Advertise on podcast: Eat. Drink. Social: Social Media Marketing in the Food and Beverage Industry

Holiday shopping is changing, and AI is becoming part of how consumers discover products, compare options, and decide what to buy. In this episode of Eat.Drink.Social., Go Social founder Courtney Sandora sits down with Jeremy Murrell of Morpheus to explore the growing role of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) in the holiday shopping journey. From finding the perfect gift to discovering new brands and researching recommendations, consumers are increasingly turning to AI platforms like ChatGPT instead of relying solely on traditional search engines.

What happens when heavy metal meets the booming non-alcoholic beverage category? In this episode of Eat.Drink.Social, we sit down with John Graham, Director of Operations at BevNomad, to explore the launch of Molten Smoky Colas, a bold whiskey-and-cola-inspired beverage developed in partnership with Mike Wengren of Disturbed. From authentic celebrity partnerships to navigating THC regulations, John shares how BevNomad is carving out a new space in the market through music fandom, influencer marketing, and unconventional brand activations.

What does it take to build a beverage brand that's redefining cocktail culture? In this episode, we sit down with Laura Taylor, Founder and CEO of Mingle Mocktails, to talk entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growing demand for elevated alcohol-free options. Laura shares how changing consumer preferences are opening new opportunities in the no-alcohol category and hints at Mingle's latest innovation: a Espresso Martini Mocktail, bringing one of today's most popular cocktails to the alcohol-free occasion just in time for the holiday season. Tune in for a conversation about building a brand with purpose, challenging category conventions, and making sure everyone has a reason to raise a glass.

From Italian culture to swicy and swavory we share our takeaways from one of the largest cocktail shows on the planet. Tune into here all the insights from New Orleans.

We share insights, brands and trends spotted at Bar Convent Brooklyn including the expanding beverage landscape, untapped consumer opportunities and activations that stood out.

What started as a small kombucha business at Halifax farmers’ markets has evolved into a fast-growing functional soda brand with national distribution across Canada and the U.S. In this episode, Cove Soda National Marketing Manager Tahlia Mead shares how the brand made the leap from kombucha to functional soda, redesigned its identity for the retail shelf and built a marketing strategy rooted in taste, in-store conversion and authentic creator relationships. She also discusses Cove’s approach to micro-influencers and brand ambassadors, the role of larger creators in driving awareness, and how the company is balancing retail growth with new e-commerce opportunities and future product launches.

We hit the floor at Newtopia in Denver to see what’s next in beverage, wellness and emerging consumer trends. In this episode, we recap the brands, ideas and innovations that stood out, the trends that felt genuinely new, and what marketers should be paying attention to as the category keeps evolving.

We sat down with Bren Silk of Gingerbug to talk about what “natural flavors” really mean, his path from homesteading to building Gingerbug, and how the brand is evolving as it grows. Now that the brand is shelf-stable product he shares his journey to bring Gingerbug into the U.S. market while staying true to the flavor and philosophy that started it all.

What does it take to stand out in one of the fastest-evolving corners of the beverage industry? In this episode, Ari Susswein, Co-Founder and CEO of Lemonday, talks about building a modern hydration brand in an increasingly crowded functional beverage category. We get into the idea behind Lemonday, the key to flavor and what it takes to keep people coming back for more.

In honor of National Rum Day, Go Social's Founder Courtney Sandora sits down with Jeremy Murrell of Morpheus Consulting to talk about the rum category through the lens of AI visibility. We dig into which brands are showing up, what AI seems to associate with rum, and where there may be opportunities for brands to strengthen their visibility and become part of the recommendation.

Purple Drop co-founder Maria Velasquez joins us to share how a treasured family recipe inspired a modern take on chicha morada, a traditional Peruvian drink made with purple corn, fruit and spices. We discuss preserving the beverage’s cultural roots, adapting an ancient brewing process for commercial production, and the challenge of introducing American consumers and retailers to an entirely new category.

Brause Founder Amna Mettmann joins us to share how her German upbringing inspired a new kind of craft soda for the U.S. market. We talk about building a beverage that sits between traditional soda and non-alcoholic beer, why German heritage has become central to the brand’s story, and how founder-led sampling, premium hospitality and a focus on flavor are helping Brause introduce American consumers to something refreshingly different.

In this episode of Eat. Drink. Social., we sit down with Trail Magic co-founder Jason Dayton to explore what it takes to market a THC beverage in one of the fastest-evolving areas of the drinks industry. Jason shares how Trail Magic is building trust, educating consumers and creating a brand that feels approachable in a category still working to define itself. We discuss the challenges of marketing cannabis beverages, the role of occasion, how consumer behavior is changing and what THC brands need to get right as the category moves further into the mainstream.

Broda Beverages is all about transparency and bringing great ingredients to the backbar. Co-founder Alek Szczupak shared how the brand came to be and how social media is helping to get the word out.

Family-owned Fabrizia Spirits has built a business on high quality limoncello and listening to customers' needs. We sit down with Phil Mastroianni, to hear how his business has grown and how the rise of the Limoncello Spritz is giving a boost to him bottom line.