Bartender at Large

With many bartenders leaving the bar to make the move to a brand ambassador position, we decided to go over some tips on making the transition a successful one. Joining us for this episode, we have bartender turned ambassador, Tom Johnson, formerly of New York hotspot Extra Fancy, but now of Noble Oak Bourbon.    LEARN MORE:   Tom Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/tomjohnson_verified/?hl=en   Nob...

To help us explore the role of the brand ambassador, we decided to hang out with industry legend, Simon Ford, the man who single-handedly helped define the role & what it means today. So, tune in this week & listen to us as we look into the position & what it holds in store.   LEARN MORE:   Simon Ford: https://punchdrink.com/lookbook/simon-ford-co-founder-the-86-company-spirits/   Ford's Gin: http...

With Montreal evolving into such a hotspot for food & drink, w=e decided to head there ourselves and explore the scene there with local bartender, Kate Boushel. Boushel is the Beverage Director of Barroco Group, one of the top hospitality groups in the country, so tune in and learn about what makes the city so unique.    LEARN MORE:   Barroco Group https://www.groupebarroco.com     ===============...

It can be difficult to navigate the transition from a bartender to a business owner & it often seems that many in the industry don't like to share their secrets of success. Thankfully, we are joined this week by Jennifer Colliau, a wildly successful entrepreneur in the bar world, who is the founder of Small Hands Foods and the co-owner of two bar properties. Tune in this week, as she shares her ph...

The smokey peat flavor of Islay Scotch is unmistakable, but how much do you really know about where it comes from & how it is made? To help us separate the fact from the legend when it comes to this iconic spirit, we are joined by Simon Brooking of Laphroaig & Bowmore, and he gets in-depth with the production and history.   LEARN MORE:   Simon Brooking: https://www.instagram.com/simonbrooking/?hl=...

Have you ever wanted to launch your own liqueur? Or wondered what it would take to grow your favorite housemade ingredient into a brand available around the world? Then tune in this week & see how the founders of L'Orgeat almond liqueur managed to do just that after years of making orgeat in their kitchen.    LEARN MORE:   L'Orgeat https://www.lorgeat.com   ==============================   Join us...

Jeff Bell is a man that needs no introduction. He has been behind the bar at the award-winning PDT in NYC for almost a decade and during that time, he has taken first place in Diageo World Class and won American Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail. As if that wasn't enough, he is also the co-founder of Bertoux Brandy, a small-batch California Brandy specifically created with the craft b...

For this episode, we got the chance to sit down with Tales of the Cocktail's Bartender of the Year for 2015, Ivy Mix. Not only is she the co-owner of the award-winning bar, Leyenda, but she is also co-founder of Speed Rack --a cocktail speed competition that showcases women, while raising money to benefit breast cancer research.   LEARN MORE:   Speed Rack http://speed-rack.com     Leyenda https://...

With so much allure and legend surrounding the mysterious & elusive, Club 33 --the hidden bar found inside Disneyland-- we decided to drop in & chat with the bar manager, Matt Ellingson. So tune, as this is a one of kind peek behind the scenes into one of the world's most iconic bars.   LEARN MORE:   Club 33 http://club33disneyland.com   21 Royal https://www.21royaldisneyland.com     =============...

While many of us in the industry have loads of knowledge in regards to cocktails and spirits, not many of us know the ins & outs of the vermouth & aromatized wine. To help us navigate the mysteries of this important cocktail ingredient, we decided to nerd out with vermouth specialist, Jake Parrott of Haus Alpenz. So, tune in this week & learn all about what makes aromatized wines so unique.   LEAR...

Conducting a cocktail R&D session can be quite daunting for the average bar manager or bar team. Since this seems to be a common problem for many in the industry, this entire episode is dedicated to creating the most productive & fruitful R&D sessions at your bar. Joining us this week, is Alicia Perry, manager at Polite Provisions, and the creator of some of the bar's top-selling drinks. So, tune...

For this episode, we filmed in front of a live audience of over 200 bartenders from around the world. Since we were recording in Toronto, we thought who better than, Dave Mitton of Lot 40 Rye Whisky. Dave is one of the original bartenders in the city, who was advocating for and pushing craft cocktails in the early days of the modern-day cocktail renaissance. So, so join us as we talk about leather...

Since running and concepting just one bar is more than enough to keep your hands busy, it can be hard to wrap your head around operating an entire hospitality group. This is why we decided to chat with Detroit entrepreneur, Dave Kwiatkowski (Sugar House, Wright & Company, Detroit Optimist Society.) He already owns 8 restaurants & bars, and is on pace to own 11 soon, so on this episode, he lets us...

While the popularity of Mezcal is blowing up around the world, many folks out there still don't seem to know much about it. To help clear the air & dispel of some popular myths, we sat down with agave expert Emma Janzen, author of Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisanal Spirit and Digital Editor at Imbibe Magazine.    LEARN MORE:   Emma Janzen: http://www.emmajanze...

If you have stepped foot into a craft cocktail bar at sometime in the last 10 years, then you have no doubt enjoyed the work of our guest, Greg Boehm. Greg's company, Cocktail Kingdom, was the driving force behind unearthing lost cocktail books while at the same time recreating classic barware.  In addition, his Christmas pop-ups have fundamentally changed the landscape of what a pop-up is capable...

With coffee culture exploding around the world, we thought that there couldn't be a better time to hang out with Global Kahlua Brand Ambassador, Stephanie Brown, and talk about everything from coffee bean cultivation to cold brew. And of course, the conversation wouldn't be complete without us exploring the history of the Espresso Martini.   LEARN MORE:     Stephanie Brown https://www.instagram.co...

Although, there has never been a better time for cocktails than today, there are still way too many bad drinks being sold to unwitting guests. Is this just the way that things are or is there a better way to move forward as an industry? Tune in as we are joined by world-renowned bartender, Tom Walker (formerly of The American Bar at the Savoy and Bacardi Legacy Global Champion 2014,) and we look a...

Join us as we get in-depth with Irish Whiskey expert, Tim Herlihy. Not only do we explore Irish Whiskey in all of its glory, but we also examine the perfect Irish Coffee & share our musings on what makes Irish pubs so amazing.    LEARN MORE:   Tullamore Dew: https://www.tullamoredew.com   Tim Herlihy https://www.facebook.com/tim.herlihy.1     ==============================   Join us every Monday a...

Being a spirits writer is not an easy gig, especially when you are the editor of one of the world's leading industry magazines. There is so much more that goes into reporting beverage news, than just visiting distilleries and tasting booze. So tune in this week, as we examine what it takes make it as a cocktail journalist in today's bar scene.      LEARN MORE:    Imbibe Magazine: http://imbibemaga...

Far too many people in the bar industry see cocktail creation as a baffling and mysterious act, but this is very often because many of the top drink makers choose not to share their tips and secrets. Or just as likely, perhaps they do not fully understand how they do it. Which is why for this episode we are joined by 2018 Bartender of the Year, Yael Vengroff, and together we pull back the curtains...

For this episode we decided to team up with Ross Simon, of Bitter & Twisted, and play a game where we list three things we hate about the bar world today and three things we love. Tune in as we cut through the b.s. and tell you what's on our mind.      LEARN MORE:  Bitter & Twisted https://bitterandtwistedaz.com   Arizona Cocktail Week https://arizonacocktailweekend.com     =======================...

For this episode dive deep into the world of beer from the perspective of the craft bartender. Not only do we explore the differences between microbrews and the big boys, but we also get you some practical pointers on putting together a killer beer list.    Fall Brewing:    http://www.fallbrewing.com   =======================================   Join us every week as star bartender, Erick Castro, ha...

A couple of years ago there was a big controversy involving Flor de Caña Rum and the health of its field workers. This week let's follow up with them to see what they have been doing been since to improve the health & well-being of those who harvest their sugar cane.  David Powell: https://www.instagram.com/blahsquiat/ Flor de Caña Rum: http://www.flordecana.com/   Fair Trade Certification:    htt...