The Speakeasy

Tune in to a fun, friendly and informative episode of The Speakeasy as host Damon Boelte is joined by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, bar manager at Clyde Common and Pepe Le Moko in Portland, Oregon and author of The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique . Damon and Jeffrey talk shop and discuss the importance of technique over recipes, subjectivity in cocktail tasting and the state of drinks in 2014. Tu...

This week on The Speakeasy , Damon brings on Natasha David who talks about how she got into the bar industry, from her humble beginnings as a cocktail waitress to restaurant manager to eventually a Co-Owner and Head Bartender of Nitecap in the Lower East Side. Natasha discusses her specific approach to making amazing drinks that happen to have low alcohol content. She goes on to explain that patro...

Any good tradesman needs good tools. Bartending is no different. Tune into a thematic episode of The Speakeasy as Damon Boelte chats with Ethan Kahn of Cocktail Kingdom. Cocktail Kingdom offers a full spectrum of professional and custom barware, artisan bitters and syrups fit for the most discerning bartender. With knowledge as a bartender’s most valuable tool, Cocktail Kingdom provides books of r...

The summer is here and that means one thing. Well, maybe more than one thing, but it definitely means Gin & Tonics are back in style. This week’s episode of The Speakeasy is about.. you guessed it.. gin! Tune in as Damon Boelte is joined by Steven DeAngelo of Greenhook Ginsmiths, a small, artisan distillery located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Tune in and learn everything you want to know about gi...

Fresh off their James Beard Award for best Bar Program, welcome some of the team from The NoMad Hotel on this week’s episode of The Speakeasy ! Damon Boelte is chatting with bartenders Jessica Gonzalez and Karen Fu and together they talk shop, dish dirt and complain about vodka zombies. Tune in and get an inside look at some of the ladies behind the best bar program in the country. This show was b...

This week’s guests on The Speakeasy are the guys behind The Dead Rabbit. The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog embodies the conviviality of Old New York and the Irish-American tradition. They are dedicated to advancing the art and practice of hospitality, as it was understood then and as it is understood now, for all residents of and visitors to this great metropolis. Tune in and learn the story behind...

The Old Fashioned is the ultimate cocktail. Not because it’s the biggest, baddest or most inventive but because it represents what a cocktail is . A cocktail in its most original form is comprised of some combination of spirit, syrup and bitters. The Old Fashioned has gone through many makeovers, missteps and revivals and today’s episode of The Speakeasy is dedicated to the prototypical cocktail....

Whiskey is everywhere. Whereas once most people ordering booze at bars wanted vodka soda’s, now the whiskey revolution is in full effect. This week on The Speakeasy , Damon is chatting with friend Amanda Womack, who now is the spirit buyer at Cask in San Francisco. They have an in depth conversation about whiskey – proof, style, finish, bottling and more. Whether you’ve just tried your first bourb...

The 2012 American Bartender of the Year has seen it all. Joaquín Simó has poured drinks at some of the best bars in the country and now is the partner/bartender at Pouring Ribbons, a new bar in the East Village featuring cutting edge cocktails and a much-talked about matrix style menu. Hear host Damon Boelte talk shop with Joaquin on another awesome episode of The Speakeasy . This program was sp...

Stephanie Ridgeway is the Brand Ambassador for Highland Park, a whiskey distillery located on the Orkney Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. She tells us about how unique this distillery is because of it’s unique location so far north on the globe, and the effects that has on whiskey production. Damon and Stephanie talk about all the many ways to drink whiskey, and Stephanie insists that t...

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon interviews Franky Marshall from The Dead Rabbit, an Old New York bar that celebrates the Irish-American tradition. Franky talks about the inequalities faced by female bartenders, and after the break they discuss why simple cocktails often sell much better than innovative cocktails which may be over the top. This program has been sponsored by The International Culi...

Damon Boelte chats with Ryan Fitzgerald of Del Maguey Mezcal and the forthcoming ABV bar in San Francisco on this week’s installment of The Speakeasy! Damon and Ryan start off the show by talking about the processes involved with opening bars, and the trend in no-frills, no-gimmicks watering holes! Later, tune in for discussions regarding agave harvesting, and why large tequila companies need to c...

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon talks to Scranton Twohey, owner of a bar called Whisler’s in Austin Texas. Scranton explain’s his commitment to serving the best drinks in the city in a casual environment, and tells us a little about the craft scene in Austin. This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods . Today’s music provided by Plexophonic . Image from Whisler’s See Privacy Policy at https:...

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon welcomes Jay Zimmerman, owner of Ba’Sik bar in Williamsburg, to the studio. Jay tells us all about his recent trip to Japan, Cambodia, Laos, and how he almost got kicked out of Singapore for good! After the break, Jay and Damon discuss a curious new law in California imposed on bartenders. Tune in to hear more! This program has been sponsored by S Wallace Edwards...

Bartenders and cocktail nerds, pay attention! New World Spirits has introduced a new base spirit called Solbeso, made from the fermented fresh juice of the cacao fruit. Solbeso is certainly a landmark in the spirits industry; it is believed to be the first new category of spirit to be introduced in approximately two hundred years. But perhaps more important than its role behind the bar is Solbeso’...

Woodford Reserve is a super-premium Kentucky small batch bourbon crafted at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Ky. Woodford Reserve is the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and its distillery is the oldest bourbon distillery in America. As just the seventh Master Distiller in Brown-Forman Corporation’s 140-year history, Chris Morris is responsible for maintaining the award-winning...

The Catskill Provisions Honey Whiskey is the result of a collaboration between two small-batch New York producers. This week on The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte talks with Claire Marin from Catskill Provisions about the origins of her company, and how she linked up with Finger Lakes Distilling in order to produce a tasty honey whiskey using local ingredients! Tune in to hear Claire talk about her exper...

Extra Fancy has quickly become one of the most beloved bars in Brooklyn by bartenders and laymen alike. This week on The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte invites Rob Krueger into the studio to talk about the inspiration for the bar. Why did Rob deviate from the speakeasy style to make an open but cozy space? Tune into this episode to hear Damon and Rob talk about the phenomenon of guest bartending, and why...

What is the best way to ensure hospitality in the beverage industry? The answer is education! This week on The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte is joined via the phone lines by Danny Ronen, founder of DC Spirits, an food, wine and spirits educational organization, as well as Senior Educator at Liquid Kitchen, a global hospitality agency. Tune into this episode to hear about Danny’s inspiration after an int...

On today’s episode of The Speakeasy, host Damon Boelte speaks with Colin Spoelman, distiller at Kings County Distillery , and author of the latest book, Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining . Colin talks about starting his business, from distilling moonshine in his own apartment, to scaling and growing a business. Later, Colin talks about the history of distilling, with the first dis...

On today’s episode of The Speakeasy, host Damon Boelte welcomes Leslie Pariseau (deputy editor) and Talia Baiocchi (editor-in-chief) of PUNCH magazine, a new online magazine that focuses on the people within wine, spirits, and cocktails. Recently launched (today!), together they speak on food journalism, and how they plan to capture their audience utilizing beautiful photos, loads of cocktail reci...

On this week’s episode of The Speakeasy, Katie Parla, Rome-based food and beverage educator and journalist, joins host Damon Boelte to talk about the cocktail scene abroad in Rome! Katie has an art history degree from Yale, a master’s degree in Italian Gastronomic Culture from the Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”, a sommelier certificate from the Federazione Italiana Sommelier Alberga...

This week on The Speakeasy, host Damon Boelte welcomes Jim Kearns, bar director at Play , a new cafe and cocktail restaurant opening next to the Museum of Sex in New York City. Jim got his bartending start at Balthazar, and quickly progressed to working with some of NYC’s finest including Sasha Petraske and Audrey Sanders at places such as Double Seven, Pegu Club, Death & Co., Freemans and the...

This week on The Speakeasy, Robin Robinson of Compass Box Whiskey joins host Damon Boelte in the studio to talk more about whiskey, it’s complexities, and Compass Box’s range of flavors. From light, delicate and elegant to big, smoky and peaty, Compass Box is a specialist Scotch whiskeymaker, offering a Signature Range of five whiskies that provides something for everyone. Find out how Compass Box...

This week on The Speakeasy, host Damon Boelte speaks with Anne-Louise Marquis, brand ambassador for Pernod Absinthe. Together the two speak about the history of absinthe, it’s myths, and it’s role in cocktail culture today. Learn about different ways of correctly trying absinthe, such as traditionally with sugar, or added with a touch of water. Also find out where the myth of hallucinating absinth...