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Park Street Insider Podcast
The Park Street Insider Podcast is a spirit industry-focused podcast dedicated to bringing you closer to the key brands, topics, and trends driving the drinks business. We host the spirits category's most influential leaders and entrepreneurs to uncover the business strategies, stories, and brand-building tips behind some of the biggest brands in the industry. Whether you're interested in Agave spirits, whiskey, read-to-drink, low & no, or any other category, our hosts will bring you closer to the heart of what's happening in each.
In each episode, hosts Emmett Strack and Andres Correa speak to spirits industry thought leaders to 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. They'll also zero in on the hottest subjects taking hold of beverage alcohol, keeping listeners up to date on the trends shaping spirits.
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Episodes
99 episodes
2026 Spirits Market: Category Shifts, Flavor Trends & What They Mean for Your Brand— Expert Talks
The 2026 alcohol market is bumpy, but for brands paying attention to the right signals, the opportunities are real. In this episode, Giuseppe Gallo, Founder and CEO of Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto and Savoia Americano, delivers a data-driven ...
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AI in Spirits: The Tools and Strategies Every Brand Needs to Know— Expert Talks
AI is reshaping the spirits industry, and for founders willing to embrace it, the opportunity is real. In this episode, recorded through Park Street University's AI for Spirits Marketing series, Justin Noland, Vice President of Digital Experien...
Former Campari CEO's 6 Steps for Spirits Brand Expansion— Expert Talks
Building a spirits brand in one market is hard. Building one across multiple continents, at the highest level of the industry, is a different game entirely, and few people have played it better than Matteo Fantacchiotti. A 25-year veteran of th...
Former 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 ...
How 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 Col...
The 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 m...
Branca 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 ex...
Brown-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 Ni...
2025 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 t...
Cocktail 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 su...
Glendalough 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 trailblaz...
Pernod 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 acros...
Beverage 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 whi...
What 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 re...
The Original Pickle Shot Co-Founder John King— What it Takes
Back in 2018, when The Original Pickle Shot co-founder John King first launched his brand, pickle-flavored spirits were only just emerging. Fast-forward six years, and what started as a niche experiment has exploded into a booming category—with...
Inside the Tequila Category with Fortaleza: Additive Free Tequila, Tariffs & Truck Heists
The tequila industry faces mounting regulatory and legal challenges with Mexico's Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) restricting additive-free marketing claims while high-profile lawsuits are questioning major brands' "100% agave" labeling pra...
What Tasting Competitions Reveal About Emerging Spirits Categories
Tasting competitions have become a convergence point for top suppliers and emerging challenger brands to showcase the key innovations driving the spirits market. Submission data provides early signals of emerging consumer trends months before t...
Beverage Alcohol Tariffs in 2025: Latest Developments & Industry Response
The global trade and tariff landscape is constantly evolving, making it imperative for beverage-alcohol brands to stay in step with the latest updates on U.S. policy. What began earlier in the year as focused measures on Canada, Mexico, a...
Diageo's Take on the Moderation Movement— Expert Talks
In 2025, the moderation movement has evolved from a niche wellness trend into a defining force reshaping the entire drinks industry, embraced by global spirits suppliers like Diageo. As consumers increasingly prioritize quality over quantity an...
What RNDC, Breakthru & Winebow Want from Spirits Brands in 2025
In 2025, the spirits distribution landscape has become increasingly competitive, with traditional powerhouses like RNDC, Breakthru, and Winebow facing new market pressures while brands struggle to secure distribution partnerships in an oversatu...
How Beverage Brands Can Navigate Financial Headwinds— Expert Talks
How can emerging spirits brands thrive even when economic conditions get tough? Smart financial strategy makes all the difference. In this episode, Brian Rosen, Chairman of InvestBev, shares his proven playbook for building resilient beverage b...
818 Tequila's 3 Pillars of Brand Building— Expert Talks
How did 818 Tequila rise above being "just another celebrity spirit brand'? Beyond Kendall Jenner's star power, the brand's success stems from deep industry expertise. In this episode, David Yan Gonzalez, Director of Tequila Operations at 818, ...
2025 Bar Trends: Spirits Spending & Consumer Insights from CGA by NIQ
Bars, restaurants, and venues form the foundation of drinking culture. However, the factors driving spending and visitation within the on-premise sector have evolved significantly due to COVID disruptions, economic pressures, and shifting categ...
Brother's Bond Bourbon CEO & Co-Founder Vincent Hanna— What it Takes
When Vincent Hanna and his co-founders, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, launched Brother’s Bond Bourbon, they didn’t just introduce another celebrity whiskey—they found a new way to build a modern whiskey brand based on passion and authenticit...
Inside Spirits Innovation with Maurice Doyle & Morten Stengaard— Expert Talks
In today's spirits market, crowded with endless options, meaningful innovation has become essential for brands seeking to establish their identity amid evolving consumer tastes. Yet mere novelty rarely drives success in an industry where everyo...