On this week's episode of The Speakeasy , Damon is joined in studio by PR specialist Michael McCuish of VisitScotland and restauranteur Donal Brophy, owner of Highlands in NYC. Michael and Donal share a bit of their knowledge about whiskey and talk about Scottish and Irish whiskey making cultures.
On this week's episode of The Speakeasy , Sother is joined in studio by mixologist Jason Littrell, founder of Critical Mass Events and brand ambassador for Yaguara Cachaça. Jason is a specialist in event production, hospitality development, and brand strategy in the spirits and hospitality industry.
On this week's episode of The Speakeasy , entrepreneur Phil Morgan joins Damon and Sother in the studio to talk about his many ventures. Phil is the co-owner of Robert Bar and Building on Bond in Brooklyn, co-founder of the Lizard Lounge and The Bottle Shop in Paris, co-founder of the design firm Hecho , and more!
On this week's episode of The Speakeasy , Damon and Sother are joined in studio by Whiskey Ambassador Joe Riggs of Redemption Whiskey . Having grown up the grandson of Springfield, KY Bootlegger and son of a former bartender; Joe Riggs was raised hearing stories of his Grandfather being “the only bootlegger to drive around Nelson County Courthouse on two wheels without breaking a bottle.” As well as watching his mother memorize recipes, Joe was always drawn to work in spirits and hospitality ind...
This week on The Speakeasy , Damon and Sother are joined in studio by bartenders Garret Richard, Jim Kearns, and Ray Sakover to talk about tiki classics, spicy cocktails, good-looking drinks, and Slowly Shirley's Exotica Nights, which will happen every second Tuesday of the month starting March 14th.
This week on The Speakeasy , Damon is joined in studio by cocktail expert Jessica Lambert of The Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago to chat about some of Jessica's signature cocktails such as the Coconut Negroni and her special recipes with Pisco and Fernet-Branca.
This week on The Speakeasy , Damon is joined in studio by bartender and cook Jan Warren of Brooklyn Gin. Jan and Damon chat about drinking habits, opportunities in the cocktail industry, and personal and professional growth in bartending life.
This week on The Speakeasy , Sother is joined in studio by Hal Wolin and Mal Spence of Black Bottle Scotch. Tune in and join Sother and his guests as they talk about Black Bottle Blended Scotch and other varieties of blended and single malt whiskey.
This week on The Speakeasy , hosts Damon and Sother are joined in studio by Kimi Winkler and Jen Marshall, brand ambassadors of Novo Fogo Cachaça and Reyka Vodka, respectively. Kimi and Jen share a bit about the work they do with different liquor brands and their unique perspective on how to be successful brand ambassadors.
This week on The Speakeasy , Damon and Sother are joined in studio by a crew of pirates (Joaquin Simo, Ryan Liloia, Garret Richard, Jelani Johnson, Sean Saunders) led by captain/bartender Brian Miller. Brian is perhaps NYC's most well-known pirate and tiki cocktail specialist and he can be found wearing a sarong at Pouring Ribbons on Mondays with his crew for Tiki Mondays with Miller. If you feel like walking the plank and trying delicious cocktails don't miss Miller and his crew on February 13t...
This week on The Speakeasy , hosts Damon and Sother are joined in studio by Naama and Assaf Tamir of Lighthouse in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Naama and Assaf are siblings who are passionate about creating menus that are both delicious and healthy. Not only do they care about their food, Naama and Assaf talk about the importance of treating restaurant employees well so that everyone is happy from cook to customer.
This week on The Speakeasy , hosts Damon Boelte and Sother Teague are joined in the studio by Daniel Bedoya, cocktail specialist and manager of The Third Man bar in the East Village. Bedoya shares his experience managing a bar and creating cocktails in NYC.
This week on The Speakeasy , Sother is joined in the studio by cocktail specialist Michael Reynolds of Black Crescent. Reynolds worked under Sam Anderson, who opened and curated the cocktail menus at Black Market and Lovers of Today. He later moved to the north end of Tompkins Square Park to pour at East Village stalwarts The Beagle and Booker & Dax, during which time he would also curate the cocktail programs at some well known watering holes in lower Manhattan, before heading uptown to the...
On the first episode of The Speakeasy of 2017, Damon and Sother are joined by Cory Bonfiglio, general manager of Beer Street , which was selected as one of America’s 100 Best Beer Bars by DRAFT Magazine for 2014 and 2015. Tune in to hear them discuss balancing expertise with great hospitality, the finer points of glassware, beer trading, and more!
This week on The Speakeasy , Damon and Sother are joined by Master Sommelier Laura Maniec of Corkbuzz Wine Studio , which she opened in New York City's Union Square neighborhood with her business partner Frank Vafier in 2011. Corkbuzz locations are part wine bar, part wine school, all wrapped up in a cool, casual studio designed to feel like a living room. Maniec created the wine program to bring casual and professional wine drinkers together in one space with approachable yet comprehensive clas...
This week on The Speakeasy , hosts Damon Boelte and Sother Teague are joined by Sarah Morrissey, formerly of Dear Irving, and now head bartender at Pig Bleecker, a Greenwich Village satellite from the team that owns Pig Beach in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Pig Bleecker will be opening in early January, but in the meantime Sarah brought Damon and Sother a sample of her Little Piña Pisco Punch to try on the air!
On the season finale of The Speakeasy , hosts Damon Boelte and Sother Teague are joined in the studio by Anne Robinson. Formerly of PDT, Booker and Dax and Evening Bar, Anne is now the head bartender at Westlight, the rooftop bar atop the brand-new William Vale hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her bar program presents a dynamic menu of original and classic cocktails alongside rare spirits, craft beer and wine.
This week on The Speakeasy , Sother Teague rejoins Damon Boelte for a sit-down with Tom Richter, bartender at Dear Irving, Attaboy, and the creator/formulist/chief bottle washer of Tomr's Tonic. Tomr’s Tonic is a 100% organic elixir/concentrate that combines the unique flavors real cinchona bark (quinine), citrus, herbs and cane sugar. Tune in for a live on-air gin & tonic tasting!
This week on The Speakeasy , host Damon Boelte is joined in the studio by Tyson Buhler, head bartender for Death & Co, one of the most important, influential, and oft-imitated bars to emerge from the contemporary craft cocktail movement. Tyson began his career in the kitchen, from dishwasher, to the line, to running a small kitchen. After culinary school, he began bartending and immediately fell in love with it. In June 2015, the United States Bartenders’ Guild and Diageo World Class named h...
Today on The Speakeasy, Damon and Sother are joined in the study by brand ambassadors from the worlds of vodka and whiskey. Matt Eisenman and Jeremy Hawn represent WhistlePig Rye and Absolut Elyx, respectively. But it's not all shop talk. On this Thanksgiving eve (when bartenders bring in a record number of patrons), the crew also talk about what venues make for a perfect winter day in New York City.
Today on The Speakeasy, we're joined in the studio by Everyman Espresso's Sam Penix! He tells us about the values and service behind bringing top quality caffeine to everyone from morning commuters to the chiller crowds that roll in later in the day.
Today on The Speakeasy, we're joined by Lindsey Johnson of Lush Life Productions. But before that, Damon and Sother discuss where they were on Election Day 2016, and agree that they'll be hanging "let's talk about anything else" signs outside their establishments this evening...
Today on The Speakeasy, we're joined in the studio by Blaine Ashley, the one-woman machine behind Champagne Week! We talk about what the event means to her and fans of bubbly – with a side of puns – plus her very own bottle, Bulle de Rêve.
This week on The Speakeasy, we're joined by Tim Master, who knows a thing or two (or two thousand!) about Chartreuse. And we do more than just talk about it, cracking open a bottle from the 70s!
Today on The Speakeasy, it's video on the radio. Tess Mix of Le JIT Productions joins us in the studio to tell us what it takes to make excellent videography happen.
Today on The Speakeasy, hosts Damon Boelte and Sother Teague are joined in the studio by Jack McGarry, co-owner of Dead Rabbit, which just last week was named World's Best Bar! That's according to 400 experts over at trade publication Drinks International. McGarry tells all about how he started bartending at age 15, what it takes to succeed (hint: friendly bartenders), and why he's not resting on his laurels.
Today on The Speakeasy, spirits writer Kara Newman joins us to tell us about her new book! Shake. Stir. Sip.: More than 50 Effortless Cocktails Made in Equal Parts is all about no-fuss cocktails with even portions. The Cucumber Gimlet, for instance, combines one part each vodka, lime juice, and lemonade. Drop a few cucumber slices in and garnish with a basil leaf. If you strike upon a drink you especially like, it's pretty easy to scale it up for your next party. Writing about the book for the T...
Today on The Speakeasy, we round out book month with a visit from Robert Simonson, the author (most recently) of 'A Proper Drink'. Simonson tells us all about cocktails, bar spoons, and the Internet.
Five years after his first appearance on The Speakeasy, book author Brad Thomas Parsons is back in the studio (with photographer Ed Anderson) to talk about his new book: Amaro. Research on the liqueur took him to Italy, where amaro was born but now belongs to the older generation. After the break, Parsons pours a few amaros and tells us all about their backstory (and flavor profiles).
Today on The Speakeasy, we're joined in the studio by serial tiki bar entrepreneurs Martin and Rebecca Cate. They tell us all about their collection of West Coast watering holes (plus one in Chicago) as well as their new book, Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki.
