{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"MAFFEO DRINKS: The Lab","title":"088 | Andrew Borenzweig | Bringing Luxury to The American Whiskey Category with The Beverly High Rye","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2101,"description":"In this episode, host Chris Maffeo talks to Andrew Borenzweig, founder of Beverly High Rye, who shares his journey of creating a modern, luxury-focused American whiskey that breaks away from traditional frontier or rustic imagery. Inspired by the elegance of Beverly Hills, Andrew crafted a whiskey that blends rye’s bold spice with bourbon’s smoothness, presented in sleek, decanter-style bottles. He initially concentrated on securing placements in prestigious California venues—such as Nobu, Mastro’s, Cipriani, and the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons—to build brand credibility and visibility. This strategic on-trade focus laid a strong foundation before carefully expanding into off-trade channels like select Pavilions stores. Throughout the episode, Andrew emphasizes the importance of brand authenticity, founder-led advocacy, and a California-centric rollout as key drivers of Beverly High Rye’s success. Additionally, he touches on leveraging top on-trade outlet groups to facilitate potential international expansion, referencing Nobu Tokyo’s interest in the brand. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:29 Guest Introduction: Andrew Bornenzweig00:58 The Inspiration Behind Beverly High Rye02:30 Marketing and Brand Positioning06:44 Expanding to New Markets11:05 Product Portfolio and Collaborations17:21 On-Trade vs. Off-Trade Strategies24:50 Final Thoughts and Advice for Brand Owners","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/EEVeqPnCSO50vcTEwCGi8EsKVAfckKW1Ma9V9k_f5cM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mNjQy/ZWFiZWJiOTRmMTBm/YmUxYWFmNTA2MjI4/M2ViNC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}