Episode 28

028 | Bottle Shops before Bars: starting at the liquid and work back towards the brand | with Duncan McRae, Co-Founder of Woven (Adelaide, Australia)

In Episode 028, I had the pleasure of chatting with Duncan McRae, Co-founder of Woven Whisky and a Drinks industry veteran, having previously worked with William Grant's & Sons and Diageo. A living example of Building Brands Bottom Up. I hope you enjoy our chat.


Main Topics Discussed:


(00:00) Building Demand

(03:08) Brand Awareness

(08:58) Managing Relationships

(10:44) KPI's & Incentives

(13:46) "Blue Tick Moments": Becoming Known in the Ecosystem

(15:40) Bottle Shops vs. On-Trade Growth

(26:46) It starts with the liquid

(32:00) Adapting Your Sales Pitch

(37:52) Better Brand Training

(44:35) Taste Profile before categories

(52:00) Special Pours & Drawbacks


About the Host: Chris Maffeo

About the Guest: Duncan McRae

About the product: Woven


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About the Podcast

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The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
Brands Are Built Bottom-up.

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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