Shift Drink

Barrell Bourbon roared onto the liquor scene less than a decade ago with a plan. Founder Joe Beatrice had tired of his career in tech and made the big leap into the whiskey business right as the bourbon craze hit high gear. He left New York City and moved to the heart of Bourbon country in Kentucky. Joe decided that he would source only the best distillates, operate ethically in an industry known...

Eli Sanchez spent the last 5 years working as a bar manager, General Manager, and cocktail guru for two of our restaurants, The Inferno Room and Rook . But, like many of us that cut our teeth in the 90’s, craft cocktails weren’t even part of the experience in the beginning of our careers. He spent 12 years working at one of the city’s old school watering holes, The Elbow Room, wh...

Josh Davis and I had been planning on doing an episode for several weeks. But we both got busy and never got on that Skype call. And then May 29th came. On that day, Amy Cooper weaponized the police in Central Park while the Minneapolis Police Department murdered George Floyd. Four days later the country was on fire, literally and figuratively. So Josh and I made time for that phone call. A police...

Nico Palazzi is one of the country’s most respected importers. His company, PM Spirits , is known as THE purveyor of fine spirits (listen to our previous show, Unicorn Booze with Nico Palazzi ). He is constantly traveling, tasting, choosing casks, and working with small, craft producers all over Europe. In March, that all ground to a halt. Some of the places most affected by COVID-19 –...

Sother Teague has built a small empire in New York City. He’s a partner and operator of numerous bars, including the acclaimed Amor y Amargo in the East Village. He’s the co-host of The Speakeasy . He’s been a professional chef. A culinary school instructor. A mentor. And now he’s come to the toughest obstacle of his career – getting through a global pandemic. We&#821...

NOTE: This episode was recorded a week before the country went on lockdown from COVID-19. The Bartender’s Handshake is a phrase used to define a way in which bartenders often greet one another upon arrival to each other’s bars, or as a thank you on the way out the door – with a shot. And over the last decade, that “handshake” has increasingly become synonymous with on...

This week’s episode comes during a time of uncertainty for the restaurant industry. Will we make it out of this? If we do, will customers come back for cocktails? Is this a Second Great Depression? While those things are yet to be answered, there is one thing to remember. The original exotic bar was born out of the Great Depression – Don The Beachcomber! It is with his spirit that I&#8...

Strange times we’re in. A virus has killed tens of thousands already in the last few months, all non-essential businesses are closed, and the entire hospitality industry disappeared overnight. This podcast has always served as a temporary escape for me – a way to ignore what’s going on around me, if only for an hour (in the same way Tiki does). It’s a way for me to connect...

Sven Kirsten is one of the key figures in the modern Tiki revival that we are now enjoying in the 21st century. As a young cinematographer, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in filmmaking. As history would have it, the city was undergoing a sort of devolution and departure from the Mid-Century design that had influenced Southern California during the preceding decades. Motels were being d...

It’s been several years since we discussed the often confusing subject of Japan’s native spirit – Shochu! Today I welcome Tetsuro Miyazaki of iichiko Shochu and Lindy Wyss of Davos Brands to add to our knowledge base of Shochu culture, the importance of koji in the fermentation step of production, and how United States bartenders are helping to shape new Shochu products that are...

Anaïs Brisson has Cognac running through her veins, literally and figuratively. She was born and bred in the region, her family is in the business, and she’s spent her career working with everyone in the area – from the large, multinational brands to the small, family-owned producers. She’s now working as U.S. Sales Manager for Cognac Park. So who better than to give us a rundown...

Luke Tobias, the operating partner of the famous Kuma’s Corner in Indianapolis joins the show this week to talk about the now-legendary boutique burger bar. He’s went from a line cook there nearly 13 years ago to operating partner. And he’s seen it all. The place is unapologetic in its attitude – from the spiked-collar tattooed crew, the blaring death metal playlists, giant...

Camper English is back! A few years ago he was just starting his research into dangerous cocktail ingredients after several blog posts on his blog, Alcademics . After a several seminars and a grant from the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation he launched CocktailSafe.org . The website is dedicated to spreading awareness of potentially harmful, yet all-too-common, ingredients that might make their way...

Claudia Bailoni was raised around apricots and apricot schnaps. Her family has owned orchards and stills since the 19th century and she spend her youth helping harvest apricots from the ground for the family business, aptly named Bailoni . And now that we’re in the midst of a craft cocktail revival, Claudia is helping her family forge a path forward and looking for new ways to integrate a sp...

Martin & Rebecca Cate returns to the show this week to talk about the Cult of Tiki. The Smuggler’s Cove book is an award-winning book that is used by home bartenders and professionals alike, and has inspired thousands of people to look beyond the cocktails and learn more about the artwork and history of tiki. The co-author of the book is Rebecca Cate, who did the in-depth research (wher...

I’m back in the United States and I’ve got some stories to tell. I wasn’t nearly eaten by a tiger, and there were no glasses of jackal-infused moonshine like Arthur (see Black in Black: Arthur Returns from the Far East ) – but I DID meet some great people, many of whom you’ve heard on the past 5 episodes, ate the best street food on the planet, and was witness to some...

Niks Anuman seems to be ever-present in Bangkok’s cocktail scene. He runs two successful bars in an up-and-coming part of Chinatown. Though his voice is soft but his enthusiasm is contagious. He first opened Teens of Thailand in a seedy neighborhood of the city called Soi Nana, serving Spanish-style gin and tonics to just a handful of diehards. Within a few years he expanded and opened anoth...

Sylvester Fedor is relatively new to Bangkok and he’s already helping to lead the charge in the craft beer revolution in Southeast Asia. As the General Manager of Mikkeller in Bangkok, he’s on the front lines and is the gatekeeper for many of the specialty brews being imported into Thailand. I caught up with Sylvestor just after the conclusion SEA Brew , an annual craft beer conference...

Sebastian De La Cruz started working in bars in Stockholm where he was born and raised. A visit to Clover Club and Death & Co. in New York changed everything for him. He returned home and quit school to work at a Tiki bar. And thus began his obsession with tropical cocktails (and Donn Beach). At 27-years-old he decided to move to Thailand with no knowledge of the language or culture. He initia...

Vijay Mudaliar is a soft-spoken gentleman in Singapore. He runs a small bar named Native that seats no more than 30 people. But the way he operates his bar is revolutionizing the way to think about waste, sustainability, and responsible bartending. From drinking vessels made of oyster shells, coasters from lotus roots, murals painted with vegetable dye, and even going so far as to weigh the amount...

Ronan Keilthy has made quite a name for himself in recent years – despite being just 22-years-old. He works for Proof & Company , the company behind some of Singapore’s (and the world’s) best bars. He tends bar at 28 HongKong Street – considered ground zero for Singapore’s craft renaissance. But what put him a world stage this year was the Clairin World Championsh...

Jessica Taylor worked her way through beer bars in the 90’s, slinging drinks that ended in “tini”, and learning the craft. After spending several years with J.W. Marriott, she transitioned to an education role with Southern Wine and Spirits. As the head of mixology and education for the state of Indiana, she’s continued to build the Southern Spirits Academy. Her 16 week pro...

Winemaker Drew Voit, when interviewed by Wine Enthusiast, said “I promise compromise-free, non-efficient, non-cost effective, hyper-focused winemaking.” And that is Drew in a nutshell. He is obsessed with the terroir of Oregon, and he’ll stop at nothing to make sure his grapes have a voice. He knew from a young age that he would be involved in farming somehow, after all it was the family bus...

Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It can be difficult to pronounce for non-native speakers so, rather than just order a bottle and learn more about the wine, we often pass it over and order something that doesn’t make us look like bumbling fools in front of the sommelier. And we miss out on one of the great wine regions of the world – a region that has been cherished for its wine for centuries &#82...

Bill Kennedy, the Founder and Operator of Backbone Bourbon Company, joins us this week to talk about his path from young bartender in the 1970’s, to sommelier in the 1980’s and 90’s, and finally to his own distributorship and Bourbon label. It was a circuitous path that involves being thrown to the wolves on the dining floor, a business deal gone bad, and some side trips to India...