Bartender at Large

So 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 tu...

While 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...

Working 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 d...

Every year the World's 50 Best Bars releases their list of the top cocktail venues in the industry. This year was no different as the list was just announced less than 24 hours before we recorded this episode with the the staff of this years winner, The Connaught Bar. Tune in as we have a conversation with the team and ask them how they were able to achieve such an admirable and coveted goal. Gues...

If you are a bartender looking to expand your knowledge and skillset behind the bar, then you have no doubt already heard of Diageo Bar Academy. But if not, then this episode is just for you, as this week we are joined by acclaimed bartender, author and proprietor, Tristan Stephenson, who is also a contributor and podcast host for Diageo Bar Academy. So listen in, as he tells us about the program...

While Fever-Tree Tonic is now found in stores around the world, there was once a time not so long ago when the idea of a premium mixer would have seemed ridiculous to the average drinker. Back then, tonic simply came out off of the gun with the average Gin & Tonic connoisseur having no idea what they were actually drinking. So how did the brand seemingly come out of nowhere, yet change the cocktai...

It can be hard to make it in the bar business without someone in your corner rooting for you & showing you the ropes. Especially, when we are going through particularly hard times like today. Which is why this week, we decided to showcase the topic of mentoring with A-K Hada --formerly of PDT, Existing Conditions, and the Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice Program. Whether you are looking for a ment...

For this week's bonus episode, as Lynn House (National Spirits Specialist and Portfolio Mixologist for Heaven Hill Brands) and Erick talk about the difference between living your values and just paying them lip service. And how that applies to the bars that we work in. Get access to weekly bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

How does one go about recreating the lost recipe to a once ubiquitous cocktail ingredient? Dubonnet Rouge was once found on back bars around the world, but eventually was forgotten as the aromatized wine fell out of favor due to lost popularity and a compromise in quality. But Lynn House, star bartender turned brand ambassador, helped lead the charge to bring this key ingredient back to its roots...

Putting out a print magazine as a massive publisher is already a difficult task, particularly during the COVID era. So how hard would it be for someone from within the bar industry to not only attempt this herculean feat, but also to succeed at producing an impressive zine that highlights a diverse crew of bartenders from around the world? Join us this week as we are joined by Rebekkah Dooley (Dea...

There are very few countries that have as a variety of drinking traditions as the United States. While many like to think that the U.S. is a homogeneous culture from coast to coast, they are overlooking the fact that the country is filled with little pockets that each has a distinctive way of imbibing their favorite tipple. Whether it is the near ubiquity of the Brandy Old-Fashioned in Wisconsin o...

It is a great feat to organize an international spirits competition. Especially when the inaugural event is taking place during a global pandemic. If you have ever wondered what exactly goes into evaluating the world's greatest spirits, then tune in this week, as we are joined by Nicolette Teo (co-founder of the LA Spirits Awards) and listen up, as she details everything from how they select judge...

This week we are joined by the award-winning Hollywood director, producer and writer, Paul Feig. He has worked on some cult classic films which include Bridesmaids,  Ghostbusters, Spy, The Heat, etc. While all of that is certainly impressive, you might be wondering what he is doing on podcast about cocktails? Well that is because after a decades long love affair with gin and cocktail culture, Feig...

Our guest this week is Dominic Venegas, a bartender turned brand ambassador, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of both spirits and cocktails. Over the years, he has worked at some of the industry's most influential bars in both San Francisco and New York, including Bourbon & Branch, and the NoMad Bar. During much of this time, he was also working at a boutique bottleshop during the day, so that he...

Giving this episode a title was a bit difficult, as Joe Schofield is so well-versed in so many areas of the cocktail world that it can be quite difficult to narrow things down. He just launched both his own cocktail book and his own vermouth, two things of which would keep any bartender busy. But while he was working on those projects, he was also collecting accolades and awards for both himself a...

How do you go from working a regular 9 to 5 in an office to making cocktails around the world for your 90k Instagram followers? Tune in to hear the story of what it is like to take your passion for cocktails and travel and turn it into a full-time gig. Not only that, but we also dive into their new book and talk about what it is like creating new cocktails and styling them no matter where in the w...

As if this year wasn't tough enough for bars & restaurant, unscrupulous insurance companies are only making it harder for these venues to survive 2020. Although, millions of business owners have been paying into business interruption coverage with their insurance  companies ever since their doors opened, now that the COVID crisis has hit, these same insurance companies have decided to not hold up...

There are very few bars that have made an impact on the industry like the Broken Shaker. The bars can be found from coast to coast in four different cities, but despite the acclaim that it has achieved it was no overnight sensation, as the roots of what gave it birth run deep. So tune in this week as we dive into the origin story of the Broken Shaker with one of the co-founders & legendary Miami b...

In this week's conversation we chat about a wide variety of topics that covers everything from drug-laced punch bowls to launching your own zero-proof botanical drinks. In between, we also discuss deBary's book, Drink What you Want, where he lays down the fundamentals of what you need to know about cocktails, while throwing pretension out the window. Learn more: Drink What You Want: https://www.am...

While many bar books hit the market every year, not many are as impactful as Eric Alperin & Deborah Stoll's Unvarnished: A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar. What you get in this book is not simply another collection of recipes, although it does have those as well. Instead what you get is an insider's look into the business, including all of the highs and just as many lows. The result is an...

It is hard to find anyone else in the spirits business who has done more for the modern rum renaissance then Global Rum Ambassador, Ian Burrell. For over 20 years, he has travelled the globe visiting distilleries, and educating bartenders and rum aficionados. In addition, he is also the founder of UK Rumfest, one of the industry's most prestigious spirits festivals, as well as co-founder of his ve...

Even though the bar industry still in state of uncertainty, a few bars are thriving in the realm of to-go cocktails. The award-winning bar, Navy Strength in Seattle is one of those bars that is not only doing it right, but they are eager to share their recipe for success with everyone else out there. Partly, because they see this as not only an opportunity to get their drinks to thirsty guests, bu...

Join us as take a look behind the scenes of what goes into producing the World's 50 Best Bars list, as well as their charity auction, 50 Best for Recovery, which is raising money to offer as grants to bars struggling due to the coronavirus crisis. We will also be discussing the controversy regarding the ignorant and misogynist statements that were made by an awardee last year that cast a cloud ove...

Maintaining that creative spark can be difficult when you are the onsite manager or operating partner, as sometimes the daily grind of keeping the bar open and guests happy can leave you with no energy for creating cocktails & concepting menus. Which is why for this episode, we wanted to hang out with Joseph Akhavan, owner/operator of Mabel in Paris, a bartender who not only runs an award-winning...

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? Tune in this week for an episode with star bartend...