the next listing because the cash is dust. Your deck describes the target consumer as “25 to 34, urban, female, image-conscious.” A twenty-five-year-old urban female is a student or a busy mother. The deck flatters the agency. It teaches the bartender nothing. You write tasting notes that say “vanilla, oak, leather.” Your sister-in-law reads it. She has never chewed oak. The note exists for an industry audience, not a consumer one. These are not separate problems. They are the same pattern: a brand that was built without listening to the people who actually sell it. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Starting from the Taste Profile: when liquids transcend categories and solve a customer’s need. | Part 1/2 with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky (London, UK) | 025This is the first part of the chat with Maurice Doyle. He’s the CEO of Compass Box Whisky. He’s a coach and brings three decades of industry experience, having held senior leadership roles at Bacar…![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/BNjn-67fGJ57VmW4V-c3gYQ-n1uBWFFUa3-ElGOulng/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yYWQ5/NTZkYjY3NWI5Njli/N2M1N2ZjMWQzNzJm/MDE4Ni5wbmc.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/episodes/s1/25?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## Why This Pattern Persists The drinks industry trains its operators in category language. Brand school teaches you which segment you are in, who the competitive set is, and how you compare. Every conversation with a distributor starts in this dialect. The trade does not start there. The bartender starts with a customer at the end of dinner who doesn’t know what to order. The sommelier starts with a guest looking for something they haven’t had before. The waiter starts with a table that’s already paid for the entrée and wants one more thing. These needs exist before any brand names them. They are unmet, unnamed, unfilled. The brands that endure are the ones that spotted them first. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Georgie Bell | Taste Profile & Storytelling | The Heart Cut | 055In Episode 55, I enjoyed chatting with The Heart Cut’s co-founder Georgie Bell. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Societ…![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/BNjn-67fGJ57VmW4V-c3gYQ-n1uBWFFUa3-ElGOulng/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yYWQ5/NTZkYjY3NWI5Njli/N2M1N2ZjMWQzNzJm/MDE4Ni5wbmc.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/episodes/s2/55?ref=maffeodrinks.com) DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it’s because you’re living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it’s not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Maffeo Confidential: The Invite-Only Side of MAFFEO DRINKS. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/maffeo-confidential-the-private-side-of-maffeo-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:29:21.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### When The On-Trade Toy Breaks: Listing Fees, Distillery Trips and the Pay-To-Play Trap with Chris Maffeo at BCB URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/when-the-on-trade-toy-breaks-listing-fees-distillery-trips-and-the-pay-to-play-trap/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:48.000Z *Everyone agrees that brands and bars should be partners. Then you look at how the money moves, and the word means nothing.* I gave this talk at Bar Convent Berlin to a room of mostly brand-side professionals. The framing I opened with is the one that keeps surfacing every time I sit between a brand and a bar: the drinks industry and the hospitality industry sit on the same coin but do not speak the same language. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Partners on Paper: When Trade Investment Buys Presence but Not Pull (BCB Special) | 123This solo episode captures my Bar Convent Berlin talk on the distance between transactional trade investment and genuine partnership. I open with the refusal to call anything a playbook (“there’s n…![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/ZWRiOS5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s4/123?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## The Patterns Burning Budget You fund a guest shift in a key city. The bartender posts about it. Your brand name does not appear in the caption. Your managing director sees the post. You cannot explain why the logo is missing from a trip you paid for. You pay a listing fee to get on a cocktail menu. The menu says "gin." Not your gin. You bring the finance director to see the activation. She reads the menu. She sees a category, not a brand. You tell her to trust the process. You send a bartender on a distillery trip. They post about the scenery, the food, the flight. Your bottle appears in one Instagram story. The bartender's personal brand grows. Your rate of sale at home does not move. You sponsor a competition. The winner celebrates. Your logo sits on the backdrop. Three months later, nobody remembers which brand funded it. You are a bartender working with five brands this quarter. Your Instagram shows a different "best gin" every other week. Your credibility erodes with every post. The brands that trusted you notice. These are not separate problems. They are the same pattern: investment flowing in one direction with no mechanism to prove it ever comes back. ## Why This Pattern Persists The drinks industry has not changed its fundamental mechanics in decades. Cases still move from distillery to warehouse to bar to consumer. What has changed is the number of brands competing for the same shelf space, the same menu slot, the same bartender's attention. Big brands used to walk into a bar and see their portfolio reflected in the back bar. That era is over. A single venue now stocks bottles from dozens of producers, multiple distributors, and a growing number of independent players nobody saw coming five years ago. The pressure concentrates on the person behind the bar. Brand one says sell mine. Brand two says sell mine. Brand three offers a trip. Brand four offers a competition. The bartender who says yes to all of them becomes the face of none. And the mechanism that would force anyone to stop and map this, to ask whether the investment is producing pull or just funding presence, does not exist. Everyone agrees it should. Nobody builds it. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it’s because you’re living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it’s not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Big Realignment: Consolidation, Distribution, and What May Happen to Everyone Below the Deal in Possible Spirits M&As URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-big-realignment-consolidation-distribution-and-what-may-happen-to-everyone-below-the-deal-in-possible-spirits-m-as/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:49.000Z In our first live session, I sat down with Filiberto Amati. Founder of Amati and Associates and Head of Partnerships at MAFFEO DRINKS. Former executive at Campari and Di Saronno. He has been inside the machine that decides which brands survive a portfolio review, which brands get rationalized, and which brands get divested because they no longer fit the strategic narrative being told to investors. He has sat on both sides of the table. The episode was triggered by two concurrent M&A scenarios. A potential "merger of equals" between Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman. And a reported $15 billion cash offer from Sazerac for Brown-Forman. Neither confirmed. Both are already reshaping how the industry reads the board. The full conversation is available below. You can also listen to the extended version on MAFFEO Confidential, the private podcast for paying members. What follows is the strategic translation. The patterns that matter. ### The Patterns That Get Missed Two deals. One conversation. And most of the industry is reading both the same way: as a portfolio story. Which brands overlap? Which categories get concentrated? Which gins are redundant? Which whiskey portfolios create antitrust exposure? That is the supplier lens. It is not the commercial lens. ### **The two deals are not the same problem** A Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman combination produces geographic complementarity: Pernod needs the US, Brown-Forman needs global distribution reach. A Sazerac and Brown-Forman combination concentrates rather than complements, with both companies heavily weighted toward American whiskey and a likely antitrust review timeline of two or more years. ## If you want to re-listen to this episode, you can subscribe before to access Maffeo Confidential, our new Invite-only Private Podcast. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Love and Money: Aligning Bottom-Up Brands with Top-Down Capital Expectations URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/love-and-money-aligning-bottom-up-brands-with-top-down-capital/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:49.000Z *The brand that survives a capital drought is never the one that raised the most. It is the one that aligned what it spent with what it was actually building.* In Episode 122, I sat down with Maurice Doyle. Former CEO of Compass Box, veteran of William Grant & Sons and Bacardi. He scaled Hendrick's Gin during some of those years when there was no data to prove it was working, and helped decide whether Monkey Shoulder should survive its first years. He has sat on both sides of the investment table. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Love and Money: Value Chains, Investment Decks and the 95% Who Aren't Buying Yet with Maurice Doyle | 122Maurice Doyle discusses aligning bottom-up brand building with top-down capital in a challenging funding environment.![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/ZOlPHQgjdNAj6bItRZUg7_UjfF-_XFBK_67cY466jPE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:16/h:16/q:90/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82OTFk/MThjMWEyMzZlOGIw/ODIwYjFjMWE2ZDI5/NWM2Yy5wbmc.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/PE015j71UgMw7HPcgtGloVtduLnRN4a6hmCS6YubRzE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:800/h:800/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xOTEy/ZDYwYzVmNzM4NTFi/YTIzNDM4N2I4MjUx/NGNjNy5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/episodes/s4/122?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## The Patterns Burning Budget You raise a round. Your board sets a twelve-month target across six markets. Your team opens accounts in all six. Reorders come from two. The other four are pallets collecting dust in someone else's warehouse. You launch with a premium price point and a distinctive serve. Eighteen months in, your sales team pushes for a line extension because "the trade is asking for it." You say yes. The original vision blurs. The price premium stops making sense. Your distributor in Germany gets 35% margin. Your distributor in France gets 22%. Nobody has asked why. The gap between your gross price and what hits your bank account is wider than your entire marketing budget. It has never been on a single meeting agenda. You build a pitch deck with a world map. Fourteen countries lit up. You present it to investors. They ask one question: what is your rate of sale in your home market? You do not have the number. Your brand has traction in independent bars. Bartenders love it. Consumers reorder. But your time horizon is two years, and the brand needs ten. You run out of patience before you run out of opportunity. These are not separate problems. They are the same pattern: brands burning through capital because their objectives, their timelines, and their commercial foundations were never aligned. ## The Gap Nobody Talks About Recognising these patterns is the easy part. Every founder I speak to can point at the misalignment. They see the gap between what the board expects and what the market is ready to deliver. They feel the pressure to open new countries before the home market is locked in. What they cannot see, because they are inside it, is where the money is actually leaking. Not the marketing budget. Not the obvious line items. The structural gaps in the value chain that nobody audits because they were inherited from the first distributor agreement and never revisited. The distance between knowing the problem and knowing where to cut is where most brands stall. And when capital tightens, that distance kills. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Scaling Local Trust: How Brodie Meah Distributes Top Cuvée Wines Nationally Without Losing Its London Neighbourhood Soul URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/scaling-local-trust-how-brodie-meah-distributes-top-cuvee-wines-nationally-without-losing-its-london-neighbourhood-soul/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:50.000Z *Most brands try to manufacture trust at scale. The ones that last built it one glass at a time.* In this second part of my conversation with Brodie Meah, co-founder of Top Cuvée in London, we focused on something most founders skip entirely: the unglamorous, unscalable work of earning trust in one neighbourhood before asking anyone else to believe in your brand. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Scaling Local Trust: How Brodie Meah Distributes Top Cuvee Wines Nationally Without Losing Its London Neighbourhood Soul | 121Brodie Meah discusses how Top Cuvee transformed neighborhood loyalty into scalable brand equity through curation and community trust.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-24.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://img.transistorcdn.com/IkvT1bmM45wFGWJvd5TyQ7FYhxXgpUjKKitHupj0a64/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:800/h:800/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yZjY4/ZjEzOThiZTNlYTZk/M2E1YTdmYTgzYTNk/ZGU0YS5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/episodes/s4/121?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## The Patterns Burning Budget You open a wine bar. You stock interesting bottles. You post on Instagram. You wait for the brand to emerge. Meanwhile, across town, someone else opens a neighbourhood restaurant. They serve 40 covers a night. They learn what their regulars actually drink. They sell a team t-shirt to a customer who wears it back the next week. They cross-reference their booking system with their e-commerce orders and discover their most loyal online buyers are the same people sitting at table six every Wednesday. One is building a brand. The other is building trust. **The difference is what compounds.** ## Why This Exists This is not a recap of what Brodie said. This is the gap I keep observing between how most operators think about scaling and what actually works when you follow the evidence across 100+ conversations and 30+ markets. Brodie's journey from a single Highbury restaurant to national wine distribution is not a success story to admire from the outside. It is a pattern that keeps repeating. **The brands that scale are the ones that never tried to skip the local work.** A customer asks to buy a staff t-shirt. Then wears it back the following week. That is not merch. That is a community signal. It means the venue has crossed from 'place I eat' to 'place I identify with.' Most founders would not even notice. Brodie did. And that same instinct (observe what your community does, not what you think they want) is what drove every subsequent expansion: the wine shop, the e-commerce, the wholesale business. What follows is the full translation of what this pattern means for anyone trying to build a drinks brand, a venue, or a distribution strategy that actually compounds. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 ## Mistake 1: Manufacturing Trust Before You Have Earned It _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Chasing Distribution Before Creating Brand Demand Can Be Your Most Expensive Mistake. (And Why Understanding It Doesn't Mean You Can Execute It) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-chasing-distribution-before-creating-brand-demand-can-be-your-most-expensive-mistake-and-why-understanding-it-doesnt-mean-you-can-execute-it/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:24:56.000Z Most founders don't want to skip distribution. They want to accelerate it. They sign a distributor, secure a grocery listing, announce a market entry. It feels like momentum. The distributor has 500 other SKUs. The grocery listing rotates out in six months because nobody is buying it off the shelf. The founder understood distribution theoretically. They just executed it backwards. > *I observe this pattern systematically. Not occasionally. Systematically. Across 20 years, 30+ markets, 100+ founder conversations, and weekly field validation in bars across the world.* *Founders who sign distributors before creating ground-level demand. Founders who treat all distributors the same across markets. Founders who confuse understanding distribution structure with actually converting accounts.* Three recent conversations illustrate these principles in action. Nick Gillett, Managing Director of Mangrove Global, one of the most experienced importers in the UK, explaining the structural reality of wholesale. Sophie Cookson, founder of Craft & Culture UAE, describing what distribution actually requires in Dubai and the Gulf. Nick Guerrieri, founder of Chelly Limoncello, demonstrating what it looks like to build demand one store, one sampling, one customer at a time. Their approaches demonstrate what I observe working when founders navigate distribution systematically. **Episode links:** - [Wholesalers & Distributors Understanding](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s/60?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [Cracking Distribution Bottom-Up in Dubai and The Gulf](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/93?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [One Store at The Time Converting Demand Through Sampling](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/91?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Understanding that distribution follows demand is easy. Actually building demand before you have distribution is hard. Most founders who comprehend the philosophy still skip the execution. ## Mistake 1: Signing a Distributor Before Creating Demand _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Guest Shifts That Actually Work: How Maybe Sammy's Hunter Gregory Balances Technique and Experience to Scale Cocktail Culture URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/guest-shifts-that-actually-work-how-maybe-sammys-hunter-gregory-balances-technique-and-experience-to-scale-cocktail-culture/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:50.000Z Your brand just wrapped a guest shift activation in three cities. Industry buzz was real. The Drinks Builders who showed up were engaged. Six months later, velocity at home hasn't moved. You know that consistent, ground-level execution is what builds brands. You've seen it work. You understand the logic. But when the calendar fills with activations and the industry circuit calls, the foundation gets treated as optional. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Guest Shifts That Actually Work | How Maybe Sammy’s Hunter Gregory Balances Technique and Experience to Scale Cocktail Culture | 120In 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 e…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-24.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/YjFkMy5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/120?ref=maffeodrinks.com) --- ## The Patterns Burning Budget Your brand ambassador is at every industry event. The accounts they visited three months ago still haven't reordered. Your cocktail program earns nominations and trade recognition. Your repeat guest rate hasn't improved. You're running activations in new markets while execution in your home market is still inconsistent. The guest shift calendar looks full. The bars running those activations aren't featuring your liquid in the drinks guests actually order. Your menu signals how technically capable the team is. Most guests order the same three classics every time. You invested in events that create industry relationships. Consumer pull isn't growing alongside them. These aren't separate problems. They're the same pattern: prioritising what impresses the scene over what builds the foundation the scene runs on. --- ## What the Evidence Actually Shows Hunter Gregory is the bar manager of Maybe Sammy in Sydney, Australia, a bar that has reached the kind of legacy status where visiting Sydney means going to Maybe Sammy, the same way visiting London means stopping at the Connaught Bar. Hunter was a guest at the Mirror Hospitality Expo in Bratislava, where the energy he brought to the bar floor prompted this conversation about what it actually takes to scale cocktail culture, not just move through the industry circuit. The episode covers what guest shifts can and cannot do, why technical excellence without guest accessibility doesn't build sustainable bars or brands, and how consumer education actually spreads. Not through mass campaigns. Not through industry awards. Person by person, one excellent drink at a time. --- ## What Maybe Sammy Actually Does The evidence for how to bridge technical ambition with guest accessibility is right there in how Maybe Sammy designs their menu. They identify the ten cocktails most requested by their guests. Then they build the entire menu around those ten classics, creating a twist of each one. When a guest walks in and asks for a margarita, the team can respond: "Yes, we have a margarita on our menu. It's taken three days to make using strawberry yogurt, pumpkin bean, and a bunch of other ingredients. Try it. You're going to love it. Then ask what else you can try." The guest gets their familiar starting point. The bar gets to show them something they'd never have ordered on their own. That's not compromise. That's the sequence that actually builds palates, and builds loyalty, over time. **The pattern the evidence shows:** design around what the guest already trusts, then use that trust to take them somewhere new. Designing around what impresses your peers first is what produces menus that stall and guests who quietly order beer. --- ## Why This Moral Exists This isn't a recap of the episode. It's the gap between what Hunter documents from inside one of the world's most recognised cocktail bars and what's happening across the industry right now. Guest shifts are useful. Technical ambition matters. Industry recognition has real value. But the evidence from Maybe Sammy and from patterns visible across the bar and brand landscape shows the same thing: none of those things function properly without the foundation underneath them. Hunter calls it the pie and the cherry. The bar is the pie. The guest shift is the cherry on top. You can't have a cherry without a pie. Running guest shifts before the home bar is consistent is the operational equivalent of celebrating distribution points while velocity stays flat. This moral exists because the industry keeps optimising for the cherry while underfunding the pie. Ready to understand how the mismatch between technical excellence and guest experience is quietly closing bars, why most guest shifts aren't creating the consumer pull brands think they are, and what the evidence says about scaling cocktail culture in a way that actually compounds? Discover how the fun, curiosity, and education triangle works, why meeting guests where they are beats pushing them toward where you want them to be, and what Hunter's 15 espresso martinis example reveals about the only kind of growth that actually scales. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Bartender Education: The €150K Training Trap (And Why Handshakes Beat Handouts) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/bartender-education-the-eu150k-training-trap-and-why-handshakes-beat-handouts/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:24:57.000Z I sat through a brand training last year. Forty-five minutes of slides. History of the founder. The botanicals. The distillation process. A tasting. And at the end, the bartender who hosted it told me: "Great session. I'll probably never use that bottle." This is the €150K training trap. Brands spend six figures a year on education programs that generate polite applause and zero menu placement. > *I observe this pattern systematically. Not occasionally. Systematically. Across 20 years, 30+ markets, 100+ founder conversations, and weekly field validation. The brands that convert training into advocacy are not the ones spending the most on education. They are the ones building genuine relationships, one bartender at a time.* Three guests, three different vantage points. **Nicola Olianas**, global head of advocacy at Fratelli Branca, on how Fernet Branca became the bartender's handshake through relationships, not PowerPoints. **Roberta Mariani**, advocacy director for Savoia and Italicus, on why teaching the category beats selling the brand. And **Danil Nevsky**, the Indie Bartender, on the brutal disconnect between brand managers and bar professionals. **Episode links:** - [Nicola Olianas:](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s/64?ref=maffeodrinks.com) [Building Category Beyond Trends (Ep 064)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s/64?ref=maffeodrinks.com) and [The Advocacy Journey to Become Bartender's Handshake (Ep 065)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s/65?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [Roberta Mariani: Beyond Brand Training, Education Evolution of Aperitivo (Ep 094)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s2/94?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [Danil Nevsky: Hospitality vs Drinks Industry, Navigating Bartender-Brand Relations (Ep 074)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s/72?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Each one, from their own position in the industry, confirms the same thing: advocacy is relationship currency, not information transfer. ## Mistake 1: Confusing Product Knowledge with Advocacy DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Does Culture Really Eat Strategy for Breakfast? How Matilda Andersson uses the 4Cs Framework to Bridge Gut-Feel Insights with Rigorous Research URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/does-culture-really-eat-strategy-for-breakfast-how-matilda-andersson-uses-the-4cs-framework-to-bridge-gut-feel-insights-with-rigorous-research/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:51.000Z Your brief went to the agency two weeks before the brand plan had to be signed off. Not because anyone was genuinely curious. Because the sales director and marketing director couldn't agree, and someone in the room said "let's ask consumers." ## Listen to the episode : [Does Culture Really Eat Strategy for Breakfast? How Matilda Andersson uses the 4Cs Framework to Bridge Gut-Feel Insights with Rigorous ResearchFrom The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast: Matilda Andersson reveals why consumer research alone keeps producing the same strategic dead ends, and what the Four Cs framework actually requires when culture is the piece most brand strategies never seriously track.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-RED-SQUARE2025-3.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS LabChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/C119.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/does-culture-really-eat-strategy-for-breakfast-how-matilda-andersson-uses-the-4cs-framework-to-bridge-gut-feel-insights-with-rigorous-research/) In theory, that's research. In practice, that's settling an argument with external help. This pattern is more common than most strategy conversations admit. And it explains why research decks keep landing on tables, full of charts about what people are doing, with no direction on what anyone should actually do about it. --- ## The Patterns Burning Budget Brand managers cycling every two years means nobody bets on insights that pay off in five. The reward is for saying something smart in a meeting, not for finding something true in the market. Research briefs exist to justify decisions that were already made, not to challenge them. Consumer focus groups tell you what people can articulate. They miss everything culture is shifting toward before people can put words to it. Drinks Builders with no bar experience are deciding what drinks strategies should brand focus on. > The drinks industry competes with whisky against whisky while consumers are choosing between occasions. The category defines the arena as IWSR frames it in reports. The consumer ignores it entirely. Research comes back with data. Agencies present charts. Nobody in the room can explain what the brand should actually do on Monday. These are not separate problems. They are the same problem. Brands keep listening to the wrong signal while the shift they need to understand is happening somewhere nobody is looking. --- ## What the Evidence Actually Shows Aperol Spritz is not a brand that won because it engineered the perfect category play. It won because it became the easy, salient choice at a moment when two people are standing at a bar looking for a table. When someone says "I love a spritz," the other person says, "make it two." That ease of order, that cultural visibility, was not manufactured through serves strategy or category language. It was earned by being present at the right cultural moment and being simple enough to choose without thinking. > That is what culture does. It changes how decisions get made before consumers can tell you why they made them. Consumer research captures what people already know they want. Culture research captures what is shifting before anyone can articulate it. Most brand strategies never get there. They hear what the consumer says in a focus group and mistake that for the whole picture. --- ## Why This Moral Exists This is not a recap of the episode. It is the gap between what Matilda documents through research and what is happening inside most brand planning processes right now. The evidence for understanding culture is not hard to find. The argument is not controversial. But category myopia, short tenure, last-minute research briefs, and the reward of saying clever things in meetings create structural pressure to skip the one input that might actually change how the brand thinks. This moral exists because running consumer research and understanding what is driving your category are not the same thing. Brands that miss this distinction keep producing work that looks thorough and changes nothing. Ready to understand why consumer data alone keeps producing the same strategic dead ends? Discover what the Four Cs actually reveal, why culture is the piece most brand strategies never seriously track, what getting teams out of meeting rooms actually produces, and what research has to do differently to drive real decisions. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Bottom-Up Actually Means: Mark Ward, Founder of Regal Rogue on the Behaviour Between One and Ten URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-apple-pear-problem-mark-ward-on-why-your-message-isnt-what-people-hear-after-15-years-building-regal-rogue/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:51.000Z Your field team just hit ten accounts. You're celebrating the milestone while missing the actual work: understanding what happened between account two and account ten. That behavior between milestones is what bottom-up actually means. Most brands never study it. ## The Patterns Burning Budget You celebrate hitting distribution targets without understanding the behavior that got you there. You can't replicate success because you never identified what actually worked between the milestones. Your message isn't connecting but you're perfecting transmission instead of verifying reception. The founder who succeeded with their last brand is struggling with this one because the behavior between one and ten is completely different. You feel like you're going in circles when you might actually be spiraling upward (or burning budget while thinking you're progressing). That celebrity partnership worked for your competitor but failed for you because you copied the visible tactic without the invisible behavior. These aren't separate problems. They're the same pattern: skipping the behavior between milestones while celebrating the milestones themselves. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | What Bottom-Up Actually Means: Mark Ward, Founder of Regal Rogue on the Behaviour Between One and Ten | 118Mark 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…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-20.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: Built Bottom-up![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/OTIzZi5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/118?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## What Building Bottom-Up Actually Means Mark Ward has run Regal Rogue for 15 years after working both sides (owned his own bar, then worked global brands). His definition of bottom-up reveals what most brands completely miss. > "Bottom-up for me is how you turn one into ten, ten into a hundred, a hundred into a thousand. It's getting out there and trying to understand what it involves when you get past two, and what the behavior in between is." The work isn't achieving ten accounts. It's understanding what happened between account two and account ten. That's where the actual learning lives. That's where you discover what actually works versus what you assumed would work. Most brands celebrate hitting ten accounts without studying the behavior that got them there. They can't replicate it because they never understood it in the first place. "There's a dynamic in the business where ten becomes a hundred, but you're only in the two to ten venues or focusing on the two to 10th bib." The behavior changes at different scales. What works from one to ten doesn't automatically work from ten to a hundred. But you can't discover the new behavior if you never understood the first behavior. This isn't about growing slowly. It's about understanding the mechanics of how growth actually happens at each stage. ## Why This Moral Exists This isn't a recap of Mark's journey building Regal Rogue. This is the systematic pattern visible across brands that celebrate milestones while ignoring the behavior between them. Everyone sets distribution targets. Everyone celebrates hitting those numbers. But almost nobody studies what actually happened in the middle. What worked between account two and account ten? What changed when you went from ten to fifty? What broke when you tried to go from fifty to two hundred? The brands that understand bottom-up study the behavior between milestones. The brands that fail celebrate the milestones without understanding how they got there. After 15 years, Mark realized something most brands never discover: "I think most of the work is a constant check-in, an audit. The behavior in between, the engagement, the nurturing of the relationship." This moral exists because knowing you want ten accounts isn't enough. Understanding the specific behavior required to turn one into ten, then ten into a hundred, is what separates brands building lasting foundations from brands hitting numbers that don't sustain. Ready to understand what the behavior between milestones actually looks like? Discover how verification replaces assumption, why experience doesn't transfer between brands, what the 50 key accounts principle reveals about behavior, and how playing where people already play eliminates wasted effort. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What If The Drinks Industry Crisis Is About Obsolete Playbooks? (and why I use bottom-up empiricism instead) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/what-if-the-drinks-crisis-is-just-obsolete-playbooks-and-why-i-use-bottom-up-empiricism-instead/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:24:57.000Z When most drinks leaders hear "bottom-up brand building," they think grassroots marketing. Influencer seeding. Community building. Word-of-mouth tactics. **Wrong.** Bottom-up is empirical strategy development. It's how you know what's actually true about your markets when everything keeps changing. ## **Why Playbooks Don't Work Anymore** I used to think I could build a playbook. Document what works. Create repeatable frameworks. Then apply them across markets. But playbooks assume static conditions. The drinks ecosystem doesn't work that way. Distribution structures change. Bartender cultures evolve. Consumer expectations shift. Regulatory environments differ. What worked in Copenhagen last year doesn't automatically work in Prague this year because the conditions aren't the same. Playbooks are instructions: "Do X, get Y." That only works when conditions stay constant. Principles are frameworks for interpreting evidence: "Under these conditions, X has a higher probability of working." That works when conditions change because you're updating based on current evidence. I stopped building playbooks. Started refining principles. A completely different approach. That's Bayesian thinking. You don't defend fixed instructions. You update prior beliefs based on what's actually happening. ## **What Bottom-Up Actually Means** Empirical bottom-up reverses the normal sequence. Top-down marketing starts with theory. Demographic targeting. Brand positioning frameworks. Campaign concepts. Then look for evidence to support it and retrofit it on a PowerPoint Deck. Bottom-up starts with evidence. You observe what's actually happening in accounts. Recognize patterns forming at the bar level. Update your beliefs based on field evidence instead of defending frameworks. ## **Evidence first. Framework second.** I saw Mezcal work in Negronis before I understood why. Observed bartenders twist occasions, not invent categories. Watched tequila fail in the same structure where mezcal succeeded (despite both being agave spirits). Only after patterns repeated across markets did the framework emerge: familiar structure plus natural substitution equals scalable introduction. The pattern (twist occasions) is transferable. The execution (which spirit, which bartender, which account) isn't. That's local. Requires new evidence every time. ## **Small Samples, Strong Signal** Here's where empirical bottom-up differs from academic evidence-based marketing. Academic approach: big data, quantitative studies, large sample sizes, statistical significance. Rigorous but slow. "Here's what the data shows across thousands of consumers." Field-based bottom-up: small samples, qualitative observation, strong signal. Fast iteration. "I heard this problem in three bars, that's a pattern forming, let's test it this week." You don't need massive datasets when the signal is clear. One bartender at NoMad in New York suggests that the Mezcal Negroni isn't statistically significant. But the pattern (familiar structure + natural substitution) carries strong explanatory power. [You Can’t Build a Brand Without Owning a Category. But You Can’t Create a Category Before Recognizing One Bottom-up.Categories form bottom-up at the bar level before brands recognize them. From MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast: How Aperol became the Spritz, Seedlip captured non-alcoholic sophistication, and why your liquid’s natural characteristics determine which micro-category you belong in, not boardroom strategy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-RED-SQUARE2025-2.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS LabChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/4AABEE9A-799F-4933-A698-2A4C4A26EECD_1_201_a-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/you-cant-build-a-brand-without-owning-a-category-but-you-cant-create-a-category-before-recognizing-one-bottom-up/) Academic research would need thousands of consumers surveyed before making a claim. I need three bartenders solving the same problem before recognizing a micro-category forming. Different epistemology. Different speed. Different utility. ## **The Intellectual Honesty Requirement** This is what actually separates empirical bottom-up from everything else claiming to be evidence-based. No ego. No dogma. Frameworks serve reality, not the other way around. I have a set of Core Principles of Bottom-Up Brand Building. But they're not scripture. When field evidence contradicts one, I update it. When a market behaves differently from what the principle predicts, the principle loses, not the market. Top-down operators struggle with this because their priors are expensive. Brand positioning costs huge amount of $$$ to develop. The campaign creative took six months. > Admitting the prior was wrong means admitting the investment was wasted. Bottom-up operators update cheaply. Test one account. Adjust. Test another. The prior costs €50 in product samples and two bartender conversations. That's the difference. You stop being empirical the moment you need your framework to be right more than you need to understand what's actually happening. ## **Why Most Consultants Miss This** Consultants protect their frameworks because their business model requires being right. I protect intellectual honesty because my business model requires being useful. They interview people (secondhand observation, not direct experience). They analyze data (aggregated reports, not field reality). They build frameworks (logical derivation, not pattern recognition). Then they claim their recommendations are "evidence-based." Real empiricism means: I sat at the bar. I watched what happened. I noticed patterns. I tested whether those patterns held in other venues. When they didn't, I updated my understanding. This is why I'm still in bars every week in Prague, Oslo, Paris, Venice. Not romantic attachment. Empiricist requirement. You can't practice Bayesian updating on field evidence if you're not in the field collecting evidence. Consultants visit. They interview. They analyze. They leave. **I'm still in it.** ## **What This Means for You as Drinks Leadership** You already know the tension is real. The board wants growth. Distributors want margin. Bartenders want products that solve their problems. These aren't reconcilable through better communication. They're structurally opposed. Empirical bottom-up helps because it forces both layers to update based on evidence. Bottom-up evidence: what's actually working in accounts right now. Not what should work according to plan. **What's working this week.** Top-down evidence: what constraints actually exist at board level. Not what the field thinks those constraints are. Actual pressure actual leaders face. I bridge these because I've observed both layers long enough to recognize their patterns. When board says "we need scale," I understand the pressure. When bartenders say "another agave brand," I understand the resistance. Both are rational given their priors. The work is helping both layers update their beliefs based on the other's evidence. ## **What You Get from MAFFEO DRINKS** If you're drinks leadership managing board pressure and field reality, here's what MAFFEO DRINKS Lab offers: **Lab Membership (€60/month or €500/year):** All podcast episode deep dives (new each month). The 15 Core Principles with monthly updates. Insights from multi-episode analysis. All archives. This is systematic access to field observations from 115 episodes across 111 countries - practitioners sharing what they actually observed, not case studies or success stories. **Lab Membership + Monthly Call (€500/month or €5,000/year):** Everything in Lab Membership, plus one monthly advisory call (40 minutes). You bring your strategic questions. I provide guidance based on field evidence and pattern recognition across markets. Not generic advice - specific to your situation. Access to invite-only private podcast. This enforces empirical thinking monthly instead of waiting 18 months to discover the approach doesn't work. The model exists because drinks leadership needs someone who understands board pressure AND field reality. Someone with no quarterly target, no team to manage, no operational job to protect. Just access to conversations that don't usually happen in the same room. > Insights come from sitting at the bar. But only if you sit there long enough to separate signal from noise. And only if you're willing to update your beliefs when the noise you thought was signal turns out to be just noise. That's empirical bottom-up. That's Bayesian thinking applied to drinks strategy. Not grassroots marketing. Not big data studies. Not consultant playbooks. Field observation, pattern recognition, continuous updating, no ego protecting frameworks that reality contradicts. **Everything at maffeodrinks.com** ### Liquid Transparency vs Brand Mysticism: Why Founders Waste $$$ Explaining What Consumers Don't Buy URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/liquid-transparency-vs-brand-mysticism-why-founders-waste-explaining-what-consumers-dont-buy/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:24:58.000Z Most founders build brands around what matters to them. You spent $$$ perfecting your liquid. You documented the production process. You crafted your founding story. You explained the technical innovation. Six months later, your competitor tells a similar story. Twelve months later, consumers can't tell your brands apart. Twenty-four months later, you're competing on price because you built a brand for yourself, not for them. I observe founders making three systematic mistakes when building brand mythology. They explain production when consumers buy mystique. They center their biography when consumers buy brand worlds. They impress industry gatekeepers when consumers need emotional connection. These mistakes waste €300K+ and create brands without souls. Steve Grasse's approach demonstrates what I observe working across mystical brands. Guillaume Lambrecht's functional-made-desirable positioning. Alex Ouziel's core brand clarity. Their approaches show that mystique creates desire, founder explanations create comparison shopping. **Episodes Referenced:** - [027: Steven Grasse | Brand Mysticism: Creating Winning Brands Bottom-Up](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s1/27?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [117: Steven Grasse | The Spirits Apocalypse and Brand Mysticism Principles](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/117?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [107: Guillaume Lambrecht | Making a Functional Category Cool (Supasawa)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/107?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [108: Guillaume Lambrecht | Leveraging Trade Fairs to Drive Demand](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/108?ref=maffeodrinks.com) - [024: Alex Ouziel | Knowing Your Brand and Sticking To It (9diDANTE)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s1/024?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Understanding that brand narrative matters is easy. Building mythology that survives market correction is hard. Most founders who comprehend storytelling importance still execute transparency playbooks instead of mysticism strategy. ## Mistake 1: Leading With Production Story Instead of Consumption Mystique The scenario: You've developed a breakthrough product. Functional benefits that solve real problems. Technical specifications that outperform everything in category. You lead every conversation with how it's made, where ingredients come from, what makes production unique. Why this happens: You think transparency creates trust. You believe consumers care about your journey. You confuse what matters to you with what drives purchase decisions. Steve Grasse calls this missing the atomic structure. The center of the onion represents brand truth. When all factors align correctly, the brand vibrates. That vibration creates attraction. It's mechanical, not mystical. Get the elements right and the brand resonates. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Steven Grasse | Brand Mysticism: how to create winning brands from the bottom-up | Hendrick’s Gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, Guinness, Miller High Life | 027In episode 027 I had the honor of interviewing Steven Grasse. He is the founder of the renowned agency Quaker City Mercantile and of Tamworth Distilling. He is a legend in the drinks industry, havi…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-15.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: Built Bottom-up![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s1/27?ref=maffeodrinks.com) I observe brands wasting $$$ explaining production when consumers buy the feeling. Hendrick's Gin succeeded not because drinkers understood the distillation process but because the cucumber garnish created simple ritual. The Victorian surrealism packaging. The slightly off-kilter positioning. The atomic fusion of elements that made it magnetically different. Guillaume Lambrecht faced this with Supasawa. A shelf-stable sour mixer solving real operational problems. Technical benefits: extended shelf life (one year versus two days), batch consistency, workflow transformation. He could have led with production innovation. Instead, he positioned it as lifestyle enabler. "I can spend two hours more with my family" not "our preservation process uses advanced pH balancing." [MAFFEO DRINKS | Making a Functional Category Cool | How Guillaume Lambrecht Turned Supasawa into a Lifestyle Brand | 107In this episode of MAFFEO DRINKS, Guillaume Lambrecht explains his approach to creating market demand for Supasawa, a shelf-stable sour mixer, focusing primarily on his category creation methodolog…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-16.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: Built Bottom-up![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDY5Yi5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/107?ref=maffeodrinks.com) The brands that survive market correction have strong cores. During gold rush years, weak foundations didn't matter because everything sold. When demand softens, brands without proper atomic structure collapse. The vibration that makes brands attractive only works when all elements align correctly. **Example: Steve returned to the podcast during what he calls "The Spirits Apocalypse". Structural correction from overproduction, changing consumption habits, craft novelty fatigue. The brands dying are the ones that never built mystique.** **They listed botanicals.** **They explained terroir.** **They showed behind-the-scenes production. But consumers couldn't articulate why they'd pay premium or remain loyal when alternatives appeared.** Tamworth Distillery makes whiskey with beaver castoreum and venison. Critics said "that's not real whiskey." It got Food & Wine Innovator of the Year. It got press. It got feet through doors. The brands rigidly focused on traditional production stories are failing. The brands building worlds around their liquids are surviving. **Pattern:** The founders who waste €200K lead with transparency. The founders who build lasting brands lead with mystique. Production story supports purchase; it doesn't drive it. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Steve Grasse's Brand Mysticism Principles Separate Survivors from Casualties in Market Correction URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/how-steve-grasses-brand-mysticism-principles-separate-survivors-from-casualties-in-market-correction/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:52.000Z Your craft distillery expanded to twelve states before mastering one. Your premium bourbon sits next to MGP white labels at identical price points. Your RTD launched into off-trade without consumer pull. The apocalypse isn't coming. It's here. And it's revealing which brands built foundations versus which ones rented temporary market conditions. ## The Patterns Burning Budget COVID created artificial demand that convinced everyone they were marketing geniuses. Now interest rates climbed, investors stepped back, and cheap money evaporated. Your craft distillery opened because local novelty attracted customers. The bearded guy with a still was interesting in 2015\. In 2026, there's one in every town and most produce identical bourbon from the same suppliers. You expanded to multiple states before owning your home market because growth metrics looked impressive on paper. Now you're bleeding capital in markets you can't properly support. The premium whiskey your brand ambassador talks about passionately doesn't translate to sales because talking isn't the same as getting new accounts. Major retailers want your brand, but without existing consumer pull that first shipment will sit on shelves, fail to turn, and poison future opportunities permanently. Your celebrity-backed brand expects Casamigos outcomes when you're working with Aviation Gin budgets and neither the celebrity status nor the liquid quality to justify either comparison. > These aren't separate crises. They're the same pattern: building during favorable conditions without testing whether anything works when conditions normalize. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | The Spirits Apocalypse | How Steve Grasse’s Brand Mysticism Principles Separate Survivors from Casualties in Market Correction | 117Steve 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…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-13.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: Built Bottom-up![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/NDI3Ni5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/117?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## What Steven Grasse Reveals About Market Corrections Steven Grasse built brands across Hendrick's Gin, created Sailor Jerry, and runs both Tamworth Distilling and Quaker City Mercantile. He's also watching the spirits industry face what he calls a total meltdown. The current apocalypse combines structural shifts with cyclical correction. Overproduction created a glut of liquid. Consumer habits changed fundamentally. The novelty of craft distilling wore off completely. Technology created expectations of instant results that don't match how brand building actually works. This isn't unprecedented. The industry went through similar consolidation in the seventies and eighties. The difference now: you also face THC products, no-alcohol movements, and generation shifts in drinking behavior happening simultaneously. What survives corrections? Brands with what Steven calls atomic fusion. When all elements come together properly, the brand vibrates and that vibration creates attraction even when overall demand softens. During boom times, foundation quality didn't matter as much because everything sold. When not everything sells, it matters exponentially more. ## Why This Moral Exists This isn't a recap of Steven's observations about market conditions. This is the gap between having favorable market conditions and building something that survives when conditions normalize. The spirits apocalypse is a perfect storm, but perfect storms don't create the problem. They reveal it. Brands that expanded too quickly, hired without understanding sales fundamentals, built celebrity partnerships without substance, or copied formulas without differentiation all looked successful during the boom. The correction isn't punishing innovation. It's punishing brands that mistook favorable conditions for validation. This moral exists because understanding market corrections isn't about waiting for conditions to improve. It's about recognizing what actually creates lasting value versus what rents temporary circumstances. Ready to understand what separates brands that survive corrections from brands that disappear during them? Discover how atomic fusion actually works, why new-to-world ideas beat acquisition strategies, how Tamworth Distilling built profitability through experimentation, what premium positioning requires when mass brands match your price, and why the craft playbook that worked in 2015 fails completely in 2026. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Everyone Agrees Bottom-Up, Few Execute It: Eric Franco on Why Funding Pressure Makes You Skip What You Know Works URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/everyone-agrees-bottom-up-few-execute-it-eric-franco-on-why-funding-pressure-makes-you-skip-what-you-know-works/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:53.000Z Your field team just got 47 accounts to list your brand. Three months later, 41 aren't reordering. You know bottom-up building works. You've seen the evidence. You agree with the principles. But when funding pressure meets immediate gratification culture, execution fails. ## **The Patterns Burning Budget** Distribution numbers look impressive on investor decks while actual velocity stays flat. > Your VP of Sales can't explain why accounts aren't reordering because you hired them before you mastered selling yourself. Target wants multi-state presence, so you're expanding to markets you can't properly support. One failed retail launch just eliminated 25% of your total addressable off-trade market permanently. You're celebrating 200 distribution points while 80% of your volume comes from 20% of outlets. The big retail opportunity looked like winning but forced operational complexity that undermined everything else. These aren't separate problems. They're the same pattern: knowing what works versus doing what funding pressure demands. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Everyone Agrees Bottom-Up, Few Execute It: Eric Franco on Why Funding Pressure Makes You Skip What You Know Works | 116Eric 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 prin…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-9.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: Brands Built Bottom-up![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/ODYxNC5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/116?ref=maffeodrinks.com) **The Three Years Nobody Wants to Hear About** Eric Franco ran his own bar, opening early and closing late, before selling for global brands including SABMiller and Brewdog USA. Working both sides reveals something uncomfortable: the three-year foundation period is real and non-negotiable. This isn't arbitrary patience. This timeline reflects how long it actually takes to build genuine consumer affinity and trade relationships. Brands struggling with this timeline are fighting against the actual mechanics of how drinks businesses develop. Technology created an expectation of instant results. People access everything through phones immediately, and this mentality infects business expectations. Founders expect brand adoption to mirror app downloads when brand building operates on fundamentally different timelines. Social media amplifies this by creating a survivorship bias museum. You see Casamigos selling for $1 billion, Aviation Gin acquired by major companies, Aperol Spritz dominating globally. You mentally process these as normal outcomes rather than extreme outliers. You see the 1% that achieved lottery-ticket success, not the 99% that followed similar strategies and failed. This mental trap creates fundamental misalignment: entering the business with lottery expectations means effort invested never matches results expected. This leads to premature decisions, overspending, and burnout when reality doesn't match fantasy. **Why This Moral Exists** This isn't a recap of the episode. This is the gap between what Eric validated through experience and what's happening in your business right now. Everyone agrees bottom-up methodology works. The evidence is overwhelming. But when you raise capital based on aggressive projections, you lock yourself into an aggressive execution path regardless of market reality. The business case may not be sustainable in the time horizon you've committed to, but now the music is on and you have to dance. This moral exists because knowing bottom-up works isn't enough. Understanding why funding pressure makes you skip what you know works is what separates brands that build lasting value from brands that burn budget chasing metrics that don't translate to sustainable business. Ready to understand why your approach keeps producing temporary results despite knowing better? Discover how founder-led selling actually works, why premature opportunities become permanent obstacles, how regional focus beats geographic leaps, and what building for legacy instead of lottery actually means. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### You Can't Build a Brand Without Owning a Category. But You Can't Create a Category Before Recognizing One Bottom-up. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/you-cant-build-a-brand-without-owning-a-category-but-you-cant-create-a-category-before-recognizing-one-bottom-up/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:24:59.000Z The Spritz category didn't exist 20 years ago. Now it's worth billions. Aperol didn't create it. They recognized what bartenders and venues were already reaching for (something refreshing, playful, not too strong as an alternative to beer or wine during aperitivo) and became the household name for it. Most drinks leaders agree: category building should come before brand building. You can't own a space if you don't define what that space is. But some are skeptical. "It's near impossible to intentionally create a category," they say. So they default back to brand building within existing categories. Safer. More predictable. Less likely to fail. Here's what both sides miss: The issue isn't category versus brand. It's top-down creation versus bottom-up recognition. Categories work. But only when you recognize them forming bottom-up at the bar level, not when you create them top-down from a boardroom. Robert Simonson spent 18 months interviewing over 200 people who rebuilt the entire cocktail industry from zero. In 50 years, exactly TWO corporate-created cocktail innovations worked. Everything else failed despite massive budgets. [Why The Cocktail Renaissance Was Built Bottom-up: Author Robert Simonson on Documenting Cocktail History While It HappensAuthor Robert Simonson reveals how the cocktail revival emerged independently across cities through individual bartenders, not corporations. From MAFFEO DRINKS Episode 115.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-RED-SQUARE2025.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/C115.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-the-cocktail-renaissance-was-built-bottom-up-author-robert-simonson-on-documenting-cocktail-history-while-it-happens-more-ag/) Meanwhile, hundreds of bottom-up innovations from the same period still create value decades later. The difference isn't investment size. It's sequence. The skeptics are right about one thing: top-down category creation is nearOy impossible. But they're wrong to abandon category building entirely. Because bottom-up category recognition works. You just have to understand what you're actually doing. ## What Your Team Says vs. What Actually Works **Your team says:** "We're building a new category around \[premium/craft/artisanal\] positioning." **Reality: Categories don't get built.** **They get recognized.** Here's the nuance most teams miss: I'm not talking about creating categories. I'm talking about recognizing micro-categories that are already forming at the bar level (where bartenders and venues cluster around solving the same problem) and becoming the name for it before someone else does. Try to ask your team how they identified the category opportunity. If they say "market research showed a gap" or "consumer insights revealed demand," you have a problem. If they say "bartenders across three markets are already solving this problem inconsistently and here's the evidence," keep listening. ## But First: Know What Your Product Actually Is Here's where most teams derail before they even start. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why The Cocktail Renaissance Was Built Bottom-up: Author Robert Simonson on Documenting Cocktail History While It Happens URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-the-cocktail-renaissance-was-built-bottom-up-author-robert-simonson-on-documenting-cocktail-history-while-it-happens-more-ag/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:53.000Z Your field team just got everyone making the drink. Six months later, nobody is. Robert Simonson spent 18 months interviewing over 200 people across continents who rebuilt an entire industry from zero. What he found contradicts multiple assumptions running in your business right now. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Why The Cocktail Renaissance Was Built Bottom-up: Author Robert Simonson on Documenting Cocktail History While It Happens | 115Robert Simonson, author of seven cocktail books including![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-4.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: Brands Built Bottom-up![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/ZTUwMS5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/115?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## The Patterns Burning Budget Field teams activate something. It works while they're there. Disappears when they leave. Your training program teaches specs and steps. Knowledge doesn't transfer between markets. The innovation that took six months to develop is too complex for anyone to replicate. You're waiting to coordinate a category strategy. Meanwhile, actual innovation is happening in individual venues without you. The people who built your category are retiring. Their knowledge exists only in their heads. These aren't separate problems. They're the same pattern. Strategy assumes you build things top-down then hope they stick. The evidence says it works the opposite way. Things emerge bottom-up first. You recognize traction second. Then top-down acceleration works. ## Two Succeeded in Fifty Years Robert documented exactly TWO corporate-created innovations that worked in half a century. Everything else failed despite massive budgets. Meanwhile, hundreds of bottom-up innovations from the same period still create value decades later. The difference isn't investment size. It's sequence. ## Why This Moral Exists This isn't a recap of the episode. This is the gap between what Robert documented and what's happening in your markets right now. An entire industry got rebuilt exactly once in recent history. Robert spent 18 months writing down how it actually happened. You have the evidence. And yet brands keep inverting the sequence, pretending top-down creation can manufacture bottom-up adoption when 50 years of evidence says it can't. This moral exists because knowing the history isn't enough. Understanding what it means for your strategy is what separates brands that build lasting value from brands that burn budget on temporary activation. Ready to understand why your top-down approach keeps producing temporary results? Discover how movements actually start, how knowledge actually transfers, why simplicity determines what scales, and how to recognize organic patterns worth accelerating. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Bootstrapping Global Brands While Keeping 100% Ownership: Steve Perez on What Rally Driving Can Teach You About Focused Business URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/bootstrapping-global-brands-while-keeping-100-ownership-steve-perez-on-what-rally-driving-can-teach-you-about-focused-business/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:54.000Z *Most entrepreneurs waste months pitching investors who'll take 40% equity for speed they don't need, but what happens when you bootstrap from business failure to £65 million revenue while keeping 100% ownership?* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Bootstrapping Global Brands While Keeping 100% Ownership: Steve Perez on What Rally Driving Can Teach You About Focused Business | 114Steve 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 whil…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-26.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/OWEwZC5wbmc-2.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/114?ref=maffeodrinks.com) We discuss this exact transformation with Steve Perez, who built VK Vodka Kick from a £200k trading operation to CBI Entrepreneur of the Year without surrendering a single equity point to outside investors. ## The Real Cost of Taking Investment Nobody Talks About Conventional wisdom says scaling fast requires venture capital. Pitch decks project founder salaries of £100k year one. Investment committees promise expertise and networks. But Steve faced reality after Global Beer collapsed in 1996: banks wouldn't lend, investors saw incompetence at best and fraud at worst, and his credit rating showed virtually zero. We discuss how Steve's approach flipped standard fundraising logic completely. Founder salary remained zero while he worked weekend nights as a waiter and Saturday market stands. Every pound of profit became fuel for the next growth stage rather than satisfying shareholder expectations or exit timelines. The difference? VK grew from £200k to £2 million year one, £16 million year two, £30 million year three, and £65 million year four. The investors who would have taken 40% for £2 million in year two missed a business that multiplied 32x in two years. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 ## Why Supplier Credit Beats Venture Capital for Bootstrapped Growth _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Local vs Global Paradox: Why Skipping Your Backyard Will Sabotage Your International Growth URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-local-vs-global-paradox-why-winning-your-backyard-unlocks-international-success/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:00.000Z *Building a drinks brand that resonates globally starts with a foundation most founders overlook: being the local for millions of people right where you are. We explored how three founders navigated the tension between hometown credibility and international ambition, discovering that local relevance isn't a stepping stone to global success but the actual engine that drives it.* Most founders don't want to leave local behind. They just want to skip it. Check the box locally. Get a few accounts. Then rush to international markets where they think growth will be easier. Here's the logic I hear constantly: "We're struggling locally, so let's try Germany. Or Australia. Somewhere fresh where we don't have these issues." This is insane. If you're facing difficulties in your hometown where you actually are, how will it be easier in markets where you're not even there? You won't solve local problems by avoiding them internationally. You'll just add distance, time zones, and language barriers to the same fundamental issues. I observe three systematic mistakes that waste €200K on international expansion. These patterns repeat consistently across 20 years, 30+ markets, 100+ founder conversations, and weekly field validation. Three recent conversations illustrate these principles in action. Daniel Szor building English whisky from the Cotswolds. Michael Ballantyne creating barrel-aged tequila. Brodie Meah scaling wine retail from one neighborhood restaurant. Their approaches demonstrate what I observe working when founders navigate local versus global systematically. Understanding that local matters is easy. Actually building local presence before rushing international is hard. Most founders who comprehend the philosophy still skip the execution. ## The Three Expansion Mistakes DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Scaling Ultra-Premium Gin: Alex Watson on Growing Renais from London's Cocktail Bars to National Retail & International Distribution URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/scaling-ultra-premium-gin-alex-watson-on-growing-renais-from-londons-cocktail-bars-to-national-retail-international-distribution/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:54.000Z *Renais Gin has exceptional sustainability credentials: B Corp certified, circular economy principles, repurposing wine industry waste. Alex Watson deliberately doesn't lead with any of it.* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Scaling Ultra-Premium Gin: Alex Watson on Growing Renais from London’s Cocktail Bars to National Retail & International Distribution | 113The 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 conversa…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-27.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/NDEzYy5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/113?ref=maffeodrinks.com) We discuss this counterintuitive strategy with Alex Watson, who co-founded Renais with his sister Emma Watson, building a grape-distilled gin from their family's Chablis winemaking heritage into London's elite cocktail bars, Waitrose shelves, and 15 international markets. ## The Strategic Choice: Flavor First, Virtue Second Most brands with strong ESG credentials lead with them. Sustainability sells, right? Corporate buyers have targets. Consumers care about environmental impact. The logic seems airtight. We discuss how Alex deliberately sequences his presentations: grape distillation first, terroir and wine heritage second, then sustainability third. The reasoning is straightforward but often missed: **consumers buy based on taste, not virtue**. Leading with sustainability can inadvertently position a product as compromise. It signals good for a sustainable gin rather than exceptional gin that happens to be sustainable. The flavor and quality must stand alone before introducing environmental benefits. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Value Positioning: Strategic Approaches in the Drinks Industry URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-price-point-positioning-strategic-approaches-to-value-in-the-drinks-industry/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T07:47:04.000Z *In conversations with two founders navigating different market positions, we explored how value strategies must align with actual brand capabilities rather than aspirational positioning.* ## The Positioning Challenge We dove into one of the most misunderstood aspects of building drinks brands: price point positioning. In separate conversations with **Kaitlin Wilkes**, advocacy consultant and co-founder of the Ada Coleman Project, and **Andrew Borenzweig**, founder of Beverly High Rye whiskey, we unpacked how different founders navigate the complex relationship between pricing, venue selection, and brand perception. The fundamental challenge we identified centers on **matching price expectations with brand capabilities**. We discussed how small brands often attempt to compete at price points that require budgets they simply don't have, while premium brands must justify higher pricing through strategic placement and experience. Through both conversations, we explored how understanding your actual position in the market, rather than where you aspire to be, determines sustainable growth trajectories. We found that both approaches require honesty about financial realities, but the strategies diverge significantly based on production scale, target audience, and market positioning. ## The Small Brand Reality: Transparency Over Aspiration In our conversation with Kaitlin, we explored the economic challenges independent brands face when producing fewer than 10,000 bottles annually. We broke down how **a £2,000 menu listing fee represents a quarter of an entire marketing budget** for small brands, making the standard venue partnership model completely unsustainable. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Winning Without Deep Pockets: Maurice Doyle on Capital-Efficient Drinks Growth URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/winning-without-deep-pockets-maurice-doyle-on-capital-efficient-drinks-growth/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:55.000Z *The drinks industry has entered what Maurice Doyle calls "a new reality" where COVID's artificial boom has given way to capital constraints that force brands to finally answer the only two strategy questions that matter.* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Winning Without Deep Pockets: Maurice Doyle on Capital-Efficient Drinks Growth | 112Maurice Doyle returns to MAFFEO DRINKS to dissect the drinks industry’s inflection point, where COVID’s artificial peak has given way to a![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-28.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MTE2Yi5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/112?ref=maffeodrinks.com) The conventional wisdom says you need funding to grow. Investors, bank loans, capital raises. But what happens when traditional funding dries up and even major corporations face debt levels they haven't seen in decades? We discuss this exact challenge with Maurice Doyle, who has built brands across Bacardi and William Grant & Sons (such as Hendrick's Gin and Monkey Shoulder), and who most recently served as CEO of Compass Box. He has recently been announced as Non-Executive Chair at The Cotswolds Distillery. His perspective spans the full drinks ecosystem, from launching Bacardi Breezer to navigating today's capital-challenged world. ## The Industry's Inflection Point Nobody Wants to Acknowledge Maurice identifies the current moment as an inflection point for the drinks industry. During COVID, brands experienced what felt like unstoppable growth. We all thought we were marketing geniuses. The reality? It was an artificial peak driven by cheap money. Interest rates climbed. Investors stepped back. Banks became cautious. The easy money era ended abruptly, and the industry woke up to a fundamentally different landscape. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Middle Ground Challenge: Why Brands & Cocktail Culture Can't Scale Without Second-Division Bars URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-middle-ground-challenge-why-brands-cocktail-culture-cant-scale-without-second-division-bars/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T07:47:04.000Z *The cocktail industry faces a paradox. More bars than ever claim to serve craft cocktails, yet the gap between world-class venues and everyday drinking spots keeps widening. Between the Instagram-worthy serves at 50 Best bars and the three-ice-cube Aperol Spritz at your local cafe exists a missing middle ground that determines whether cocktail culture becomes mainstream or remains niche.* ## The Second Division Determines Market Health We explored how a city's cocktail scene gets measured not by its trophy bars but by what Francois calls the second division. These are venues happy to make excellent Negronis and proper Martinis without competing for awards or lists. They serve neighborhood regulars who want a well-made drink without theatrics or intimidation. **Francois** witnessed this firsthand in Madrid twelve years ago when the city's three or four top bars closed within months for different reasons. The scene collapsed to nothing because no middle layer existed to sustain cocktail culture. Today, Madrid thrives because dozens of second-division bars cater to locals rather than tourists, creating consistent demand that survives beyond any single venue's success or failure. **Federico** experienced the opposite problem in Rome, visiting what should have been a top-tier cocktail bar. Despite the technical prowess on display, the bartenders remained aloof and disengaged. No one asked questions or built connections. The drinks themselves felt mechanical rather than hospitable. Without that middle ground between technical excellence and genuine service, even skilled venues fail to build the loyalty that sustains markets. The maturity of any cocktail scene reveals itself in this second division. Cities without it experience boom-and-bust cycles driven by trends rather than genuine consumer adoption. **Brands attempting to scale in these markets often find themselves dependent on a handful of accounts rather than on a stable network that comes from widespread quality presence.** DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Brand's Storytelling Big Bang Cheat Sheet: 6 Bottom-Up Steps to Build Brands That Last (Before You Waste Your Budget on a Logo, Bottle, and Story That Don't Connect) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/042-building-drinks-brand-like-big-bang-theory-6-simple-tips-succeed/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:12.000Z **Dear Drinks Builder,** There's a pattern I see repeatedly with struggling drinks brands. They spend months perfecting a logo. They agonize over bottle shape. They craft an elaborate origin story. Then they launch and wonder why nobody cares. The problem isn't effort. It's that they build in a disconnected way. They create a liquid, then hire someone to make it look good. Logo first. Bottle shape. Maybe a backstory. But none of it feels connected because it wasn't conceived together. The liquid says one thing, the packaging says another. By the time they realize the mistake, the budget is gone. I've spent twenty years building brands across thirty markets, and I've watched this pattern destroy promising products over and over. So when I sat down with Steven Grasse for Episode 027 of The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast, I wanted to test whether his experience creating Hendrick's Gin and Sailor Jerry Rum aligned with what I've observed. ### What emerged confirmed something uncomfortable: most of what passes for brand building in our industry is backwards. Consider the timeline problem. Hendrick's took ten years to build. Ten years of systematic work without data proving it would succeed. Monkey Shoulder nearly got killed because the numbers didn't look right. It survived only because someone in the field noticed that a demographic thirty years younger than expected was drinking whisky cocktails in ways nobody was measuring. Most brands don't survive long enough to find out if they're working. They get killed by impatient stakeholders reading the wrong metrics, or they expand too fast and scatter their resources across markets they can't properly service, or they sign distributor agreements that trap them in relationships with partners who don't care whether they succeed. Then there's the research trap. Brands commission studies to avoid making decisions, then wonder why everything they launch feels safe and forgettable. When Hendrick's went through a focus group, everyone irresistibly grabbed the bottle, then said they hated it. The brand exists because someone trusted the grab over the words. Most companies would have killed it based on the stated feedback. And the internal boredom problem. Brand managers who've been talking about the same positioning for two years want something fresh. So they "evolve" the brand, which usually means diluting whatever made it distinctive. Meanwhile there are always new consumers entering the category who've never heard the original story, and they need consistency, not novelty. These traps are predictable. They're also avoidable, but only if you understand the methodology that actually builds brands over time rather than the shortcuts that kill them. What follows is the approach I've developed and refined over two decades, validated by conversations with practitioners like Grasse who've actually built brands that last. It's not theory. It's pattern recognition from the field. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wine for Everyone: How Brodie Meah Took Top Cuvée from One Restaurant to Retail to National Distribution URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wine-for-everyone-how-brodie-meah-took-top-cuvee-from-one-restaurant-to-retail-to-national-distribution/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:55.000Z *Most wine venues make the same mistake: they turn a social occasion into a lecture, forgetting that guests just want good drinks and a good conversation.* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Wine for Everyone: How Brodie Meah Took Top Cuvée from One Restaurant to Retail to National Distribution | 111Brodie Meah, co-founder of Top Cuvée, reveals how one neighborhood restaurant in Highbury became the foundation for a![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-29.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/NDFmZi5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/111?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## The intimidation problem in wine culture Fine dining creates an atmosphere of exclusivity by design. Leather entranceways, dark corridors with specific aromas, staff in formal attire positioned like sentries at the door. > The entire experience conveys a single message: this is not for everyone. We discuss how Brodie Meah spent years working in fine dining establishments in Australia, learning discipline, service excellence, and business operations. But he also noticed something troubling. **Most guests walking into these grand spaces felt intimidated and uncomfortable.** Service professionals spent significant time trying to calm people down and help them relax, which raised an obvious question: why create barriers when the goal is showing people a good time? The wine industry has inherited this intimidation factor. Sommeliers deliver lengthy domain histories to guests who simply want a glass of wine to accompany conversation with friends. Technical terminology like "spirit-forward" and "herbaceous" makes perfect sense to professionals but creates barriers for regular consumers. > The experience becomes educational when it should be social. We discuss how this realization shaped everything about Top Cuvée. The name itself came from a sommelier Brodie worked with, who would say certain exclusive wines were the top cuvée, meaning not for you, this is the good stuff. Brodie inverted that exclusivity entirely. Top Cuvée would mean wine for everyone. ## From fine dining to wine for everyone Top Cuvée started as a neighborhood restaurant in Hythe, North London in 2019. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Big Event Mirage Guide: The Big Event Reality Check: How to Stop Wasting Cash Before Your Brand Has Real Distribution URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/012-3-steps-improve-spend-time-money-building-drinks-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:12.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** Almost every small drink brand I see starts by trying to copy what the big players do. They spend their scarce resources on sponsorships, flashy events, and digital campaigns with influencers that don’t actually connect to where their product is sold. Big brands can afford this because they already have solid distribution. Their products sit on shelves and behind bars, and consumers and bartenders know them well. So when they spend money on marketing, it builds on a strong foundation that’s already in place. But starting out without that base is a wasted effort if you’re a small brand. [Why You Should Stop Playing Big Brand Games with Small Brand Resources99% of drinks brands I see make the same expensive mistake: They copy big brands’ practices and wonder why their money disappears with nothing to show for it. This often happens when the decision maker has previously worked for a big brand. If that’s you, you must change your mindset![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-19.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2537-2-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-you-should-stop-playing-big-brand-games-with-small-brand-resources/) I’ve lived this reality myself. When I managed brands, I was bombarded with requests for event sponsorships, openings, fashion shows, you name it. It looked like a smart way to reach the right people. But here’s the brutal truth: people would try the product at the event, love it, and then have no way to find it again once the night was over. Marketing and sales teams operated in parallel worlds that never truly synced. We spent our time and money chasing free trials that never converted into real, repeat sales. So, I drastically changed my approach. I cut out all the random sponsorships and redirected that budget into fixing the basics, building actual distribution and steady rotation in venues that mattered. Whether you’re bootstrapping or backed by investors, your resources are limited. Blowing money on flashy moves that look good but don’t deliver results is easy. ## Here’s what you should focus on instead: DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How Intimidating Menus Keep Cocktail Culture Niche (And Hunter Gregory's Approach to Breaking Through At Maybe Sammy) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/how-intimidating-menus-keep-cocktail-culture-niche-and-hunter-gregorys-approach-to-breaking-through-at-maybe-sammy/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:56.000Z *Most cocktail bars create beautiful menus and master techniques but struggle to move beyond the enthusiast crowd, where everyday pub-goers remain intimidated by unfamiliar terminology and experimental flavors.* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | How Intimidating Menus Keep Cocktail Culture Niche (Insights from Hunter Gregory from Maybe Sammy, Sidney) | 110In this episode of MAFFEO DRINKS, host Chris Maffeo speaks with Hunter Gregory, Bar Manager at Maybe Sammy in Sydney, Australia, about scaling cocktail culture beyond the usual suspects and making…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-30.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/NmUxMi5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/110?ref=maffeodrinks.com) We discussed this exact challenge with Hunter Gregory, the Bar Manager at Maybe Sammy in Sydney, Australia. Gregory transformed a possibly "stuffy" hotel bar concept into an energetic showmanship destination that serves complex cocktails to everyday drinkers all night long. ## Sydney's Quality Problem: Great Bars, Unprepared Demographics Hunter establishes Sydney's unique position in global cocktail culture through honest assessment. Sydney can be perceived as sitting roughly 10 years behind London, despite having quality bars that rival global standards (although this is a problem most cosmopolitan cities have). The city has spots showcasing the best of London or New York, but the demographic readiness for advanced cocktail culture lags significantly behind the venue quality. **The gap becomes obvious when considering experimental formats.** Often, after an elevated tasting experience with nine small cocktails, Australian guests would leave complaining about not being drunk for the price they paid rather than appreciating the craft. The comparison Hunter makes resembles eating at a fine dining restaurant and then stopping at McDonald's on the way home because you're still hungry. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Brands: Beyond Greenwashing to Commercial Success URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/sustainability-purpose-driven-brands-beyond-greenwashing-to-commercial-success/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T07:47:03.000Z The drinks industry's approach to sustainability has shifted from marketing buzzword to business imperative, but the path from purpose to profit remains challenging for most brands. Through conversations with **Stephanie Jordan** from Avallen, **Rob Malin** from When in Rome, and **Sebastian Barnick** from Pleasant Land Distillery, we explored how genuine purpose-driven brands navigate the complex balance between environmental impact and commercial viability. Their experiences reveal both the opportunities and obstacles facing brands that put sustainability at their core. ## **Purpose-Driven Origins** Stephanie's journey with Avallen demonstrates how authentic sustainability missions can lead to unexpected category discoveries. We discussed how her search for the most **sustainable spirit production method** led through extensive research into agricultural practices, ultimately pointing to apples grown in traditional Normandy orchards. These mosaic habitats proved not only regenerative but also incredible for absorbing carbon dioxide while requiring minimal water intervention. Entering the Calvados category wasn't a marketing-driven decision but rather a genuine commitment to finding the most **planet-positive approach** to spirits production. Rob Malin's approach with **When in Rome** took a different angle, focusing specifically on **packaging impact reduction**. We explored his discovery that single-use glass bottles represent 50 percent of the wine industry's climate impact, leading to his focus on alternative packaging formats like bag-in-box, cans, and paper bottles. His motivation stemmed from understanding that bulk wine shipping already happens extensively, with 95 percent of Australian wine sold in the UK arriving in bulk and being bottled locally, yet the industry remains reluctant to acknowledge this sustainable practice. Sebastian's perspective from running a **carbon-neutral contract distillery** revealed how purpose-driven operations can support multiple brands simultaneously. His facility operates entirely on renewable energy while helping other founders build sustainable production methods from the ground up. We discussed how his approach involves educating clients about **long-term business sustainability** rather than just environmental metrics, ensuring both ecological and financial viability. ## **Packaging Innovation Leadership** The conversation around **packaging alternatives** revealed three distinct approaches to solving the same fundamental problem. Stephanie's work with Avallen involved pioneering multiple formats, from the lightest possible glass bottles to partnership with EcoSpirits for bulk refillable systems in the on-trade. We explored her development work with Frugal Pack's paper bottle, essentially a bag-in-bottle system that's 95 percent cardboard with a food-grade plastic pouch, requiring significantly less water and energy for both production and shipping. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From Boardrooms to Bars: Why Market Research Fails Without Ground Truth URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/from-boardrooms-to-bars-why-market-research-fails-without-ground-truth/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T06:10:16.000Z The drinks industry spends millions on consumer insights, demographic studies, and market analysis yet consistently fails to understand actual customers. The problem isn't lack of data, it's the disconnect between boardroom assumptions and bar reality. Through conversations with **Paul Thomas** from Suntory Global Spirits, **Krista Schubert** from Overproof, and **Felice Capasso** from Sesto Senso Academy, we explored why traditional research methods often fail and what brands need to do differently to generate actionable market intelligence. ## **The Ivory Tower Problem** The drinks industry has a research problem, but it's not what you think. Brands spend millions on consumer insights, demographic studies, and market analysis, yet they consistently fail to understand their actual customers. The disconnect between boardroom assumptions and bar reality has created a gap that's costing brands serious money in misdirected marketing efforts and failed product launches. We explored this challenge through conversations with market research expert **Paul Thomas**, data intelligence specialist **Krista Schubert**, and spirits educator **Felice Capasso**. Each brings a different perspective on how brands can bridge the gap between what they think they know about consumers and what's actually happening in the market. Their approaches reveal why traditional research methods often fail and what brands need to do differently to generate actionable insights. The problem starts with **proximity bias**. Most marketing teams live and work in areas that don't represent their broader customer base. We discussed how easy it is to create strategies based on your own shopping and drinking habits, visiting the premium venues where your sales team has already prepared the ground, rather than experiencing the reality of where most consumption actually happens. This fundamental disconnect shapes everything from product positioning to distribution strategies, often in ways that undermine rather than support business objectives. ## **Ground Truth Over Assumptions** Paul's experience visiting South London supermarkets revealed the stark difference between marketing assumptions and retail reality. Every single bottle had security netting, even ready-to-drink cans had security caps, and while he was observing with colleagues, someone literally walked past, grabbed three products, and left without paying. This wasn't happening in his usual Surrey supermarket with online deliveries. This was 20 minutes from his office, where point-of-sale strategy and **premiumization efforts** meant nothing because customers couldn't see branding through security measures. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Trend of Ignoring Trends (And Why Ethnographic Research Beats Focus Groups) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-trend-of-ignoring-trends-and-why-ethnographic-research-beats-focus-groups/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:56.000Z *Most drinks brands spend thousands of dollars on focus groups and surveys yet miss the insights that actually matter. Here's why observation beats interrogation every time.* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | The Trend of Ignoring Trends: How Matilda Andersson Uses Ethnographic Research to Uncover Real Consumer Insights in Drinks | 109In this episode of MAFFEO DRINKS, host Chris Maffeo speaks with Matilda Andersson, Managing Director at Truth Consulting, about transforming how drinks brands approach consumer insights and market…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-31.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MzVhMy5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/109?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Traditional market research has a fundamental flaw: it asks people to articulate behaviors they perform unconsciously and problems they've learned to accept as normal. When drinks brands gather consumers in facilities with double-sided mirrors, they're optimizing for the wrong environment entirely. > **The real insights don't happen in research facilities. They happen at bars, in homes, at festivals, during Sunday dinners, and sometimes in completely unexpected places like McDonald's.** This distinction between where brands look for insights and where insights actually exist represents one of the most significant missed opportunities in the drinks industry today. Ethnographic research is the methodology that captures these authentic moments, and it fundamentally challenges how most brands approach consumer understanding. ## What Ethnographic Research Actually Means Ethnographic research centers on going where people naturally are and observing what they actually do, rather than asking structured questions in artificial environments. **This approach reveals unconscious behaviors and unarticulated needs that traditional research methods systematically miss.** The methodology doesn't require silent observation from a distance. Participant observation allows researchers to be present and engaged. If researchers want to study how people drink at bars, they should have a drink. If they want to understand how someone navigates their small kitchen while preparing dinner, they should help them cook and experience the space constraints firsthand. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Accessibility Challenge: Making Premium Spirits Approachable URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-accessibility-challenge-making-premium-spirits-approachable/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:11.000Z The cocktail industry faces a fundamental accessibility problem that limits its growth potential. Through conversations with professionals who work across different segments of the industry, we've identified how technical complexity and insider language create barriers that prevent most consumers from engaging with premium spirits and cocktail culture. ### **The Language Barrier Problem** The cocktail industry has developed terminology that makes perfect sense to professionals but creates intimidation for regular consumers. We explored how industry language like spirit-forward, citrusy, or herbaceous carries clear meaning for bartenders but often confuses guests who just want to understand what they're ordering. Danil Nevsky's observation about London's Cocktail Trading Company illustrates a solution to this challenge. Their menu structure includes drink names, simple flavor descriptors, ingredients, and brief explanations that help customers make decisions without requiring extensive cocktail knowledge. This approach provides enough information for informed choices without overwhelming newcomers. Federico Riezzo's experience demonstrates how accessibility barriers appear in service interactions. When bartenders use professional terminology with guests who lack industry background, the disconnect can prevent customers from exploring beyond familiar drinks. His approach emphasizes reading the situation and adapting communication style to match guest comfort levels. ### **The Uncle Test Philosophy** Kaitlin Wilkes developed a practical framework for ensuring accessibility in drink strategy development. Her uncle test principle requires that any recipe component should be obtainable and usable by someone without professional bartending experience. If her uncle wouldn't make the syrup at home, it doesn't belong in a scalable drink strategy. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Building Categories from Scratch: Customer Discovery Over Market Research URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/building-categories-from-scratch-customer-discovery-over-market-research/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:12.000Z Creating entirely new categories in the drinks industry requires fundamentally different methodologies than competing within established markets. Through conversations with founders who have successfully built new categories from personal problems, we've identified consistent approaches that prioritize direct customer discovery over traditional market research and theoretical planning. ### **The Personal Problem Origin** The most successful category creation often begins with founders solving problems they personally experience. **Guillaume Lambrecht**'s development of **Supasawa** started when he recognized citrus-related operational challenges that bartenders faced daily but hadn't identified as solvable problems. His approach required extensive observation of actual bar operations to understand the scope and impact of these workflow issues. We discussed how Guillaume's methodology involved entering bars and engaging in conversations about cocktail operations, allowing professionals to naturally reveal their operational pain points. The consistent patterns emerged: inconsistency from fruit variations, waste from spoilage, time consumption in daily prep, and quality control challenges across service periods. **Michael Ballantyne**'s category creation followed a similar personal origin. His frustration with whisky-drinking friends who wouldn't appreciate tequila led him to explore ways of bridging that gap. Rather than accepting this as an unchangeable consumer preference, he investigated whether product innovation could address the underlying resistance. **Daniel Szor from Cotswold's Distillery** approached category creation from personal passion as well. As a whisky enthusiast, he wanted to create something he would genuinely want to drink himself, in a location he found beautiful and meaningful. This personal motivation provided **an** authentic purpose that sustained the lengthy development process required for true category building. ### **Direct Validation Over Market Research** All three bypassed traditional market research in favor of direct customer validation through real-world testing. Their approaches differed in execution but shared the principle of learning from actual customer interactions rather than theoretical analysis. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why Most Brands Fail at Trade Shows (And What Guillaume Does Instead) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-most-brands-fail-at-trade-shows-and-what-guillaume-does-instead/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:57.000Z Most beverage brands treat trade shows as demand generation events, hoping to create interest, build relationships, and generate sales from scratch. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Leveraging Trade Fairs to Drive Demand | How Supasawa’s Team Optimizes Managing Sales in 55 Markets | 108Continuing our previous conversation, Guillaume Lambrecht explains his trade fair strategy for building global presence with Supasawa, focusing primarily on his BCB Berlin approach. With distributo…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-32.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDRkNS5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/108?ref=maffeodrinks.com) They invest heavily in booth space, expecting foot traffic to translate into business opportunities. But what if trade shows work best when demand already exists? We discuss this counterintuitive approach with Guillaume Lambrecht, who uses BCB Berlin not to create interest in Supasawa, but to celebrate and strengthen relationships already built through other channels. ### The Question: Are Trade Shows for Building Demand or Fulfilling It? The conventional wisdom treats trade shows as relationship-building starting points. Brands invest in impressive booths, hoping to attract new prospects and create interest from zero. This approach often results in empty stands and disappointing ROI because visitors have no existing connection to the brand. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why "Market Research" Won't Validate Your Unknown Product Category (And What Guillaume Did Instead) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-market-research-wont-validate-your-unknown-product-category-and-what-guillaume-did-instead/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:57.000Z Most entrepreneurs launching new product categories spend months on surveys, focus groups, and competitive analysis. But what happens when you're creating something that doesn't exist yet where customers can't articulate problems they don't know are solvable? ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Making a Functional Category Cool | How Guillaume Lambrecht Turned Supasawa into a Lifestyle Brand | 107In this episode of MAFFEO DRINKS, Guillaume Lambrecht explains his approach to creating market demand for Supasawa, a shelf-stable sour mixer, focusing primarily on his category creation methodolog…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-33.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDY5Yi5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/107?ref=maffeodrinks.com) We discuss this exact challenge with Guillaume Lambrecht, who built market demand for Supasawa, a shelf-stable sour mixer that created an entirely new category in the bar industry. ### **The Question: How Do You Validate Demand for Something That Doesn't Exist?** The conventional wisdom says comprehensive market research is essential before launching any product. But Guillaume faced a unique problem: **bar professionals experienced citrus-related operational challenges daily but hadn't conceptualized them as solvable**. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Advocacy Program Evolution: From Transactional to Authentic Partnerships URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/advocacy-program-evolution-from-transactional-to-authentic-partnerships/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:13.000Z Advocacy is one of the most talked-about topics in the Drinks Industry, but the traditional model of brand advocacy is broken. Across multiple conversations with industry professionals who've worked both sides of brand-bar relationships, we've uncovered a fundamental shift in how advocacy programs function and what makes them successful. The old model of exclusive partnerships and transactional relationships is giving way to something more complex and, ultimately, more authentic. ### **Drinks and Hospitality Industries need a Translator.** Danil Nevsky provided perhaps the most stark assessment of how advocacy has evolved. We discussed his observation that brand ambassadors have become intermediaries in an increasingly complex ecosystem: *"Brand ambassadors are the barbacks of the spirits world."* Like barbacks, they're essential for keeping operations running but often overlooked and undervalued. This reflects a deeper structural issue. Most brand ambassadors come from the bar industry, seeking to escape the difficulties of night shifts and operations, only to find themselves navigating corporate bureaucracy they never signed up for. We explored how this creates a disconnect where **the people meant to bridge two worlds often feel lost between them**. The challenge is compounded by what Danil described as temporal differences. Bartenders operate in real-time, adapting to immediate guest feedback, while corporate teams work with decision-making timelines that create significant lag. This means advocacy programs are often addressing problems or opportunities that have already shifted by the time they're implemented. ### **Bars <> Brands Relationships are Polygamous by Nature** Further discussion I had brought a different perspective to this evolution, acknowledging the fundamental change in industry relationship dynamics. We discussed how the modern drinks industry is inherently **polygamous rather than monogamous**. The old model of brands trying to "own" bars or bartenders no longer reflects market reality. This polygamous reality makes much more sense from a consumer perspective. People choose different brands on different occasions, so why shouldn't bars reflect this diversity? The key insight is that **authentic advocacy comes from genuine belief, not exclusive contracts**. ### **The Expectation Mismatch** We explored with Kaitlin how many advocacy programs fail because of misaligned expectations. Small brands often try to replicate the programs of multinational corporations without the resources to support them. *"A brand that is not even hitting 10,000 bottles maybe in market, cannot pay the 2000 GBP listing fee to be on a menu. Because they'll do it twice, and that's probably a quarter of their marketing budget gone for the whole year."* This creates a cycle where small brands overpromise and underdeliver, while bars develop unrealistic expectations based on experiences with global brands. The solution isn't bigger budgets, but **transparency about capabilities and realistic value propositions**. Modern advocacy requires what Kaitlin calls **authentic partnership building**. Instead of trying to match corporate spending, smaller brands need to offer genuine value that aligns with bar operations and philosophy. ### **The Service Revolution** Federico Riezzo's perspective added another dimension to this evolution. We discussed how the most effective advocacy happens through **genuine service and connection** rather than formal programs. His approach at venues emphasized creating authentic relationships based on mutual benefit and genuine hospitality. Federico's philosophy centers on what he calls **attention to detail and guest service**. This translates to advocacy relationships where the focus is on **genuinely supporting partners** rather than just pushing product placement. The most successful advocacy happens when brand representatives actually understand and care about their partners' success. This represents a shift from **program-driven to relationship-driven advocacy**. Instead of standardized activations and contracts, successful modern advocacy focuses on understanding individual venue needs and providing tailored support. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Building Authentic Brand Partnerships in the Modern Drinks Industry URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/building-authentic-brand-partnerships-in-the-modern-drinks-industry/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T07:47:05.000Z There's a fundamental misunderstanding in how small brands approach the on-trade that often leads to spectacular failures. In my conversation with Kaitlin Wilkes, who has navigated both sides of the bartender-brand relationship, we explored how authenticity and realistic expectations create stronger partnerships than big budgets and false promises. ### **The Diageo-like Delusion** We discussed one of the most dangerous traps small brands fall into: **pretending they're multinational corporations**. As Kaitlin explained, *"A brand that is not even hitting 10,000 bottles maybe in market, cannot pay the 2000 GBP listing fee to be on the menu. Because they'll do it twice, and that's probably a quarter of their marketing budget gone for the whole of the country."* This "fake it till you make it" mentality creates unrealistic expectations. Bars expect Diageo-level support and activation, while small brands burn through their annual marketing budget in a couple of listings. The solution isn't bigger budgets - it's **transparency about who you are** and what you can realistically offer. The Maffeo Drinks episode 101 with Kaitlin Wilkes | Spotify ### **Quality Over Quantity: The 50 vs 300 Rule** _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Missing Middle: Is This Why Cocktail Culture Struggles to Scale? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-missing-middle-why-cocktail-culture-struggles-to-scale/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T07:47:04.000Z A personal reflection based on some of my latest **MAFFEO DRINKS** episodes My father used to repeat this Latin quote: **In Medio Stat Virtus**. It means "virtue stands in the middle." He was right. I see a big gap in most cities, limiting the number of people who can work in our industry. You have fancy cocktail bars where bartenders act like in a theater. You have corner bars where ordering anything beyond beer or a basic spritz feels weird. But there's almost nothing in between. What? Yes. Let's be honest. This matters because when cocktail culture stays locked in the extremes, we artificially limit the industry's growth potential. If spirits companies can't scale beyond prestige accounts, fewer people can make a living in this ecosystem. **However, this missing middle problem manifests differently depending on market structure.** This gap is less pronounced in countries like the UK, with extensive managed on-trade chains, where large companies own thousands of venues. These chain operations often provide that crucial middle tier, serving modern classics alongside simple serves to mass audiences. However, this missing middle creates a significant bottleneck for industry growth in markets dominated by independent bars, particularly across much of continental Europe and beyond. Federico Riezzo and I discussed this on **MAFFEO DRINKS** Episode 105 & 106\. He worked at famous London bars in the late '90s and early 2000s. Twenty years later, he sees the same problem I see: cocktail culture only talks to people who already understand it. [Episode 105 | Federico Riezzo | The Bar Under Their Palm: London’s 90’s Cocktail Golden Era and Why Service Beats Technical SkillsIn this episode, Chris Maffeo interviews Federico Riezzo, hospitality veteran and Villa Mamo founder (a Villa in Tuscany), about London’s cocktail renaissance and why human connection beats technical skills in bartending. Federico shares his experience at legendary London cocktail bars like The Pharmacy, Lab, Sketch, and Sanderson Hotel during the![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-9.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/4-1-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/episode-105-federico-riezzo-the-bar-under-their-palm-londons-90s-cocktail-golden-era-and-why-service-beats-technical-skills/) [Episode 106 | Federico Riezzo | From Modern Classics to Accessible Culture on Villa Mamo, Terroir, and Scaling Cocktail HospitalityIn continuing their conversation, Chris Maffeo talks to Federico Riezzo about modern cocktail classics, Villa Mamo’s terroir-driven approach, and scaling cocktail culture. Federico reflects on cocktail legends like Douglas Ankrah and the era that created enduring drinks like the Pornstar Martini, Penicillin, and Breakfast Martini, while exploring why new cocktails![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-8.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/106-1.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/episode-106-federico-riezzo-from-modern-classics-to-accessible-culture/) Watch what happens in most cocktail bars today. The menu reads like a science book. The bartender explains "citrus-forward profiles" and other fancy words. The customer nods politely, then orders a beer. > We speak a language that pushes away the people we want to reach. Are we celebrating cocktail culture's growth while building walls around it? When spirits companies can't scale beyond elite accounts, there will be fewer distilleries, distributors, bartender jobs, and venues that can justify premium pricing. The ecosystem will shrink instead of growing. **The UK model shows what happens when the middle tier exists.** Chain operations democratized cocktails like the Aperol Spritz and Gin & Tonics, creating household familiarity that opened doors for more adventurous drinking. But in markets where independent bars dominate, this progression is missing. Federico sees this clearly. After watching customers for decades, he knows something we forget: people want to explore, but not if it means feeling stupid. The gap between cocktail bars and regular bars isn't about skill. It's about how we talk to people. > Think about restaurants. You have casual places, fancy places, and many options. But bars? You get cocktail destinations or basic drinking spots, with almost nothing for regular people. **In managed markets, chains can absorb the cost of educating customers across their portfolio. In independent markets, each venue must solve this problem alone.** Without mid-level bars, brands only get into top bars and bottom bars. In fancy bars, people often randomly choose a signature cocktail they don't understand and are afraid to make a choice not to look stupid in front of the teacher (yes, the bartender). In basic bars, people order simple drinks like gin & tonics and spritzes as staff don't make suggestions. That is, if they don't default to ordering a safe beer. It takes a while to upgrade an average person from a spritz to a signature drink, and without middle-tier bars, it's virtually impossible. It's like wanting a child to go from crawling to running without mastering walking first. The middle is where curious people try new things without pressure. Without that space, you just put bottles on shelves that collect dust. When bottles don't move, spirits companies can't justify the investment in bars, and the vicious circle starts: On-trade budgets get cut, and funds get redirected to Supermarket Promos that bring instant (value-eroding) volume. **I**n some markets you see a more successful integration of top-tier bars and a decent number of mid-tier venues serving mass audiences. Yet many other European cities still struggle with this gap. --- **Maybe the real question isn't how to fix the missing middle but why we created it and whether fixing it means changing who we think cocktail culture is for.** --- Brands cannot justify their existence only in top accounts so, pushed by big top-down sales targets, they try to reach targets by placing 1 bottle everywhere, in all possible bars where those bottles will often be the first and last ones they've bought. In managed markets, brands can work with chain operators to place products across venue tiers systematically. In independent markets, pushed by big top-down sales targets, brands try to reach targets by placing 1 bottle everywhere, in all possible bars, where those bottles will often be the first and last ones they've bought. **The missing middle isn't just about big cities.** It's also about the forgotten bars in smaller towns that brands barely notice. While spirits companies focus their budgets on fancy accounts in major cities, they ignore the restaurant bars in places with 50,000 people. These venues have the same problems as mid-level bars in big cities, but with even less help. A good bar in a small town might have curious customers and skilled staff, but they never see brand ambassadors or training programs. They get none of the support that flows to trendy city bars. But these are exactly the places where one passionate bartender can introduce an entire community to better drinking. When brands ignore these smaller markets, they miss chances to build real loyalty in places where word travels fast and relationships matter. These venues often have lower costs and more committed staff, but they need the same education and support that brands give to city bars without thinking twice. This challenge is amplified in independent bar markets where each venue operates in isolation, unlike chain operations where successful programs can be scaled across multiple locations. If spirits companies struggle to grow beyond prestige accounts, we should ask ourselves where the issue lies. Are we limiting our own industry's potential? If people aren't ordering more cocktails is it really "because Gen-Z are not drinking" or is it because we are creating a divide between us (the drinks and hospitality industry) and them (drinkers). > This eternal top accounts to bottom accounts without much in the middle creates this short-circuit. Does the missing middle exist because we designed it that way? Probably yes. **In markets dominated by independent bars, whenever we use industry words and assume customers want lessons over experiences, we choose who belongs in the industry.** But we're also choosing how big our ecosystem can become. Too often, our industry is about the usual known faces. If we don't get new faces in, the ecosystem struggles as it starts to be inbred. I've noticed that the more skilled we become, the harder it is to remember what it's like not to know. Federico's approach, discussed in episodes 105 and 106, works because he remembers that most people don't want to learn about spirits like professionals do. They want to enjoy them. Federico's method shows something important: people become more curious when the pressure to sound smart is removed. **When homework is no longer required, customers start exploring.** The middle market isn't less smart. They want different things. They're not looking to prove their knowledge. They want experiences that make their night better without feeling like school. We also discussed this in **Episode 092 with Francois Monti** > **There's something worth thinking about here.** _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From Modern Classics to Accessible Culture on Villa Mamo, Terroir, and Scaling Cocktail Hospitality with Federico Riezzo URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/episode-106-federico-riezzo-from-modern-classics-to-accessible-culture/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:58.000Z **In continuing their conversation, Chris Maffeo talks to Federico Riezzo about modern cocktail classics,** Villa Mamo's terroir-driven approach, and scaling cocktail culture. Federico reflects on cocktail legends like Douglas Ankrah and the era that created enduring drinks like the Pornstar Martini, Penicillin, and Breakfast Martini, while exploring why new cocktails struggle to achieve lasting status in today's social media environment. Learn about Villa Mamo, Federico's renovated 1786 Tuscan farmhouse and boutique hospitality venue, where he collaborates with local foragers to create hyper-local botanical cocktails using terroir-driven ingredients. Discover Federico's lower ABV cocktail philosophy that encourages extended social drinking experiences and better guest engagement. Chris and Federico examine the cocktail industry's workforce challenges, discussing how modern bartenders increasingly prioritize technical innovation over essential hospitality skills like guest reading and relationship building. Perfect for bar managers, hospitality professionals, cocktail enthusiasts, and anyone interested in sustainable cocktail culture, terroir-driven mixology, and the future of the bar industry. ### Timestamps: 00:00 From Douglas Ankrah's Porn Star Martini to the other Modern Classics 08:15 Cocktail Culture Gap Analysis 16:30 Villa Mamo's Terroir Approach 24:45 Lower ABV Philosophy and Social Drinking 32:20 Industry Workforce Challenges 40:04 Future of Hospitality and Scaling Culture ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | From Modern Classics to Accessible Cocktail Culture: Federico Riezzo on Villa Mamo, Terroir, and Scaling Hospitality | 106In this continuation of their conversation, Chris Maffeo interviews Federico Riezzo about modern cocktail classics, Villa Mamo’s terroir-driven approach, and scaling cocktail culture. Federico refl…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-7.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: Brands Built Bottom-up![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/YmNhMC5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/106?ref=maffeodrinks.com) ## Episode Analysis DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Cross-Category Innovation: Bridging Tequila and Whisky Markets URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/cross-category-innovation-bridging-tequila-and-whisky-markets/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T20:46:29.000Z Sometimes the most powerful innovations come from the simplest observations. In my conversation with Michael Ballantyne, founder of Storywood Tequila, we explored how a single moment of changing glassware led to creating an entirely new category bridge between tequila and whisky - and the strategic lessons that emerged from that journey. ### **The Glencairn Moment** We discussed the exact moment that changed Michael's entire approach. He was trying to get his whisky-drinking friends to appreciate tequila with him, but they kept asking *"Where's the salt and lime?"* Then his wife made a suggestion that seems obvious in hindsight: *"If you're trying to get people to drink it like a whisky, why don't you just put it in a whisky glass?"* The next time his tequila-skeptic friend came over, Michael poured tequila into a Glencairn glass without revealing what it was. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Bridging the Hospitality-Drinks Industry Divide URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/bridging-the-hospitality-drinks-industry-divide/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T20:46:29.000Z There's a fundamental disconnect at the heart of our industry that most people accept as inevitable. In my conversation with Danil Nevsky, we explored the complex relationship between the hospitality world and the drinks industry and why understanding this divide is crucial for anyone trying to build bridges between them. ### **The Two Rivers Theory** We discussed Danil's powerful metaphor for these industries: **"two parallel rivers that occasionally cross over but they very much flow independently."** This isn't just a philosophical observation. It has real implications for how brands and bars work together. As we explored, brand ambassadors often become the translators between these worlds. Danil's brutal assessment? They're "the bar backs of the spirits world" - essential for keeping everything running, but often overlooked and undervalued. Most BAs come from the bar industry wanting to escape night shifts and operations, only to find themselves navigating corporate bureaucracy they never signed up for. Let's dive in: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Bar Under Their Palm: Federico Riezzo on London's 90's Cocktail Golden Era and Why Service Beats Technical Skills URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/episode-105-federico-riezzo-the-bar-under-their-palm-londons-90s-cocktail-golden-era-and-why-service-beats-technical-skills/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:58.000Z **In this episode, Chris Maffeo interviews Federico Riezzo**, hospitality veteran and Villa Mamo founder (a Villa in Tuscany), about London's cocktail renaissance and why human connection beats technical skills in bartending. Federico shares his experience at legendary London cocktail bars like The Pharmacy, Lab, Sketch, and Sanderson Hotel during the late 90s and early 2000s cocktail revival. Learn how exceptional bartenders combined technical excellence with infectious energy to create welcoming environments that prioritize guest experience over complex mixology. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | The Bar Under Their Palm: Federico Riezzo on London 90’s Cocktail Golden Era and Why Service Beats Technical Skills | 105In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks to Federico Riezzo, hospitality veteran and founder of Villa Mamo (a Villa in Tuscany), about London’s cocktail renaissance and why human connection beats techni…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-34.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/YmRlMC5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/105?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Chris and Federico explore how service philosophy transforms bartenders into "gatekeepers of sales" through trust-building techniques like spirit sampling and storytelling. Discover practical hospitality strategies that create memorable bar experiences, generate customer loyalty, and drive organic word-of-mouth marketing in the cocktail industry. Perfect for bartenders, bar managers, hospitality professionals, cocktail enthusiasts, and anyone interested in London's cocktail history and modern bar service excellence. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and Villa Mamo Overview 08:15 London Cocktail Renaissance Era 16:30 Service Philosophy vs Technical Skills 24:45 Trust-Building Through Sampling 32:20 Munich Bar Experience Example 37:46 Gatekeepers of Sales Concept ## Episode Analysis DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Brand Training Blueprint: How to Avoid The Biggest Mistakes Brands Make (Saving You From Polite Nodding People and Zero Sales) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/008-stepchange-advocacy-training-customers-want-learn/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:13.000Z Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder, I'm sure it has happened to you during training. You got that feeling that you are missing the last mile to the market. The brand is great, you're feeling enchanted but: so what, now? I've done more than 100 brand induction presentations in my career. Whether to new colleagues, distributors, sales teams, or bartenders, it's the same. I remember putting my utmost effort into making them live the brand and making the effect last longer. I am sure it worked for a while. But then I started to become skeptical about its long-term effect on their share of mind. ### The "So What?" Moment You know that sinking feeling mid-presentation? When you're deep into your brand story, heritage, and liquid specs, and you see glazed eyes staring back at you. They're polite. They nod. But behind those eyes, there's one burning question: "So what do I actually DO with this information?" I started feeling that these presentations were too brand-driven. They lacked commercial implications in the market. Where should they sell it? On which occasion should they recommend it? I told them a lot about history, provenance, and the liquid but I'm sure it left them with a burning question: So what? What will I do with this amazing brand now? ### The Forgotten Training Problem Here's what I discovered watching hundreds of these sessions: **The brands spending the most on elaborate training often see the least sustainable growth.** Three months after your beautiful presentation, nobody remembers your founder's journey or your unique botanical blend. But they definitely remember that other brand that showed them exactly when and how to make money with their product. The brutal reality? Most brand training sounds identical. "Award-winning founder... hand crafted... born in 1880..." Everyone has the same story. Your "unique" heritage probably sounds exactly like the last three presentations they sat through. Meanwhile, staff turnover means you're constantly re-educating new people. That expensive training you spent weeks preparing? You'll need to do it again next quarter for a mostly different audience. ### The Real Problem We're teaching people to love our brands, but we're not teaching them to sell our brands. We explain what makes us special, but not what makes us useful. We talk about our liquid, but not about the occasions when someone should choose it over the ten other bottles behind the bar. The bartender learns your gin has 12 botanicals but doesn't know whether to recommend it for a Negroni or a Martini. The sales rep knows your whiskey's mash bill but can't explain to a restaurant why they should stock it over what they currently pour. No wonder so many bar owners are reluctant to host advocacy training anymore. --- **This is where most brands lose the game in the gap between brand knowledge and commercial application.** **But there's a systematic way to bridge this gap that scales infinitely and creates lasting behavior change, not just temporary brand enthusiasm.** _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why I Don't Share "Best Practices" (And What I Do Instead) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-i-dont-share-best-practices-and-what-i-do-instead/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:17.000Z *The drinks ecosystem is too complex for cookie-cutter solutions* ### The Question I Get Asked Most "Chris, what are the best practices for building a drinks brand?" I understand why people ask this. After twenty years in the beverage industry, working across thirty markets on four continents, they expect me to have a playbook of proven tactics that guarantee success. But here's the uncomfortable truth: "best practices" don't exist in the drinks industry, at least not in the way most people think about them. I'm not a guru and there's no secret formula that guarantees success, no cookie-cutter solutions that work for every brand, and indeed no silver bullets that magically solve the complex challenges of building drinks brands. ### Why "Best Practices" Are Dangerous The drinks industry is littered with brands trying to copy what worked for another brand without understanding why, when, or what specific drinks ecosystem conditions made it successful. A strategy that drives remarkable results for one brand in one market at once might be completely ineffective or even damaging for another brand operating under different circumstances. Without understanding the context of why specific successes or failures happened, without knowing what was occurring within the broader drinks ecosystem at that moment, these "best practices" become worse than useless, they become misleading. They create false confidence in approaches that might be inappropriate for current market conditions. ### The Ecosystem Reality No brand works in isolation. Success depends on complex ecosystem dynamics involving distributors, competitors, regulatory changes, cultural shifts, and countless other factors beyond any single brand's control. Each market has its own dynamics, and each moment in time presents different challenges. What worked brilliantly in one situation might fail completely in another. > After decades of experience, this has made me more humble, not more certain. The more I've seen, the more I understand how much context matters and how quickly things can change. ### What I Do Instead: Systematic Learning _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Building A New Spirits Category: The English Whisky Example URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/building-english-spirits-as-a-category/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T20:46:32.000Z Sometimes the most transformative business ideas emerge from the simplest observations. In my conversation with Daniel Szor, founder of Cotswolds Distillery, we explored how English spirits are being built as a category through persistence, authenticity, and strategic thinking that challenges conventional wisdom. ### **The Barley Field Epiphany** We discussed the exact moment that changed everything for Daniel - and it wasn't in a boardroom or during a distillery tour. It was July 2012, a beautiful Sunday afternoon after lunch with *"probably a little bit too much wine."* Daniel was looking out at his farmhouse window, watching barley ripple in the breeze, when a thought struck him: *"They grow a lot of barley here. And there's also 35 million visitors a year that come to the Cotswolds. Maybe we could build a whisky distillery."* This moment of inspiration came from his deep knowledge of Bruichladdich's story - how they had successfully built a brand around **sense of place**. As Daniel noted: *"I said, I don't have to bring barley farming to the Cotswolds. It's been there forever."* But Daniel came to this realization through an unconventional path. After working in finance for three decades, a personal crisis led him and his wife to buy a farmhouse in the Cotswolds. What started as weekend retreat became the foundation for something entirely different when he had that barley field epiphany. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Zebra-Striping Between Categories To Elevate Occasions with Filiberto Amati URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/episode-104-filiberto-amati-zebra-striping-between-categories-to-elevate-occasions-2/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:36:59.000Z **Filiberto Amati**, Founder of **Amati & Associates** and Head of Partnerships at **MAFFEO DRINKS** returns to dissect the post-COVID reality facing the spirits industry, revealing how the pandemic created a temporary "shock" that inflated off-trade volumes while disrupting traditional brand-building pathways. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Zebra-Striping Between Categories to Elevate Occasions with Filiberto Amati | 104Filiberto Amati, Founder of ‪AmatiAssociates‬ and Head of Partnerships at MAFFEO DRINKS, is a veteran of major spirits companies, including Campari and Di Saronno.He dissects the post-COVID reality…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-35.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/NjM3My5qcGc.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/104?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Five years later, Filiberto explains how consumption patterns are realigning to pre-pandemic trends, exposing brands that gained artificial traction during lockdowns without building genuine consumer education or loyalty. We explore the ongoing "blurring" of categories as consumers increasingly choose drinks based on occasion rather than traditional spirits classifications, the critical role of route-to-market consolidation across beer, spirits, and soft drinks, and how cultural movements not liquid quality alone drive the most successful brand rituals from Aperol's orange visual cue to Corona's lime mythology. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and COVID Impact Context 03:45 Post-Pandemic Volume Normalization 09:20 On-Trade Education Crisis Analysis 16:15 Off-Trade vs On-Trade Dynamics 23:30 Category Blurrification and Zebra Striping Occasions 28:45 Route-to-Market Consolidation Trends ## Episode Analysis DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Sales Team Hiring Checklist: 4 Simple Steps to Choose The Right Person URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/009-choose-right-profile-sales-team-4-simple-steps/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:52.000Z **Avoiding Having to Search Again in 3 Months, After Losing Important Customers** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid.* --- **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** People often ask me for the “secret sauce” to hiring the right team. I always disappoint them a little when I say there’s no silver bullet. But there *is* a way to get far closer to the right fit than most brands do. The first thing I tell them: it all starts with your goal in that market.Are you launching something brand new? Rejuvenating a tired brand? Moving from bars to bottle shops? Scaling up to modern retail? E ach of those goals demands a very different person and yet, 99% of the time when I hear a hiring request, it’s just a job title. “Sales Director.” “Brand Ambassador.” “Junior Business Development Manager.” The problem? Titles are meaningless without the details. And here’s the issue a lot of those titles aren’t even created with the market in mind. They’re the product of corporate politics: an internal hierarchy to justify salaries, reporting lines, or someone’s promotion. The title might make sense on an org chart, but it often has little to do with what’s actually needed on the ground to grow your brand. That’s how you end up with a “Sales Director” who manages exactly zero people the king without a kingdom. ## Here is my 4-step approach: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Revolution Reshaping the Drinks Ecosystem (E.g., Diageo, Pernod-Ricard, Campari, Brown-Forman, etc.) with Filiberto Amati URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/episode-103-filiberto-amati-the-revolution-reshaping-the-drinks-ecosystem-e-g-diageo-pernod-ricard-campari-brown-forman-etc/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:00.000Z **Filiberto Amati**, Founder of **Amati & Associates** and Head of Partnerships at **MAFFEO DRINKS,** is a veteran of major spirits companies, including Campari and Di Saronno. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | The Revolution Reshaping the Drinks Ecosystem with Filiberto Amati (E.g. Diageo, Pernod-Ricard, Campari, Brown-Forman, etc.) | 103Filiberto Amati, Founder of Amati & Associates and Head of Partnerships at MAFFEO DRINKS, is a veteran of major spirits companies, including Campari and Di Saronno. He dissects the seismic![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-36.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/NmU5Zi5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/103?ref=maffeodrinks.com) He dissects the seismic "shrink for growth" transformation, reshaping the global spirits industry. Drawing from his deep FMCG expertise, Filiberto explains how spirits companies are finally adopting consolidation strategies that transformed consumer goods giants two decades ago moving from "economies of scale" obsessions to a strategic "economies of scope" focus. As Campari divests Cinzano, Brown-Forman sells Finlandia, and Diageo sells Pampero Rum, Filiberto reveals how this isn't random portfolio shuffling but a calculated response to activist investor pressure and economic uncertainty. The conversation explores if mega-mergers are likely in the fragmented spirits industry, how mid-tier players like Gruppo Montenegro and Caffo are capitalizing on cast-off assets to build global scale, and why this inflection point will reshape competitive dynamics for the next 10-15 years. **Disclaimer: All analysis is based on publicly available information**. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and FMCG Context 02:15 Shrink for Growth Phenomenon Explained 06:30 Economies of Scale vs Scope 12:45 Industry Fragmentation Reality 18:20 Listed vs Private Company Dynamics 23:10 Mid-Tier Consolidation Opportunities 28:15 Future Industry Structure Predictions ## Episode Analysis DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why You Should Stop Playing Big Brand Games with Small Brand Resources URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-you-should-stop-playing-big-brand-games-with-small-brand-resources/ Last updated: 2026-04-12T11:24:21.000Z 99% of drinks brands I see make the same expensive mistake: They copy big brands' practices and wonder why their money disappears with nothing to show for it. This often happens when the decision maker has previously worked for a big brand. If that's you, you must change your mindset and get into the "every penny counts" approach. (This mindset helps even if you're managing a bigger brand, by the way.) Whether you're a small brand owner starting from scratch or a brand manager working for a company trying to grow in new markets, the temptation is the same. You blow limited budgets on sponsorships, fancy events, and influencer campaigns that have zero connection to where your product is actually sold. All this is to pursue one of the biggest myths in marketing: building "Brand awareness." **Here's the brutal truth: If you don't get your product in bars and stores first and make sure it sells regularly, any money you spend on marketing is like a drop in the ocean.** ## Why Big Brand Tactics Kill Small Brands Big brands already have their products in bars and stores everywhere. Consumers and bartenders already know them. When they sponsor an event, consumers can find their product afterward, even in supermarkets and chain stores. You don't have that luxury. When I managed brands in the market, I was bombarded with sponsorship requests. Everyone wanted free products or a fee for shop openings, fashion shows, and food festivals. "It's about building long-term brand awareness," I told myself. **I was wrong.** People would try the brand, love it (who doesn't love free beers or booze?), then never find it again. The other myth was that our brand's target audience was allegedly there. Those pics looked great on PowerPoint, but my product wasn't distributed where they hung out and shopped. Marketing and Sales were working in parallel universes that never connected. What seemed like an effortless way to get trials with a few free cases turned into a nightmare. My team was drowning in phone calls from event organizers, shipping cases everywhere except where they mattered. ## The Shift That Changed Everything I changed my approach completely. I cut all the random sponsorships and focused every dollar on activities in bars and stores, where people could buy the product. **My new rule is that no event will happen if the brand isn't sold there. If any consumer cannot go back there the day after and find the product, I say no.** The result? There is an immediate improvement in getting into more places and selling more bottles. Here's what I learned: you have limited resources, whether you're starting your own brand or managing a smaller brand's entry into new markets. It's effortless to waste money on what feels right, but you must focus only on things that move the needle. [The Big Event Mirage Guide: Why Small Brands Shouldn’t do Big Events Without Having Wide Enough DistributionLarge budgets are allocated to digital campaigns featuring alleged influencers and award shows![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-5.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/THE-BIG-EVENT-MIRAGE.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/012-3-steps-improve-spend-time-money-building-drinks-brand/) ## The Three Rules That Actually Work DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### No Cookie-Cutter Formula for Launching Drinks Brands URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/no-cookie-cutter-formula-for-launching-drinks-brands/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:01.000Z There's something **Ben Branson** said during our conversation that's been rattling around in my head all week: *"I don't have a process. I couldn't sell you 'here's how you develop new brands' because it's different every time, and it's not a cookie-cutter approach."* This struck me because here's someone who's successfully created multiple category-defining brands **Seedlip**, **Season**, and **Sylva** yet he's refreshingly honest about the impossibility of formulaic brand building. ### **Category Building Before Brand Building** Ben's insight about building categories before brands particularly resonated with me. When Seedlip launched in 2015, *"the conversation wasn't about distillation and non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails you could make. It was really focused on telling some of the world's best bartenders, chefs, beverage managers, buyers, and retailers that there should be great choice regardless of the alcohol content."* This connects to what I discussed with **Luke Hemsley** from **Wednesday's Domaine** in Episode 099 about the twin challenges of awareness and appreciation in the alcohol-free wine category. Both Ben and Luke understood that before building a brand, you often need to know why the category should exist. > There is no one-size-fits-all formula because you need to understand how your brand will interact within the Drinks Ecosystem. This ecosystem has many moving parts (e.g., distributors, competitors, customers, etc.), so you need a plan for how to make your brand succeed there. However, you also have to analyze the situation carefully and act accordingly. ### **The Power of the Three-Element Framework** What Ben does have, though, is something much more valuable than a rigid process: a simple framework that unites everything he creates. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Brands That "Lose Their Cool" Might Actually Be Winning Long-Term (A Contrarian View) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/controversial-take-brands-that-lose-their-cool-might-actually-be-winning-long-term/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:20.000Z **The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides* is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* --- Today's issue tackles something that might make you uncomfortable. I will argue that brands going through a "not cool anymore" phase might be positioning themselves for stronger long-term success than those staying trendy. I know, I know. This sounds counterintuitive. But hear me out. Most brand builders I've worked with in the last twenty years panic when they see negative buzz about their brand "losing its edge" or "not being cool anymore." They immediately pivot, chase new trends, or completely overhaul their strategy. Rejuvenation needs lead to chasing Gen-Z or soon Gen Alpha, but it may be a downward spiral. I wrote a previous article about this some time ago: [Demystifying Gen-ZThe Biggest Mistakes Brands Make When Appealing to Only One Generation (Ending Up Alienating Existing Brand Users) and What to Do Instead![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-3.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/e5d03cdb-2aa0-4fac-b375-587336cfc58f_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/044/) But what if that's precisely the wrong move? What if these brands are actually in a healthier position than we think? Some days ago, I read a post on LinkedIn about how Guinness is now "back" after years of losing its cool. In my view, Guinness had always been cool for its core drinkers, and they were never alienated. The brand wasn't "not cool anymore" for them it was still relevant, authentic, and connected to their identity. The "not cool anymore" noise came from newer customers recruited during a trendy moment, but didn't connect with what Guinness represents. They were attracted to the fad, not the brand. **So here's my controversial take: Guinness wasn't failing, it was succeeding at shedding the wrong customers.** ## The Pattern I Keep Seeing _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### No Cookie-Cutter Formula For Building Non-Alc Spirits - The 3 Core Things and The 1000 People with Ben Branson URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/102-ben-branson-no-cookie-cutter-formula-for-building-non-alc-spirits-the-3-core-things-and-the-1000-people-seedlip-seasn-sylva-labs/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:00.000Z In Episode 102, I chat with Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip and now Sylva and Seasn, who shares his journey of creating the modern non-alcoholic spirits category. From his farming background to launching the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirits, Ben discusses the critical importance of building categories before brands, the evolution from direct-to-consumer to retail distribution, and his philosophy of three essential elements: need, occasion, and serve. ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | The 3 Core Things and 1000 People: No Cookie-Cutter Formula For Building Non-Alc Spirits for Ben Branson | Seedlip, Seasn, Sylva Labs. | 102In this episode of the MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast, Host Chris Maffeo talks to Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip and now Sylva and Seasn, shares his journey of creating the modern non-alcoholic spirits cat…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-37.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/YWEwMi5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/102?ref=maffeodrinks.com) We emphasized the B2B2B2C nature of the drinks industry, the value of premium credibility through top-tier accounts, and his current ventures, including Sylva (a Tree Company making aged non-alcoholic spirits) and Seasn (an Ingredient Company making Cocktail Bitters). Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and background 03:15 Category building vs. brand building philosophy 08:30 The B2B2B2C reality of drinks 12:45 Need, occasion, and serve framework 18:20 Direct-to-consumer evolution and retail transition 24:10 The importance of premium credibility 30:15 Maintaining the "1000 people that matter" 36:40 Planning vs. execution lessons 42:25 Competition strategy and focus 47:50 Final thoughts and contact information ### **Quick Takeaways:** DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Distributor Target Setting Checklist: How to Avoid The Biggest Mistakes Brand Owners Make Every Year URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/007-5-easy-mistakes-avoid-setting-targets-distributor/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:51.000Z **(That Lead To Painful Discussions and Expensive Divorces)** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* --- The drink business has a dirty secret: nearly every beer and spirits brand struggles with the same problems when working with distributors. After hundreds of meetings with distributors in 30+ countries worldwide, I've seen the same thing happen repeatedly. In 99% of cases, these problems come up. They're not minor issues—they kill brands and waste tons of money. Most brand owners don't understand the importance of setting clear goals. When things go wrong, they use goals like a weapon, which ruins relationships. > **They don't get here: goals should be like a compass, not a hammer. They show you where to go, but they're useless if you don't know where you want to end up.** ## The Three Big Mistakes—And How to Fix Them ### Problem 1: Not Setting Clear Goals or Setting Crazy Ones The biggest problem is either avoiding goal-setting altogether or setting goals that are way too high. Setting goals is uncomfortable—it's that awkward talk nobody wants to have. So brands and distributors put it off and say they want to sell "a lot." _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why Most Brand Partnerships Fail (And What Kaitlin Wilkes Does Instead) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-most-brand-partnerships-fail-and-what-kaitlin-wilkes-does-instead/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:01.000Z *Brands chase listings while bartenders chase creativity, and somewhere in the middle, everyone loses money.* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Drinks Strategies & Brand Advocacy with Kaitlin Wilkes | 101Join host Chris Maffeo as he chats with Kait Wilkes, an industry veteran with 15 years of global experience (just nominated #40 on the Drinks International Top 100 List). The episode was recorded d…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-38.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MmU4MC5qcGc-1.webp)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/101?ref=maffeodrinks.com) We discuss this fundamental disconnect with Kaitlin Wilkes, advocacy consultant and co-founder of the Admiral One Project, who spent 15 years navigating both sides of the drinks ecosystem. ## The Two-Industry Problem Nobody Talks About The drinks industry and the hospitality industry are not the same thing. They operate as two separate ecosystems with different languages, priorities, and success metrics, connected only by the liquid in the glass. DEAR DRINKS BUILDER, ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/11/OSC_6957-1.jpg) **If the above resonates, it's because you're living it.* **You know the commercial problem is real. You just cannot see exactly where it starts.* **I built a diagnostic for this. Two weeks. A complete picture of your commercial situation. A report you can act on immediately.* ****Commercial X-Ray, starting at €5,000.** If it's not the right time yet, you can subscribe to the Lab at €500 per year👇🏻 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Complete MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast Archive: 100+ Episodes of Bottom-Up Brand Building URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/podcast-archive/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:01.000Z Below you'll find every episode we've published, organized from newest to oldest. Each link takes you directly to the episode where you can listen on your preferred platform, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Beyond Marketing: Why Understanding the Drinks Ecosystem Comes First URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/beyond-marketing-why-understanding/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:21.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are available for free, while others require a paid subscription. Sign up here:* --- **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** If you've ever wondered why so many seemingly promising spirits brands fail to gain traction despite solid products and polished marketing, the answer often lies not in what they're doing, but in *when* they're doing it. #### The Complex Reality of the Spirits Business #### Unlike most consumer products, spirits and premium drinks travel through multiple layers before reaching the end consumer: **Producer → Importer → Distributor → Venue → Consumer** Each transition represents not only a logistical handoff, but also a relationship that requires specific nurturing strategies. Traditional CPG marketers often struggle in this environment because they apply linear thinking to a multidimensional challenge. ### The Costly Mistake of Premature Marketing Many brands make a critical error: investing heavily in consumer marketing before they've adequately addressed the ecosystem. When consumer interest is generated without the infrastructure to support it, frustration rather than brand loyalty results. Picture this all-too-common scenario: Your social media campaign generates buzz, and consumers request your product at bars. But if: - Venues don't see a place for your product in their lineup - Distributors aren't properly incentivized - Your inventory management can't ensure a consistent supply ...then all that marketing investment generates disappointment rather than sales. ### A Better Approach: Bottom-Up Brand Building _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Consumer Insights (at The Bar) Framework: 7 Reasons Why You Should Gather Them Sitting at The Bar URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/037/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:15.000Z (Instead of Getting Old News from Expensive PDF Reports That Your Competitors Read) *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Drinks Builder,** The drinks industry, an ever-evolving landscape of trends, presents opportunities and challenges for brands seeking to make their mark. In this fast-paced world, where innovation and consumer preferences dictate success, companies must gain valuable insights to stay ahead. While market research and internal analysis have their place, an often-overlooked goldmine of knowledge lies untapped – sitting at the bar. You know the adage is that too much analysis is paralysis. ### 1\. The Power of Real-Time Insights: As the Founder of MAFFEO DRINKS, I have spent countless hours at the bar, conversing with bartenders and observing consumer behaviors. This hands-on experience has shaped my belief that many companies lack valuable insights by being too internally focused. The key to understanding the market lies in venturing beyond boardroom discussions and engaging directly with consumers. ### 2\. Getting Out of the Bubble: It's easy to become trapped in the bubble of familiar faces and colleagues, where everyone shares similar ideas and opinions. However, relying solely on internal feedback may lead to a skewed understanding of consumer preferences. To truly comprehend the desires and expectations of the target audience, businesses must step out of their comfort zones and embrace the power of real-world interactions. ![<#037> 7 reasons why the future of drinks industry insights sits at the bar.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ebf14420-8946-49b8-911b-4fa46b4c6956_1944x1508-jpeg.jpg) ### 3\. A Drink, A Conversation, and Real Discoveries: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Fat Link That Broke the (Value) Chain (And Killed The Drinks Ecosystem) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dont-break-value-chain/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:15.000Z **Based on A True Story** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here* Once upon a time, there lived a chain unlike any other. Each link was alive, pulsing with purpose, passing precious value from one to the next until it reached the eager hands of customers. This was no ordinary chain – it was the **Great Value Chain of the Drinks Industry**, and it had flourished for generations. The links were diverse in their roles: some produced, others distributed, and others sold directly to the thirsty customers. Each link had its place, purpose, and, most importantly, its fair share of value that kept the entire chain solid and flexible. One day, a particularly ambitious link named Magnus began to grow restless. "Why should I pass so much value to the others?" it wondered, watching the flow of drinks and profits move through the chain. If I kept more for myself, I could become the most important link of all!" Magnus began to implement its plan. With each transaction, it held back a little more value, growing fatter and more powerful, while the other links grew thinner and weaker. "Don't worry," Magnus would say to the struggling links, "You have enough to survive. Look how much the chain has grown because of my strength!" But Magnus had forgotten a fundamental truth: the chain was only as strong as its weakest link. As it grew fatter, the adjacent links struggled to maintain their grip. The products moved more slowly, and the once-steady flow of drinks began to stutter and stall. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/855dfd69-032a-432f-9950-7640822b4242_1292x601-jpeg.jpg) The customers at the end of the chain noticed first. Their favorite drinks became scarcer, more expensive, or disappeared altogether. Without customer pull, the chain's purpose began to fade. Precious inventory sat gathering dust in warehouses, trapped by Magnus's bulk. The thinnest links tried to warn Magnus: "The chain works best when we all thrive together! We need enough value to create demand from the bottom up." But Magnus, now swollen with pride and profits, wouldn't listen. Then came the day when the chain finally snapped. It wasn't a dramatic break – just a quiet failure as one of the weakest links finally gave way. [The "Love & Money" Framework Dear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-9.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/e901837e-1e35-4d55-b123-97f54b57bc6e_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/013-good-relationship-1-3-things-need-distributors-customers-drive-sales/) [The "Bottom-up Value Chain" FrameworkDear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-10.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/47cad284-5f56-454e-bbf8-eb4bb8afcad3_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/017-value-chains-fail-3-steps-fix/) The chain that had once been a marvel of cooperation lay broken, its pieces scattered across the marketplace. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The First-Order Accelerator: The Simple 5 Steps to Get More Bars to Place the First Order URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/002-5-steps-get-bars-place-first-order/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:51.000Z **And Stop Sitting Hopelessly in Front of People Who Don't Wanna Buy** In today’s issue, I’ll analyze why new drink brands struggle to get a meeting with bar owners. I'll show you my 5-step process to make your cold-calling warmer and land more first orders. By adopting this process, you’ll spend time better. You’ll likely increase your strike rate in the right outlets and get them to re-buy. Unfortunately, most salespeople lack a pragmatic system. They either: - only work through their network, never scaling their distribution - or do cold calls and burn most of their opportunities in a city. It's about having people + systems First thing: building a brand takes time so you will never get a silver bullet or a shortcut from me. It's about creating a system to use long-term and be consistent. ## **Salespeople used to create + capture demand. Not anymore. Today, most On-trade buyers do the research themselves, know what to buy, and want to decide when it's time to buy.** Without a system in place, you’ll spend most of your time trying to get your brand in front of people who don’t want to buy. **Challenge 1: They already know the hottest brands they want to list:** They speak to peers and do research. If they haven't heard about your brand they think there's a reason and they're skeptical. **Challenge 2: You’re approaching them too early:** you usually show up at the door of people who don’t want to buy. You have to make your cold call warmer by making your brand known to them before approaching. **Challenge 3: 100s of salespeople contact them each month:** Whether by phone, email, or in person. They've developed tough skin and they might say no to you for the sake of it. You have to play differently. **Challenge 4: You walk in too cold:** walking in, and asking to speak to the buyer won't get you far. You might land 10 but burn 90\. You have to get to them more subtly, either via network or being a customer, before being a seller. **Here’s the 5-step process I follow to overcome the above challenges:** _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The "Bottom-up Value Chain" Framework: How to Avoid the Worst Mistakes Brands Make When Setting Their Value Chain (Ending Up With a Beautiful Bottle Nobody Wanna Buy). URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/017-value-chains-fail-3-steps-fix/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:16.000Z **Dear Drinks Builder,** In today’s issue, I’ll share my three-step process for improving your approach to creating your value chain. I don't have a silver bullet for the perfect one, but I can guide you on what you should consider when creating one. By adopting this process, you’ll ensure it works bottom-up for all the links in the chain. Unfortunately, most people forget to consider the whole drinks ecosystem. This way, they forget who to give (enough) margins to because they think top-down. **Value chains start from the glass, not from the distillery.** It's not about how much you want to earn; it's about what the market can absorb. There is a glass ceiling in what consumers, bars, etc., are willing to pay for a brand. What you bring to the table drives how much you can stretch that (recommended) price ladder. If you can't drive people to pay more for your product, you must live with the value you manage to get and share it with the ecosystem. Without acknowledging that, your brand will lack a rate of sale. You may manage a good sell-in but lack sell-outs and reorders if you are good at sales. So, why does this happen? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/8704c97a-2283-4d0e-8bfa-35dcda4b7db5_1292x602-jpeg.jpg) ### Challenge 1: You forgot to account for wholesalers' margins Brands often create a value chain that considers only one line for someone who will bring it to market on their behalf. That line is usually named "distributors," but that’s a vague word that doesn’t include all the parties involved in distribution. [The "Winning at Home" ChecklistNobody is a Prophet in their own land. Is it really so? What are the top 5 reasons why many drinks founders don't focus on their home market? I'll show you my 5-step process to change that and make winning on your home turf your priority. By adopting this process, you’ll fix the basics before scaling abroad. Unfortunately, many drink founders underestimate the importance of having solid foundations and trying to run before walking.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-37.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/9ec1b54e-a631-4a3f-994f-aba712da23c4_1875x1250-jpeg-2.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/006-5-reasons-win-home-market-first/) When selling in their market, that distributor is usually a wholesaler that brings their brand to market. When exporting, you must account for two lines: importers and wholesalers. Brands often don't realize that an importer has only a small sales force and that most of the city's sales will happen through wholesalers. If you don't make room for another line on your value chain, the importer or the wholesaler will not have enough margins and will not push your brand. They may stock it but do nothing more than move boxes. ### Challenge 2: You built your value chain top-down with the wrong COGS, overheads, and other costs. Brands are created in-house, but they are built in the market. Often, brands have too high expectations, creating an unrealistic brand. This happens with expensive ingredients, production costs (especially with third parties), bottle design, etc. (COGS = Cost of Goods). Another common mistake is creating a team that is too big and has too many overheads (e.g., a comprehensive founding team, salespeople, brand ambassadors, etc.). That brand will end up at a high price not because of its actual value but because of wrongly calculated costs. All these costs pile up, and after adding excise, taxes, and everyone's margins, the product ends up on the shelf at a crazy price that no retailer or consumer will be interested in. ### Challenge 3: You want to retain too much margin The issue with creating a brand top-down is that it makes you cocky. It makes you think people will love your brand and accept your recommended price because it is the best in the market. That approach pushes you to procrastinate, treating value chain issues as if you kick a can down the road. "I want to keep this margin, so I'll sell at this price" makes you pass the issue down to the following link in the chain. The problem is that if everyone thinks like that, you end up at an unacceptable shelf price. [The "Love & Money" Framework Dear Drinks Builder, The drinks industry is a relationship business. We know it, we live it, and that’s why it attracts so many new entrants daily. At the same time, we all know it is also an issue in our industry. The informality of our business makes us think that everyone is a friend of a friend.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-38.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/e901837e-1e35-4d55-b123-97f54b57bc6e_1875x1250-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/013-good-relationship-1-3-things-need-distributors-customers-drive-sales/) You may be lucky and sell your first order to a distributor or an importer, but it's just a matter of which link of the chain wakes up first and stops ordering, and the issue will climb back the chain. Your brand gets stuck in some warehouse without any more pull. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/2011abf8-642b-4872-b89d-24cef49b761d_1125x1355-jpeg.jpg) ## So how do I fix this, you wonder? ## Here’s the 3-step process I follow to overcome the above challenges: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Foot in the Door Approach: 6 Simple Ways to Get on The Cocktail Menu and Drive Sales Velocity in Bars URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/035-6-simple-ways-get-cocktail-menu-drive-sales-velocity-bars/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:17.000Z **How to get featured on the cocktail menu and increase the chances yours gets chosen.** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Drinks Builder,** I'm a big fan of the mantra that one case in one bar is better than six bottles in six bars. During my podcast episodes, I always mention it to polarize the conversation and stress the importance of sustaining demand while continuing to capture demand in new venues. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/07b7eff1-6837-4f36-8b04-480337f8fea5_1292x1178-jpeg.jpg) Going from 1 bottle to 6 (1 case) is not an easy task. The best way to do that is by managing to get on the cocktail menu. Most people know it, but how do you manage to do that? I usually suggest to focus on increasing sales in the first 10 bars you sold a bottle and increasing sales there. When you start seeing traction at a particular bar, it depends on how well the product has performed initially. If there's rapport and understanding between the brand owners and the bar staff, the brand owners will try to offer them at least one case to drive delivery efficiencies. However, suppose they're skeptical or want to see results before committing further. The first step is obviously to get in the cocktail menu but they are often blocked by competitors or simply by time as they are not usually changed every single month. > **Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:** [Nailing your Drink Strategy Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-27.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/8d6694e5-a80e-401f-863a-c60dd808ef24_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/040-3-simple-reasons-better-choose-target-cocktail-bottomup-instead-reinventing-wheel/) [011 | How to get on Cocktail Menus: thinking out of the box to achieve rotation | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (London, UK)In this episode, Chris Maffeo spoke to Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (Trinity 25) In the farming part of their chat, we dive into practical strategies for increasing sales in bars. We explore the importance of targeting independent outlets and overcoming skepticism from bar managers/owners. To drive awareness and generate interest, offering free samples and designing special promotions/events prove beneficial.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-28.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/a4baa703-13ef-4e83-80a5-dd69c9431073_3000x3000.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/011-how-to-get-on-cocktail-menus-b91/) [062 | David Wood | Distribution: The Non-obvious Power of Smaller Categories In Ep. 062, I dived into the complexities of the drinks distribution industry with David Wood, Founder of Liana Collection, a UK-based Premium Drinks Importer and Distributor (IWSC Spirits Distributor of the Year 2023 in the UK).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-29.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/0e22cb58-880b-4871-9928-a46bcb448b82_1506x850.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/062-david-wood-the-non-obvious-power/) ### 1\. Track when bars change cocktail menus and create a pipeline Finally, as for getting onto cocktail menus and demonstrating value, Timing is crucial when approaching bars during their menu launch planning stages. If you miss that window, it could be a year (or half a year) before another opportunity arises. Establishing a system to track these launches can help build momentum over time in securing spots on upcoming menus. If you miss out on one year, learn from your mistakes and prepare for the next. You can create a snowball effect and gain more listings by correctly coordinating your efforts. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 098 | Good vs. Bad Market Research: From Bars to Boardrooms URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/098-good-vs-bad-market-research-from/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:02.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In this return appearance on the Maffeo Drinks podcast, [Paul Thomas](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-thomas-8b903025/?ref=maffeodrinks.com), whom I dub "the king of insights," shares wisdom on getting out of the marketing "ivory tower" and understanding real consumer behavior. Paul advocates for marketers to personally observe products in various venues rather than relying solely on data. The conversation explores how brands should embrace occasion-based marketing rather than demographic targeting, balancing aspirational positioning with pragmatic distribution strategies. Paul critiques the research industry's shift toward "faster and cheaper" methodologies at the expense of quality, encouraging brands to conduct fewer but better studies. The episode concludes with advice on creating an "insight ecosystem" that balances qualitative observations with quantitative data, emphasizing the value of curiosity in understanding how consumers interact with drink brands in different contexts. [MAFFEO DRINKS | Paul Thomas | Good vs. Bad Market Research: From Bars to Boardrooms | Suntory Global Spirits | 098In this return appearance on the Maffeo Drinks podcast, Paul Thomas, whom host Chris Maffeo dubs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-39.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-3.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/98?ref=maffeodrinks.com) 00:00 Introduction and welcome 01:10 Discussion topics overview 02:35 Getting out of the marketing "ivory tower" 08:15 Distribution strategy and outlet segmentation 13:40 Balancing premium positioning with broader distribution 18:50 Occasion-based marketing vs. demographic targeting 24:30 Research methodology discussion 30:15 The danger of "false positives" in research 35:40 Balancing qualitative and quantitative insights 38:45 Closing thoughts on curiosity ## Quick Takeaways **The Vauxhall Paradox** Marketers sitting in comfortable offices can become disconnected from the reality of how their products appear in real-world venues. Paul describes visiting a South London supermarket where every bottle had security netting and witnessing theft firsthand—revealing how different the real market can be from marketing presentations. **Beyond the 1% Bars** While premium venues create an aspirational halo for brands, marketers should experience how their products appear in everyday establishments. Understanding how different outlet types require different activation strategies is crucial for brands seeking scale beyond elite venues. **Occasion Over Demographics** Consumers' drink choices change dramatically based on context rather than who they fundamentally are. The same person might choose premium whisky for a sophisticated night out, but beer for a casual pub visit after a disagreement at home—highlighting why brands should target occasions, not demographic segments. **Research Quality Matters** The industry trend toward faster, cheaper research comes at a cost. Paul advocates for fewer but better-quality studies with experienced moderators who understand the category, rather than multiple superficial projects that yield little valuable insight. **The "Green Brand" Paradox** Research showing consumers' willingness to pay more for sustainable products often doesn't translate to actual purchasing behavior. When faced with purchasing decisions, most consumers prioritize value and quality over purpose-based marketing, revealing the gap between stated preferences and real behavior. **The Insight Ecosystem** The most effective approach combines global quantitative research to identify consistent demand spaces with local qualitative insights that reveal how occasions manifest in specific markets. This creates a continuous exchange of knowledge between global and local teams. ## Key Insights ### Key Learnings from Paul Thomas _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The "Winning at Home" Checklist: 5 reasons why your brand must focus on the home market URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/006-5-reasons-win-home-market-first/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:18.000Z **(and how to avoid that nobody has heard of it, where it comes from)** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** "Nobody is a Prophet in their land." Is this true? Here are the top five reasons why drinks founders avoid their home market—and my five-step process for making winning on your home turf your priority. Mastering your home market first will build solid foundations before scaling abroad. Too many founders rush to expand internationally before truly proving their concept locally. Instead of analyzing what's not working at home, they look for growth shortcuts abroad. They believe selling elsewhere will be easier, but they're just postponing inevitable problems. Your home market is the perfect crash test for your brand. Skip it, and you'll need to fix fundamental issues later, when they'll be far more painful. Slow, sustainable growth beats a revenue nose-dive after a significant investment. If you can make it at home, you can make it anywhere. ## The 5 Home Market Challenges **Challenge 1: Your hometown isn't trendy enough.** **Not everyone starts in NYC or London.** **Many brands, especially those with rural positioning, are born in small villages, often nothing picturesque. Targeting the nearest cool city is tempting, but what about winning over the locals who genuinely connect with your story?** #### **Challenge 2: You get distracted by international inquiries.** When random importers contact you for a few cases, it's easy to say yes, dreaming of rapid expansion. But claiming you're sold in many countries won't impress investors—it'll just add pressure. Most successful brands sell 90% of their volume in just 1-2 markets. Focus your efforts. A few exported cases don't constitute a real market presence, and problems are always more complex to solve from thousands of miles away. #### **Challenge 3: You're reluctant to sell your product.** Many founders tell me they "don't have time" to sell their brand, quickly rushing to hire salespeople or distributors. This traps them in an ivory tower, disconnected from their brand's real challenges. You're mistaken if you think distributors, wholesalers, and retail chains are easier to deal with abroad. Your foreign importer won't magically fix your problems. #### **Challenge 4: Selling abroad masks unclear brand positioning.** This happens in two ways: 1. Y**our brand has "dubious" local positioning**—perhaps built on an imaginary origin rather than authenticity. Locals will spot this instantly, so you avoid them by selling elsewhere. Many brands sell the dream of a place (like the Italian Riviera) without any genuine connection to it. 2. **Your brand lacks a physical home**. Contract brewing or distilling leaves you without a place to visit, so you go abroad to hide this weakness. Instead, build your story around something else—ingredient provenance or a compelling founder narrative. #### **Challenge 5: Targeting global cities burns cash quickly.** Many assume scaling means winning in the world's trendiest cities—exactly where every other brand wants to be. Are you truly ready for this A&P (Advertising & Promotion) bloodbath? Make sure you won't run out of runway. ## My 5-Step Process for Home Market Success _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 098 | Paul Thomas | Good vs. Bad Market Research: From Bars to Boardrooms | Suntory Global Spirits URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/098-paul-thomas-good-vs-bad-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:02.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Paul Thomas | Good vs. Bad Market Research: From Bars to Boardrooms | Suntory Global Spirits | 098In this return appearance on the Maffeo Drinks podcast, Paul Thomas, whom host Chris Maffeo dubs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-40.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-4.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/98?ref=maffeodrinks.com) In this return appearance on the Maffeo Drinks podcast, [Paul Thomas](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/people/paul-thomas?ref=maffeodrinks.com), whom I dub "the king of insights," shares wisdom on getting out of the marketing "ivory tower" and understanding real consumer behavior. Paul advocates for marketers to personally observe products in various venues rather than relying solely on data. The conversation explores how brands should embrace occasion-based marketing rather than demographic targeting, balancing aspirational positioning with pragmatic distribution strategies. Paul critiques the research industry's shift toward "faster and cheaper" methodologies at the expense of quality, encouraging brands to conduct fewer but better studies. The episode concludes with advice on creating an "insight ecosystem" that balances qualitative observations with quantitative data, emphasizing the value of curiosity in understanding how consumers interact with drinks brands in different contexts. 00:00 Introduction and welcome 01:10 Discussion topics overview 02:35 Getting out of the marketing "ivory tower" 08:15 Distribution strategy and outlet segmentation 13:40 Balancing premium positioning with broader distribution 18:50 Occasion-based marketing vs. demographic targeting 24:30 Research methodology discussion 30:15 The danger of "false positives" in research 35:40 Balancing qualitative and quantitative insights 38:45 Closing thoughts on curiosity _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Join me at The Mirror Hospitality Expo in Bratislava URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/join-me-at-the-mirror-hospitality/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:22.000Z Unveiling My Latest Masterclass: Brands are built bottom-up: winning with the drinks ecosystem _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Target Occasion Checklist: The Power of a Focused Drinks Strategy: The Biggest Mistake Brands Do, Trying to Appeal to Everyone URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/024-ignore-fomo-decide-one-core-drinking-occasion-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:18.000Z **(with Nobody Knowing What to Do with Your Bottle) and How to Fix It.** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here* **Dear Drinks Builder,** In the vibrant world of spirits and cocktails, drink brand owners often find themselves embroiled in a perpetual debate: Should their product be savored neat, mixed into cocktails, enjoyed as a digestif, or sipped as an aperitif? Despite seemingly innocuous, it can become a critical crossroads for a brand's identity and success. Unfortunately, many brands hesitate at this junction, attempting to be all things to all people. While this debate rages in meeting rooms across the globe, I've noticed that 99% of brands procrastinate on this decision, trying to appeal to the masses and "let them choose." This democratic approach in meeting rooms often leads to indecision. Consensus in the echo chamber makes us pretend we've decided while pleasing everyone. As David Ogilvy famously suggested, there's a reason why there are no statues of committees in city parks. The result? A drinks strategy that's supposedly great for cocktails, awesome when consumed neat, and also perfect for mixing. Really? We avoid offending anyone by suggesting they invent their ritual and garnish. But this leads to a bottle sitting on a back bar without anyone knowing what to do with it. Too many options equal no options. We think success comes from being seen and sold in the world's best bars. However, it's really about building a clear connection to one occasion in the minds of both bartenders and consumers. > **Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:** [The "From 1 Bottle to 1 Case" Cheat-SheetDear Drinks Builder, Today, I will discuss a very dear topic to most of us: sustaining demand, aka growing sales velocity in bars. One of the biggest challenges for new drinks brands is what to do after they have managed to create and convert demand across a few bars in a city and get the bar manager's agreement to take stock of our product.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-32.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/936115d8-dbb3-4d08-90b8-766497abec65_600x400.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/033-deadsimple-6steps-approach-drive-sales-rotation-bars-aka-go-one-bottle-one-case/) [Nailing your Drink Strategy Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-33.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/8d6694e5-a80e-401f-863a-c60dd808ef24_1875x1250-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/040-3-simple-reasons-better-choose-target-cocktail-bottomup-instead-reinventing-wheel/) ### What can you do instead? #### 1\. Decisiveness is crucial: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Quick favor for The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast (takes just 30 seconds) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/quick-favor-for-the-maffeo-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:22.000Z Help More Drinks Builders find the Show _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Event Partnership Framework: What 99% of Drinks Brands Get Wrong URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-event-partnership-framework-what/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:19.000Z **Leading to Events with Hidden Costs After Which Trialists Never Find that Brand Again) and What to Do Instead.** **Dear Drinks Builder,** Since I was a marketing manager, I have received weekly requests about partnership events. Big and Small ones. They went from a couple of cases of beer at a cool clothing shop to Beer Fairs to Sponsoring Festivals. Initially, I was pretty loose. I trusted our local distributors as they knew about cool brands and events in their cities. On top of that, I was still in my ethereal brand-building state of mind and loved those PDFs I got full of photos of cool people at previous events. FOMO was kicking in. It was a no-brainer. The more small fires, the better, I thought. The thing was that I had small marketing budgets available so I thought those events just costing us a few cases instead of real money were a good deal. The Fancy Marketing Spend Effectiveness decks I had been trained on, held the truth: If 200ish cool people of our “Target Consumers” (yeah right, those 25-35 AB+ Cool Urbanites suggested by a Consumer Report) were sampling our brand, for a small cost, the ROI was positive and they were worth it. On top of that, my random target set to be a success was 200 people and I had 220\. Well done, Chris. The random target of Cost per contact was also a winner. ## The issue is that it’s not about Target Consumers not about whether Immediate ROI is positive or not. It’s about whether it’s overall worth it long term. Money isn’t everything. There’s much more. But why are Brand Owners confused? Because they focus on the wrong points. **They usually think about:** - Will it drive PR? - How much is gonna cost? - What type of consumers are gonna be there? - Is the brand gonna be sampled for free or sold? This leads to focus on the wrong obvious aspects: ### 1\. They think it’s about the Target Consumers. We’ve been trained to think to follow the Consumers’ Pathways aka wherever they go but every consumer is many different people at the same time, depending on the occasion and the need they have. To make it simple, if your brand is catering an aperitif low-tempo type of occasion, sitting and relaxing, what makes you think you should recruit consumers at an outdoor festival? Yes, you may want to approach those people but they don’t care about a brand like yours on that occasion. They want something that fits that occasion. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 097 | Mastery & Imagination: How Compass Box is Redefining Whisky Marketing URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/097-mastery-and-imagination-how-compass/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:03.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Racheal Vaughan Jones | Mastery & Imagination: How Compass Box is Redefining Whisky Marketing | 097In this episode, Chris Maffeo speaks to Racheal Vaughan Jones and discusses how Compass Box has positioned itself as![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-41.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-5.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/97?ref=maffeodrinks.com) In this episode, Chris Maffeo speaks to [⁠Racheal Vaughan Jones⁠](https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheal-vaughan-jones-26952938/?ref=maffeodrinks.com) and discusses how Compass Box has positioned itself as "whisky makers" in the Scotch whisky industry. Founded in 2000 with a mission to make the Scotch world more interesting, Compass Box balances mastery and imagination in its brand essence. Recently, the company streamlined its core range into a more intuitive collection of four distinct flavor territories while maintaining its artistic limited editions. Racheal shares insights into its recent brand positioning, "Long Live Interesting," and how it has successfully translated it through packaging, communication, and targeted campaign activations across key cities. The brand's recent award-winning "Hedonism" limited edition showcases its collaboration with female artists and embodies its philosophy of starting with an organically evolving idea. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:30 Special Guest Introduction 01:53 The Story of Compass Box 04:23 Brand Positioning and Marketing 10:29 Core Range and Consumer Experience 14:29 Limited Editions and Awards 20:05 Limited edition approach with Hedonism 26:06 Communication and Marketing Strategies 30:30 Localized activation and content strategy 33:45 Creating demand and brand-building philosophy _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Top-of-the-Pyramid Mirage: Why The World's Best Bars Aren't Enough to Build Your Drinks Brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/005-worlds-best-bars-arent-enough-scale-drinks-brand-fix/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:19.000Z **(Making Your P&L Bleed) and How to Choose The Right Ones, Instead.** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** I've been guilty myself. For a long time, I've thought that the only way to build brands in the on-trade was to focus on the top bars in a city. I dug deeper and understood what needed to change to win. In this issue, I'll guide you through my process to a focused approach to hunting. This approach is valid for: - Small premium brands (VC-funded) - Small premium brands (bootstrapping) - Premium brands (in a wide company portfolio, on a low budget) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/c15d03c9-d979-476e-926b-4b74c0d2c71e_1318x1130-jpeg.jpg) ## The Misalignment of "Best Bars" Why was I wrong? I wanted to be in the best bars in town, tout court. That was a lousy brief. I didn't realize that the best bars in town ≠ the best bars for my brand in the city. I was thinking top-down from my corporate ivory tower. I decided to change my approach and build a brand from the bottom up. What's the problem with the city's best bars: - They're used to big budgets from big brands - They're more inclined to build their brand than yours - They're on every brand's and every distributor's hunting list - They've more friends with drinks brands than space on the back bar If you need a car but have little money, what would you do? Pop up daily in a Ferrari dealership, dreaming, or rather, go straight to buy a better car for your needs? Stop thinking like a big brand. You don't have their budgets, time, teams, and share of mind of distributors and customers. Don't get me wrong. A big brand is not necessarily better; they simply have more resources to absorb mistakes and inefficiencies. A luxury you cannot afford. ## The Pyramid Misconception The traditional method of segmenting outlets, such as a pyramid, is misleading. It makes us think that building brands is a top-down exercise. Building brands is not drip coffee. That was once true, in an era when information was scarce and only large brands dominated the advertising landscape. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/8c9a08fa-70e1-490c-986e-c7796ddc5bea_1125x973-jpeg.jpg) *Note: B-type = Silver = 2nd tier outlets = Lower-tier bars* In reality, many bars will never make it to become part of the world's best bars. Still, they are incredible venues for building brands with a good sell-out. They are willing to help you, as they need to associate with brands like yours to build their image. > **Lower-tier bars** want to show their consumers that they've curated a great list of premium drinks to convey they are legit. They'll give much more space to your brand, making room for it on their back bars and mentioning it on menus. > > **Top bars** are unwilling to showcase you. They want to keep an "unbranded" experience. Consumers go there for their brand, not because they list yours. Within their walls, their brand is actually stronger than yours and they don't want to compromise it. ## Two Essential Strategies for Success _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Hunting Checklist: The 5 Things To Guide You to Avoid Chasing The Cool Venues That Don't Want You URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/018-outlet-segmentation-can-help-prioritize-sell-5-simple-steps/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:20.000Z **Unless You Wanna Waste Time Having Coffee There Every Week** **Dear Drinks Builder,** In this mini-Guide, I’ll talk about why it's important to use outlet segmentation and why it's crucial for hunting new bars. You will learn to prioritize the outlets based on a very simple matrix. Unfortunately, most Drinks Builders use segmentations just as a monodimensional pyramid to segment bars based on how cool they are and not on how easy it is to gain them as customers. Whether you call your segmentation A, B, C, or Gold, Silver, or Bronze, you will realize that not all **A** and **Gold** outlets are the same for your brand. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/c5f69d98-98c6-43a9-b8c0-f76220c5002d_953x824-jpeg.jpg) I've spent thousands of hours in the field, in many countries and I made many mistakes, using my time ineffectively. I then decided to change my approach and dig into what I was doing wrong. Here’s what I’ve learned. ## It's not only about how cool an outlet is. It's about 1) how your brand fits its range and 2) how able you are to sell them a bottle. When I ask salespeople what are the best bars for their brand in a city I usually get the same answer: a list of the coolest venues. I could have googled it and I would get the same result. Some more sophisticated salespeople, give me a list of "less known" outlets, where industry people hang out but I hardly get a detailed description of a bar or restaurant that perfectly embodies their brand's positioning. They only refer to the cool factor, not at all about how their brand's **commercial proposition** and **target occasion** fit that venue. By targeting "cool outlets" tout-court, you end up hunting where all the other hunters are. If your brand doesn't resonate with the identity of the bar you are going for, your brand ends up becoming a commodity "a gin", "a tequila", "a vermouth", or "an IPA". For a bar owner, if there's no clear fit, it becomes like choosing from an IKEA catalog. I remember when I started as an On-trade sales guy. I made that mistake all the time. I identified the best places in town and I kept going after them, getting all sorts of replies: "The owner is not there", "come back in 2 weeks", and "I need to speak to my partner". Very few people are honest and tell you a loud and clear "Fuhgeddaboudit" (forget about it), so you must learn to read that between the lines. If you don't, you end up keeping "dormant leads" in your pipeline forever, hoping to get a listing that will never come. It takes guts to remove a lead from the pipeline and acknowledge that's not for now. Maybe in a few years, they'll come to you but not this month, or this year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/19a0a852-6a3d-4100-859c-c72a3fc7cd27_913x861-jpeg.jpg) > **How to understand the right bar for your brand:** > > **Target Occasion:** how does your core occasion fit with theirs? If your occasion is a "shot", a fine dining venue won't be right for you, even if it's on all the guides as the best place in town. > > **Commercial Proposition**: what's your purpose, what values does your brand represent? How would you translate your brand positioning into 3 types of outlets? Those are the outlets where your brand would perfectly fit their drinks range. ## How can you prioritize your hunting list? I like to create a checklist to rank my target outlets so that I focus on those in which I have more chances to succeed. I give them a score based on 5 criteria: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 096 | That Sh*t Will Never Sell: Drinks Brands. From The Bottom-up (And Sometimes Not!) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/096-that-sht-will-never-sell-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:03.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | David Gluckman | That Sh\*t Will Never Sell: Drinks Brands. From The Bottom-up (And Sometimes Not!) | 096Join us on this episode of the Maffeo Drinks podcast, where Chris Maffeo chats with drinks industry legend David Gluckman about the fascinating world of drink innovation and product development. Da…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-42.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-6.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/96?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Join us on this episode of the Maffeo Drinks podcast where I chat with drinks industry legend [David Gluckman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/englishauthor/?ref=maffeodrinks.com) diving into the fascinating world of drink innovation and product development. David shares insights from his recent book ([That Sh\*t Will Never Sell](https://www.amazon.de/-/en/That-Sh-Will-Never-Sell/dp/0995657505/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=3424JK27YPM2N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FQPl5lQC5Qf4Y-4VKGrNzPAqkkNVTRnQSWJWLFCcUj1VokOkZyy7NstWlOoeQENFAuWfY0s-kBUT1wPnU4lodqk29QdRGcnZaqioq8RhElS7ETVC0RfC4FcTqPe1vlnV-MkTV3THkaKSwXYuFT1nFRJj1rX0aYJutlv3e8BHTRf2dICaBYBouzAghHWWi51BibxeLrJEnJDeE4e%5FLOj2MPOsCHVkI5urxr3BSbV9oAU.wb44CDa7IomnMDbGxxmdiubHsGAFWGzxBxM1n79T8Iw&dib%5Ftag=se&keywords=that+shit+will+never+sell&qid=1742481481&sprefix=that+shit+will+never+sell%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-1&ref=maffeodrinks.com)), offering a look back at the history and evolution of the drinks industry. The conversation covers iconic brands he created like Bailey's, Ciroc, Tanqueray 10 and the importance of product ownership, and the often flawed nature of consumer research. David also discusses how great brands can be built without conventional testing and the critical role of liquid excellence. Tune in for an engaging discussion that blends business acumen with the art of drink creation. The discussion provides insights into the importance of ownership, consumer behavior, and the significance of product distinction in brand building. David also emphasizes the value of real-world testing over consumer research, reflecting on his approach to developing iconic spirits. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction 00:29 Guest Introduction: David's Journey 01:19 The Bailey's Story: Market Research and Success 04:43 Brand Development Philosophy 09:36 Challenges in Spirits Marketing 12:38 Product Innovation and Differentiation 25:44 Ownership and Long-Term Brand Building 32:07 Final Thoughts _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 095 | Scaling the Unscalable: The Bottom-Up Approach to Brand Building URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/095-scaling-the-unscalable-the-bottom/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:04.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Chris Maffeo | Scaling the Unscalable: The Bottom-Up Approach to Brand Building by MAFFEO DRINKS | 095Join this episode with Shawn Soole from the Post Shift Podcast In this episode, Chris shares invaluable insights on how small brands, such as bars, restaurants, distilleries, and breweries, can eff…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-43.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-7.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/95?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Join this episode on a chat with Shawn Soole from the Post Shift Podcast. In this episode, [Chris](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmaffeo/?ref=maffeodrinks.com) shares invaluable insights on how small brands, such as bars, restaurants, distilleries, and breweries, can effectively build their brand. From understanding the importance of local success before expanding to managing relationships with importers and distributors, Chris breaks down the fundamentals of brand building. They also discuss the challenges and strategies for maintaining authenticity while scaling, the role of passion versus business in the drinks industry, and navigating the complexities of the B2B2B2C market. Whether you’re a newcomer or an established player in the beverage world, this episode is filled with actionable advice to help you succeed. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:31 Guest Introduction: Chris Maffeo 02:04 Chris Maffeo's Background and Career Journey 04:58 Brand Building Fundamentals 10:58 Challenges and Strategies in the Craft Spirits Industry 16:49 Scaling and Distribution Insights 19:11 Balancing Passion and Business 25:06 Entrepreneurial Advice and Future Plans 32:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Bottom-Up Thinking is Crucial in Drinks Building URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-bottom-up-drinks-building-is/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:23.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder, Most brand failures aren't due to poor products or bad ideas—they stem from fundamental misunderstandings about how the drinks industry operates. Before diving into strategy and tactics, let's understand the critical realities that shape success in this unique space. ### The Multi-Layered Reality: B2B2B2B2C There is too much focus on Consumers. Yes, I said it. Unlike direct-to-consumer businesses, your brand must navigate multiple layers before reaching the consumer's glass. Each handoff—from you to distributors to venues to servers to consumers—represents both a challenge and an opportunity. This means your carefully crafted brand story gets simplified with each transition. By the time it reaches consumers, your beautiful narrative about botanical sourcing and artisanal production methods might be reduced to "It's the one with the cucumber." **Action point:** Map your entire value chain and understand what matters to each player—they all have different priorities that determine whether your product moves forward or stalls. ### The Relationship Glass Ceiling Early success often comes through personal relationships—that bartender who loves your product, the distributor who took a chance on you, the venues where you're a regular. This works brilliantly...until it doesn't. Relationships don't scale. When expanding beyond your home market or reaching a certain volume, you hit an inevitable ceiling where your personal network and founder charm can no longer drive growth. **Action point:** Start building systems alongside relationships from day one. Document what works, create replicable frameworks, and develop training that anyone can deliver. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The "Importer vs. Wholesaler" Cheat-Sheet: The 5 Reasons Why That First Order is Getting Dusty in a Warehouse and How to Change Your Approach to Distribution. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/004-issue-5-reasons-why-you-should-rethink-the-i/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:20.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In today’s issue, I’ll analyze new drink brands' most common issues with sales and distribution and show you my five-step process for ensuring a great relationship with your distribution partners. Adopting this process will ensure you have solid basics before scaling up your brand. Unfortunately, most brand owners treat all distributors the same. When exporting their brand, they fail to acknowledge the difference between an importer and a wholesaler. They are the Ying and Yang of distribution; you need both: - An importer is an entity that represents your brand in a market. It works at a national level across channels. Although they may have a sales force, it’s spread nationwide and lacks a deep dive to the last mile. Their Sales Force is usually relatively small, focusing only on 1 or 2 people in the main cities. - A wholesaler is regional (city or across a few provinces). It has a sizeable sales force in a small territory, targeting specific customers and channels. A wholesaler can impact the sell-out but doesn’t give you a national presence. ## **Brand owners don't realize that importers and wholesalers are two sides of the same coin to scale** > This is a short personal story. My great-grandfather and grandfather were wholesalers in southern Italy for 100 years. The business survived two World Wars but closed when I was a child in the 1980s. All I have now is a photo in my wallet and a passion for the industry. I've spent years understanding the role of wholesalers in building brands and how to ensure brands can last longer than just a couple of generations. > > I’ve worked in 30+ markets on four continents, bringing brands to market only via third-party distributors. I soon realized the crucial importance of small/medium local wholesalers. A brand will never succeed without the granularity of wholesalers' business. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/8ac8994d-91a3-40e3-983d-ff4696d946d3_1125x1511-jpeg.jpg) RTM nuances vary between markets, but the dynamics are similar. I will discuss the most common traits that work globally, so bear with me if they don’t apply 100% to your market. They apply 70-80%, and that’s good enough. What are the most common challenges? #### **Challenge 1: Most importers have quite a small direct sales force. When you launch in a market, you look for an importer; you don’t go deeper to understand the best wholesalers. Wrong.** They usually have a small sales force across the country. Every brand knows the theory of a city-based commercial approach, but only those who know how to work with wholesalers can win in a city. Some will tell you they sell directly and don’t need wholesalers. BS. Their sales force will be too small to make an impact. #### **Challenge 2: Wholesalers ship your cases. Nobody talks about them, but they go the last mile in the trade.** Importers rarely introduce you to them as they wanna (understandably) own that relationship. You win if you manage to be relevant to wholesalers and importers. Otherwise, you’ll be relevant only to one link of the distribution chain. Bars think bottom-up. They work with 2-3 wholesalers that bring them the goods. If a brand is unavailable, they'll order another one their wholesalers have. They don't want to have tens of invoices from different players. Even if an importer has direct distribution to the same accounts, bars are very likely to order through wholesalers out of convenience. You're missing out if you don't have their management and sales teams on board. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/c4f4f316-eaeb-400b-9ab3-40d228b00082_1292x1146-jpeg.jpg) _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 094 | Beyond Brand Training: Education & The Evolution of Aperitivo URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/094-beyond-brand-training-education/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:04.000Z Roberta Mariani | Savoia & Italicus _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The "Love & Money" Framework: What Most Brands Get Wrong by Focusing Only on Relationships URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/013-good-relationship-1-3-things-need-distributors-customers-drive-sales/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:21.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Drinks Builder,** The drinks industry is a relationship business. We know it, we live it, and that’s why it attracts so many new entrants daily. At the same time, we all know it is also an issue in our industry. The informality of our business makes us think that everyone is a friend of a friend. We tend to overestimate the power of relationships. Who hasn’t had a bad experience with getting paid by a friend of a friend? Who hasn’t been waiting for a reply from that friend of a friend with a bar? Relationships are essential, but they hit a glass ceiling. You must support them with clear expectations between parties. **We all love our industry, but we are also here to make a profit** If bar owners listed all their friends' brands, they would need three back bars and ten drinks menus. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/932add7d-831a-42ae-b6e0-d484cf85edcd_1078x738.png) The same applies to distributors. They can’t list all their friends’ brands in their portfolios. They could, but many of those cases would collect dust in their warehouse. Not good. It's a simple equation. Distributors hate dusty cases at least as much as bar owners hate dusty bottles. > They take space ⇒ money. > > They hold capital ⇒ money. Relationships are essential, but they are often not enough to move bottles. Relevance = Movement. Getting a smile, a handshake, and a promise to sell more of your brand in person is easy. Relevance is what they say and do about your brand when you leave the room. Whether you leave their bar or have a quarterly review meeting with your distributor, when you return to the airport, you understand how relevant your brand is in that market. ### **You're a dusty bottle if you are irrelevant to distributors and customers.** The moment your brand is born, it needs to move. No matter how much you love it. It’s all about getting rid of it: the distillery, the importer, the distributor, etc. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ad7703b0-8587-4437-b08a-d617a3f02cd2_1016x772.png) Relevance makes you move to the following link in the value chain. You can collect dust on a distillery floor, in a distributor’s warehouse, restaurant cellar, or in a home bar. • Only the links in the chain you are relevant for helping your brand rotate. • The more it rotates, the more people want to work with you. > I discussed this topic in another Mini-Guide: [The Industry Network Mirage: 4 Things to Consider to Avoid Relying on Contacts to Build Your Brand (Lasting Only Until Another Friend Gets Your Spot On The Shelf)You probably love our industry as much as I do. It's a people business. One of my favorite times of the year is Bar Convent Berlin. That's where I meet most of my favorite Drinks Builders from around the world but there's a but. Yes, contacts are not enough. We don't pay rent and mortgages with hugs and kisses from fellow Industry friends.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-39.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/8fdfe6ac-1356-46fc-b62b-cf9bf3152634_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/048-4-reasons-industry-contacts-not-enough-build-brand-need-bottomup-system/) You can be relevant at three levels. To win in the market, aim to be relevant at all three levels, but at least be relevant at two. ## It's easier said than done, right? ## Let me help you clarify how to fix it. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 093 | Cracking Distribution, Bottom-Up in Dubai and The Gulf URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/093-cracking-distribution-bottom/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:05.000Z Sophie Cookson | Craft & Culture UAE _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Trade Fair Cheat Sheet: How to Avoid The Biggest Mistakes Small Brands Make (Saving You From Ending Up Alone, At Your Expensive Stand Checking Your Mobile) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/016-5-things-learned-attending-bar-convent-berlin-can-benefit/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:21.000Z **Even if you have attended a show many times before, it's your money now.** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** I’ll share my learnings after attending Bar Convent Berlin in today's issue. I will share 5 tips. These are notes to self as much as a guide for you. You will be able to make the most out of trade fairs, regardless if you are planning to have a stand at a fair or just go to check what's happening in the industry. Unfortunately, most people lack preparation when attending or exhibiting at a fair. They browse around the stands randomly or they build their stands hoping that someone will fall into them. If you read some of my posts on LinkedIn, you will think that I am not a big fan of Trade Fairs. I’ve always felt it a bit as a tick-the-box kind of thing that big and small brands think they must do. I'm not against having a stand there but I am against exhibiting at a fair as one of the first things that a small brand does. If a brand hasn't proven successful in one market and hasn't created demand, it should direct investments elsewhere. Nevertheless, I like to challenge my own convictions so I went to Bar Convent Berlin to look at things with fresh eyes. I must admit that the organization blew me away. It was a huge machine. Everything was super smooth. A huge space. I went there by myself but I felt right away part of the ecosystem. Obviously, after years of remote connections, it was great to meet the people I had had video calls with and meet them in person. My skepticism disappeared fast and I understood why so many people pay a lot of money to be there. At the same time, I've also confirmed some of my thoughts but I've updated them. I asked people for their impressions and learnings and blended them with mine, creating s list of 5 key takeouts Here’s what I’ve learned. ## Whether you are an exhibitor or an attendee, do your homework before going to a trade fair Time flies at a fair. It’s so big and full of people that if you don’t have a clear agenda, you soon realize it’s 6 pm and you haven’t achieved much. Despite having gone there well-prepared, I often caught myself not following my own schedule, bumping into someone I knew, or postponing a visit to a stand that ended up never happening. I won't dig into the tips and tricks of what to do but I want to focus on the biggest learnings. > **Some overall observations:** > > • The best atmosphere was around the stands from big brands but it was also because they had many employees and importers there. It was more internal than external. > > • Some small brands had clearly no idea about what to do. I saw too many people on their phones at their empty stands. > > • A lot of attendees had no clear agenda. They were just there to have a good time and meet their friends, having a few drinks. > > • While the location of your stand is key, I saw some empty stands in great locations and vice-versa. It's all about the preparation. ### **#1\. Make your attendance the last step of a journey** Do your homework. Understand your objectives. What are you planning to get out of the fair? A new distributor? Meeting a brand owner? Recruiting team members? Make sure you contact people beforehand, establish a relationship with them, and then you meet them there just as the last step, not as a first one. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 092 | Scaling a City Cocktail Culture Through Middle-Tier Bars URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/092-scaling-a-city-cocktail-culture/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:05.000Z Francois Monti | Madrid, Spain _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The "Insights Sitting at The Bar" How-to Guide: The Five Steps to Gather Insights in Bars by Yourself URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/014-5-tips-step-meeting-room-gather-insights-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:22.000Z **(Instead of Waiting For an Invitation From your Sales Team That Will Never Come).** **Dear Drinks Builder,** In the drinks industry, there’s a problem. People tend to spend more time in the office than in the market. This is quite counterintuitive for an industry that prides itself on being a people business. It creates an echo chamber that provides biased feedback while building the brand. Most people I speak to (small or big brands) are uncomfortable visiting the on-trade to sell. There is a tendency to overfocus on the internal aspects of brand building—creating the brand, perfecting the liquid, the look of the bottle, and the marketing stuff. There’s so much effort in these aspects that people think their brand is so great that it will sell alone. When it doesn’t happen, there’s a cold shower effect. Very few people in the industry understand the importance of cracking sales and distribution. Last week, in one of my LinkedIn posts, someone asked me a question. Why didn’t I mention “the brand” as one of the top 3 factors to win in the market? It’s simple: the brand has become only table stakes. It’s like trying to get hired for a job because you can use emails, work with MS Office, or speak English as a second language. Those things are not mentioned anymore in CVs. They were often enough 20 years ago. Not anymore. Two decades ago, it was also enough for a brand to be excellent, do great marketing, and have a great liquid. Now, they need to master sales and distribution. A strong brand is necessary but not sufficient condition to get listed, displayed in a back bar or picked up from a shelf. ## **The future of drinks industry insights is sitting at the bar.** Selling a product is hard. You’ll get more doors on your face and negative answers than you can imagine. But that's not a good enough reason to give that task to someone else in your team. Founders hire a salesperson who “knows the market and has contacts.” Marketing teams delegate selling to their sales colleagues. It’s not by running focus groups and talking with influencers that you understand the market. They will mostly give you obvious answers to biased questions. It’s not by speaking to random target consumers who think like you that you make a bullet-proof brand. It’s by getting a “no” to your sell-in story and a "so what" to your brand story. It’s by talking to bartenders and observing consumer behaviors. ### Great brands are not built in the echo chamber. By talking to your colleagues and inner circle, you will get the answers you wanna hear, not what you need to hear. I've heard marketing colleagues complaining they hadn't been "invited" by sales to a market visit. Bars are not dangerous places; you can only enter them after a SWAT sales team has cleared them. Bar owners are ordinary people. They may be flamboyant, true. If they act too cool, you're in the wrong place, or maybe you don't have the answers to argue back. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/5feaf24d-fec7-4687-a7bd-b1018d1629d2_1292x1014-jpeg.jpg) ### So, what's the best way to gather insights effectively? I don't have a silver bullet, but here are five tips to consider: ### Tip #1: Spend more time in the market Spending time in-house is important, but it's a given. If you don't understand the market, you will pile up pallets of bottles in your warehouse. I once heard that the main thing to building a drink brand is having good shoes. Spend time on the streets and understand the needs of distributors, sales reps, and bar owners. It's an ecosystem; you must master the levers to make it work smoothly. [The Consumer Insights (at The Bar) Framework: 7 Reasons Why You Should Gather Them Sitting at The Bar(Instead of Getting Old News from Expensive PDF Reports That Your Competitors Read)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-10.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/THE-CONSUMER-INSIGHTS--AT-THE-BAR--FRAMEWORK-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/037/) You can't delegate sales. You need to be in the streets every week (if not every day), not just when you have time. It's like going to the gym. If you don't make time for it, you will never get there (that's me). ### Tip #2: Speak to the bar and wait staff. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 091 | One Store at The Time: Converting Demand Through Sampling URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/091-one-store-at-the-time-converting-880/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:06.000Z Nick Guerrieri | Chelly, Modernized Limoncello _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 092 | Scaling a City Cocktail Culture Through Middle-Tier Bars URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/092-scaling-a-city-cocktail-culture-249/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:06.000Z Francois Monti | Madrid, Spain _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 091 | One Store at The Time: Converting Demand Through Sampling URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/091-one-store-at-the-time-converting/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:07.000Z Nick Guerrieri, Founder of Chelly. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 090 | Winning with Distributors: From Your Home Market to Export URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/090-winning-with-distributors-from-005/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:07.000Z Park Street University for BCB 2024 | Michael Vachon, Soren Hansen, Emily Pennington, Chris Maffeo _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 090 | Winning with Distributors: From Your Home Market to Export URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/090-winning-with-distributors-from/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:08.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | BCB2024 | Winning with Distributors: From Your Home Market to Export | Park Street University | Michael Vachon, Soren Hansen, Emily Pennington, Chris Maffeo | 090This Episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast features a roundtable discussion from BCB Bar Convent Berlin 2024 hosted by Park Street University. Emily Pennington moderates a discussion on distribution…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-48.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-12.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/90?ref=maffeodrinks.com) In this episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast, I'm sharing key insights from our recent roundtable discussion at Bar Convent Berlin 2024, where I joined industry experts Soren Hansen and Michael Vachon to break down the essentials of conquering the EU market. Moderated by Emily Pennington, our [Park Street University](https://www.parkstreet.com/?ref=maffeodrinks.com) session dove deep into distribution strategies, brand building, and market entry approaches. The conversation centers around the role of distributors in brand building and entry strategies for EU markets. Key topics include identifying the right distributors, pricing challenges, maximizing event activations, and focusing on sell-through rates. **Timestamps:** 00:32 Welcome to Park Street University Stage 01:13 Panelist Introductions 02:03 Understanding Distribution Strategies 04:31 Differences Between Importers, Distributors, and Brokers 08:19 Challenges in Pricing Across Markets 12:23 Market Observations and Trends 19:35 Finding the Right Distributor 22:24 Understanding Market Logistics 23:47 Building Brand Presence 24:42 Navigating Economic Challenges 26:35 Effective Market Entry Strategies 29:45 Timeline for Market Penetration 32:00 Leveraging Digital and Omni-Channel Strategies 35:40 Event Activation Best Practices 42:36 Direct-to-Consumer Models 43:49 Key Takeaways for Distribution Relationships 46:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 089 | Bridging Tequila & Scotch Occasions URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/089-bridging-tequila-and-scotch-occasions/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:08.000Z Michael Ballantyne | Storywood Tequila _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 089 | Bridging Tequila & Scotch Occasions URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/089-bridging-tequila-and-scotch-occasions-e4c/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:09.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Michael Ballantyne | Bridging Tequila & Scotch Occasions with Storywood Tequila | 089In this episode, host Chris Maffeo speaks to Michael Ballantyne, founder of Storywood, who joins the Maffeo Drinks Podcast to reveal how he created the first single malt whisky barrel–aged tequila—…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-49.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-13.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/89?ref=maffeodrinks.com) In this episode, I had the pleasure of hosting [⁠Michael Ballantyne⁠](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-b-b3451338/?ref=maffeodrinks.com), founder of **Storywood**, who joins the Maffeo Drinks Podcast to reveal how he created the first **single malt whisky barrel–aged tequila**—a bold step intended to convert whisky aficionados into agave enthusiasts. By deliberately pivoting from tequila-focused venues to **whisky bars** and events like the Glasgow Whisky Show, he discovered a more receptive audience who understood the language of oak, toast, and char. While stoking consumer curiosity with a cask-forward narrative, Michael stresses the importance of selective distribution, building momentum in key markets before spreading too thin. He explains how a multi-SKU strategy caters to varied palates—from lighter, cocktail-friendly expressions to richer, extended-aged variants—yet unifies under the “tequila meets scotch” identity. Throughout his journey, Michael has worked bottom-up—sampling events, personal brand ambassador work, and direct outreach—to forge loyal trade and consumer relationships. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:29 Guest Introduction and Product Overview 00:50 The Story Behind Storywood Tequila 03:47 Challenges and Strategies in the Tequila Market 07:37 Innovative Marketing and Consumer Engagement 18:17 Global Market Expansion and Distribution 22:28 Personal Reflections and Advice for Entrepreneurs 28:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 088 | Bringing Luxury to The American Whiskey Category URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/088-bringing-luxury-to-the-american-530/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:09.000Z Andrew Borenzweig | The Beverly High Rye _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 088 | Bringing Luxury to The American Whiskey Category URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/088-bringing-luxury-to-the-american/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:10.000Z **The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast* is a weekly podcast featuring Drinks Builders worldwide. It’s listened to in over 100 countries. Its no-nonsense approach focuses on how beverage brands are built from the ground up. The Show is free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.* ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Andrew Borenzweig | Bringing Luxury to The American Whiskey Category with The Beverly High Rye | 088In this episode, host Chris Maffeo talks to Andrew Borenzweig, founder of Beverly High Rye, who shares his journey of creating a modern, luxury-focused American whiskey that breaks away from tradit…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-50.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-14.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/88?ref=maffeodrinks.com) *You receive this episode one week before it gets released on all other platforms, with exclusive deep dives and transcripts. If you wanna check the different plans, you can here:* [Subscribe now](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/subscribe) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/0e0a4f3f-df01-4c64-b819-7223a0807273_1506x850.png) In this episode, host [⁠Chris Maffeo⁠](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmaffeo/?ref=maffeodrinks.com) talks to [⁠Andrew Borenzweig⁠](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-rb/?ref=maffeodrinks.com), founder of **Beverly High Rye**, who shares his journey of creating a **modern, luxury-focused American whiskey** that breaks away from traditional frontier or rustic imagery. Inspired by the elegance of **Beverly Hills**, Andrew crafted a whiskey that blends **rye’s bold spice** with **bourbon’s smoothness**, presented in **sleek, decanter-style bottles**. He initially concentrated on securing placements in **prestigious California venues**—such as **Nobu**, **Mastro’s**, **Cipriani**, and the **Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons**—to build brand credibility and visibility. This strategic on-trade focus laid a strong foundation before carefully expanding into **off-trade channels** like select Pavilions stores. Throughout the episode, Andrew emphasizes the importance of **brand authenticity**, **founder-led advocacy**, and a **California-centric rollout** as key drivers of Beverly High Rye’s success. Additionally, he touches on leveraging top on-trade outlet groups to facilitate potential **international expansion**, referencing **Nobu Tokyo**’s interest in the brand. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:29 Guest Introduction: Andrew and Beverly High Rye 01:02 The Inspiration Behind Beverly High Rye 03:02 Commercial Strategy and Market Positioning 09:38 Expanding to New Markets: Japan and Beyond 13:57 Product Portfolio and Special Editions 21:27 On-Trade vs. Off-Trade Strategies 30:42 Final Thoughts and Advice for Brand Owners 31:57 Conclusion and Call to Action _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 087 | Beyond Moderation: Building a Pleasure-First Non-Alcoholic Brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/087-beyond-moderation-building-a-f56/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:10.000Z Imme Ermgassen | Co-Founder of Botivo _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 087 | Beyond Moderation: Building a Pleasure-First Non-Alcoholic Brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/087-beyond-moderation-building-a/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:11.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** ## Listen to the episode : [MAFFEO DRINKS | Imme Ermgassen | Beyond Moderation with Botivo: Building a Pleasure-First Non-Alcoholic Brand | 087In this episode, host Chris Maffeo is joined by Imme Ermgassen from Botivo, who shares insights into building a craft non-alcoholic aperitivo brand that challenges category conventions. Through str…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/NWM2Yy5wbmc-51.png)MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/MDE4Ni5wbmc-15.png)](https://themaffeodrinkspodcast.com/s3/87?ref=maffeodrinks.com) Welcome to the first episode of 2025! In this episode, I had the pleasure of hosting [**Imme Ermgassen**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/immeermgassen/?ref=maffeodrinks.com), co-founder of [**Botivo**](https://www.botivodrinks.com/?ref=maffeodrinks.com)**.** She recounts how she and her partner Sam built a “big-sipping botanical aperitivo” that challenges typical non-alcoholic conventions. Produced on a **farm in Hertfordshire** with an aged cider vinegar base slowly infused over nearly a year, Botivo exudes an artisanal depth seldom found in zero-proof beverages. Instead of focusing on “dry” or “moderation” narratives, Botivo leans into a flavor-first, hedonistic identity, anchored by the **“**Yellow Hour**”**—a mental break rather than a fixed time slot. By debuting in key restaurants like The River Café (thereby establishing culinary credibility) and securing listings in **Waitrose, Majestic, Whole Foods**, and its e-commerce, the brand creates a smooth loop from on-trade discovery to at-home consumption. Its signature **“Botivo & Soda”** underscores the aperitivo’s confidence: a minimal-ingredient approach highlighting the liquid’s inherent complexity. **Timestamps:** 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:29 Guest Introduction and Initial Impressions 01:22 Deep Dive into Botivo 02:16 Brand Philosophy and Market Positioning 05:37 Challenges and Strategies in the Non-Alcoholic Market 11:35 Consumer Insights and Brand Building 19:31 Trade Relationships and Distribution 38:04 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Importer Hunting Checklist: How to Avoid Endless Fights, Next to Zero Sell-in Orders and No Replies URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/015-stop-looking-importer-start-looking-right-bar-instead/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:22.000Z **And Why You Should Start from The Right Bars, Instead** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid.* *Sign up in the top right corner.* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** If you want to start exporting, stop looking for importers. Start with the bars and restaurants that are right for your commercial proposition. Then, you can move backward and get to an importer. 99% of brands will look for an importer first. I often heard: *Hey Chris do you know a good distributor in Country XYZ*? It’s like when friends visiting Prague ask me for tips on Bars and Restaurants. What are you looking for? A romantic getaway? Techno Music? Typical Czech Food or Fine Dining. If you don’t clarify that (first to yourself) you’ll always end up dissatisfied. But if you get a short list of “good” distributors (whatever that means) before clarifying what your brand stands for and where you want to be in a new target city, you just procrastinate on the problem. It's like kicking a can down the road. It creates the illusion that you’ve made it. You signed the deal (if you have a contract at all), and you think orders will come like magic. You can put another market into your pitch deck. But if you are not specific, guiding them and aligning on the brand journey in that market, you will hand over all responsibilities to them. In reality, yours will become "just another brand" in the importer's portfolio. You will end up: - having endless talks with importers to get them to list your brand - trying to get importers to increase their sell-in orders despite low sell-out - spending time and marketing money on activities that have No (& Low) impact ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/d0f851e8-e278-472d-a3da-624a74995205_1292x1271-jpeg.jpg) This top-down thinking came decades ago when each market had a good balance of importers and brands. It’s not like that anymore. 1. There are usually very few importers capable of building premium brands in a market (obviously depending on each Country). This creates an incredible bottleneck that most brand owners do not realize. 2. Most importers rely on a handful of people in the market, covering the whole Country, with a minimal impact on what they can do. Wholesalers make most market sales with a much more granular approach, with sales teams dedicated to a city or region. 3. If you lack a good relationship with wholesalers, you are unlikely to scale in a market. If you don't win a city, you can't win a Country. ## Entering a market with a top-down approach creates the illusion that you've made it. But getting an importer is just the beginning of the sales journey. I used to get many requests for “the right importer in market XYZ”. I used to give out the names of the best ones I knew until I realized it was a waste of time for the brand and the importer. They were having good conversations, but things were going flat after the first order. I realized that it is not about finding an importer to drive sell-in. It's about understanding the need for suitable bars for your brand to generate sell-outs (at the bar level) that will lead to sell-in (at the distributor level). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/28add2bc-1647-4048-b158-bc9f7ac82210_1289x1123-jpeg.jpg) ## Start from the right bar for your brand, not from whom you think is the right importer. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why You Should Build Your Bottom-up Category Before Building Your Brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/029-build-category-instead-building-brand/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T20:55:46.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** Building drinks brands in the bottom-up trade is not an easy task. The back bars are full of bottles. Drinks menus are either full of difficult-to-understand cocktails or hold just a handful. This makes it very difficult to have a product that is featured in it or to stand out. In the last years, there has been a proliferation of brands. Tequila in the USA and Gin in Europe are probably the most visible examples. Each category's growth has lured in a lot of players. During the craft brands renaissance in the USA, the first brands did not compete. Together, they joined their efforts to build their new category (e.g., craft bourbon, craft gin, etc.). They had the vision to bring something fresh to consumers. They were driven by passion, not (only) money. When the number of entrants outpaces the growth in the category, the cookie crumbles; instead of making the pie bigger, brands start eating each other's slide. This drives cannibalization. Consumers pick a new brand and stop buying the ones they used to drink. This happens because new entrants become "me too" brands. Instead of creating their category, they try to differentiate themselves with small details, such as botanicals within an existing category. ### Understanding Category Building. Watch how bartenders arrange their back bars. They often group products not by traditional categories but by how consumers use them. A gin might sit next to a vermouth because they share an aperitif occasion. This is how bottom-up categories emerge - from real market behavior, not industry conventions. I am often asked about the secret sauce to making a successful brand. While there is no such thing as a silver bullet, some recurring traits exist. Attention always falls on branding, packaging, and marketing campaigns, but we tend to forget that brands often don't have big budgets to go to market. They reach success bottom-up. They win outlet by outlet, focusing on their category. Budgets are tight, and deciding to invest in your brand is natural. You don't want to be a missionary and spend money building the category. Do you think big brands should do the heavy lifting to create the category? Yes, but no. They used to do it but have left the job to smaller brands. Big brands built and are still creating what we know as categories. I usually call these Traditional, Macro, or Legacy Categories. The ones you find in IWSR reports. But before they get there, categories start in bars and bottle shops. They are what I call Bottom-up Categories. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/66bdf30a-1b93-461a-a2cc-2eb6c74c593c_966x502.png) Categories like the “Spritz” don’t officially exist; they can be considered an occasion, but look at how they built a wagon that all categories are trying to jump on ### The Power of Bottom-Up Categories _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Back Bar Cheat Sheet URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/039-4-deadsimple-categories-decode-bottles-back-bars/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:23.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:*appear independent but possess significant **Dear Drinks Builder,** Have you ever thought that back bars are an ecosystem on their own? Every back bar tells a story, but most people see only a wall of bottles. Let me help you decode this intricate ecosystem that shapes our industry. Understanding these four distinct tribes will transform how you view – and play in – the drinks business. ### 1\. Small Brands with Big Backing They appear independent but possess significant distribution muscle. Think of them as indie bands that got signed by major labels – they keep playing their signature sound but now reach stadium-sized audiences. These brands master the art of scaling authenticity. Their bottles still bear hand-drawn labels and small-batch numbering, but sophisticated supply chains and marketing machines power them behind the scenes. **Tip**: Success for brands in this space means walking a delicate tightrope. You need to leverage your corporate backing without losing your craft soul. The real art? Use those distribution networks and marketing resources to amplify your authentic story, not replace it. When done right, staying true to your roots, you show other craft brands that growth doesn't mean selling out: It means scaling up, bottom-up, without messing up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Trade Advocacy Blueprint: 5 Reasons to Stop Focusing Only on Bar Owners and Managers URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/050-5-top-reasons-brand-advocacy-start-bottomup-square-not-tower-aka-adding-value-venue-staff-vs-own/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:24.000Z **Who don't spread their brand love downward to the team** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here* **Dear Drinks Builder,** Brand advocacy is one of the biggest focuses of Drinks Brands. But most brands do it wrong. They use it as a short-term tactic rather than a strategic one. [The Brand Training Blueprint: The 3 Steps to Deliver a Short and Value-Adding Training That People Will Remember The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/f4995e17-5726-40b3-9df6-4413a9f39386_1280x1280.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/bcf839af-a09e-4d01-9262-230bdd683ee6_4550x3275-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/008-stepchange-advocacy-training-customers-want-learn/) They focus on hierarchy and forget about the network. I was recently re-reading one of my favorite books by [Niall Ferguson: The Square and the Tower.](https://www.niallferguson.com/the-square-and-the-tower?ref=winningwithdrinks.com&utm%5Fsource=maffeodrinks.beehiiv.com&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=050-5-top-reasons-why-your-brand-advocacy-should-start-bottom-up-from-the-square-and-not-from-the-tower-aka-adding-value-to-venue-staff-vs-only-to-owners) He mentions: *"Networks have always been with us. Throughout history, hierarchies housed in high towers have claimed to rule, but real power often resided in the networks in the town square below. For it is networks that tend to innovate. And it is through networks that revolutionary ideas can contagiously spread."* (from Niall Ferguson's website) It clarified a thought I've had in my head but couldn't articulate: most brands nowadays approach the whole galaxy of advocacy and word of mouth incorrectly. They focus on the Tower and less on the Square. They give crumbs to the square just to tick the box with the tower. I am referring to Owners and Staff and not only to On-trade but to the [Bottom-up trade](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-stop-thinking-vs-offtrade-start-thinking-bottomup-vs-topdown-trade-4-things-look/). [The 'Bottom-Up Trade' Kickstart Guide The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/f4995e17-5726-40b3-9df6-4413a9f39386_1280x1280-1.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/6dc78928-086f-4980-800a-8dab0261de73_1800x1200-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-stop-thinking-vs-offtrade-start-thinking-bottomup-vs-topdown-trade-4-things-look/) There is a tendency to focus on the decision-maker, aka the owner or manager (the Tower), and to completely dismiss doing something people that are lower in the chain "the Square". In reality, it's in the Square that the magic happens. The same thing happens in a bar, where the bartender is often seen as being more important than a waiter while actually, it isn't true. > **Firstly, staff may rotate. In the best bars, waiters are bartenders and vice versa. It just depends on the night shift.** > > **Secondly, regarding influence, a venue may have 10 seats at the bar and 40 at the tables. Guess who's gonna influence more the choice of what people order. Most of the clients are never even gonna see, let alone speak to a bartender that night.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/9b9232a1-8b2f-48fb-b110-d11881962833_1292x711.png) **Visualization of bars, bottle shops, and staff network* To simplify, I have listed my 4 top reasons why you should rethink your strategy. ### **1\. They often work in more than one venue** _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Venue Farming Framework: A Straightforward System to Sustain Demand by Grouping Customers into 4 Types (2 Winners ✅ + 2 Losers ❌) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/022-deadsimple-system-cluster-ontrade-customers-4-types-2-2/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:24.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** Today's issue follows up on a previous one in which I discussed the importance of using outlet segmentation to hunt new customers. Today, I'll dive deep into using such segmentation to farm existing clients. Lately, I’ve updated my terminology,y and I interchangeably refer to: > **Hunting** \= Converting Demand > > **Farming** \=Sustaining Demand **Here you can read my previous articles about hunting aka converting demand:** [The Hunting ChecklistDear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/c22d9cf2-919d-4502-8494-e048e5f0929d_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/018-outlet-segmentation-can-help-prioritize-sell-5-simple-steps/) [The Venue Hunting Framework: A dead-simple system to Know Which Venues to Focus On (and Why a Regular Venue That Wants You is Better Than a Cool One That Doesn't)The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-1.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/b23747bf-c9a6-46cf-a855-e158607da20b_4550x3275-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/019-deadsimple-system-cluster-ontrade-prospects-4-types-2-2/) Unfortunately, many brands I see daily lack a straightforward system to prioritize where to focus their effort on existing customers. They go in all directions, being pulled left and right by sales and marketing teams without a clear action plan. ## They have a segmentation on a PowerPoint deck but don't implement it. > **Image-based segmentations** are useful for hunting new customers (driving distribution aka converting demand). > > **Volume-based segmentations** are better for farming (developing rate of sale of velocity aka sustaining demand). All companies have strategy decks. What brands miss are execution decks, which are action plans that give directions to the team and help them live by them. ***“Let him, who’s without sin, cast the first stone”*. I’m the first one to plead guilty.** I've always been against prioritizing outlets based on volume. I used to be a purist of premium brand building, and image played the main role until I became a Country Manager and started managing a P&L. That was the moment of truth almost a decade ago. All my old talks about brand buildings still felt great, but I started seeing things differently. I needed to fund the journey, as I was working with tiny budgets (yes, this is a misconception; not always big brands have big budgets). I started thinking: What's the point of being listed in a fancy venue if there are hardly any sales there? People may see it, but nobody will order it if it is unrelated to the occasion. There is no point in trying to harvest those outlets. I'd rather spend time at a more average bar selling a lot than a cool bar that doesn't. If they don't try to "get your bottle out there," they will not be interested. For this reason, I decided to add another dimension to segmentation. [Virtue Lies in the Middle (Tier Venues): Why Average Venues Deserve Your Focus (and 3 Reasons You’re Hesitant to Sell to Them)The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/f4995e17-5726-40b3-9df6-4413a9f39386_1280x1280-2.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/96d873fb-c7f4-4d62-b601-4c0577629350_600x400-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/020-3-reasons-afraid-selling-brand-average-bars-fix/) ## It's not about cool or regular outlets. It's about who's putting an effort to sell it out. This thinking led me to prioritize outlets in a way that was friendly to my resources and P&L. A simple way to understand which ones to focus on is to create a simple matrix like the one below. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Virtue Lies in the Middle (Tier Venues): Why Average Venues Deserve Your Focus (and 3 Reasons You’re Hesitant to Sell to Them) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/020-3-reasons-afraid-selling-brand-average-bars-fix/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:25.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In today’s issue, I’ll share my experience and insights into what happens to sales and your brand's P&L when you start selling to more average bars. By adopting this approach, you’ll spend your time more effectively. You’ll likely increase your distribution while increasing your rate of sale. Unfortunately, most people think that only cool outlets can build brands. They fear that widening distribution to more standard venues will ruin their brand's image, and they refuse to grasp opportunities. That's a big mistake. They forget that the consumers who only go to the world's best bars and cool restaurants all the time are just a handful in each city. Most people are normal consumers who want to trade up, enjoy premium products sometimes, and use more mainstream products most days. Many so-called "premium consumers" visit regular, average bars and look for some trade-up option. When I started in sales, I made the same mistake. I came from marketing, and I only wanted to focus on cool outlets. I remember not wanting to let my brand be sold in average bars as it would alienate those trendy consumers buying my product. Of course, every salesperson prefers to hang out in a cool bar than an average one. It's human. But if you get their targets and KPIs right, changing your opinion is easy. I also soon realized that my brand was growing much slower than it could, and I was sitting on a huge opportunity I had not seen before. I decided to grow distribution in the outlets that resonated with the brand's commercial proposition and occasion but that were more average. Those outlets wanted the brand, were able to afford it and they were pushing sales to drive their margins. > 💡 How to understand the right bar for your brand: > > **Target Occasion:** how does your core occasion fit with theirs? If your occasion is a "shot", a fine dining venue won't be right for you, even if it's on all the guides as the best place in town. > > **Commercial Proposition**: what's your purpose, what values does your brand represent? How would you translate your brand positioning into 3 types of outlets? Those are the outlets where your brand would perfectly fit their drinks range. ## It's not about how cool a bar is but about whether the bar to which you "sell in" will manage to "sell out" your product. The most successful brands are the ones that manage to grow their distribution while also growing their rate of sale. They widen the distribution when they feel there is traction and not only because they have a strong Route-to-market to make it happen. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/b1d72da2-6509-4f1b-8c3a-334d7a3a83f9_1292x968-jpeg.jpg) _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Podcast Supporter, 🥉 Bronze, Podcast Episode Deep Dives, 🥇 Write, The Lab Membership + Monthly Call, The Lab (Multiple Seats for Companies), Commercial X-Ray Plus, 🥇 Gold Membership, 💍 Build Bottom-up: (Remote) Bottom-up Strategy and Bespoke Advisory tiers only._ ### The Dust-Free Bottles Framework: A Simple System to Spot Venues Worth Your Time (and Avoid Ones That Won’t Reorder) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/027-deadsimple-system-know-bar-orders-first-bottle/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:25.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** You've been there, done that. You see it every day when a bar makes its first order. They buy their first bottle from you. You are probably the only person selling your brand in your city, and you focus on moving on to the next bar, forgetting about the previous one. You have your own way of working, but it is probably homemade. You know whom and when to follow up with, but you lack a system that will give you consistency. In the last twenty years, I've analyzed On-trade sales of premium drink brands across 30+ markets. I've also investigated what happens after a bar makes the first order. I will give you a checklist to help you focus on the right things and improve your productivity. The first order is the most exciting moment for a salesperson. I still remember my first sale in the On-trade in Rome 20+ years ago. The owner, Jamie, was a British guy who owned a Cuban restaurant and bar, and I had to do everything in English. Walking out of the room, I thought: wow, and what is happening now? I consider the first sale just like a first date. Will there be more, or will I never see that person again? How much is that bar going to sell? Will it be a significant customer of mine, or will this be the first and last order? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/c1ba4ee3-48a8-4864-9dde-5b2cc3657327_761x673.png) When a brand starts to get traction in a city, it is crucial to prioritize outlets so you don't waste time on those selling too little. But when you start in the market when they place their first order, how do you know if you should put in the effort with them? Here you find a few Guides about it: [The "First Bottle" Sell-Out Checklist The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/f4995e17-5726-40b3-9df6-4413a9f39386_1280x1280-3.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/04d2d916-7c97-47d7-911d-eeb5a7ea1b73_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/003-5-deadsimple-steps-get-brands-sellout-bar-1-bottle-1-case/) [The Venue Farming Framework: A Straightforward System to Sustain Demand by Grouping Customers into 4 Types (2 Winners ✅ + 2 Losers ❌)The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/f4995e17-5726-40b3-9df6-4413a9f39386_1280x1280-4.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/8f567402-5e2b-4516-b3f9-32604bb956e6_600x400.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/022-deadsimple-system-cluster-ontrade-customers-4-types-2-2/) [The Top-of-the-Pyramid Mirage: Why The World's Best Bars Aren't Enough to Build Your Drinks Brand (Making Your P&L Bleed) and How to Choose The Right Ones, Instead.The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/f4995e17-5726-40b3-9df6-4413a9f39386_1280x1280-5.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/fe1639c8-eedb-4abc-847e-3eb37aaa64df_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/005-worlds-best-bars-arent-enough-scale-drinks-brand-fix/) _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Venue Hunting Framework: A Dead-Simple System to Convert Demand by Grouping Prospects into 4 Types (2 Winners ✅ + 2 Losers ❌) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/019-deadsimple-system-cluster-ontrade-prospects-4-types-2-2/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:26.000Z **Why a Regular Venue That Wants You Beats a Cool One That Doesn’t** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** Today's issue follows up on the [Mini-Guide “The Hunting Checklist,”](https://maffeodrinks.com/018-outlet-segmentation-can-help-prioritize-sell-5-simple-steps?r=1njodi&utm%5Fcampaign=post&utm%5Fmedium=web&ref=maffeodrinks.com) in which I discussed the importance of using outlet segmentation to attract new customers. I'll explore the dangers of generalizing outlets and splitting them into "cool ones" and "mainstream ones.” Unfortunately, most outlet segmentations I've seen in the last twenty years either focus on volume (how much they sell) or brand image (how cool they are). After that, they stop, thinking it is enough. But if you don't go one level deeper, you are uselessly missing out on spending time in the market. > **Image-based segmentations** are useful for hunting new customers (driving distribution aka converting demand). > > **Volume-based segmentations** are better for farming (developing rate of sale of velocity aka sustaining demand). Why do I think that? Because I made that mistake in the past. I started my career with a rigorous approach to brand building. Having worked only with premium brands, I used to be very picky. Being in Marketing, I had tons of clashes with my Sales colleagues. I used to think that the only way to build a premium brand was to focus on the "crème de la crème" of the outlets in the city while my colleagues were keen on expanding distribution rapidly. I was frustrated. How could we not find a mutual approach to driving marketing and sales efforts? So, I asked to work in Sales. It was the only way to change my perspective on things. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ade23d25-8fe7-45d9-b947-034a6498a549_887x885-jpeg.jpg) I focused on the top part of the segment, while my sales colleagues focused on the bottom part. We were both wrong (see the top drawing above). I deep-dived and started looking at things differently. I realized there was a different way to build brands; this one was much more sustainable from a P&L perspective. Why? ## It's not about cool or mainstream outlets. There are four types of customers, and only 2 of them matter. Hunting customers is a counterintuitive bottom-up exercise. By focusing only on the best outlets in town, you will miss great opportunities for more standard outlets that want your brand, don't require much attention, and bring in cash to keep your brand afloat in the first months of your brand-building journey. I see too many sales teams focusing on the wrong outlets, running around town, and spending time ineffectively betting on the wrong horse. They forget that their time is money and a day in the trade is very expensive when counting everything from salaries to fuel, from coffees to lunches out. You must focus on the outlets that are worth the effort, also from a P&L perspective. Easier said than done, right? How can you find the right ones? How to understand the right bar for your brand: > **Target Occasion:** how does your core occasion fit with theirs? If your occasion is a "shot", a fine dining venue won't be right for you, even if it's on all the guides as the best place in town. > > **Commercial Proposition**: what's your purpose, what values does your brand represent? How would you translate your brand positioning into 3 types of outlets? Those are the outlets where your brand would perfectly fit their drinks range. A simple way to understand which ones to focus on is to create a simple matrix like the one below. Before you start, please read my previous article. [The Hunting ChecklistDear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-4.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/c22d9cf2-919d-4502-8494-e048e5f0929d_1875x1250-jpeg-2.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/018-outlet-segmentation-can-help-prioritize-sell-5-simple-steps/) Cluster the outlets in 4 quadrants based on premiumness and on your ability to win there. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 🎙️ Love The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast? Join the Inner Circle: Upgrade Now and Get the "Built Bottom-up" Plan Free! 🎉 URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/love-the-maffeo-drinks-podcast-join/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:11.000Z Limited Time Offer Ends Dec 31st! _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 086 | Community Education in Bartending URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/086-community-education-in-bartending/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:12.000Z Andrew Friedman Founder of Industry Spirits, Seattle WA _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Understanding the Real Problems Your Brand Can Solve URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/041-8-deadsimple-steps-build-brands-foundations-starting-problem-actually-exists/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:24.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** Today, let's dive deep into something fundamental that most brands overlook: understanding the real problems you're solving in the market. Before thinking about awareness, distribution, or marketing campaigns, you must be clear about what gap you're filling and for whom. ### Start with the Problem Here's something most brands miss: before you worry about awareness or distribution, you need to understand what problem you're solving. And here's the thing: It doesn't need to be a huge problem. It just needs to be real. [The Consumer Insights (at The Bar) Framework: 7 Reasons Why You Should Gather Them Sitting at The Bar (Instead of Getting Old News from Expensive PDF Reports That Your Competitors Read)The drinks industry, an ever-evolving landscape of trends, presents opportunities and challenges for brands seeking to make their mark. In this fast-paced world, where innovation and consumer preferences dictate success, companies must gain valuable insights to stay ahead. While market research and internal analysis have their place, an often-overlooked goldmine of knowledge lies untapped – sitting at the bar. You know the adage too much analysis is paralysis.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-5.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/835edb39-be23-4546-bb17-0c33899cdbae_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/037/) Let’s dive in! ### Building from the Bottom Up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Christmas Break & Exciting Changes Coming to MAFFEO DRINKS in 2025 URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/christmas-break-and-exciting-changes/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:12.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Last Chance: Get The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides Premium Access at Current Pricing URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/last-chance-get-the-maffeo-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:25.000Z Lock this Pricing for As Long As You Stay With Us! _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 085 | Customer-First vs. Bartender-First Bars URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/085-customer-first-vs-bartender-first/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:13.000Z Andrew Friedman, Founder of Industry Spirits, Seattle WA _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Market Entry & Distribution: Lessons from Bar Convent Berlin 2024 URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/market-entry-and-distribution-lessons/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:25.000Z Learnings from my RoundTable Discussion at Bar Convent Berlin 2024 with Park Street University _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 084 | Blends, Single Malts & Old vs. New Ways of Drinking Whisk(e)y URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/084-blends-single-malts-and-old-vs/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:13.000Z Billy Abbott | The Whisky Exchange _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 083 | Helping People Navigate The Whisk(e)y Shelf URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/083-helping-people-navigate-the-whiskey/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:14.000Z Billy Abbott | The Whisky Exchange _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Career Success in the Drinks Industry: Beyond the Glamour of Social Media URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/career-success-in-the-drinks-industry/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:26.000Z What's Right For You? A Honest Conversation To Have _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 082 | Bringing Non-Alc Cocktail Culture to Saudi Arabia URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/082-bringing-non-alc-cocktail-culture/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:15.000Z Alice Bidini, Bar Manager Four Seasons Riyadh _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Drink Different: Understanding Mindful Consumption URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drink-different-understanding-mindful/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:27.000Z Your (Free) White Paper to learn about the NOLO Market _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 081 | Negronis Are Not For Everyone URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/081-negronis-are-not-for-everyone/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:15.000Z Alice Bidini, Bar Manager Four Seasons Riyadh _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 080 | The Impact of Cultural Factors on Market Trends URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/080-the-impact-of-cultural-factors/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:16.000Z Philip Duff, Host of the Philip Duff Show _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Building Bottom-Up ≠ Thinking Small (And What It Is Instead) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-building-bottom-up-thinking-small/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:26.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** A persistent myth in our industry needs addressing: the belief that building brands bottom-up means forever staying small or niche. I constantly hear this concern from brand owners, especially when speaking with investors or stakeholders pushing for rapid growth. This misconception isn't just wrong – it fundamentally misunderstands how successful brands are built in today's market. Bottom-up isn't about size - it's about sequence. It's about building unshakeable foundations that enable faster, more sustainable scaling when the time comes. Think of it like constructing a skyscraper: you can't rush the foundation just because you're eager to reach the top floor. And here's the thing: in today's market, with thousands of brands competing for attention, bottom-up marketing isn't just one way to build a brand—it's the only viable way forward. The days you could launch a brand with big marketing budgets and fast distribution are over. Consumers are overwhelmed with choices, skeptical of traditional advertising, and increasingly rely on trusted recommendations. The noise level in the market is deafening, and the only way to cut through it is by building genuine advocacy from the ground up. [The 'Bottom-Up Trade' Kickstart Guide You know how big of a fan I am of On-trade. You also know I am not a big fan of building brands in Off-trade. But through the years, I have changed my perspective. Consumers' habits have changed and home consumption has premiumized a lot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-11.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/6dc78928-086f-4980-800a-8dab0261de73_1800x1200-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-stop-thinking-vs-offtrade-start-thinking-bottomup-vs-topdown-trade-4-things-look/) [The "Bottom-up Value Chain" FrameworkDear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-12.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/47cad284-5f56-454e-bbf8-eb4bb8afcad3_1875x1250-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/017-value-chains-fail-3-steps-fix/) Let me explain what this means in practice: **Bottom-Up Trade as Foundation:** _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 079 | Never Stop Learning to Master The Drinks Industry URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/079-never-stop-learning-to-master/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:16.000Z Philip Duff, Host of The Philip Duff Show and Founder of Old Duff Genever _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Join The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/why-join-the-maffeo-drinks-guides/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:28.000Z Why to Subscribe and Be Part of The Bottom-Up Movement _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Bottom-Up Brand Building: 10 Reasons Why It's Easier Said Than Done URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/bottom-up-brand-building-10-reasons/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T08:42:56.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/20200ac7-7bb8-4c8c-9b0c-9e951c781f81_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg) Let's tackle a paradox that plagues many in our industry: Why is bottom-up brand building so widely understood yet so challenging to implement? Have you ever felt frustrated that despite understanding the bottom-up approach, you're struggling to make it work? You're not alone. Implementing a bottom-up strategy in the beverage industry can feel like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded. It's frustrating. You know the bottom-up approach is powerful, but you can't make it work in practice. You're left wondering: Why is this so hard? Am I doing something wrong? How do others make it look so easy? Understanding the bottom-up approach is just the first step. Implementing it effectively requires navigating complex challenges that many aren't prepared for. First, building a brand takes time so you won't find any silver bullets here. It's about creating a system that respects the industry's complexities and overcomes common implementation hurdles. Bottom-up brand building isn't just a strategy; it's a mindset shift that involves various stakeholders at different levels of your organization and the industry. Without understanding these challenges, you'll waste time and resources trying to implement a strategy that looks great on paper but fails in practice. **But what if there was a better way? A method that doesn't just explain the theory but gives you practical tools to overcome implementation challenges?** Unfortunately, most brands focus solely on either: - pushing the bottom-up approach without a systematized approach - or giving up too quickly when faced with implementation difficulties #### Let's face it: The struggle is real. Here are the 10 key challenges that make bottom-up brand building easier said than done: **1.Short-term Pressure vs. Long-term Vision**: While brand building takes time, stakeholders often demand quick results. This tension can derail long-term strategies in favor of short-term gains. [The Big Event Mirage Guide: Why Small Brands Shouldn’t do Big Events Without Having Wide Enough DistributionLarge budgets are allocated to digital campaigns featuring alleged influencers and award shows![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-18.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/THE-BIG-EVENT-MIRAGE-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/012-3-steps-improve-spend-time-money-building-drinks-brand/) **2.Resource Intensity**: Bottom-up approaches require significant time, manpower, and financial resources. The personal connections and grassroots efforts needed can strain limited budgets and teams. **3.Scalability Concerns**: Success in one market doesn't guarantee success in another. The fear of not being able to replicate local triumphs on a larger scale can be paralyzing. [The Scaling Dilemma: How to Avoid The Worst Mistakes Big Brands Make(Saving You From Losing Consumers Jumping on The New Kid on The Block)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-17.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/THE-SCALING-DILEMMA.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/026-4-reasons-big-brands-decline-bottomup-thinking-can-prevent/) **4.Measurement Difficulties**: Traditional metrics often fail to capture the actual value of bottom-up growth. How do you quantify bartender relationships or word-of-mouth buzz? [The Distributor Target Setting Checklist: How to Avoid The Biggest Mistakes Brand Owners Make Every YearHow to Avoid The Biggest Mistakes Brand Owners Make Every Year (That Leads To Painful Discussions and Expensive Divorces)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-15.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/THE-DISTRIBUTOR-TARGET-SETTING-CHECKLIST.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/007-5-easy-mistakes-avoid-setting-targets-distributor/) **5.Patience and Persistence in Uncertainty**: Bottom-up growth doesn't follow a predictable trajectory. This uncertainty can be uncomfortable for traditional business mindsets accustomed to linear projections. Maintaining motivation and consistency is challenging when results aren't immediate. When progress seems slow, it's tempting to pivot to quicker strategies. **6.Resistance to Change**: Established organizations often struggle to shift from top-down to bottom-up approaches. Overcoming internal resistance can be as challenging as external market factors. **7.On-Trade or Bottom-up Trade**: Finding the right balance between on-trade focus (bars, restaurants) and off-trade efforts (retail) is complex. Neglecting one for the other can lead to missed opportunities. That’s why the Bottom-up Trade, the outlets where you can ultimately build brand foundations, is so important. [The ‘Bottom-Up Trade’ Kickstart Guidewhy it’s wrong to think that only bars build brands and 4 simple steps to identify the right venues![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-16.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/The--Bottom-Up-Trade--Kickstart-Guide.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-stop-thinking-vs-offtrade-start-thinking-bottomup-vs-topdown-trade-4-things-look/) **8.Lack of Specialized Expertise**: Many teams are built for traditional marketing, not the nuanced, relationship-based approach required for bottom-up growth. This gap can hinder effective implementation. [The Sales Team Hiring Checklist: 4 Simple Steps to Choose The Right PersonAvoiding Having to Search Again in 3 Months’ Time After Losing Important Customers![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-14.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/THE-SALES-TEAM-HIRING-CHECKLIST.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/009-choose-right-profile-sales-team-4-simple-steps/) 1. **Fear of Missed Opportunities**: The focused nature of bottom-up building can make brands feel they're missing out on broader opportunities. This fear can lead to premature expansion or diluted efforts. [The “Winning at Home” Checklist: 5 reasons why your brand must focus on the home market(and how to avoid that nobody has heard of it where it comes from)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-13.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/THE-WINNING-AT-HOME-CHECKLIST.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/006-5-reasons-win-home-market-first/) 1. **Inconsistent Execution**: Maintaining the same level of attention and quality across all touchpoints over time is demanding. Inconsistency can undermine the trust and relationships built. [The Event Partnership Framework: What 99% of Drinks Brands Get WrongLeading to Events with Hidden Costs After Which Trialists Never Find that Brand Again) and What to Do Instead.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/icon/Maffeo-Drinks-Podcast-RED-SQUARE-12.png)MAFFEO DRINKSChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/thumbnail/f596586b-5267-47d9-b431-79ffde3b736d_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-event-partnership-framework-what/) These challenges can make bottom-up brand building feel like an uphill battle. You might be wondering: How do successful brands overcome these hurdles? What strategies can turn these challenges into opportunities? Despite these difficulties, it's crucial to understand that bottom-up brand building isn't just an option – it's the only viable path forward in today's market. The top-down approaches that worked decades ago are no longer effective in our hyper-connected, consumer-driven world. Consumers are savvier, competition is fiercer, and authenticity is paramount. Bottom-up building allows brands to create genuine connections, adapt to local preferences, and build a loyal following that can withstand market fluctuations. Yes, it's challenging, but also the most rewarding and sustainable way to create a lasting brand. The good news is that there are proven methods to address each of these challenges and implement a successful bottom-up strategy. But the solution isn't one-size-fits-all. It requires a tailored approach based on your brand's unique position and goals. In my years of experience, I've developed a method that focuses on three critical stages of demand: > **Creating Demand**: Where we spark initial interest and curiosity in your brand. > > **Converting Demand**: Where we turn that interest into actual sales and placements. > > **Sustaining Demand**: Where we ensure long-term loyalty and consistent reorders. This approach is designed to work across all levels of brand growth, whether you're aiming for: > **The One Bottle Stage**, when a team is of only a handful of people > > **The One Case Stage**, when you start engaging with third parties such as importers and wholesalers > > **The One Pallet Stage** as you expand nationally through key accounts Each demand stage requires unique strategies to overcome the 10 challenges we've discussed. Understanding where your brand is in this journey allows us to apply targeted approaches to propel you to the next level. Are you struggling with any of these challenges? Which stage of demand is your brand currently focusing on? I'd love to hear about your experiences and discuss strategies specific to your brand's current stage and goals. ### Let's connect and explore how we can turn these obstacles into stepping stones for your brand's success. ### Reply to this email or schedule a call, and let's start building your brand from the bottom up – the right way. Remember, brands are built bottom-up, but implementation is critical! #### I hope this mini-guide will help you develop the small, consistent habits you need to build your brand from the ground up. ## If you liked it, share it with your friends and team members who need to hear it today! [Refer a friend](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/leaderboard/) **Whenever you're ready, there are more ways I can help you:** > [**Listen to my Podcast**](https://tr.ee/maffeodrinks-podcast?ref=maffeodrinks.com)Listened to by Drinks Builders from 111 countries. Every week, a new episode featuring Drinks Builders from around the Globe sharing their learning building Bottom-up. > > [**Download my Digital Course**](https://maffeodrinks.gumroad.com/l/BootstrappingaDrinksBrand?ref=maffeodrinks.com)**:** Dead-Simple Strategies to Avoid 28 Costly Mistakes (A 40 minutes Self-paced Course) ### 078 | Emotional Storytelling in Cocktail Menu URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/078-emotional-storytelling-in-cocktail/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:17.000Z Chris Le Beau, Founder of Decoding Cocktails Podcast _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 077 | Scaling Cocktail Culture URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/077-chris-le-beau-scaling-cocktail/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:17.000Z Chris LeBeau, Host of Decoding Cocktails Podcast _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Guide Distributors to Bars That Want Your Brand, Not Where You Want It URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/030-stop-telling-distributors-bars-want-brand-show-brand-will-rotate-instead/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:27.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here* **Dear Drinks Builder,** In today’s issue, I’ll discuss the importance of clearly guiding distributors to understand where to sell your brand. By being clearer, you’ll likely increase your strike rate in the right outlets, and your distributor will see you as adding value instead of just asking to sell more. Unfortunately, most brand owners think "clearer" means 100 pages on PowerPoint and are uselessly analytical. Brand Owner - Distributor dynamics are always fascinating to me. For many years, I represented brand owners. They were some of the biggest drinks companies in the world, and when I was trying to learn from internal best practices, they were always cocky. They were based on the fact that if you represented a large company in a local market, distributors and on-trade customers had to listen to you. That's what I thought until I realized I had a problem. I was working for newly established global brands. In the export department, the brands were only significant in the home market and a handful of others. In the countries I was selling it, nobody knew my brands. I could not rely on an army of salespeople. Distributors only had a handful of them. Those internal practices were useless because I didn't have the muscle that my brands had in those countries. Did I mention I had a tiny marketing budget, too? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/0bdc243f-d5ee-4b0f-a1d9-9a6e660ad272_1262x916.png) [From Bartender to Buyer: 6 Dead-Simple Steps to Systematize Building DemandDear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-21.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/30131cb3-8ec9-41a5-82d9-2de533920686_1875x1250-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/from-bartender-to-buyer-6-dead-simple/) ### So, I began developing my approach to building brands from the ground up, working in a similar manner to craft brands. After working with 30+ markets worldwide and talking with as many distributors as possible, I realized that most brand owners work top-down. They do so mainly in two ways: 1) A basic way of working that has not changed since last century: the brand owner signs a deal, sets ambitious targets, and beats the distributor every month for not reaching them. 2) Some others use a more sophisticated method, what I call "the wanna-be bottom-up": They give directions to local distributors on where they should sell their product, but they still do it top-down, without "boots on the ground." They do so from the headquarters without walking the street, applying a one-size-fits-all approach. They tell the distributor to focus on the top cities and bars and maybe mention which types of outlets to sell to. The problem is that all brands in that country get the same brief: the coolest bars in town. The hard truth is that local teams know the right bars in their city, but they need clear guidance in understanding the right bar *for the right occasion* of a brand in a city. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Get my brand new Trade-Fair Cheat-Sheet at a Special Price! URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/get-my-brand-new-trade-fair-cheat/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:29.000Z How to get the most out of Drinks Industry Fairs. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 076 | Rob Malin | Navigating the Role of Sustainability in the Drinks Industry | When in Rome URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/076-rob-malin-navigating-the-role/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:18.000Z Rob Malin, Founder of When in Rome | Planet Friendly Wine | B Corp™️ _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 075 | Rob Malin | Building a Planet-Friendly Wine Brand through New Consumption Occasions URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/075-rob-malin-building-a-wine-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:18.000Z Rob Malin, Founder of When in Rome | Planet Friendly Wine | B Corp™️ _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The King is dead-Long live the King Mindset: Why There's no "Dead" Drink Categories & How to stay focused when your category isn't trending. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/038-king-dead-long-live-king-theres-no-thing-dead-category/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:27.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Drinks Builder** In the dynamic drinks industry landscape, trends come and go. "Rum is dead. Whisky is dead. Vodka is dead." These phrases have echoed through the years, supposedly signaling consumer preferences. But are these pronouncements accurate, or is there a deeper truth we should uncover? ### The Myth of Category Demise Every 5-10 years, industry pundits call a category "dead." The cycle repeats like clockwork, sparking speculation about the next big thing. But history tells us that categories are cyclical—with glory and rainy days. When a category is fading, a remarkable comeback often occurs. Also, if you see a trend, you’re probably already late to the gold rush. It is much better to stick to a category you believe in, not to the greener grass of your neighbor. ### Understanding Category Cycles and Occasion-Based Consumption _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 074 | Danil Nevsky | Hospitality vs. Drinks Industry: Navigating the Bartender-Brand Relationship URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/074-danil-nevsky-hospitality-vs-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:19.000Z Founder of Indie Bartender _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Bootstrapping a Drinks Brand: New Course + Exclusive Offer URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/bootstrapping-a-drinks-brand-new/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:30.000Z Dead-Simple Strategies to Avoid 28 Costly Mistakes (A 40 minutes Course) _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 073 | Chris Maffeo | Create Demand Before Trying To Capture It URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/073-chris-maffeo-create-demand-before/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:19.000Z Founder of MAFFEO DRINKS _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 072 | Chris Maffeo | Consistency in Implementing a Clear Bottom-up Strategy | URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/072-chris-maffeo-consistency-in-implementing/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:20.000Z Founder of MAFFEO DRINKS _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Wholesaler & Importer Roadmap: From Rejected to In-Demand: A 5-step System To Get Your Drinks Brand Listed By Wholesalers and Importers. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/031-rejected-indemand-5step-system-get-drinks-brand-listed-wholesalers/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:28.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 071 | Morten Stengaard | Bottom-up Expansion to New Markets URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/071-morten-stengaard-bottom-up-expansion/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:20.000Z Co-Founder and CEO of Bemakers _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 070 | Morten Stengaard | Building a Premium Fruit Wine Category URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/070-morten-stengaard-building-a-premium/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:21.000Z Co-Founder of Andersen Winery _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Your Favorite Podcast is Back with an All-Star Lineup! URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/your-favorite-podcast-is-back-with/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:21.000Z Next Episode out on Sunday, August 25th (24h earlier for Subscribers) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From Bartender to Buyer: 6 Dead-Simple Steps to Systematize Building Demand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/from-bartender-to-buyer-6-dead-simple/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:28.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In today's mini-guide, I'll explain why traditional top-down demand creation often fails for new drink brands. I'll also introduce you to the **Demand Creation Framework**, a Multi-Directional Flow of Demand Creation theory, and show you how to leverage it to build your brand more effectively. Have you ever felt you're shouting into the void to get your brand noticed? You're not alone. Creating demand for your product can feel like navigating blindfolded in the beverage industry's labyrinth. Let's face it: The struggle is real. - You've got a great product, but bar owners won't give you the time of day. - Wholesalers seem more interested in established brands than taking a chance on you. - Retail buyers? They're a fortress, and you can't find the secret passage. It's frustrating. You know your brand has potential, but you can't seem to break through. You're left wondering: Who do I approach first? How do I get my foot in the door? Why does it feel like I'm always talking to the wrong person? The truth is that the traditional top-down approach to demand creation is broken. It's like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. You end up wasting time and resources and, worst of all, burning bridges before you've even built them. It's about understanding the entire ecosystem. > First thing: building a brand takes time, so you won't find any silver bullets here. It's about creating a system that respects the industry's complexities and leverages multiple channels of influence. Demand creation isn't a one-way street anymore. It's a complex, multi-directional flow that involves various industry players at different levels. Without understanding this flow, you'll waste time and resources pushing your brand in ways that don't resonate with the industry's natural dynamics. But what if there was a better way? A method that doesn't just open doors but creates a strong buzz that people start opening doors for you? Unfortunately, most brands focus solely on either: - pushing their product from the top down, often hitting resistance - or relying entirely on grass-roots efforts, struggling to scale This isn't just another marketing theory. It's a practical, step-by-step approach that helps you: 1. Identify the right people to talk to at each stage of your brand's growth 2. Understand how influence flows between different levels of the industry 3. Prioritize your efforts for maximum impact 4. Create organic, sustainable demand that scales from local hotspots to global markets We know it all starts from the Bottom-up Trade, but how does brand demand flow across the ecosystem? #### Challenge 1: It all starts with bartenders, not bar owners They're on the front lines, creating buzz and interest that reaches bar owners and managers. Ignoring them means missing a crucial entry point. #### Challenge 2: Bar Owners validate info with their peers Bar owners and managers share successful brands with their peers. You're missing out on organic growth without tapping into this network effect. Apart from getting information about trending brands from their bar staff, they receive it from other bar owners, travel to trade fairs, etc. #### Challenge 3: Wholesalers don’t want to be approached top-down: You can't easily approach wholesaler sales teams directly. You must create enough ground-level interest to catch their attention. #### Challenge 4: Retail success stems from on-premise buzz: Retail buyers are watching what's successful in bars and restaurants. Without on-premise success, breaking into retail is an uphill battle. > **Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:** [The Trade Advocacy BlueprintBrand Advocacy is one of the biggest focuses for Drinks Brands. But most brands do it wrong. They use it as a short-term tactic instead of strategically.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-30.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/b25c80a7-e7ab-4669-831e-dc4b97817b90_1875x1250-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/050-5-top-reasons-brand-advocacy-start-bottomup-square-not-tower-aka-adding-value-venue-staff-vs-own/) [The 'Bottom-Up Trade' Kickstart Guide You know how big of a fan I am of On-trade. You also know I am not a big fan of building brands in Off-trade. But through the years, I have changed my perspective. Consumers' habits have changed and home consumption has premiumized a lot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-31.png)MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/6dc78928-086f-4980-800a-8dab0261de73_1800x1200-jpeg-3.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-stop-thinking-vs-offtrade-start-thinking-bottomup-vs-topdown-trade-4-things-look/) ### Here's the 6-stage process to systematize the Flow of Demand Creation: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### A Short Break for The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/a-short-break-for-the-maffeo-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:22.000Z See you in a few weeks! _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The "Industry Network" Mirage: 4 Things to Consider to Avoid Relying Mainly On Contacts to Build Your Brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/048-4-reasons-industry-contacts-not-enough-build-brand-need-bottomup-system/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:29.000Z Lasting Only Until Another Friend Gets Your Spot On The Shelf _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 069 | Felice Capasso | Bringing Clarity to Spirits Consumers URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/069-felice-capasso-bringing-clarity/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:22.000Z Spirits Educator and Founder of Sesto Senso Spirits Academy _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The "From 1 Bottle to 1 Case" Cheat-Sheet: A dead-simple 6-step approach to drive sales rotation in bars. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/033-deadsimple-6steps-approach-drive-sales-rotation-bars-aka-go-one-bottle-one-case/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:29.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** Today, I will discuss a very dear topic to most of us: sustaining demand, aka growing sales velocity in bars. One of the biggest challenges for new drinks brands is what to do after they have managed to create and convert demand across a few bars in a city and get the bar manager's agreement to take stock of our product. It's important to consider how many bottles we expect them to take—one, two, or even a case. Always remember to sell the first bottle with the second one in mind. In sales for small brands, transactions typically start with just one bottle. You might be lucky if they're confident enough to take two at first. It's crucial to help them sell your brand by encouraging them not only to fall in love with it but also to move through their inventory quickly so that they can order more. > **Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:** [The "First Bottle" Sell-Out Checklist Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder, In today’s issue, I’ll go through the 4 most common issues why new drinks brands struggle to get sell-out. I'll show you my 5-step process to make your brand’s rotation in a bar go from 1 bottle to 1 case. By adopting this process, you’ll ensure that your brand has solid foundations before scaling up.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-34.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/04d2d916-7c97-47d7-911d-eeb5a7ea1b73_1875x1250-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/003-5-deadsimple-steps-get-brands-sellout-bar-1-bottle-1-case/) [The Trade Advocacy BlueprintBrand Advocacy is one of the biggest focuses for Drinks Brands. But most brands do it wrong. They use it as a short-term tactic instead of strategically. They focus on hierarchy and forget about the network. I was recently re-reading one of my favorite books by![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-35.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/b25c80a7-e7ab-4669-831e-dc4b97817b90_1875x1250-jpeg-2.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/050-5-top-reasons-brand-advocacy-start-bottomup-square-not-tower-aka-adding-value-venue-staff-vs-own/) [The Target Occasion ChecklistDear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-36.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/e998ac37-550c-4aeb-b4c0-26b077feb237_600x400-2.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/024-ignore-fomo-decide-one-core-drinking-occasion-brand/) ## So, how can you do that? ### 1\. Focus on a straightforward drinking occasion and make it tangible Brands must create a simple message that reaches consumers and the industry. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 068 | Felice Capasso | The Power of Liquid-driven Messaging URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/068-felice-capasso-the-power-of-liquid/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:23.000Z Spirits Educator and Founder of Sesto Senso Spirits Academy _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 067 | Mikko Koskinen | Translating a Local Category to New Markets | Kyrö Distillery URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/067-mikko-koskinen-translating-a/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:23.000Z Co-Founder of Kyrö Distillery _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 066 | Mikko Koskinen | From Rye to Category: Building a Distillery Brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/066-mikko-koskinen-from-rye-to-category/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:24.000Z Co-Founder of Kyrö Distillery _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A Special Thanks for being among the first 1000 Drinks Builders to subscribe! URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/a-special-thanks-for-being-among/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:02.000Z 50% Discount Forever for you! _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 065 | Nicola Olianas | The Advocacy Journey to Become the Bartender's Handshake URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/065-nicola-olianas-the-advocacy-journey/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:24.000Z Global Export Head of Advocacy for Fernet Branca & Carpano Antica Formula _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 064 | Nicola Olianas | Building a Category Beyond Trends URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/064-nicola-olianas-tips-on-building/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:25.000Z Global Export Head of Advocacy for Fernet Branca & Carpano Antica Formula _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 063 | David Wood | Understanding How to Choose Distributors & Wholesalers URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/063-david-wood-understanding-how/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:25.000Z Founder of Liana Collection, London UK _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 062 | David Wood | Distribution: The Non-obvious Power of Smaller Categories URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/062-david-wood-the-non-obvious-power/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:26.000Z Founder of Liana Collection, London UK _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 061 | Nick Gillett | Managing Expectations While Scaling Your Brand's Distribution | Mangrove Global URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/061-nick-gillett-managing-expectations/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:26.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Join my new subscriber chat URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/join-my-new-subscriber-chat-68417f4a235189001bd39c4e/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:31.000Z A private space for us to converse and connect _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 060 | Nick Gillett | Wholesalers & Distributors: understanding the Drinks Route-to-Market | Mangrove Global URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/060-nick-gillett-wholesalers-and/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:27.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 059 | Stephen Myers | How to Build Demand Bar by Bar | Dynamic Beverage Consultants URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/059-stephen-myers-how-to-build-demand/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:27.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The "First Bottle" Sell-Out Checklist: How to Fix the 4 Basic Mistakes Brands Make When Selling their First Bottle to Bars URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/003-5-deadsimple-steps-get-brands-sellout-bar-1-bottle-1-case/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:30.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In today’s issue, I’ll go through the 4 most common issues why new drinks brands struggle to get sell-out. I'll show you my 5-step process to make your brand’s rotation in a bar go from 1 bottle to 1 case. By adopting this process, you’ll ensure that your brand has solid foundations before scaling up. Unfortunately, most Drinks Builders lack a pragmatic system. They hide behind their "industry connections," but that hits a glass ceiling. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/975a7133-133d-4705-bd61-61c397a8d600_938x716.png) > NB: building a brand takes time, so you will never get a silver bullet or a shortcut from me. It's about getting the basics right and creating a long-term system. Many people focus on new distribution but if you don’t focus on helping your customer grow or sustain the rotation, you will eventually run out of clients. Sustaining Demand is key. ## **Most salespeople only focus on new distribution but lose existing customers. Hunting is useless without farming.** I’ve spent time analyzing the not-so-fancy details of why a brand sells or doesn’t. We often think we need some magic stick to grow sales in a bar, but the first step is ensuring the most essential aspects are in place. #### **Challenge 1: Not all bar staff know they sell your brand.** You sold it to the owner/manager. They probably haven’t informed their staff, so your bottle will get lost among the hundreds. How often have you gone to a bar where you know you’re sold, but the bar staff says not? Tip: the bottle is probably not finished. It’s either not opened yet, or it’s half-full hiding somewhere. > Often, they don’t sell it because it’s not registered in the cashier system. As basic as it sounds, make sure that is in place. #### **Challenge 2: Your bottle/case may still be in the cellar.** Yes, they got their order among their other bottles. The people in charge don’t know the brand, so they’ve put it somewhere in the back of the cellar. Nobody will miss that bottle if you don’t show up and tell them. #### **Challenge 3: Bar staff doesn’t care if nobody is reminding them.** Nobody will love you like your mum. The same goes for your brand. If you don’t care about it, they won’t. If after they get it, you don’t show up to remind them they bought it, it will stay forgotten in one of the first 4 out of 5 steps below: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 058 | Stephen Myers | The First Steps in a New Market URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/058-stephen-myers-the-first-steps/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:28.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 057 | Emmett Strack | US & EU Trends Cross-pollination URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/057-emmett-strack-us-and-eu-trends/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:28.000Z A Cross-Episode with Park Street University Insider Podcast _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Nailing your Drink Strategy URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/040-3-simple-reasons-better-choose-target-cocktail-bottomup-instead-reinventing-wheel/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:30.000Z I**Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In this Guide, I want to discuss building a bottom-up target cocktail. Having a bunch of cocktails to play with in the early stage of brand development is crucial. There's a valuable lesson from the age-old adage: "Why reinvent the wheel when you can evolve it?" Unfortunately, brand owners and managers get overexcited. They want to do something different from competitors. Instead of creating something that fixes an issue for consumers or bartenders, they create something they think is cool and stands out. Why? Because they make it top-down in the office. If they don’t create it themselves, they ask advertising agencies rather than relying on bartenders' expertise (or common sense). Often, they copy what works on another brand. The issue is that most of the time, the brand trying to copy has no relevance to play in that area. How often have you seen a random category playing with “spritz” or “and tonic” copying Aperol or the mighty Gin category? They forget to focus on what makes their brand stand out from a Taste Profile perspective and what is more appropriate to their brand and category. When creating a drink, most brands forget a simple rule about evolution rather than revolution. > **Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:** [The Target Occasion ChecklistDear Drinks Builder,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-42.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides & PodcastChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/e998ac37-550c-4aeb-b4c0-26b077feb237_600x400-3.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/024-ignore-fomo-decide-one-core-drinking-occasion-brand/) [The Sell-in Ring Road Checklist: How to Adapt Your Messaging to "Traffic Conditions" (i.e. Competitors on Your Route) While Staying Consistent.Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder, In this Mini-Guide, I will discuss the importance of adapting your sell-in story to the listener. Most Drinks Builders have a standard top-down story they apply. They forget to listen, get input, and adjust their messaging, and that’s a pricey mistake as they fail to sell their first bottle.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-43.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/277190ef-d6cb-4a4e-97ae-fc4bf450ef26_600x400.png)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-sell-in-ring-road-checklist-how/) In their goodwill to create something different, some brands overcomplicate. Instead of making life easier for those on the front lines, some brands inadvertently create confusion, but why doesn’t that work? ### 1\. Bartenders want to create. Not being told to follow a recipe (unless it’s from Jerry Thomas). _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 056 | Georgie Bell | The Early Journey of a Founder-led Brand | The Heart Cut URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/056-i-georgie-bell-i-the-early-journey/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:29.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 055 | Taste Profile & Storytelling with Georgie Bell URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/055-taste-profile-and-storytelling/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:29.000Z The Heart Cut | Single Cask Whisky Bottler _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 054 | How to Build a Drink Brand Bottom-up | Chris Maffeo with Vani Gupta Dandia (New Delhi, India) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/title-054-how-to-build-a-drink-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:30.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 053 | Nailing Your City (Distribution) Strategy: How to Transform Brand Momentum into Velocity in the right venues URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/053-nailing-your-city-distribution/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:30.000Z Part 2/2 with Justin Medcraft, Founder of Mate Maker (Los Angeles, CA, USA) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The "Sell-in Ring Road" Checklist: How to Adapt Your Messaging to "Traffic Conditions" (i.e., Competitors on Your Route) While Staying Consistent. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/the-sell-in-ring-road-checklist-how/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:31.000Z **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In this Mini-Guide, I will discuss the importance of adapting your sell-in story to the listener. Most Drinks Builders have a standard top-down story they apply. They forget to listen, get input, and adjust their messaging, and that’s a pricey mistake as they fail to sell their first bottle. **Let’s be clear. This doesn’t mean telling them stuff to please them. It means selectively choosing from your Commercial Essence the traits that align with them.** According to the adage, all roads lead to Rome. Growing up in the Italian capital, I was used to knowing by heart all the old road arteries that the ancient Romans had built to get to the city center. That inspired me to shape the concept of **Sell-in Ring Road**. Ring Roads are not in every city. They are usually a European phenomenon as they mimic old city walls. When cities grew in size and defense walls became obsolete, they were generally demolished and substituted by a circular road. Each road used to lead to one of the city’s doors, the city's entrance. Many cities have concentric ring roads, depending on how they grew. Usually, the wider of them is a highway (motorway, speedway, autobahn, autostrada, or whatever you call it). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/c89416fa-624f-4f66-a971-212dfb5cffd9_1818x1536.png) Now, Imagine you are coming from a highway, and you want to enter a city. You’re probably driving on that ring, and you must decide you must decide which exit to take to enter the city (no pun intended). You don’t know which route is the best. You may think you know, but you haven’t considered some variables: - **Traffic on your route.** How many other brands are going there, too - **Your destination may change**. You know where your customer is now, but you don’t know where they wanna get (i.e., they may move during your conversation) When explaining your brand and category, a sell-in story is a message you tell bar owners, bartenders, and buyers. While it’s crucial to be consistent, it’s also important to know what to say to whom and to adapt how you convey that message. > I wrote a Mini-Guide about this: [Fixing the Sell-in Pitch: The 4 Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make Talking to Bar Owners (and How to Rescue Them From a "Thanks but no, Thanks" reply).The Drink Industry has become more and more challenging. The proliferation of craft brands makes it tough and often leads to brand switches. Shelf space and Back bars are limited and to make room for your brand, a venue must remove another one (or at least push theirs to the second or third row, collecting dust).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-44.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/544a0f39-e4ee-4b25-b8c6-0b56f5339324_1875x1250-jpeg.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/fixing-the-sell-in-pitch-the-four/) ## I developed a simple checklist to help you tell a story that lands that first bottle you wanna sell: _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 052 | How a Crystal-Clear Target Occasion Helps you Stand Out in the Busiest Market for Your Category URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/052-how-a-crystal-clear-target-occasion/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:31.000Z Part 1/2 with Justin Medcraft, Founder of Mate Maker (Los Angeles, CA, USA) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Unwinding February: Your MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast Guest Recap 🎙️ URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/unwinding-february-your-maffeo-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:31.000Z A month with great Podcast Guests _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A Special Offer to celebrate with us! URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/a-special-offer-to-celebrate-with/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:03.000Z Don't miss this 50% Discount for 1 year! _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 051 | Mastering Unscalable Things to Drive Scale: Diary of a Drinks Builder obsessed about details URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/051-mastering-unscalable-things-to/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:32.000Z Part 2/2 with Ilias Mastrogiannis (Seattle, WA, USA) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 050 | Pond, Lakes, Oceans: How to Master The Basics From Distilling to Selling Bottles URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/050-pond-lakes-oceans-how-to-master/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:32.000Z Part 1/2 with Ilias Mastrogiannis (Seattle, WA, USA) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 049 | Taking Sustainability from Niche to Scale: Working with Bars and Distributors as an Ecosystem URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/049-taking-sustainability-from-niche/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:33.000Z Part 2/2 with Stephanie Jordan, Co-Founder of B Corp Avallen Spirits (Amsterdam, NL) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 048 | Building with Purpose: Recruiting People into New Categories Through Flavor URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/048-building-with-purpose-recruiting/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:33.000Z with Stephanie Jordan, Co-Founder of B Corp Avallen Spirits (Amsterdam, NL) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 047 | Nailing the Right Distribution Model; One Size Doesn’t fit All: How Different Models Suit Different Brand Life-Stages | URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-nailing-the-right-distribution/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:34.000Z Part 2/2 with Jack Orr-Ewing, CEO of Duppy Share Rum (London, UK) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 046 | From Start-Up to 40K 9L cases: the (bumpy) journey to become the UK’s largest independent Rum Brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/046-from-start-up-to-40k-9l-cases/ Last updated: 2026-10-21T20:37:34.000Z with Jack Orr-Ewing, CEO of Duppy Share Rum (London, UK) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Fixing the Sell-in Pitch: The 4 Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make Talking to Bar Owners URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/fixing-the-sell-in-pitch-the-four/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:31.000Z **(And How To Rescue Them From A "Thanks but no" Reply** Dear Drinks Builder, The Drink Industry has become more and more challenging. The proliferation of craft brands makes it tough and often leads to brand switches. Shelf space and Back bars are limited, and to make room for your brand, a venue must remove another one (or at least push theirs to the second or third row, collecting dust). Even worse, the above refers to those who make it on the shelf. But most brands don’t. Most brands fail at the door and if they manage to talk to a bar manager or owner, they fail to explain the whole point about their brand. But what are the biggest mistakes salespeople make when selling their brand? ### 1\. They don’t listen to customers They focus on their message. They assume they have the best brand in the world and get overconfident. By doing this, they don’t let customers open up about their needs. You’ll be surprised how much crucial information you would get by simply asking open questions and staying silent, listening. Owners and Managers struggle with different issues, from staff shortages to rising costs. From not enough footfall to low average basket spend. If you don’t let them open up, they won’t tell you. This way you will end up with your usual story, assuming stuff. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/85cb06a9-9490-4709-b81f-686351a9f007_3011x1753-jpeg.jpg) ### 2\. They don’t study menus and back bars Their offer is standardized across venues. They don’t want to waste time on understanding what’s their occasion and what their target venue is. So they apply the one-size-fits-all approach. They don’t care how many brands are competing in their category. They don’t spend time checking if the competitor they have in mind is listed there. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Ep. 045 | Drink Photography: the power of hospitality as a service URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/ep-045-drink-photography-the-power/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:35.000Z with Francesco Sapienza, Food & Restaurant Photographer, NYC, USA. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### <#052> Unwinding January: Your MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast Guest Recap 🎙️ URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/n052/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:33.000Z A month with great Podcast Guests _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 044 | Food & Drink Photography: How to start a career Bottom-up | Part 1/2 with Francesco Sapienza (New York City, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/044-food-and-drink-photography-how-ad4/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:36.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### The Bar Mapping Blueprint: The 5 Steps To Find The Right Venues for Your Brand In a City URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/001-5-steps-improve-hunt-ontrade-customers/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:32.000Z **Instead of a Useless List, All Your Competitors Already Googled.** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid.* *Sign up here.* **Dear Drinks Builder,** I’ll share my 5-step process to improve your approach to selling to on-premise outlets in today's issue. By adopting this hunting process, you’ll spend time better. You’ll likely increase your strike rate in the right outlets. Unfortunately, most people lack a pragmatic system. They are getting rejected or focused on the wrong outlets. ## **Winning in On-trade is about having a tested hunting system to guide your decisions** Without a system in place, you’ll encounter a few challenges. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/9d19e7ca-ddc3-4b4c-9823-611eb1a11951_2580x1462.png) **Challenge 1: You focus on the wrong outlets.** People will recommend you to get a hunting list. The problem with those lists is that you’ll focus on the hottest places in town. If you search online you’ll end up with the same list as all the salespeople in your city. You’ll focus on the wrong, hard-to-get outlets **Challenge 2: The wrong bars reject you. You may have heard they don’t have time for you, or that the manager is not there. Showing up at the door of people who don’t want to buy you is a waste of time. Many bar owners now do their research online or through word-of-mouth.** **They have already made up their mind about what brands to stock. You need to create the demand for your brand before you capture it with a visit.** **Challenge 3: Unbalanced relationships.** By focusing on those above, you will affect your mood. The moment you walk in, you’ll feel you’re in a lower position. If successful, you'll base those relationships on favors and you'll always be "on-call". **Challenge 4: The wrong outlets will have slow velocity: In case of success, they may try one bottle. They will make you sweat for any new small sales.** **Very ineffective.** ## Here’s the 5-step process I follow to overcome the above challenges: ### **Step 1: Understand whom your brand is right for** Skip the target consumer. Clarify what your brand is for. What consumption occasion and what type of venue? No, I’m not talking about the 50 best bars or the hottest venues. I’m talking about the venues that will likely sell your brand on a specific occasion. You’ll have to do trial and error at the beginning. Analyze the patterns you see. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 043 | How to navigate Global Travel Retail as a Brand Building Channel | Part2/2 with André De Almeida (Glasgow, Scotland) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/043-how-to-navigate-global-travel-ff9/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:37.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### <#051> Why we should take a strong stand on peer pressure when out in a bar (and how I tackle it) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/051/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:34.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Scaling Dilemma: How to Avoid The Worst Mistakes Big Brands Make URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/026-4-reasons-big-brands-decline-bottomup-thinking-can-prevent/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:32.000Z **(Saving You From Losing Consumers Jumping on The New Kid on The Block)** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** In this Mini-Guide, I am going to discuss an issue that affects most brands when scaling: losing relevance with their consumers, especially when newer, cooler brands enter the market while they are promoting to grow volume. In our industry, there's a tendency to think that bottom-up brand building is only for small brands. I've been challenged that my approach works for small brands launched in the market, but it does not work when selling 1 million cases. **Well, that's wrong.** Although big brands have passed the famous Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point, no brand is safe after that. If that were true, there wouldn't be a need for re-launch, re-branding, or re-positioning of big brands. No brand is too big to fail. Unfortunately, most brands focus on short-term growth more than long-term brand building. They forget the fundamentals and *must* return to fix their brand when it's too big. Young trees are easier to fix than old ones. It’s better to grow sustainably instead of trying shortcuts that will send you back to the Start. ## It takes 20 years to succeed overnight and one year to ruin everything. How many brands have you seen succeeding and ruining all the hard work to grow too fast? It reminds me of the story of the dog with a piece of bread in its mouth that goes to the lake and sees himself reflected. To catch the mirrored piece of bread, he drops it and loses it all. So why do brands fail when scaling up, and how can you fix it? ### 1\. They forget about the Bottom-up when selling to the Top-down Trade (Big On and Off Trade Chains) People always look at Off-trade (i.e., Supermarkets/Retailers) for fast growth. You can do that, but not at the expense of your On-trade channel. If you forget about maintaining your relevance in the On-trade, your brand becomes a commodity. Your brands start to get discounted, and consumers looking for premium products look for the next cool thing as your brand has become too affordable. Think of what happened to Absolut when Grey Goose appeared. Also, remember what happened to the latter when Tito's Vodka launched. There's always a newcomer; if you don't keep your users hooked, they will switch brands. We all know it, so why do managers fail at this? Very few managers understand how to work with On-trade. There are more Off-trade types of managers than on-trade ones. That's simply because, in big corporations, only a few categories are sold in bars and restaurants, while all the others( from yogurt to toilet paper) are sold in supermarkets. Mastering the Off-trade may give you more career opportunities, but if you work with drinks brands, you must master working with bars to ensure sustainable growth. > I wrote a Mini-Guide about the Bottom-up Trade: [The 'Bottom-Up Trade' Kickstart Guide: why it's wrong to think that only bars build brands and 4 simple steps to identify the right venuesYou know how big of a fan I am of On-trade. You also know I am not a big fan of building brands in Off-trade. But through the years, I have changed my perspective. Consumers' habits have changed and home consumption has premiumized a lot. On top of that, not all Off-trade is the same and some of them can play a huge role in building your brand bottom-up. So why did I start talking about Bottom-up Trade?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/ec79263c-778d-4d02-93bb-21b36f1b0634_1280x1280-47.png)The MAFFEO DRINKS GuidesChris Maffeo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/6dc78928-086f-4980-800a-8dab0261de73_1800x1200-jpeg-4.jpg)](https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-stop-thinking-vs-offtrade-start-thinking-bottomup-vs-topdown-trade-4-things-look/) ### 2\. Management gets a new toy and defocuses on the Core Brand. In the era of M&As (Mergers and Acquisitions), it is widespread for companies to switch priorities. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 042 | Building Flavor From Grain to Cask, How Each step Plays a Role in Recruiting Consumers | Part 1/2 with André de Almeida of Inside the Cask (Glasgow, Scotland) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/042-building-flavor-from-grain-to-faf/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:37.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 041 | Bringing Gin to Brazil: how to start a brand starting from a specific need | with Arturo Isola, Co-Founder of Amazzoni Gin (Sao Paulo, Brazil) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/041-bringing-gin-to-brazil-how-to-27b/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:38.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### <#049> Unwinding December: Your MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast Guest Recap 🎙️ URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/049/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:20.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 040 | Aligning Team's KPIs and Fact-based Storytelling | Part 2/2 with Julian Davies, Founder of Ostara Vermouth (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/040-aligning-teams-kpis-and-fact-fbc/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:39.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 039 | Founding a Drinks Brand: turning the Feudal system upside down | Part 1/2 with Julian Davies, Founder of Ostara Vermouth (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/039-founding-a-drinks-brand-turning-422/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:39.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 038 | Scaling a Whisky Brand from a Local Distillery to the World | Part 2/2 with Daniel Szor, Founder of the Cotswolds Distillery (UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/038-scaling-a-whisky-brand-from-a-920/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:40.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 037 | Building English Whisky as a New Category Bottom-up | Part 1/2 with Daniel Szor, Founder of the Cotswolds Distillery (UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/037-building-english-whisky-as-a-ac5/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:40.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### Unwinding November: Your MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast Guest Recap 🎙️ URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/046/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:23.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 036 | Bridging liquid categories: beverage development to recruit new consumers | Part 2/2 with Sebastian Barnick from Pleasant Land Distillery (Kent, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/036-bridging-liquid-categories-beverage-ce1/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:41.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### The "Distribution Expansion" Cheat-Sheet URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/045-4-reflections-1-case-1-bar-better-6-bottles-6-bars/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:33.000Z 4 Rules to Avoid Collecting Dust on The Shelf (and Why 1 Case in 1 Bar is Better Than 6 Bottles in 6 Bars) *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Drinks Builder,** In one of my hundreds of meetings overseas, visiting an importer, a big poster on the wall of a board room caught my eye. It said: "Distribution Sells." In a second, I understood what kind of meeting I was going into. It was a disaster. It was like taking a trip back to the 1980s. Why? Because driving distribution to reach targets is the recipe for another dusty bottle on the shelf. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/13d1e733-6e48-4264-bc16-5079caa558f5_1292x1178-jpeg.jpg) I may be biased because my early experience comes from Beer. There's an expiry date, so you immediately understand that you must drive rotation. If not, the product goes off, and no bar owner would repurchase it. Beer also requires refrigeration; fridges are usually small and easy to fill up. In Spirits, it's different. With products virtually without expiry date, salespeople focus on the first sale. Also, a back bar is much bigger than a fridge. It's much easier to convince someone to bring it on, even if hidden in a corner behind two lines of bottles. 👇🏻 Pushing brands is not sustainable. **My four reflections:👇🏻** _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 035 | Thinking long-term when developing a new drinks brand | Part 1/2 with Sebastian Barnick from Pleasant Land Distillery (Kent, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/035-thinking-long-term-when-developing-950/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:42.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### Demystifying Gen-Z URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/044/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:33.000Z **The Biggest Mistakes Brands Make When Appealing to Only One Generation (Ending Up Alienating Existing Brand Users) and What to Do Instead** Today, I bring a fresh perspective to our conversation—a narrative about a brand's life cycle and how it weaves through the fabric of generations. I created this presentation for Park Street University at Bar Convent Berlin. ![<#044> Demystifying Gen-Z: a guide for drinks brands. (Presentation from Bar Convent Berlin 2023)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/70415f0b-c94d-45ee-8419-855ce4f58e0e_1179x1891-jpeg.jpg) During my career in the industry, I've witnessed the evolution of brands across borders and generations. Take note: what seems like an overnight success is often a brand that has been quietly climbing for two decades. Aperol, Jameson, Hendrick's Gin – these names didn't always dominate bar menus. Remember when a Negroni was a rarity? I do. I'd have to guide bartenders through the mix. ![<#044> Demystifying Gen-Z: a guide for drinks brands. (Presentation from Bar Convent Berlin 2023)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/5cb0e96e-4706-4aec-8fc1-8cf5d058f6b7_2000x1119.png) The life journey of a brand is interwoven with generational shifts. Every 20 years or so, new consumers emerge, market conditions fluctuate, and internal teams within companies turn over. This churn can lead to lost knowledge and identity crises for brands as new managers aim to leave their mark – too often through superficial changes like packaging or messaging. Yet, brands must resist the urge to chase trends at the expense of their essence. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 034 | From the right Bars to the right Wholesalers, Bottom-up | with Gaetano Chiavetta from Everleaf Drinks (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/034-from-the-right-bars-to-the-right-e5a/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:42.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 033 | The Bottom-up Trade: aka where to build brands regardless if on or off-trade | Part 2/2 with Julian Marsili, Global Drinks Brand Director (Copenhagen, DK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/033-the-bottom-up-trade-aka-where-e7a/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:43.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### <#043> Unwinding October: Your MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast Guest Recap 🎙️ URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/043-recapping-the-maffeo-drinks-podcast-october-guests/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:34.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 032 | Global Brands are built by Bus Drivers: how managers should look after brands for the next generation | Part 1/2 with Julian Marsili, Global Drinks Brand Director (Copenhagen, DK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/032-global-brands-are-built-by-bus-277/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:43.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 031 | Building brands bottom-up balancing Nordic minimalism with Italian flair | with Joonas Mäkilä, Co-founder of Mother's Milk Beverages (Helsinki, FI & Prague, CZ) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/031-building-brands-bottom-up-balancing-880/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:44.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 030 | The Future of Insights is sitting at the bar | with Paul Thomas, Global Insight Director at Beam Suntory (London, UK). URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/030-the-future-of-insights-is-sitting-ea9/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:45.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 029 | Building Bottom-up in the US 3-tier system | with Brian Rosen, Chairman of Growth Beverage (Chicago, IL, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/029-building-bottom-up-in-the-us-843/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:45.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 028 | Bottle Shops before Bars: starting at the liquid and work back towards the brand | with Duncan McRae, Co-Founder of Woven (Adelaide, Australia) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/028-bottle-shops-before-bars-starting-b9b/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:46.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 027 | Brand Mysticism: how to create winning brands from the bottom-up | with Steven Grasse, Founder of Quaker City Mercantile (Philadelphia, PA, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/027-brand-mysticism-how-to-create-9ef/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:46.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 026 | Balancing Love & Money: how to build value for all the links of the value chain | Part 2/2 with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/026-balancing-love-and-money-how-701/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:47.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 025 | Starting from the Taste Profile: when liquids transcend categories and solve a customer's need. | Part 1/2 with Maurice Doyle, CEO of Compass Box Whisky (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/025-starting-from-the-taste-profile-422/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:48.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 024 | Knowing Your Brand and Sticking To It: The importance of identifying your target occasion Bottom Up, not chasing trends | with Alex Ouziel Founder of 9diDANTE Vermouth & CEO of FIOL Prosecco URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/024-knowing-your-brand-and-sticking-e0d/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:48.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 023 | Bootstrapping & Investors | How the founder's role evolves with scale | Part 2/2 with Paul Hletko of FEW Spirits and Goza Tequila (Chicago, IL, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/023-bootstrapping-and-investors-how-053/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:49.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 022 | Traditional to Modern Occasions | How they evolve and What Consumers Need | Part 1/2 with Paul Hletko of FEW Spirits and Goza Tequila (Chicago, IL, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/022-traditional-to-modern-occasions-91a/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:50.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 021 | Co-Creating Vs Dictating in a Bar | Why you shouldn't worry about conquering a bar and instead fit in | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Alex Frezza, from L'Antiquario (Napoli, Italy). URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/021-co-creating-vs-dictating-in-a-394/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:41:50.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 020 | Decoding Cocktail Bars: Translating Between Consumer, Bar and Brand | Part 1/2 with Alex Frezza from L' Antiquario (Napoli, Italy) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/020-decoding-cocktail-bars-translating-e22/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:36.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 019 | Negroni vs. Old Fashioned type of cities: how trending cocktails change between cities and can be used as target occasions | with Krista Schubert from Overproof (Miami, FL, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/019-negroni-vs-old-fashioned-type-cca/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:36.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### The Distributor's Perspective Cheat-Sheet URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/036-struggle-setting-targets-distributors-fix/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:34.000Z **Why You Should Walk in Your Distributor's Shoes to Understand How to Work with Them (and Avoid Useless Weekly Clashes)** *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** Setting targets with distributors can be challenging, especially when trying to grow your brand in a competitive market. However, after a decade of experience working with distributors in over 30 countries, I've discovered a more practical approach that can significantly improve your chances of success. In this blog post, I'll share my insights and the steps you can take to align your brand with your distributors' goals and achieve your objectives. ### 1\. Understanding the Distributor's Perspective: Distributors have an intricate understanding of the market and their customers' preferences. Their portfolio has multiple brands, each catering to different occasions and customer demands. Pushing for rapid growth without considering their unique challenges can lead to resistance. Instead, adopt a different mindset - view distributors as partners in your brand's success. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/f8e15f9c-920b-4c81-8b6c-3d71e109bf6c_1900x1123-jpeg.jpg) ### 2\. Defining Your Brand's Commercial Proposition: To build a successful partnership with your distributors, you must analyze how your brand fits into their portfolio before considering market competition. Compare your brand's occasion with other brands in the distributor's portfolio. Understanding where your brand fits in allows you to identify areas of differentiation. _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 018 | Back Bars & Cocktail Menus: from being visible to driving rotation | Part 2/2 with Adrián Michalčík, Global Winner Diageo WorldClass 2022 (Oslo, Norway) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/018-back-bars-and-cocktail-menus-a36/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:37.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 017 | Bar Scene dynamics: from advocacy programs to how to approach top bars | Part 1/2 with Adrián Michalčík, Global Winner Diageo WorldClass 2022 (Oslo, Norway) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/017-bar-scene-dynamics-from-advocacy-6e4/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:38.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 016 | Brand Ambassadors, Advocacy & KPIs: how to set up the role to build demand bottom-up | Part 2/2 with Filiberto Amati from Amati & Associates (Warsaw, Poland) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/016-brand-ambassadors-advocacy-and-dff/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:39.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 015 | Cities & Distributors: how to choose the right city and RTM to start from | Part 1/2 with Filiberto Amati from Amati & Associates (Warsaw, Poland) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/015-cities-and-distributors-how-to-7f5/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:40.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 014 | Nordic drinks conquering the world: how to build a local category beyond its borders, bottom-up | with Marcus Pedersen from O.P. Anderson Aquavit (Malmö, Sweden) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/014-nordic-drinks-conquering-the-116/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:40.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 013 | The 80/20 rule in export: how to focus on winning on a couple of markets first | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Philip Duff, Founder of Old Duff Genever and Liquid Solutions (NYC, NY, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/013-the-8020-rule-in-export-how-to-1cd/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:41.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 012 | The shelf-life mindset: what can spirits learn from beer to drive rotation | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Philip Duff, Founder of Old Duff Genever and Liquid Solutions (NYC, NY, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/012-the-shelf-life-mindset-what-can-520/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:42.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 011 | How to get on Cocktail Menus: thinking out of the box to achieve rotation | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/011-how-to-get-on-cocktail-menus-b91/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:43.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### <#034> 6 simple steps to build demand by creating your drinks category (and trademarking it) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/034-6-simple-steps-build-demand-creating-drinks-category-trademarking/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:35.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 010 | Building demand for a new category: the journey from lower ABV to Session Spirit ™ | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Brad Crompton, Director at Spirits of Bermondsey (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/010-building-demand-for-a-new-category-4d1/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:43.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 009 | Tech and Geographic Strategies: how CRM tools can drive flawless execution | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Dom Bowcock, Co-founder of Bowimi (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/009-tech-and-geographic-strategies-b7a/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:44.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 008 | Data Analysis in On-trade: how to systematize your approach to bars | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Dom Bowcock, Co-founder of Bowimi (London, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/008-data-analysis-in-on-trade-how-162/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:45.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 007 | Farming Sales: how to drive sales velocity in bars after you sold the first bottle | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Mike McGrail from the Drinks Noise Podcast (Edinburgh, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/007-farming-sales-how-to-drive-sales-560/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:45.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 006 | Hunting Bars: how to start selling a new Drinks Brand in a city | Part 1/2 of the Interview with Mike McGrail from the Drinks Noise Podcast (Edinburgh, UK) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/006-hunting-bars-how-to-start-selling-7b4/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:46.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### <#032> 6 simple lessons your drinks brand can learn from my podcast's first 30 days. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/032-6-simple-lessons-drinks-brand-can-learn-podcasts-first-30-days/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:36.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 005 | Building demand: how to educate about the occasion and the category vs. only the brand | Part 3/3 of the Interview with Ilias Mastrogiannis from the Distillery Nation Podcast (Seattle, WA, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/005-building-demand-how-to-educate-aee/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:47.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 004 | Cracking the Drinks Value Chain: debunking the myth of bypassing the links of the chain | Part 2/3 of the Interview with Ilias Mastrogiannis from the Distillery Nation Podcast (Seattle, WA, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/004-cracking-the-drinks-value-chain-919/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:48.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 003 | The Target Occasion: how to sell to bars focusing on occasions rather than categories | Part 1/3 of the Interview with Ilias Mastrogiannis from the Distillery Nation Podcast (Seattle, WA, USA) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/003-the-target-occasion-how-to-sell-26c/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:49.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 002 | The Sell-out Ladder: how to increase drinks sales in bars | Interview with Jason Littrell from WMR (New York City) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/002-the-sell-out-ladder-how-to-increase-44c/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:49.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### 001 | The Drinks Ecosystem explained | Interview with Luboš Kastner from the Český GASTRONOMICKÝ podcast⁠⁠ (Prague) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/001-the-drinks-ecosystem-explained-978/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:50.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### Bar Convent Berlin 2022 - Bonus Video Episode | 15 simple tips to build drinks brands bottom-up URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/bar-convent-berlin-2022-bonus-video-15d/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:51.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### Trailer: welcome to The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/trailer-welcome-to-the-maffeo-drinks-758/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:30:51.000Z _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory, Commercial X-Ray Plus and 🥉 Bronze tiers only._ ### The 'Bottom-Up Trade' Kickstart Guide URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/047-stop-thinking-vs-offtrade-start-thinking-bottomup-vs-topdown-trade-4-things-look/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:34.000Z *The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:* **Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,** You know how big of a fan I am of On-trade. You also know I am not a big fan of building brands in Off-trade. But through the years, I have changed my perspective. Consumers' habits have changed and home consumption has premiumized a lot. Furthermore, not all Off-trade is the same, and some can play a huge role in building your brand bottom-up. So why did I start talking about Bottom-up Trade? I felt that the old nomenclature of On and Off-trade is very sales-driven. I understand it's needed to know where to sell but it's obsolete for brand building. All brand-building manuals recommend launching On-trade. After the brand becomes "hot," it is time to launch Off-trade. However, they don't differentiate between types of Off-trade outlets. For example, a supermarket is different from a Wine Shop. They also don't mention that there's a time in which you should start seeding Off-trade. **Am I suggesting opening up distribution earlier? Not at all. I am saying that a bottle shop or an Enoteca is different from a supermarket shelf.** When seeding your brand, it's important to start from your street, and your neighborhood before expanding to the rest of the city and country. But On-trade outlets are not enough anymore. You can't rely on your loyal consumers to drive sales only when they go out. You must follow their journey when they feel like drinking at home and ensure your brand is available for that occasion. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0a/22/0a222910-9a71-468a-beb7-296274924478/content/images/2025/06/6555b062-1ce8-4d98-87a5-272e170d3f8f_1292x732.png) *The Bottom-up Trade: The red dots are Bars and Restaurants and the Orange are Bottle Shops but they both allow brand building in them.* Caveat: not all cities are the same. In some countries, bottle shops play an important role. In some others, they are rare to find. Regardless, they can complement your on-trade strategy in a great way, even if there are only 5 stores in your city. > Cities with historically thriving wine businesses tend to have important bottle shop markets that complement bars and restaurants. > > It's important to understand that it's not about an On or Off-trade outlet. It's about what that outlet can do for your brand, whether it is a wine shop or a nice bar. > > At the same time, not all On-trade outlets are the same. Outlets in which the owner or the staff doesn't care about the products they sell are useless for building brands and they can be considered "Top-down" trade. ## What are the 4 top aspects to make it a Bottom-up trade Outlet? _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### <#025> Why global success is misleading and how to win market-by-market bottom-up, instead URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/025-global-success-misleading-win-marketbymarket-bottomup-instead/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:36.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### <#023> Does your brand need Ambassadors, Salespeople, a new approach to On-trade, or all 3? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/023-brand-need-ambassadors-salespeople-new-approach-ontrade-3/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:37.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### <#021> Is your drinks brand relevant to distributors and bars? Its success depends only on that. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/021-drinks-brand-relevant-distributors-bars-success-depends/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:38.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### <#011> Why you should create brand demand before your team can capture it. (A 4-step guide on how to do that) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/011-create-brand-demand-team-can-capture-4step-guide/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:39.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### <#010> Why you should focus on the little things to make your brand big URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/010-focus-little-things-make-brand-big/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:39.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know if you should split hunters' and farmers' tasks? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-split-hunters-farmers-tasks/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:40.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 2 approaches to getting customers URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/2-approaches-getting-customers/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:04.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know whom to meet first when visiting a distributor's office? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-meet-first-visiting-distributors-office/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:04.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Get out of the meeting room URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/get-meeting-room/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:05.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to spend time when visiting a new market? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/spend-time-visiting-new-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:06.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Do you also feel frustrated by bars with slow sales? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/also-feel-frustrated-bars-slow-sales/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:07.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna understand a market when traveling? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-understand-market-traveling/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:08.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Building a drinks brand is like learning a new language URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/building-drinks-brand-like-learning-new-language/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:08.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Communication with bartenders II URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/communication-bartenders-ii/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:46.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Communication with the bartenders URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/communication-bartenders/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:47.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know what drives drinks sales? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-drives-drinks-sales/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:35.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Stop thinking sell-in. Think sell-out. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/stop-thinking-sellin-think-sellout/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:09.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### What influences the brand's rate of sale? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/influences-brands-rate-sale/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:10.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Study the city before arrival URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/study-city-arrival/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:11.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know the biggest mistake drinks brand do in the market? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-biggest-mistake-drinks-brand-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:12.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know who makes or breaks your sales month? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-makes-breaks-sales-month/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:12.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Pick your top 20% of customers URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/pick-top-20-customers/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:52.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The right bar & the right distributor for your drinks brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/right-bar-right-distributor-drinks-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:13.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The potential of your drinks brand in the market URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/potential-drinks-brand-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:14.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know the biggest mistake drinks brand do in the market? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-biggest-mistake-drinks-brand-market-2a64/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:15.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know if to focus on hunting or farming? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-focus-hunting-farming/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:55.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Join me at the Supplier Summit next week URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/join-supplier-summit-next-week/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:56.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Are you a kicker or a picker? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/kicker-picker/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:57.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna reach overnight success with your brand? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-reach-overnight-success-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:16.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 1 case in 1 bar > than 1 bottle in 6 bars URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/1-case-1-bar-1-bottle-6-bars/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:24:58.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Do u need to prepare a market visit with your bosses? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/u-need-prepare-market-visit-bosses/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:16.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna save your drinks brand's P&L? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-save-drinks-brands-pl/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:36.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Start small this week URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/start-small-week/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:00.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to introduce your drink to a bar URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/introduce-drink-bar/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:17.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The Sales Planning URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/sales-planning/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:18.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to do a market visit in the drinks industry URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/market-visit-drinks-industry/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:02.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know what can pizza teach you about who to hire? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-can-pizza-teach-hire/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:03.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know a secret about driving 🥃 &🍺 sales in a bar? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-secret-driving-sales-bar/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:37.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Importance of distribution URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/importance-distribution/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:04.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know the 3 stages to win in the drinks market? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-3-stages-win-drinks-market/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:05.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Drinks Industry People vs. Consumers URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drinks-industry-people-vs-consumers/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:06.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Stop overthinking about your brand positioning. Understand your commercial proposition. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/stop-overthinking-brand-positioning-understand-commercial-proposition/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:19.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Choose your approach how to enter the market URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/choose-approach-enter-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:20.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How important is the last mile in drinks brands’ distribution? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/important-last-mile-drinks-brands-distribution/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:08.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Simple advice to get how to drive sell-out in the on-premise URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/simple-advice-get-drive-sellout-onpremise/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:09.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Considering your distributor a partner is the new growth hacker URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/considering-distributor-partner-new-growth-hacker/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:10.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to find the perfect drinks distributor in a new market URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/find-perfect-drinks-distributor-new-market/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:11.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Do you ever feel nervous after a bar’s first order? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/ever-feel-nervous-bars-first-order/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:11.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Simplify your strategy! URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/simplify-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:21.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Outlets that fit your drinks brand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/outlets-fit-drinks-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:21.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to gather drinks industry insights URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/gather-drinks-industry-insights/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:13.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Do you feel constrained by your company's big size? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/feel-constrained-companys-big-size/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:22.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Big brands were once craft brands. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/big-brands-craft-brands/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:15.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### What should you focus on? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/focus/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:23.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Don't look only at job titles when applying for a drinks role. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dont-look-job-titles-applying-drinks-role/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:16.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Drinks brand building URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drinks-brand-building/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:24.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why do brands / distributors relationships often fail? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/brands-distributors-relationships-often-fail/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:38.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna win with premium drinks brands in the market? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-win-premium-drinks-brands-market/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:19.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Get the balance right URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/get-balance-right/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:19.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Rather than going after a market, create a new one. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/rather-going-market-create-new-one/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:20.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Home market as a testing lab before entering an export market URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/home-market-testing-lab-entering-export-market/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:21.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### You got your brand listed... URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/got-brand-listed/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:22.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Look at your brand with the customers' eyes. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/look-brand-customers-eyes/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:39.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 5 questions for you and your distributor URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/5-questions-distributor/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:23.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Changing distributor is like divorcing a partner. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/changing-distributor-like-divorcing-partner/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:24.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know how to win in the market? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-win-market/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:25.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The right drinks distributor URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/right-drinks-distributor/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:25.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Are you building a drinks brand? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/building-drinks-brand/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:40.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Are you sure you want to push your drinks brand in off-trade? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/sure-want-push-drinks-brand-offtrade/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:40.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna use your segmentation right? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-use-segmentation-right/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:28.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Start with the end in mind (with these 4 steps) URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/start-end-mind-4-steps/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:35.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to match your drinks brand with a distributor URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/match-drinks-brand-distributor/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:29.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Often the problem is not your packaging. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/often-problem-not-packaging/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:30.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The 3 things successful drinks brands have in common? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/3-things-successful-drinks-brands-common/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:25.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Don't buy into crazy targets. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dont-buy-crazy-targets/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:31.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Do you have control of your Net Margins? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/control-net-margins/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:32.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why are you launching your drinks brand? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/launching-drinks-brand/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:33.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why you should stop thinking about market share URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/stop-thinking-market-share/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:41.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Want to save your drinks brand P&L? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/want-save-drinks-brand-pl/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:34.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### You don't need to remember all the lines in the P&L. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dont-need-remember-lines-pl/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:35.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna fix your drinks brand P&L? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-fix-drinks-brand-pl/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:35.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Focus on "sell-out" not on "sell-in" URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/focus-sellout-not-sellin/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:36.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### If you have to push the sell-in, it will likely not sell-out. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/push-sellin-will-likely-not-sellout/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:25.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### "That bar is not cool for my craft brand"... but they want to buy it. What should I do? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/bar-not-cool-craft-brand-want-buy/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:26.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### "Going Digital" URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/going-digital/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:38.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wrong objectives lead to wrong decisions. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wrong-objectives-lead-wrong-decisions/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:39.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Documenting failure could be a company's biggest asset. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/documenting-failure-companys-biggest-asset/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:40.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Are you scared about P&L management? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/scared-pl-management/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:41.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### P&L is not rocket science but... URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/pl-not-rocket-science/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:41.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The drinks industry is about consumers ordering a drink in a bar. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drinks-industry-consumers-ordering-drink-bar/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:27.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Getting the right distributor URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/getting-right-distributor/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:43.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The truth about gold vs silver outlets URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/truth-gold-vs-silver-outlets/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:36.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### 2022 vs 2021 brand strategy: what should you change? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/2022-vs-2021-brand-strategy-change/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:37.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Are you struggling with on premise reopening? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/struggling-premise-reopening/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:37.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Stop looking for a drinks distributor. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/stop-looking-drinks-distributor/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:44.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Distribution and the pricing strategy URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/distribution-pricing-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:44.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to run effectively, events for drinks brands URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/run-effectively-events-drinks-brands/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:47.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### You do not need big data. What to focus on? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/not-need-big-data-focus/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:48.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Millennials are normal people...and they are not a segment. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/millennials-normal-peopleand-not-segment/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:49.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Before hunting for the many, win with those few! URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/hunting-many-win/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:49.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Getting NET new customers URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/getting-net-new-customers/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:38.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why are Board presentations all the same? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/board-presentations/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:51.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Is your brand strategy working? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/brand-strategy-working/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:38.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Greeks and Romans had different approaches to building cities. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/greeks-romans-different-approaches-building-cities/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:52.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### There are no premium nor mainstream consumers. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/no-premium-mainstream-consumers/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:53.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna know on which new market to focus on? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-know-new-market-focus/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:54.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Do u want a winning sales team? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/u-want-winning-sales-team/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:28.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna change your 🥃 importer in a market? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-change-importer-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:39.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna learn the top insights from the drinks industry? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-learn-top-insights-drinks-industry/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:39.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna have a brand that sells? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-brand-sells/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:30.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Focus on driving sell-out. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/focus-driving-sellout/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:40.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Event sponsorships for small drinks brands URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/event-sponsorships-small-drinks-brands/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:25:58.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### The secret about overnight successes URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/secret-overnight-successes/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:32.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Drinks brand entering a new city? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drinks-brand-entering-new-city/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:45.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### What is DTC / D2C? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dtc-d2c/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:00.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Modern off-trade can unlock volume but what about value growth? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/modern-offtrade-can-unlock-volume-value-growth/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:00.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Are you not reaching this year’s sales objectives? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/not-reaching-years-sales-objectives/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:01.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Drinks brand entering a new market? Skip that market report. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drinks-brand-entering-new-market-skip-market-report/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:02.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna save time in winning with your drinks brand? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-save-time-winning-drinks-brand/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:03.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to know if your strategy is working URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/know-strategy-working/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:40.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Should brand ambassadors also sell? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/brand-ambassadors-also-sell/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:41.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How can you fix the issue with internal "best practices"? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/can-fix-issue-internal-best-practices/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:05.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to align HQ and Local market teams? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/align-hq-local-market-teams/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:41.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Win in your market first URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/win-market-first/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:06.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### No niche is too niche... URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/no-niche-niche/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:07.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How to drive effective innovation in your drinks brand portfolio URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drive-effective-innovation-drinks-brand-portfolio/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:42.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Are you producing what you wish to sell or what the market demands? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/producing-wish-sell-market-demands/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:42.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Should drink companies think in categories or in occasions? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drink-companies-think-categories-occasions/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:09.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why you should sell your first case with the second one in mind URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/sell-first-case-second-one-mind/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:43.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Don't worry about competitors when launching in a new market. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dont-worry-competitors-launching-new-market/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:33.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How many export markets should you sell your drinks brand in? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/many-export-markets-sell-drinks-brand/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:12.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### How can the right on-trade segmentation support your P&L? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/can-right-ontrade-segmentation-support-pl/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:44.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Why is your brand's vertical outlet segmentation not enough? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/brands-vertical-outlet-segmentation-not-enough/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:44.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Wanna get your drinks brand distribution right? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/wanna-get-drinks-brand-distribution-right/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:45.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Business trips are useless without a clear plan. URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/business-trips-useless-without-clear-plan/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:15.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Same drinks brand activation: best practice or big failure? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/drinks-brand-activation-best-practice-big-failure/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:15.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### NET new customers is what you need URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/net-new-customers-need/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:45.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Stop seeing HR & Finance as the company police URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/stop-seeing-hr-finance-company-police/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:17.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Can you build drinks brands in off-trade? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/can-build-drinks-brands-offtrade/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:18.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Don't search for a new importer, with the same old approach URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dont-search-new-importer-old-approach/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:25:35.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Mix Management > P&L Management URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/mix-management-pl-management/ Last updated: 2026-10-22T08:35:46.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Cool cities & neighborhood are not enough to build brands anymore URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/cool-cities-neighborhood-not-enough-build-brands-anymore/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:20.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Don't go all-in! Phase your investments wisely across a few years URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/dont-go-allin-phase-investments-wisely-across-years/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:21.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Set s.m.a.r.t. KPIs with your partner URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/set-smart-kpis-partner/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:21.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Set the right growth pace for a new brand in a new market URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/set-right-growth-pace-new-brand-new-market/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:22.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Choose the right people and the right set-up URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/choose-right-people-right-setup/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:23.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Set clear rules with your partner on who spends what URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/set-clear-rules-partner-spends/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:23.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Pick partners who understand premium on-trade URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/pick-partners-understand-premium-ontrade/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:24.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Beware unprofitable channels URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/beware-unprofitable-channels/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:25.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Give the right brands to the right distributors URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/give-right-brands-right-distributors/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:26.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Align your growth ambitions with those of your partners URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/align-growth-ambitions-partners/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:26.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Which type of partner(s) to choose? URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/type-partners-choose/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:27.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Choose the right price and share your value fairly throughout the chain URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/choose-right-price-share-value-fairly-throughout-chain/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:28.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Skip market reports, focus on selling the first cases URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/skip-market-reports-focus-selling-first-cases/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:29.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Choose the right RTM, not the one you have at hand URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/choose-right-rtm-not-one-hand/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:29.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Pick the "foot in the door" brand in your portfolio URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/pick-foot-door-brand-portfolio/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:30.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._ ### Choose your target cities wisely URL: https://www.maffeodrinks.com/choose-target-cities-wisely/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:26:31.000Z small, consistent habits to build your brand bottom-up _This post is for subscribers on the 🥈 Silver: Frameworks, 🥇 Gold: Advisory and Commercial X-Ray Plus tiers only._