The Speakeasy

How do you follow up one of the most acclaimed modern classic cocktail books of all time? By writing a modern book about classic cocktails, naturally. Toby Maloney and Emma Janzen sit down to talk about their new book “The Classic Cocktail Sessions” which Toby almost considers a prequel to their first collaboration “The Bartender’s Manifesto.” They talk about their creative process (including who’...

The Speakeasy is off this week BUT we have a special announcement. This show is an official media partner of Tales of the Cocktail 2026. Tune in for live updates from the festival and in the meantime enjoy this classic episode from Club Bardo in Savannah, Georgia. LINKS Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars For resources on dealing with cold hard water agents in your community visit nous...

What’s harder than building out and opening a new cocktail bar in Williamsburg Brooklyn? Building out and opening a new dance floor underneath the bar you just opened. That’s the task Patty Dennison & Ally Marrone set for themselves when they opened up Kinda Nice and Shenanigans earlier this year and in the next few months respectively. They sit down and talk about the buildout, what makes the...

How do you innovate in a world built on luxury and tradition? Justin Meade sits down to talk about how Maison Telmont is innovating to make sustainable champagne. That includes shipping their bottles only by sail power, redesigning the glass and the shape of the bottle itself to be lighter, and partnering with organizations like SailGP and the Billion Oyster Project to reduce their carbon footprin...

The first issue of Imbibe Magazine hit store shelves twenty years ago in 2006. It was a fascinating time to be a drinks magazine because drinks – and magazines – have changed A LOT since then. Paul Clarke, Imbibe’s Editor in Chief sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the last twenty years in the drinks publication’s history: from its Y2K roots to the heady days of the cocktail revolution i...

How does a cocktail menu affect the layout of a bar? How does the floorplan inform your martini spec? These are questions that Matthew Maddy and Milos Zica, the Desinger and Beverage Manager of Williamsburg’s Bar Susanne have been puzzling out. They sit down to talk about designing a bar program almost from scratch, how you build a vibe and feel to a place, their love of raw bars, martinis and sea...

Ever wondered what bar consultants do, and specifically what they do if they’re asked to build a bar inside of a 140 year old Singaporean national monument? Bobby Carey and Tom Hogan of Studio Ryecroft are here to answer that question and more, as they discuss their approach to realizing a high concept venue, building out luxury hotel bars, night clubs and the occasional Irish Pub, and the challen...

The Scottish Highlands are many things, but “tropical” isn’t usually listed as one of them. However, Stewart Walker, distillery manager of Fettercairn Whisky talks about how they’ve found a way to get passionfruit, pineapple, and other notes more commonly associated with tiki cocktails into their Scotch. Stewart talks with Greg and Sother about Fettercairn’s long history in the highlands, their st...

Sotol is not an agave product, but it often gets marketed that way to consumers, posing a conundrum for the folks that make it. Aaron Dujovne, Co-Founder of Casa Lotos Sotol sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about differentiating his product from agave spirits, what makes a desert spoon plant unique, how you market sotol to today’s consumer and how the heck this stuff is distilled anyway PLUS...

 At the end of an alleyway, behind a burrito shop, on a relatively unassuming street in Long Beach is one of the newest Tokyo style speakeasies outside of Japan. Kevin Lee, lead bartender of Tokyo Noir sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the impact of classics on modern bar programs, how to make a high concept cocktail bar accessible to the general public, and what exactly a Tokyo st...

A Natural History Museum-themed cocktail bar is coming to Bushwick and Greg couldn’t be more thrilled. Misha Chavez and Bobbi Adler join the show to talk about their new concept, discuss the “permanent exhibits” that will adorn their menu, (as well as the special exhibits) and break down all the diverse and wonderful ways they draw inspiration from the natural world. From crystals to zombies to ta...

Where do you go for arguably the best pint of Budweiser in America? Why, Wilmington, North Carolina of course, where Robby Dow, formerly of Grand Army in Brooklyn, has opened his new place Bespoke which has been called, on this show, a perfect bar. He sits down to talk with Damon and Greg about the buildout, what it’s like developing a clientele of Regulars outside of a “major market” city, and wh...

What do you do if the spokesperson for your brand is an actual bear? What if the creative partner for your brand is a famous actor from a hit TV show? CEO Anthony Moniello and Actor Gabriel Macht sit down to talk Bear Fight, their whiskey brand that has launched an American single malt, a bourbon aged in reposado tequila barrels, and isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Anthony and Gabriel talk about...

What makes a good sommelier? Encyclopedic knowledge of the wine world? The ability to sell anything to anyone? Or something more empathetic and human? If anyone knows it’s Claire Paparazzo, Wine Director for Sunday Hospitality Group and the Hotel Chelsea. Drawing on her knowledge from such iconic places as Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Claire chats with Greg about the challenge of running four propert...

In another Boomerang! episode from Raleigh, North Carolina Greg sits down with Patrick Shanahan in his new bar space Rosebud to talk about the space, the buildout, and what it took to incorporate influences ranging from Japanese hi-fi lounges to spaghetti westerns to midcentury modern aesthetic. Then, they dive into the vibe and culture of North Carolina’s capital city to discuss where it’s been a...

What is Texification, and why do it to Kentucky whiskey? Heather Greene, Master Blender of Milam & Greene hops on with Greg and Sother to answer that very question. She delves into what the unique climate of Texas does to a barrel of bourbon (or rye), what place whiskey occupies in our lives these days, and how she met the partners in her whiskey supergroup in the first place. PLUS, the kids a...

Ever age tequila in oak, cherry AND acacia barrels? Mijenta Tequila has and Natasha Sofia, their Global Advocacy Director, is here to tell us about it. She dives into their aging process, sustainability, and what it means to actually win the award for Best US Brand Ambassador at Tales of the Cocktail. Editor's note: at 3:46 Natasha misspoke: the second type of wood used is Cherry, not French Oak....

In a special late night edition of The Speakeasy Hennessy Ambassador Sean Johnson joins Greg and Sother to talk about the historic cognac brand’s legacy, the art of selling a spirit everyone thinks they already understand, and what it was like to start this job in summer of 2020, when not much was happening really. Sean also gets into Hennessy’s roots in Black culture and his recent experience at...

Who are better customers, Democrats or Republicans? Nycci Nellis, longtime Washington, DC food and drinks writer, radio host, consultant and more sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the cocktail scene in the nation’s capital. Together they talk business, branding, wine and which political party is better for local businesses… all while reminiscing about some of their favorite establishmen...

 Is Branded Content the future of journalism? Or put another way, does a news outlet that springs out of a lifestyle brand hold the keys for journalism’s survival? That’s what Rashaun Hall, Editor-in-Chief of The Whiskey Lifestyle is here to discuss. He sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about transforming from a music into a spirits and cocktail journalist and whether retail holds the ke...

Canadian Whisky? Heck yeah. Canadian Gin? I mean sure, why not? Canadian Wine??? Now we’re getting weird. Kristin Rose Pike, Founder of Northern Rose Selections joins Greg and Damon to talk about the delicious drinks made by our neighbors to the north, from gin to amaretto to cold weather wines. She talks about the terroir of the highest tide in the world, the increasingly tense bourbon diplomacy...

What’s more punk rock than opening a cocktail bar in a strip mall? A psychedelic harp maybe? Bartender and lifelong musician Paul Finn knows a little something about both after opening up Little Gem in Chapel Hill, NC. Together with Greg, Sother and Damon he unpacks his philosophy for hiring, training and explaining new concepts to guests, making the transition from bartender to bar owner, and of...

Rob Lam-Burns has bartended all over the world: Thailand, Hong Kong, Maison Premiere and now LenLen, a new Thai spot in the Flatiron district. He joins Greg and Sother to talk about his philosophy behind putting new and unexpected flavors in front of people, the divisive magic of Durian, “the king of fruits” and of course, professional skateboarding. PLUS, chili and cinnamon rolls? A culinary sens...

New Year, New Us! We were awfully mean to the good people of Lansing, MI and in 2026 we’re going to do better, starting today. To help us make good on this resolution, Gregg Smyth and Brian Phillips of Phillips Cider Bar in Lansing sat down to tell us why the capital of the Wolverine state is actually a pretty cool place. Plus, they delve into the history of their sixth generation orchard, talk ab...

In their annual year end wrap-up show Greg, Sother and Damon sit down to talk about what the heck just happened. They unpack some of the leading trends of 2025, including Hi-Fi Lounges, High-Dives, Premiumization and the migration to the extremes of either luxury or ultra-discount experiences. Are we too used to curated experiences to accept risk in our bars and restaurants? Can a true high-end di...