Over the last few years the public has seen a massive influx of canned and bottled cocktails hit the shelves, but what goes into getting those to market in the first place? Well if you are a billion dollar company it is pretty easy to understand how they take off, but how about if you are just a hard-working bartender with some hustle and a dream?
Read MoreWith the cocktail festival season being thrown into chaos due to covid-19, most events seem to be getting canceled out right. However, Tales of the Cocktail is instead going digital for 2020. What does that entail & how will it affect those "attending" this year?
Read MoreSince we are hitting a huge milestone with episode number 200, we wanted to make sure that we matched that benchmark with a guest of equal stature. Naturally, we thought that there could be no one better suited for the task, than the one and only King of the Cocktail, Dale DeGroff, the acclaimed bartender and author.
Read MoreIn the bartender world, it seems that the most common dream is to own your very own spot. But what happens when that goal turns into something that you regret, and you find yourself falling out of love with the craft that you have dedicated your life to? These is not an easy situation to deal with particularly when the bar is ranked as one of the best in the world, yet you have never been more miserable.
Read MoreWhile many cocktail aficionados out there love to drink a well-made tiki classic when they are out for drinks, trying to recreate traditional tiki recipes at home can be a bit overwhelming, even for the seasoned bartender. Since the ingredient count can often climb as high as ten or twelve components (and sometimes even more than that) in some of these cocktails many people just flat out give up before even attempting any of these drinks.
Read MoreThis week we are joined by Ivy Mix (co-founder of Speed Rack, and Tales of the Cocktail: Bartender of the Year 2015) to discuss her new book, Spirits of Latin America: A Celebration of Culture & Cocktails, with 100 Recipes from Leyenda & Beyond. In addition, she also talks about her involvement with the Independent Restaurant Coalition, a group working to help local restaurants & bars survive the coronavirus.
Read MoreSince so many bartenders are creatures of the night with predictable nocturnal habits, the Covid shutdown has really thrown us for a loop. Due to the fact, that for years we have been staying busy behind the bar by constantly moving and socializing with guests, it has been a particularly difficult transition for many of us to now be sheltered in place with only minimal stimulation.
Read MoreThis week we are thrilled to be joined by the James Beard award-winning author, Brad Thomas Parsons, to discuss his latest book, Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time. A book dedicated to the late night rituals & practices of bartenders across the country.
Read MoreWith the information regarding the Covid-19 shutdown changing from day to day, we decided to link up with Houston bar mogul, Bobby Heugel, so that he could help us decipher what the best plan of action is for today's bars.
Read MoreVodka tends to be a very misunderstood spirit in the modern craft cocktail movement. In the past, we have done episodes on every spirit you can imagine from scotch to tequila from pisco to baijiu, so we decided that it was finally time to finally get deep with vodka.
Read MoreWith the world currently reeling from the effects of coronavirus, the repercussions are so disorienting that they are leaving most of us in a state of not knowing what to expect next. To help us better understand the changes on the horizon, for this episode we go straight to Shanghai to learn from a local expert as to how the bars are maximizing sales with cocktails to-go, while slowly starting to reopen to the public.
Read MoreWe finally decided to turn the tables on the host of the show, Erick Castro, and have him answers some questions for once. After allowing him to interview guests for nearly 200 episodes, we thought it was time to put him in the hot seat. So tune in and listen as he is interviewed by West Coast bartender, Trevor Easter, of the Snug in Sacramento.
Read MoreWith more and more bars are understanding sustainability as a good practice in regards to the environment, many bartenders are beginning to realize that it is good business as well. Because reducing waste behind the bar also reduces costs to your bottom line & that is great news for the financial health of your bar. So tune in this week, as we are joined by a pioneer in sustainable cocktails, Claire Sprouse of Hunky Dory in Brooklyn, and learn more about how sustainability can improve the cocktails at your bar.
Read MoreThis week we are joined by famed author and bartender Jim Meehan for an extra special two part episode. Even in today's high-stakes cocktail world, it can be hard to find anyone in the business with as much experience and as many accolades as Jim Meehan. From James Beard awards to Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, there are very few that have even come close to matching his success in the bar world; so, tune in this week, as he shares his advice and perspective to those coming up in today's industry.
Read MoreAs bartenders & industry professionals, we work with flavor on a near constant basis, yet so much of what we know about it is based on superstition & conventional wisdom as opposed to hard science. To help us better understand the field of flavor from a scientific perspective, we are joined by Bob Holmes, evolutionary biologist and author of the acclaimed book, Flavor: the Science of Our Most Neglected Sense. So tune in for this extra special episode, as we explore the senses and better understand the mysteries of flavor that so deeply impact everything we serve across the bar.
Read MoreConsidering the fact that we are going through a bit of an Irish Whiskey renaissance, it is easy to forget that only 15 years ago the whiskey industry in Ireland was only a shadow of its former self. But all of that has change as Ireland’s native spirit is back on the rise and ready to reclaim its proper place in the spirits realm. To help us learn about the beautiful world of Irish Whiskey, we are joined by Stephanie Shen, Global Brand Ambassador for Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey. So tune in as we talk about everything from barbacking in Dublin to Saint Patrick's Day cocktails.
Read MoreIn this business it is so common to see a bar open up win a bunch of awards & then fizzle out within a few years as staff changes & a places loses its appeal. But what is far more rare is to see a bar that has been open 10 or 11 years growing & innovating, while still receiving accolades & taking home awards. This is exactly what the Connaught Bar has been able to do while under the helm of Ago Perrone & his talented team. To help us better understand the long-game & how to best achieve longevity in the bar world, we had the opportunity to sit down with Perrone, so he could share his views & philosophies on cocktails & hospitality with us.
Read MoreWith the number of vegan & vegetarian guests coming into the bar these days, being able to offer them delicious alternatives to ingredients they do not consume is not only solid hospitality, but simply good business. Which is why this week, we are joined by Megan Daniel of Nari, SF, so that she can help us better understand what constitutes a great vegan cocktail, as well as explore some tried and true methods to recreate alternatives to items such as cream, egg white, butter, etc.
Read MoreIt is hard find another country that has contributed more to the world of craft cocktails than Cuba. From the Daiquiri to the Mojito to the El Presidente, this small country has punched above its weight when it came to creating classic recipes. To help us understand why this is & to further explore the depth of Cuban bar culture, we are joined this week by world-renowned bartender, Julio Cabrera, owner of Miami's award-winning Cafe La Trova.
Read MoreIt is rare to find a more innovative & creative duo in the bar biz than Noel & Max Venning. These two brothers have not only opened an award-winning cocktail bar in London, Three Sheets, but they have also written a ground-breaking cocktail book, Batched & Bottled, a book that simplifies cutting edge cocktails for the layman. So tune in this week, as we listen to the two siblings offer their advice on serving forward-thinking drinks quickly & in a casual setting.
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