Palm Bay International’s Post

From WineBusiness Monthly...... North Bay Business Journal----- Court OK's $140 million in @Vintage Wine Estates assets sales Vintage filed for Chapter 11 reorganization on July 24, noting $400 million in debt and $425 million in assets. The hearing confirmed winning bids totaling $140.6 million from a Sept. 17 auction. An auction Friday for stored wine not in bottles garnered a $2 million winning bid. The only other Vintage assets to sell are the Ray's Station winery at 13300 Bruckman Drive, Hopland, Mendocino County, and undisclosed assets valued at less than $2 million. @Copart Executive Chairman A. Jayson "Jay" Adair bid $85 million for Clos Pegase and Girard wineries in Napa Valley, and B.R. Cohn, Kunde and Viansa wineries in Sonoma Valley. Those were some great brands. This industry is so unpredictable. You have to love your brands and work them yourself. Brokers, Distributors, Marketing teams, Celebrity endorsements are all just part of the sales process. It has to start with you!!!!!!!!! They will follow your example. Swirl Bev

Since 2017, Bill Shufelt (CEO, Athletic Brewing Co.) went from hedge fund trader to the CEO of the leading producer of non-alcoholic craft beer. Unlike my typical tech-focused chats this one centers around a product I personally love. In the conversation, Bill tells stories of the unscalable but crucial strategies he used to build a brand, push past rejection, and redefine the non-alcoholic beer industry. → The unscalable activities that made Athletic a household name Athletic Brewing’s brand was built on unscalable activities, like handing out samples at races. Now, Bill often runs into high LTV customers at races he hasn’t attended in years when they say things like, “I met you in 2018 and my fridge has been full of your beer ever since.” While each sampling felt minor in the moment, Athletic has now activated thousands of events, and the long-term impacts accumulate. → How rejection helped Athletic build a competitive advantage Facing initial rejections from every contract brewer in the US, Bill took a bold step in building their own brewery. In hindsight, it allowed them unparalleled control over every aspect of production, from ingredient quality to rigorous testing of each batch. By handling everything in-house, Athletic also gains the flexibility to innovate and respond to market demands quickly—benefits that would have been unattainable had they relied on external partners. → Bill’s genius sales tactic Bill personally signed 300 deals with retail stores using clever tactics. Before pitching a buyer at a store, Bill would recruit a random grocery store shopper to pretend that they were super interested in the beer while Bill was pitching the deal. This approach helped break initial skepticism and build early buzz around their offerings, which helped Athletic secured shelf space and propel forward. For more stories and lessons from Bill, check out the full episode at: https://lnkd.in/gJjHJz_w

A 'Scottish Oak Programme'. Great news. More Scotch Whisky Casks, for the future. As an aside, how many Scotch Whisky Casks, in total, are already resting, in Scotland? What do you reckon? Even the 'Scottish Business Leaders' I ask are always MILES out! The 'official' Scotch Whisky Association figure is 'about 20,000,000'. Twenty Million. I've been told, by very senior Scotch Whisky Figures, who know about this sort of thing, it's 'about 45,000,000'. Others, high up in the 'Whisky Industry' suggest even more than this, 65,000,000. That's Sixty Five Million. Whatever the true amount, the 'American Standard Barrel' makes up the lion's share of this. Each one holds 271-314 bottles (that pesky Angel's Share 'alcohol evaporation' and age causes the alarming discrepancy!). But, if it's a 'Butt', you can expect 670-700 bottles, from just one Cask. A few Distilleries use 'Port Pipes', which are even bigger! Hmm... Port Pipe Scotch Whisky, yum! There's lots of different Casks, Puncheons, Barriques, Quarter Casks, Port Pipes, och, loads. Suffice to say, the average Scot just doesn't have a clue about the true amount. Only one rule, it has to be Oak. Old, new, French, Scottish, American, second/third hand, it doesn't matter. This further complicates things. Convenient, or inconvenient, depends if you're buying, or selling! As they're not told anything NEAR the truth, you can't really blame the average Scot for being totally clueless here! Anyway, who cares? It surely can't be that important? Well, in Scotland, we've 'got form' in undervaluing our natural resources so, now we have one, that's GETTING MORE PLENTIFUL and ISN'T running out, it IS important. Also, as you've probably read, a 25/30/40 year old Cask of Scotch is worth 'rather a lot'. Scotland has quite a few of these. We mentioned that pesky 'Angel's Share' so science tells us, older Casks contain less Scotch Whisky and 'certain Distilleries' can flog them, at an enormous premium. Add this to the algorithm. Soon, a 21st-Century Cask will be 25 years old. Do you know how much a 25 year old bottle of Scotch Whisky is? A bottle of Glenfarclas is about... £200. A bottle of The Macallan is about...£2000! It's complicated but probably explains why a nice Cask of The Macallan is a million quid now and they have the best booze 'Visitor Centre' on the Planet. Anyone good at 'sums'? #ScotchWhiskyTruths

Messi Maximization. Football Business Journal and Roger Hampel dropped a great example of Inter Miami CF attracting more new sponsors and unlocking partnership opportunities based on new dynamics within the organization. This time an Argentine winery has entered into an official arrangement with Messi's Inter Miami. New stadiums, new ownership, new coaching staff, new players all have the opportunity to unlock new opportunities for brands to align with sports teams. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIllhenney have brought their own businesses into Wrexham AFC like Aviation American Gin and also attracted others like United Airlines and Stok Cold Brew. Deion Sanders has enhanced the Nike partnership that was already in place at University of Colorado. An athlete has already spoke to the epic nature of next year's uniforms. Son Heung-min arriving at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club also brought a sponsorship opportunity with Coupang, a delivery service that is Korea's answer to Amazon. A new stadium like the Rams home of SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park has provided many new streams for the teams and the infrastructure itself. Sports Business Classes - - Utilizing competitive advantages to secure business partnerships for teams and athletes is major part of Sports Business. Think about a local sports team or organization. What is their unique, competitive advantage? What sponsors would make natural sense to capitalize on this advantage? Think about your favorite non sports brand. What is unique about it? What would be the best place for them to become a sponsor for an athlete or team? Why? UO Sports Product Management Master’s Program Temple University's School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business Portland State University - School of Business UCLA Anderson School of Management Oregon State University College of Business #sportsbusiness #sportsmanagement #sportsmarketing #sportsbizprof #messi #sportsbiz

🥃 Cask of the Week 🥃 This week, we're showcasing an exceptional cask from the esteemed Mortlach Distillery: the Mortlach 2016 HHD Cask boasting an impressive cask strength of 72.40%. This exquisite cask, filled with Mortlach's signature rich and complex spirit, is a rare find in the world of whisky investment. Mortlach, known as "The Beast of Dufftown," is celebrated for its robust and meaty character, making it a highly sought-after choice for collectors and investors alike. This 2016 cask represents an outstanding opportunity to own a piece of this legendary distillery's legacy, with the potential for significant appreciation in value over time. The casks offers a unique balance of power and finesse, a testament to Mortlach's meticulous distillation process and expert cask selection. As it matures, its value is not only anticipated to increase due to its age but also because of its distinctive characteristics and the growing demand for high-quality, collectible whiskies. Don't miss this chance to expand your portfolio with a cask from one of Scotland's most revered distilleries. Whether you're looking to diversify your investments or simply own a piece of Scotch whisky history, Mortlach 2016 HHD is an investment that promises both pleasure and potential. For more details or to inquire about this cask, please click the link below.  https://lnkd.in/gFUtH7Kd Let's raise a glass to smart investing and the timeless art of whisky making! #WhiskyInvestment #CaskOfTheWeek #Mortlach #ScotchWhisky #InvestInWhisky #WhiskyCollector #DistilleryInvestment

Here's the full update on our amazing news....

This is how we see Brewmeister! 👀☕ But how do you see us? Share your Brewmeister experience below! 🤩 #BrewmeisterReviews #CustomerPerspective

Is there a checklist that any winery needs to have to be successful at fine wine distribution? When you are at the top of the pyramid, do you still need to invest relentlessly in your brand? Do you see the secondary market being a hindrance or a help for fine wine?⁠ ⁠ We discuss this - and more - with Don St Pierre of AdaptEdge, a consulting firm providing strategic direction for building distribution channels: https://bit.ly/ILPBep5

The era of Global brands... We are consistently reminded that the only brands that will succeed in the future are the large brewer-owned brands which are categorized as World Beers. Really? Last week was cask ale week, which proved that smaller brands can prevail if it ever needs to be proved. Those smaller brands came from the regional brewers from across UK, and of course, there will be regional differences but Cask is still a platform for interesting and different beers. We know that although consumers do not go out as often as they might, they still make the quality of products an important search. Despite the odds being stacked against small producers it is the small producers that produce the interesting and different beers, and I am sure over cask ale week that many of the smaller brewers were able to put interesting new beers on the bars of Wales. Long may it continue, and I know that Evan Evans has exciting plans for the future with the creation of some great new beers. #realale#welshbrewing#evanevansbrewery#coldsoberzerobeers

Something exciting is happening: Ricochet Wine Co. is building out its own winery! What does this mean? 1) We are looking for friends and family who want to grab a share on this project. We need the help to make this a place to make wine, and to showcase the work of Ricochet and small-batch friends. We have a vision. DM for an investor proposal. 2) More importantly, if you are a small winery or someone who want to get into the wine biz, I have space for both Alternating Proprietor and Custom Crush options. $1800/ton for AP; negotiated custom-crush options based on project and winemaker. It's exciting and daunting. But it's gonna be good. Would love to have folks involved. Because that's been the Ricochet ethos from Day One. DM with thoughts, interest, or good Dad Jokes :)