Taste Radio

Tom Colicchio is a gastronomic icon. He also likes his tomato sauce out of a jar. Colicchio, who is the head judge and an executive producer of acclaimed TV reality competition "Top Chef" and the owner of award-winning restaurant group Crafted Hospitality, is a partner in Colicchio Kitchen, a premium brand of sauces and condiments that are positioned as high-quality and convenient products for hom...

When car companies start making tequila and beer, all bets are off. In this episode, the hosts banter about Tesla's foray into beverage alcohol, what happens when the boss visits a satellite office (tip: don't call it a "headquarters"), a sneak peek at the new digs for BevNET's winter events, how entrepreneurs can get inside the minds of investors and why we're big on packing vacation snacks and d...

Here's a tip: if you're walking the floor of a spirits-related trade show with Dispact Ventures founder and CEO Andrew Merinoff at your side, be prepared to stop often. He draws a crowd. The 33-year-old investor, who is also the co-founder and CEO of passion fruit liqueur brand Chinola, is a well-known and well-regarded figure in the beverage alcohol industry and has a network that includes early-...

Don't try to sell consumers on what's missing from your products; instead emphasize and celebrate the best attributes of your brand. The hosts discuss this simple yet important distinction in this episode, which highlights several brands exhibited at the 2023 Summer Fancy Food Show, held last month in New York City. This episode also features an interview with Liz Rhoades and Meghan Ireland, the h...

This special edition of the podcast features actionable insights and advice from interviews with six founders, creators and leaders who joined us on the show during the first half of 2023. Our guests include Tara Bosch, the founder of pioneering better-for-you candy brand SmartSweets; Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, the co-founders of fast-growing prebiotic soda brand Poppi;  Jake Bullock, the co-f...

From sweet and savory salsa matcha and date-based energy snacks to craft cocktail tea bags and plant-based whale sperm tortilla chips (yes, we're serious), the hosts shared their thoughts on the best and most notable products exhibited at the 2023 Summer Fancy Food Show, which was held in New York CIty from June 25-27.  This episode also features an interview with Dave Colina, the founder and CEO...

Dillion Ceglio's journey as a food entrepreneur started with a simple question: why hasn't anyone created a healthier version of Uncrustables? Finding an answer, however, wasn't nearly as easy. Ceglio is the co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based Chubby Snacks, which markets nut and seed butter and jelly sandwiches that the company describes as "cloud-shaped." The individually wrapped sandwiches,...

This week on the podcast, the hosts discussed their smash-and-grab introduction to AriZona's new line of hard teas, a Ted Lasso sighting at BevNET Live and a category-defining victory for non-alcoholic cocktail brands.  This episode also features an interview with Luke Holden, the founder and CEO of Luke's Lobster, a vertically integrated and family-owned seafood company based in Saco, Maine. Luke...

Sixteen years ago, Sweetgreen set out to redefine how consumers perceive fast food by offering crave-worthy meals made with clean and traceable ingredients and sold at an affordable price. Co-founder Nicolas Jammet has long been at the forefront of Sweetgreen's menu strategy, and in his role as chief concept officer, he is tasked with maintaining the company's high standards for quality and consis...

On location at BevNET Live Summer 2023 in New York City, the hosts reflected on an exciting first day of the event, along with that of bar industry trade show Bar Convent Brooklyn, held on June 13 and 14. They also discussed an evening of cocktails with filmmaker and spirits entrepreneur Steven Soderbergh and a visit to Pop Up Grocer's permanent location in Greenwich Village. Show notes: 0:48: Rea...

In just two-and-a-half years, New York City bar Double Chicken Please has achieved iconic status. Located in Manhattan's Lower East Side, Double Chicken Please is a dual-concept bar whereby the front room is represented as a fast-casual cafe serving chicken sandwiches and small bites along with craft cocktails on tap. The back room is a luxurious, yet welcoming lounge where guests experience the b...

There's big money flowing into emerging concepts… and we have the receipts. Within this episode, the hosts discussed canned wine, plant-based analogs of popular snacks and THC-centric brands. We also discussed influential trends and innovative products in the evolving world of mixology in interviews with past World Class US Bartenders of the Year Jessi Pollak and Adam Fournier along with James Bea...

Afia is on a hot streak. The Mediterranean-inspired frozen food company recently closed on a $3 million funding round and is on the cusp of opening a new 21,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility capable of producing a half a million falafel balls per day. While Afia's co-founders Farrah and Yassin Sibai are pleased with the brand's development, they remain grounded in their roots. In this episode, the...

What parallels exist between music, food and beverage and how can they inform entrepreneurs about innovation strategies? The hosts look to legendary music producer Rick Rubin for answers. We also discuss trends from behind the bar with the 2023 USBG World Class bartender of the year Renato Tonelli and Julie Reiner, the owner of world renowned NYC cocktail restaurants The Clover Club and Leyenda. S...

It's been three years since we last featured Poppi co-founders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth on Taste Radio, and to say that their brand has grown in that time would be a massive understatement. Poppi, is by all accounts, following in the footsteps of generational brands that came before it, including vitaminwater, Bai and BodyArmor. Launched as Mother Beverage in 2016 and reborn as Poppi in 2020,...

At what stage of development should brands consider aligning with a celebrity or athlete? How can companies assess the potential value and impact of those partnerships? The hosts shared their perspective on both topics, and also spoke about why niche brands might need to reconsider certain positioning and packaging callouts that have them collectively scratching their heads. Show notes: 0:43: A Sw...

Mario Carbone, the acclaimed chef and restaurateur, believes that if you're going to do something, you should strive to be the best at it. That's – quite literally – the secret to his sauce. The co-founder of globally renowned restaurant company Major Food Group, Carbone is a native New Yorker who learned his craft under the tutelage of some of the city's best known and admired chefs, including Da...

It may seem counterintuitive, but successful founders are often stung by self-doubt, a topic the hosts discussed in this episode, along with Neil Patrick Harris' foray into the RTD cocktail business and an unexpected brand collaboration that's being described as both brilliant and revolting. We also feature the latest edition of Special Ops with Andrew Guard, in which the operations expert shared...

A sensational number from Post Malone. A$AP Rocky's critically acclaimed crowd pleaser. And an unexpected hit from Kevin Hart. What may sound like a Spotify playlist is actually a trio of brands built and marketed by Global Brand Equities. Founded in 2019 by Irish expat James Morrissey, Global Brand Equities is focused on developing innovative and creator-led beverage alcohol brands. Morrissey's v...

The hosts discussed the news that Michelle Obama has joined kids' food and beverage company PLEZi Nutrition as a co-founder and strategic partner and spoke about the potential impact of the former first lady's influence and political connections on the brand's development. They also highlighted the 10 brands named as part of Target's third Takeoff Food and Beverage program. Show notes: 0:43: Mike...

If Expo West and Whole Foods had a baby, it might look something like Pop Up Grocer. A non-traditional retailer in which brand discovery, not sales, is paramount, Pop Up Grocer is the brainchild of veteran CPG marketing executive Emily Schildt. Founded in 2019, the company has built nine limited-run stores in cities across the U.S., each designed to showcase trendy natural and organic brands, part...

The hosts assessed the fallout from a highly publicized claim of "copycat" branding (and the accuser's subsequent apology), recapped a raucous pitch slam and shared a firsthand account of Omson's rhapsodic rave. They also spoke about a somewhat controversial food and sampled plenty of tasty, trendy products in the studio. Show notes: 0:43: Pizza Party. $200 For Free (Not Exactly). Storm The Stage!...

The story of how Eddie Simeon and his two best friends turned a hipster hobby into a multi-million dollar business is, dare we say, hella good. Simeon, along with Jomaree Pinkard and Tobin Ludwig are the founders of Hella Cocktail Co., a brand of premium crafted products designed to democratize and elevate cocktail culture. Launched in 2011, Hella Cocktail Co. markets botanically-inspired bitters...

Setting the trajectory of your company can often begin with a single pitch. And with just six weeks until BevNET Live Summer 2023 in New York City, the hosts highlighted companies that have built successful and even iconic brands after participating in past editions of the event's New Beverage Showdown competition. They also discussed new and innovative brands discovered at a local meetup event, a...

Cann co-founder and CEO Jake Bullock saw entrepreneurship as a way to break free from what he described as the path dependency of corporate life, but more importantly because he wanted "to build something big." Cann is getting closer to meeting his ambition. Launched in 2019 by Bullock and co-founder Luke Anderson, Cann markets "microdosed social tonics" that are infused with 2mg of THC and 4mg of...