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E47: Brett Berish: Liquor Legend & Founder of Sovereign Brands
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This week John welcomes the one and only Brett Berish to the show for a spirited conversation about the liquor industry, branding, and betting on yourself. Brett is the President & CEO of Sovereign Brands, a family-owned, international wine & spirits company headquartered in New York, which sells its portfolio of products in more than 100 countries globally. Brett and his company have developed some of the world’s hottest brands, including the smash-hit Luc Belaire line of French sparkling wines, which has earned global acclaim for its exquisite taste and striking package, and is the fastest-growing French sparkling wine in the world. Sovereign’s portfolio also includes Bumbu, a craft rum from Barbados that ranks among the world’s most critically acclaimed rums and is already the best-selling brand in the U.S. premium rum category, as well as McQueen and the Violet Fog, a small-batch gin from Jundiai, Brazil, which was awarded a 93-point score by Wine Enthusiast. Sovereign’s newest release, Villon, is revolutionizing the cognac category. Brett’s past brands include Armand de Brignac (“Ace of Spades”) Champagne and D’Ussé Cognac, two of the most successful brands in the super-premium Champagne and premium Cognac categories, respectively.
Brett has been profiled by Forbes, Crain’s Chicago Business, and Market Watch, among others, and was recently recognized by Goldman Sachs as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs at the Goldman Sachs Builders + Innovators Summit. He has also been invited to speak on popular radio shows including The Breakfast Club and Young Money Radio. Brett’s self-made success has informed his company’s values, culture & celebrity partnerships, culminating in Sovereign’s prolific marketing campaign “Self Made Tastes Better”, which includes a series of interviews hosted by Brett alongside some of the world’s biggest celebrities, from recording artists to athletes, actors, TV personalities and influencers – all of whom are also confirmed fans of Sovereign’s brands. Together with a proven ability to create powerful, resonant brands, the international partnerships he has created with some of the world’s finest wine and spirits producers have given Sovereign Brands an extraordinary and unique portfolio of wines and spirits.
John and Brett unpack the economics of the liquor industry while swapping club stories and John’s early disdain for bottle service. Brett also dives into the marketing engine of social media and how Sovereign Brands is leveraging its presence on Instagram and social outlets to outpace juggernauts like Captain Morgan and Bacardi. They debate the merits of bourbon versus scotch while Brett challenges anyone to actually blind test some of the world’s highest-end whiskeys against his new Deacon blended scotch whiskey. For anyone interested in the liquor industry, or even just marketing, this episode is a peek behind the curtain to learn from the wizard himself on mastering branding and working with influencers to take your product to the next level.
Topics include:
- Brett’s Sale of Ace of Spades to Jay Z
- Building Brands You Can Believe In
- Venture Capital Verses Bootstrap Funding
- The Economics of The Liquor Industry
- Breaking Down The Liquor Supply Chain
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