myMEGusta

Inside the Bottle: People, Brands, and Stories, by Arthur Shapiro

Here is a delicious book for anyone interested in a peek into the world of corporate intrigue (a la the late, lamented, Jos. E. Seagram and Sons) or a look forward to how the booze world is evolving thanks to a cadre of creative entrepreneurs, each with their own crafts and ingenuity.

Inside The Bottle: People, Brands, and Stories, by Arthur Shapiro (A/M Shapiro & Associates,LLC, 2016), started as a collection of this prolific writer’s blogs, worth subscribing to at www.boozebusiness.com . Having lived through many of the experiences described, myMEGusta had a few good laughs at some of the executive antics he describes during her Seagram days. This alone makes for a good read, whether as an insider who experienced the drama or someone who wants to peer into the tent. (The circus reference is not an accident.)

An even more colorful aspect of this very entertaining read is the collection of interviews with, and stories about, the movers and shakers who are shaping the future of the beverage business, some with their newly created gins or whiskeys, and others more involved with the sales and marketing end of the trade.

And, we get a glimpse into life on the Mongolian road as the author takes on a consulting assignment in Ulan Bator. Another chapter, Industry Legends – Thinking outside the bottle, talks about some of the famous, at least in the industry, names, such as Michel Roux (“the man who put Absolut on the map”), and lesser known, but even more fascinating characters, such as Dale DeGoff, aka King Cocktail.

Inside the Bottle: People, Brands, and Stories, by Arthur Shapiro, is available in paperback and Kindle editions on www.Amazon.com .