For this week’s episode we are joined by Jabin Troth, the founder of the social media juggernaut, Licensed to Distill. So tune in as he shares with us how the network was created and how it went from a small idea into a full-fledged business with over 1.1 million followers on Instagram. In addition, he provides lots of valuable insight into what it takes to create content that will stand out in today’s industry.
Read MoreThis week we are joined by bartenders and entrepreneurs, Nick Hogan and Shannon Michelle, of Mover & Shaker Co. Their business creating premium bartender attire and barware has been doing so well as of late that it is easy to forget that the company is only a few years old. So join us for this week as we discuss how they were able to blaze their own trail by focusing on the unique needs of today's bartender.
Read MoreIt seems that whenever you want to hire, there are just never enough bartenders to choose from, as all of the best talent already seems to be working somewhere else. Much too often this leads to endless poaching of bartenders from bar to bar, which only makes it that much harder to build a sustainable program. But what if there was a way to train quality craft bartenders en masse, thereby making sure that you were never short on top tier recruits?
Read MoreIn this week’s episode we retrace the career trajectory of Sullivan Doh, Global Brand Ambassador of D'Usse Cognac. During his career in the world of spirits and hospitality, he has worn many hats, including but not limited to, shaking drinks as a bartender, owning an award-winning Paris bar, and now educating the world on the Cognac category. So tune in as we share Sullivan’s story with all of you, while we also continue our discussion on the myriad of career opportunities that now exist for today’s generation of craft bartenders.
Changing jobs can be a stressful enough in the bar world, and those issues are only magnified in a COVID world. There are many layers to sort out for yourself as you pivot from bartender to brand ambassador to brand consultant like this week's guest, so we have a feeling that this episode will be particularly pertinent for those considering a career shakeup. So join us this week as Brooke Arthur (formerly of House Spirits, Tales of the Cocktail: Best American Brand Ambassador 2015) shares with us the factors to keep in mind when switching jobs and switching cities.
Read MoreRunning a magazine that is geared towards the cocktail business is a feat all in itself, but what do you do when the bars you cover are all shut down due to quarantine? In other words, how do you ensure the survival of an industry magazine when the industry itself has taken such a brutal hit? To help us better understand the struggles that face today’s cocktail press we are joined by Hamish Smith (editor of CLASS magazine, Bars Editor of Drinks International, and UK Chair The World's 50 Best Bars.)
Read MoreMany of us in the bar business only mingle with attorneys when we are having legal troubles or serving a lawyer at the bartop. Which means that much too often bartenders are opening bars and entering business arrangements without someone in their corner handling the legal issues surrounding the paperwork. To help us make some sense around this oft confusing topic, we are joined by Daniel Eun, a star bartender who also happens to be a practicing attorney.
Read MoreThis week we are joined by Salvatore Calabrese, one of the most iconic and acclaimed bartenders of the modern era. In addition to creating the Breakfast Martini and authoring over a dozen books, he is also the man credited with fathering one of the most renowned versions of the Martini that the world has ever seen: The world-famous Duke’s Martini. So tune in this week as Mr. Calabrese shares his philosophy on cocktails and hospitality
Read MoreIt is hard to find another category in the bar world that is both as mysterious, yet as historically rich as vermouth. While bourbon and rum trainings and seminars are a dime a dozen, finding one on vermouth can be a difficult task. Which is why this week we are joined by world-renowned expert on the subject, Roberta Mariani, who is the Global Ambassador of Martini.
Read MoreFlipping through old cocktail books for research and development can be very intimidating, especially when these books date back to the 1800s and earlier. Oftentimes the verbiage is ambiguous and the measurements are archaic. Because of how daunting this can be on this week's episode we discuss collecting vintage bar guides and cover how best to recreate classic recipes. To help aid in the conversation, we are joined by the illustrious San Francisco bartender, Marco Dionysos.
Read MoreThis week we are joined by Reid Mitenbuler, the author of Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey. So tune in as we trace back to bourbon's early days and its place in US history. In addition, we discuss the many myths surrounding this noble spirit and why they can be every bit as important as the facts.
Read MoreFor this week's episode we are joined by Chris Cabrera, National LGBTQ+ Portfolio Ambassador for Bacardi. Cabrera is the first ever person to hold this newly created position in the industry, so we have a lot to talk about, as we discuss what the role entails and why it we believe it will soon become the norm for brands around the world.
Read MoreFor this week's episode, we are joined by acclaimed bartender, James Beard Award winning author, and the chief operating officer of Gin and Luck (Death & Company, Proprietors LLC) Alex Day. He is no stranger to creating and recreating incredible cocktails either for his bars or for his books, which is why when we got him to sit down with us, we decided to discuss and examine the philosophy of what makes a "good drink."
Read MoreThis week we are joined by James Beard Award-nominated writer, Julia Bainbridge, author of Good Drinks: Alcohol-free Recipes For When You're Not Drinking For Whatever Reason. In this episode we discuss the true potential of non-alcoholic cocktails and as well as how to create them. In addition, we also discuss why showcasing them on your menu is not only good business, but also great hospitality.
Read MoreFor this week's episode we sit down with CEO and co-founder of Siponey, Amanda Victoria, (formerly of St. Germain, Lillet and Belvedere Vodka) and discuss her journey into entrepreneurship and the launch of her own ready to drink cocktails. Launching a new spirits company in such a competitive market is already hard enough, but to do so during a global pandemic just takes it all to a whole new level. So tune in to hear her story and learn about what it takes to bring your business to fruition from concept to shelves.
Read MoreIn this episode of the show, we take a look at the issues of exploitation and imperialism surrounding tiki culture and bars. We all love a well-made Mai Tai, but how do we make sure that our level of appreciation does cross the line and become disrespectful. To help better understand and explore the issues surrounding this we are joined by Bay Area bartender, Samuel Jimenez.
Read MoreFor this episode we are joined by Adrienne Stillman, the author of Spirited: Cocktails from Around the World. This book of hers, which was just released, is an impressive collection of over 600 recipes and is packed with loads of history and information. Putting together a encyclopedic book like this is no simple feat, so to help us learn more about what the process was like we got a behind the scenes look from the author herself. Tune in as we talk about everything from seasonal eggnog to cocktail anthropology to the creation process behind one of host's own drinks, which is featured in the book.
Read MoreSo many of us in this industry live our lives as though we are indestructible. Working way too much, staying up until all hours and always on the move, but what happens when the unexpected strikes and you are forced to shift priorities? That is exactly what happened to this week's guest when he was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer a couple of months ago and his entire world was turned upside down.
Read MoreWhile the industry as a whole has made some progress in regards to sexism, unfortunately there is still a long ways to go in regards to achieving true equity. One does not have to look very hard to find instances of overt sexist language in popular spirits publications or even demeaning imagery in the marketing of whiskey itself. To help us explore this issue more in depth, we are joined by Becky Paskin (spirits writer, co-founder of Our Whisky, and International Wine & Spirits Competition: Spirits Communicator of the Year for 2021.) So tune in as we examine the issues surrounding this complex subject and discuss steps that we can take as an industry to move forward.
Read MoreWorking in the bar biz can be really taxing on you mind, body and spirit. In between the late nights of cocktails, shots and greasy food, it is easy to spend so much time taking care of others that we forget to take care of ourselves. Luckily, there are some good people in the industry who are trying to not only raise awareness regarding the importance of self-care, but they are also planning to do something about it. Which is why this week, we are joined by the founders of Focus on Health, Alex Jump and Lauren Paylor. So tune in as they tell us about their project and what they are doing to help improve the lives and longevity of today's bartender.
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