Lush Life

My grandmother was the hippiest woman alive - she would have fit in at the coolest cocktail bar in any town. Her drink of choice was the Whisky Highball - which is having its heyday right now. But not just any whisky would do - there was only one, and it had to be Dewar’s . As you can imagine, my guest today loved that story. Why? Because he is Global Brand Ambassador. Needless to say, Fraser Camp...

Being the first female senior bartender at the Savoy’s American Bar in over 100 years and now Brand Ambassador for one of the oldest gins in the world - you know that making history comes easily to our guest. Finding good wifi in Cornwall, well, that’s hard! I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is Lush Life Podcast, where every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a t...

One ingredient does not a cocktail make, but it’s a great place to begin. Our guest is breaking it all down for us in his new Youtube channel, and that’s not the only thing on his plate.  I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time.  By the way, did you know I have a weekly newsletter?  I...

It’s not every day that I can say my guest has gone from tanks to tonic. His French 75s now come in a glass, and he’s never looked back. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is the Lush Life Podcast, where every week, we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time. Incessantly curious and globally mobile, Charles Gibb, CEO of Fever-Tree North America, is always ready for...

It’s not uncommon that a Scot would be the UK Brand Ambassador of one of the most iconic whisky brands in the world unless, of course, that brand is Jack Daniel’s, born and bred in the US of A. Cam Dawson proudly flies the flag of the one and only Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whisky. He is definitely not the only one flying that flag as it is the “biggest selling whiskey in the world.” Plus, it has tha...

Hello everyone, and welcome back for Season 5 of Lush Life. We begin this season with an author, a speaker, a liveryman at the Worshipful Company of Distillers, Keeper of the Quaich, and, most of all, a champion of whisky. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week; we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time. Eddie Ludlow is all of those things...

What a year... I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time. I keep thinking of something that my past guest Johnny Livanos told me  - his grandfather picked the restaurant business because he knew that everyone would always need somewhere to eat.   Unfortunately, he had no idea that we wou...

What a few months we have had. I can’t ignore that most of the world has been stuck inside while bars and restaurants have had to close because of the coronavirus. Since all bars and restaurants were closed, I know I’ve had to make myself a cocktail or two or many. Thank goodness I had advice from the world’s best - the Lush Life family. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lu...

When everyone you serve wants a Pina Colada, how do you keep up with global cocktail trends? Our guest’s story proves where there’s a will, there’s a way! I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time by everyone in this industry.  Daniyel Jones, Global Brand Ambassador for the House of Angostura , c...

People may think that nursing and bartending are two worlds apart, but they’re not. They both take care of people, always have a smile, and make you feel better. Our guest was about to follow that path, if he hadn’t found himself behind the bar. Now he has risen to the top and treating people to his cocktail creations. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, ev...

Usually at this time of year, I am with my Greek-speaking boyfriend drinking greek spirits on our yearly pilgrimage to a greek island. Yet, it took a chat with my guest today to understand that Greek spirit is not only about what’s in your glass, it’s so much more. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a...

It’s rare that one would move to another country purely because of how it looked in a film...but our guest did just that and it only took the perfect job opportunity to tempt to return to the UK. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time by everyone in this industry.  Jack Sotti, Senior Tanqueray...

The motto for Hendrink’s Gin is “No other gin tastes like Hendrick’s Gin because no other gin is made like Hendrick’s Gin.” That sentiment could be true about anyone I interview, but it’s especially apropos in regards to my guest today, Hendrick’s Gin UK Brand Ambassador. Sasha Filimonov never set out to be in the hospitality industry, in fact, she was on track to having her dream job when the fin...

Could you imagine getting a job in one of the most iconic bars in the world off of an advert on Gumtree, the global classifieds ads website. Our guest did and it kick-started a career in the industry that would take her all over the world. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time by everyone in this i...

We left our guest just as she was finishing up her Diageo Global World Class Competition experience. For those of you who missed part 1, go back to the previous episode and start there! Now is the time to delve into Part 2 of our interview with Lauren Mote and discover where she landed when she brought food, wine and work together. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Lif...

If you add together the story of winning the Diageo World Class Competition in Canada, then of launching one successful company, and finally, of becoming the first Diageo World Class Global Cocktailian, you’ve just combined a few of the many ingredients that make up our guest today. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life...

Whether someone gives it to you or you buy it for yourself, a one-way ticket out of town can, in some cases, mean the end of one life and the beginning of a new one. In our guest’s case, this was the start of something great. Landing in London, the light turned green and he was off. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life...

Not everyone has the foresight at a young age to know who British Philosopher Alan Watts is and also to heed his advice when planning their future.  Well, our guest did and maybe that’s why he is the brand ambassador of one of the most profitable whiskies in the world. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cock...

When you walk into a bar and think this is fabulous. I assure you a whole lot of thought has gone into you having that good time before you’ve stepped through that threshold. For our guest today, it’s been his life’s work to make sure everyone has a good time and his mission is making you leave feeling the same way you came in. I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Po...

I got chatting to the guy sitting next to me at my Level 2 Wine and Spirit Education Trust class - the place you go when you want to learn about the ins and outs of distillation and the history of some of your favorite spirits. As you do, I sparked up a conversation with the Italian by asking him what he did and then he said I am a bartender at the Connaught Hotel and at that moment I knew we woul...

I met today’s guest under pretty cool circumstances. Picture the sit-down dinner of the UK finals for the Diageo World Class competition - one of the hardest cocktail making competitions in the country. There were eleven finalists and each table of ten was served by one of the competitors for the night. At my table was one of the senior bartenders of the American Bar of the Savoy Hotel - it’s toug...

I don’t know who said you should never meet your idols, but they got it wrong this time. My guest today is drinks’ podcasting royalty, and from the first moment I contacted this king of the airwaves, he was raring to join the Lush Life family  I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is, Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time by everyone...

I always say how much I love the spirit world and now during this crisis they have come together to support each other in ways that would have seemed incomprehensible just a few months ago. From making hand sanitizer, to delivering cocktails at home, to supporting the medical workers worldwide, the hospitality industry has stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park.  Today we meet...

This is a biggie and I am not ashamed to scream out. It’s Lush Life’s 150th episode and if that weren’t exciting enough my guest is Elliot Ball of among many other bars he runs, the Cocktail Trading Co. !  What does it take to do 150 eps?  The support of all of you who listen to the stories that inspire us to live life one cocktail at a time by the best in the industry. The best producer...

The Bright Young Things were a group of rich, indulgent aristocrats who between the two wars entertained themselves by dressing up, posing and performing.  All this gaiety was caught on camera by the incomparable and controversial Cecil Beaton. One thing is for sure, if they were alive now, all their fun would be had at Claridge’s with cocktails conceived by our guest today! Denis Broci makes...