What does it take to build a premium rum brand in a category still fighting outdated perceptions?

In this episode of The Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast, Alex sits down with the Dave Howarth, the founder behind House of Rum to explore how they’re reshaping the way consumers think about rum and building a brand to match. Dave also has a very interesting backstory before he entered the world of rum as well!

From positioning and storytelling to the realities of launching in a competitive spirits market, this is a deep dive into what it really takes to create a modern premium drinks brand.

They cover:

• The story behind House of Rum
• Why rum is misunderstood and how that’s changing
• Building a premium brand in a crowded spirits category
• The importance of education and storytelling
• Lessons from launching and growing a drinks business
• And, a first for the podcast, tasting 3 fantastic rums, live on the recording

Whether you're a founder, brand builder, or spirits enthusiast, this episode offers a fresh perspective on one of the most exciting categories in drinks.

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

What does it take to reinvent one of the UK’s oldest drinks categories?

In this episode of The Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast, Alex sits down with John Logue, founder of Chance Clean Cider, to unpack how he’s building a modern cider brand designed for today’s consumer.

From early-stage challenges to standing out in a crowded market, John shares the realities of launching and scaling a drinks business—and why “clean” is more than just a buzzword.

They cover:

• The origin story behind Chance Clean Cider
• What “clean” means in today’s drinks landscape
• Breaking into the cider category as a challenger brand
• The role of weather, seasonality, and consumer trends
• Lessons learned from building a drinks startup
• 
  

Whether you're a founder, operator, or just curious about the future of cider, this is a candid look at what it really takes to build a brand in today’s drinks industry.

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

What if wine could still feel like wine — just without the full-strength consequences?

In this episode of The Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast, Alex Macintyre speaks with Russ Lamb, co-founder of 6Percent Wine: a brand built around a simple but powerful idea: creating genuinely good-tasting, mid-strength wine for people who still want the wine experience, but not the next-day fog.

Russ shares how he and his wife, Gabi, went from loving wine and running wine tastings to spotting a clear gap in the market after becoming parents. Frustrated by the lack of quality lower-alcohol options, they decided to create their own, and ended up building an entirely new proposition in the process.

From searching the world for the right partners, to spending two years developing the liquid in Bordeaux, to helping define the emerging mid-strength drinks category, this is a brilliant conversation about spotting an opportunity, backing your instincts, and building a challenger brand in a traditional industry.

In this episode we discuss:

• The story behind launching 6Percent Wine

• Why parenthood changed Russ and Gabi’s relationship with wine

• The gap between full-strength and alcohol-free drinks

• How they developed a genuinely good-tasting 6% wine in Bordeaux

• Why 6% became the sweet spot for flavour, balance and occasion

• The creation of the Mid-Strength Collective

• Building a new category in drinks rather than just a new product

• Retail growth, subscriptions, supermarkets, and the next phase of expansion

This episode is perfect for:

• Drinks founders and entrepreneurs

• Anyone building a challenger brand

• People interested in the future of alcohol consumption

• Wine lovers looking for smarter ways to enjoy it

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