Chris Hembrough has spent his career on the other side of the bar, and it shows in how he talks about Misguided Spirits, the brand he now represents as sales rep and brand ambassador. His pitch to the hosts isn't just about taste, it's about math: Misguided is built to give bar owners a premium pour with well-drink margins, a combination he argues most brands never manage to pull off.
That bartender-first origin story runs through the whole conversation. Misguided Spirits, as Hembrough tells it, was created by bartenders for bartenders, which shows up in small but telling details, like the fact that every bottle carries its own printed backstory on the label. It gives the people pouring the drink something to say to a customer beyond the usual small talk, turning a transaction into a bit of storytelling.
The hosts press Hembrough on what actually separates Misguided from the well-drink category it's trying to upgrade, and he makes the case that versatility is the differentiator: a spirit that can headline a craft cocktail menu while still penciling out financially for a bar owner watching costs closely. It's a niche argument, but Hembrough backs it with the kind of specifics that come from years spent actually working behind a bar himself.
As the conversation winds down, Hembrough gets pulled into the show's usual traditions, sharing his take on Sarasota's roundabouts before heading into the Rapid Fire Gauntlet, a fitting close for an episode built around a brand that wants to be taken seriously without losing its sense of fun.
Selling to Bartenders, Not Just Customers
Because Hembrough's job is really about winning over bar owners and bartenders before a single customer ever tastes the product, the hosts spend time on how that pitch actually happens on the ground in Sarasota. He describes walking into bars with samples, letting the product speak for itself, and leaning on the story behind each bottle as a conversation starter rather than a marketing gimmick.
That grassroots approach has helped Misguided Spirits build a footprint across Sarasota's bar scene one relationship at a time, a slower but arguably more durable strategy than trying to land on a big distributor's shelf overnight. Hembrough frames it as the same instinct that got him into bartending in the first place: build trust one pour at a time.
What you'll take away
- Misguided Spirits was designed to give bar owners premium quality at well-drink pricing.
- Every bottle carries its own printed backstory, giving bartenders a story to share with customers.
- The brand was created by bartenders specifically for other bartenders to use behind the bar.
- Versatility across cocktail menus is central to how Misguided pitches itself to bar owners.