This week Bill and I are joined by Scot Wingo, founder and CEO of early-stage agentic commerce start-up, ReFiBuy and the podcast and Substack Retailgentic - where he focuses on Agentic Commerce. When we wanted to focus on the topic of Agentic Commerce, we could think of no one better than Scot to come on and talk about.
Scot is a serial entrepreneur with an impressive and long background in commerce. Scot founded Channel Advisor in 2001, and later took it public in 2013. He later started Spiffy to explore digital car care services and this year he started ReFiBuy. Scot is also active in the VC community in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Besides Retailgentic, Scot co-hosts the Jason & Scot Show - a podcast with friend of Cocktails & Commerce, Jason Goldberg.
We cover a lot of agentic ground on the episode, so please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation with Scot.
Cheers!
Episode Chapters:
“Wake me up and F*** me up,” introducing the Espresso Martini
Hey Kai, defining Agentic Commerce
The Future of Agentic Shopping: Trends and Predictions
Challenges in Payments and Transactions
Building trust in Agentic Commerce
Navigating the new landscape of Retail and AI
The role of context and authority in Product Discovery
The future of Retailer-Agent interactions
Agentic Commerce’s impact: Winners and losers
Monetization models in Agentic Commerce
Transforming the marketing tech stack
Imagining the future of Agentic Commerce
What’s up with one ‘t’ in “Scot”?
For more on Agentic Commerce see our last C&C newsletter on Substack: Surf’s Up! The Next Wave of Commerce is Here - Amplified and Shaped by AI
This week’s cocktail: Espresso Martini
The Espresso Martini’s origin story is as sleek and irreverent as the drink itself. In the late 1980s, Dick Bradsell - then bartending at Fred’s Club in London - was cleaning up after an espresso training in the afternoon when he was approached by a young model with sunglasses on who asked for something that would, “Wake me up, and then f*** me up.”
Bradsell turned back to the espresso machine and went to work - pulling together vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur, and sugar syrup together in a shaker and created what was originally called the “Vodka Espresso.” Served in a V-shaped glass with a creamy head and three coffee beans as garnish (a nod to the traditional Italian garnish symbolizing health, wealth, and happiness), the drink quickly became a London staple. It was later rechristened the “Espresso Martini” during the ’90s martini craze, cementing its place in cocktail history.
Fast forward to today, and the Espresso Martini is having a moment. Many claim it is among the most over-rated of cocktails, but it’s popularity ensures it is everywhere there is a party brewing. The drink bridges two once disparate worlds—caffeine and spirits—and appeals equally to cocktail neophytes and seasoned enthusiasts.
On Instagram feeds, in dive bars, and at high-concept cocktail dens, the Espresso Martini has evolved from a clubbing indulgence to a canvas for mixology: think cold brew riffs, mezcal substitutions, and even non-alcoholic versions for the sober-curious.
Bradsell unfortunately left us early, but his creation didn’t just survive decades of shifting tastes—it influenced them, proving that a well-balanced drink can be both a pick-me-up and a cultural icon. For more on Bradsell and the Espresso Martini see C&C Issue No. 18
Espresso Martini Cocktail Spec
2 oz - vodka (or sub gin or tequila)
1 oz - Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
1 oz - strong, fresh, cooled espresso
1 tsp - simple syrup (optional)
Garnish - 3 coffee beans
Steps
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until well chilled. (Dry shake optional to increase foam). Serve up in a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with the coffee beans set in the foam.
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Be well, drink well, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill
Cocktails & Commerce™ is a wholly owned subsidiary of StrategyēM, LLC.
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