Park Street Insider Podcast
Park Street Companies
The Park Street Insider Podcast is dedicated to understanding the business strategies of the most interesting and successful thought leaders in the alcohol beverage space. In each episode we discuss the moves that shaped their careers, how they built some of the brands we all know and love, and some of the tools they can’t live without.The podcast will also feature shorter episodes with commentary from industry leaders on time-sensitive topics.
- 40 minutes 59 secondsFormer Pernod Ricard Chief Whiskey Officer Kaveh Zamanian on Building a Bourbon Brand— What It Takes
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 on to lead their whiskey program at the highest level.
In this episode, Kaveh reveals what it really takes to build a bourbon brand with a creative mindset: from the founding principles behind Rabbit Hole Distillery, to the realities of being acquired by a global spirits giant, to how he architected a portfolio strategy that balanced heritage and innovation. We explore the surprising link between whiskey and human psychology, his approach to brand building that goes beyond the liquid in the bottle, and the leadership lessons learned from running one of the industry's most storied whiskey programs.
Featured Guest:
Kaveh Zamanian, Founder, Rabbit Hole, Mary Dowling, and Mash & Mallow Whiskey Companies
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Follow us for more industry insights on11 March 2026, 9:00 am - 16 minutes 40 secondsHow to Launch a Beverage Alcohol Brand: A Data-Driven Framework— Expert Talks
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 groundwork that separates brands that scale from those that stall: how to size your addressable market realistically, how to model capital requirements, and how to allocate marketing spend without burning through runway prematurely. The episode also tackles brand positioning with precision, examining how founders can identify and defend a differentiated position on the shelf in a category where retailer fatigue and distributor consolidation make first impressions increasingly important.
Featured Guests:Felipe Gonzalez-Gordon, Partner & COO, Colangelo & Partners
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How to Launch a Beverage Alcohol Brand: A Data-Driven Framework
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Follow us for more industry insights on25 February 2026, 10:00 am - 16 minutes 10 secondsThe On-Premise Playbook: A Guide to High-Value Bar Partnerships— Expert Talks
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 boardroom strategy and bar-floor execution, introducing a practical "if-then" framework for sustainable partnerships that balances bartender personal brand-building with genuine brand advocacy. Chris reveals why treating activations as transactions rather than relationships undermines everyone's bottom line, and demonstrates how accountability gaps, from finance teams demanding immediate returns to bartenders rotating between competing portfolios, can be transformed into long-term value creation.
Featured Guests:
Chris Maffeo, Founder, MAFFEO DRINKS
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Watch on YouTube:
The On-Premise Playbook: A Guide to High-Value Bar Partnerships
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Follow us for more industry insights on11 February 2026, 10:00 am - 50 minutes 48 secondsBranca USA CEO Chris Watt: How to Accelerate Spirits Brand Growth
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 legacy and innovation aren't mutually exclusive; they're the foundation for breakthrough growth.
In this episode, Watt reveals the strategic moves behind Branca USA's remarkable performance: from democratizing Fernet-Branca beyond high-end mixology into college towns and neighborhood bars, to riding the espresso martini wave with Borghetti, to capitalizing on the vermouth renaissance with Carpano Antica. Join us as we unpack his "pilot fish" distribution strategy, the data-driven approach that guided a lean team to outsized results, and why partnering with Reyes Beverage Group was the right strategic move for the portfolio.
Featured Guest:
Christopher Watt, CEO, Branca USA
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Follow us for more industry insights on28 January 2026, 10:00 am - 14 minutes 57 secondsBrown-Forman’s Algorithm for Unlocking Hospitality Growth— Expert Talks
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" into a roadmap for business resilience, demonstrating why "culture eats strategy for breakfast". We also discuss key entrepreneurial lessons, from distinguishing between passion and vision to prioritizing community investment, and analyze why treating awards as a result rather than an objective is the key to sustainable brand growth.Featured Guests:
Nidal Ramini, Advocacy Director - EAA Division, Brown Forman
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Watch on YouTube:
The Hospitality Algorithm: A Playbook for On-Premise Success
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Follow us for more industry insights on14 January 2026, 10:00 am - 51 minutes 13 seconds2025 Spirits Industry Review: Top M&A, Stories & Trends
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 California, the shifting tariff environment, and notable CEO turnover among major suppliers. We also examine broader structural changes, from the complexities of the THC bill to the increasing migration of suppliers toward beer distributors, and break down the year's investment climate, highlighted by AB InBev’s acquisition of Beatbox. We’ll explore the practical takeaways from these developments and discuss how they set the stage for the industry in 2026.
Mentioned in this episode:
Navigating Beverage Alcohol Tariffs: Short-Term Tactics & Long-Term Strategies
How Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal Navigated the RNDC CA Disruption and Returned to Growth
Beverage Alcohol Tariffs in 2025: Latest Developments & Industry Response
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Follow us for more industry insights on17 December 2025, 10:00 am - 22 minutes 21 secondsCocktail Culture for Alcohol Brands: History, Trends, and On-Premise Strategy— Expert Talks
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. With on-premise sales up 4% year-over-year and venue counts rising as we enter the peak holiday season, the bar world continues to serve as the critical channel ground where consumer trends are born, not just observed.
Charlotte Voisey, Executive Director at Tales of the Cocktail and former Global Head of Ambassadors at William Grant & Sons, reveals how the most significant shifts in cocktail culture took root and why direct dialogue with bartenders delivers strategic intelligence that shapes smarter brand decisions. Then Overproof's Chief Analytics Officer Ed Dobbles breaks down exactly what's winning in the 2025 on-premise: which cocktails dominate menus, what flavors consumers crave, and why emerging brands have a unique advantage right now.
Featured Guests:
Charlotte Voisey, Executive Director, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation
Ed Dobbles, Chief Analytics Officer, Overproof
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Watch on YouTube:
The Evolution of Cocktail Trends in the Last 25 Years
Cocktail Trends: How Bar Menus are ChangingWant to stay in the know about new episodes from the podcast? Fill out the form below: https://share.hsforms.com/1MEb-81x2TXi3f15qO_yEpA4tip1
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Follow us for more industry insights on26 November 2025, 10:00 am - 45 minutes 46 secondsGlendalough Distillery Co-Founder Kevin Keenan— What it Takes
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 Insider Podcast, Kevin Keenan sits down with Andres Correa to share the story behind Glendalough's rise and its role in shaping the modern Irish whiskey landscape in America. Discover how Keenan and his team built a distinctive brand rooted in Irish heritage and wild botanicals, navigated the complexities of breaking into the competitive U.S. spirits market, and carved out a unique position in the fastest-growing Irish whiskey category.
Keenan shares his best brand-building advice, from crafting an authentic brand identity that resonates with consumers to forming strategic distribution partnerships that drive sustainable growth. Whether you're an emerging brand founder or an industry veteran, this conversation offers invaluable insights into what it takes to build a spirits brand with lasting impact.
Featured Guest:
Kevin Keenan, Co-founder, Glendalough Distillery
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Follow us for more industry insights on12 November 2025, 2:00 pm - 8 minutes 19 secondsPernod Ricard Northern Europe CEO Julien Hémard: 6 Questions Shaping Spirits— Expert Talks
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 presentation at Bar Convent Berlin in 2025, where he addresses six critical questions that define the industry's present and future. Whether you're an industry professional, aspiring entrepreneur, or fascinated by the business of beverages, Hemard offers listeners an executive-level perspective on where the industry is headed and what it takes to succeed.
Featured Guests:
Julien Hémard, CEO Pernod Ricard Northern Europe, Pernod Ricard Deutschland GmbH
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Follow us for more industry insights on29 October 2025, 9:00 am - 47 minutes 12 secondsBeverage Alcohol Distribution 101: What Today's Brands Need to Know
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 Business of Drinks co-hosts Erica Duecy and Scott Rosenbaum to decode the distribution tier for beverage alcohol brands. Together, we break down the past, present, and future of distribution in the U.S. — explaining the nuts and bolts of the three-tier system, revealing the different distributor types and partnership models available to suppliers, and identifying the key dynamics that will define the next decade of the industry. We'll explore what brands need to know to successfully navigate this complex landscape and share the strategies that separate those who break through from those who get left behind.
Featured Guests:
Erica Duecy, Founder and Co-host, Business of Drinks
Scott Rosenbaum, Co-host, Business of Drinks
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Follow us for more industry insights on15 October 2025, 9:00 am - 41 minutes 54 secondsWhat RTD Market Growth Tells Us About Gen Z Values & Drinking Habits
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 Encore, a spirits-based canned seltzer rooted in the legacy of Stephen Talkhouse, the iconic Long Island music venue. What started as a way to extend a family's 50-year entertainment legacy during the pandemic has evolved into a brand achieving over 101% year-over-year sales growth—without the massive marketing budgets of their larger competitors.
Honerkamp and Minucci share exclusive findings from their Gen Z research, revealing unexpected insights about how this generation discovers, purchases, and consumes alcohol. They also break down how brands can leverage alternative distribution strategies to achieve sustainable growth.
Featured Guests:
Ruby Honerkamp, Co-Founder, Talkhouse Encore
Robert Minucci, Co-Founder, Talkhouse EncoreMentioned in this episode:
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