Bartender at Large

Making the leap from bartender to brand ambassador can be precarious jump, yet so many bartenders who take on the role receive little to no training. For years this left many brand ambassadors unable to acheive their full potential in their new position, as they were never thoroughly shown the ropes. Luckily for them however, Elayne Duff (former Brand Educator with Diageo and Bar Rescue,)  has cre...

The rise of Two Schmucks has been the story of the underdog in many ways, as it was opened with practically no budget, yet it immediately rocketed to the top of the industry --even placing in the top ten at this year's 50 Best Bars. However, behind the scenes there was turmoil and turbulence, which eventually lead to the ouster of the bar's leader and visionary, Moe Aljaff. Tune in to this week's...

For this special episode of the show, we are joined by Jessi Pollak, the 2022 World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year, who is here to tell us about her experiences in taking first place for the United States. In addition, she is here to spread the word on how folks can sign up and compete for themselves, so tune in now to hear more. This episode presented by Diageo Bar Academy https://www.diageobar...

On this week's episode, we are joined by New York Times cocktail writer, Robert Simonson, and take a deep dive into his most recent book Modern Classic Cocktails: 60 plus stories and recipes from the new golden age in drinks. Tito's 25th Anniversary https://www.titosvodka.com/stories/25th-anniversary/ Sponsored by Tito's Handmade Vodka _____________________________________ Join us every Monday as...

This week we are joined by the award-winning bartender, consultant and educator, Ms. Franky Marshall. Over the years, she has received countless accolades and worked at some of the world's top bars, including Dead Rabbit, and Clover Club. Due to her celebrated and prolific career, we discuss how she got started in the biz, as well as the early days of the craft cocktail renaissance. We also discus...

This week we are joined by Sierra Clark (founder) & Morgan Schick (brand director) of Brucato Amaro and hear their story behind their line of award-winning amaros. Whereas many amaro makers in America attempt to create a product that replicates the flavor of their Italian counterpart, they instead decided to take their inspiration from the Golden State of California to creat something truly unique...

For this week's episode, we decided to shine the spotlight on Cachaça, the beautiful and poorly misunderstood native spirit of Brazil. To lead us through this education, we are joined by the director of marketing for Novo Fogo, Luke McKinley. So tune in as we discuss the production, history and present of this incredible cane spirit. Cocktail Limelight: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRziiIEtY...

This week we have an extra special episode with featured guest, Chuck Klosterman, New York Times bestselling author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs; I Wear the Black Hat; But What If We're Wrong?; and most recently, The Nineties, which was released to widespread acclaim earlier this year. In the book, Klosterman examines all things 1990s including the decade's fascination with clear drinks such as...

So often when the history of the craft cocktail is told and retold, the contributions and perspectives of women are sadly left out. But what if you were to learn that some of the earliest and most popular books featuring drinks recipes were written by women? Although, this definitely the case, this fact is still largely unknown to many cocktail lovers. To help shed some light on this forgotten per...

With a brutal heatwave hitting folks across the industry, we thought that there was no better time to explore the world of boozy popsicles, ice cream, and agua frescas. To help shed some light on this genre of cocktails, we are joined by Andrew "Coco" Cordero, partner at Zonkey Fresh Aguas & Paletas, a new venue showcasing frozen Mexican treats. So tune in & learn some actionable advice on creatin...

On this week's episode of the show, we are joined by award-winning bartenders and entrepreneurs, Simone Caporale (Muyu Liqueurs, P(OUR) Symposium, SIPS Drinkery House) & Luca Missaglia (Bar Director Aqua Group, CODE Hospitality's 30 under 30.) These two have not only worked at some of the top bar's in the world and launched their own amaro, Amaro Santori, but now they have created an online educat...

Sean Finter's journey might not be possible in any other industry.  After failing to graduate high school he has joyfully spent his life in bars and restaurants and it's taken him to over 50 countries. From washing dishes in Canada, to managing bars in England, to owning his own bar group in Australia. Act 2 of his career is as a coach and consultant. He founded a consulting firm that grew to 8 co...

On this week's episode of the show, we are joined by the dynamic duo of distilling at St. George Spirits, Lance Winters, master distiller, and Dave Smith, head distiller. Now that the distillery is commemorating its 40th Anniversary there is much to celebrate for these two, as they share with us their journey in spirits. So tune in as we discuss everything from philosophies on distilling to breaki...

On this week's episode, we are joined by 2018 SpeedRack champion and general manager of the award-winning bar, Attaboy in New York, Haley Traub. In our chat, we discuss her experiences competing on a national stage, as well as the pitfalls and opportunities involved with running a bar without a menu. _____________________________________ Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, i...

Today we are joined by the owner of the James Beard award-winning bar, The Violet Hour, Toby Maloney. In addition to that he is also partner and beverage director at Mother's Ruin in Chicago and over the years, he has tended bar some of the finest bars in the world including, Milk & Honey, Flatiron Lounge, and Pegu Club. This week he is here to talk about his new book, The Bartender's Manifesto, a...

This week, we are joined by Tamika Hall & Colin Asare-Appiah, the co-authors of Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology. The book is set to be released this month on July 26th and showcases the accomplishments & historical impact of Black people in Mixology. This is done not only through a primer on pivotal events in the history of cocktails, but also via cocktail recipes from s...

In this week's episode, we are joined by Jesse Vida, a bartender who over the years has worked behind the stick at some of the best bars in the world, which include Dead Rabbit, Booker & Dax, BlackTail, and Dutch Kills. However, a few years ago he left the U.S.to run bars overseas in Singapore and quickly fell in love. But after three & a half years as general manager at the award-winning ATLAS, h...

In this week's episode, we are joined by Noel Venning, co-owner of Three Sheets in London, which made the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2020. The reason why we are so thrilled to have him on is because he and his business partners have not let the pandemic slow down the momentum of their hospitality group. In the last couple of years they have launched cocktail and wine mail order, a wine bar and a...

The week take a deep dive into the world of non-alcoholic spirits, including the production and the sensory experience around it. To guide us along our path, we are joined by Maria Denton, sommelier & bartender turned Lyre's Spirit Co. Brand Ambassador. _____________________________________  Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talent...

The week we are joined by gin expert and co-founder of Portobello Road Gin, Jake Burger. He is an expert on all things gin not only with his spirits brand, but also at his bar Portobello Star and the educational series that he leads at the Ginstitute in London. So tune in this week and learn about his studies in juniper, as well as his free ebook, An Anthology of 12 Classic Cocktails. Get his book...

For this extra special episode, we partnered up with our friends at Diageo Bar Academy to discuss beer and stout cocktails with Global Guinness Ambassador, Padraig Fox. Click link for more info: https://www.diageobaracademy.com/en_us/?utm_source=dba-afl-17&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Affiliate_Tracker&utm_content=dba-afl-17&affiliate=dba-afl-17

This week we are joined by Amanda Carto to discuss community and perspective in the industry. As the former General Manager of Nickel City Austin and now the Texas Community Support at Pouring with Heart, she is in a unique position to discuss the importance of working within the industry to bring about change in a positive way. _______________________________ Join us every Monday as acclaimed bar...

This week we are joined by acclaimed bartender, Joaquin Simo, formerly of Pouring Ribbons and before that Death & Company and currently Alchemy Consulting. In this episode we discuss the state of the industry heading out of the pandemic and the challenges still today's facing bars and restaurants. In addition, we also touch on the logistics involved with reopening a bar when you only have 6 months...

Have you ever wanted to give back to the bar community? Or ever thought of helping your fellow bartenders out through tough times? Well this week's guests, Amanda Gunderson & Travis Nass, have done just that with their non-profit, Another Round Another Rally. They are the co-founders of the organization and over the last few years have lent a hand to thousands of industry professionals when they n...

For our extra special 300th episode, we took it back to the early days of the and brought together a couple of our favorite guests from previous episodes: Toronto bartender & entrepreneur, Evelyn Chick, and Head Mixologist of the Maybourne of Beverly Hills, Chris Amirault. Please join us for this extra long episode where we chat it up in our old-school roundtable format. __________________________...