Episode 37

037 | Building English Whisky as a New Category Bottom-up | Part 1/2 with Daniel Szor, Founder of the Cotswolds Distillery (UK)

In Episode 037, I had the honor of chatting with Daniel Szor, Founder of the Cotswolds Distillery. He has an incredible story as he left his 30-year Investment Management career in NYC, Paris, and London behind to build one of the first English Whisky Distilleries. I hope you will enjoy our chat.


Time Stamps

(0:00) Introduction

(1:14) Building Demand & Background

(8:02) Why England?

(12:52) Developing English Whisky

(19:49) Whisky Innovation

(25:58) Distilling Brand Messaging Down

(32:09) Getting Your Foot In The Door

(36:33) The Beauty of Off-trade


About the Host: Chris Maffeo

About the Guest: Daniel Szor




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The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast
Brands Are Built Bottom-up.

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About your host

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Chris Maffeo

With 20 years of experience working for some of the biggest drinks brands across 30+ markets, I've developed a unique understanding of how brands grow in today's market.
Now, I help drinks brands build sustainable growth through bottom-up demand creation.
My methodology focuses on how brand demand spreads - from initial venue adoption to international expansion.
I teach brands how to create, convert, and sustain demand across the three critical stages of growth: from one bottle to one case to one pallet.
My expertise lies in understanding how brands grow through genuine advocacy, from bar to bar, city to city, and building foundations that enable natural scaling.
Through consulting, training, and speaking engagements, I help brands:
• Build sustainable demand from the ground up
• Systematize their approach to building brands city by city
• Navigate the path from local success to international growth
• Develop strategies based on occasions rather than demographics