Show de Vie Podcast

Tomas Estes has dove head first into every annal the world has had to offer. From many successful restaurants to the globally lauded Tequila Ocho, he has remained transparent and open to every opportunity in this life. This is the first of two chats with the worldly "Dali Lama" of Tequila. His achievements and impact on the world of hospitality will be forever felt. We chat Peter Fonda, fatherhood...

Robin Nance of Auchentoshan Single Malt Whisky could be considered a modern Whisky icon, but she has lived a few other lives before this one. At a young age, Robin was drawn to photography both behind and in front of the lens. This artistic spirit drove her to travel the world and ultimately end up in LA to pursue acting. Many stand up comedy sketches and auditions later, Robin entered the hospita...

The road to spirits is often an unpredictable one, and as a predilection towards research turned its focus to distilleries, Dr. Nicholas Morgan's relationship with Scotch began. 26 years later, Dr. Nick is now one of the world's esteemed experts of Scotch serving as Diego's Head of Whisky Outreach. From an aspiring guitarist in Oxfordshire to a singular protagonist for Scotch whisky against Bourbo...

Cheech Marin is known for his comedy, wit, and unforgettable voice. But most people don't know that his career in the spirits industry has just begun with Trés Papalotes Mezcal . Cheech has clearly been a pioneer in the promulgation of Mexicano art and culture, but the path to Mezcal has been a fateful one. We sip, chat, and crack jokes about a few orange figureheads.

Like many shining personalities in this industry, music is an underlying theme and motivator. For Del Maguey's Evan Meeker, the fiddling road brought him to Mezcal. A creative upbringing in Colorado intersected with multiple hospitality jobs and the spark was then ignited. From behind the bar, to distribution, Evan's career has dipped into many facets of this industry, but has now dived in the cul...

2 teachers, 2 different paths. Bryan Winslow and Tim Bullock started in completely different areas with completely different interests, but a serendipitous meeting whilst working at Austin Beerworks spawned a beautiful working relationship. With style, nuance, and a wide creative lens, St. Elmo Brewing Company was born. The south Austin destination pairs great beers, ambiance, and delicious food w...

Sometimes small town living causes a lust for culture that is rarely paralleled. Jeff Young has traveled the world seeking anything and everything in the wake of leaving Alabama. A love of detail and science matched perfectly with an interest in beer. Seeking brewing opportunities and a way to express his counterculture perspective, Jeff entered the brewing incubator Black Star Co-Op and developed...

  With so many great seminars and events happening at this year's San Antonio Cocktail Conference, it can quickly get overwhelming.  In chronological order, here are a few of my favorites. Agave love, Bowie-dedication, and great whiskey talks... All the details are contained below, don't forget to RSVP (when applicable)!   1.12 Happy Hour Remembering Bowie- Presented by Pioneer Spirits 312 Pearl P...

Chicago native Eric Rosentreter has imbibed all things whiskey and art. A creative force with mixed media and possessing an exceptionally discerning palette for spirits, Eric has seen all annals of the hospitality industry. But perhaps the most career defining chapter was at Chicago's whiskey haven, Delilah's , where he learned the foundational tricks of the trade. Always deconstructing and shifti...

The wanderlust hit Geraldine's Lucas Felak at a very young age. Tending bar in Germany in his teens and growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Lucas has the prototypical hospitality DNA. Although, his additional pursuit of academic enlightenment makes him the perfect weapon. As love brought him to Austin, the best chapter yet started to unfold. Lucas has established himself as an expert on whiskey and...

Texan at heart, and Oregonian at mind, Jacob Grier has had an amazing trek leading him to the publishing of his first book "Cocktails on Tap: The Art of Mixing Spirits and Beer". What started as path destined for political lobbying in DC turned askew into the world of coffee. This foundation in flavors and terroir ultimately spawned a deep interest and chronicling of cocktail composition. Many yea...

Most Scotland natives take advantage of the vast array of scotch resources while in the country, but for Glenfiddich's David Allardice, a circuitous journey to the states led him to the delicious spirit. David developed an early passion for hard core techno and turntables that now make him the ultimate brand ambassador. And as cocktail culture becomes more evolved, where does the traditional Scotc...

Whiskey is known to bring communities together, but for Still Austin Whiskey Co's co-founder and CEO Chris Seals, it brought a son and father together. Still Austin Whiskey Co aims to bring back ancient flavors and hyper-local agriculture with a new vision on producing whiskey within the city limits. With an elegant new facility catering to interactive whiskey composition, Still Austin Whiskey Co...

When a small town's ability to create careers and new opportunities seems bleak, you go off to study marketing at Texas Tech; or so the story goes. Scott Willis comes from a small Texas town, but has created a big Texas Tequila after he pursued the music business in Austin, Texas. Combining tech, promotional, and web experience, Scott answered an ad that quickly tossed him into the world of Tequil...

First, David Suro extols the thought process and production methods for his innovative new project Siembra Valles Ancestral. The resulting Tequila is so vivid, dynamic, and supple that your thoughts on the flavor of Tequila may forever be changed. Then, the living legend Mr. Carlos C. Camarena talks about this life and how he was born into the tequila industry. A man of nuance, exceptional taste,...

Tis the season!   It's been a great year of creativity and distillation. Today on SDV I make 12 suggestions for great boozy gifts this holiday season. Let's look past the Pappy and BTAC to truly gift the greatest work in bottle today. In not particular order (and from left to right): Copper and Kings Butchertown Brandy - $65 62% abv Mezcal Vago Madre Cuixe by Emigdio Jarquin - $99 51.7 abv Gracias...

Happy Repeal Day! To further celebrate and cheers to the progress of booze, why not buy yourself a bottle of personalized wine? Today's chat with PersonalWine.com founder Alex Andrawes dives into serendipity, the UT experience, and how a well traveled youth can lead to a deep passion with wine. This "oil kid" has traveled all over the world and leveraged his college broker gig to understand when t...

We've all concluded our busy nights with a sip or 2 of the finest aperitif, Fernet. The late night favorite has established itself as one of the cult hits of the hospitality industry. And here, deep in the heart of Texas, Georgia native Megan Sparks carries the torch for the beloved spirit. Gymnast turned sculpture and cocktail mastermind, Megan has been dubbed the "Fernet Fairy" and no more aprop...

War, political turmoil, religion, and more with Diageo Reserve's Jorge Raptis. A true aficionado of all things agave, Jorge is both Greek and Mexican; an interesting combination that spills hospitality and cordiality. From early days in Mexico to the career influencing years in Houston, Jorge has been driven to learn, greet, and pair the best minds together. In the midst of a massive reorganizatio...

The cocktail revolution is upon us, but the coffee revolution is now intersecting perfectly. With amazing flavor combinations and coffee innovations, you would think Fleet Coffee in Austin, TX is the newest Texas cocktail haven. It is in fact an incubator for amazing flavor combinations constructed by the 2 least pretentious gentleman you'd expect. Patrick and Lorenzo both worked their way through...

Alexis Piotrowski is the perfect template for bar efficiency and no nonsense staff management. An early athlete and found object artist, Alexis found her destiny was in the hospitality industry. With varying experience serving shots, margaritas, and every other iteration of alcoholic beverages you can imagine, Alexis brought her impressive resume to Austin where she brought the original Jackalope...

Longtime guitarist and touring musician Aaron Beavers has been selling whiskey from the stage for years. Once he strummed his first guitar, he was hooked and writing hooks in no time. From Arizona to Colorado to Hawaii, Aaron has followed his passion for music and after years of writing, a pay to play gig in LA catapulted his music career. But as his rise to fame came to an apex, Napster was just...

It's the one year anniversary of Austin's Infinite Monkey Theorem winery: a reinvention of the classic concept; reasonably priced, ethically produced, and completely transparent wine production all under a roof in the city limits. The wonderful couple Aaron and Meredith Berman are the masterminds behind the Austin landmark. They are business savvy, artistic, and sharing the great flavors of Texas...

It's Martine-y time! To celebrate the launch of the Martine Honeysuckle Liqueur , today on SDV we talk to its creators and massive influences on the Texas spirits scene, Dee and Gary Kelleher. From Texacello, Dripping Springs Vodka, to Pepe Z tequila, Dee and Gary have been at the forefront of creating exciting products to firmly establish Texas as a haven for distilled spirits. What started as a...

Texas rears its head again upon the global cocktail stage. From early days in the Houston music scene, to an academic pursuit of design, Claire Sprouse's shift to the hospitality industry was the perfect platform for her creativity, love of sociology, and passion for design. Unassuming and brilliant perfect illustrates Claire's level of perceptiveness and abilities behind the bar. A single Gin com...