028 | Bottle Shops before Bars: starting at the liquid and work back towards the brand | with Duncan McRae, Co-Founder of Woven (Adelaide, Australia)
S1:E28

028 | Bottle Shops before Bars: starting at the liquid and work back towards the brand | with Duncan McRae, Co-Founder of Woven (Adelaide, Australia)

Summary

In Episode 028, I had the pleasure of chatting with Duncan McRae, Co-founder of Woven Whisky and a Drinks industry veteran, having previously worked with William Grant's & Sons and Diageo. A living example of Building Brands Bottom Up. I hope you enjoy our chat. Main Topics Discussed: (00:00) Building Demand (03:08) Brand Awareness (08:58) Managing Relationships (10:44) KPI's & Incentives (13:46) "Blue Tick Moments": Becoming Known in the Ecosystem (15:40) Bottle Shops vs. On-Trade Growth (26:46) It starts with the liquid (32:00) Adapting Your Sales Pitch (37:52) Better Brand Training (44:35) Taste Profile before categories (52:00) Special Pours & Drawbacks About the Host: Chris Maffeo About the Guest: Duncan McRae About the product: Woven
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

Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at
maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

In Episode 028, I had the pleasure of chatting with Duncan McRae, Co-founder of Woven Whisky and a Drinks industry veteran, having previously worked with William Grant's & Sons and Diageo. A living example of Building Brands Bottom Up. I hope you enjoy our chat.


Main Topics Discussed:


(00:00) Building Demand

(03:08) Brand Awareness

(08:58) Managing Relationships

(10:44) KPI's & Incentives

(13:46) "Blue Tick Moments": Becoming Known in the Ecosystem

(15:40) Bottle Shops vs. On-Trade Growth

(26:46) It starts with the liquid

(32:00) Adapting Your Sales Pitch

(37:52) Better Brand Training

(44:35) Taste Profile before categories

(52:00) Special Pours & Drawbacks


About the Host: Chris Maffeo

About the Guest: Duncan McRae

About the product: Woven



This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations.

Celebrate with us our 3rd anniversary with a special 30% off forever at
maffeodrinks.com/anniversary  

Creators and Guests

Chris Maffeo
Host
Chris Maffeo
Building Bottom-Up Strategies WITH Drinks Leaders Managing Top-Down Expectations | MAFFEO DRINKS Founder & Podcast Host
Duncan McRae
Guest
Duncan McRae
Co-founder | Woven Whisky