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PODCAST

The Spirits Business Podcast

The Spirits Business

In this podcast series, Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of the world’s leading trade magazine for spirits, The Spirits Business, gives listeners insights into the journeys of people from across the industry who have achieved remarkable success. From brand founders and CEOs to award-winning bartenders, hospitality experts and non-profit leaders, each episode brings a unique perspective on the global spirits industry.In addition to personal storytelling, each episode aims to shed light on pressing

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All Episodes

1:04:10

34. Bacardi: global senior vice-president Pedro...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/11/10

Pedro Mendonça is almost a year into his into his role of global senior vice-president for Bacardi and rums. His experience is vast, spanning more than 30 years in the spirits industry, and working for the likes of Diageo, leading teams in Latin America, Asia Pacific and worldwide. As you’ll hear during our conversation, at Bacardi, Pedro’s focus is on building on the rum brand’s 163-year legacy. Pedro speaks with such honesty about his approach to purposeful brand growth –and it’s not solely about

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45:44

33. Glendalough Distillery: how Geraldine Kavanagh...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/11/03

While most of us are tied to computers, mobiles or any other form of technology for most of the working day –and let’s face it, probably in our spare time too –Geraldine Kavanagh’s experience is the polar opposite. Her passion for outdoors led her into foraging, which she has turned into a full-time career, creating award-winning gins at Ireland’s Glendalough Distillery. In this episode, Geraldine and I discuss her love of nature, the challenges and ease of sourcing botanicals in the wild, and tips

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1:05:45

32. Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits: insights into...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/10/27

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is one of the most renowned distribution companies in the US. But what sets it apart? And what are the key challenges facing brands looking to expand their distribution footprint in the States at present? This week’s podcast guest is Zachary Poelma, who is Southern Glazer’s senior vice-president of commercial intelligence. During our conversation, Zach goes into detail about which categories are growing well at present, the trends he is seeing, and his outlook on

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58:25

31: May Fox Communications: how to harness the power...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/10/20

There’s good PR and there’s bad PR, and then there are those who truly excel in communications –and Emily Harris is one of the best. In 2012, Emily took her experience in both agency PR and in-house communications, and established her award-winning company, May Fox Communications. In this episode, I asked Emily about the key differences between working for an agency and being in-house, and what non-negotiable skills are needed to thrive in both environments. We also covered the rapidly evolving

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1:02:01

30. Beanie Espey: what it's like curating one of the...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/08/18

Beanie Espey has had such an interesting career. From the world of big beauty brands to spirits, from sales to marketing and even brand establishment, Beanie’s expertise is vast. In this episode, you’ll hear us chat about Beanie managing The Last Drop Distillers and working with her father, industry veteran James Espey, the highs and lows of launching a brand, and importantly her role with The Distillers Charity, curator of the One of One Distillers Charity auction, which has raised millions of

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54:30

29. Double Dutch: strategic growth lessons and why...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/08/10

It’s been 10 years since twin sisters Joyce and Raissa de Haas launched their acclaimed tonic and mixer brand Double Dutch, a brand that has been instrumental in shaping the premium mixer market. To mark the occasion, Double Dutch has undergone a significant rebrand this year, which we’ll cover later in this episode. We also discuss the business decisions and strategies that helped grow the brand into a global success story, how to remain creative, inspired and competitive, plus why we desperately

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59:38

28. Stock Spirits Group: mergers, acquisitions and...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/08/03

Stock Spirits Group CEO Jean-Christophe Coutures has his sights set firmly on growth in Europe. Where many are chasing super-premium-plus spirits sales, Jean-Christophe is confidently building a loyal audience with affordable, high-quality products. Following a few years of high-profile mergers and acquisitions for Stock Spirits Group, and heavy investment in categories such as Scotch whisky, Jean-Christophe believes the company is in good shape to weather the current challenging economic and

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57:01

27. The Diplomat: the story behind Hong Kong's first...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/07/21

There are two parts to The Diplomat bar in Hong Kong; the first is akin to an American tavern, with high-counter seating, and low lighting. Then down a pink corridor is the exclusive Social Club, with a contrast of dark seating and pink stools, an impressive vinyl collection, and a DJ booth to really get the party started. American John Nugent shares his journey and the concept behind his bar, and how he and his team fuse flavours from the US and Hong Kong to make some truly killer cocktails, and

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1:08:58

26. Mangrove Global: finding growth and profitability...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/07/07

If you’re a brand owner, hospitality worker, distributor – or involved in any other facet of the spirits trade, and are feeling somewhat frustrated or concerned about the multiple headwinds and challenges facing the industry, then do not skip this episode. Our podcast host, Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business magazine, sat down with Nick Gillett from Mangrove Global to chat about the current state of the industry, covering inflation, tax increases, sustainability pressures, staff

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49:01

25. Bar Leone: how Lorenzo Antinori founded Asia's...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/06/30

Bar Leone in Hong Kong has gained an incredible reputation worldwide – and after visiting the venue first hand earlier this year, our podcast host Melita Kiely says it is easy to see why. Founder Lorenzo Antinori has brought a slice of Italian hospitality to Asia, where guests can expect approachable but delicious cocktails, satiating food offerings alongside, and a vibrant, warm, welcoming atmosphere. It’s not hard to see why Bar Leone was voted the number one bar in Asia in 2024, and second

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53:33

24. Bar Convent London: Jack Sotti chats taking...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/06/16

On today's podcast episode, our host Melita Kiely is speaking with Jack Sotti, who is the brand ambassador for Bar Convent London. The first Baar Convent London event will take place from the 30 June to 1 July. But even if you tune into this episode after these dates, do keep listening because Jack has had an incredible career and offers so much great advice during this episode. Throughout the conversation, Jack delves into the emphasis on education at Bar Convent events, and why this isn't just a

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1:17:32

23. Four Roses Bourbon: how high-end hospitality...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/04/28

Spend just a few minutes in the company of Ilaria Carone and it’s hard to believe that someone so vivacious and chatty moved from Italy to London a short seven years ago speaking next to no English. Armed with as much experience as she could gather in her home country, Ilaria headed to London to pursue her dream hospitality career. Not afraid to rise to the challenge, she secured her first position a few days in at a private members’ club –and her success has only grown from there.Having worked for

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59:58

22. Claire Warner: taking risks, building a business,...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/04/20

Bartender, ambassador, brand co-founder, mentor, educator, public speaker – Claire Warner has a killer CV. With 25 years in the spirits industry, Claire has worked with some of the brightest minds in the business – and inspired many along the way, too. As head of luxury advocacy at Diageo, she is passionate about championing the on-trade, and building and supporting relationships between brands and bartenders. During our conversation we covered everything from the significance of cocktail

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58:26

21. Mount Gay Rum: Trudiann Branker is breaking...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/04/14

It’s no secret that the number of women pursuing STEM subjects and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields is woefully low compared to the number of men. But Trudiann Branker, the first woman master blender for Mount Gay Rum, is a shining example of the successful career trajectory that’s possible for women in STEM fields. Passionate about flavour and the science behind creating new profiles in rum, Trudiann is funding huge success and enjoyment from creating innovative

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1:14:28

20. Actions speak louder than words: engaging in...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/04/08

This is our first live recording of a podcast episode –and we're delighted to share such an insightful and informative talk we held in March to mark International Women's Day. Titled 'Actions speak louder than words: engaging in meaningful change'. This was not a protest or an empty celebration of women; what’s always been at the core of these events is to share a conversation where women can attend, participate, and leave with actionable steps to further their professional development, and support

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1:02:40

18. Milam & Greene: why award-winning Marlene Holmes...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/03/30

Marlene Holmes has had quite the whiskey career. Starting in 1990, Marlene learned from some of the best whiskey makers in the business, including the legendary Booker Noe. Marlene is unquestionably a legend in her own right; after nearly three decades at Beam working in whisky production, Marlene pursued a dream she had to switch the high-volume production of Beam for a small start-up, Milam & Greene. In this episode, we talk at length about her incredible whiskey career, what it takes to be a

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1:09:14

18. The Heart Cut: how Georgie Bell blended her love...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/03/24

Georgie Bell has had a whisky career many would covet. From bartending to becoming a global ambassador for multiple companies, Georgie spent years travelling the world sharing her passion for whisky. Today, she leads her own independent whisky bottling business, The Heart Cut, which she co-founded with her husband, Fabrizio Leoni. This episode covers a lot of ground, from what it was like 15 years ago as a young woman working in whisky to advice on finding balance as a global brand ambassador when

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1:14:02

17. Cotswolds Distillery: a deep dive into one of...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/03/17

Dan Szor swapped a career of finance and Wall Street to pursue a dream of owning his own whisky distillery in one of the most idyllic parts of England. The Cotswolds Distillery was one of the first English whisky producers on the scene and has been at the forefront of the category’s substantial growth. But what does it take to build a distillery from the ground up, and to grow it into into a global success story? Dan shares his experience in our latest podcast episode, which also touches on the

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19:44

16. Wine Paris: the spirits trends to watch

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/03/10

In February, podcast host Melita Kiely headed to France for the annual Wine Paris trade fair, one of the biggest trade shows in the spirits industry. The Be Spirits hall was packed with hundreds of spirits products, and of course the famous Infinite Bar –a 40-metre-long bar showcasing some of Europe’s finest bartenders, as they shake and stir cocktails throughout the event. But what were the biggest spirits trends evident from this year's event? We interviewed several exhibitors – from RTD founders

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1:09:36

15. Copenhagen Distillery: challenging conventions to...

The Spirits Business Podcast ·

2025/03/03

With a background in pharmaceutical science, Master distiller Lasse Öznek harnesses his background in pharmaceutical science to create distinctively Danish whisky –the kind of whisky he loves to drink. His vision is clear: to challenge conventions of whisky-making to push the boundaries of flavour, and be a leader in the Danish distilling scene.In this episode, we learn about Lasse's background, how he fell in love with whisky, the challenges of creating Danish whiskies that can stand up to more

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34 results

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