When Steve Jackson stopped drinking in 2023 he noticed something odd. As much as non-alc drinks have improved over the past twenty years no one was making a zero proof alternative in the premium wine space. He set out to fix that with Society de la Rassi, which offers a high-end drinking and aesthetic experience at 0.5% ABV. Steve sits down with Greg to talk about positioning his product in the market, the process by which the wine is created, and the ongoing discourse around mocktails and low a...
Jun 27, 2025•51 min•Ep. 602
Marcelo Chasi has led a lot of lives: bartender, soldier, fight club enthusiast, salsa dancer (yes, really). And now he’s sitting down with Greg and Damon to talk about the launch of Herradura’s new blanco tequila. They discuss the thinking behind releasing a new clear tequila expression in 2025, what makes this particular flavor distinct, and cocktail trends in New York City and beyond. Plus, Damon and Greg recap their BCB experiences since they last saw one another, and the aftermath. Turns ou...
Jun 20, 2025•54 min•Ep. 601
Wow, the last fourteen years just flew by didn’t they? Greg, Sother and Damon sit down together at Fort Hamilton Distillery in Brooklyn’s Industry City during BCB 2025 to talk about the state of the union when it comes to microdistilling, how NYC bartending has changed over the years and the history of Rye Whiskey in America. They’re joined by Alex Clark, the Co-Founder and CEO of Fort Hamilton who delves into his origin story as a bartender for Sasha Petraske at Milk & Honey and his past li...
Jun 13, 2025•54 min•Ep. 600
Greg continues his trek across Savannah's riverfront, venturing into Baobab Lounge. Built inside of a former power plant, Baobab's food and beverage program echo its founder's deep appreciation for African culture, while their Kenyan sous chef brings a taste of her family recipes to the menu. GM Vonnie Ciesla walks Greg through their story, their drinks, the neighborhood, and the tale of a very weird crocodile as Greg tries to pin down the ever elusive vibe of Savannah, GA. Our 600th Episode Ext...
Jun 06, 2025•25 min
In the second Boomerang! installment from Savannah Greg ventures to the riverfront district to talk with Brittany, aka Bugsy of the Bootlegger bar. They unpack the responsibilities that come with running a bar that is several centuries old and how to make the best Old Fashioned in town. Greg might even come around to smoked cocktails! Listen now. Follow Bootlegger at @thebootleggersavannah Our 600th Episode Extravaganza is happening live during BCB on June 10th at Ft. Hamilton Distilling in Indu...
Jun 02, 2025•22 min
Greg returns with another Boomerang episode, this one live from Savannah's Club Bardo with industry luminary Eben Klemm. The two discuss trends in high end hospitality, the state of the union for hotel bars, and what makes the city of Savannah so unique. They also dig into what it takes to hire and train a team to run Hotel Bardo's restaurant, Saint Bibiana. Plus, it turns out Eben was something of a mentor for a certain other Speakeasy Host. Tune in to find out who. Follow Eben at @ebenklemm Fo...
May 30, 2025•54 min
Jackie Williams is the brains behind Bar Convent Brooklyn, or as we like to call it, BCB. Tasked with running one of the largest cocktail conventions in the world, she has hundreds of stakeholders to juggle and no two work days are alike. She takes time out of her busy schedule to talk with Greg and Damon about 2025’s upcoming festival on June 10th and 11th in Industry City, what goes into making BCB Brooklyn a success, and how the festival has grown since she came on board just four years ago. ...
May 23, 2025•43 min•Ep. 599
Jonathan Adler is a triple threat. Michelin-starred chef, certified sommelier, and now a 50 Best rated mixologist. His latest venture is Shinji’s in midtown Manhattan, which has been racking up praise and instagram mentions alike for its inventive, high technique cocktail program. Jonathan sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about some of the varsity-level moves his team pulls to make these drinks, whether there’s a place for molecular mixology in the bar world of 2025, and what guests who po...
May 16, 2025•55 min•Ep. 598
What’s a Scotch distillery doing making gin? For that matter, what’s a Scotch distillery doing making an unbelievably peated single malt in packaging so dark you can barely read it? Douglas Taylor of Bruichladdich and The Botanist sits down with the band to discuss the iconoclastic whisky distillery, their philosophy behind pushing the envelope with locally sourced barley, how they wound up making a London Dry Gin, and how that story involves punching a hole in a building with a wrecking ball. P...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 597
Is the world ready for a Southside RTD? How are you gonna handle the minty flavor? What the hell is a southside supposed to taste like anyway? These were all questions Meredith Mills-Merritt wrestled with when she found the Original Southside. Based on her mother’s famous cocktail recipe from Oklahoma, Meredith worked in secret to perfect the recipe before launching last year. She discusses the R&D process of getting the gin, mint and citrus just right, the thought process behind her small b...
May 02, 2025•51 min•Ep. 596
Ever wanted a barrel of whiskey delivered directly to your living room? George Koutsakis can’t provide that exactly, but he can definitely find one for you to buy. The writer, serial entrepreneur and whiskey lover sits down with the band to talk about a number of his ventures, including Barrel Global, a service that allows organizations and individuals to buy whiskey barrels for a single barrel expression of their very own. George also talks about InBarrel, which allows customers to personalize ...
Apr 25, 2025•57 min•Ep. 595
Speakeasy fave (and let’s be honest, everybody fave) Colin Asare-Appiah returns to the show to talk about Ajabu, the cocktail and spirits festival he’s been building in South Africa for the past few years. Ajabu is a platform for the African hospitality industry to connect across the continent and beyond, to inspire innovation, collaboration, and creativity, as well as to celebrate Africa and its incredible diversity of people, ingredients and drinks. Colin unpacks the wealth of flavors, ingredi...
Apr 18, 2025•40 min•Ep. 594
Gilbert Marquez, the literal face of Ilegal, remembers a time when it was gauche to mix Mezcal into a cocktail. Today he sits down with Greg to talk about Ilegal’s new Caribbean rum cask expression, the punk rock history of the brand, and how he connected with Ilegal’s eccentric founder in the first place. The two of them also reminisce about Ilegal’s many pop ups over the years, while Gilbert details his relationship to agave spirits as a first generation Mexican American. Plus, with all this m...
Apr 11, 2025•54 min•Ep. 593
The fundamental nature of whiskey poses a problem for new distillers - namely that you can’t sell it for at least three years after you make it. Enter Rob Robillard and Ryan La Valle of ASM Capital Partners, an investment firm that finds investors in newly barreled American single malt whiskey so that distillers don’t have to lose money sitting on it while it ages. Since whiskey in a barrel pretty reliably appreciates everybody can win, the category grows and Rob & Ryan’s emails actually get...
Apr 04, 2025•59 min•Ep. 592
“You can’t deny climate change when you live in New Orleans” So says Christa Cotton, CEO of El Guapo bitters as she describes her company’s commitment to doing good while being, well, all her products are non-alcoholic, so slightly bad. She sits down with Greg & Sother to discuss her beginnings working for her family’s distillery, her new line of RTD bitters and soda, and possibly the most metal way to produce sandbags you’ve ever heard of. Plus, dress codes? Greg has a run in with high leve...
Mar 28, 2025•53 min•Ep. 591
In 2015 a happy accident at the Woodford Reserve rickhouse led to the first batch of their coveted Double Double Oaked bourbon. Ten years later, newly appointed Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall was tasked with recapturing the magic. She sits down with the band to talk about her journey to one of the most prestigious positions in American whiskey, what it was like creating and releasing Double Double Oaked 2025, and gives some advice to other women looking to get ahead in what is still a male-do...
Mar 21, 2025•51 min•Ep. 590
Alba Huerta has seen a lot over the past eleven years in Houston. She sits down with the band to discuss the evolution of her bar Julep, from a foundation built on classic cocktails in the 2010s to more experimental drinks as she’s watched Houston become a world class city where people expect world class cocktails. Plus, she discusses their annual Derby Day celebration which has become a major event on Houston’s social calendar - complete of course, with fancy hats. Plus, Happy National Corndog ...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 589
In 1978, whiskey makers at Bushmills laid down two barrels. 46 years later, they’re ready to taste. Alex Thomas, the Master Blender at Bushmill’s Irish Whiskey sits down with the band to talk about shepherding the oldest single malt Irish Whiskey ever released through the last few years of its journey, the rebound of Irish Whiskey as a category, and what it’s like to work at the oldest licensed distillery in the world at four centuries and counting. Plus, American booze is flying off Canadian sh...
Mar 07, 2025•58 min•Ep. 588
Ektoras Binikos has had quite a life in the New York cocktail scene. From Sugar Monk up in Harlem (which was recently named a 50 Best Discovery) to Bitter Monk in Industry City, the boozy entrepreneur is now at the helm of Atheras Spirits. They’re making a bunch of new creations, ranging from a straightforward distillate flavored with fig leaves (which may or may not be pre-used by The Speakeasy’s hosts) to an amaro based on the preservatives used in mummification. Ektoras sits down with Damon &...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 587
Shannon Mustipher, VP of Brands and Trade Development at Privateer Rum has a lot on her mind when it comes to the state of the industry and the state of sugarcane spirits. She sits down with Greg and Damon to talk rising prices behind the bar, how they’re affecting the guest experience, and what operators can and should do to stay welcoming in uncertain times. Then, they dive into rum, and discuss the state of the union when it comes to this “outlaw spirit” Plus, Greg is back from LA! He shines ...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 586
Sother goes on the road to the Windy City to talk to Jeremy Barrett of Lemon, Judy Velez from Diageo and Josh Davis of Brown & Balanced. Tune in for a special live on the road discussion of all things cocktail in the second city. Follow Jeremy & Lemon at @ swizzle_me_this Follow Lemon at @ lemon_chicago Follow Judy at @ laladydrinks Follow Josh at @ mrnixologist Follow Brown & Balanced at @ brownandbalanced Love The Speakeasy but wish there was more? Check out Bottled in Bond , our n...
Feb 21, 2025•46 min•Ep. 585
Five years ago, Hero opened its doors in Nairobi Kenya as the first bar with a dedicated cocktail laboratory in east Africa. The idea was the be the sort of place superheroes (and supervillains) would chill in on their days off. What would they eat? What would they drink? How do they unwind? Today, Hero has cracked into the World’s 50 Best Bars and is touring the globe, with pop-ups from Mexico City to Tokyo. Richie Barrow and Kelvin Thairu sit down with the band to talk about how their vision o...
Feb 14, 2025•59 min•Ep. 584
What does it take to launch a Pisco brand in a country that looooooves Pisco, vs. a country that’s still figuring out what to make of it. That’s what Alex Hildebrandt, founder of Suyo Pisco is here to talk about. He sits down with the gang to talk about growing up with Pisco all around him, the drink’s rich history in Peru, the care that goes into these grapes and the unique challenges of launching a brand in a spirit’s home country, vs. in the United States. Plus, Damon is going to London soon,...
Feb 07, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 583
When Ben Branson started Seasn Bitters he knew what he wanted to do: get intense, complex, very specific flavors into a bottle of bitters without using alcohol. He sits down with the gang to talk about how (and why!) he did it, including some very devious chemistry, a passion for strong flavors, and a side quest to taste over 73,000 different species of trees. Plus Damon’s back! Tune in to hear where he’s been and how his 2025 kicked off. Follow Seasn Bitters on instagram at @ seasnyourdrinks Lo...
Jan 31, 2025•53 min•Ep. 582
Dani Zig is back for the first time since the pandemic to talk about what she’s been working on at Coconut Cartel! Since last we left our hero she’s been working on a blanco rum to compliment the aged rum she introduced a few years back, and where that one was very mellow this one highlights some delightful pot stilled funk! She sits down with Sother and Greg to talk about proofing down rum with coconut water, the hunt for the perfect funky rum and striking the right balance between trusting the...
Jan 24, 2025•54 min•Ep. 581
We've all seen the news, now what can we do to help? Amanda Gunderson, CEO and founder of Another Round Another Rally and native Angeleno sits down with Greg to talk about her experience with the LA fire and crucially, what you as a concerned citizen can do to help. Follow Another Round Another Rally on Instagram at @AnotherRoundAnotherRally This is where people can donate, apply for aid, or learn how to throw a fundraiser for us This is where people can donate to World Central Kitchen This is w...
Jan 19, 2025•47 min
Chris and Damola from Spearhead Spirits stop by to talk about their quest to bring African spirits out of obscurity and onto the back bar. With a vodka, a gin made with African botanicals and an agave spirit (much to Greg’s delight) the two are on a mission to introduce the world to a range of flavors they didn’t know they didn’t know about. Together they talk about starting a company right around the time the Suez Canal got jammed, getting agave to grow on a whole new continent, and their plans...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 580
New Year, Same Show, New Apologies! There’s a certain city we’ve been picking on a lot on this show and it’s time to set the record straight, and hear what Des Moines, the greatest city in the entire world, is all about. Joe Hayhoe, the mind behind the Iowan speakeasy Blind Pig sits down with Greg to talk about the latest drinking trends and coolest cocktail bars in the new undisputed center of the universe. Plus, the two crown a new worst city in America. Tune in to hear who we’ll be apologizin...
Jan 10, 2025•49 min•Ep. 579
It’s time once again for the Speakeasy’s multi-platinum critically acclaimed year end wrap up show! Greg, Sother & Damon sit down with each other to talk about the year in review, the trends they saw emerge over the last twelve months, and where they see the industry going in uncertain times. Tune in, and Happy New Year one and all. 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...
Dec 21, 2024•45 min•Ep. 578
Queer Activist and Cultural Advisor Chris Cabrera joins Greg and Damon to unpack the fallout from the November election. They discuss what this means for queer people and undocumented immigrants in the service industry, and Chris points toward resources people can use to fight back. We’re getting into our feels on this one y’all. Plus, are you a bro, but not a total dick? Here’s what you can do to help the people you care about. Follow Chris on instagram at @ chrscab Here are some resources for ...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 577
