*By Chris Maffeo, Founder of Maffeo Drinks
Building a spirits brand today requires a strategic approach prioritizing depth over breadth – the “bottom-up” mentality. This philosophy recognizes that successful brands aren’t built through mass distribution and marketing budgets, but through carefully sequenced growth that starts with creating authentic advocacy in places where genuine education happens. Bottom-up isn’t about staying small; it’s about establishing unshakeable foundations that enable faster, more sustainable scaling when the time comes.
One recent podcast highlighted how strategic sampling—what one drinks founder calls “hand-to-hand combat”—can transform curiosity into loyalty when approached with occasion clarity and bottom-up targeting. Here’s how to make it work:
The Power of Occasion-Focused Sampling
Most spirits brands make a critical mistake during sampling: they try to showcase every possible way their product can be consumed, which creates confusion rather than clarity. Successful sampling requires decisively choosing one primary drinking occasion that aligns with your product’s distinctive qualities.
This doesn’t limit other uses but gives consumers and trade partners a clear mental association. This usually starts from the liquid characteristics and flavor profile. A twist on a classic cocktail can be the best starting point.
Leveraging Bottom-Up Trade Outlets
The traditional on-premise/off-premise division fails to capture what matters: whether a venue offers an environment conducive to authentic education about how your product connects to your chosen occasion. Bottom-up trade outlets, on the other hand,—whether bars, restaurants, or bottle shops—share key characteristics that make them ideal for occasion-focused sampling:
- Personal intermediation: Someone knowledgeable stands between the consumer and the bottle
- Educational opportunity: There is time to learn about your core drinking occasion
- Trust relationship: Venue recommendations carry weight
- Story transmission: Staff can be trained to communicate your occasion focus
These venues aren’t just where you start—they’re where you build the credibility, brand story, and consumer pull that will eventually make scaling possible. Brands must be intentional about selecting retail partners that possess these characteristics and help them meaningfully connect with their target audience. Success in these environments gives you the proof points and market intelligence needed to approach larger accounts confidently.
Join the Thousands of Alcohol Industry Members Who Receive the Park Street Daily Newsletter!
Creating Memorable Sampling Experiences
Brands should develop a signature serve (e.g., a garnish that’s simple enough to replicate – think of Hendrick’s Gin & Tonic with a slice of cucumber or an Amaro brand with a slice of orange) with distinctive elements that authentically connect to their product’s ingredients or production methods. This should become their sampling standard—not one of many options but how they showcase their spirit.
Provide take-home materials that reinforce this chosen occasion beyond the sampling moment (where applicable). These shouldn’t showcase every possible way to enjoy your spirit, but deepen your understanding of the core moment you’ve committed to owning.
Aligning Bottom-Up Partners Around Your Occasion: Consistency
Brands also should coordinate sampling efforts across complementary bottom-up outlets within the same neighborhood, ensuring consistent messaging about your product’s primary occasion. When a consumer discovers your product at a bar in a specific cocktail, they should be able to find it at a nearby bottle shop with the same occasion-focused recommendation.
Key Takeaways
- Commit to one core drinking occasion rather than showcasing every possible use.
- Target bottom-up trade outlets prioritizing education over volume, recognizing these aren’t limitations but foundations for sustainable growth.
- Align your sampling serve with your product’s unique qualities, including flavor profile, strength, and production story.
- Focus on neighborhood-first expansion through complementary bottom-up outlets before rushing to scale.
- Collect authentic success stories during sampling that will become powerful ammunition when approaching larger accounts.
In an increasingly crowded marketplace, sampling with a bottom-up trade mentality and laser focus on a single drinking occasion creates the foundation for eventual scaling that is not just possible but powerful.
Remember: The goal isn’t to stay small – it’s to grow smart. The time invested in targeted sampling pays off in faster scaling when ready, more sustainable growth, and greater brand resilience in the long run.
Brands are built bottom-up.
More Resources on Sales & Marketing
Using Data to Boost Your Sales On-Premise