088 | Bringing Luxury to The American Whiskey Category | Andrew Borenzweig | The Beverly High Rye
In this episode, host Chris Maffeo talks to Andrew Borenzweig, founder of Beverly High Rye, who shares his journey of creating a modern, luxury-focused American whiskey that breaks away from traditional frontier or rustic imagery. Inspired by the elegance of Beverly Hills, Andrew crafted a whiskey that blends rye’s bold spice with bourbon’s smoothness, presented in sleek, decanter-style bottles. He initially concentrated on securing placements in prestigious California venues—such as Nobu, Mastro’s, Cipriani, and the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons—to build brand credibility and visibility. This strategic on-trade focus laid a strong foundation before carefully expanding into off-trade channels like select Pavilions stores. Throughout the episode, Andrew emphasizes the importance of brand authenticity, founder-led advocacy, and a California-centric rollout as key drivers of Beverly High Rye’s success. Additionally, he touches on leveraging top on-trade outlet groups to facilitate potential international expansion, referencing Nobu Tokyo’s interest in the brand. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:29 Guest Introduction: Andrew Bornenzweig 00:58 The Inspiration Behind Beverly High Rye 02:30 Marketing and Brand Positioning 06:44 Expanding to New Markets 11:05 Product Portfolio and Collaborations 17:21 On-Trade vs. Off-Trade Strategies 24:50 Final Thoughts and Advice for Brand Owners