We continue our Imbibe 75 coverage with a conversation with Jack Beguedou, one of our 2023 People to Watch. Originally from Togo, Jack Beguedou now lives in Omaha, and is known on Instagram and YouTube as the Hood Sommelier, sharing his whiskey explorations with thousands of online followers. For this episode, we chat about what first brought him into the whiskey world, and about how he’s sharing his West African heritage with bourbon audiences via his Afrofusion dinners. Radio Imbibe is the aud...
Jan 17, 2023•22 min•Ep. 66
We kick off our Imbibe 75 coverage for 2023 with a conversation with Seattle bartender Josh Ibañez . A veteran of Houston’s cocktail scene, Ibañez moved to Seattle several years ago and recently assumed the role of bar manager at Rumba , an acclaimed rum bar now entering its second decade. For this episode, he talks about his upcoming plans for Rumba, the differences between Houston and Seattle bars, and he mixes up his original cocktail, the Long Story Short , pictured on the cover of the Janua...
Jan 03, 2023•20 min•Ep. 65
Brother Cleve was a musician, DJ, bartender, and bar owner who helped shape the direction of the modern cocktail renaissance, while bringing up a generation of Boston bartenders and bar owners, earning the title “the Godfather of Boston’s Cocktail Scene.” In 2017, we featured Brother Cleve and the significant role he played in cocktail culture. This past September he died unexpectedly, leaving behind a recently opened bar, Lullaby, in New York City, and legions of admirers across the country. Fo...
Dec 20, 2022•31 min•Ep. 64
In 2017, St. John Frizell , owner of Fort Defiance and co-owner of Gage & Tollner in Brooklyn, wrote an essay for Imbibe about the enduring appeal of fire rituals in winter. For this episode, Frizell returns to the topic to discuss flaming punches for the holidays, the history of flaming drinks, and best practices for preparing flaming cocktails 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 dr...
Dec 06, 2022•14 min•Ep. 63
In 2021, Chockie Tom was featured as part of the Imbibe 75 for her work with Doom Tiki (now Doommersive ), and her advocacy for indigenous communities in hospitality. For this episode, we honor Native American Heritage Month by catching up on her recent work in Europe, talking about indigenous representation and cultural empowerment, and considering a different approach to observing the Thanksgiving holiday. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid ...
Nov 22, 2022•21 min•Ep. 62
We’re reflecting on 100 issues of Imbibe with Wayne Curtis. One of our longtime contributing editors, Wayne has been a regular columnist for Imbibe since issue 48, in 2014, and his column has won awards from Tales of the Cocktail and IACP. For this episode, we revisit some of our favorite columns over the years, and Wayne discusses his approach to researching and writing each round of Mixopedia. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, expl...
Nov 08, 2022•23 min•Ep. 61
The Charleston Wine + Food Festival is one of the country’s great food events and a mainstay of Charleston’s culinary community. For this episode, the event’s interim executive director Alyssa Smith and beverage director Cha McCoy give a preview of the 2023 event, for which tickets are now on sale. 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, coff...
Oct 25, 2022•21 min•Ep. 60
Lauren Mote is a career bartender and entrepreneur now living in Amsterdam. The recipient of this year’s Spirited Award for Best Bar Mentor, Mote joins the podcast to talk about her new book, A Bartender’s Guide to the World: Cocktails and Stories from 75 Places (co-written with James O. Fraioli) and about how destinations around the world have influenced her approach to cocktails. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the peop...
Oct 11, 2022•19 min•Ep. 59
In our September/October 2022 issue , Susannah Skiver Barton explores the ongoing evolution of the craft distilling boom in America, and for this episode, we talk about the history and future of craft spirits with Margie Lehrman, CEO of the American Craft Spirits Association . Lehrman is also president of the StepUp Foundation , which aims to increase diversity, equity, and inclusivity in craft spirits, and we get an update from her on the foundation’s first year of operation. Radio Imbibe is th...
Sep 27, 2022•25 min•Ep. 58
It’s Negroni Week ! This week, thousands of bars worldwide are celebrating the Negroni and raising funds for this year’s giving partner, Slow Food . For this episode, we delve into the Negroni formula with one of the cocktail’s true experts, Francesco Lafranconi , vice president of beverage operations and hospitality culture for Carver Road Hospitality in Las Vegas. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and ...
Sep 13, 2022•21 min•Ep. 57
For our September/October 2022 issue, Jennifer Fiedler digs into the story of POG, the iconic blend of fruit juices that was part of her childhood growing up in Hawaii. Honolulu bartender Harry Chin of Fête Restaurant was featured in the story, and for this episode, he shares the details surrounding his POG Cutter cocktail, a riff on a Trader Vic’s classic. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors o...
Aug 30, 2022•12 min•Ep. 56
In 2021, Boisson entered the New York City retail market with a bold idea: to provide customers with alcohol-free wines, beers, and spirits in an engaging, judgement-free environment. For this episode, we catch up with Nick Bodkins, a co-owner and co-founder of Boisson (an Imbibe 75 Place to Watch for 2022), to talk about low- and no-alcohol wines (as featured in our July/August issue ), and to assess the rapid growth of the NA beverage market. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. ...
Aug 16, 2022•18 min•Ep. 55
In July, Tales of the Cocktail returned to New Orleans as an in-person event for its 20th anniversary, and for this episode, we catch up with two of this year’s Imbibe 75 People to Watch, both of whom live and work in New Orleans: Touré Folkes and Kimberly Patton-Bragg . Folkes is the founder and program director for Turning Tables , which works to create equity in the hospitality industry, and Patton-Bragg is bar director at Palm & Pine in the French Quarter. They each reflect on their work...
Aug 02, 2022•23 min•Ep. 54
In our July/August 2022 issue, Robert Simonson introduces readers to New York Times reporter and whiskey writer Clay Risen . For this episode, we talk with Clay about the rapidly changing world of American whiskey and the whiskey evolutions he’s finding intriguing these days; and we discuss the whiskey stories he’s shared in his articles, including the role that the formerly enslaved distiller Nearest Green played in establishing the Jack Daniel’s distillery. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Im...
Jul 19, 2022•30 min•Ep. 53
In our July/August 2022 issue, Kate Bernot explores the backstory of Ranch Water, the tequila-based Texas cocktail that’s enjoying a moment in the spotlight. For this episode, we talk about the appeal of Ranch Water with Travis Tober, owner of Nickle City in Austin and Fort Worth (and an upcoming location in Houston), and of Old Pal Texas Tavern in Lockhart. Nickle City’s Ranch Water 1¼ oz. blanco tequila ¼ oz. fresh lime juice ¼ oz. orange liqueur (Nickel City uses Cointreau) Chilled Topo Chico...
Jul 05, 2022•15 min•Ep. 52
Alex Negranza ’s career has taken him from Seattle’s specialty coffee shops and cocktail bars to some of Houston’s most prestigious bars and restaurants. For this episode, we check in with our 2018 Imbibe 75 Bartender of the Year to catch up on how his career is unfolding, and to chat about the work he’s taking on in his newest role as president of GLASS , the Gay and Lesbian Alliance for Spirited Sipping. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid cu...
Jun 21, 2022•19 min•Ep. 51
In 2011, New York City bartenders Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix joined forces to launch Speed Rack ( @speed_rack ), a women’s bartending competition that would raise funds for charities supporting breast cancer research. For this episode, we talk with the duo about what they’ve learned over the course of more than a decade of producing Speed Rack, the charity beneficiaries they’re proud to support, and the upcoming Season 10 national finals (and Speed Rack Redemption competition) taking place Jul...
Jun 07, 2022•26 min•Ep. 50
In the May/June issue of Imbibe , we feature a Vodka Martini from The Doctor’s Office in Seattle, and for this episode, we visit the bar and find out about their approach to the cocktail. We chat with TDO bar director Keith Waldbauer about the blind-tasting process that resulted in their preferred formula, the virtues of batching cocktails in advance, and about coming to terms with vodka and vodka cocktails during the cocktail renaissance. Want to mix one of TDO’s Vodka Martinis for yourself? He...
May 24, 2022•15 min•Ep. 49
For the cover feature about vodka in our May/June issue, we spoke with St. George Spirits master distiller and president Lance Winters about the distillery’s approach to making vodka and flavored vodka. St. George is also known for its gins, whiskies, fruit brandies, and other spirits, and Winters discusses how they bring a similar philosophy to making vodka as they do to other spirits; and we look back on St. George’s history as it celebrates its 40th anniversary, and look ahead to what the fut...
May 10, 2022•24 min•Ep. 48
Since its 2013 debut, The Dead Rabbit in New York City has garnered numerous awards and accolades as being one of the world’s best bars. For this episode, we talk with founding partner Jack McGarry about the bar’s ambitious expansion plans starting with outposts in New Orleans and Austin, Texas, in 2023; how the Dead Rabbit’s style is evolving as it approaches its 10th anniversary; and how McGarry is taking on solo leadership of the team. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In eac...
Apr 26, 2022•18 min•Ep. 47
The cover story of our March/April 2022 issue focuses on the world of brandy, and for this episode, we wrap up our coverage of the spirit with Nicolas Palazzi. Born in Bordeaux and now living in Brooklyn, Palazzi is the founder of PM Spirits , an importer and distributor of specialty spirits, including Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados. For this episode, we talk with Palazzi about his search for memorable barrels of brandy, what he looks for in great brandies, and his work to bring these spirits to...
Apr 12, 2022•20 min•Ep. 46
The cover story of our March/April 2022 issue focuses on the world of brandy, and for this episode, we talk with acclaimed New York bartender ms. franky marshall . A longtime Cognac educator, ms. franky shares insights into what makes Cognac so distinctive; the ways Cognac remains a dynamic spirit today; and how Cognac novices can begin their own explorations of this exceptional French brandy. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, explor...
Mar 29, 2022•21 min•Ep. 45
As a companion to the brandy cover story in our March/April 2022 issue, we head to California to chat with David Warter, the vice president of winemaking and distilling for E&J Gallo Winery. Gallo’s gone big on California brandy in recent years, and Warter shares details about what makes California brandy distinctive, and he offers insight into Gallo’s brandies from the Argonaut and Germain-Robin lines. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid c...
Mar 15, 2022•19 min•Ep. 44
Our March/April issue dives deep into the world of brandy—and it’s impossible to talk about brandy in America, or the world of apple brandy, without talking to Lisa Laird Dunn . The executive vice president, COO, and global ambassador for Laird & Co. in New Jersey, she’s the ninth generation of her family to be involved in the brandy business. For this episode, we chat with her about apple brandy’s heritage in the United States, its indelible role in American drinks history, and the role tha...
Mar 01, 2022•21 min•Ep. 43
Andra “AJ” Johnson has been a barista, sommelier, cicerone, and bartender, and today she’s a partner and beverage director for Serenata in Washington, D.C. For this episode, we catch up with AJ about her ongoing project White Plates Black Faces , which shares the stories of people of color in the hospitality industry, and talk about her role as co-founder of DMV Black Restaurant Week and the Back to Black series of bar pop-ups. As a bonus, she also shares her recipe for the Venezolana from Seren...
Feb 15, 2022•27 min•Ep. 42
When Efrem Fesaha made the leap from a career in finance to open Boon Boona Coffee , a roastery and café in the Seattle area, he looked to his family’s home in Eritrea for inspiration. For this episode, we chat with Fesaha about Boon Boona’s approach to coffee, from its focus on African producers and Africa’s significance in coffee history, to the role it plays in the Seattle area’s African immigrant and small-business communities. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episo...
Feb 01, 2022•23 min•Ep. 41
This episode introduces another of our Imbibe 75 People to Watch, Linda Milagros Violago . A Canadian sommelier and wine professional who’s worked at restaurants worldwide, Violago recently relocated to Seattle to lead the wine program at Canlis , a family-run institution that dates to 1950, with an award-winning wine program more than 22,000 bottles deep. For this episode, we chat with Violago about her background in wine, what brought her to Canlis, and what she has planned for the months ahea...
Jan 18, 2022•17 min•Ep. 40
To kick off 2022, this episode introduces one of our Imbibe 75 People to Watch, Christian Suzuki-Orellana , known more familiarly as Suzu. A longtime Bay Area bartender, Suzu is the creator of the Kagano Bar pop-up, based on his grandparents’ bar in Japan, and the bar manager (and “Head Bird,” with bar supervisor Marguerite Regan) at Wildhawk in San Francisco. Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavor...
Jan 04, 2022•20 min•Ep. 39
Martin and Rebecca Cate are the owners of Smuggler’s Cove and Whitechapel in San Francisco, and the authors of the James Beard Award–winning book, Smuggler’s Cove . The Cates have also both written for Imbibe , and for this episode, we talk with Rebecca about her essay in our November/December 2021 issue in which she reflects on what pandemic closures meant for their bar’s family of regulars, and what it’s been like welcoming these old friends back to the bar. Martin also shares the recipe for a...
Dec 21, 2021•23 min•Ep. 38
Audrey Saunders has been one of the world’s most influential bartenders and bar owners for more than 25 years, at places including Blackbird and Bemelman’s Bar starting in the 1990s, followed by her pioneering New York City bar, Pegu Club. In this episode, Saunders makes her first-ever appearance on a podcast, sharing details behind her role in restoring the Tom & Jerry to prominence as a holiday drink; other favorite holiday cocktails; and what life has in store for her following Pegu Club’...
Dec 07, 2021•31 min•Ep. 37
