Episode 21

021 | Co-Creating Vs Dictating in a Bar | Why you shouldn't worry about conquering a bar and instead fit in | Part 2/2 of the Interview with Alex Frezza, from L'Antiquario (Napoli, Italy).

In this episode of the Maffeo Drinks Podcast, We continue interviewing Alex Frezza, Owner of L'Antiquario Bar in Naples, part of the World's 50 Best Bars. He's credited with building up the Neapolitan Cocktail Bar Scene, provides top-shelf hospitality and, best of all, recognized me when I was a customer at his bar. I hope you enjoy his wisdom as much as I did.



Main topics discussed:


From 0 to 1 bottle

• The importance of the Target Occasion

• How occasions change by City, State, and Country

• Dark Demand Generation

From 1 bottle to 1 case

• Up or Out: how cool bar owners choose their brands

• Analyzing cocktail menus to decide where to focus on

• Avoid brands vs. following brands: different strategies

From 1 case to 1 pallet

• Big brands & the taste setting effect

 Choosing the right Distributor for your brand.

• Localization Challenges



About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠⁠

About the Guest: Alex Frezza

About the Podcast

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The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
Brands Are Built Bottom-up.

About your host

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Chris Maffeo

With 20 years of experience working for some of the biggest drinks brands across 30+ markets, I've developed a unique understanding of how brands grow in today's market.
Now, I help drinks brands build sustainable growth through bottom-up demand creation.
My methodology focuses on how brand demand spreads - from initial venue adoption to international expansion.
I teach brands how to create, convert, and sustain demand across the three critical stages of growth: from one bottle to one case to one pallet.
My expertise lies in understanding how brands grow through genuine advocacy, from bar to bar, city to city, and building foundations that enable natural scaling.
Through consulting, training, and speaking engagements, I help brands:
• Build sustainable demand from the ground up
• Systematize their approach to building brands city by city
• Navigate the path from local success to international growth
• Develop strategies based on occasions rather than demographics