The Industry

Aaron Male is an award-winning Toronto, Ontario based bartender, mixologist, and sous chef, with almost twenty years of industry experience. Recently stepping into the role of Canadian Brand Ambassador for Tia Maria and Disaronno , he has worked at some of Toronto’s more popular establishments. He has worked at places like Miss Thing’s , an extremely popular tiki bar and restaurant as well as bein...

This week we are joined by Lauren Ballard from Tampa Bay, Florida . Lauren was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana . Lauren got her start in the service industry as a hostess/ server while still in high school. Lauren attended Syracuse University from 2002 - 2007 where she graduated with a B.S. in Fashion Design with a Minor in Public Communications . While in university, Lauren took the oppo...

This week we are joined by Rodrigo Cedano and Nicole McCallum of Tequila Tromba .  Rodrigo Cedano CEO & COO MEXICO, Apprentice Distiller Some of us search to find our place in the world while others are born into their ideal setting.  Rodrigo Cedano took some of his first steps amongst the agave and has literally grown up developing a passion and unparalleled knowledge of the tequila industry....

Laura Reidy joins the show this week from Hollywood, California . Originally from Lantana in South Florida, Laura started her hospitality career as a hostess while still in high school. Eventually, Laura moved on to serving and ultimately found her calling behind the bar. Laura’s main passion is whiskey, which helped her land the Bar Manager position at APL Restaurant in Hollywood, California. Lau...

This week we are joined by Zac Hoffman from Washington, DC . Growing up in Northern Virginia , Zac began his hospitality career cooking in a small wine bar in Leesburg with a tiny kitchen. Working at night and attending a vocational High School during the day, the itch to create art with food took hold. After a few years of cooking in large and small kitchens, Zac attended The Culinary Institue of...

Bartender, lesbian, activist - Thatta Kimura has been working in the hospitality area in Sao Paulo, Brazil for more than 9 years. She has worked in major recognized and award winning establishments such as Attimo and Frank Bar . In addition to bartending for the past two and a half years - she has served as Manager and team leader at a bar where she was able to implement a 100% female and LGBTQIA...

Monica Carbonell is the Founder and Beverage Director of Liquid Culture . Initially started as an inclusive community that encouraged users to be their very best home bartender, Liquid Culture has evolved in to a multi media production and management company. Monica’s passion for cocktails flourished during her time as a leading Bartender with the iconic team at Canoe Restaurant and Bar , situated...

Michael Ng joins the show this week. Currently residing in Los Angeles, California , Michael is the owner and operator of Behind The Glass Bartending - a boutique bartending company specializing in custom crafted cocktails, flair bartending, creativity, and top notch engaging service. Some of the services that BTG Bartending offers includes everything from bar and restaurant consultations, private...

Erik Rooker joins the show this week. A long time main stay of Ethel’s Lounge in Waterloo, Ontario , Erik grew up in Grimsby, Ontario . Erik got his first start in the Industry as a young teen working at a truck stop. From there, Erik worked many different back of house jobs while working his way through high school. Towards the end of the decade in the 90’s, Erik moved to Kitchener-Waterloo to pu...

This week we are joined by David Suk, Saint Luna Spirits Co-founder and CEO which produces the Premium Saint Luna Charcoal Filtered Moonshine . Prior to starting up a craft distillery, David was working as COO of aden + anais - an award winning lifestyle brand for babies and children. Having developed a solid background in marketing and branding, David came up with the idea to create a modernized...

This is Part 2 of a 2 part interview. Daniel Henderson began his hospitality career in Waterloo, Ontario . Graduating from both Chef Training and Food & Beverage Management programs at Conestoga College , he pursued his Red Seal Qualification at the Waterloo Inn and Conference Centre . Striving for change, Daniel moved west to Vancouver Island where he began studying the art of Sushi under...

This is Part 1 of a 2 part interview. Daniel Henderson began his hospitality career in Waterloo, Ontario . Graduating from both Chef Training and Food & Beverage Management programs at Conestoga College , he pursued his Red Seal Qualification at the Waterloo Inn and Conference Centre . Striving for change, Daniel moved west to Vancouver Island where he began studying the art of Sushi under...

This is Part Two of a Two Part Interview.  Victor Urosevic joins the show this week. Vic has made a career of working security in the bar, nightclub and entertainment scene. Vic has worked at many notable landmarks in Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas such as the Volcano, Lyric, Denim, Palace NightClub, Phils, The Bank Nightclub, Club Abstract, Rum Runners, Jane Bond, Ethel’s, Startlight, R...

This is Part One of a Two Part Interview. Victor Urosevic joins the show this week. Vic has made a career of working in security in the bar, nightclub and entertainment scene. Vic has worked at many notable landmarks in Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas such as the Volcano, Lyric, Denim, Palace NightClub, Phils, The Bank Nightclub, Club Abstract, Rum Runners, Jane Bond , Ethel’s , Startligh...

Adrienn Tomcsanyi joins the show this week. Currently living in Helsinki , Finland - Adrienn grew up in Budapest , Hungary . The first time Adrienn got introduced to the bartending industry was back in her high school days when she studied hospitality and management back in the mid to late 2000’s. It was during this time that Adrienn had an opportunity to travel to Poland and to Finland as an exch...

Andi Whiskey is a successful entrepreneur who has been running businesses since she was 16. This ranged from a skateboard magazine to a private event bartending business to an ecommerce business to a luxury barbershop. Andi is now offering the lessons learned through her experiences with her ventures to bars and restaurants with her hospitality consultancy business. The food & beverage industr...

This week we are joined by Alex Danger. Alex grew up in a hospitality family in Malmö, Sweden in the early eighties. He always enjoyed hanging around kitchens and dining rooms from an early age, and Alex’s parents often brought him to both work and parties. Alex was always fascinated by the idea of hosting, taking care of a crowd and doing everything to create a good atmosphere, but it was ultimat...

Grace Guber - creator and host of The Family Meal Podcast joins the show this week. The daughter of an executive chef, Grace Guber has spent her whole life in and around the restaurant industry. As young as 12, she would work alongside her mother in their tiny kitchen for her mother’s catering company. At 16, she got her first official job in a restaurant as a food runner and since then she has at...

This week we are joined by guests Adam Hynam-Smith Executive Chef of Dispatch Restaurant in St Catherines, Ontario and Eric Robertson Chef of Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Jord an Station, Niagara, Ontario . We talk about tip culture and the benefits of moving to a no-tip structure at restaurants in order to provide a steady income, liveable wage and security for employees in the service industry...

This weeks guest is Olivia Lindstrom who currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . Born and raised in rural Eastern Pennsylvania, Olivia moved to Pittsburgh, PA after highschool to pursue a Biology degree at the University of Pittsburgh . Olivia had always gravitated towards science as a way to understand the world around her. After her laboratory job's project concluded in her junior year...

Gareth Berg is currently the Restaurant Coordinator at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph Ontario . This public facility is owned by the City of Guelph and is home to the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League . In addition to hockey, this 5000+ seat venue also hosts concerts and conventions. Gareth oversees the 240 seat restaurant, 5 bars, 3 kitchens, 32 private suites and 55+ staff. Additionally, G...

Leah has been a craft cocktail bartender and consultant in New York and Australia for the past seven years. Pre-quarantine, you'd find her slinging drinks at The Flower Shop on the Lower East Side and running the bar program for Live Axe in Tribeca. She recently moved to Portland, Oregon, where she runs the only blog for movie reviews accompanied by craft cocktail pairings, created specifically fo...

Born in Moscow Russia, while his Cuban parents worked for the Cuban Embassy during the reign of the USSR, Ulises grew up between his family home in Havana, Cuba and Moscow, Russia. In 2008 he immigrated to Vancouver, Canada where he had his first bartending job at the Russian House VIP bar during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He has since moved to Ontario and settled in Stratford, Ontario where he...

Parker Luthman currently resides in Providence, Rhode Island, where he attended Johnson & Wales University with a focus on learning about business and entrepreneurship. Developing a love for the restaurant industry while in high school, Parker’s original intent was to graduate with his B.B.A. and then enroll in the university’s Culinary Arts Program. While on breaks throughout college, he...

Joey Smith joins the show this week. Joey is currently the head bartender at NoMad in New York City. Joey grew up in Colorado and got his start in The Industry at fast casual restaurants while still in high school. While attending college in Boulder Colorado , Joey got a job at SALT the Bistro where he was introduced to cocktail culture. Once Joey graduated college, he moved to Vail Colorado where...