The new world for venture capital
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
Release Date: 03/31/2026
Liquid Assets: My favorite things
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
New drinks aplenty and trends always changing. Exploring culture, with the drinks we are raising. Asking a stranger, “Why did you order that thing?” These are a few of my favorite [drink] things. Friends at a conference with gossip worth sharing. Newsletters, dailies, and podcasts worth airing. Together let’s ask what all of these numbers mean. These are a few of my favorite [drink] things. For this episode, very special guest and former co-host Jim Watson returns to discuss some oddly specific nominations for our favorite things about the beverage industry. Have a question, qualm, or...
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RNDC, Brown-Forman for sale, and Uncle Nearest crashes out: the most important stories of 2026 (so far)
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
Sarah Barrett, Managing Editor at Wine & Spirits Daily, and Chris Shepard, Senior Editor at Beer Marketer’s Insights, join us to debate the most impactful stories of the year so far. Have a question, qualm, or story to tell? Reach out via email: Sign up to access our written research: Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are those of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates, and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services. Disclaimer: Please...
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Beer boys solve a big mystery: Why is the on-premise so resilient?
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
For more than a year, alcohol sales in the on-premise (restaurants, bars, stadiums, and hotels) have outperformed sales in the off-premise (grocery, convenience, and liquor stores). On the surface, this trend contradicts many of our explanations for the industry’s struggles. If people are broke, why are they spending money in the channel where alcohol costs the most? If people are spending more time alone, why are they drinking in venues driven by socialization? A mystery this big requires more intellectual firepower than RaboResearch alone can provide. So we invited two PhDs and an...
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How do control states work?
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
Around 25% of US spirits sales move through control states, but how do they work? How are they different from open states, and what can suppliers do to improve their performance in these markets? In this episode we speak to leadership at the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) about how government-run liquor businesses operate and what brands can do to better position themselves for success. Our guests: Neal Insley, President & CEO, NABCA Buddy Buckner, General Counsel, NABCA Have a question, qualm, or story to tell? Reach out via email: Sign up to access our written...
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The economic outlook amid an energy crisis three times larger than the shock from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
US inflation in April reached its highest level in three years, driven in part by the war in Iran. The volume of oil flows affected by the conflict is three times larger than the disruption caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, yet many firms – especially in the US – don't seem too concerned. According to our analysts, they should be. Join us for an enlightening, if not light-hearted, discussion about the impact of this crisis and how it affects the economic future for the US, Europe, and the global economy. Our guests: Jane Foley, Head of Foreign Exchange Strategy, RaboResearch...
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Is beer back? Maybe
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
This week, we review the pleasantly robust results from global beer companies during the first quarter of 2026. More importantly, we bid adieu to a dear friend and longtime contributor, Francois Sonneville. For those wanting to thank Francois for years of fantastic industry coverage, please reach out: . We discuss individual company results at the following timestamps: Heineken (7:32): Results are stable heading into a leadership transition. AB InBev (15:44): Revenue, volumes, and EBITDA are all well ahead of expectations. RTDs, Michelob, and Busch are filling the gap left by...
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Will the US wine industry ever recover from the current glut?
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
Wine supplies continue to outstrip demand. Glenn Proctor of Ciatti and Jeff Bitter of Allied Grape Growers return to discuss the larger-than-(some)-expected 2025 California grape crush, the path to equilibrium in wine supply, and whether the costs of domestic production and competition from imports mean that every acre of wine grapes pulled out of production will never come back. Topics covered in this discussion: The results from the California Grape Crush Report, why prices from that report don’t reflect the actual health of wine grape and bulk wine pricing, and why so many...
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Breaking down the potential Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman merger of equals
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
In late March, Brown-Forman Corporation and Pernod Ricard confirmed they were in talks about a potential merger that would bring together giant brands like Jack Daniels, Herradura, Woodford Reserve, Jameson, Beefeater, Absolut, and Chivas Regal. It would be a formidable lineup, which in terms of spirits sales would rival the scale of Diageo – long the largest spirits business in the history of the universe. Equity analyst Richard Withagen of Kepler Cheuvreux joins us to discuss the details and outlook for this blockbuster deal. Have a question, qualm or story to tell, reach out...
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The new world for venture capital
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
Many investors have abandoned the world of early-stage alcohol startups, leaving a gaping hole in the market. There is less money available to fuel startup growth, and potential buyers are demanding both scale and profitability, extending the time to achieve an exit and reshaping the optimal strategy for building a brand. Over the last five years, Jason Sherman (Top Shelf) and Nick Papanicolaou (No Sleep Beverage) each helped found venture capital firms specializing in alcohol. In this episode we explore where they see opportunity, what they consider when making an investment, and what buyers...
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Heaven Hill on how to thrive in a downturn
Liquid Assets: A Beverage Industry Podcast
From 1970 to 1995, US per capita spirits consumption fell by nearly 50%. Yet some players, like Heaven Hill, emerged stronger and more diversified than when the downturn began. In this episode, Heaven Hill Chairman Max Shapira and President Kate Latts reflect on the company’s 90‑year journey, offering first-person accounts of beverage alcohol’s last major downturn, the subsequent revival in demand, and what lessons, if any, apply to the current marketplace. In this episode we discuss: The drivers behind the collapse of alcohol sales in the 1970s and 1980s and the segments...
info_outlineMany investors have abandoned the world of early-stage alcohol startups, leaving a gaping hole in the market. There is less money available to fuel startup growth, and potential buyers are demanding both scale and profitability, extending the time to achieve an exit and reshaping the optimal strategy for building a brand. Over the last five years, Jason Sherman (Top Shelf) and Nick Papanicolaou (No Sleep Beverage) each helped found venture capital firms specializing in alcohol. In this episode we explore where they see opportunity, what they consider when making an investment, and what buyers of the future will ultimately be looking for.
In this episode we discuss:
- The metrics that startups and investors should prioritize when measuring success.
- The current capital environment for early-stage startups and how to build a brand with way less money than before.
- Where the corporate VC model succeeded and why it ultimately failed to survive.
- Where innovation for large firms will come from in the future.
Notable time stamps:
2:23 – Jason and Nick share their background and the investment thesis behind their firms.
17:11 – How to measure velocity: The key metric for potential investors.
20:30 – The impact of the general environment on investor sentiment and capital availability for independent brands.
41:00 - A corporate VC post‑mortem and the future of innovation at large alcohol suppliers.
Have a question, qualm or story to tell, reach out via email: Bourcard.Nesin@Rabobank.com
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Note: The content and opinions presented within this podcast are not intended as investment advice, and the opinions rendered are that of the individuals and not Rabobank or its affiliates and should not be considered a solicitation or offer to sell or provide services.
Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at https://www.rabobank.com/knowledge/disclaimer/011417027/disclaimer for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast.