DrinkUp Live Podcast
by Samuel Anderson
Latest episode
Forty Years to a $50M Exit: Jeff House of California Cider Company…
Forty Years to a $50M Exit: Jeff House of California Cider Company…
About this podcast
Welcome to DrinkUp Live, the beverage industry's favorite happy hour disguised as a podcast.
Welcome to DrinkUp Live, the beverage industry's favorite happy hour disguised as a podcast. Hosted by Samuel Anderson and Adam Smith, each week we sit down with founders, suppliers, distributors, retailers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders for real conversations about building brands, growing businesses, and navigating the beverage world. No corporate jargon. No fluff. Just great stories, practical insights, a few laughs, and the people shaping the future of the industry. Grab a drink and join us.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 134 episodes
- Forty Years to a $50M Exit: Jeff House of California Cider Company on Being Early, Broke and Stubborn · 56 min · Season 5 Episode 31Jeff House, founder of California Cider Company and ACE Cider, joins Samuel Anderson and Adam Smith on DrinkUp. From importing British beer and building a cider category to a…
- Nobody Cares About Your Launch Party: Mad Lemon on Pay to Play, Cost of Goods and Building a Brand People Fall In Love With · 55 min · Season 5 Episode 30Max and Corina, founders of Mad Lemon, join Samuel Anderson and Adam Smith on DrinkUp to talk about building a canned cocktail brand from a lemonade stand, earning reorders…
- Thirty Stores, Ninety Days: Warren Ezra of Brand Vault 360 on Testing Before You Scale · 1 h 4 min · Season 5 Episode 29Thirty stores. Ninety days. Test before you scale. Warren Ezra, founder of Brand Vault 360 and author of Avoid the Learning Curve, joins Sam Anderson, Adam Smith and Chris Sico…
- The 44 Foot Shelf Problem: Brian Rosen on Capital, Bourbon Gluts and Founders Who Get Back Up · 52 min · Season 5 Episode 28Every founder wants a check. Brian Rosen writes them. InvestBev founder Brian Rosen joins Sam Anderson on DrinkUp to talk about capital, bourbon inventory, crowded retail…
- Craft Spirits Is Not Dead. It Just Went Back To The Tasting Room. · 53 min · Season 5 Episode 25Emily Pennington of the American Craft Spirits Association joins Sam Anderson to discuss craft distillers, tasting rooms, creating demand, distributor partnerships and building a…
- $100K Gets You On The Shelf. It Will Not Keep You There. · 56 min · Season 5 Episode 22Sam Anderson, Adam Smith and Chris Siconolfi discuss the true cost of launching a beverage brand, working capital, pricing, distribution, finding the right partners and building…
- Your Bottle Is Not The Hook. The Barrel Is. · 57 min · Season 5 Episode 26Bryan Weisberg of Thousand Oaks Barrel Company joins Sam Anderson and Adam Smith to discuss small barrels, cocktail smokers and helping spirits brands earn a place behind the…
- He Watched The Ocean Splash A Rock And Invented A Wine Decanter. It Took Him Two Days To Build The First One. · 53 min · Season 5 Episode 24Michael Fors spent twenty-six years hosting Thursday night wine nights in his backyard before a walk on the rocks in Gloucester turned into a patented decanter. Sam Anderson…
- Ten Years, 20,000 Names, One Plastic Mockup: Building Strobe The Slow Way · 59 min · Season 5 Episode 27Chris Hicks of Strobe told us why a pre revenue RTD brand is skipping the retail shelf, why reorders beat first orders, and why he does not believe in a no win situation…
- All Publicity Is Not Good Publicity · 1 h 0 min · Season 5 Episode 23Steve Turner owns Solomon Turner PR in St. Louis. Threedecades of campaigns. Named a top St. Louis PR firm by Small Business Monthlyfor 17 straight years. His client list reads…
- He Sold Pickle Shots Out Of His Trunk. Now He Runs The Co-Packer That Won't Bury You In MOQs. · 49 min · Season 5 Episode 21Dan Graves built Dirty Dill from a garage in Denver, then builtScaleaway to fix the exact problem that almost broke him: co-packers who wantsixteen thousand cases from a brand…
- 300 Tequilas On The Wall. Five Of Them Sell with Henry Matus · 58 min · Season 5 Episode 20Henry Matus built a menu intelligence platform that ranks bypalate instead of by brand size. If you make a small brand, this is the shelfmath you have been waiting for. One of…
- She Returned the $10 Million Check: Faye Coleman, Pure Genesis, and the December 11 Cliff · 52 min · Season 5 Episode 18What a Kraft and Target trained operator can teach beveragefounders about building in a category Washington keeps threatening to kill Most founders spend years chasing a $10…
- The Money Seat with Kash Rocheleau: Why the Last Hire You Make Decides If You Scale · 54 min · Season 5 Episode 9Most founders think the finance person is a luxury. Something you hire once you've made it. After the sales hire. After the marketing hire. After thecool stuff. Here's the part…
- From Rock Stages to Sold Out: Jeff Cerise and the Eight Year Overnight Success · 57 min · Season 5 Episode 14Most people think building a beverage brand looks likethis: Raise a round. Chase the hot category. Blow up on social.Exit in five years. Clean. Fast. Fundable. Reality? Make the…
- 20 Menus Beat 100 Back Bars · 1 h 3 min · Season 5 Episode 15In this episode, Mara shares her journey from corporate law to founding Inspiro Tequila, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, community building, and strategic marketing…
- The breakup letter that backfired with Ella Parlor · 58 min · Season 5 Episode 12In this episode, Ella Parlor shares her extensive experience in the beverage industry, from Red Bull to consulting, and discusses strategies for brand growth, industry insights…
- How to Build Relationships and Grow Your Beverage Brand · 59 min · Season 8 Episode 5In this episode, Halley Turner from Per Se shares her journey as a multi-passionate entrepreneur in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, emphasizing the importance of…
- 12 Candy Bars in a Bottle · 57 min · Season 5 Episode 6In this episode, Jeff Roslund shares his journey of creating a low-sugar, keto-friendly liqueur brand, navigating distribution challenges, and innovative marketing strategies to…
- Building a Premium Tequila Brand: Insights from Katy O'Donnell · 53 min · Season 5 Episode 11In this episode, Katy O'Donnell shares her inspiring journey from aspiring Broadway actress to a leading figure in the tequila industry. Discover how her passion, community…
