MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  In Episode 024, I had the privilege of interviewing Alex Ouziel, Founder of 9diDANTE Vermouth and CEO of FIOL Prosecco. He's a veteran of our industry, with many years in the game. He has previously spent ten years in Bacardi, from VP and Managing Director of Eastern Europe to President of Asia, Middle East, and Africa. He possesses a truly international perspective on drinks. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Main Topics Discussed: From 0 to 1 Bottle Dark Marketing Importance of Differentiation Selling to Bars when Small From 1 Bottle to 1 Case Why be on the Cocktail Menu? Necessity of Hunting & Farming Systems Adapting to what Bars need. From 1 Case to 1 Pallet Building Distribution Networks Advantages of Brand Ambassadors Working with Distributors About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Alex Ouziel This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  In this episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast, we continue interviewing Paul Hletko, Founder of FEW Spirits & Owner of Goza Tequila. FEW was part of the vanguard of the Craft Spirits Movement, with Paul leading the charge. They are a masterclass in building a drinks brand bottom up. I hope you enjoy our chat. Main Topics Discussed: Zero to One Bottle • Finding your target occasion •Bootstrapping Vs Investor Starts One Bottle to One Case • Is your target occasion scalable? • Adapting your drinking occasion • Winning distributors One Case to One Pallet •Advantages of a broad portfolio of drinks • Importance of Founder Field Visits, even when big •Transitioning to Indirect Sales About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠⁠ About the Guest: Paul Hletko This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Paul Hletko, Founder of FEW Spirits and CEO of Goza Tequila. He is one of the founding fathers of the Craft Spirits Revolution, founding FEW in 2010, and has a unique perspective on the evolution of the drinks ecosystem over the past 13 years. He is the Former President of the American Craft Spirits Association. We hope you enjoy our chat. We discussed: From 0 to 1 bottle • What's Your Target Occasion? • Evolution of Identity over Time • Home Turf Advantage From 1 bottle to 1 case • New Consumption Adaption • Traditional Vs Modern Occasions About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠⁠ About the Guest: ⁠Paul Hletko⁠ This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  In this episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast, We continue interviewing Alex Frezza, Owner of L'Antiquario Bar in Naples, part of the World's 50 Best Bars. He's credited with building up the Neapolitan Cocktail Bar Scene, provides top-shelf hospitality and, best of all, recognized me when I was a customer at his bar. I hope you enjoy his wisdom as much as I did. Main topics discussed: From 0 to 1 bottle • The importance of the Target Occasion • How occasions change by City, State, and Country • Dark Demand Generation From 1 bottle to 1 case • Up or Out: how cool bar owners choose their brands • Analyzing cocktail menus to decide where to focus on • Avoid brands vs. following brands: different strategies From 1 case to 1 pallet • Big brands & the taste setting effect • Choosing the right Distributor for your brand. • Localization Challenges About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠⁠ About the Guest: Alex Frezza This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  This is the first part of the chat I had the honor of having with Alex Frezza. He is the Owner and Founder of L' Antiquario in Napoli, currently number 46 on the Global list of 50 Best Bars. He is a bar legend in Italy and internationally. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Main topics discussed: From 0 to 1 bottle • Understanding the thought process of a bar owner being pitched to • The Wholesaler Paradox (Why bars have an aversion to brands without a wholesaler) • The Importance of the Target Occasion From 1 bottle to 1 case • What attracts bar owners to a product • Communicating your brand identity to consumers through bartenders • Being approachable to consumers for bars and brands From 1 case to 1 pallet • Big brands vs. Small brands approaches • Localization Failures • Building Distribution Networks About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠  About the Guest: Alex Frezza This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  In this single episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Krista Schubert from Overproof, an AI-powered market intelligence platform & field execution software for the beverage alcohol industry. She has extensive industry experience and brings incredible insights and data to our chat. If you are interested in using OverProof, you can do it ⁠here⁠ and get $250 discount. Main topics discussed: From 0 to 1 bottle • The importance of the Target Occasion • How occasions change by City and State • How to choose the correct city to start building your brand From 1 bottle to 1 case • Brand Owners' vs. Distributors' approaches to city strategies • Analyzing cocktail menus to decide where to focus on • Avoid brands vs. following brands: different strategies From 1 case to 1 pallet • Big brands vs. Small brands approaches • How to move from one City / State to the next • How Independent Bottle Shops can complement your On-trade strategy About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠  About the Guest: Krista Schubert This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  This is the second part of the chat between Chris Maffeo and Adrián Michalčík. He is the Global Winner of the Diageo WorldClass 2022 and Global Top 6 in 2016. He is the Director of Mixology at Pier 42 in Oslo. Main topics discussed: • What happens after selling the first bottle to a bar • How to drive rotation in bars • Visibility: Back bars, beverage menus, and cocktail menus • Support bars with physical and development tools • Being specific vs. versatile on a target occasion About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠  About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adrián Michalčík⁠ This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  This is the first episode of the chat between Chris Maffeo and Adrián Michalčík. He is the Global Winner of the Diageo WorldClass 2022 and Global Top 6 in 2016. He is the Director of Mixology at Pier 42 in Oslo. They discussed: • The importance of On-trade in brand building, especially in dark markets. • What can small brands learn from Global Brands' Advocacy Programs. • How Salespeople can prepare themselves before approaching a bar. • Latest developments in the Czechoslovak and Nordic bar scenes. • The Italian and Czechoslovak connection in the Global bar scene. • How top bars decide which brands to list on their offering About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠  About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Adrián Michalčík This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Filiberto Amati. He is a Growth Advisor. He has extensive Spirits experience having spent many years in Campari in the Netherlands, Mexico, the Caribbean and in Di Saronno in Central and Eastern Europe. He has been in both marketing and commercial roles. They spoke about Brand Ambassadors from how to define the role, set up KPIs and enable them to build demand from the bottom-up. They continue by talking about how big brands have shaped their success by focusing on a core occasion. How did they master with perfect market execution that did not happen overnight. If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues. About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠ About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Filiberto Amati This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  In this episode, Chris Maffeo talks with Filiberto Amati. He is a Growth Advisor. He has extensive Spirits experience having spent many years in Campari in the Netherlands, Mexico, the Caribbean and in Di Saronno in Central and Eastern Europe. He has been in both marketing and commercial roles. They speak about how to choose the right city to start from in a market, as they are not all the same. They dive into how to win there before moving to the next city and how to ensure you get the right distribution set-up based on your brand lifestage. If you enjoyed the episode, please rate it and share it with your friends and colleagues. About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠ About the Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Filiberto Amati This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at maffeodrinks.com/anniversary