Claim OwnershipMovers and Shakers with April Wachtel
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© April Wachtel, 2021
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Movers and Shakers is the podcast about people and ideas that are changing the beverage landscape. Hosted by mixologist and Swig + Swallow Founder, April Wachtel, this podcast examines stories from innovators and thought leaders throughout the beverage ecosystem.
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Hey hey Movers and Shakers, it's your host April Wachtel, and I’m pleased to present to you a most unusual episode of Movers and Shakers. If you’re a regular listener and are familiar with our standard format- this isn’t that. In today’s episode I interviewed an old friend and the cocktail mastermind behind world-famous New York bars Employees Only and Macao Trading Co- Dushan Zaric. Dushan is widely recognized as an industry leader and a pioneer in craft bartending; his innovative work behind the bar has revolutionized the art of the cocktail. Dushan and I hadn’t spoken in about a decade and what started as the pre-interview ended up being the actual interview. For anyone who knows Dushan, it will not surprise you that he broke the format of my podcast, and we love him for it. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Dushan Zaric. In the podcast today we discuss: What we’ve both been up to for the last decade Dushan’s new Youtube show, 4am Chicken Soup Dushan’s perspective on avoiding burnout and rediscovering the privilege of being of service to others And so much more. It was amazing catching up with Dushan after so many years. Please enjoy my interview with Dushan Zaric. Find Dushan: www.dushanzaric.com 4 am Chicken Soup show on Youtube On Instagram: @4amchickensoup Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today’s interview is with Elayne Duff from the Beverage Brand Ambassador Academy. Elayne Duff is a 20-year veteran of the spirits industry. She was Diageo U.S.A.’s first head mixologist and luxury spirits ambassador, has appeared on the T.V. show Bar Rescue numerous times as a beverage expert, and was a Global Manager of experiential events and education at Ab-InBev. More recently Elayne founded “Duff on the Rocks,” an on and off-trade brand strategy consultancy, launched a YouTube show “Celebrating the Brand Ambassador” and created the “Beverage B.A. Academy,” the first online training academy for Brand Ambassadors. In the podcast today we discuss: Elayne’s extensive background in beverage The origin stories behind Elayne’s various ventures What to expect from the Beverage BA curriculum …and so much more. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Elayne Duff! Find The Beverage Brand Ambassador Academy: https://beveragebaacademy.teachable.com Find Elayne: On Instagram @duffontherocks On Facebook @Elayneduff On LinkedIn @ Elayne Duff Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today’s interview is with Allison Evanow from Square One Organic Spirits. Allison is the Founder and CEO of Square One Organic Spirits and Cocktails. She is a pioneer in the organic spirits space, starting Square One as the U.S.’s first all organic spirits company and one of the first women to start her own spirits brand. Square One crafts a line of USDA Organic vodkas and botanical spirits and now also has two new products lines – organic cocktail mixers and convenient ready to drink sparkling vodka cocktails. In the podcast today we discuss: How Allison harnessed her background in spirits marketing to launch Square One How she bootstrapped the brand to distribution in 42 states How she thinks about growth and new product launches And her advice for entrepreneurs just getting started It was amazing speaking to Allison after hearing about her work for so long- Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Allison Evanow Find Square One www.squareoneorganicspirits.com On instagram @squareoneorganicspirits On facebook @squareoneorganicspirits On Pinterest @SQ1organic On Twitter: @SQ1Organic Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today's interview is with Lance Winters and Dave Smith from St. George Spirits. Lance is the Master Distiller and Dave is the Head Distiller for St. George Spirits, one of the pioneer craft distilleries in the United States. Founded by Jorg Rupf in 1982, St. George originally distilled eau de vie, then birthed and sold the Hangar One brand, and expanded their portfolio across categories to include base spirits like Gin, Vodka, and Whiskey, as well as liqueurs and more esoteric offerings like Absinthe and Shochu. In the podcast today we discuss: How Lance and Dave have grown the brand organically within minimal startup funding How they think about pushing the boundaries with craft spirits How they consider the intersection between innovation and commercial opportunity And their advice for entrepreneurs interested in launching a spirits brand Lance and Dave are icons in the spirits industry, and it was such a pleasure having them on the pod. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Lance Winters and Dave Smith. Find St George www.stgeorgespirits.com On instagram @stgeorgespirits On Twitter @stgeorgespirits On facebook @stgeorgespirits Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today’s interview is a special episode on the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Competition coming up in November of 2022. Some of you know, I worked with the Foundation when they were starting out four years ago, and the event remains near and dear to my heart. It’s a competition for women founders in food, beverage, and cpg, with some great cash prizes and marketing services available to the winners. I was fortunate to have Kim Lawton, the co-founder of the Enthuse Foundation and co-owner of Enthuse and Inspira Marketing join me on the podcast to talk about the Foundation, the competition, and how potential applicants can put their best foot forward. Before we jump into the interview, I wanted to share some specific dates and deadlines- Applications for the competition open August 15th (2022) They are due October 3rd Finalists are notified October 18th And the pitch competition will be held in New York City on November 3rd Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Kim Lawton! Find The Enthuse Foundation www.enthusefoundation.org On Instagram @enthuse_foundation On Facebook @enthusefoundation On LinkedIn @enthusefoundation Find Enthuse Marketing and Inspira Marketing www.enthuse-marketing.com www.inspiramarketing.com Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today's episode is an interview with Andrew Merinoff. Andrew is the founder of DisPact Ventures, an investment fund focused on emerging retail, food & beverage and technology brands, and is also the co-founder of Chinola Passionfruit Liqueur. Andrew’s experience spans multiple sectors and industries, including F&B, Wine & Spirits, Hospitality, Investing, and Marketing. Most recently, Andrew worked to develop intuitive spirit branding for Proximo Spirits, where he focused on brand development for the company’s current portfolio. In the podcast today we discuss: How Andrew thinks about failure The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make How to strategically set your spirits brand up for acquistion… And Andrew’s advice for entrepreneurs raising capital in the current climate. I think you’ll agree Andrew shared some incredible advice in today’s interview, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Andrew Merinoff. Find Andrew On LinkedIn On Instagram @heymerinoff Find Chinola www.chinola.com On Instagram @chinola Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order On Instagram @cheekycocktails
Today's episode is an interivew with the man, the myth, the legend, David Gluckman. David is the Author of the book “That S*it Will Never Sell,” and is the creator of Baileys (the number one selling liqueur in history, which has sold billions of bottles across 160 countries. David is also the mind behind Ciroc Vodka, Tanqueray 10 and dozens of other beverage brands. In the podcast today we discuss: The story of Baileys and what he learned after presenting the brand to his clients David’s advice on advancing ideas through large organizations What large companies should do with their market research budgets …And so much more David is truly a living legend in the world of beverage alcohol, and he shared a wealth of knowledge in today’s conversation. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my conversation with David Gluckman. Find David On LinkedIn david@tswns.net Find That S*it Will Never Sell www.thatshitwillneversell.com Buy That S*it will Never Sell Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order @cheekycocktails
Today's guest is Jackie Summers- a James Beard Finalist AND judge; a seasoned public speaker, and the creator of the award-winning Sorel Liqueur. His accolades are FAR too many to list, but to give you a small sampling, he’s been named one of the world’s “100 Most Influential Bar Industry Figures” by Drinks International Magazine (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), one of The 50 Most Influential People In Brooklyn Food by Brooklyn Magazine, The 2019 Award winner for “Best Food Essay” by the Association of Food Journalists and on and on. In the podcast today we discuss: How a cancer diagnosis lead Jackie into the drinks business How Jackie thinks about mental health and resolve The incredible story of Sorel’s exponential growth after years of perseverance And so much more I’m probably not supposed to choose favorites, but this is one of my favorite interviews of all time, and I so appreciate Jackie’s willingness to speak about some topics that are often glossed over in these types of interviews. I hope you love this interview as much as I loved recording it Wthout further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Jackie Summers. Find Jackie: @theliquortarian jackiesummers.nyc Find Sorel: @sorelofficial sorelofficial.com Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order @cheekycocktails
Today’s guest is Philip Duff- a renowned expert on distilled spirits and a beverage consultant to drinks companies everywhere. He bartended around the world for decades and founded Holland’s first bar to enter the World’s 50 Best Bars. Philip owns the lauded Old Duff Genever brand, served as the first Director of Education for Tales of the Cocktail, and regularly appears on TV & in publications like Esquire, Reuters, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more. In the podcast today we discuss: The evolution of Phil’s career in the global drinks business Why large companies struggle with innovation (and in Phil’s words make “bonkers” acquisitions):) Phil’s take on celebrity-owned brands And so much more I think you’ll agree, Phil is both an informed and entertaining guest, and it was a great pleasure having him on the pod. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Philip Duff Find Philip: On Twitter: @philipduff On Youtube: @philpstephenduff On Instagram: @philipsduff The Philip Duff Show (podcast) Old Duff Genever Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order @cheekycocktails
Today's guest is Stephanie Jordan, the CEO and co-founder of Avallen Calvados, and multilingual wine & spirits professional with over 15 years in the global drinks business. Stephanie is a former Global Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray Gin, and founder of the luxury marketing consultancy Drinking Out Loud. She and her business partner Tim Etherington Judge founded Avallen in 2019 with the mission to be the world’s most planet-positive spirits brand, and is a certified B corp sold in ten markets around the world. In the podcast today we discuss: Stephanie & Tim’s path to launching Avallen How to incorporate sustainability into your brand from day one Why equity crowdfunding creates accountability within the business Avallen’s partnerships with Ecospirits and Frugalpak And so much more This interview has been years in the making, and I was so thrilled to have Stephanie on the podcast. Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Stephanie Jordan. Find Stephanie on instagram @drinkingoutloud Find Avallen on instagram, twitter and facebook @avallenspirits and on their site www.avallenspirits.com Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order @cheekycocktails
Today’s guest is John deBary, the creator of Proteau, a line of zero-proof botanical drinks, a co-founder of Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, author of Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails, Food52’s first Resident Drink Expert, and a freelance journalist with bylines in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Thrillist, the Food Network, Punch, and more. In the podcast today we discuss: The founding of the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation The evolution of John’s non-alch drinks company, Proteau Mental health, and how overnight success is rarely “overnight" And John’s advice for entrepreneurs just getting started I think you can tell that I’m a massive fan of John’s and am so impressed by everything he does for the drinks and hospitality community. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it, and without further ado, here’s my interview with John deBary. Find John www.johndebary.com Find Proteau www.drinkproteau.com @drinkproteau Invest in Proteau on Republic https://republic.com/proteau Find RWCF www.restaurantworkerscf.org @rwcfusa Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com Find Cheeky www.cheekycocktails.co Enter code MOVERSANDSHAKERS at checkout for 10% off your first order @cheekycocktails
Today’s guest is Allen Katz, Co Founder of the New York Distilling Company. Allen is one of the nation’s leading experts on distilled spirits and cocktails, Director of the Spirits Education & Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York and is at the forefront of industry training in New York and around the country. He is renowned for his public and professional seminars on topics of America’s food and cocktail heritage and was previously the host of The Cocktail Hour for Martha Stewart on SiriusXM. I interviewed Allen in February of 2020, just a couple of weeks before Covid landed in New York City. As we all know, the past year and a half have been strange to say the least, but I’ve missed making the pod and am hoping to be back on more of a regular schedule. The beauty of having brilliant guests, is their advice often stands the test of time, and that is certainly the case with Allen’s. In the podcast today we discuss: The evolution of the contemporary cocktail renaissance The founding of the NY Distilling company What it takes to break through as a spirits brand, and Allen’s advice to entrepreneurs just getting started I can’t tell you how much I loved this conversation with Allen, and I think you’ll agree, he is a gifted storyteller as well as a fascinating and thoughtful business person. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Allen Katz Find Allen on most social media @nydistilleryman Find New York Distilling Company www.nydistilling.com @nydistilling Find Movers and Shakers: www.moverssshakers.com On Instagram as @moverssshakers Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com www.cheekycocktails.co
Today’s guest is Eugene Khabensky, Director of Business Development and Ventures at Diageo. Eugene specializes in finance, strategy, commercial insights, and business development, so I was excited to pick his brain on how he evaluates businesses for potential investment. In his tenure at Diageo, he has worked on many exciting projects and acquisitions including Diageo’s acquisition of Casamigos Tequila. In his current role, Eugene oversees the Diageo relationship with the Distill Ventures program in North America where he brings a comprehensive cross functional view to unlocking brand acceleration and building successful plans for growth. In this interview, Eugene gives some great insights on what Diageo is looking for in potential investments, what level of detail you should present depending on the stage of your business, and which part of the pitch process is incredibly important, yet often overlooked. I’m appreciative for Eugene’s time, and hope this interview helps founders prepare for the competition in November. Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Eugene Khabensky. Find Eugene on LinkedIn Find Distill Ventures www.distillventures.com/ Find Movers and Shakers: On Instagram as @moverssshakers www.moverssshakers.com Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com
Movers and Shakers is back! In today's episode, I explain our absence, introduce my company Cheeky Cocktails, and my colleague Aaron Moses steps in as host. We discuss some of my background in the beverage and hospitality industry, how I became an entrepreneur, how I think about team and culture building, and much more. A special thanks to Cheeky Aaron for doing a great job hosting! As always, if you have questions, comments, or feedback, it's always greatly appreciated, and please feel free to reach out anywhere below. Find Cheeky: www.cheekycocktails.co @cheekycocktails across social media Find Movers and Shakers: On Instagram as @moverssshakers www.moverssshakers.com Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com
In today's special episode of Movers and Shakers, I speak to friends in industry icons, Chris Lowder and Micaela Piccolo about life in Shanghai during Coronavirus. They share what they're doing to stay positive and productive under quarantine, what you should expect if your market is not yet adapted for the virus, and what bars and restaurants are doing across China to persevere. Please note, this was also the first video interview for Movers and Shakers. The video is available here. --- Follow Chris and Micaela's updates on Instagram @getlowdernow @micaelapiccolo --- Connect with April on LinkedIn --- Shoot us questions, comments, or requests for specific content at hello@moverssshakers.com
Dearest listeners, In light of the impact Coronavirus is having on our industry, we will be adding coverage, interviews, and professional development opportunities to our regular programming, intended to help our community get through these next few months. Please stay tuned for tomorrow's interview with Chris Lowder, the General Manager of Proof & Company in China, on how bars and restaurants have been coping during the quarantine. Also, if you have more time on your hands than usual, and are looking for ways to build your professional online presence I created a video tutorial on building your personal brand through LinkedIn, creating a website, buying a url, and setting up a professional email account. Please shoot us a note at hello@moverssshakers.com with any questions, comments, or requests for specific content, and stay safe out there.
Today’s guest is Jen Batchelor. Jen is the co-founder and CEO of Kin Euphorics, an alternative beverage company intent on revolutionizing the future of social drinking. Launched in December of 2018, Kin has sold over 1 million servings of their three products- High Rhode, Dream Light, and Kin Spritz. Raised in Saudia Arabia, Jen built a decade long career in strategic innovation at the intersection of tech, wellness, and hospitality, and now brings her unique perspective to her work with Kin. Find Jen On Instagram as @jenofkin Find Kin Euphorics On Instagram as @kineuphorics www.kineuphorics.com Find Movers and Shakers: On Instagram as @moverssshakers www.moverssshakers.com Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com
Today's guest is Hugh Thomas. Hugh is the CEO and co-founder of Ugly Drinks, a flavored sparkling water brand founded in the U.K. Hugh and his co-founder, Joe met while working for Vita Coco coconut water before deciding to start their own business, disrupting the soft drinks industry. In the podcast today, we discuss: How Hugh and Joe went from Googling how to build a business in their apartment in London, to having distribution in nearly 10,000 stores across Europe and the United States What makes a truly sticky consumer brand How Hugh defines success as a founder, and so much more Hugh was such a wonderful guest and I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did. If you do enjoy the interview, please share the podcast and we'd really appreciate if you can leave us a review in Apple podcasts. It really does help. Without further ado, please enjoy my interview with Hugh Thomas. Find Ugly Drinks On Instagram On Twitter On TikTok www.uglydrinks.com Find Hugh On Instagram On Twitter Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com
Image Credit Today’s guest is Paul Gabie. Paul is an investor, former lawyer, and co-founder and CEO of The Proof Collective, a portfolio of companies dedicated to spreading fine drinking around the globe. If you’re in the cocktail world and you don’t know their name, you definitely know their work. Their companies include: Proof & Company; a leading independent spirits distributor and consultancy with offices in five countries across Asia Pacific 28 HongKong Street, JERRY, EC Proof, True Believers, Junior, and ecoSPIRITS And last year alone, six of their projects were included on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, including Manhattan, ATLAS, 28 HongKong Street, Charles H, Bar Trigona, and The Pontiac. In the podcast today we discuss The forces shaping the industry in Asia Pacific The "Hendrick’s moment" as a sign of market maturity Cross-pollination as an accelerant The challenges of managing growth, and so much more Paul was such a wonderful guest, and I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did. If you do enjoy the interview, please share the podcast- and we would really appreciate if you can leave us a review in apple podcasts- it really does help. Find Proof and Company: On Instagram www.proofandcompany.com Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com
Today’s guest is Mariena Mercer Boarini. Mariena is a second generation Las Vegan and a ten year veteran of the industry. Excelling in alchemy, and with a focus on experiential cocktails, Mariena oversees cocktail creation for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Mariena has been featured on The Food Network, Esquire Magazine, Saveur Magazine, Tastemade, and various other media outlets. She has been named “Top Bartender in Las Vegas” and one of the “Top 10 Female Bartenders in the World.” In the episode today we discuss: The power of yes Balancing creativity and business in a high volume setting Being a mother working in the bar world What Mariena looks for when hiring staff, …and so much more. It was such a pleasure having Mariena on the podcast and hope you enjoy the conversation. Find Mariena: On Facebook On Instagram Mariena.Boarini@cosmopolitanlasvegas.com Find the Cosmopolitan: www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com Find Movers and Shakers: On Instagram www.moverssshakers.com Find April: On LinkedIn www.aprilwachtel.com
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