The Speakeasy

Baijiu is the world’s most popular spirit by volume, easily. And yet most Americans don’t know what it is. Derek Sandhaus is on a mission to change that by introducing Ming River Baijiu (pronounced bye-JYO) to us westerners. He sits down with the band to talk about his journey from publishing to distilling (typical) adapting this ancestral spirit for American audiences, what makes baijiu baijiu an...

Chris Hunter started his first company at twenty-five, which makes sense once you hear what it was. The multi-time entrepreneur and creative force behind Koia sits down with the band to talk about his journey through the beverage space, beginning as a nightclub bouncer and ending as a holistic, health conscious dad. Oh, and along the way he also sparked one of the biggest beverage controversies of...

Ireland is in the house! It’s a Hibernian takeover of the Speakeasy as Daragh Flanagan of Bord Bia, Tim Herlihy of Lost Irish and Andy Ferreira of Cask In Cork sit down with the band to talk about the future of Irish bars and Irish spirits in the US. From the early days of Irish Whiskey to the exciting untapped potential of Poitin (pronounced “puh-CHEEN”) the guys talk about the fun stuff coming o...

Ben Jones of Rhum Clement and Rhum JM beams into the show to talk about the rhums of St. Lucia and Martinique - what makes them distinct, what makes them delicious and what the American public makes of them anyway. He also debuts their new Bana Canne, which takes all the deliciousness of bananas and fuses it with the rhuminess of rhum. Plus, Damon’s back! Hear what he’s been up to and more this we...

From gin-soaked martini olive connoisseur to distillery owner, Melissa Katrincic and gin go way back. This week she sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about her journey to making gin, from getting the business off the ground (in a control state no less!) to reshaping the way Americans think about gin. The results are alternatively citrusy, savory and purple. Plus, Greg’s alive! Barely. Hear ho...

Allen Katz of New York Distilling Co. sits down with his old buddy Damon to discuss the state of modern distilling, what he’s up to at his shop in Brooklyn, and the new Jaywalk Rye they recently introduced to wild acclaim.  Follow New York Distilling Co. on Instagram at @ nydistilling   Love The Speakeasy but wish there was more? Check out Bottled in Bond, our new Patreon podcast exclusively for y...

Paul Nakayama sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about Nikaido Shochu. Paul's journey into the world of shochu began with a 12-hour boat ride to a remote Japanese island on his honeymoon. Now he and his wife are the first to import Nikaido Shochu to the US. Tune in to hear about the magic of Koji, the place it occupies in modern Japan, and how it works in cocktails and highballs. Spoiler alert...

Golf. It’s a sport enjoyed by millions of people and it can also be almost as divisive as modern politics. Can it only be enjoyed by the landed gentry and the country club set? Turner Lewis doesn’t think so and he’s out to prove the haters wrong with Fore Craft Cocktails, a line of RTDs designed for the golf course but, as tested by our boundary-pushing hosts, also thoroughly drinkable off of one....

Cristalino. What is it? Why is it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it taste like? Jaime Salas, Head of Agave Advocacy at Proximo Spirits sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about this latest innovation in the world of agave spirits, why it follows in a proud tradition of tequila innovation, and how he deals with the haters who need to be sold on his liquid. Plus, whiskey in Williamsburg...

Hot dogs, white dog, and so much more comes up when Michele Clark and Sienna Jevremov sit down with Greg & Damon for a special Fourth of July episode of The Speakeasy! The two luminaries from Widow Jane talk about their new proprietary strain of “Baby Jane” corn and the ten year process of going from seeds in a field to bourbon in a glass. Plus, the historic neighborhood of Redhook, Brooklyn a...

Two of Suncliffe gins founders Ryan Lawrence and Tom Giddings join us to discuss how infusing vodka with items foraged in the Arizona desert during the pandemic led them to being gin producers. They also illuminate how opening a gin company during the pandemic was full of advantages that may not have otherwise existed. Timing is everything  Follow Suncliffe on Instagram at @ suncliffegin   And don...

When Austa Somvichian-Clausen didn’t see a space for her and her former partner, she decided to make one. The creator of Grotto, a sapphic pop-up in New York’s Chinatown sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about building a space for queer women, what she does when the odd straight guy stumbles into it, and the state of lesbian bars and journalism in the age of apps. Plus, another successful BCB...

It’s June and Pride is popping up and popping off! Joining the band live from Mexico City Michael Aredes jumps in to talk about his journey in the service industry as a queer Chicano, his work to create welcoming spaces - including his new queer Latino popup, Noche Traviesa - and what it’s like to work at New York’s Superbueno now that it’s a year old and crushing the awards circuit, even scoring...

ET (aka Eric Tecosky even though no one calls him that) wants to talk olive brine! The founder of Dirty Sue talks about his early days as a bartender (and even earlier days as a screenwriter), the lightbulb moment of offering olive brine in a bottle, and how he shifted from bartender to a dirt, salty, entrepreneur! Plus, Greg and Sother saw each other in three dimensions! What a time to be alive....

Fourth generation cognac distiller Guillame Thomas is here to shake up the industry in the tastiest way possible! The founder and CEO of Martingale Cognac sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about doing something different in the world of French brandy and making some very tasty juice in the process. Plus, a beloved New York City icon finally embraces the future and we may not be ready for it. ...

Cocktails so likable you won’t be able to look away! That’s what Kaitlyn Stewart makes on her instagram channel, “Likeable Cocktails” and we’re here for us. This week she sits down with Greg and Sother to talk being the first Canadian winner of World Class, building a social media presence in lockdown and navigating the attention economy. Plus, Lego! Need we say more? Then, on Bottled in Bond, how...

So you’ve put together a great bar, a great team, an awesome drinks menu… how do you let people know about it? Rachel Harrison of Rachel Harrison PR (fittingly enough) joins Sother and Greg to talk about the drinks PR game, what it’s like to do her job in the age of cocktail awards and online gossip, how to negotiate with prickly clients, and why public relations and bartending really aren’t all t...

The band is off for the next two weeks on spring break but to hear some bonus content in the meantime head on over to patreon.com/bottledinbond to become a regular!   Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can.  🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss...

Max Reis of Mirate wants us to look at what he’s doing and we’re all too happy to oblige, especially when it’s so sustainable and oh-so-tasty. The director at the Mexico-centric LA bar talks about the experience of introducing gringo guests to new flavors and ingredients, his decision to use “nogave” syrup, popping down to Tijuana for a little “research”, and where you can find pulque on the stree...

Damon sits down with Al Laws from Laws Whiskey House in Colorado to talk about micro-distilling, the Colorado whiskey scene, and what it’s like to transition from the world of finance to the world of booze.  Love The Speakeasy but wish there was more? Check out Bottled in Bond, our new Patreon podcast exclusively for you, our best regulars! Join now for sponsor-free listening, video podcasts, acce...

If two thirds of all cocktails are made at home, how come we only ever read about people who make cocktails in bars? That’s the question that Dr. Nicola Nice tackles when she returns to the Speakeasy to talk about her new book “The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home.” Together, she and the band talk about the often invisible and overlooked efforts of female pioneers that shaped t...

A non-alc portfolio you say?? Yuna Asriyan sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the consumers driving this trend - for once! - and what they want. That includes why they’re choosing to drink and not to drink, what they’re after in the world of mocktails and zero proof beverages, and why they’re making those choices in the first place. And of course, what it’s like to manage a brand portfol...

The bottles may be dusty but the conversation sure isn’t! Aaron Goldfarb, author of the new book "Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits”, sits down with the band to talk about the wild paths you wind up on when you write a book about spirits that can be over a hundred years old, and the people who collect them. Learn why some things don’t taste like they used to and why some things never chang...

Tiffanie Barriere , the drinking coach herself sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about her long and storied career behind - and in front of - many different bars. From the iconic “One Flew South” in Atlanta’s airport to helping empower folks who want to change the world, Tiffanie has been in lots of different situations and she’s been unapologetically herself in every single one. Tune in for...

The one and only Ms. Franky Marshall sits down with the band to talk about a singular career in the drinks industry. Cognac, events, behind the bar, in front of the bar, she’s done it all and tells all on an episode that’s very fun and very (sorry about this) frank. Plus, are there too many or too few agave? Journalists can’t seem to agree, even though whatever the answer, it’s bad. And, Sother’s...