James Espey OBE features on db’s Desert Island Drinks
Octogenarian entrepreneur and marketer James Espey OBE features on db’s Desert Island Drinks, in which he talks about building a brand-leader based on Beaujolais, and taking Baileys from a failed concept to the world’s best-selling cream liqueur.
Following the usual format, Espey picks the eight drinks, book and luxury he’d want to take with him if he were castaway to a desert island, and in doing so, charts his extraordinary life, while sharing much advice to those working in the wine and spirits trade today.
Espey’s career spans 50 years in business during which he has overseen the creation and positioning of illustrious names in drinks, from Malibu to Le Piat d’Or, and, perhaps most famously, Baileys – the multi-million case Irish cream liqueur that was almost canned at concept stage.
More recently, he was co-founder of The Last Drop Distillers, which was sold to Sazerac almost a decade ago, and is currently chairman of The Wiltshire Whisky Distillery Company – having forecast a rosy future for English whisky.
Beyond his many drinks industry commitments, he has found time to write several books on marketing and business, as well as mentoring new members of the trade. In terms of philanthropy, he is funding the education of black students at his old school in South Africa as well as a pair of pupils in Zambia, where he was born.
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Looking back on his life in drinks, he believes he has made well over £5 billion for the trade.
However, his proudest achievement is creating ‘The Keepers of the Quaich’ – a society that he established to celebrate people who have made a remarkable contribution to the world of Scotch.
Click here to read more about Espey’s books. which are titled Make Your Mark in the Workplace: How To Build Your Personal Brand and, most recently, 365 Quotes to Accelerate Your Career and Find Balance in Life.
To listen to Desert Island Drinks with James Espey OBE – and other podcasts from the drinks business – please click here.
