Former Pernod Ricard Chief Whiskey Officer Kaveh Zamanian on Building a Bourbon Brand— What It Takes

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Not many people can say they've founded a bourbon distillery and run one of the world's largest whiskey programs. Kaveh Zamanian isn't most people. A prolific whiskey brand founder and former Chief Whiskey Officer at Pernod Ricard, Kaveh built Rabbit Hole Distillery from a creative vision into a brand compelling enough to catch the eye of one of the world's biggest spirits companies, and when Pernod Ricard came calling, he didn't just take the deal, he took the wheel, going on to lead their whiskey program at the highest level.

In this episode, Kaveh reveals what it really takes to build a bourbon brand with a creative mindset: from the founding principles behind Rabbit Hole Distillery, to the realities of being acquired by a global spirits giant, to how he architected a portfolio strategy that balanced heritage and innovation. We explore the surprising link between whiskey and human psychology, his approach to brand building that goes beyond the liquid in the bottle, and the leadership lessons learned from running one of the industry's most storied whiskey programs.

Featured Guest:

Kaveh Zamanian, Founder, Rabbit Hole, Mary Dowling, and Mash & Mallow Whiskey Companies

Mentioned in this episode:

Rabbit Hole Distillery

Mary Dowling 

Mash & Mallow

Pernod Ricard

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