The Speakeasy

We all know the nursery rhyme but what exactly is whey? And can you make booze out of it? Greg sits down with Emily Darchuk, founder of Wheyward Spirits to discuss this new category of spirits; where it came from, how it’s helping the planet, and what, exactly, fermented whey tastes like. Plus, happy belated Fourth of July everyone! Greg gives a quick update on the state of the union alongside a f...

Where have all the lesbian bars gone? Greg sits down with Erica Rose , co-founder and co-director of the Lesbian Bar Project , to talk about the dwindling number of these spaces, and what they represent in the first place. The conversation ranges from New York to DC to Berlin to Mobile, Alabama, as they talk about the need for these spaces in the service industry and the queer community, as well a...

Ever wondered why certain smells make you think of different flavors? How certain colors and even music affect flavors? Or whether Dijon mustard would be good in a brownie? Mandy Naglich , author of How To Taste joins Greg and Sother to discuss the science of tasting on a chemical, biological, cultural, and competitive level. You’ll have a newfound appreciation for all the hard work your tongue do...

John deBary , author of “Drink What You Want” and the upcoming “Saved by the Bellini” sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about, what else? The 90s. Bucket hats, low rise jeans, Melrose Place and how all those relate to fun tasty cocktails abound in this episode. Plus, they talk about two things that have proven surprisingly tricky when it comes to the world of cocktails - taking care of yourse...

It’s Pride Month and Greg and Damon are joined by Chris Cabrera, longtime industry advocate and LGBTQ+ activist. In a year where Pride feels different from previous ones, the guys discuss what it means to be an ally, what to make of this current moment where civil rights are backsliding, and how the bar community, as a longtime home for queer folks, can continue to offer comfort and space to regro...

Summer is here in NYC and that means boomerangs, nutcrackers at the beach, and sneaky lil flasks and pouches bearing gifts for friends, family, and maybe just yourself. So of course it’s perfect timing for the band to sit down with Spank & News , the duo behind Trap Kitchen (f/ Maxwell Britten ) to talk about their new book Trap Kitchen III: The Art of Street Cocktails . To-Go cocktails had a...

In a jam-packed episode of The Speakeasy, Sother and Greg sit down with Deborah Brenner and Aaron Gregory Smith to talk about their new joint venture between Women of the Vine & Spirits and the USBG. Their mission? Provide support - not just healthcare but honest-to-god resources and support and actual human beings - for bartenders everywhere, whenever it’s needed. How they pulled it off was n...

Fresh off of scoring Number One on North America’s 50 Best bars, Faye Chen and GN Chan sit down with the band to talk about their still young and already award winning SoHo bar Double Chicken Please . A combination watering hole and design studio, GN and Faye talk about DCP’s approach to breaking cocktails and dishes down and then building them up again and building a community around a staff that...

The band’s all here! Damon’s back after someone finally made an honest man out of him! And just in time to sit down with Mark Sansom of World’s 50 Best Bars to talk the origins of the list, how it’s put together, the big big task of ranking the 50 best of anything in the first place, and what they’ve got cooking in the next few months (and weeks!) Highlights include the first time the ceremony has...

Aaron Polsky , founder of the original alcoholic RTD brand Livewire sits down with Greg and Sother to talk entrepreneurship, the weird things you find yourself doing sometimes when you make drinks for a living, and a certain turf war with a little company called Pepsi. Plus Damon is getting married and Greg became the oldest person on TikTok earlier this month. Tune in to find out what he’s up to....

Rum! We Love Rum! I mean, uh, Dawn Davies of the Whisky Exchange sits down with the band to talk about all manner of things, rum being very much one of them. Guilty pleasures, flavor inflation, working for a department store, and the underrated holiday of Mitchmas all get their time on air so tune in. Plus, Sother’s back! Hear about what he’s been up to and if you guessed the correct number of bar...

“Don’t start a mezcal company.” That’s the advice that led Dalton Kreiss, ultimately, to start a mezcal company. Since then Maguey Melate has grown into a monthly subscription box and mezcalero encyclopedia sharing knowledge of agave spirits from all over Mexico all over the world. Listen in as Dalton sits down with Greg and Damon to talk founding a business, living all over the world, and how not...

Bea Bradsell - drinks professional, author, lifelong hospitality enthusiast, and little sister to the espresso martini - sits down with Greg and Damon to talk about getting started behind the bar at an early age, projecting hospitality in all forms (including photo shoots), and what it’s like to find yourself the guardian of a bartending legacy. PLUS: I’m going out for just one drink. We’ve all sa...

The one and only Chockie Tom - Indigenous activist and bartender extraordinaire - sits down with Greg and Damon to talk about bartending in a post-colonial age. In other words, being respectful of where the ingredients you use come from, how they’re grown, the heritage behind them ,and the reality of what they mean now. Also, Doom metal. Plus, are risk-taking and an affinity for bitter flavors lin...

Live from Durham, NC, Greg and Sother sit down with Sean Umstead and Michelle Vanderwalker of Kingfisher , QueenBurger , and Queeny’s to talk about building a bar, a cocktail program, and a brand outside of a major market city, designing a hand-crafted tile bartop, and of course, the great burger pivot over the early 2020s. Plus, ChatGPT has now passed level three of the master somm exam - what do...

Greg and Sother catch up with Dan Watson and Tommy Shaffner of Never Say Dive in Cleveland to chat about building out that most beloved and elusive of concepts: the upscale dive. Plus, a whiskey fungus that’s enveloping an entire Tennessee town and the art and science of naming cocktails.   Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can.  🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Da...

Greg and Damon geek out about wine, storytelling, podcasts, and murder with Ashley Smith , host of the new podcast Vinfamous from Wine Enthusiast and Pod People. Her show covers fraud, arson, and even murder connected to the wine industry, and this show is here to talk about all of it! Check out their first episode and subscribe here ! Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. ...

Tennessee native Alex Jump joins us to discuss fearlessly leaving her position as bar manager at Death & Co Denver to start her own consultancy called Dim Lights Hospitality . She’s also passionate about better representation in our sector surrounding mental and physical health as well as striking the ever elusive Life/Work balance. She’s also slated to be the fist woman to make the Ride to Ta...

Speakeasy number 500 comes rocking onto the airwaves with Chad Solomon of Slow & Low . Between him and the band we cover the history of rye whiskey, the labor movement, Jersey lightning, a liquor scandal in Oregon, and everything in between. Plus, a special thank you to HRN and our awesome listeners for sticking with us after twelve years. Here’s to 500 more! The Speakeasy is nominated for a v...

Ninth generation brandy professional and company president/global ambassador/living legend Lisa Laird Dunn joins the band to talk about all things apple brandy. What goes into making it, how it’s waxed and waned in popularity, and what it’s like working with your father and your kids in the same company. Plus, RIP Dry January 2023. You will not be missed. The Speakeasy is nominated for a viewer’s...

Ever wonder what it’s like to be an internet influencer in the spirits field? Tune in as YouTuber Leandro Dimonriva of The Educated Barfly joins Sother one-on-one to talk about his journey from behind the bar to in front of the camera. Plus, it looks like Fireball is in a whole new kind of hot water, find out why on this episode!   Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can.  🔥...

Documentary filmmaker David Mayne joins us to talk about his new streaming series Happy Hour History where he traces the origins of cocktails and connects them to historical events. His use of costumed recreation skits, historic imagery and footage, as well as Monty Python style animation makes for an informative and entertaining show that you should check out here. Plus, Sother closed a business,...

On another long-awaited installment of The Speakeasy’s multi-platinum year-end wrap-up show Greg, Damon, and Sother look back on what the hell just happened. We’re back to normal, kind of. Travel, conferences, meeting friends in bars. Hugs. We have them all back, it’s just… different. Plus, a rundown of the year’s top trends in drinks and what we can look forward to in 2023. Don’t forget to click...

USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by Diageo 2022 US Bartender of the Year (say that three times fast) Jessi Pollak sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about low and no-ABV drinks, building jargon-free menus, and how great the Twin Cities are (shhh, don’t tell anybody). Plus, a fifteen-month old fruitcake. Find out how this undead dessert went over - and how dense it was - by tuning in now!  ...

What does it feel like to operate the Best Neighborhood Bar in America according to Liquor.com ? We sat down with our friend and Basik owner Jay Zimmerman to find out. Plus, we learn about the challenges of new parenthood and the true meaning of gift giving. And, of course, at this time of year we have to mention side hustles.  Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. Join us each week as we...