Park Street Insider Podcast

Episoder

• How Spirits Brands Win Distributor Attention in 2026 01.07.2026 43min

  Send us Fan Mail In 2026, the spirits distribution tier is in the middle of one of its most dramatic realignments in decades. RNDC, once the nation's second largest distributor, has shed or transformed more than 35 markets nationally. Reyes is rising. Beer distributors are claiming more share. And for independent brands trying to secure distribution in the middle of all of it, the rules of engagement have changed. The brands breaking through are earning it before they ever walk in the door. I...
• Diageo's Essential Bar & Consumer Trends Every Brand Needs to Know in 2026— Expert Talks 03.06.2026 19min

  Send us Fan Mail Bar trends don't wait for brands to catch up, and in 2026, the gap between brands that understand what's driving consumer behavior and those that don't is only widening. In this episode, Tom Cavanagh, Advocacy Manager at Diageo, breaks down the flavor trends, category shifts, and on-premise dynamics set to define bars this year. From the martini's striking resurgence and tequila's continued climb against a down market, to the texture-forward and bitter-led flavor profiles gai...
• What the World's Top Bartenders Want: How Brands Can Land Placements and Win the On-Premise in 2026 20.05.2026 45min

  Send us Fan Mail Landing a placement at a top bar program doesn't happen by chance. It's the result of trust, timing, and understanding what the people behind the bar actually need from a brand partner. Recorded live at Bar Convent London, this fireside chat brings together Nidal Ramini, Advocacy Director for the EAA Division at Brown-Forman, Emanuele Mensah, Director of Liquid Nation, Giulia Cuccurullo, Head Bartender at Artesian at the Langham London, and Pietro Collina, Group Beverage Dire...
• 2026 Spirits Market: Category Shifts, Flavor Trends & What They Mean for Your Brand— Expert Talks 22.04.2026 16min

  Send us Fan Mail The 2026 alcohol market is bumpy, but for brands paying attention to the right signals, the opportunities are real. In this episode, Giuseppe Gallo, Founder and CEO of Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto and Savoia Americano, delivers a data-driven talk on the category and flavor shifts quietly reshaping what consumers reach for on the shelf and at the bar. He gets specific about the category and flavor shifts, gaining the most momentum with the new generation of drinkers, and why...
• AI in Spirits: The Tools and Strategies Every Brand Needs to Know— Expert Talks 08.04.2026 33min

  Send us Fan Mail AI is reshaping the spirits industry, and for founders willing to embrace it, the opportunity is real. In this episode, recorded through Park Street University's AI for Spirits Marketing series, Justin Noland, Vice President of Digital Experience for Treasury Wine Estates, and Antonia Fattizzi, Founder and President of Cork and Tin, get specific about where AI can immediately win back hours in your week, from condensing long email chains and preparing for vendor meeting...
• Former Campari CEO's 6 Steps for Spirits Brand Expansion— Expert Talks 25.03.2026 18min

  Send us Fan Mail Building a spirits brand in one market is hard. Building one across multiple continents, at the highest level of the industry, is a different game entirely, and few people have played it better than Matteo Fantacchiotti. A 25-year veteran of the drinks industry with senior leadership stints at Diageo and Carlsberg, Matteo briefly took the helm as CEO of Campari Group before turning his attention to a new challenge: becoming Partner and Chairman of the Board at Cygnet Distille...
• Former Pernod Ricard Chief Whiskey Officer Kaveh Zamanian on Building a Bourbon Brand— What It Takes 11.03.2026 40min

  Send us Fan Mail Not many people can say they've founded a bourbon distillery and run one of the world's largest whiskey programs. Kaveh Zamanian isn't most people. A prolific whiskey brand founder and former Chief Whiskey Officer at Pernod Ricard, Kaveh built Rabbit Hole Distillery from a creative vision into a brand compelling enough to catch the eye of one of the world's biggest spirits companies, and when Pernod Ricard came calling, he didn't just take the deal, he took the wheel, going o...
• How to Launch a Beverage Alcohol Brand: A Data-Driven Framework— Expert Talks 25.02.2026 16min

  Send us Fan Mail Before you invest in liquid, labels, or a launch strategy, the most important question any founder can ask is: does this brand actually have a viable path to market? This Expert Talk features Felipe Gonzalez-Gordon, Partner and COO of Colangelo & Partners, delivering a data-driven framework for launching a spirit, wine, or RTD brand in today's saturated market, drawn from his presentation at Bar Convent Brooklyn 2025. Felipe walks through the financial and strategic groun...
• The On-Premise Playbook: A Guide to High-Value Bar Partnerships— Expert Talks 11.02.2026 16min

  Send us Fan Mail As on-premise venues navigate an increasingly fragmented spirits landscape, the relationship between brands and bars has reached a critical inflection point. This Expert Talk features Chris Maffeo, the Founder of MAFFEO DRINKS, to examine why most brand-bar partnerships fail before they begin, and how misaligned incentives, from listing fees that deliver no ROI to guest shifts where brand managers never appear, erode trust on both sides. Chris explores the disconnect between ...
• Branca USA CEO Chris Watt: How to Accelerate Spirits Brand Growth 28.01.2026 50min

  Send us Fan Mail When a 175-year-old Italian heritage brand decides to double down on the American market, the playbook isn't always obvious. But Christopher Watt, CEO of Branca USA, has cracked the code, delivering a 5% volume increase for Fernet-Branca, an explosive 91% growth for Borghetti coffee liqueur, and helping Carpano Antica Formula become the number-one sweet vermouth by value in U.S. retail. In an industry where heritage brands often struggle to stay relevant, Watt has proven that...
• Brown-Forman’s Algorithm for Unlocking Hospitality Growth— Expert Talks 14.01.2026 14min

  Send us Fan Mail Amidst a volatile economic landscape marked by significant job losses in the hospitality sector, the alignment between spirits brands and on-premise venues has never been more critical. In this episode, we join Brown-Forman Advocacy Director Nidal Ramini to unpack the "Hospitality Algorithm," a strategic framework that helps suppliers and entrepreneurs understand the operational mindset of successful bars. We explore how Ramini evolves Danny Meyer’s "Enlightened Hospitality"...
• 2025 Spirits Industry Review: Top M&A, Stories & Trends 17.12.2025 51min

  Send us Fan Mail In 2025, the beverage alcohol sector saw significant evolution across its regulatory, distribution, and investment landscapes. In this comprehensive Year in Review, Park Street Insider hosts Emmett Strack and Andres Correa sit down to analyze the year’s defining moments through three key lenses: top industry news, emerging market trends, and major M&A activity. In this episode, we review the headlines that mattered most, including the implications of RNDC's exit from Cali...
• Cocktail Culture for Alcohol Brands: History, Trends, and On-Premise Strategy— Expert Talks 26.11.2025 22min

  Send us Fan Mail The spirits industry has fundamentally changed. While brands once viewed bars as non-negotiable, many of today's most successful brands have achieved success through a targeted approach at retail and e-commerce. Yet the on-premise isn't just surviving, it's evolving into a channel where brands need to be more strategic than ever. On this episode of the Park Street Insider Podcast, we explore why understanding cocktail culture remains essential for achieving brand success. Wit...
• Glendalough Distillery Co-Founder Kevin Keenan— What it Takes 12.11.2025 45min

  Send us Fan Mail Kevin Keenan, co-founder of Glendalough Distillery, has played a pivotal role in introducing authentic Irish craft spirits to American consumers at a critical juncture in the category's evolution. Glendalough distinguished itself as a trailblazer, helping to expand the category beyond traditional players and introducing American drinkers to a new generation of innovative Irish distillers before its sale to the Mark Anthony Group in 2019. On this episode of the Park Street Ins...
• Pernod Ricard Northern Europe CEO Julien Hémard: 6 Questions Shaping Spirits— Expert Talks 29.10.2025 8min

  Send us Fan Mail Julien Hémard, CEO of Pernod Ricard Northern Europe, oversees operations for the world's second-largest spirits company, home to iconic brands including Absolut Vodka, Jameson Irish Whiskey, and The Glenlivet. Managing a diverse portfolio across multiple markets, Hémard's unique position, balancing heritage craftsmanship with emerging consumer trends, provides rare insight into industry transformation. In this Expert Talks episode, we shine a spotlight on Hémard's presentatio...
• Beverage Alcohol Distribution 101: What Today's Brands Need to Know 15.10.2025 47min

  Send us Fan Mail In 2025, navigating beverage distribution has become one of the most critical challenges facing drinks entrepreneurs. From the end of Prohibition to today's consolidated three-tier system, the distribution landscape has fundamentally shaped which brands scale and which stall — yet many suppliers still don't fully understand how the second tier actually works or where it's headed next. In this special collaboration episode, Park Street Insider host Emmett Strack teams up with ...
• What RTD Market Growth Tells Us About Gen Z Values & Drinking Habits 01.10.2025 41min

  Send us Fan Mail The RTD category has already experienced massive momentum, yet there's still significant room for growth as new brands and products continue entering the market. Gen Z is driving much of this expansion—but what does their enthusiasm for RTDs reveal about this generation's values, purchasing habits, and consumption behaviors? On this episode of the Park Street Insider Podcast, host Emmett Strack sits down with Ruby Honerkamp and Rob Minucci, Co-Founders of Talkhouse Enco...
• The Original Pickle Shot Co-Founder John King— What it Takes 17.09.2025 50min

  Send us Fan Mail Back in 2018, when The Original Pickle Shot co-founder John King first launched his brand, pickle-flavored spirits were only just emerging. Fast-forward six years, and what started as a niche experiment has exploded into a booming category—with King's brand leading the charge. The Original Pickle Shot has not only survived the influx of competitors but thrived, earning recognition on Impact Databank's prestigious Hot Prospects list. On this episode of the Park Street Insider ...
• Inside the Tequila Category with Fortaleza: Additive Free Tequila, Tariffs & Truck Heists 27.08.2025 51min

  Send us Fan Mail The tequila industry faces mounting regulatory and legal challenges with Mexico's Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) restricting additive-free marketing claims while high-profile lawsuits are questioning major brands' "100% agave" labeling practices. These developments are reshaping how producers operate in an increasingly transparency-focused market. The Park Street Insider Podcast welcomes back Billy Erickson, sales and marketing manager at Tequila Fortaleza and member of ...
• What Tasting Competitions Reveal About Emerging Spirits Categories 13.08.2025 37min

  Send us Fan Mail Tasting competitions have become a convergence point for top suppliers and emerging challenger brands to showcase the key innovations driving the spirits market. Submission data provides early signals of emerging consumer trends months before they appear in retail sales reports. As such, the judging rooms of premier competitions have become an unexpected window into where the market is heading. The Park Street Insider Podcast welcomes Amanda Blue, President of the Tasting All...