The Spirits Business Podcast

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...

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 globa...

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...

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 b...

When the global pandemic hit in 2020, it held a mirror to how behind the spirits industry was in its digital advancements – notably in regards to e-commerce. However, as Rob Hollands, CEO of Proof 8 (which rebranded from Proofworks shortly after this episode was recorded) reveals in this podcast episode, there are still many digital improvements the trade can embrace to improve efficiency, of...

In a first for The Spirits Business Podcast , we welcome a trio of guests for an insightful panel discussion. Hosted in partnership with global trade event ProSpirits, the distilled arm of ProWein, this episode includes: Dr Simone Loose, head of the Institute for Wine and Beverage Business Research at Geisenheim University and lead researcher on the inaugural ProSpirits Report; Sylvia Bernard, int...

Fawn Weaver is a highly successful entrepreneur, a New York Times best-selling author, and the founder and CEO of the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in US history, and best-selling African-American-founded spirit brand of all time – Uncle Nearest. Fawn’s personal journey intertwines with the storytelling of the man who taught Jack Daniel how to distil in her latest book, Love & Whiskey...

Introducing our first international podcast recording! Earlier this year, podcast host Melita Kiely enjoyed a whistle-stop trip to Ireland to meet this episode's guest: Zak Oganian, CEO of Origen X. His company is focused on acquiring heritage assets and rebuilding historic brands. So far, Origen X boasts an impressive portfolio that includes Kinahan's Irish whiskey, Ukrainian vodka Mikolasch, and...

In the final episode of the first season of The Spirits Business Podcast , Sam Simmons, head of whisky at Atom Brands – also known as Dr Whisky – takes us on a global exploration of the whisky category. Nothing is off the table in this conversation: from the pros and cons of being an independent whisky bottler, including the challenges cask investments are presenting to indie bottlers, to the impo...

This episode's podcast guest, Felipe Schrieberg, is an award-winning journalist. He's also a musician, a whisky bottler, and importantly for our conversation today, passionate about uniting the whisky industry against fraudulent whisky cask investment schemes. Having recently launched Portectyourcask.com, a website dedicated to informing people about the potential pitfalls of whisky cask investmen...

Inspired by their father’s passion for winemaking, sibling duo Alex and Emma Watson are adding to the family story with their own brand: Renais Gin. But this is more than just another celebrity spirit; Alex and Emma have poured their heart into this project, leaning on Alex's extensive experience in the alcohol beverage world and Emma's creative mind. In this episode, Alex shares the important rol...

Meet Ian Burrell and Aaisha Dadral, two of the four co-founders of Equiano – the world's first African and Caribbean rum. From successful music careers working with some of the world's biggest artists, the pair have found a passion for brand-building, and have embarked on a journey sharing their love for rum with the world. This episode leaves no stone unturned as we discuss everything from the hi...

"Do you even like whisky?" Becky Paskin, founder of the OurWhisky Foundation, has been asked this question all too frequently during her career – and a recent study showed many women in the industry have similar experiences to share. The OurWhisky Foundation works to promote gender equality in whisky, providing a free modern media library, a platform to share women's stories, and a global mentorsh...

How to find purpose in your work, the importance of boundaries and thoughts on cancel culture are all up for discussion in this week’s podcast episode with Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality. Multi-award-winning social entrepreneur Lorraine Copes founded Be Inclusive Hospitality four years ago at the height of the pandemic. Its aim is to advance racial quality across the hospitali...

In our fourth episode, The Spirits Business editor Melita Kiely caught up with the three founders behind The Pinnacle Guide – Siobhan Payne, Hannah Sharman-Cox and Dan Dove – the day after the inaugural pinned bars were announced. A total of 37 bars were award one pin and two pins – but so far, no venue has met the requirements for that coveted three-pin status. Siobhan, Hannah and Dan talk us thr...

How much do you know about Peru's hospitality scene? Well, this episode is set to change any preconceptions you may have had about the country's vibrant cocktail culture. Earlier this year, our editor, Melita Kiely, flew to Lima to spend a week exploring what the capital city's food and drinks scene has to offer. In this episode, Diego Macedo, founder of speakeasy bar Sastrería Martinez, discusses...

Deano Moncrieffe is arguably one of the industry's most respected bartenders. Not only is he the founder of award-winning bar Hacha in London and bottled cocktail brand Mirror Margarita, but he is on a mission to create a more equitable hospitality industry for everyone through his non-profit Equal Measures. In episode two, Deano candidly opens up about his personal experiences of discrimination a...

Our guests today are actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, co-founders of the award-winning Brother's Bond Bourbon. It was while filming acclaimed TV series The Vampire Diaries that the pair discovered a shared love of Bourbon and embarked upon their own whiskey venture. In this first episode of The Spirits Business Podcast , we discuss everything from sipping Bourbon on set, blending, new relea...