Thirsty Thursdays @3PM EST

Special Edition Round Table Discussion 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook

Send us a textThis week 📢I talk🎙️with Kate Jerkens at Uncle Nearest and Caitlyn LuBell at BoozeBiz and we discuss the beverage industry in 2025 and 2026. 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁👀📹 Watch here: 👉👉 [PASTE HERE]🚀✨🍹2025 was a reset year for beverage 🍷🍺🍹 RTDs surged, NA grew, costs spiked & hiring shifted. We break down data, trends, distributor chaos & what’s coming in 2026. 👀  👉 @ThirstyThursdaysat3PMEST2025 shook the beverage industry to its core 🍸📉. From RTD dominance and NA growth, to California distributor chaos, premium pricing pressure, and talent market stress, this episode breaks it all down—no fluff, just real talk.Key Takeaways 🔑📉 Growth slowed—but didn’t stop🍹 RTDs are winning on convenience & price🚫 NA still struggles with sugar + shelf life🏬 Distribution strategy > national expansion🧠 Storytelling + velocity matter more than ever💼 Hiring is tighter, salaries pressured🔄 2025 = reset | 2026 = change + growth🎯 Why this matters: If you’re building, selling, hiring, or distributing in beverage—this episode helps you see the chessboard, not just the pieces.Describe 2025 and 2026 in One WordJessie Ott2025:“My word was to level up on the "experience” of enjoying a cocktail.2026:"My word is "hopeful". I’m hoping that this is the new foundation of what’s to come.”Caitlyn LuBell2025:“My word for 2025 was "evolution.”2026:“My word for 2026 is "growth"… we can only go up from here.”Kate Jerkens2025:“I think "reset" was a great word. I still think reset is applicable.”2026:“Mine is "change"… something’s got to change and I believe it will.”⏱️ Chapter Descriptions0:00 Welcome + Why 2025 Was a Reset1:02 Meet the Guests (BoozeBiz & Uncle Nearest)2:30 Who Really Holds the Money? Generational Wealth5:22 Economic Signals: Growth, Inflation & LEIs7:18 Premiumization & Consumer Behavior9:40 Inventory Digestion & Distributor Reality11:30 California Distribution Chaos Explained15:42 Smaller Distributors vs Big Houses18:00 Pricing Wars & National Market Impact21:44 Military, Multi-Outlet & Channel Performance22:26 RTDs, NA Mixers & Brand Winners25:30 The Real Cost of $30 Cocktails29:00 Why RTDs Win on Convenience & Cost33:55 Hiring Challenges & Salary Compression41:10 Tastings, Education & Velocity45:15 Why 2025 Was a Reset Year50:07 Unemployment & Workforce Mismatch56:NOW ON YOUTUBE!!! Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

Dry January Reimagined 🍾 w NA Wine Founder Lawrence Bremer

Send us a textThis week 📢I talk🎙️with Lawrence Bremer Founder of  St. Buena Vida Non-Alc Wine! Happy Dry January! 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁What if Dry January actually felt like a celebration? 🍾In this episode, Lawrence Bremer, founder of St. Buena Vida, shares how tech, taste, and logistics come together in one of the most innovative NA wines on the market.🔥 Top Takeaways:• 🤰 The origin story: a pregnancy, a bottle, and a surprise sip• 🔬 Aroma capture tech that makes NA wine taste real• 🚛 Global supply chain: Spain ➝ Germany ➝ U.S.• 🥂 Crisp, clean bubbles with finish & balance• 📈 Real sales data — not hype• 🧠 Analytics mindset meets wine innovation• 🧘 30 calories per glass = wellness crowd win🎯 Whether you’re skipping booze or sipping smarter, this is a must-watch.👇 Tap play and learn how NA wine is finally worth the pour.NOW ON YOUTUBE!!! Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

🔥 7 Cocktails That Rule the World 🍸 w/ Dr. Cush

Send us a textWhat are the 7 cocktails every drink is based on? 🍹 Dive into tiki, bitters, fire tricks & cocktail history w/ bartender legend Dr. Cush! 🎙️@ThirstyThursdaysat3PMESTWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/azJZrXe5R2Q💡 What happens when a comedian turns into LA’s best bartender? You get Dr. Cush’s Exotic Drinks — a one-man show mixing cocktail science, bar wisdom & some hilarious fire tricks 🔥🍊✨ Highlights from the episode:🍹 The 7 cocktails that rule all other cocktails🔥 His signature drink: Dr. Cush’s Exotic Old Fashioned📚 Why bartending is more books than booze🍍 How pineapples became the symbol of hospitality🧊 The lost art of ice (yes, really!)🎭 From improv heel to hospitality hero💻 Building an online bar community during COVID💥 Flaming citrus, tiki wars, and cold pizza cocktails🎯 CTA: Subscribe for weekly food & bev innovation talks 🎙️ — and try making the Hemingway Daiquiri or your own signature drink!0:00 Intro to Dr. Cush 🍸  1:00 From comedy to cocktails  5:00 The 7 cocktails theory explained  12:00 Punch vs daiquiri: tiki breakdown  17:00 Cocktail vs experience: why it matters  25:00 Building an online bar community  31:00 Hemingway Daiquiri tutorial 🍹  41:00 The Dr. Cush Exotic Old Fashioned (🔥)  50:00 Shelf-stable lime juice recipe  1:03:00 State of the booze industry  1:10:00 Signature drink + fire tricks  1:20:00 Cocktail nerd history tour  1:30:00 Outro & cocktail class inviteMentors in Drinks and Tiki Steve the BartenderCreated Drinks Website: Kindred Cocktails    Discovered: Pseudo Juice CalculatorDave Arnold - Technique Liquid IntelligenceJeffrey Beachbum Berry Owns Latitude 29 in New Orleans Martin & Rebecca Cate own Smuggler's Cove in San FranciscoWrote James Beard Award-winning “Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of TikiDavid Wondrich Drinks Historian and author, Link to his Books and awardsSammy Ross Best Bar Dudes of All Time NOW ON YOUTUBE!!! Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

Real Cocktails, Real Ingredients 🍋🌿 Owl’s Brew Story with Co-founder Maria Littlefield

Send us a textThis week 📢I talk🎙️with Maria Littlefield, Co-founder of Owl's Brew made with only premium clean ingredients! 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁Explore how Owl’s Brew is reinventing RTD drinks with real tea & botanicals 🍋🌿 and transparent labels that consumers love. 🍹💥 Clean cocktails explained + brand story!  ⁨@ThirstyThursdaysat3PMEST⁩  In this episode of Thirsty Thursdays, Maria Littlefield, Co‑Founder of Owl’s Brew, shares how they built a clean‑ingredient RTD brand long before it became a trend. 🍹 From brewing tea in buckets at events to scaling canned cocktails in 22+ states, Owl’s Brew stands out in a crowded market by choosing real tea, botanicals, and juice instead of artificial flavors and lab compounds.🔥 Key Takeaways:• 🧪 Clean Ingredients First: Real tea and botanicals create authentic flavor.• 📜 Transparent Labels: They fought to list sugar & nutrition — most spirits don’t.• 📊 Consumer Shift: People now read labels and demand real food quality in drinks.• 🛒 Retail Noise: RTD shelves are crowded — deep consumer pull is bigger than shelf presence.• 🤝 Brand DNA: Authentic stories and community build loyal drinkers.Buy them today! https://www.theowlsbrew.com/NOW ON YOUTUBE!!! Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

Authentic RTDs Built on Live Music Roots 🎸🍹✨ Interview with Ruby Honerkamp

Send us a textThis week 📢I talk🎙️with Ruby Honerkamp Founder and Co-CEO of Talkhouse Encore created in honor of the iconic Hamptons venue, Stephen Talkhouse! 👏🍷 🎇 🎉 ✨ 👏 🥂 😁Ruby Honerkamp talks TalkHouse Encore 🍊🍸 RTDs, real tequila, vodka, & legacy bar roots in the Hamptons 🎤🎶 A brand built on taste, data, & community ❤️‍🔥 Ruby grew up in the music venue and shares a story of wearing her best dress for Sting as a kid. Her parents founded and manage the venue. Created out of a way to pivot from COVID "Talkhouse Encore" was born. It honors the top drinks requested at the bar and is made with fresh ingredients.🎤 From the stage to the shelf! Ruby Honerkamp, Founder of TalkHouse Encore, brings the soul of an iconic East Hampton live music venue into every can. These tequila & vodka RTDs are no boardroom – they’re grassroots, authentic, and crushable. Ruby shares the startup journey, operational smarts (hello KPIs), flavor formulation secrets, and the hustle of scaling without selling out.💡 Top Takeaways:Built on heritage, not hypeTequila & vodka-based RTDs with real fruit juiceFlavor-first, calorie-smartStrong local focus > chasing every marketCRM-driven growth & velocity KPIsDistribution done right: beer-style mindsetAuthentic storytelling builds sub-communitiesHoward Stern & Metallica fans approved 🎸🎧NOW ON YOUTUBE!!! Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn