With close to 30 years in the whisky business to his name, Brian Kinsman perhaps needs no introduction. The malt master for William Grant & Sons is renowned for leading the whisky development of some of the most beloved Scotch whisky brands, including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Monkey Shoulder, Grant’s and, more recently, The Famous Grouse. Brian is always incredibly generous in sharing his story, knowledge, insights and advice. On this episode, he is no different, reflecting back to the early days of his career and weighing in on important topics regarding whisky, such as single malts versus blends, and prestige versus more affordable, premium products. And for any Formula One fans among our listeners, we also take a deep dive into the global Glenfiddich and Aston Martin Formula One partnership from Brian’s perspective.

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The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

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Agave spirits have been a particularly hot commodity over the last decade. And in the last couple of years, countries outside of Mexico have looked to utilise their nations' agave supplies and create their own takes on agave spirits. Leading the charge in India is Maya Pistola, India’s first aged 100% agave spirit, which was founded by Rakshay Dhariwal, who’s originally a restaurateur by trade. However, Maya Pistola’s story very nearly ended before it had even begun when a fire destroyed its original distillery on the cusp of the brand’s launch. But Rakshay decided to take this test he’d been given, and double down on his belief that he was onto something really special. He tells me more about his journey, the development of what he’s calling ‘agavepura’, and his outlook for the future of the non-Mexican agave category.

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The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keep up to date with the latest spirits and cocktail news from The Spirits Business here:

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Is there anything in spirits Olivier Ward has yet to turn his hand to? Possibly yes, possibly no – but goodness, he’s done a lot. From co-founding and being editor of Gin Foundry, to establishing Spirits Beacon for Enotria, and then founding Everglow Spirits in 2024, his experience is vast. Everglow Spirits offers everything from free editorial resources on spirits categories, to advanced courses on distillery operations, and how to build distilleries. When he’s not travelling the world consulting on new distillery builds, Olivier is a fierce champion of spirits knowledge, and noticed a gap in the market for more data and information on distilling in the UK – particularly for craft producers. Earlier this year, he launched Spirit of the Nation, a UK Distilling Census and an important step in curating more information about the UK’s vast distilling landscape. In this episode, we talk through his career and insights in detail, as well as some of the key findings from the UK Distilling Census results. And no matter the size of your distillery, or spirits business, this is an episode that’s not to be missed.

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The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 education; people, relationships, movement, and enjoyment are all just as important to the future success of the brand, and the rum category as a whole. We also cover the topic of rum’s premiumisation journey, the significance of the globally name-called Bacardi and Coke order, and exciting areas of opportunity for the category.

Keep up to date with the latest spirits and cocktail news from The Spirits Business here:

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The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for anyone eager to safely try their hand at foraging. I guarantee you will want to switch off from the digital world and head outside after hearing Geraldine’s story and words of wisdom in this episode.

Keep up to date with the latest spirits and cocktail news from The Spirits Business here:

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The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the spirits market over the next couple of years.

Keep up to date with the latest spirits and cocktail news from The Spirits Business here:

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Take a look at our videos on our YouTube channel:

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The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 landscape of spirits PR, why spirits brands cannot overlook the power of good PR, and how to cultivate professional relationships between both clients and media professionals that last. And for any aspiring professionals new to PR and communications, or spirits brands looking to build their own PR and marketing strategies, Emily offers some great words of wisdom throughout the episode.

Keep up to date with the latest spirits and cocktail news from The Spirits Business here:

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Take a look at our videos on our YouTube channel:

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The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 pounds for charities that hare helping to improve the lives of young people across Scotland. And as you'll hear, curating one of the rarest whisky auctions in the world, and all for charity, is no mean feat – but a highly rewarding one that makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Keep up to date with the latest spirits and cocktail news from The Spirits Business here:

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Keep updated on LinkedIn:

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Find us on Threads:

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Take a look at our videos on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpiritsBusinessMagazine

The Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.