Inside Startup Investing with Chris Lustrino

Author: Kingscrowd, Sam Fiske

Join Chris Lustrino as he talks to startup founders, angel investors, fund managers, investing platform executives, and more about the online private markets. Inside Startup Investing gives listeners the inside scoop on alternative investing such as startups from an investor and founder perspectives.
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Language: en-us

Genres: Business, Investing, Technology

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Scaling Whiskey in a Down Market: Cleveland’s Global Pivot
Episode 160
Tuesday, 6 January, 2026

Cleveland Whiskey was my first-ever equity crowdfunding investment (May 16, 2016), and founder/CEO Tom Lix has sent detailed quarterly updates ever since. In this episode, we cover 00:00–03:03 why Tom built a technology company in spirits—not just another craft label; 03:03–06:09 how pressure-aging in stainless tanks unlocks flavors from non-oak woods (black cherry, hickory, apple) and produces great whiskey in hours not years; 06:09–09:27 the pivot to concentrates and why India’s “Indian-Made Foreign Liquor” niche is a game-changer for price and margin; 09:27–12:47 the new 45,000 sq. ft. Cleveland facilities, 12× capacity today with room to double again, plus how shorter cycle times unlock multi-shift throughput; 12:47–16:09 resilience through a U.S. whiskey slump, tariffs, and changing consumer trends; 16:09–20:03 valuation, real-estate upside on Cleveland’s waterfront, and IP; and 20:03–28:19 the founder mindset—why Tom keeps going and how global demand (India, SE Asia, Africa) can drive the next chapter.