Trained as an engineer and while working toward her MBA, Cha McCoy made an unexpected detour into a career in the wine world. For this episode, we talk with her about what led her into working as a sommelier and wine educator; the ways she approaches wine education; and her new role as beverage director for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival , taking place March 2-6, 2022. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, plac...
Nov 23, 2021•27 min•Ep. 36
Our November/December issue features a profile by Nneka M. Okona about veteran Atlanta bartender Thandi Walton. For this episode, Walton talks with us about the path she took from her native Zimbabwe to working behind Atlanta bars, the bartending approach she embraces, and her thoughts on mentorship. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, co...
Nov 09, 2021•17 min•Ep. 35
Our September/October issue features an article by Max Falkowitz on how bars and distilleries are making concrete steps toward ecological sustainability. For this episode, we chat with one of the distillers quoted in that feature, Maggie Campbell . Formerly a distiller at Privateer Rum in Massachusetts, Campbell is now the estate rum manager for Mount Gay in Barbados. We’re joined in this conversation by Mount Gay’s managing director, Raphael Grisoni, to talk about some of the efforts Mount Gay ...
Oct 26, 2021•19 min•Ep. 34
Pouring Ribbons was Imbibe ’s Cocktail Bar of the Year in 2013, and over the course of the past decade, it’s remained one of the world’s most influential cocktail bars. For this episode, we chat with bar partner Joaquín Simó about Pouring Ribbons’ reopening in September and plans to permanently close the bar next April, what he hopes the bar’s continuing legacy might look like, and what guests can expect during the bar’s grand finale. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each ep...
Oct 12, 2021•22 min•Ep. 33
Shannon Tebay is familiar to American cocktail drinkers from her time behind New York City bars including Death & Co. , where until recently she was head bartender. This summer, she moved to London to assume a new role as head mixologist for The Savoy Hotel , and head bartender for its American Bar , one of the world’s most historic and celebrated cocktail bars. For this episode, we chat with her about what led her to accept the new position, the significance of being the first American to h...
Sep 28, 2021•14 min•Ep. 32
It’s Negroni Week! For this episode, we check in with one of this year’s charity fundraising partners, No Us Without You LA , chatting with cofounders Damián Diaz and Othón Nolasco about their work to support undocumented back-of-house hospitality workers and their families during the ongoing Covid crisis. Then, we head to San Diego for a Tony’s Negroni from Anthony Schmidt at J & Tony’s Discount Cured Meats & Negroni Warehouse, one of this year’s participating venues. Find out more abou...
Sep 14, 2021•24 min•Ep. 31
Earlier this summer, bars and restaurants in the U.S. fully emerged from the pandemic, many operating under new sets of guidelines to keep guests and staff safe. With the delta variant now surging and wildly different rules and regulations taking shape across the country, we check in with bar owners in different parts of the country to see what their experiences have been and how they’re navigating these new challenges: Jessica Sanders from DrinkWell in Austin, Texas, and Briana Volk from Portla...
Aug 31, 2021•17 min•Ep. 30
Back in early 2020, Dr. J Jackson-Beckham appeared in our annual Imbibe 75 issue as our Beer Person of the Year, based on her work at the time as the diversity ambassador for the Brewers Association, and her roles in academia and the nonprofit space. For this episode, we catch up with Dr. J on her consultancy, Crafted for All , which focuses on helping craft-beverage organizations become more inclusive, equitable, and just, and talk about issues facing the craft beverage world today, and the way...
Aug 17, 2021•20 min•Ep. 29
For Imbibe ’s July/August issue, Dan Q. Dao explores the expanding world of Vietnamese coffee in America, sharing the stories of Vietnamese cafés and the drinks they serve. For this episode, we visit one of those cafés, Hello Em in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood, and chat with Yenvy Pham (who co-owns the café with Nghia Bui) about her family’s role in the city’s Vietnamese culinary scene and Hello Em’s approach to coffee, and we taste along through a selection of the drinks. Radio Imbibe i...
Aug 03, 2021•20 min•Ep. 28
In the summer of 2020, wine educator and enthusiast George W.C. Walker III made a big move from Michigan to step into the role of assistant director of operations at Wade Cellars , the Napa Valley winery opened by NBA champion Dwyane Wade. We featured Walker as a Person to Watch in our Imbibe 75 issue earlier this year, and for this episode, we check in on how he’s settled into his role at Wade Cellars; the concerns among California winemakers about this year’s wildfire season; and the wines he’...
Jul 20, 2021•15 min•Ep. 27
The July/August 2021 issue kicks off summer with a celebration of outdoor imbibing. For this episode, Trevor Easter and Britta Currie from The Snug in Sacramento walk us through one of the recipes they shared for that issue, the Phil Collins , and chat about bar life post-COVID and the drinks they’re excited to be mixing this summer. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through...
Jul 06, 2021•20 min•Ep. 26
Chris Cabrera is the national LGBTQ+ ambassador for Bacardi, and one of our Imbibe 75 People to Watch for 2021. For this episode, we chat with them about their work in creating the role of an LGBTQ+ ambassador and what this means for the hospitality industry, as well as about their role as an activist in the LGBTQ+ community, and the ongoing significance of Pride. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and fl...
Jun 22, 2021•19 min•Ep. 25
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey founder and CEO Fawn Weaver was featured as one of our Imbibe 75 People to Watch in 2018, and since then, Uncle Nearest has gone on to become the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in history. For this episode, we catch up with Weaver about the newly announced Uncle Nearest Venture Fund—a $50 million project to invest in spirits brands founded, owned, and led by BIPOC and women—and discuss the fund’s first two recipients, as well as plans for Uncle Nearest and t...
Jun 08, 2021•20 min•Ep. 24
Kevin Diedrich’s prodigious talents as a bartender made him a star of San Francisco’s bar scene, and his Union Square bar, Pacific Cocktail Haven , is one of the mainstays of the city’s cocktail culture. For this episode, we chat with Diedrich about the challenges he’s faced running PCH during the Covid crisis; his decision to open a new bar, Kona’s Street Market (one of our Imbibe 75 Places to Watch for 2020) in the midst of the pandemic; and how a devastating fire at PCH the same week as Kona’...
May 25, 2021•20 min•Ep. 23
The May/June 2021 issue of Imbibe features a look at the flavorful world of liqueurs. For this episode, we’re joined by Jake Parrott, the national sales manager for Haus Alpenz —which imports some of the more fascinating (and delicious) liqueurs in the category—as he discusses how such liqueurs are produced and how to properly taste and appreciate liqueurs in cocktails, and guides us through a tasting of several liqueurs in the Haus Alpenz portfolio. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe maga...
May 11, 2021•34 min•Ep. 22
The March/April 2021 issue of Imbibe features an exploration of Scotch whisky and some of the people helping to shape the category, including Tommy Klus, a longtime bartender and current owner of Scotch Lodge in Portland, Oregon. For episode 22, we chat with Klus and Scotch Lodge bar manager Aaron Zieske about introducing drinkers to the wonders of Scotch whisky, what excites them most about the spirit, and their approach to making whisky cocktails. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magaz...
Apr 27, 2021•20 min•Ep. 21
The March/April 2021 issue of Imbibe dives deep into the world of Scotch whisky, and one of the people we spoke with for this exploration is Cameron George , the U.S. national brand ambassador for Ardbeg . For episode 20, we chat with George about the expressive single malts from Islay, and we discuss the evolution taking place within Scotch whisky’s outreach and marketing efforts. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the peop...
Apr 13, 2021•15 min•Ep. 20
Ian Burrell is no stranger in the rum world. An acclaimed rum expert, educator, and ambassador, and a founder of events including U.K. Rum Fest and London Rum Week, Burrell is now one of the co-founders of Equiano Rum , which debuted in Europe and the U.S. last year. In this episode he talks with us about the rum’s distinctive blend of spirits from Mauritius and Barbados; the history of the rum’s namesake; and the brand’s charitable foundation and its first grant recipient, Anti-Slavery Internat...
Mar 30, 2021•16 min•Ep. 19
Our March/April 2021 issue dives deep into the world of Scotch whisky, with explorations of the spirit’s history, its diversity of regions and styles, and the people helping to shape whisky’s future. Becky Paskin is a veteran drinks journalist and the former editor of ScotchWhisky.com , and a co-founder of OurWhisky , a global campaign to champion diversity and inclusion in the whisky industry. In March 2021, OurWhisky released its inaugural report, Women & Whisky: Female Representation in S...
Mar 16, 2021•20 min•Ep. 18
Our March/April 2021 issue dives deep into the world of Scotch whisky, with explorations of the spirit’s history, its diversity of regions and styles, and the people helping to shape whisky’s future. One of the people featured is Dr. Rachel Barrie , a longtime whisky veteran based in Edinburgh who’s now master blender for Brown-Forman, working with whiskies from the Benriach , GlenDronach , and Glenglassaugh distilleries. For this episode, we chat with Dr. Barrie about the role of the master ble...
Mar 02, 2021•19 min•Ep. 17
This year’s Imbibe 75 highlights people, businesses, and organizations working to build a better drinks world. For this episode, we talk with Dragos Axinte, the founder and CEO of Novo Fogo , about how he incorporates environmental and social sustainability into every aspect of his cachaça business, from running an organic, carbon-negative operation to investing in the reforestation of threatened native trees in Brazil, and supporting wellness programs for bartenders in the U.S. Radio Imbibe is ...
Feb 23, 2021•30 min•Ep. 16
This year’s Imbibe 75 highlights people, businesses, and organizations working to build a better drinks world. The cover of this year’s Imbibe 75 issue features Atlanta bartender Tiffanie Barriere , who first appeared in Imbibe while helming the renowned airport bar One Flew South. More recently, she's combined her bartending skills with her gift for communicating and educating, particularly about the deep connection between Black history and cocktail history. She shares these stories in a cockt...
Feb 16, 2021•13 min•Ep. 15
This year’s Imbibe 75 highlights people, businesses, and organizations working to build a better drinks world. One of these organizations is THIRST Group (The Hospitality Industry Re-Imagined Security Trust), an advocacy group composed of bar owners, craft distillers, and other hospitality professionals, that tackles pandemic-related insurance coverage. For this episode of Radio Imbibe , we talk with one of THIRST Group’s co-founders and New York organizers, Maxwell Britten, a bartender and bar ...
Feb 02, 2021•28 min•Ep. 14
This year’s Imbibe 75 highlights people, businesses, and organizations working to build a better drinks world. For this episode of Radio Imbibe , we talk with one of this year’s People to Watch: Dr. Hoby Wedler . A native of California’s Sonoma County, Wedler is an organic chemist and entrepreneur with a deep enthusiasm for wine. Blind since birth, Wedler is the founder of Accessible Science, a nonprofit that hosted a chemistry camp for the blind and visually impaired; a co-innovator of Tasting ...
Jan 19, 2021•29 min•Ep. 13
This year’s Imbibe 75 highlights people, businesses, and organizations working to build a better drinks world. For this episode of Radio Imbibe , we talk with two of this year’s People to Watch: Brooklyn-based distiller, writer, and activist Jackie Summers ; and Lynn House , the Chicago-based national brand educator for Heaven Hill, who co-founded Tipping for Equity (with another Imbibe 75 Person to Watch, Tracie Franklin). Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we d...
Jan 05, 2021•37 min•Ep. 12
Joann Spiegel is the manager of Miracle , a holiday-themed pop-up event that annually attracts more than 100 participating bars worldwide. For this episode, we chat with her about the process of developing a regular menu of holiday cocktails; some of the challenges of coordinating such an event in different cities and countries; and the importance of holiday celebrations in the era of COVID. In 2018, Imbibe ’s annual Holiday Drinks feature was dedicated exclusively to the cocktails served at Mir...
Dec 22, 2020•24 min•Ep. 11
Sother Teague is the author of I’m Just Here for the Drinks , a co-host with Damon Boelte of The Speakeasy podcast, and beverage director of Amor y Amargo in New York City. For this episode, he walks us through incorporating bitter liqueurs into holiday cocktails; mixes an Amor y Amargo original, the Bald Mountain; and discusses the state of his bar in the COVID era. In 2018, Teague was profiled by Shanna Farrell for Imbibe , focusing on his advocacy for mental health care among bartenders and o...
Dec 08, 2020•23 min•Ep. 10
Our November/December issue features whiskey cocktails for the holidays, and to talk about some of our favorite whiskey-based cocktails for the season (including her Wildest Redhead ), we chat with Meaghan Dorman, bar director for Raines Law Room and Dear Irving in New York City, and our 2016 Bartender of the Year . Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations abo...
Nov 24, 2020•13 min•Ep. 9
André Hueston Mack is no stranger to Imbibe readers, and for this episode of the podcast, we talk with the sommelier, winemaker , restaurateur , designer, and author about diversity and equity in the wine world (elaborating upon his conversation with Chasity Cooper for her article in our November/December issue), as well as how his wine career started, and what keeps him excited and engaged with wine today. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid c...
Nov 10, 2020•28 min•Ep. 8
Mocktails, N/A cocktails, spirit-free—whatever you choose to call them, cocktails made without spirits, liqueurs, or other alcohol-containing ingredients are becoming increasingly present in our lives. For this episode, we chat with writer Julia Bainbridge about her new book, Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason (Ten Speed Press), a compendium of recipes she collected during a pre-COVID cross-country road trip to visit bars and restaurants that featu...
Oct 27, 2020•29 min•Ep. 7
