The Beer, Wine & Spirits Radio Show

Tune in every Friday at 2:00PM to WSAR1480AM
Hosted by Massachusetts Package Stores Association Executive Director and General Counsel, Robert Mellion

The Massachusetts Package Stores Association is eager to announce the debut of “The Beer, Wine & Spirits” radio program on June 7, 2019 at 2:00 pm on WSAR1480AM and www.wsar.com. The Beer, Wine and Spirits show is part of MPSA’s year-round effort aimed at educating consumers to shop at independently owned retailers of beer, wine and spirits. For too long there has been an absence of a supportive voice within the media for independently owned retailers of beer, wine and spirits. Beginning this June, MPSA will be providing interesting and helpful content to consumers on a weekly basis that connects them to independently owned stores across Massachusetts and the country.

The Beer, Wine & Spirits Show will discuss products and services available at independent retail stores across Massachusetts. The show will also spotlight issues and news relevant to independent retailers and the Alcohol Beverages Industry. Moreover, the program will serve as an information resource directed by independent retailers to educate consumers about beer, wine and spirits. The show additionally serves as a platform for MPSA to communicate with all stakeholders about the value of independent retailers and the 3-tier system that supports the alcohol beverages industry in Massachusetts.

The format of the show is a weekly, hour long radio program produced and sponsored by MPSA in partnership with WSAR1480AM. It will air live on WSAR1480AM, www.wsar.com, and Facebook Live every Friday, from 2-3 p.m., beginning on June 7th. Podcasts of shows will be uploaded to YouTube and will be available for on demand download to MPSA members via the www.masspack.org website and www.wsar.com.

MPSA encourages the membership to get involved with The Beer, Wine & Spirits show by suggesting topics and serving as guests. Membership involvement will ensure the success of the program. Those who have suggestions should submit them to info@masspack.org or call the MPSA office at 508-366-1100. You may also wish to advertise with WSAR or call into a live airing of the show and take part in a discussion with a guest or panelist. So be sure to listen to The Beer, Wine & Spirits Show on WSAR1480AM every Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Click Below to Listen to previous episodes:

July 16th Distilling of spirits in Massachusetts with guest John Sorgini of Chattermark Distillery.

July 2nd Don Corey, Owner of Blanchard’s Wines & Spirits, will guide listeners about what people are buying at stores this summer.

June 18th Judith Fabre McDonough, CEO of Mariposa Fine Wines & Spirits, will explore rosé wines and answer your questions.

June 11th Rob Mellion will discuss some of the big industry issues with Ben Weiner, owner of Sav-Mor Spirits and past President of MPSA.

June 4th Discussion on “Cocktails to Go” extension post Covid State of Emergency.

May 21st Rob Mellion is joined by MPSA President and owner of Julio’s Liquors, Ryan Maloney to discuss the push for deregulation of the Alcohol Beverage Industry and the push for “Cocktails to Go” to become permanent.

May 7th Jack Couto is the National Iberian Portfolio Manager at M.S. Walker Fine Wines & Spirits. He is LIVE and in the studio with Rob to discuss the great wines of Portugal.

April 30th Chris Weld, Founder, Owner and Distiller at Berkshire Mountain Distillers is this episodes guest

April 23rd Dan Newcomb, founder and CEO at the Liquor License Advisor will join host, Rob Mellion to discuss buying and selling a liquor license or store in Massachusetts.

April 16th Guest Chris Carlozzi, NFIB/Massachusetts State Director, will explain the UI Tax assessment

April 9th Host Rob Mellion explores the history and growth in popularity of mini liquor bottles, which are commonly referred to as “nips” in Massachusetts.

March 26th Question & Answer Episode

March 19th This episode spotlights some of the legislation filed in Massachusetts that impacts local alcohol beverage retailers across the state.

March 12th Steve Rubin, owner of Huntington Wine and Spirits, discusses with Rob the disruptions impacting the retail tier of the alcohol beverages industry.

March 5th Brandon Gilson, Director of Business Development at F.B. Washburn Candy Corporation, about how adding candy retail can be a revenue maker for beer, wine, and liquor stores.

February 26th Attorney William Kelley, President of the Beer Wholesalers association is the guest. Rob and Bill discuss the state of the industry.

February 12th On this Special Valentines Day segment, guest, Judith Fabre McDonough, CEO of Mariposa Fine Wine & Spirits weighs in with her expertise on Champagnes for this romantic occasion and other special celebrations.

February 5th Reports of fake alcohol are on the rise. Rob Mellion discusses this growing problem.

January 15th This week’s program is about Rustic Spirits Margarita. The guest for the hour is Vytas Makstutis, who is the founder and creator of Rustic Spirits Margarita.

January 8th During this program, Rob highlights the many events and stories that influenced Beer, Wine and Spirits in 2020.

December 11th Steven Rubin, owner of Huntington Wine & Spirits joins robe Mellion as today’s guest. Steve will discuss for the hour what beer, wine and spirits products at all price levels can make the best gift.

December 4th This shows special guest, features former Executive Director of MPSA for more than 20 years, Frank Anzalotti. Join Rob and Frank in this episode as they look back at 2020 and ahead during what will be a very interesting discussion on Beer, Wine & Spirits.

November 20th Marisa Sebastianelli, Director of Sales - Northeast at the Wines of Substance Company educates listeners about their portfolio of brands including Substance, VINO, K Syrah and many others.

November 13th Doug Bailey, Regional Marketing Manager at Mike’s Hard Lemonade discusses with Rob the success of the Mike’s Hard Lemonade brand.

November 6th On November 2nd, 2020 an Executive Order was issued by Governor Charlie Baker, Rob discusses the order and its impact on MA businesses.

October 23rd MPSA lobbyist, Atty. Roger Donoghue of Murphy Donoghue Partners will join Rob to discuss what actions on Beacon Hill are impacting the alcohol beverages industry and small businesses across the state.

October 16th Ryan Maloney, owner of Julio’s in Westborough and Presidents of Masspack, joins Rob to discuss how retailers have adjusted to operating as an essential service during the ongoing pandemic.

October 9th John Bodnovich, Executive Director of ABL (American Beverage Licensees) will discusses with Rob the plight of taverns and bars during the Covid-19 pandemic.

October 2nd John Bodnovich, Executive Director to the American Beverages Licensees. The ABL is the preeminent national trade association for retail beverage alcohol license holders across the US. John will discuss the plight of taverns and bars during the Covid-19 pandemic.

September 25th Rob’s guest Atty. Walter Sullivan. is a highly regarded attorney with a practice that concentrates on local and state regulations; and licensing of regulated industries, such as alcoholic beverages. He is also former Chair to the Board of Commissioners to the Alcohol Beverages Control Commission of Massachusetts.

September 18th Jarrod DiFranco, Market Manager at Devils River Whiskey is today’s guest. This program is about Devil's River Whiskey distilled in San Antonio, Texas and how Texas made whiskey is getting a lot of attention. We learn more about how Devil's River Whiskey is produced and spotlight several of their products.

September 11th Guest, David Roberts, Jr., Co-owner and Head Distiller at South Hollow Spirits joins Rob in this episode. New England in the pre-Prohibition era was a large producer of Rum and Gin. David and Rob discuss the history of these products, the story behind South Hollow Spirits, and the popularity of various products today.

September 4th Rob Mellion discusses the state of the AB industry in Massachusetts and summarize MassPack's legislative and judicial accomplishments.

August 21st Kosher and Israeli wines are becoming very popular. On this episode Rob Mellion interviews Adam Montefiore about the amazing wines of Israel.

August 14th Rob will speak with Donnie White, VP of Sales at Vertical Spirits about Nautical Gin, which has quickly become a notable gin product available at restaurants and stores.

August 7th On today's program, JD Whittington, VP of Sales at Drinkworks®, will introduce the Drinkworks Home Bar Drinkmaker.

July 31st In this show Rob walks through what is a valid ID in MA, what is not valid ID, and discuss the consequences for accepting a fake ID while serving a minor.

July 17th Rob Mellion will discuss with Josh Hammond, President and Owner of Buster’s Liquors & Wines in Memphis, TN, some of the macro issues driving the volatility and changes within the alcohol beverages industry.

July 10th Rob welcomes back Judith Fabre McDonough, the CEO of Mariposa Fine Wines & Spirits, as she guides listeners in a discussion about Rosé wines.

July 3rd The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States is one of the primary groups working behind the scenes to end the tariff war. On this show we will take a deep dive into what is going on with tariffs by speaking with Chris Swonger, President and CEO of DISCUS.

June 26th On today’s program we will take a look at what is going on with tariffs and what it means for retailers and consumers.

June 19th Rob takes a deep dive into the disruption going on behind the scenes within the alcohol beverages industry using Covid-19 as a tool to repeal long-standing provisions aimed at protecting public safety.

May 29th Rob discusses why MA residents should vote "NO" to the "Expanded Alcohol Beverages Licenses Ballot Question" that deregulates retail alcohol licenses and dismantles critical public safety provisions.

May 15th Warm weather is coming. A great way to cool off is by sipping Sangria. Barrielynn Wise, the founder of Sangria Lady Wines is Rob's guest for the hour.

May 8th The discussion revolves around THRIVE Marketing powered by 3 x 3 Insights. As the nation begins to re-open, the marketplace is evolving at lightspeed, our guests from 3 X 3 will discuss how Thrive Marketing can assist businesses in getting their messages out to consumers.

May 1st More on the history of Prohibition. Listeners will hear about how the enactment and enforcement of the 18th Amendment led to a rise in organized crime in the US.

April 24th The history of Prohibition - Listeners will hear about the origins of the 18th Amendment, the rise of organized crime in the U.S. and learn about why Prohibition was repealed.

April 17th This week’s is a discussion on COVID-19 and it’s affect on the retail alcohol industry.

April 10th Rob updates listeners on the challenge by local package store owners to the SJC on the Cumberland Farms Ballot Initiative.

April 3rd Ryan Maloney, MPSA President and owner of Julio's Liquors joined Rob on the show and discussed talk the COVID-19 crisis and how retailers across the state are working overtime to safely provide beer, wine and spirits to customers.

March 13th Rob answers your questions and addresses the misinformation surrounding the Corona Virus and its impact on the Alcohol Beverages industry.

March 6th Why is wine so confusing? Today's program is about selecting the right wine.

February 28th Leveraging technology to compete in a highly competitive beer, wine & spirits retail marketplace. Mike Provance, CEO of 3X3 Insights will join Rob to discuss this topic.

February 14th Replay of popular episode, Rob and Ryan Maloney, MPSA Board President and owner of Julio’s Liquors discuss the implications of the Cumberland Farms Ballot Initiative.

February 7th Barry Ferreira of Adega Beer & Wine Making Supplies is going to discuss with Rob about how to get started on your home wine or beer making adventure.

January 31st Blaine Grinna, the Director of Retail Acquisition at Drizly will join Rob and introduce their e-commerce platform. Drizly, the Amazon of the spirits industry, is an alcohol E-commerce platform operating across the U.S. and Canada.

January 24th On today's program Rob will speak with Ryan Maloney, President of the Massachusetts Package Stores Association and the owner of Julio's Liquors in Westborough. Ryan will update listeners about efforts by MPSA to address tariffs, the Cumberland Farms ballot question and the legislative push by big businesses to take control of the AB marketplace.

January 17th On this week's program Rick Curtis of Curtis Liquors is the guest for the hour. Curtis Liquors served as a go-to retailer for craft beers, fine wine, and artisan spirits on the South Shore of MA for over 5 decades. Rick shares his insights with Rob about tariffs, direct shipping and many other issues.

January 10th Rob Mellion is joined by guest, Sam Hendler, co-founder of Jack's Abby Craft Lagers. Jack’s Abby is a MA craft brewer who has made a name for itself all across New England, and the world.

December 20th Rob Burns, the Co-Founder & President of Night Shift Brewing Co. joins host Rob Mellion to discuss some challenges that are being faced by the craft beer industry as spiked seltzers continue to be market movers.

December 13th Adam Romanow, Founder and President of Castle Island Brewing Company joined Rob in discussing the craft brewing industry.

December 6th This is a SPECIAL EDITION discussion with Chris R. Swonger, President and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council. Chris Swonger is a long-time government affairs executive and an alcohol beverages industry veteran. He and Rob discuss the state of the AB Industry going into 2020.

November 15th This week’s discussion is about insurance needs for liquor stores. This can be a very complicated issue, but it is important. Rob is by Jason Rua, President & CEO at Rua Dumont Audet Insurance Agency, Inc.

November 8th Rob updates listeners on what's happening currently with the Cumberland Farms Ballot Initiative.

November 1st John Bodnovich, Executive Director of the American Beverages Licensees, will talk with Rob about why November is Package Liquor Store Month.

October 18th Tariffs, illegal direct shipping and the many assaults to the 21st Amendment are topics covered on this week’s show.

October 11th This week Rob discusses Beverage Alcohol Training for retail stores across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

October 4th This week’s show features guest Noah Friedman, Director of Strategy and Operations at 3X3 Insights. Rob and Noah will be discussing the latest trends in the alcohol beverage industry going into the fall season.

September 27th Bill Kelley, President of the Beer Distributors of Massachusetts and former General Counsel of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (“ABCC”), talks with Rob about the three-tier system.

September 20th The Cumberland Farms Ballot Initiative to aiming at granting unlimited Beer & Wine Licenses in “Food Stores” is discussed in detail.

September 13th Rob and guest, Atty. Walter Sullivan has been following the emergence of the legal cannabis industry in MA.

September 6th Rob discusses the complexities involving direct to consumer shipping of spirits. He will also talk about the impacts of cross border sales activities.

August 30th Rob Mellion dives into the topic of the ballot question initiated by Cumberland Farms earlier this month to eliminate the cap on liquor licenses in the state.

August 16th Guest, Jason Ollerhead, owner/operator of Somerset Liquors and host, Rob Mellion discuss the history of this family owned and operated local business, and what makes them unique and successful in this competitive environment.

August 9th MPSA's President, Ben Weiner returns to the show. Among other topics, Ben and Rob discuss this week's decision by the SJC of Massachusetts against Total Wine & Spirits and answer other listener questions.he state.

August 2nd MPSA Executive Director and show host, Rob Mellion answers questions from listeners about issues impacting the alcohol beverages industry.

July 26th MPSA's President, Ben Weiner returns to the show. Among other topics, Ben and Rob discuss this week's decision by the SJC of Massachusetts against Total Wine & Spirits and answer other listener questions.

July 19th Rob Mellion and William Flanagan discuss CBD & Hemp derived products and issues impacting the budding cannabis industry.

July 12th Interview and discussion with MassPack’s former Executive Director for 23 years, Frank Anzalotti.

July 5th Rob Mellion answers listeners questions and emails as well as discusses this week’s industry Hot Topics.

June 28th Interview and Discussion with Mark Lenzi, owner of Franklin’s Liquors and host of The Wonderful World of Wine.

June 21st Interview Dr. Don Livermore, Master Blender for Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor, Ontario

June 14th Rob Mellion discusses analytics with Mike Provance, CEO of 3X3 Insights and Noah Friedman, COO at 3X3 Insights

June 10th Premier episode featuring an interview with MPSA’s President and owner of Sav-Mor Liquor, Ben Weiner