Still Building - The Business of Craft Spirits
Thought leadership and strategy insights from the team at Corning & Company.
All Episodes
How Spirits Became Brands And Built Culture
Fraud, folklore, and a blue bottle: we map the unlikely journey from anonymous barrels to belief-driven brands—and what that means for what you pour tonight. We start where spirits had no logos, no labels, and trust lived with your local merchant. As railroads stretched supply chains and scandals spread, the sealed bottle became a promise of purity, and trademarks gave that promise legal teeth. Names like Old Forester and Johnnie Walker built a new kind of consistency, even turning bottle shapes into signals you could read at a glance. The story accelerates after Prohibition’s upheaval. Survivors wrapped themselves in heritage and respectability, while global players courted sophistication and escape. With postwar mass media, spirits marketing sold status as much as flavor—Smirnoff recast vodka as clean and modern, and Absolut transformed packaging into pop art. That same corporate polish, though, sparked pushback. Premiumization rose on the demand for provenance, age statements, and scarcity. Design became a form of proof: Bombay Sapphire’s blue glass, Maker’s Mark’s wax, Patrón’s hefty silhouette—all cues that turned packaging, story, and ritual into one experience. Today’s center of gravity is belief. Transparency beats myth; consumers want to know who made the liquid, where it came from, and why the brand deserves a place in their lives. We unpack contract distilling without the euphemisms, and highlight how labels like Uncle Nearest stitch cultural accountability into product and purpose. Four mandates emerge for modern builders and curious drinkers alike: earn trust with real sourcing, use design to signal values, tell a relevant story, and deliver experiences that community can verify. We close by peering ahead to AI-powered personalization, direct-to-consumer storytelling, and ultra-premium RTDs—all pointing to one truth: the next great spirits brand won’t just tell a story; it will build a community around a shared value. If this deep dive reshaped how you see your bar cart, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves a good label, and leave a review with the bottle that best lives its values.
The Case for an Integrated Industrial Services Platform in Craft Spirits
In this episode of Still Building - The Business of Craft Spirits, I explore the transformative potential of an integrated industrial services platform for craft spirits producers. As the craft whiskey cycle faces a downturn, with high inventories and shifting consumer behaviors, independent producers encounter rising costs and risks. I delve into how Corning and Company’s platform can convert fixed costs into variable ones, streamline compliance, and enhance market leverage. By aligning production with demand and leveraging data-driven insights, craft producers can navigate the challenges of a consolidated distribution landscape and changing consumer preferences, ultimately preserving margins and enhancing brand performance. Join me to understand how this model can redefine success in the craft spirits industry.The Corning & Company Platform
Corning & Company presents itself as an integrated platform facilitating the journey of craft beverage alcohol from production to market. Their services cater to a wide array of stakeholders, including brand owners, distributors, retailers, consumers, and investors. The company aims to streamline operations for suppliers, provide scalable craft brands to distributors, and offer unique spirit selections to retailers. Furthermore, they provide exclusive access to curated brands for consumers and investment opportunities in emerging brands for investors. Essentially, Corning & Company serves as a centralized hub designed to support and power the growth of the craft spirits industry.Integrated Route to Market
In this episode of Still Building - The Business of Craft Spirits, we delve into the complexities of getting craft spirits from the distillery to your local shelf. I discuss the immense challenges facing small independent brands, from logistical hurdles to financial barriers. We explore Corning & Company's innovative Integrated Route-to-Market platform, designed to expedite this journey by enhancing speed, reducing costs, and providing greater flexibility for craft producers. Learn how this approach not only benefits brand owners but also enriches the consumer experience, allowing for a wider variety of unique spirits to reach the market. Join me as we uncover the vital role of advocacy and strategic partnerships in transforming the craft beverage landscape.