01
Premium spirits commercial
Years across whiskey, tequila, gin and liqueurs. Selling the category, not just the SKU.
Premium spirits · Hospitality · Melbourne
A commercial operator in premium spirits, built on relationships.
Ted Watkin. Eight years inside two of the most considered drinks houses in the category. On-premise growth, brand partnerships and the day to day work of the trade.
Melbourne · Mornington Peninsula
About
A career spent at the meeting point of brand, trade and operator.
Ted Watkin works in premium spirits and on-premise hospitality. Eight years across some of the most considered brand houses in the category. Currently with Brown-Forman in Melbourne. Prior to that, Bacardi-Martini.
The work sits at the meeting point of commercial growth, brand storytelling and the day to day relationships that hold the trade together. Bars, restaurants, distributors, group buyers. The people who actually pour the liquid and decide what gets seen.
Outside the day job, an emerging set of advisory and venture projects in premium drinks. Kept separate from employment, with care.
Known for
Where the work tends to land.
A working summary, not a sales pitch. Each of these is grounded in real day to day work rather than a job description.
02
On-premise growth
Account work across independent venues and groups. Distribution that actually sticks once the rep leaves the room.
03
Brand partnerships
Connecting brands to venues, events and operators in ways that feel earned rather than bought.
04
Operator relationships
Long-term trust with bar owners, beverage directors and group buyers across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
05
Drinks strategy & route to market
How a brand finds its way through wholesalers, retailers and the trade without losing its voice.
06
Trade-facing storytelling
Content, communication and the kind of trade material that actually gets read by the people it is written for.
Collaboration
Where there may be a fit.
A short, honest list of the kinds of conversations that tend to be worth having. Any commercial work outside current employment is kept separate, with care.
Brand partnerships
Premium drinks brands looking for a thoughtful trade voice or a route into the right rooms.
Speaking & panels
Trade events, education sessions, industry panels. On-premise, brand building, the future of the category.
Advisory & commercial strategy
Founders and operators in premium drinks who want a second view on positioning, route to market or commercial structure.
Trade education
Brand and category education for venues, distributors and teams. Built for people on the floor, not slide decks.
Hospitality partnerships
Venues and groups exploring activations, programmes or content that need a credible hand on the brand side.
Content & market insight
Considered writing and commentary on the premium drinks trade. Slow, honest, useful.
Selected proof points
The shape of the work, kept careful.
A short, deliberately general summary. Specific account names, deal terms and confidential commercial detail are kept out of public material.
8+
Years in premium spirits
Continuous commercial work in the category across Australia.
2
Global drinks houses
Bacardi-Martini, followed by Brown-Forman. Two of the most considered portfolios in the category.
MEL · MP
Network
An on-premise network across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula built one room at a time.
“The work that has held up best has always been the work where the relationship came first and the commercial outcome followed.”
Ted Watkin
Media kit
Everything you need to introduce me.
Short bio, long bio, headshots and a one-page PDF. Use freely for editorial, event listings, brand introductions or internal briefings.
Short bio
~40 wordsTed Watkin is a Melbourne-based commercial operator in premium spirits and on-premise hospitality. Eight years across Bacardi-Martini and Brown-Forman. Known for relationship-led growth, brand partnerships and a measured trade voice.
Long bio
~120 wordsTed Watkin has spent eight years inside premium spirits, working across two of the most considered drinks houses in the category. Currently with Brown-Forman in Melbourne, previously Bacardi-Martini. His work sits at the meeting point of commercial growth, brand storytelling and the daily relationships that hold the trade together.
Outside the day job, an emerging set of advisory and venture projects in premium drinks, kept separate from employment with care. He is based on the Mornington Peninsula and works across Melbourne’s independent on-premise scene.
Brand-safe introduction
For event hosts“Please welcome Ted Watkin. Ted works in premium spirits and on-premise hospitality and has spent his career inside two of the most considered drinks houses in the category. He is here today in a personal capacity to talk about the trade, the work and what holds up over time.”
Contact
Happy to hear from you.
No pressure, no pitch.
-
Email
hello@tedwatkin.com -
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/ted-watkin -
Instagram
@tedwatkin