Free Spirits: Insights on Functional Beverages
Episodes
Building a Functional Beverage Brand with Retail Strategy and Plant-Based Innovation | Peter Olander
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to launch and scale a functional beverage brand in today’s market?In this episode of Free Spirits, Lars Miller and David Gonzalez ...
Emergency Podcast: What the Federal Crackdown Means for Functional Beverages
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our first-ever emergency episode of Free Spirits, hosts Lars Miller and David Gonzalez sit down with Chris Lackner, founder and president of the He...
Building Functional Beverage Brands Through Creative Partnerships
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a craft beer veteran brings creative collaboration into the functional beverage space?In this episode of Free Spirits, Lars Miller a...
Real-World Data and the Future of Functional Beverages
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when beverage innovation meets real-world data?In this episode of Free Spirits, hosts Lars Miller and David Gonzalez sit down with Kevin ...
Scaling a Multi-Brand Functional Beverage Platform with Evan Eneman of Iconic Tonics
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build a multi-brand functional beverage platform in an industry where most startups struggle to launch just one?In this episode o...
Inside Boston Beer’s THC Beverage Play: Innovation, Operations, and the Future of Adult Drinks
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when one of America’s most iconic beverage companies bets big on cannabis?In this episode of Free Spirits, Lars and David sit down with...
Micah Hyde’s Playbook: Building a Functional Beverage Brand After the NFL
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After nearly a decade in the NFL, Micah Hyde didn’t plan on entering the beverage industry. But a real estate investment in his Ohio hometown turned...
Julie Rhodes on Building Kick Fizz, Sessionable Beverages, and Educating the Modern Consumer
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, Lars Miller and David Gonzalez sit down with Julie Rhodes, founder of Kick Fizz and longtime beverage ind...
Peter Barsoom on 1906, Functional Edibles That Deliver, and Reinventing the Beverage Industry with Off Duty
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, hosts Lars Miller and David Gonzalez sit down with Peter Barsoom, founder of 1906 and one of the most for...
Building a Premium THC Beverage Brand in a Crowded Market with Fable Libations
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, we’re joined by Ben Kennedy, CEO and co-founder of Fable Libations, one of the most distinct and discip...
Hemp Beverages, Functional Drinks & Cannabis Policy with Joanne Caceres
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Free Spirits Podcast, hosts Lars Miller and David Gonzalez sit down with Joanne Caceres, a partner at Dentons and one of the mo...
Ben Larson: Revolutionizing the Cannabis Beverage Industry with Emulsion Technology
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, we dive into the evolving cannabis beverage industry with Ben Larson, CEO of Vertosa. Discover how Vertos...
THC Beverages, Craft Beer & Cannabis Innovation with Float House
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join hosts Lars Miller and David Gonzalez on Free Spirits as they sit down with Gordon Whelpley, founder of Float House—a Connecticut-based beverage...
Branding, Distribution & D2C: Birdie’s Playbook with Adam Ruhland
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a successful cidery owner enters the THC beverage game?In this episode of The Free Spirits Podcast, we talk with Adam Ruhland—foun...
How to Scale THC & Functional Beverage Brands with Strategic Supply Chain Integration
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Doug Fulton discusses strategies for scaling THC and functional beverage brands to navigate the complex beverage landscape. Doug Fulton, Co-CEO of Eme...
Scaling THC Beverages: Success Stories from Wynk CEO Angus Rittenburg
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wynk leads the way in hemp-derived THC beverages, navigating challenges in the beverage industry. In this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, we sit ...
Cann Founder Jake Bullock: Pioneering Microdose THC Beverages
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits podcast, we sit down with Jake Bullock, co-founder of Cann - the leading microdose cannabis beverage brand revolut...
Sober Curious? How Soberish is Revolutionizing Non-Alcoholic and Infused Drinks
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode of the Free Spirits podcast, Lars Miller and David Gonzalez interview Kim Gamez, founder and CEO of Soberish, a marketplace for...
The Future of Hemp: Challenges and Opportunities with Kerry Hinkle of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, host Lars Miller and co-host David Gonzalez engage with Kerry Hinkle, Director of Membership and P...
High Spirits Beverages, The Original Hemp-Derived THC Drink
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, Lars Miller and David Gonzalez engage with Chris Fontes, CEO and founder of High Spirits Beverages, who s...
The Happi Effect: Inside the Future of Functional THC Beverages with Lisa Hurwitz
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits Podcast, host Lars Miller and co-host David Gonzalez welcome Lisa Hurwitz, president and co-founder of Happi, a lo...
From Legacy IP to Modern Markets: Cheech & Chong’s Business Playbook
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode of the Free Spirits podcast, Lars Miller and David Gonzalez interview Brandon Harshberger, the president of Cheech & Chong'...
Exploring the THC Beverage Revolution: A Vision for the Future of Cycling Frog
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Free Spirits podcast, host Lars Miller and co-host David Gonzalez engage with Art Massolo, VP of Business Development at Cyclin...
Building a Brand in a New Market with Jason Dayton of Trail Magic
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode of the Free Spirits podcast, host Lars Miller and co-host David Gonzalez interview Jason Dayton, co-founder of Trail Magic, a r...
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Building in Public: Persistence and Iteration for Success with Aaron Nosbisch
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
SummaryIn this episode, Lars Miller and David Gonzalez interview Aaron Naschbich, the founder of Brēz, a fast-growing THC and functional beverage bra...