Catching up with Jeff Mahony, CEO of Neft Vodka, on the finance-to-spirits pivot, the craft behind a two-ingredient vodka distilled in Austria, and the leadership choices that helped the company navigate COVID while supporting its bartender community. From family-office investing to building a global footprint with headquarters in El Segundo, Jeff explains how quality, sustainability, and “sippability” shape Neft’s brand and operations.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How decades in finance and tech led Jeff to invest in and ultimately lead Neft Vodka.
• What makes a two-ingredient, Austria-distilled vodka stand out and why packaging matters.
• The three revenue channels in spirits (on-premise, off-premise, online) and how COVID reshaped each one.
• Why Neft focused on brokers and supported out-of-work bartenders during the shutdowns.
• How the company is scaling globally while planning multiple distilleries.
