020 | Decoding Cocktail Bars: Translating Between Consumer, Bar and Brand | Part 1/2 with Alex Frezza from L' Antiquario (Napoli, Italy)
S1:E20

020 | Decoding Cocktail Bars: Translating Between Consumer, Bar and Brand | Part 1/2 with Alex Frezza from L' Antiquario (Napoli, Italy)

Summary

This is the first part of the chat I had the honor of having with Alex Frezza. He is the Owner and Founder of L' Antiquario in Napoli, currently number 46 on the Global list of 50 Best Bars. He is a bar legend in Italy and internationally. I hope you will enjoy our chat. Main topics discussed: From 0 to 1 bottle • Understanding the thought process of a bar owner being pitched to • The Wholesaler Paradox (Why bars have an aversion to brands without a wholesaler) • The Importance of the Target Occasion From 1 bottle to 1 case • What attracts bar owners to a product • Communicating your brand identity to consumers through bartenders • Being approachable to consumers for bars and brands From 1 case to 1 pallet • Big brands vs. Small brands approaches • Localization Failures • Building Distribution Networks About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠  About the Guest: Alex Frezza
Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com 

This is the first part of the chat I had the honor of having with Alex Frezza. He is the Owner and Founder of L' Antiquario in Napoli, currently number 46 on the Global list of 50 Best Bars. He is a bar legend in Italy and internationally. I hope you will enjoy our chat.


Main topics discussed:


From 0 to 1 bottle

• Understanding the thought process of a bar owner being pitched to

• The Wholesaler Paradox (Why bars have an aversion to brands without a wholesaler)

• The Importance of the Target Occasion


From 1 bottle to 1 case

• What attracts bar owners to a product

• Communicating your brand identity to consumers through bartenders

• Being approachable to consumers for bars and brands


From 1 case to 1 pallet

• Big brands vs. Small brands approaches

• Localization Failures

• Building Distribution Networks


About the Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Maffeo⁠⁠⁠ 

About the Guest: Alex Frezza





This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com 

Creators and Guests

Chris Maffeo
Host
Chris Maffeo
Building Bottom-Up Strategies WITH Drinks Leaders Managing Top-Down Expectations | MAFFEO DRINKS Founder & Podcast Host
Alex Frezza
Guest
Alex Frezza
Co-Owner | L'Antiquario Bar Napoli