<p>In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with hospitality trail-blazer April Wachtel — a bartender-turned-entrepreneur with more than 25 years in the beverage world, now founder and CEO of Cheeky Cocktails. She opens up about shifting from behind the bar to building a scalable brand, and how she’s helping both professionals and home enthusiasts elevate their game. </p><p><br></p><p>🧠 What You’ll Learn</p><p>• How April progressed from busser and bartender to brand ambassador for major spirits companies — and finally to creating her own line of professional-grade mixers and syrups. </p><p>• The story of Cheeky Cocktails: why she spotted a gap in the mixer market, how she rebranded and scaled during the pandemic, and what “premium cocktail ingredients made accessible” really means. </p><p>• Key lessons in entrepreneurship: product development, early-stage manufacturing, route-to-market strategy, and how to survive in a male-dominated industry. </p><p>• Live Q&amp;A: focusing on how to start with small budgets, build brand equity, navigate failure, and make a meaningful impact in the beverage industry.</p><p><br></p><p>⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)</p><p>• 00:02:30 – April’s early hospitality beginnings: bartending, beverages, brand work</p><p>• 00:14:00 – Recognizing the gap: why mixers and syrups needed a rethink in the craft-cocktail era</p><p>• 00:28:00 – Building Cheeky Cocktails: pivots, scaling, distribution &amp; pandemic dynamics</p><p>• 00:42:00 – Live Q&amp;A: advice on entrepreneurship, inclusion, and staying creative behind the scenes</p><p>• 00:58:00+ – What’s next: product innovation, education, and building community around the bar-to-business journey</p><p><br></p><p>🎯 Who It’s For</p><p>Bartenders, beverage directors, hospitality entrepreneurs, CPG founders, and anyone curious about how the bar world and product world intersect — how you turn craft into brand and experience into scale.</p><p><br></p><p>✅ If You Loved This Episode</p><p>• Tap Like</p><p>• Subscribe and hit the 🔔 to catch more live conversations with industry makers</p><p>• Leave a comment with your favourite April insight — or ask your burning question about starting a beverage brand</p><p>• Share this episode with your bar team, your network of creators, or anyone looking to make their mark in hospitality</p>