In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Holly Robinson on building a spirits brand. Holly worked in restaurants before cofounding Seattle-based Captive Spirits in 2011 with partner Ben Capdevielle. Together they developed Big Gin, a London Dry style that has won many awards since its inception, then expanded their bottlings to include Bourbon Barreled Big Gin and Peat Barreled Big Gin. In 2016, Hood River Distillers acquired the brand.
Holly next launched Fast Penny Spirits, an American Amaro lineup also produced in Seattle with business partner Jamie Hunt. Dubbed Amaricano, it uses Pacific Northwest ingredients while paying homage to Jamie's Sicilian roots.
Today, Holly consults for numerous PNW companies with her latest company, Fathom 35, and owns Sunny Hill restaurant in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.
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Holly Robinson is a food and beverage marketing consultant and the founder of Fathom35, a Seattle-based boutique consultancy specializing in brand strategy, creative direction, and PR for CPG, restaurant, and hospitality clients across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Holly cofounded Captive Spirits Distilling, known for its Big Gin, leading national sales and marketing through its acquisition by Hood River Distillers in 2016. She later cofounded Fast Penny Spirits, serving as COO until 2022. Today, she runs Fathom35, supporting food and beverage businesses at every stage and helping them find their voice through earn media attention and digital marketing efforts that build brand loyalty for sustained growth. Holly is also a coowner of Sunny Hill, a neighborhood pizza restaurant in North Seattle.
Outside of her work, Holly is an avid gardener and novice potter.
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Learn more about Fathom35.