The Carbonation Episode: How Two Bartenders Bottled a Movement

Damian is joined by Bart Miedeksza and Valentino Girotto, longtime collaborators, former bar owners, and co-authors of Bubbles: A Guide to Carbonated Cocktails. In this first half of the episode, they dive into the origins of their partnership, the evolution of Crossroads Bar into a consultancy, and the obsessive research process that led to their groundbreaking book. Expect tales of late-night DMs, deep dives into molecular flavor compounds, and why carbonation is more than just sparkle — it’s a science.

🧪 What You’ll Learn

• How Bart & Val transitioned from running bars to full-time consulting
• Why they wrote Bubbles — and how an Instagram post forced their hand
• Collaborating with a Cambridge professor to decode carbonation chemistry
• How they used flavor compound mapping to reverse-engineer cocktails
• Why consistency trumps complexity in modern bar programs
• Tips for designing menus with both guests and GP in mind

🔗 Links & Resources

Crossroads Consultancy

🌐 www.crossroads.bar

📸 @crossroads.consultancy

The Book

📘 Bubbles: A Guide to Carbonated Cocktails — available via their website.

🔒 Bonus Content

To hear the exclusive Lock-In Session with Bart & Val — where we dive deeper into carbonation techniques, common pitfalls, and pro tips — head to thecocktailacademy.com.

🎧 Hosted by Damian Cole

📸 @welovecocktails

🌐 www.thecocktailacademy.com

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