Thirsty Thursdays @3PM EST

Wine Hack That Changes Everything With Michael Fors of The Jazz Experience

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Thirsty Thursdays Podcast, I talked with Michael Fors, founder of Liquid Jazz Experience a new way of thinking how to experience your wine while it opens up. Very Innovative Product and perfect for an elevated Restaurant Experience! 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁 🎥 Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/efObWn3pG5cThis episode isn’t about wine… it’s about experience, community, and unlocking better answers through simple innovation.Michael Fors built something that changes how we experience flavor in real time—and the results are wild.💡 Key Takeaways: 🍷 Same bottle, different experience (data doesn’t lie)  🔬 Science + analytics unlock flavor ⏱ 4 minutes = massive impact 🤝 Community drives the magic 🚀 Experience > product in today’s sales environment👉 CTA: Want better growth and smarter decisions? Start thinking experience-first. Subscribe for more real-time insights.NOW ON YOUTUBE!!!  Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

Don't Launch Your Beverage Brand Without Listening to This!

Send us Fan MailLaunching a beverage brand in 2026? 🍹 Learn the do’s & don’ts, data, analytics, sales strategy, and real-time insights from industry experts. Build smarter, grow faster 🚀  @ThirstyThursdaysat3PMEST  📊 Engaging Summary This panel breaks down the real answer behind launching a beverage brand today—and why most fail before they ever see growth.🔥 Key Takeaways:📉 Data over ego: Build for the market, not yourself📊 Velocity wins: Sales per account beats distribution count🧠 Know your “why” or your brand dies early🌍 Start small, scale smart (1 market → proof → expand)💰 Cash burn kills brands faster than competition🧪 Test, learn, adjust in real time🤝 Community + relationships = real growth⚠️ Legal + compliance mistakes = expensive setbacks👉 This isn’t theory. It’s real-world analytics + execution.NOW ON YOUTUBE!!!  Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

How A Whole Foods Exclusive Led So Many To Fall IN LOVE with Issei Mochi Gummies! Mika Shino of Issei Mochi Gummies

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Thirsty Thursdays Podcast, I talked with Mika Shino, founder of Issei Mochi Gummies, to discuss her incredible journey from Kyoto, Japan to building one of the most innovative better-for-you snack brands in the U.S. 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁Mika shares how her background in jazz, opera, technology, and international work with the UN shaped her creative approach to entrepreneurship. With no formal experience in the food industry, she set out to create a healthier candy option after feeling uneasy about giving her children traditional gummy candies filled with artificial ingredients and gelatin.What started as homemade treats for her two boys quickly became a neighborhood favorite as their friends began asking for them too. From that small kitchen experiment, the idea was born—and the brand grew from there. Issei Mochi Gummies—a unique, rice-based gummy made from simple ingredients like rice and water, delivering a chewy texture with all-natural flavors. The product is gluten-free, vegan, and intentionally less sweet, offering a cleaner alternative in the candy aisle. She Mika explains the difficult early stages of launching the brand, including the challenge of finding manufacturers willing to work with her clean ingredient requirements. She even hand-managed production for the first order when Whole Foods placed an exclusive launch across 170 stores, requiring over 3,000 pounds of mochi gummies.The conversation explores the cultural meaning behind the brand name Issei, which pays tribute to first-generation Japanese immigrants who bring the best of their heritage to America. Mika also shares how building the company in the U.S. helped open doors to exporting the product back to Japan, where entering the food industry without family connections is extremely difficult.Jessie and Mika also discuss:• The inspiration behind mochi gummies and their clean ingredient philosophy • Lessons from launching in Whole Foods and Sprouts • Her Target launch • Winning Most Innovative New Product at the Sweets & Snacks Expo • Being named #2 Female Founder by Inc Magazine in 2024 • How jazz philosophy influences her leadership and business mindset • Why personal customer engagement is central to her brandMika also offers honest insight into the realities of entrepreneurship—from manufacturing struggles to retail scaling—and shares advice for founders: start before you feel ready and don’t let fear of failure stop you.This episode is a powerful story about culture, innovation, and building a mission-driven brand that brings healthier snacks—and immigrant spirit—to the global stage.Learn more about Issei Mochi Gummies: https://mochigummies.comMedia features: CBS Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJRBx1BN5dM Food Institute Spotlight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIyAypJ-rj4🎧 Listen to more conversations with founders, innovators, and beverage NOW ON YOUTUBE!!!  Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

"Texas Crafted. Globally Demanded." Swift Distillery Texas Single Malt Master Distiller Amanda Swift

Send us Fan MailThis week 📢I talk🎙️with Amanda Swift Co-Founder at Swift Distillery that produces a Texas based Single Malt with Scottish Two-Row barley and yeast! 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁 🎬 Watch on YouTube Here 👉🍿 Texas single malt, women in whiskey, bourbon barrels & Sauternes finish 🥃 Amanda Swift shares distilling, aging in Texas heat & UK Amazon launch. Craft spirits story @ThirstyThursdaysat3PMEST🔥 Engaging SummaryAmanda Swift, Co-Owner of Swift Distillery in Austin, Texas, joins me to talk science, single malt, Texas aging, and building a craft spirits brand from the ground up 🥃From studying fire ants 🐜 to crafting award-winning whiskey, Amanda shares what makes Texas distilling different — and why bold decisions build great brands.💡 Key Takeaways:✅ Why Texas heat accelerates whiskey aging ✅ The difference between Sauternes & Oloroso cask finishes ✅ Why grain & yeast choices define your flavor profile ✅ The truth about bourbon barrels vs French oak ✅ Why alcohol sales are harder in the U.S. than the UK ✅ How Amazon UK changes craft spirits strategy ✅ The power of women leadership in whiskeyThis episode blends science, entrepreneurship, flavor, and fearless growth.🥃 Try Swift Distillery & taste the difference 🌍 Explore Texas single malt on Amazon UK 🎙 Subscribe for more founder stories in food & beverage 💬 Comment: Are you team Oloroso or Sauternes finish? 👍 Like, share & support independent craft distillersNOW ON YOUTUBE!!!  Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

Guest Pete Olander - THC Drinks Explained 🍒 Hemp vs CBD vs Delta-9 | Inside the $1B Cannabis Beverage Boom 🚀

Send us Fan MailThis week 📢I talk🎙️with Pete Olander Founder at Drink Happie, and we discuss the differences in Delta 8-10, the timing of why Cannibis was changed from Sechedule 1 to 3 Classification by Trump so research can be done and the odd timing of the FM 4121 Banning Cannibis in various formats in the goverment opening last November! 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁THC drinks, CBD vs Delta-9, hemp regulation, functional mushroom beverages & cannabis laws explained 🍄🍒 Inside the $1B hemp beverage boom! Watch Here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nbPK6S-S7II🔥 Engaging SummaryIn this episode of Thirsty Thursdays, Jessie Ott sits down with Pete Olander, founder of Drink Happy, to break down the fast-growing world of THC beverages, CBD drinks, hemp regulation, and functional mushroom wellness.From Delta-9 vs Delta-8 confusion to Schedule 3 cannabis shifts and the future of hemp drinks in grocery and liquor stores — this is the real talk the beverage industry needs. 🍹🌿They also taste test THC microdose drinks and mushroom-infused beverages (Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi) and discuss why low-dose THC could disrupt alcohol.🚀 Key Takeaways✅ Delta-9 is naturally occurring — Delta-8 & Delta-10 are synthetic✅ THC beverages are tested multiple times before reaching consumers✅ Hemp drinks are a billion-dollar category in 2025✅ Functional mushrooms are exploding in wellness retail✅ Schedule 3 cannabis could unlock more medical research✅ Beverage regulation may follow the alcohol model✅ Microdose THC = controlled experience vs dispensary high-dose products✅ AI & real-time sales data are helping emerging beverage brands scaleThis episode blends entrepreneurship, wellness, beverage innovation, and policy insight into one powerful conversation.We cover:• Hemp beverage compliance & testing standards• Cannabis beverage distribution models• Functional mushrooms like Lion’s Mane & Reishi• Real-time Amazon beverage sales data• The billion-dollar hemp drink marketIf you’re in food & beverage, CPG, wellness, cannabis retail, or alcohol distribution — this conversation is essential. 🚀NOW ON YOUTUBE!!!  Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn