July 31, 2024 • 51 mins
Held annually in July in New Orleans, Tales of the Cocktail is the largest gathering of the global professional bar and spirits industry, a place to discover new products, learn trends and share ideas. Award-Winning Mixologist and Masterclass Host Lynnette Marrero discusses highlights from the 2024 Tales events and awards and the growth of zero proof and low alcohol cocktails. Marrero is cofounder of Speed Rack, Liquid Creative Director for Aplós, and Partner and Chief Mixologist for Delola.
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The Connected Table is broadcast live Wednesdays at 2PM ET and Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com).
The Connected Table Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-connected-table-live--1277037/support.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The topics and opinions expressed and the following show are
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make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,
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(00:21):
W FOURCY Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Welcome to the Connected Table Live where your hosts Melanie
Young and David Ransom. You're insatiably curious culinary couple. We
travel the world to bring you the dynmenic people who
are front and center and behind the scenes and wine, food,
spirits and hospitality. We really love sharing their stories with
you and talking about trends and topics that we uncover
(01:03):
along the way. And we do this every week on
W FOURCY Radio and you can hear us on over
sixty podcast channels on demand. We've done over six hundred
shows and people. The biggest cocktail gathering in the world
happens in New Orleans every year in the sunny hot
(01:24):
months of July and Dave and I attended Tales of
the Cocktail. I think it was our probably our tenth time,
and it is such a great place to connect with
leaders of the bar and spirits industry and learn about
new products, trends, and major developments, and there were some
(01:45):
really good ones. While David is away this week, I
have invited Lynette Marrero to be my guest host on
the Connected Table to talk about what she's been up
to in the industry and also some of the observations
she had about Tales of the Cocktail and what's getting
her excited. Lynette and I go way back. She has
been on Fearless, Fabulous Shoe and the Connected Table because
(02:09):
she is co founder of a great organization called speed
Rack with Ivy Mix, a fellow bartender. Speed Rock has
raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research
and patient care, and I'm incredibly grateful for all of
her work.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
She is an award winning bartender.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
That has some really exciting and in addition to owning
the Loma in in New York, she's got some great
collaborations that I discovered at Tales of the cocktail, which
I'm going to ask her to talk about to wet
literally your appetite. Lynette joins us from She lives in Beacon,
(02:48):
New York, which is where we used to live, kind
of in the Hudson Valley, and I'm so excited to
see her at Tales and I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
To have you on the Connected table today. Welcome, Lynette Morrero.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Thanks so much, thank us for having me.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You were always glowing when I see you, So you
were a perfect example of yes, you can drink and
moderation and still look amazing. Lynette, I just want to
compliment you on that. For our listeners who are not
familiar with your background, give us a little backstory on
where you grew up and what was your journey into
this very diverse industry.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Absolutely, you know it is the journey to cocktails, I
think is a really fun one. Everyone has such different
stories of what brought us to hospitality. You know, I
was very fortunate to get my start in New York City.
That is actually I was also born in Brooklyn, first
(03:45):
generation New yeor Weecan, and so New York has always
been such an important part of my life. You know,
we lived there left, you know, like a lot of people,
and I came back to go to university. I went
to Columbia and stayed there, and you know, decided that
I was going to give my big old go at
(04:08):
Broadway and Theater. And you know, this is the early offs.
So at the time, we hadn't quite gotten to the
point where cocktails are now, and it wasn't really quite
as big of a profession.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
You had folks who were.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Doing it like Dale de Groff and Julie Ryan or
Andrew Saunders, you know, but that hadn't really gotten to
the broader community yet. And so I really did not
want to be the cliche uh waiter actor.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
So I worked in you know.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Every I did everything to really really really try to
resist the life of hospitality and night life. But after
nine to eleven, I so decided I was never going
to work in an office building again. And I said, well,
I'm going to go and learn how to do this
restaurant thing. And I started at a wine bar on
(05:00):
Clinton Street called Punch and Judy. And you know, on
that street, the bartender was, you know, now the very
famous Michael Churnow, who's a famous chef. Noel Cruz who
ended up doing a ton of hospitality in New York
and down in Tampa and with his restaurants and so
all these people and my regulars were people like Wiley Duffrain.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Who was opening WD fifty down the street.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
So I got very quickly into a very you know,
a quick advance into the industry. And from you know,
you know, serving at a wine bar and learning so
much about global wine. I then moved into cocktails by
working at a martini lounge on Irving called The Bar,
which is across the street from one of my favorite
bars right now, Dear Irving, run by Megan Dorman, and
(05:49):
one I used to go Thursday nights with the bartender
gro I was working with Amber Tinsley to this new
bar that opened down the street on Nineteenth, which ended
up being the Flattern Lounge.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
And the Flattering.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Lounge opened me up to this beautiful world of cocktails
where you know, they might be bright and colorful, but
they were bright and colorful because they were using fresh juice,
and so it really just kind of clicked in my brain.
You know, the vibe was very artistic and creative, and
you know went to this you know, you walked through
this gilded you know, hallway, and you felt like you
(06:23):
were transported to another era in the classic cocktails and
I was just enamored with it and fell in love
with the theater of it, and I became a cocktail
server there and then ultimately moved up to being a bartender.
You know, the people were there, phil Ward, Toby Maloney,
(06:43):
uh and I worked with those bartenders and was able
to move up and I loved the glamour in the
nightlife of hospitality and found a place here that felt
as rewarding as you know, doing theater and having an audience.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
And so you know, the last many.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Many years I've spent is creating experiences that resonate with
people and why they go out, and it's to be
entertained and to have a moment and to you know,
experience something. And I think you see that their food
and drink and as we just saw a tail of
a cocktail, there was lots of hydrama going on and
it was beautiful to see how how how we engage
(07:25):
people in that way. And I think hospitality is just
one of the most incredible spaces because people can bring
their art, their culture, their background to something and it's
so dynamic that it accepts so much of that.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, Lennan, I think people like you Elevated and Julie
Reiners and the Audrey Sanders, and of course there's men too,
but I love my women elevated. The whole cocktail is
an experience to cocktail experience. It's something I noticed at
Tales of the Cocktail. We I think we were there.
We know we were there last year. We've been almost
(07:59):
every year. And just a few things off the top
of my head that really stood out was there were
more bar takeovers and experiences versus tasting rooms, and you know,
entire buildings were transformed into another world. I mean, I
went to the Mason Hennessy I wrote you about that
(08:20):
and loved it. It was a history of cognac through
the ages and the United States, and I learned.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I learned.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I always said that there was a strong connection between
the Afro American community and Hennessy. I beg even Saturday
night life at a riff on my Hennessy Cognac. But
I learned that there's some substance behind that. Because they
were a founder of a supporting sponsor of the initial
NAACP and the National Urbana.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Yeah, I mean it's beautiful to see. I thought that
I agree with you. I thought that activation was really thoughtful.
And then as you experienced beyond than Hennessy to the
rest of the portfolio, that everything was meaningful to what
the brands, what each of the brands brought. You know,
you had Belvedere and vodka and the fun nightlife vibe
that was happening in the back, and then with the
(09:09):
Volcome tequila, you just felt more to like the modern
party age, and I thought that there was a really
I agree with you. I think there was a beautiful
way of connecting history on the impact that you know,
hospitality has had over the many, many years of changing things.
You know, if anyone out there has ever read Girly Drinks,
you know, I think that's a good point because when
(09:30):
you bring up the women in the industry and the
fight that it took for women to really break out
into especially here in America, it was a bit more
you know Europe, there they had barmaids and women in
you know, tending bar, but there was a big struggle
up and through the early eighties here for the you know,
someplace that was illegal for women to bartend and so
(09:53):
there's a long history about women's fight behind the bar,
which is why you know, things like as I started
getting the stage just and I.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Saw things shift.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
I saw, you know, less and less women present, even
though that was who I saw as people as that
I looked up to. And so starting things like the
precursor to Speeder Wreck, which was the LUPEC Ladies United
for the Preservation of Dangered Cocktails Chapter of New York
after meeting Misty Calcalfin and Kitty Amen in Boston and
(10:25):
starting a chapter and then realizing that the community was
better if we all bond together and so, you know,
highlighting a lot of events that featured women. So I
felt that the Hennessy activation as well. They brought in
bartenders and people who really resonated. One of my favorite
bartenders was was behind the Hennessy Bar, Daddy long Legs
(10:45):
out of U saw and uh, they're just an incredible
example of black excellence and really just owning their truth.
And I gotta had a chance to judge them in
a competition for the most imaginative Bartender Bad Bombay Sapphire,
And so I was really happy to see people like that,
(11:06):
you know, being you know, examples at tales of people
who are creative and bringing something a new voice.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So I thought that was really great.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
And to your point, new voice is also meant the
bar takeovers, right, so no longer just a tasting room
where you're just like going in trying something, you're actually
connecting with the brand through the stories that are told
by the different bars, and I thought that.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Was that is really great.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
There were either large series takeovers that happened over the
whole week, such as the Ishiko Show Choo sessions which
every day they had two bars that was about probably
four bar teams per day every day that would you
got to meet and you know a lot of them
are were from Asia, so they really were able to
(11:53):
bring people that and experiences that maybe we can't always
get to so easily to the US for us to experience.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
And I thought that was really wonderful.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Also some great sessions at the four seasons they had
rotating bars, more more access to more of the European
bars there, so they had to pop up with I
Go and Giorgio from the Connaught so you had your
martini service, which who didn't love a martini service?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Right?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I was so excited to sit meet him while he
was signing his book, which quickly sold out. I just
like to say that the coat, those takeovers were brilliant.
They elevated the event in a whole another way. And
as you said, you really felt the history of a
bar and the people behind it, because it really is
theater in many many ways. Another big area and you
(12:45):
were very much you are very much involved was and
I went with this mission was on the search for
better tasting, zero proof and low alcohol beverages, and U
there were plenty to try. I attended and saw you
at the Zero Proof Lounge. I also tended a very
good seminary called Zero to Hero that addressed some of
(13:07):
the key questions and topics on how to create a
balanced drink and the mommy talk about that because you
are very much involved with this, because you were working
with Applos. One of your many projects is Applos, which
I found was a delicious product.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
By the way, Thank you.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Yeah, no, it's I love you know, I love this
new equity of cocktails, right and you know, I know
consumers generally call them mocktails. You know, there's a big
movement in the industry to try to extricate ourselves from
that name because it quote unquote mocks but understand that
sometimes you know, consumers need it in a different way.
(13:49):
But I like to call them no proof cocktails. And
I love seeing that you had more attention and focus
and that there were ample opportunities to have a no
or low experience. A lot of this started a few
years ago when the new owners, the current group that
is running the Tales of Cocktail Foundation, came in and
(14:11):
and asked what the community wanted. And a lot of
that was the beyond the Bar initiative, where when we
were thinking about what are the other ways to talk
about our community, and a lot of it started with
lifestyle and wellness and it definitely has bloomed in the
last few years to being bigger and bigger with the
no and low space. There were you know, meetings for
(14:33):
folks if they wanted to go in the morning and
anyone who was abstaining from alcohol just kind of talk
about that if.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
They wanted support.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
There was at every turn, every event had a non
alcoholic cocktail. I saw, you know, lots of pop ups
with none el so not even just the ones that
you went to.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
There was also the seed Lip Social.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
Hours that they had uh Byers had their whole lounge
that they were doing with Barleenzo that was stationed at
the hotel. And I love the Liars Sparkling, which was
available as the non ol sparkling at the awards, So
you did cheers and celebrate and I thought that was
really wonderful. And then I got to participate in the
(15:18):
Shopify event at the Napoleon House, which you know, Derek Brown,
who is really, you know, a wonderful writer, checked out
his books and he's known for really his time in
DC building very intellectual, wonderful cocktail bars and has left
the bar scene in life, and he actually no longer
(15:39):
drinks alcohol, and he's really delved into the space of
of non alcohol. And I think what we were able
to accomplish at the Napoleon House was wonderful. We had
so many people show up who wanted to try new
things and to your point, test products, see what they like,
and then also try new drinks. So Alex Jump was
making cocktail. I got an hour to make cocktails. It
(16:01):
was It was really wonderful. But I think we have
different there's several focuses in this one building the better
cocktails that don't have alcohol. And then I think what
was the big leap this year was the products themselves
and functional So Applos, which as you mentioned I'm involved with.
I met them and we launched directed consumer back in
(16:24):
December twenty twenty, and I was it actually became a
connection I made through tails of the cocktail. One of
the former executives there, her best friend from college was
starting a company investing in a company that was which
was Applos, and they were looking for uh liquid creative director,
(16:48):
a mixologists to come in and help them with the liquid.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
They knew what they wanted the brand, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
The first one we did was hemp and the functional
was hemp and CBD.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
And you know, I met them. I said, listen, I.
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Don't know much about hemp or CBD, but I do
know what I like in a in a alcohol proxy, right,
and a beverage that's going to give me the feeling
like I'm having, you know, an adult beverage but without
the alcohol, without the effects. And you know, they we
(17:19):
worked a lot on flavor profiles that made sense, you know,
and I loved, you know, saying okay, well what is
our base going to be? And that functional pack, right,
So that first CBD Punks pack was about the relaxation
moment of you know, getting home from work or meeting
a friend and you just want to decompress, and what's
that like in a non alcohol form. And so we
(17:42):
went with a lot of things that I like, you know,
obviously the hemp is going to do that, But then
I went with like she's sown, and we looked into
things like dandelion, all which have calming properties, and those
got layered.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Into the into the spirit.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Then when we decided to do the second distillate, which
is the Arise, which was more about the.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Uplifting, like what do you do if you.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Want to party all night long and want to stay
awake and have those sort of functional pack.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
And stay awake.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
And so that was a Rise and I'm like, okay,
well this feels like the moment where I'm going to
have a shot, you.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Know, and what does that mean I'm going to party?
And what is that feeling? What's that vibe?
Speaker 5 (18:24):
And we thought bright and things that kind of challenge
your palettess a little bit of you know, black sarawak
pepper and a gave flower and the functionals in this
being like Beach twelve and l fianine and things that
perk you up without having to use caffeine. So you know,
it's it was fun to you know, obviously work with
the scientists who understands the functional packs and then layer
(18:46):
flavor in. And then we just launched our RTD cans.
The We have the Chili Margarita, which uses the arise,
which it's not spicy, just has more of like a
bright fresh part of the the Hobnair uh, and then
we had the uh the Ume Sprits, which is the
calm chill vibes and that kind of feels your rose moment,
(19:09):
and so it was it was great to launch that
and really share it with the community, have lots of
friends talk about their journeys, what they're mixing with. You know,
Alex Jump made a really cool cocktail at the hour
where she was using yogurt way had texture and body.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
And acidity, and I was like, that's such a smart
way to build a nan all cocktail.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
And so it was just a really I think great
learning experiences and and to your point, I also saw,
you know, I had a lot of great conversations with
people where they talked about their their shift in their drinking.
A lot of people were like, you know, I actually
this here tales. I was kind of had a little
more chill in a good way. I spent more time
in different events, and I didn't try running everywhere.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
I didn't you know.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
People were giving smaller samples that didn't feel obligated to,
you know, keep drink every drink. And there were options
when I could go to places and have lots of
places that offered a non al cocktail, so I could
still be a part of it. And so I think
that sort of growth is phenomenal because you know, I
noticed the big shift last year. The attendees really wanted.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
To get their value out of it, which is.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Going to these events and learning and seeing and doing
and getting to.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
The classes or going to you know, the signing.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
So you know, having more low and no options within
that within the world even if they have alcohol in them,
but lower alcohol really gave that opportunity for people to
have just really enjoy more things more responsibly. And I
and I love this world that I'm in now. It's
it's very much. You know, I think the way some
(20:48):
of us in the industry started, so I think when
you kind of remember saw the sprits boom for a while,
or the rise of sherry. You know, you'd have bartenders
being like, oh yeah, I'll have a sherry shot, right
because they wanted to have something lower, you know, they
didn't want to be taking high proof shots. And so
we're just seeing this kind of be integrated a little
bit more. And I'm really fortunate that I got to
(21:10):
also work on a low proof spirit line that I
just launched a year ago at Jennifer Lopez obviously the
icon of someone who knows how to do it right
and create for her line of cocktails that met what
she wanted. So low sugar, natural ingredients, you know, and botanacals,
(21:32):
but without all the without so much sugar, and lower
proof because you know, just thinking about again, that's more
sessionable lifestyle, So having a having a delicious light margarita
but it being only twelve and a half percent instead
of you know, twenty twenty four percent. So I think
that's kind of where where I've really enjoyed this this shift.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
That must have been a did you know Jennifer beforehand
or did she know of you and approach you?
Speaker 4 (22:00):
She approached me? Uh so I didn't she did not know.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I think a lot of obviously Masterclass dot Com I
launched that in March, uh, March twenty twenty, a really
great time with the lovely mister Lyon Right Teddy Wardanna,
and we uh you know, just had a lot of
exposure and people were learning to make cocktails at home,
and even to that point on Masterclass, we actually both
(22:25):
we made lemonade. At one point we talked about balance
without alcohol too, so we were you know, we're obviously
pre teaching to be about to make drinks, but we
also talk you about regular classic balance and how to
do that when you're not.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Using a spirit base. So there was a lot of good.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Conversation about that, and so I think obviously that exposure
got me out there. But also you know, her partners
in the brand, Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan are no
uh you know, uh, they have been known in this
industry for a long time with with Terrea Mona Tequila,
Avillon Proper twelve, and.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
So they they knew me.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
I was doing some work for them for Termana, you know,
doing some television appearances because I had my camera set up,
so I was like zooming into radio stations and on
TV stations and they're like, you've got this down. And
so that exposure, you know, I think really obviously brought
me and put me out there and just so happened.
We're both near Riecans, so that also, like really was
(23:18):
an extra bonus that we you know, I'm kind of
a liquid proxy and we have a shared background, so
you know, the cocktails that she loves are bright and
fresh and beautiful, and I'm like, oh, well this is
you know, leans into our tropical background and how you
can balance that.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
But and they're called Delo, right, the name is de Loo.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
Yeah, thank you so much, and.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
They're very nice because one of the problems I have.
I taste a lot of low alcohol and zero proof
and also zero wine, which there is no such thing
as non wine. Sorry, but we have yet to find
it no alcohol wine that we can stomach. But the
products are getting better. I have a bunch of In fact,
when we do dinner parties here in New Orleans, Linette,
(24:04):
we always have a lower no no no alcohol option,
and it's nice to be able to offer something other.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Than you know, tea or you know, sparkling water.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
So it's nice to give people that option and people
taste with us and we get their opinion. I asked
you taste it in at the Zero Proof Flound and
it's mother is some very good alcohol free spirits. I
had a very good jakri at the Zero Proof Lounge
by Monday Distillery.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I took a picture of it. It was.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
I was, like I said to David, well this is
like a real dacry and there's no alcohol in it.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
It was.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
It was great for me.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Who wasn't trying to drink a lot of hard spirits
with my body.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
At my age can't do it and the heat anymore.
You also, I.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Think a chance to try ith wasn't there.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
But if you like kind of more of an agricol
style has a really cool cane spirit that I've made
myself a diacrine, I would swear it was raw migracl.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Well, I have to try it.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
I mean, I also take some interesting amorrows at the
they had every day there was a low five bar
area at the Ritz Carlton where the event took place.
It tasted some interesting amorrows that were no alcohol. And
what I noticed, Lynette, is there a certain because you
have to get that texture that Oomammy and Balance. I
(25:33):
noticed a lot of tea being used, Macha green tea,
clove and cinnamon for like the Amorrow's uh you mentioned Way,
which is I interviewed a woman who created Wayward Spirits.
It's all Way based spirits. It's also she does it
from Yeah Dairy Farms. She has a deal with the
California Dairy Association to gather up and buy up all
(25:55):
the Way because Way is a byproduct, so it's also
very sustainable to us. Why my friend who was checking
out tales, Tina Willaford, just opened Liberty and Plenty and
Durham and she's got a Way based spirits.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
And when you when you.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Taste the Way based spirits, they're very textural. I also
noticed a lot of peppers. A lot of hot peppers
are being used. I tasted a number of.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Tequilas and gins. Some of that is good, some of
it's bad.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I have I actually have had some allergic reactions to peppers,
so I actually had to talk to a bartender about
it because my throat started to close up. So one
of the things that was addressed in the in the
Zero to Heroes seminar was understanding how ingredients interact because
you have to understand that some botanicals don't work well
with others, and and and the health and wellness aspect
(26:47):
of it that way, from whether it's a hot pepper
or a certain botanicals or even.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Chalky.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
She was an indigenous bartender from London she talked about
and I didn't notice that.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Like a govey can create uter in contractions, which I
didn't know.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
But it's like you really have to be knowledgeable from
a nutrition and science standpoint to get the balance right
as well as make sure the contents are safe absolutely.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
I mean everything goes back to safety right and thinking
about that as bartenders. I know Camper English has the
Cocktailsafe dot org and you know a lot of these
things to your point, are meant to be used in
certain doses.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
You know, not necessarily mean you.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
Can over you can overdo it on lemon verbina. You
know bom like they see it to be super innocuous
and they are so to your point, there is definitely
like understanding dosage and things like that, like, uh, you know,
botanists are really great people to read their information about
how functionals work. It's always good to I think be
(27:49):
very descriptive because some people, depending on medications they're having,
and this is like a good tip for any sort
of cocktailing, right, certain certain things just counteract other medications,
So really making sure your menus don't have secret hidden ingredients, right.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
But I agree with you, I think.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
Going leaning too much into the capsin and that to
make the quote unquote bite I think is kind of
a It almost reminds me of like a juvenile bartender mistake,
you know, like of overbittering something. So I think you
know some are showing restraints in that area is definitely
I think more powerful.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Exactly, And I think that's and you should be clear
like you are with food allergies. And kudos to the
Zero Proof Lounge. Again, a Napoleon nows because there was
a sign that said it now I'm holding my phony
n Groni. I had not opened the phony Negroni. I
brought it back with me, just.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Just a nod to. We talked about names.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
One of the things that came up at the Zero
Toro is like, don't call it matel or one of
the figures that do not call it a vergent drink.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
One percent.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
And I love the nagrestis actually the Phonyina Gronies. They've
actually done one that is like a mescal based one
as the traditional gin basedline, and I see it integrated
in in bars. So a big trend up here in
New York, especially in your old stomping grounds up in
the Hudson Valley is the farm license and being able
(29:15):
to share spirits so you can have a liquor shop
and you can have a bar in the liquor shop
if everything is coming from New York State. So I
see products like that. Particular product works really well because
they are cleared for farm license for New York. So
you see it's quite popular and a lot of a
(29:35):
lot of spaces that are required to use that license.
And I think it's it's a cool, really cool product.
And just talking about the de alcoholized wines, going back
to that, it's interesting because consumers are really.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
Enjoying that style.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
So for them, they they like it because it's user friendly,
so you know, they understand what to do with it.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
There's no mixing.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
It's like, okay, this is an exact proxy.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
I agree to. I think there's a lot of work
to do.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
I find a lot of times the reds need more
of a mid palette for me. And I think, you know,
to your point, there's a lot of like t being
and things like that, but you know that I think
they need work a little hard to get some of
the bitterer notes in the center palette. We'll work on
the Tannin replacement, especially with a red right.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
I want to have that.
Speaker 5 (30:25):
If I'm not thinking of a pan and a war,
I'm all gone something more very forward I and I
want some that has more structure.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
I think you know that's kind of where I'm looking at.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
Sometimes I'll throw in the great you know, non alcohol
bidders that all the bidders company has fantastic non alcoholic bidders,
So I'll just toss some of those in there. So
I'm like doctoring up my red wine and that way
that works. I have found some really uh Thompson and
Scott does some really lovely UH wines. I found that
(30:55):
I really liked their Yeah, I like their uh. Their
pains feel like they have one that feels very bready
and wonderful, like a like a brioche you get in
a really beautiful uh champagne and their whites and the
whites are coming a little further. But they also have
a naughty Sarah that I used in a punch. You
(31:16):
know when I did the Today Shows Not Alcoholic segment
this year and for dry January, and it was it
was really good that one exactly was getting more towards
that line.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
So you know, it's a lot of like trial and error,
see what you like.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
I love that you can integrate in your life, and
like if you're just even thinking about other ways to
still enjoy, you know, your your spirit cocktail is lower.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
A lot of the trend is doing more of reverse.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
So we talked a lot about, you know, how you
can integrate more fortified wine products, sherries, the crazy wonderful
range of remooths. I'm a much bigger fan of a
fifty to fifty martini now where you know, I'm half
of my gin is really formooth based, no longer the
two to one.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
I really enjoy that.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
So, you know, just thinking about lowering the alcohol in
in beverages.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
It's a really nice way. And but not to do
it in like a hard Selter way, right, I'm a
hard Selter.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
I want I want to taste a good cocktail. So
that's why you know, all the work goes into really
thinking about you know, what you're delivering as a full
cocktail experience.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Well, I think you made some really good points. I
love removeth and I'm looking over.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
You also were a judge for the Where were you
What were you not doing in tails?
Speaker 2 (32:28):
You were also a judge of the New Orleans International
Spirits Competition. That must have been interesting or blind tasting,
and I'm looking I thought I saw removeth in here.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Maybe I didn't.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
There's a removeth in here somewhere that must have been
interesting to judge. Yeah, I think there may have been
a There's there's so many categories of awards.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
I can't keep.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
Up so many, but it's but it's great, and you
know that one was really fun.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
It ends up usually.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
Being my bigel my moments of learning.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
How to take bourbon.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Oh yeah, with so many whiskeys. Uh, you know, I
learned to trust myself because you know, obviously in my
my past I have definitely done more rum and you know,
peace Go and more light spirits, so not necessarily like
whiskey and bourbon.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Like.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Yes, I've definitely using them in classic cost Feel programs,
but they weren't my wheelhouse. And I had a really
uh you know.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
Lucky being fat next to and working with, you know,
some of the best tasters and whiskey and so I
felt like I got many Lynett's many whiskey cloths every year,
and that's that was the best part about it. You know,
It's really the people that you work with. And so
I would say things and be like, listen, I'm just
gonna taste and give my opinions, so you know, let
(33:46):
you know. And I was assured that I was doing
a really good job on on what I was saying,
so I was able to break it down but use
different words, and then with the people on my team
who were the whiskey experts, could be like, oh, yeah,
well that's because of this and this and this and learn.
But I was scoring, you know, in line with them,
so that it was good. Was like, oh, okay, I
know what I'm tasting. I'm just learning the lexicon and
(34:08):
learning the language that I need to express it. And
so I always say that consumers, I'm like, listen, you know,
tasting and you learn how to taste rights and an
exercise on how you learn how to say things, even
wine tasting. But to have access to folks who do
that really well and then can let me know, and
then I can start understanding what flavor means, a flaw
(34:29):
or you know, and things like that, or where's it
coming from, is the aging, what kind of wood? You know.
It was just a really really, really great opportunity to learn.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
So you judge a specific category.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Yes, toward the New Orleans. Normally I do this in
specific categories and sometimes your rounds get mixed. In this
year for the San Francisco Spirits competition, which I also judge,
I actually had one day that I was Brandy's piece
goes and some mesca, and then the second day I
had the pleasure of just doing all non elx with
(35:04):
Derek Brown, LP O'Brian and myself and we did just
non ox for a full day. And that was really
fun because you're really to your point when you were
saying earlier, you're tasting for different things, and that was
a really great experience, you know, like I've had now
very good experience with understanding, you know, the science of
(35:25):
building these kind of products where you're working with a
food scientist and tasting what you know, a good botanical
tastes like an off botanical, what the what mouthfeel and
fillers are being used, and whether they're successful or not.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
Your point is capusin.
Speaker 5 (35:39):
So I actually have a good language for those tastings,
and so it was really great to one see a
competition put so much emphasis on that, and that was
really great.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Well, I you know, I was excited to see I
went into the room with the winners because I moderated
what I tasted. But the count of Souk Distillery, which
is a Japanese there were some really good Japanese products,
and you never get to try really good Japanese products in.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
The United States. Kind of sticky distillery.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
One distillery here, and I thought they're there.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Whiskeys were beautiful.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I also this Serbian brandy, you Biga Bella, the plumb
based brandy.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
And you know what's cool.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Is, Linda, you taste products you can even dream of
tasting anywhere because you know we're gonna be able to
taste you know, brandy from Serbia.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Right right?
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Yeah, absolutely, And that's the fun part. You get to
chaste you know, people's entire you know, mindset, they're they're
working so hard at creating and crafting new things. And
I and those these competitions are awesome places to try
new things because to your point, you don't get.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
To try it, you know, necessarily to try it not always.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Not everything always gets here a lot of times, you know,
these competitions are used buying newer brands, uh to you
really just kind of beta test and have their product
out there and see how it resonates before they launch
in a market. So you know, entering these competitions, you'll
see some of the Japanese you know, incredible products. We
always laugh at the San Francisco Spirits competition because Camper
(37:15):
English is always always leads the Baiju table. And for
Sweeps when it comes out, everyone's going to try by
you because he's going to send something to Sweeps. And
that's been an interesting category to see how much it grow.
It's grown and changed and like the evolution of that
style of product coming in.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Yeah, and again a great opportunity to taste products that
are are still new to many people who are not
in the industry, and incredible quality. You know, Camper has
been a guest on the show Kudos Anders.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
In addition to Spirits Awards, there's.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
These spirit Heed Awards which goes to people and we're
is these.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Spirits Awards go to products.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
And it was exciting to see once again Jewel of
the South Best Barteam and they also took home huge
James Spirit Awards. Kudos to Chris Hanna who's been a
guest on this show and camperspoke me a poor Camper.
He had such a tough tough time for those listening this.
This event took place just when there was a massive
global computer glitch that downed a zillion flights.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Right, so this was like just.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
As people were leaving for New Orleans and like all
the flights got canceled and Camper was reporting for the road.
I mean you drove like you also had to drive
like people had to like get to other places.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
To even get to New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
A Camper was on a train, a train in New
Orleans giving a seminar.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
Oh my goodness, that is a train from San Francisco.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
I do not want to know how long that.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Sto oh, I don't know where it came from.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
We were just following him and so we were happy
he did make it. Sadly he didn't stay for the
Company Awards because he said, I landed and anything happened.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Yes, Camper your cocktail book.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
The ice Book Cool Cubes, Clear Spears and Other Chili
Chilled Cocktail Crafts by Cambrino was one of the best cocktail.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Bartending book and it is terrific. I mean, he's all
but he's an ice nerd.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
But it was just such a confluence of craziness because
people didn't know if they could even get to New Orleans.
Just you know, how often does that mobile outage happen?
And and so that was heroic in itself. But I
was happy for him. Also for Tony Tipton Martin, her
terrific book which has swept the awards.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Where is it? Where's the name of it? It's on
here somewhere.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
I've interviewed her for Jubilee and Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs
and Jews. Cocktails from two Centuries of African American Cookbooks
by Tony Tipton Martin was the best New drink's book
on culture.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
I'm a book nerd, so I get I'll excited about that.
Speaker 5 (39:52):
It was. I thought that book was so phenomenal and
what a tight category to hear, you know, drinks which
won the uh James Beard this year results from the
category I'm.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
A huge fan of Tony's book.
Speaker 5 (40:07):
I think the way she you know, as a journalist
looking at our world and the things that sparked, you know,
her interest in wanting to write about you know, a
lot of the unseen women who really were part of
of this you know cocktail movement and the recipes and
and bringing you know, cocktail.
Speaker 4 (40:27):
It just was incredible.
Speaker 5 (40:28):
And I loved that she brought you know, my dear
friend Tithany Barrier as well on board to.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
With the cocktail side.
Speaker 5 (40:36):
And I thought, uh, she's just she's just brilliant and
and I really really was so happy to see her
get that award. And I thought her speech about you know,
feeling very accepted by our community with with all of
the wish just came in was really great.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
So I'm like, oh, well, Mike.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
That's our that's the hospitality industreet though we are like that,
come on over, you know, and you're bringing us. I
think we craved these stories and you know, the people
who are you know, who have the ability to search
and find and you know, her journalistic endeavors opened up
a whole new world of the cocktail world, you know,
(41:16):
beyond Tom Bullock, who you know as she says, was
the was the one name of one of the more
famous on black bartenders, you know, who had a book.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
So his story was told and recorded.
Speaker 5 (41:29):
But so many other people had a hand in it,
and they weren't and so you had to dig through
the cookbooks. You had to dig through these other places
to find them.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Well, you know, couz or Her, I met Danny Child
his book which one, as you said, slow Drinks want
a James Spirit World. A beautiful book, incredible photography. He said,
his wife did the photography, and we were introduced to
Debora partner. Wong LinkedIn and said, you must beat Danny
Child's and I kept walking past the book table as
I just love books and it's a beautiful book.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
I wish I could had more room for books.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Speaking of books, let's talk about your book that you
and I have great segue, Melanie, talk about your new
book that's tied to speed Rack.
Speaker 5 (42:10):
Hi, So we have a quick drink, the Speedwrack Guide
to Bartending, And you know it is such a long
you know, it has been a long process coming together
speed Rack. You know we're just finished being our thirteenth year,
but our twelfth season because we had a bit of
(42:31):
a gap year with the pandemic, and you know, I
think one thing that we really, you know, wanted to put.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
Out in the world was with this book.
Speaker 5 (42:41):
And it really came to us during the pandemic and
we're like, okay, what if, you know, we are not.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Able to go back to doing events again.
Speaker 5 (42:49):
We want to make sure that this moment was recorded,
that the women who competed had something left behind. And
you know, we're you know, we chifuly call it the Bartender,
you know, the speed rec Guide to Winning Cocktails for
Any Mood, and we reached out to all previous winners
(43:11):
from all over the world, different bartenders who've been in
the competition, a few you know, mentors and people who've
judged before to contribute cocktails. And really what we wanted
to do was empower the reader, who might be you know,
a consumer, to be able to walk into a bar
and ask for a proper dealer's choice cocktail, and for
(43:35):
then anyone from trade who's in there. We put in
a few things that you know, we realize year after
year there's more and more people coming into the industry.
That's why Speedwreck continues on. It's because it's such a
great resource for for new bartenders coming in to craft
to have one. We we focus on classics. The only
(43:57):
dealer's choice round is the last round in the event,
so they get a core Classics. In the back of
the book we have the classics everything from which everything
is built right like the mother sauces in culinary.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
And then we had.
Speaker 5 (44:09):
Just other little tips, like you know, scaling up a
batch is one of our features. We have a whole
chili chart to help you with your point. Some chili
is really hot, what's the best way to do it?
What's the skull little scale? You know, are they better fresh?
Speaker 4 (44:22):
So they better? Just to give people, you know, because
out for us some like a hot chapter. I thought
that was fun. But then we also have a little
bit of how to build.
Speaker 5 (44:30):
Your bar kart kind of vibe where it's like, listen,
if you like making Margarite's, if you get these other
three bottles, you can now make six drinks. And so
we thought about that and our our co writer, Making
quig Baum, is just a joy to work with.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
You know.
Speaker 5 (44:45):
She really helped to collect all the stories and bring
all the voices together, which I think when you have
you know, over eighty seven contributors plus two founders and
we're all working together.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
To write this. You know, that's a pretty crazy task.
And then the book has incredible.
Speaker 5 (45:01):
Photography from Meghan Rainwater, who you probably saw runninground Tail.
She was I think she was photographing everything. She definitely
was photographing the Hennessy La Maison. She had beautiful long
blonde hair. But her photos bring to life the people
and the event, and that was really important was to
open this Cocktail book and see the people behind it
(45:22):
and let that be a part of it. I think
that's a really triggery. It's a really triggy combo to
have to bring people in, but we're super proud of
it and it is bright pink. And the book also
will have a portion of proceeds at the end of
the day going back to our core mission, so to
fight breast cancer and for research and education with our
(45:42):
partnership with the Pink Agenda.
Speaker 4 (45:44):
So very excited about that.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
How much money have you raised so far? Do you know?
Speaker 5 (45:49):
We are at globally over one point seven million, which
is crazy. So that was included events that we did
in Asia, Australia, poor Rico that came in Mexico which
is going into its fourth year, so Canada as well.
Speaker 4 (46:06):
It's the UK.
Speaker 5 (46:07):
We did London and we did Edinburgh, so it's it's
wild to think.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
About the amount of years. But also there's been so
much incredible.
Speaker 5 (46:17):
Growth, you know, a lot of the things that have happened.
You know, we we were honored by the Pink Agenda
this past year for the for the work we've done
and basically just having people show up, have a good
time and raise.
Speaker 4 (46:30):
Money for breast cancer, but the research.
Speaker 5 (46:34):
That we've been able to fund, things that look at
disparities of breast cancer across race and and treatment and
a lot of the advanced medications that have really extended
a lot of people's lives, especially those of metastatic breast cancer.
So you know, I think of a bunch of drink
slinging bartenders, we.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
Could be very proud.
Speaker 5 (46:56):
And that was kind of always the thought is that,
you know, even when I started loop Peck, really emulating
what was happening and with the Boston chapter, was that
we as bartenders and hospitality have a skill set and
a trade that people want to participate in, and we
can use those skill sets for good and to impact
our community, because our community at the end of the
day is what makes you know, that keeps everyone in business. Right,
(47:20):
you don't have the kind of bars like in the
hospitality you talked about in New Orleans. If people don't
want it, It's not always just going to be you know,
people visiting town. It's going to be how they really
resonate with the community that's there and what they bring
to it. So that was always something that really impacted
the way I thought about what we can do, and
(47:40):
I you know, philanthropy is super important to me the
way its has you know, I'm in the middle of
planning another festival in a couple of weeks which we're crazy,
called the Rasato Festival in Aspen, which we are we
are going to be doing that festival for ten years.
It's just at the Latinx House. And our charity is
the Justice for My Women, many of who at the
(48:02):
Human That Fetus campaign comes from that, which one the
James Beard Award. And thinking about, you know, the people
who are involved in food systems that impact everything we
do in this industry, well, I.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
Think that's fabulous. I have to get information.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
I'm very into sustainability topics and we only have like
two or three more minutes left. But you know, what
I'd like to see in the future and what I'd
like to work on is a zero waste UH Cocktail initiative.
I was very impressed to see two sustainability companies. A
Glass half I think it's called the Glass Half Full.
They collect glass in New Orleans. There two lane grads
(48:38):
and they get they get the glass crushed and it
goes to rebuild coastline and oyster beds. It's a young
couple here in New Orleans a Glass half Full. They
were there, and then another young guy who was UH.
They were doing finally recyclable glasses tasting cups, and he
had lost he and his family had lost everything to Katrina.
And now he goes around collecting the glass and the
(49:00):
bree from events like Tales of the Cocktail and getting
it everything broken down for repurpose and reuse.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
So I'd like to see more of that.
Speaker 5 (49:08):
That was great, And I also like to see that
this year tales A had composting and recycling set up.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
At every single event, and that was awesome. I know.
You know, one of.
Speaker 5 (49:19):
The folks on the education board, she UH is part
of the bottom hand you Go, which is going to
be making its landing in the US this year in
Miami in the fall, and they are big sustainability like
they they I think they run one of the only
cockt officeles that really works on that is has has
(49:42):
progressed most in the zero waste conversation. So it's really uh,
really great to see that influence. I saw Aura's influence there.
When I saw that, I was like, this is great
and it's a step forward for all of us and.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
I look forward to caring and doing more in this air. Lynette, well,
this time flies, It's been so great to talk to
you for our listeners before we sign off. How can
our listeners find and follow you?
Speaker 3 (50:10):
And also Speedrack yep so.
Speaker 5 (50:12):
On Instagram you can find me at drinks at six
so you wanted to put drinks at and the number
six and at Speedrack we are at speed Underscore Rack.
Follow our adventures, our journey, you know. And if you
want to learn more about the things I do at
applos dot world and at Dolola as you're looking for
some beverage options that think about a little bit of
(50:34):
a healthier lifestyle, I'm.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
All for it. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
And thank you for all you do. I can't wait
to see your smiling, shining face again. Lynette Morero, thank
you for joining us today on the Connected Table Live
and for everyone listening, I hope you're inspired to go
out and try new things.
Speaker 3 (50:51):
There's some great products out there.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
Enjoy, take the trip, Enjoy the sip, eat the cake,
joy the ride.
Speaker 3 (50:58):
I'm Melanie Young.
Speaker 2 (50:59):
This is the Connected Table Live and my messages always
stay insatiably curious.
Speaker 3 (51:04):
Thank you,
The topics and opinions expressed and the following show are
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(00:21):
W FOURCY Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Welcome to the Connected Table Live where your hosts Melanie
Young and David Ransom. You're insatiably curious culinary couple. We
travel the world to bring you the dynmenic people who
are front and center and behind the scenes and wine, food,
spirits and hospitality. We really love sharing their stories with
you and talking about trends and topics that we uncover
(01:03):
along the way. And we do this every week on
W FOURCY Radio and you can hear us on over
sixty podcast channels on demand. We've done over six hundred
shows and people. The biggest cocktail gathering in the world
happens in New Orleans every year in the sunny hot
(01:24):
months of July and Dave and I attended Tales of
the Cocktail. I think it was our probably our tenth time,
and it is such a great place to connect with
leaders of the bar and spirits industry and learn about
new products, trends, and major developments, and there were some
(01:45):
really good ones. While David is away this week, I
have invited Lynette Marrero to be my guest host on
the Connected Table to talk about what she's been up
to in the industry and also some of the observations
she had about Tales of the Cocktail and what's getting
her excited. Lynette and I go way back. She has
been on Fearless, Fabulous Shoe and the Connected Table because
(02:09):
she is co founder of a great organization called speed
Rack with Ivy Mix, a fellow bartender. Speed Rock has
raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research
and patient care, and I'm incredibly grateful for all of
her work.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
She is an award winning bartender.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
That has some really exciting and in addition to owning
the Loma in in New York, she's got some great
collaborations that I discovered at Tales of the cocktail, which
I'm going to ask her to talk about to wet
literally your appetite. Lynette joins us from She lives in Beacon,
(02:48):
New York, which is where we used to live, kind
of in the Hudson Valley, and I'm so excited to
see her at Tales and I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
To have you on the Connected table today. Welcome, Lynette Morrero.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Thanks so much, thank us for having me.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You were always glowing when I see you, So you
were a perfect example of yes, you can drink and
moderation and still look amazing. Lynette, I just want to
compliment you on that. For our listeners who are not
familiar with your background, give us a little backstory on
where you grew up and what was your journey into
this very diverse industry.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Absolutely, you know it is the journey to cocktails, I
think is a really fun one. Everyone has such different
stories of what brought us to hospitality. You know, I
was very fortunate to get my start in New York City.
That is actually I was also born in Brooklyn, first
(03:45):
generation New yeor Weecan, and so New York has always
been such an important part of my life. You know,
we lived there left, you know, like a lot of people,
and I came back to go to university. I went
to Columbia and stayed there, and you know, decided that
I was going to give my big old go at
(04:08):
Broadway and Theater. And you know, this is the early offs.
So at the time, we hadn't quite gotten to the
point where cocktails are now, and it wasn't really quite
as big of a profession.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
You had folks who were.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Doing it like Dale de Groff and Julie Ryan or
Andrew Saunders, you know, but that hadn't really gotten to
the broader community yet. And so I really did not
want to be the cliche uh waiter actor.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
So I worked in you know.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Every I did everything to really really really try to
resist the life of hospitality and night life. But after
nine to eleven, I so decided I was never going
to work in an office building again. And I said, well,
I'm going to go and learn how to do this
restaurant thing. And I started at a wine bar on
(05:00):
Clinton Street called Punch and Judy. And you know, on
that street, the bartender was, you know, now the very
famous Michael Churnow, who's a famous chef. Noel Cruz who
ended up doing a ton of hospitality in New York
and down in Tampa and with his restaurants and so
all these people and my regulars were people like Wiley Duffrain.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Who was opening WD fifty down the street.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
So I got very quickly into a very you know,
a quick advance into the industry. And from you know,
you know, serving at a wine bar and learning so
much about global wine. I then moved into cocktails by
working at a martini lounge on Irving called The Bar,
which is across the street from one of my favorite
bars right now, Dear Irving, run by Megan Dorman, and
(05:49):
one I used to go Thursday nights with the bartender
gro I was working with Amber Tinsley to this new
bar that opened down the street on Nineteenth, which ended
up being the Flattern Lounge.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
And the Flattering.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Lounge opened me up to this beautiful world of cocktails
where you know, they might be bright and colorful, but
they were bright and colorful because they were using fresh juice,
and so it really just kind of clicked in my brain.
You know, the vibe was very artistic and creative, and
you know went to this you know, you walked through
this gilded you know, hallway, and you felt like you
(06:23):
were transported to another era in the classic cocktails and
I was just enamored with it and fell in love
with the theater of it, and I became a cocktail
server there and then ultimately moved up to being a bartender.
You know, the people were there, phil Ward, Toby Maloney,
(06:43):
uh and I worked with those bartenders and was able
to move up and I loved the glamour in the
nightlife of hospitality and found a place here that felt
as rewarding as you know, doing theater and having an audience.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
And so you know, the last many.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Many years I've spent is creating experiences that resonate with
people and why they go out, and it's to be
entertained and to have a moment and to you know,
experience something. And I think you see that their food
and drink and as we just saw a tail of
a cocktail, there was lots of hydrama going on and
it was beautiful to see how how how we engage
(07:25):
people in that way. And I think hospitality is just
one of the most incredible spaces because people can bring
their art, their culture, their background to something and it's
so dynamic that it accepts so much of that.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, Lennan, I think people like you Elevated and Julie
Reiners and the Audrey Sanders, and of course there's men too,
but I love my women elevated. The whole cocktail is
an experience to cocktail experience. It's something I noticed at
Tales of the Cocktail. We I think we were there.
We know we were there last year. We've been almost
(07:59):
every year. And just a few things off the top
of my head that really stood out was there were
more bar takeovers and experiences versus tasting rooms, and you know,
entire buildings were transformed into another world. I mean, I
went to the Mason Hennessy I wrote you about that
(08:20):
and loved it. It was a history of cognac through
the ages and the United States, and I learned.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I learned.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I always said that there was a strong connection between
the Afro American community and Hennessy. I beg even Saturday
night life at a riff on my Hennessy Cognac. But
I learned that there's some substance behind that. Because they
were a founder of a supporting sponsor of the initial
NAACP and the National Urbana.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Yeah, I mean it's beautiful to see. I thought that
I agree with you. I thought that activation was really thoughtful.
And then as you experienced beyond than Hennessy to the
rest of the portfolio, that everything was meaningful to what
the brands, what each of the brands brought. You know,
you had Belvedere and vodka and the fun nightlife vibe
that was happening in the back, and then with the
(09:09):
Volcome tequila, you just felt more to like the modern
party age, and I thought that there was a really
I agree with you. I think there was a beautiful
way of connecting history on the impact that you know,
hospitality has had over the many, many years of changing things.
You know, if anyone out there has ever read Girly Drinks,
you know, I think that's a good point because when
(09:30):
you bring up the women in the industry and the
fight that it took for women to really break out
into especially here in America, it was a bit more
you know Europe, there they had barmaids and women in
you know, tending bar, but there was a big struggle
up and through the early eighties here for the you know,
someplace that was illegal for women to bartend and so
(09:53):
there's a long history about women's fight behind the bar,
which is why you know, things like as I started
getting the stage just and I.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Saw things shift.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
I saw, you know, less and less women present, even
though that was who I saw as people as that
I looked up to. And so starting things like the
precursor to Speeder Wreck, which was the LUPEC Ladies United
for the Preservation of Dangered Cocktails Chapter of New York
after meeting Misty Calcalfin and Kitty Amen in Boston and
(10:25):
starting a chapter and then realizing that the community was
better if we all bond together and so, you know,
highlighting a lot of events that featured women. So I
felt that the Hennessy activation as well. They brought in
bartenders and people who really resonated. One of my favorite
bartenders was was behind the Hennessy Bar, Daddy long Legs
(10:45):
out of U saw and uh, they're just an incredible
example of black excellence and really just owning their truth.
And I gotta had a chance to judge them in
a competition for the most imaginative Bartender Bad Bombay Sapphire,
And so I was really happy to see people like that,
(11:06):
you know, being you know, examples at tales of people
who are creative and bringing something a new voice.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So I thought that was really great.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
And to your point, new voice is also meant the
bar takeovers, right, so no longer just a tasting room
where you're just like going in trying something, you're actually
connecting with the brand through the stories that are told
by the different bars, and I thought that.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Was that is really great.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
There were either large series takeovers that happened over the
whole week, such as the Ishiko Show Choo sessions which
every day they had two bars that was about probably
four bar teams per day every day that would you
got to meet and you know a lot of them
are were from Asia, so they really were able to
(11:53):
bring people that and experiences that maybe we can't always
get to so easily to the US for us to experience.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
And I thought that was really wonderful.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Also some great sessions at the four seasons they had
rotating bars, more more access to more of the European
bars there, so they had to pop up with I
Go and Giorgio from the Connaught so you had your
martini service, which who didn't love a martini service?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Right?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I was so excited to sit meet him while he
was signing his book, which quickly sold out. I just
like to say that the coat, those takeovers were brilliant.
They elevated the event in a whole another way. And
as you said, you really felt the history of a
bar and the people behind it, because it really is
theater in many many ways. Another big area and you
(12:45):
were very much you are very much involved was and
I went with this mission was on the search for
better tasting, zero proof and low alcohol beverages, and U
there were plenty to try. I attended and saw you
at the Zero Proof Lounge. I also tended a very
good seminary called Zero to Hero that addressed some of
(13:07):
the key questions and topics on how to create a
balanced drink and the mommy talk about that because you
are very much involved with this, because you were working
with Applos. One of your many projects is Applos, which
I found was a delicious product.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
By the way, Thank you.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Yeah, no, it's I love you know, I love this
new equity of cocktails, right and you know, I know
consumers generally call them mocktails. You know, there's a big
movement in the industry to try to extricate ourselves from
that name because it quote unquote mocks but understand that
sometimes you know, consumers need it in a different way.
(13:49):
But I like to call them no proof cocktails. And
I love seeing that you had more attention and focus
and that there were ample opportunities to have a no
or low experience. A lot of this started a few
years ago when the new owners, the current group that
is running the Tales of Cocktail Foundation, came in and
(14:11):
and asked what the community wanted. And a lot of
that was the beyond the Bar initiative, where when we
were thinking about what are the other ways to talk
about our community, and a lot of it started with
lifestyle and wellness and it definitely has bloomed in the
last few years to being bigger and bigger with the
no and low space. There were you know, meetings for
(14:33):
folks if they wanted to go in the morning and
anyone who was abstaining from alcohol just kind of talk
about that if.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
They wanted support.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
There was at every turn, every event had a non
alcoholic cocktail. I saw, you know, lots of pop ups
with none el so not even just the ones that
you went to.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
There was also the seed Lip Social.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
Hours that they had uh Byers had their whole lounge
that they were doing with Barleenzo that was stationed at
the hotel. And I love the Liars Sparkling, which was
available as the non ol sparkling at the awards, So
you did cheers and celebrate and I thought that was
really wonderful. And then I got to participate in the
(15:18):
Shopify event at the Napoleon House, which you know, Derek Brown,
who is really, you know, a wonderful writer, checked out
his books and he's known for really his time in
DC building very intellectual, wonderful cocktail bars and has left
the bar scene in life, and he actually no longer
(15:39):
drinks alcohol, and he's really delved into the space of
of non alcohol. And I think what we were able
to accomplish at the Napoleon House was wonderful. We had
so many people show up who wanted to try new
things and to your point, test products, see what they like,
and then also try new drinks. So Alex Jump was
making cocktail. I got an hour to make cocktails. It
(16:01):
was It was really wonderful. But I think we have
different there's several focuses in this one building the better
cocktails that don't have alcohol. And then I think what
was the big leap this year was the products themselves
and functional So Applos, which as you mentioned I'm involved with.
I met them and we launched directed consumer back in
(16:24):
December twenty twenty, and I was it actually became a
connection I made through tails of the cocktail. One of
the former executives there, her best friend from college was
starting a company investing in a company that was which
was Applos, and they were looking for uh liquid creative director,
(16:48):
a mixologists to come in and help them with the liquid.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
They knew what they wanted the brand, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
The first one we did was hemp and the functional
was hemp and CBD.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
And you know, I met them. I said, listen, I.
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Don't know much about hemp or CBD, but I do
know what I like in a in a alcohol proxy, right,
and a beverage that's going to give me the feeling
like I'm having, you know, an adult beverage but without
the alcohol, without the effects. And you know, they we
(17:19):
worked a lot on flavor profiles that made sense, you know,
and I loved, you know, saying okay, well what is
our base going to be? And that functional pack, right,
So that first CBD Punks pack was about the relaxation
moment of you know, getting home from work or meeting
a friend and you just want to decompress, and what's
that like in a non alcohol form. And so we
(17:42):
went with a lot of things that I like, you know,
obviously the hemp is going to do that, But then
I went with like she's sown, and we looked into
things like dandelion, all which have calming properties, and those
got layered.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Into the into the spirit.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Then when we decided to do the second distillate, which
is the Arise, which was more about the.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Uplifting, like what do you do if you.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Want to party all night long and want to stay
awake and have those sort of functional pack.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
And stay awake.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
And so that was a Rise and I'm like, okay,
well this feels like the moment where I'm going to
have a shot, you.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Know, and what does that mean I'm going to party?
And what is that feeling? What's that vibe?
Speaker 5 (18:24):
And we thought bright and things that kind of challenge
your palettess a little bit of you know, black sarawak
pepper and a gave flower and the functionals in this
being like Beach twelve and l fianine and things that
perk you up without having to use caffeine. So you know,
it's it was fun to you know, obviously work with
the scientists who understands the functional packs and then layer
(18:46):
flavor in. And then we just launched our RTD cans.
The We have the Chili Margarita, which uses the arise,
which it's not spicy, just has more of like a
bright fresh part of the the Hobnair uh, and then
we had the uh the Ume Sprits, which is the
calm chill vibes and that kind of feels your rose moment,
(19:09):
and so it was it was great to launch that
and really share it with the community, have lots of
friends talk about their journeys, what they're mixing with. You know,
Alex Jump made a really cool cocktail at the hour
where she was using yogurt way had texture and body.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
And acidity, and I was like, that's such a smart
way to build a nan all cocktail.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
And so it was just a really I think great
learning experiences and and to your point, I also saw,
you know, I had a lot of great conversations with
people where they talked about their their shift in their drinking.
A lot of people were like, you know, I actually
this here tales. I was kind of had a little
more chill in a good way. I spent more time
in different events, and I didn't try running everywhere.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
I didn't you know.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
People were giving smaller samples that didn't feel obligated to,
you know, keep drink every drink. And there were options
when I could go to places and have lots of
places that offered a non al cocktail, so I could
still be a part of it. And so I think
that sort of growth is phenomenal because you know, I
noticed the big shift last year. The attendees really wanted.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
To get their value out of it, which is.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Going to these events and learning and seeing and doing
and getting to.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
The classes or going to you know, the signing.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
So you know, having more low and no options within
that within the world even if they have alcohol in them,
but lower alcohol really gave that opportunity for people to
have just really enjoy more things more responsibly. And I
and I love this world that I'm in now. It's
it's very much. You know, I think the way some
(20:48):
of us in the industry started, so I think when
you kind of remember saw the sprits boom for a while,
or the rise of sherry. You know, you'd have bartenders
being like, oh yeah, I'll have a sherry shot, right
because they wanted to have something lower, you know, they
didn't want to be taking high proof shots. And so
we're just seeing this kind of be integrated a little
bit more. And I'm really fortunate that I got to
(21:10):
also work on a low proof spirit line that I
just launched a year ago at Jennifer Lopez obviously the
icon of someone who knows how to do it right
and create for her line of cocktails that met what
she wanted. So low sugar, natural ingredients, you know, and botanacals,
(21:32):
but without all the without so much sugar, and lower
proof because you know, just thinking about again, that's more
sessionable lifestyle, So having a having a delicious light margarita
but it being only twelve and a half percent instead
of you know, twenty twenty four percent. So I think
that's kind of where where I've really enjoyed this this shift.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
That must have been a did you know Jennifer beforehand
or did she know of you and approach you?
Speaker 4 (22:00):
She approached me? Uh so I didn't she did not know.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I think a lot of obviously Masterclass dot Com I
launched that in March, uh, March twenty twenty, a really
great time with the lovely mister Lyon Right Teddy Wardanna,
and we uh you know, just had a lot of
exposure and people were learning to make cocktails at home,
and even to that point on Masterclass, we actually both
(22:25):
we made lemonade. At one point we talked about balance
without alcohol too, so we were you know, we're obviously
pre teaching to be about to make drinks, but we
also talk you about regular classic balance and how to
do that when you're not.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Using a spirit base. So there was a lot of good.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Conversation about that, and so I think obviously that exposure
got me out there. But also you know, her partners
in the brand, Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan are no
uh you know, uh, they have been known in this
industry for a long time with with Terrea Mona Tequila,
Avillon Proper twelve, and.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
So they they knew me.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
I was doing some work for them for Termana, you know,
doing some television appearances because I had my camera set up,
so I was like zooming into radio stations and on
TV stations and they're like, you've got this down. And
so that exposure, you know, I think really obviously brought
me and put me out there and just so happened.
We're both near Riecans, so that also, like really was
(23:18):
an extra bonus that we you know, I'm kind of
a liquid proxy and we have a shared background, so
you know, the cocktails that she loves are bright and
fresh and beautiful, and I'm like, oh, well this is
you know, leans into our tropical background and how you
can balance that.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
But and they're called Delo, right, the name is de Loo.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
Yeah, thank you so much, and.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
They're very nice because one of the problems I have.
I taste a lot of low alcohol and zero proof
and also zero wine, which there is no such thing
as non wine. Sorry, but we have yet to find
it no alcohol wine that we can stomach. But the
products are getting better. I have a bunch of In fact,
when we do dinner parties here in New Orleans, Linette,
(24:04):
we always have a lower no no no alcohol option,
and it's nice to be able to offer something other.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Than you know, tea or you know, sparkling water.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
So it's nice to give people that option and people
taste with us and we get their opinion. I asked
you taste it in at the Zero Proof Flound and
it's mother is some very good alcohol free spirits. I
had a very good jakri at the Zero Proof Lounge
by Monday Distillery.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I took a picture of it. It was.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
I was, like I said to David, well this is
like a real dacry and there's no alcohol in it.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
It was.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
It was great for me.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Who wasn't trying to drink a lot of hard spirits
with my body.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
At my age can't do it and the heat anymore.
You also, I.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Think a chance to try ith wasn't there.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
But if you like kind of more of an agricol
style has a really cool cane spirit that I've made
myself a diacrine, I would swear it was raw migracl.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Well, I have to try it.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
I mean, I also take some interesting amorrows at the
they had every day there was a low five bar
area at the Ritz Carlton where the event took place.
It tasted some interesting amorrows that were no alcohol. And
what I noticed, Lynette, is there a certain because you
have to get that texture that Oomammy and Balance. I
(25:33):
noticed a lot of tea being used, Macha green tea,
clove and cinnamon for like the Amorrow's uh you mentioned Way,
which is I interviewed a woman who created Wayward Spirits.
It's all Way based spirits. It's also she does it
from Yeah Dairy Farms. She has a deal with the
California Dairy Association to gather up and buy up all
(25:55):
the Way because Way is a byproduct, so it's also
very sustainable to us. Why my friend who was checking
out tales, Tina Willaford, just opened Liberty and Plenty and
Durham and she's got a Way based spirits.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
And when you when you.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Taste the Way based spirits, they're very textural. I also
noticed a lot of peppers. A lot of hot peppers
are being used. I tasted a number of.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Tequilas and gins. Some of that is good, some of
it's bad.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I have I actually have had some allergic reactions to peppers,
so I actually had to talk to a bartender about
it because my throat started to close up. So one
of the things that was addressed in the in the
Zero to Heroes seminar was understanding how ingredients interact because
you have to understand that some botanicals don't work well
with others, and and and the health and wellness aspect
(26:47):
of it that way, from whether it's a hot pepper
or a certain botanicals or even.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Chalky.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
She was an indigenous bartender from London she talked about
and I didn't notice that.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Like a govey can create uter in contractions, which I
didn't know.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
But it's like you really have to be knowledgeable from
a nutrition and science standpoint to get the balance right
as well as make sure the contents are safe absolutely.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
I mean everything goes back to safety right and thinking
about that as bartenders. I know Camper English has the
Cocktailsafe dot org and you know a lot of these
things to your point, are meant to be used in
certain doses.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
You know, not necessarily mean you.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
Can over you can overdo it on lemon verbina. You
know bom like they see it to be super innocuous
and they are so to your point, there is definitely
like understanding dosage and things like that, like, uh, you know,
botanists are really great people to read their information about
how functionals work. It's always good to I think be
(27:49):
very descriptive because some people, depending on medications they're having,
and this is like a good tip for any sort
of cocktailing, right, certain certain things just counteract other medications,
So really making sure your menus don't have secret hidden ingredients, right.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
But I agree with you, I think.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
Going leaning too much into the capsin and that to
make the quote unquote bite I think is kind of
a It almost reminds me of like a juvenile bartender mistake,
you know, like of overbittering something. So I think you
know some are showing restraints in that area is definitely
I think more powerful.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Exactly, And I think that's and you should be clear
like you are with food allergies. And kudos to the
Zero Proof Lounge. Again, a Napoleon nows because there was
a sign that said it now I'm holding my phony
n Groni. I had not opened the phony Negroni. I
brought it back with me, just.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Just a nod to. We talked about names.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
One of the things that came up at the Zero
Toro is like, don't call it matel or one of
the figures that do not call it a vergent drink.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
One percent.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
And I love the nagrestis actually the Phonyina Gronies. They've
actually done one that is like a mescal based one
as the traditional gin basedline, and I see it integrated
in in bars. So a big trend up here in
New York, especially in your old stomping grounds up in
the Hudson Valley is the farm license and being able
(29:15):
to share spirits so you can have a liquor shop
and you can have a bar in the liquor shop
if everything is coming from New York State. So I
see products like that. Particular product works really well because
they are cleared for farm license for New York. So
you see it's quite popular and a lot of a
(29:35):
lot of spaces that are required to use that license.
And I think it's it's a cool, really cool product.
And just talking about the de alcoholized wines, going back
to that, it's interesting because consumers are really.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
Enjoying that style.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
So for them, they they like it because it's user friendly,
so you know, they understand what to do with it.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
There's no mixing.
Speaker 5 (30:02):
It's like, okay, this is an exact proxy.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
I agree to. I think there's a lot of work
to do.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
I find a lot of times the reds need more
of a mid palette for me. And I think, you know,
to your point, there's a lot of like t being
and things like that, but you know that I think
they need work a little hard to get some of
the bitterer notes in the center palette. We'll work on
the Tannin replacement, especially with a red right.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
I want to have that.
Speaker 5 (30:25):
If I'm not thinking of a pan and a war,
I'm all gone something more very forward I and I
want some that has more structure.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
I think you know that's kind of where I'm looking at.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
Sometimes I'll throw in the great you know, non alcohol
bidders that all the bidders company has fantastic non alcoholic bidders,
So I'll just toss some of those in there. So
I'm like doctoring up my red wine and that way
that works. I have found some really uh Thompson and
Scott does some really lovely UH wines. I found that
(30:55):
I really liked their Yeah, I like their uh. Their
pains feel like they have one that feels very bready
and wonderful, like a like a brioche you get in
a really beautiful uh champagne and their whites and the
whites are coming a little further. But they also have
a naughty Sarah that I used in a punch. You
(31:16):
know when I did the Today Shows Not Alcoholic segment
this year and for dry January, and it was it
was really good that one exactly was getting more towards
that line.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
So you know, it's a lot of like trial and error,
see what you like.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
I love that you can integrate in your life, and
like if you're just even thinking about other ways to
still enjoy, you know, your your spirit cocktail is lower.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
A lot of the trend is doing more of reverse.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
So we talked a lot about, you know, how you
can integrate more fortified wine products, sherries, the crazy wonderful
range of remooths. I'm a much bigger fan of a
fifty to fifty martini now where you know, I'm half
of my gin is really formooth based, no longer the
two to one.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
I really enjoy that.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
So, you know, just thinking about lowering the alcohol in
in beverages.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
It's a really nice way. And but not to do
it in like a hard Selter way, right, I'm a
hard Selter.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
I want I want to taste a good cocktail. So
that's why you know, all the work goes into really
thinking about you know, what you're delivering as a full
cocktail experience.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Well, I think you made some really good points. I
love removeth and I'm looking over.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
You also were a judge for the Where were you
What were you not doing in tails?
Speaker 2 (32:28):
You were also a judge of the New Orleans International
Spirits Competition. That must have been interesting or blind tasting,
and I'm looking I thought I saw removeth in here.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Maybe I didn't.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
There's a removeth in here somewhere that must have been
interesting to judge. Yeah, I think there may have been
a There's there's so many categories of awards.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
I can't keep.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
Up so many, but it's but it's great, and you
know that one was really fun.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
It ends up usually.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
Being my bigel my moments of learning.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
How to take bourbon.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Oh yeah, with so many whiskeys. Uh, you know, I
learned to trust myself because you know, obviously in my
my past I have definitely done more rum and you know,
peace Go and more light spirits, so not necessarily like
whiskey and bourbon.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Like.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Yes, I've definitely using them in classic cost Feel programs,
but they weren't my wheelhouse. And I had a really
uh you know.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
Lucky being fat next to and working with, you know,
some of the best tasters and whiskey and so I
felt like I got many Lynett's many whiskey cloths every year,
and that's that was the best part about it. You know,
It's really the people that you work with. And so
I would say things and be like, listen, I'm just
gonna taste and give my opinions, so you know, let
(33:46):
you know. And I was assured that I was doing
a really good job on on what I was saying,
so I was able to break it down but use
different words, and then with the people on my team
who were the whiskey experts, could be like, oh, yeah,
well that's because of this and this and this and learn.
But I was scoring, you know, in line with them,
so that it was good. Was like, oh, okay, I
know what I'm tasting. I'm just learning the lexicon and
(34:08):
learning the language that I need to express it. And
so I always say that consumers, I'm like, listen, you know,
tasting and you learn how to taste rights and an
exercise on how you learn how to say things, even
wine tasting. But to have access to folks who do
that really well and then can let me know, and
then I can start understanding what flavor means, a flaw
(34:29):
or you know, and things like that, or where's it
coming from, is the aging, what kind of wood? You know.
It was just a really really, really great opportunity to learn.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
So you judge a specific category.
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Yes, toward the New Orleans. Normally I do this in
specific categories and sometimes your rounds get mixed. In this
year for the San Francisco Spirits competition, which I also judge,
I actually had one day that I was Brandy's piece
goes and some mesca, and then the second day I
had the pleasure of just doing all non elx with
(35:04):
Derek Brown, LP O'Brian and myself and we did just
non ox for a full day. And that was really
fun because you're really to your point when you were
saying earlier, you're tasting for different things, and that was
a really great experience, you know, like I've had now
very good experience with understanding, you know, the science of
(35:25):
building these kind of products where you're working with a
food scientist and tasting what you know, a good botanical
tastes like an off botanical, what the what mouthfeel and
fillers are being used, and whether they're successful or not.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
Your point is capusin.
Speaker 5 (35:39):
So I actually have a good language for those tastings,
and so it was really great to one see a
competition put so much emphasis on that, and that was
really great.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Well, I you know, I was excited to see I
went into the room with the winners because I moderated
what I tasted. But the count of Souk Distillery, which
is a Japanese there were some really good Japanese products,
and you never get to try really good Japanese products in.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
The United States. Kind of sticky distillery.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
One distillery here, and I thought they're there.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Whiskeys were beautiful.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I also this Serbian brandy, you Biga Bella, the plumb
based brandy.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
And you know what's cool.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Is, Linda, you taste products you can even dream of
tasting anywhere because you know we're gonna be able to
taste you know, brandy from Serbia.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Right right?
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Yeah, absolutely, And that's the fun part. You get to
chaste you know, people's entire you know, mindset, they're they're
working so hard at creating and crafting new things. And
I and those these competitions are awesome places to try
new things because to your point, you don't get.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
To try it, you know, necessarily to try it not always.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Not everything always gets here a lot of times, you know,
these competitions are used buying newer brands, uh to you
really just kind of beta test and have their product
out there and see how it resonates before they launch
in a market. So you know, entering these competitions, you'll
see some of the Japanese you know, incredible products. We
always laugh at the San Francisco Spirits competition because Camper
(37:15):
English is always always leads the Baiju table. And for
Sweeps when it comes out, everyone's going to try by
you because he's going to send something to Sweeps. And
that's been an interesting category to see how much it grow.
It's grown and changed and like the evolution of that
style of product coming in.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Yeah, and again a great opportunity to taste products that
are are still new to many people who are not
in the industry, and incredible quality. You know, Camper has
been a guest on the show Kudos Anders.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
In addition to Spirits Awards, there's.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
These spirit Heed Awards which goes to people and we're
is these.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Spirits Awards go to products.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
And it was exciting to see once again Jewel of
the South Best Barteam and they also took home huge
James Spirit Awards. Kudos to Chris Hanna who's been a
guest on this show and camperspoke me a poor Camper.
He had such a tough tough time for those listening this.
This event took place just when there was a massive
global computer glitch that downed a zillion flights.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Right, so this was like just.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
As people were leaving for New Orleans and like all
the flights got canceled and Camper was reporting for the road.
I mean you drove like you also had to drive
like people had to like get to other places.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
To even get to New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
A Camper was on a train, a train in New
Orleans giving a seminar.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
Oh my goodness, that is a train from San Francisco.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
I do not want to know how long that.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Sto oh, I don't know where it came from.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
We were just following him and so we were happy
he did make it. Sadly he didn't stay for the
Company Awards because he said, I landed and anything happened.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Yes, Camper your cocktail book.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
The ice Book Cool Cubes, Clear Spears and Other Chili
Chilled Cocktail Crafts by Cambrino was one of the best cocktail.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Bartending book and it is terrific. I mean, he's all
but he's an ice nerd.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
But it was just such a confluence of craziness because
people didn't know if they could even get to New Orleans.
Just you know, how often does that mobile outage happen?
And and so that was heroic in itself. But I
was happy for him. Also for Tony Tipton Martin, her
terrific book which has swept the awards.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Where is it? Where's the name of it? It's on
here somewhere.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
I've interviewed her for Jubilee and Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs
and Jews. Cocktails from two Centuries of African American Cookbooks
by Tony Tipton Martin was the best New drink's book
on culture.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
I'm a book nerd, so I get I'll excited about that.
Speaker 5 (39:52):
It was. I thought that book was so phenomenal and
what a tight category to hear, you know, drinks which
won the uh James Beard this year results from the
category I'm.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
A huge fan of Tony's book.
Speaker 5 (40:07):
I think the way she you know, as a journalist
looking at our world and the things that sparked, you know,
her interest in wanting to write about you know, a
lot of the unseen women who really were part of
of this you know cocktail movement and the recipes and
and bringing you know, cocktail.
Speaker 4 (40:27):
It just was incredible.
Speaker 5 (40:28):
And I loved that she brought you know, my dear
friend Tithany Barrier as well on board to.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
With the cocktail side.
Speaker 5 (40:36):
And I thought, uh, she's just she's just brilliant and
and I really really was so happy to see her
get that award. And I thought her speech about you know,
feeling very accepted by our community with with all of
the wish just came in was really great.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
So I'm like, oh, well, Mike.
Speaker 5 (40:55):
That's our that's the hospitality industreet though we are like that,
come on over, you know, and you're bringing us. I
think we craved these stories and you know, the people
who are you know, who have the ability to search
and find and you know, her journalistic endeavors opened up
a whole new world of the cocktail world, you know,
(41:16):
beyond Tom Bullock, who you know as she says, was
the was the one name of one of the more
famous on black bartenders, you know, who had a book.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
So his story was told and recorded.
Speaker 5 (41:29):
But so many other people had a hand in it,
and they weren't and so you had to dig through
the cookbooks. You had to dig through these other places
to find them.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Well, you know, couz or Her, I met Danny Child
his book which one, as you said, slow Drinks want
a James Spirit World. A beautiful book, incredible photography. He said,
his wife did the photography, and we were introduced to
Debora partner. Wong LinkedIn and said, you must beat Danny
Child's and I kept walking past the book table as
I just love books and it's a beautiful book.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
I wish I could had more room for books.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Speaking of books, let's talk about your book that you
and I have great segue, Melanie, talk about your new
book that's tied to speed Rack.
Speaker 5 (42:10):
Hi, So we have a quick drink, the Speedwrack Guide
to Bartending, And you know it is such a long
you know, it has been a long process coming together
speed Rack. You know we're just finished being our thirteenth year,
but our twelfth season because we had a bit of
(42:31):
a gap year with the pandemic, and you know, I
think one thing that we really, you know, wanted to put.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
Out in the world was with this book.
Speaker 5 (42:41):
And it really came to us during the pandemic and
we're like, okay, what if, you know, we are not.
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Able to go back to doing events again.
Speaker 5 (42:49):
We want to make sure that this moment was recorded,
that the women who competed had something left behind. And
you know, we're you know, we chifuly call it the Bartender,
you know, the speed rec Guide to Winning Cocktails for
Any Mood, and we reached out to all previous winners
(43:11):
from all over the world, different bartenders who've been in
the competition, a few you know, mentors and people who've
judged before to contribute cocktails. And really what we wanted
to do was empower the reader, who might be you know,
a consumer, to be able to walk into a bar
and ask for a proper dealer's choice cocktail, and for
(43:35):
then anyone from trade who's in there. We put in
a few things that you know, we realize year after
year there's more and more people coming into the industry.
That's why Speedwreck continues on. It's because it's such a
great resource for for new bartenders coming in to craft
to have one. We we focus on classics. The only
(43:57):
dealer's choice round is the last round in the event,
so they get a core Classics. In the back of
the book we have the classics everything from which everything
is built right like the mother sauces in culinary.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
And then we had.
Speaker 5 (44:09):
Just other little tips, like you know, scaling up a
batch is one of our features. We have a whole
chili chart to help you with your point. Some chili
is really hot, what's the best way to do it?
What's the skull little scale? You know, are they better fresh?
Speaker 4 (44:22):
So they better? Just to give people, you know, because
out for us some like a hot chapter. I thought
that was fun. But then we also have a little
bit of how to build.
Speaker 5 (44:30):
Your bar kart kind of vibe where it's like, listen,
if you like making Margarite's, if you get these other
three bottles, you can now make six drinks. And so
we thought about that and our our co writer, Making
quig Baum, is just a joy to work with.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
You know.
Speaker 5 (44:45):
She really helped to collect all the stories and bring
all the voices together, which I think when you have
you know, over eighty seven contributors plus two founders and
we're all working together.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
To write this. You know, that's a pretty crazy task.
And then the book has incredible.
Speaker 5 (45:01):
Photography from Meghan Rainwater, who you probably saw runninground Tail.
She was I think she was photographing everything. She definitely
was photographing the Hennessy La Maison. She had beautiful long
blonde hair. But her photos bring to life the people
and the event, and that was really important was to
open this Cocktail book and see the people behind it
(45:22):
and let that be a part of it. I think
that's a really triggery. It's a really triggy combo to
have to bring people in, but we're super proud of
it and it is bright pink. And the book also
will have a portion of proceeds at the end of
the day going back to our core mission, so to
fight breast cancer and for research and education with our
(45:42):
partnership with the Pink Agenda.
Speaker 4 (45:44):
So very excited about that.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
How much money have you raised so far? Do you know?
Speaker 5 (45:49):
We are at globally over one point seven million, which
is crazy. So that was included events that we did
in Asia, Australia, poor Rico that came in Mexico which
is going into its fourth year, so Canada as well.
Speaker 4 (46:06):
It's the UK.
Speaker 5 (46:07):
We did London and we did Edinburgh, so it's it's
wild to think.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
About the amount of years. But also there's been so
much incredible.
Speaker 5 (46:17):
Growth, you know, a lot of the things that have happened.
You know, we we were honored by the Pink Agenda
this past year for the for the work we've done
and basically just having people show up, have a good
time and raise.
Speaker 4 (46:30):
Money for breast cancer, but the research.
Speaker 5 (46:34):
That we've been able to fund, things that look at
disparities of breast cancer across race and and treatment and
a lot of the advanced medications that have really extended
a lot of people's lives, especially those of metastatic breast cancer.
So you know, I think of a bunch of drink
slinging bartenders, we.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
Could be very proud.
Speaker 5 (46:56):
And that was kind of always the thought is that,
you know, even when I started loop Peck, really emulating
what was happening and with the Boston chapter, was that
we as bartenders and hospitality have a skill set and
a trade that people want to participate in, and we
can use those skill sets for good and to impact
our community, because our community at the end of the
day is what makes you know, that keeps everyone in business. Right,
(47:20):
you don't have the kind of bars like in the
hospitality you talked about in New Orleans. If people don't
want it, It's not always just going to be you know,
people visiting town. It's going to be how they really
resonate with the community that's there and what they bring
to it. So that was always something that really impacted
the way I thought about what we can do, and
(47:40):
I you know, philanthropy is super important to me the
way its has you know, I'm in the middle of
planning another festival in a couple of weeks which we're crazy,
called the Rasato Festival in Aspen, which we are we
are going to be doing that festival for ten years.
It's just at the Latinx House. And our charity is
the Justice for My Women, many of who at the
(48:02):
Human That Fetus campaign comes from that, which one the
James Beard Award. And thinking about, you know, the people
who are involved in food systems that impact everything we
do in this industry, well, I.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
Think that's fabulous. I have to get information.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
I'm very into sustainability topics and we only have like
two or three more minutes left. But you know, what
I'd like to see in the future and what I'd
like to work on is a zero waste UH Cocktail initiative.
I was very impressed to see two sustainability companies. A
Glass half I think it's called the Glass Half Full.
They collect glass in New Orleans. There two lane grads
(48:38):
and they get they get the glass crushed and it
goes to rebuild coastline and oyster beds. It's a young
couple here in New Orleans a Glass half Full. They
were there, and then another young guy who was UH.
They were doing finally recyclable glasses tasting cups, and he
had lost he and his family had lost everything to Katrina.
And now he goes around collecting the glass and the
(49:00):
bree from events like Tales of the Cocktail and getting
it everything broken down for repurpose and reuse.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
So I'd like to see more of that.
Speaker 5 (49:08):
That was great, And I also like to see that
this year tales A had composting and recycling set up.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
At every single event, and that was awesome. I know.
You know, one of.
Speaker 5 (49:19):
The folks on the education board, she UH is part
of the bottom hand you Go, which is going to
be making its landing in the US this year in
Miami in the fall, and they are big sustainability like
they they I think they run one of the only
cockt officeles that really works on that is has has
(49:42):
progressed most in the zero waste conversation. So it's really uh,
really great to see that influence. I saw Aura's influence there.
When I saw that, I was like, this is great
and it's a step forward for all of us and.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
I look forward to caring and doing more in this air. Lynette, well,
this time flies, It's been so great to talk to
you for our listeners before we sign off. How can
our listeners find and follow you?
Speaker 3 (50:10):
And also Speedrack yep so.
Speaker 5 (50:12):
On Instagram you can find me at drinks at six
so you wanted to put drinks at and the number
six and at Speedrack we are at speed Underscore Rack.
Follow our adventures, our journey, you know. And if you
want to learn more about the things I do at
applos dot world and at Dolola as you're looking for
some beverage options that think about a little bit of
(50:34):
a healthier lifestyle, I'm.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
All for it. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
And thank you for all you do. I can't wait
to see your smiling, shining face again. Lynette Morero, thank
you for joining us today on the Connected Table Live
and for everyone listening, I hope you're inspired to go
out and try new things.
Speaker 3 (50:51):
There's some great products out there.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
Enjoy, take the trip, Enjoy the sip, eat the cake,
joy the ride.
Speaker 3 (50:58):
I'm Melanie Young.
Speaker 2 (50:59):
This is the Connected Table Live and my messages always
stay insatiably curious.
Speaker 3 (51:04):
Thank you,
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