71. The Hong Kong-Hollister Hustle with Christian Pillsbury of Eden Rift

74. Finding the Music in Hospitality with Kate Nye

Kate Nye is a classically trained musician who studied in Austria and France before moving to Austin, where she worked as a bartender and sommelier. After years of working in wine distribution, Kate moved to West Texas to join the Marfa Spirit Company as the distillery's Head of Hospitality.

In today's episode, Kate talks to Chris about molasses, Italian red wine, the Austin Wine Merchant, the Marfa Dairy Queen's underground podcast, ranchwater cocktails, and therole of music in bartending and B2B sales.

73. Building a Sustainable Food System with Blue Horizon’s Matteo Parenti

Matteo Parenti is the Director of Growth at Blue Horizon — a Zürich-based VC firm that invests in plant-based and lab-grown foods. Blue Horizon was one of the first companies to invest in Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, and their portfolio includes mycelium steaks, plant-based seafood, lab-grown breast milk, and more. Matteo worked in investment banking for Rothschild & Co in New York City and got his MBA at INSEAD in France before moving to Switzerland.

In today’s episode, Matteo talks to Chris about biomass fermentation, Zürich’s bathhouses, using CRISPR to save bananas from extinction, upcycling food waste, the celebratory culture of meat, his grandmother’s meatloaf recipe, the difference between McDonald's in Switzerland and in New York, the trademark implications of making vegan cheese in specific styles, the branding and pricing strategy of meat alternatives, the location of these products in the grocery store, the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the food supply chain, and the most common pitfall when making a Negroni.

Learn more about Blue Horizon's approach to impact investing at their website.

72. Artistic Creativity in Spirits Marketing with Vadim Grigoryan

Vadim Grigoryan is an art aficionado and brand strategist in the spirits industry. As Pernod Ricard's Global Marketing Director of Creativity and Luxury, Vadim oversaw Absolut Vodka's strategic artistic collaborations, managed the repositioning of Chivas Royal Salute Scotch, and launched the tequila brand Olmeca across Europe. His consulting clients include Hugo Boss, Art Basel, and LUNU -- a cryptocurrency platform that partners with luxury retailers.

In his talk with Chris, Vadim discusses the artistic merit of Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, the British Monarchy, David Guetta, as well as the quinquennial Documenta festival in Kassel versus the annual Art Basel. He also explains the philosophy behind a thousand-dollar bottle of scotch, the role of the metaverse in art and alcohol, the beauty of calvados, the broken frameworks behind most marketing campaigns, and the universality of luxury.

Learn more about Vadim's approach to brand strategy in this Forbes article:https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelliekarabell/2017/07/30/6-things-art-can-teach-you-about-brands-marketing-that-you-wont-learn-in-business-school/

Read the case study about his repositioning of Ararat Brandy here:

https://publishing.insead.edu/case/ararat-brandy-transforming-a-legend-a-modern-icon

Follow his creative consulting practice here:

https://spiritandspirit.com

71. The Hong Kong-Hollister Hustle with Christian Pillsbury of Eden Rift

Christian Pillsbury is the proprietor of Eden Rift Vineyards, a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir house in California's Cienega Valley. After studying at INSEAD, Europe's top-ranked business school, he served as Global Wine Director for Duty-Free and Director of APAC for Coravin.

In today's episode, Christian tells Chris about who actually buys wine at the airport, what perks come with being Bordeaux's biggest buyer, how both Big Napa Cab and Natty Wine jumped the shark, when Hong Kong became the global capital of wine, where an MBA can take you, and why Burgundian varieties thrive in the central coast of California.

Learn more about Eden Rift Vineyards by visiting their website: https://edenrift.com

Follow Eden Rift on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/eden.rift/

Follow Chris on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/braisedthoughts/

Follow BTG on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/bytheglasspodcast/

70. Digital Transformation, Sustainability, and Sweetgreen with Chengyi Lin

Chengyi Lin teaches strategy and digital transformation at INSEAD, Europe’s top-ranked MBA program. Before moving to France, Chengyi earned his PhD from Northwestern University and consulted for Bain & Co.

Chengyi spoke with Chris about his academic career in biomedical engineering, whether an MBA is worth it, the utilization of AI in the private sector, technological innovation at sweetgreen, supply chain challenges, NFTs, and sustainability.

To learn more about Chengyi’s research on Digital Strategy, you can find him on LinkedIn.

Follow Chris on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/braisedthoughts/