Episode 50

050 | Ponds, Lakes, Oceans: How to Master The Basics From Distilling to Selling Bottles | Part 1/2 with Ilias Mastrogiannis (Seattle, WA, USA)

In Episode 050 I had the pleasure of chatting with Ilias Mastrogiannis. He is the Founder of Distillery Nation Podcast and Mastrogiannis Winery and Distillery, based in Washington State, inspired by Greek tradition. I hope you will enjoy our chat.


Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

0:51 Ilias' Podcast

3:59 Building Demand

5:30 Starting Product

6:46 Traditional Vs Modern Occasions

10:38 Ring Road of Messaging

16:23 Event Driven Messaging

20:26 Event Specialized Products

24:25 Dusty Vs Vibrant Categories

28:22 Primacy of Cocktail List?

30:52 Outro


About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Ilias Mastrogiannis



Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

About the Podcast

Show artwork for The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
Brands Are Built Bottom-up.

Listen for free

About your host

Profile picture for Chris Maffeo

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