Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast cover art

Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast

Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast

Written by: Alex Macintyre
Listen for free

About this listen

The Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast

The Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast explores the real stories behind the people building some of the world’s most exciting drinks brands.


Hosted by Alex Macintyre, Chartered Financial Planner and founder of Fortitude Wealth Management, the podcast features conversations with founders, distillers, brewers, winemakers and leaders across the global drinks industry. Alex specialises in advising drinks entrepreneurs and senior industry professionals on building and protecting long-term wealth alongside their businesses.


Each episode dives into the realities of building a drinks brand — from launching a product and gaining early traction, to scaling companies, navigating risk, raising investment and creating lasting value.


Guests share honest insights into entrepreneurship, leadership, brand building and the challenges of growing a business in the competitive worlds of wine, spirits, beer and premium beverages.


If you are a drinks founder, industry professional, investor or aspiring entrepreneur, this podcast gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the people shaping the future of the drinks industry — and the lessons learned along the way.

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

Alex Macintyre
Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Wine Without the Next-Day Regret - 6Percent Wine
    Apr 23 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • They Couldn’t Find a Drink They Liked......So They Built One - Eufloria Drinks
    Apr 9 2026

    What do you do when you can’t find a drink you actually want to drink?


    In this episode of The Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast, Alex Macintyre speaks with Kerry and Amy, co-founders of Eufloria — a Norfolk-based functional drinks brand created to offer a genuinely enjoyable alternative to traditional soft drinks and alcohol.


    Frustrated by the lack of sophisticated, low-sugar, alcohol-free options, they decided to build their own. What followed was a journey of kitchen experiments, herbalists, production setbacks, crowdfunding, and a steep learning curve in an industry they had never worked in before.


    The result is Eufloria — a premium range of botanical drinks designed to give people more choice, without compromising on taste or experience.


    This is an honest and refreshing conversation about starting from scratch, figuring things out as you go, and building something meaningful in the drinks industry.


    In this episode we discuss:


    • The moment they decided to create their own drink

    • Building a drinks brand with no industry experience

    • Developing functional botanical flavours from scratch

    • Early production challenges, setbacks, and lessons learned

    • Funding the business through Kickstarter

    • Finding customers and getting onto retail shelves

    • Their plans for growth, including cans, new flavours, and expansion


    If you’re interested in drinks startups, alcohol-free innovation, or the reality of building a brand from nothing, this is a brilliant episode.


    Follow Euphoria on social media to keep up with their journey.

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

    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • Building a Democratic Wine Company – Not Yet Named Wine Co
    Mar 27 2026

    What if wine lovers could help decide how a wine is made?


    In this episode of The Drinks Entrepreneur Podcast, Alex Macintyre speaks with Alex Brogan, founder of Not Yet Named Wine Co. — a unique wine company where members vote on the key decisions that shape each vintage.


    From choosing the vineyard and harvest date to fermentation methods and label design, Alex has built a community-driven wine business that puts drinkers at the heart of the winemaking process.


    Alex shares the fascinating story behind the idea, how he moved from management consulting at PwC into winemaking, and how the concept has evolved into a global project producing wines across Portugal, Chile, California, South Africa, Slovenia, Australia, Italy and now Argentina.


    The conversation explores the challenges of building a drinks brand, the realities of winemaking across different regions, and how community can become a powerful driver of loyalty in the wine world.


    In this episode we discuss:

    • Alex’s journey from Majestic Wine to PwC and eventually into winemaking

    • The story behind Not Yet Named Wine Co. and its democratic winemaking model

    • How members vote on key decisions that shape each vintage

    • Producing wines across multiple countries and regions

    • Building a subscription wine business and loyal community

    • Expanding into premium wines and trade distribution

    • The unexpected realities of harvest — including wild boar eating an entire vineyard


    If you’re interested in the drinks industry, wine entrepreneurship, or the stories behind how great drinks brands are built, this is a fascinating look inside a truly unique wine business.


    To learn more about Alex Brogan and Not Yet Named Wine Co., visit:

    notyetnamedwineco.com

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

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
No reviews yet