Business of Drinks

Welcome, thirsty listener. This is episode 5 of the Business of Drinks podcast. Today’s show is called “Finding Funding” and in this episode, we sit down with Taylor Foxman, The Industry Collective founder and CEO to talk all about where to find investment cash when starting a drinks brand. Taylor talks about all the ways you can raise capital, from angel investors, shared sales services, accelerators and family offices, to private equity partners.   Show concept:   This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth.   We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents!   You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t.   Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate!   About Taylor Foxman, guest:   Taylor Foxman is the founder and CEO of The Industry Collective.  Her background is in communications, where she’s worked with more than 70 global wine, beer and spirit brands such as Pernod Ricard North America, Gruppo Campari, Patrón Spirits Company, Stoli Group, Jägermeister, Boston Beer Company, BANFI Wines and many more. Taylor currently acts as the Vice President of Communications and Experiences for Parallel, one of the leading privately-owned cannabis companies in the United States. In addition to all this she was also awarded PRWeek 40 Under 40 and Brand Innovator of the Year’s 40 Under 40, Brand Innovators of the Year. And she’s parlayed all this experience into advising venture capital funds on investing in beverage alcohol.   Learn more about Taylor Foxman: theindustrycollective.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-foxman/ https://www.instagram.com/taylorfoxman/?hl=en https://twitter.com/taylorshocks   About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.    To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy   About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.    To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/   Cheers!

In this episode, we sit down with Woody Hambrecht, co-founder of the DTC aperitif brand Haus, which spectacularly crashed in the summer of 2022, after its lead investor, Constellation Brands, reportedly pulled out of a $10 million Series A raise at the last minute. If you need a refresher, Haus was a drinks industry darling that raised — and burned through — $17 million in its 3-year run. During that time, the company also saw considerable success, selling more than $10 million in product. In a candid conversation, Hambrecht shares what went wrong at Haus, from growing its team too quickly to skyrocketing customer acquisition costs. It's a cautionary tale for any drinks entrepreneur. But don't count him out just yet: Hambrecht discusses how learnings from Haus's fall are fueling his new companies, including Ami Ami, a boxed wine business that just launched. He's even procured outside funding in a challenging economic climate. Hambrecht's take on the state of bev-alc investment reveals astute insights that will benefit any drinks business. This season’s show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts just like today’s guest, Woody Hambrecht, asking them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution, finding out what works and what doesn’t. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Stay tuned as we investigate! About Woody Hambrecht, guest: Woody Hambrecht is a third-generation winemaker and organic grape farmer based in Sonoma County's Healdsburg, California. In 2018, Hambrecht launched Haus as co-founder, upending the DTC alcohol industry with a stylish, low-ABV aperitif that quickly became one of the most recognized beverages on the market. Now with Ami Ami, Hambrecht, together with his co-founder Ross Dawkins, have set out to innovate in the boxed wine category. Learn more about Woody Hambrecht: https://www.ami-ami.vin/ https://www.instagram.com/woodyhambrecht/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/woody-hambrecht-66b923a0 About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.  To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ Cheers!

Welcome, thirsty listener. This is episode 3 of the Business of Drinks podcast. In this episode, we are joined once again by Hamlet Hound founder, Christy Frank, to talk all about money. Money is a topic often seen as taboo, yet it is fundamental when going about establishing a drinks business in today’s market. The good news is, starting-up might not be as expensive as you might think. In this episode we cover a whole host of topics, so if you are interested in knowing more about how to scale your business, understanding direct to consumer sales, establishing your markups and profit margins, working with a distributor and why you might want to do that…then listen up, because this pod is filled with liquid gold!  Show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts and ask them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution. But back to the money. We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents which you will discover in this episode! You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t. We’ll also be looking at funding models, from venture capital and drinks incubators to bootstrapping your way to success. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate! About Christy Frank, guest: Christy Frank is the Founder of Hamlet Hound, a line of canned cocktails. She has over 20 years of experience in business and the drinks world. She worked for many years as a brand manager at Moet Hennessy, overseeing both spirits and wine brands. She has founded two retail wine shops, including Copake Wine Works in Copake, New York, which she opened in 2015 with her husband Yannai Frank. Her original retail shop, Frankly Wines in New York City — which she launched in 2007 and sold 10 years later. Frank has also worked as a marketing officer at Wine Australia, among other roles.  Learn more about Hamlet Hound: https://hamlet-hound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hamlet_hound/ About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.  To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/ Cheers!

In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Malkin, attorney and sage advisor when it comes to setting up a drinks business. Not only is Ryan in-the-know in terms of what is going on in today’s drinks world, he understands the path that budding drinks entrepreneurs need to follow in order to avoid pitfalls. Even more interesting are his thoughts on how much it will cost to fulfill your drinks business aspirations. You might be pleasantly surprised to find out that you don’t need a large (or even a small) fortune to make your drinks business a reality. This season’s show concept: This season, we’re following a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts just like today’s guest, Ryan Malkin and ask them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution. You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t. We’ll also be looking at funding models, from venture capital and drinks incubators to bootstrapping your way to success. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Stay tuned as we investigate! About Ryan Malkin, guest: Ryan Malkin is founder and principal attorney of Malkin Law, PA, a firm focusing on alcohol beverage and cannabis law. Ryan has extensive experience giving advice to suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, agencies, and third parties within these regulated industries. Ryan is a regular contributor to Craft Spirits Magazine, Artisan Spirit, VinePair and SevenFiftyDaily. Malkin Law is also counsel to the American Craft Spirits Association, Florida Craft Spirits Association and Cannabis Beverage Association. Ryan was named one of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 2022 “Future 40” and Imbibe 75 as one of the most influential people in the alcohol beverage industry.  Learn more about Malkin Law PA: https://malkinlawfirm.com/ https://www.instagram.com/malkinlaw/ https://twitter.com/malkinlaw https://www.linkedin.com/in/malkinlaw?trk=hp-identity-name https://www.facebook.com/malkinlaw About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.  To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ https://twitter.com/ericaduecy About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong.  To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ https://www.facebook.com/felicity.carter.104/ Cheers!

In this episode, we establish the roots of Hamlet Hound; introduce Christy Frank, founder of the company, and find out how she came up with the idea to start her line of spirits-based canned cocktails. We also learn about some of the problems Christy faced as she developed the product, key details about her marketing strategy, and the process behind creating cocktails that work in a canned format. Join us as we begin our investigation of what it takes to start and run a real drinks business. This season, we’re going to follow a canned cocktail line called Hamlet Hound, from launch to growth. Along the way, we’ll interview key experts and ask them how a startup can go from idea to national distribution. But back to the money. We’ve found that people (and brands) don't like to talk about how they become profitable, so we’re pulling the band-aid off and delving into actual dollars and cents. You’ll get the real scoop on what works, and what doesn’t. We’ll also be looking at funding models, from venture capital and drinks incubators to bootstrapping your way to success. Want to know how to build a successful alcohol brand? Tune in as we investigate! About Christy Frank, guest: Christy Frank is the Founder of Hamlet Hound, a line of canned cocktails. She has over 20 years of experience in business and the drinks world. She worked for many years as a brand manager at Moet Hennessy, overseeing both spirits and wine brands. She has founded two retail wine shops, including Copake Wine Works in Copake, New York, which she opened in 2015 with her husband Yannai Frank. Her original retail shop, Frankly Wines in New York City — which she launched in 2007 and sold 10 years later — was often touted as one of the top small wine shops in the country. Frank has also worked as a marketing officer at Wine Australia, among other roles. Learn more about Hamlet Hound: https://hamlet-hound.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hamlet_hound/ About Erica Duecy, host: Erica Duecy is one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. As a consultant, she has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, Union, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. Previously, she was Chief Content Officer for the wine-discovery platform Pix, and Editor in Chief for the wine/spirits publications VinePair and SevenFifty Daily. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. To learn more about Erica Duecy: https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/ About Felicity Carter, host: Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist and editor based in Europe. She is the Editorial Director of ARENI Global in London, International Editor of Star Wine List in Sweden, and also works as a contributing editor to The New Wine Review. Formerly, she was founding Executive Editor for The Drop at Pix.Wine, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, a trade magazine she built into a global must-read, with subscribers in 38 countries. She has consulted to the Dutch government and to Liv-ex, and been the keynote speaker at the wine industry’s biggest conferences and events, from New York and Sydney to Hong Kong. As a writer she has contributed to the Guardian USA, Delicious magazine, and the Sydney Morning Herald, among many other publications. Felicity is also an international wine judge, who has judged in France, Portugal, Germany, Luxembourg and Georgia. To learn more about Felicity Carter: https://twitter.com/felicitycarter https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-carter-a5754380/ https://www.instagram.com/carter.felicity/ Cheers!

Welcome to the Business of Drinks, where we go behind the bottle, interviewing beverage innovators and icons about how they built their businesses.We take a data-driven approach, analyzing the brands, products, and categories that get customers and consumers excited.  And we cover many drinks categories — from wine, beer, and spirits to non-alcohol drinks — as well as THC, adaptogen, and functional beverages. So whether you’re working in drinks — or just interested in the stories behind your favorite brands — join us each week as we explore how companies are unlocking growth at every stage in the game.Thanks for joining us, and let’s dive in.Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.LinkedInInstagram @ericaduecyScott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. He currently serves as North America Search Manager at Distill Ventures. He was formerly the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.LinkedInCaroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.LinkedInInstagram @borkaline