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Allyson Manchester and Kristen Walsh

The beverage industry is home to a surprising number of Bentley alumni. Meet some of the movers and shakers.  

Getting to Yum

Peter Chouinard, Master of Finance ’93 Operating Partner, Bluxome Street Winery

 

Peter Chouinard MSF ’93  took his career from the oldest continuously operated family winery in the nation to entrepreneurial wine brands, landing at San Francisco-based Bluxome. The urban winery reaches 30-something wine tasters with its convenient location and approachable portfolio of pinot noir and chardonnay from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. His must-haves for running a winery? Capital (the wine industry is asset intensive), planning (business is vertically integrated with an average three-year cash cycle) and scale (margins for each channel are dramatically different).

As for the palate: “The success of the winery involves individuals saying ‘yum’ when they taste our wines,” says Chouinard. “That, combined with a positive hospitality experience, generates the ability to have fans.

CONNECT WITH PETER: 

bluxomewinery.com


The Art of Craft

Christopher Gallant ’02, co-founder, Bronx Brewery

Co-founding a brewery was a natural next step for Christopher Gallant ’02, who consulted to food and beverage clients at Bain & Company and held an earlier post at Heineken International in Brazil. Today, his business strategy rests on “being an inch wide and a mile deep” with a laser focus on one style of beer: the pale ale.

“Beer was meant to be enjoyed with friends, not analyzed,” says Gallant. “We craft our beers to be approachable, balanced and high-quality representations of their styles. If we don’t brew beers that NYC drinkers will seek out, then nothing else matters.”

CONNECT WITH CHRISTOPHER:

thebronxbrewery.com


Authentic Spirit

Sydney Bouchard ’14, Marketing Manager, Saxtons River Distillery

Class of 2014 alumna Sydney Bouchard manages and develops events, media, web content, social media, advertising and promotions for a Vermont-based spirits distillery founded on “old-fashioned comfort.” Marketing on the road is one of her favorite parts of the job, and also the most challenging; restrictions and permitting for tastings and festivals, for example, often vary from state to state.

She enjoys introducing the public to their not-so-secret ingredients.

“The distillery crafts its sapling liqueur, bourbon and rye with Vermont maple syrup, and infuses its coffee liqueur with Peruvian arabica beans from a local roaster,” says Bouchard. “Everything in our store has a story and a purpose, which helps people who come in understand that this is truly a craft distillery and not just a façade.”

CONNECT WITH SYDNEY: 

saplingliqueur.com


Core Pursuit 

Dan Rowell ’90, President and CEO, Vermont Hard Cider Company 

Dan Rowell ’90 took a leap of faith upon joining Vermont Hard Cider Company in 1996, a time when cider was “virtually nonexistent” in the market. His accounting background and knowledge of numbers helped boost annual production from 300,000 cases to 4 million for the company (home to Woodchuck Cider). Today, large and small players have jumped into cider making — and he welcomes the competition. 

“While we have many styles and lead the category in innovation, we always try to stay true to the apple,” says Rowell. “There are over 7,500 varieties of apples, so there are a lot of things you can do to make different ciders.”

CONNECT WITH DAN:
woodchuck.com


Special Delivery

Bryan Goodwin ’05, MBA ’12, Vice President of Sales and Retail Partners, Drizly

With just a few clicks on the Drizly website or mobile app, consumers in many U.S. cities can order beer, wine and liquor delivered to their doorstep in about 20 to 40 minutes. Bryan Goodwin ’05, MBA ’12 likens the experience to ordering movies and books on Netflix or Amazon, with some clear caveats. It’s imperative, he says, to understand the three-tier system (wholesalers, distributors, retailers) that governs the sale of alcohol, and every state’s specific laws related to alcohol delivery.

“There isn’t a how-to manual when your company is doing something that hasn’t been done before, so you have to be ready to solve problems quickly and effectively,” observes Goodwin. “I’m proud of the way we’re not looking to disrupt an industry, but bring added value to everyone involved.”

A recent $13 million backing from investors opens the door for expansion, as Drizly plans to double its team to 80 and broaden its national footprint to 30 markets.

CONNECT WITH BRYAN: 

drizly.com


Crystal Clear

Nestor Villalobos ’02, MBA ’03, CEO, Tudor Ice Company

It was his own thirst for “bottled water” ice to cool beverages that prompted Nestor Villalobos ’02, MBA ’03 to develop Tudor Ice. To validate the concept, he shared early prototypes with more than 400 bars, hotels and restaurants across the country. Later, he discovered the holy grail for ice clarity: removing excess gasses and minerals that make regular ice cloudy. Size is another factor. One large ice cube will melt slowly, preserving a drink’s taste over time. The company is market-testing products in Miami-area restaurants this summer.

“The $2.5 billion dollar ice industry in the U.S. hasn’t changed much in over a hundred years,” says Villalobos, whose company namesake is Boston-born Frederic Tudor, aka the “Ice King” of the 1800s. “It is an industry ripe for disruption.”

CONNECT WITH NESTOR: 

tudorice.com


Local at Heart

Judy McCloskey-Forsley ’84, Chief Financial Officer, Shipyard Brewing Company

Judy McCloskey-Forsley ’84 and her husband, Fred, brewed their first Shipyard beer in 1992 at Federal Jack’s Restaurant and Brewpub in Kennebunk, Maine. Today, she focuses on financials such as cash flow management, operations and equipment purchases for the company, which is ranked the 25th largest craft brewery in the country by the National Brewers Association. Still, the family-owned business stays true to its local roots, with on-site brewing that minds the details.

“We use open-top fermentation to produce English style ales and English malts with no additives or preservatives, as well as Ringwood yeast from England,” says Forsley. “The water here in Maine is exceptional and perfect for brewing.”

CONNECT WITH JUDY:
shipyard.com