Bartender at Large

This week we are joined by bartender, spirits specialist and consultant Lex, who opens up about the hardest chapter of her life. For four years she worked 14-hour bar shifts while raising the little sister she adopted when she was just 26. She also fought for custody in family court on her own, often walking into the courthouse straight from a closing shift with no sleep. So tune in as she shares how she kept smiling for guests thr...

This week we head to Washington, DC to pull up a stool with Kapri Robinson and Princess Johnson of Allegory, one of the most inventive bars in the country and a fixture on the North America's 50 Best Bars list. They take us behind the scenes of their famously ambitious concept menus, including their current book-length tribute to Ruby Bridges, complete with hand-built dioramas made from thrifted toys. Along the way, they break down...

Walk into any Total Wine & More these days and there's a good chance a bartender has had a hand in what you're seeing on the shelves. This week we're joined by Molly Horn, Chief Mixologist and Spirits Educator at Total Wine & More, who traded restaurant bartending for a role teaching both store staff and shoppers how to drink better at home. We dig into how bar trends t...

Rum has long suffered from an image problem in this country, as too many drinkers still associate the category with sugary spiced bottles and sticky frozen drinks. But if tequila could go from a spirit taken by the shot to one sipped and studied, then why can't rum do the same? To help us make sense of where the category is headed, we are joined this week by actor and co-founde...

Bartenders spend their whole careers reaching into ice wells, pulling from speed rails and slamming glass door coolers shut a few hundred times a night, and yet most of us have never given a second thought to who decides how any of that gets built. To help us pull back the curtain on the equipment side of the business we are joined by Corrinne Walenda, Corporate Training Manager and Brand Ambassador for Pe...

It is no secret that our industry moves in cash and good nights, but very few of us were ever taught what to actually do with it once it lands in our pocket. Between untracked income, lifestyle creep and a social media feed constantly telling us how we should be spending, it is far too easy to make great money for years and still have nothing to show for it. This week's guest l...

This week we are joined by Chris Lowder, co-founder of Lowder-Tascarella Hospitality, two-time Tales of the Cocktail nominee for Best Global Bar Mentor, and one of Drinks International's 100 Most Influential Figures in the Global Bar Industry. After leading World's 50 Best-recognized bars across China, Chris co-founded LTH, now a team of 18 spanning New York, Miami, and Bangkok, with his latest work on display at Miami Beach's Shel...

Not too long ago, the idea of a truly great cocktail coming out of a can seemed like a contradiction in terms, but this week's guest has been on a mission to change that. We are joined by Neal Cohen, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Atlanta-based Tip Top Proper Cocktails. Before launching the brand in 2018 with childhood friend Yoni Reisman, Neal spent years in radio and as Marketing Director for Superfly, producing large-scal...

Have you ever worked a shift behind a bar that seemed like it was designed by someone who has never made a drink in their life? Wells in all the wrong places, no room for a trash can, and a setup that leaves your back aching by last call. This week we are joined by six-time international bartending champion and founder of Studio Bar Magic, Tobin Ellis, who has spent over two decades fighting to fix exactly that. So tune in as we di...

This week we are joined by Marko Karakasevich, 13th generation master distiller and owner of Charbay Distillery. Since his parents founded the distillery back in 1983, Charbay has been quietly pushing the boundaries of American spirits, from hop-flavored whiskeys distilled from actual beer, to vodkas infused with fresh-picked fruit, to the highly anticipated gin he plans to launch in 2026. So tune in as Marko walks us through his o...

For too many bartenders, sake remains one of the most intimidating sections of the back bar, with confusing labels and endless categories making it hard to know where to even begin. Luckily, this week we are joined by Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori, co-founders of the beloved Japanese beverage shop Umami Mart and authors of Everyday Sake: The Go-To Guide for Choosing, Pairing, and Serving. Together they ha...

This week we are joined by acclaimed spirits professional Charlotte Voisey, Executive Director of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, to talk all things Tales going into this year's gathering in New Orleans. With over 400 events packed into six days, Tales of the Cocktail has grown into the premier destination for industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts alike, and Charlotte gives us an inside look at what to expect. In ad...

This week we are joined by Academy Award-nominated actor William H. Macy, who many of you know from his iconic roles in Fargo and Shameless, and co-founder of Colorado's own Woody Creek Distillers, along with Denver bartender Sean Kenyon, the man behind the legendary Williams & Graham. While most celebrity spirit brands are little more than a licensing deal, Macy has been hands-on with Woody Creek sinc...

As bartenders, we have a front-row seat to the modern dating scene — every night, we watch hopeful patrons shoot their shot, and most of them could use some coaching. Which is why this week we are joined by Dani Brand, writer and New York City bartender whose recent InsideHook article, "How to Hit on a Woman at a Bar," has been making the rounds across the industry. So tu...

The creator of RumChata, Tom Maas, sits down with us to reflect on his remarkable journey from brand builder to published author. Tom shares the story behind his new book, Tastes like Money, offering an inside look at the business of building a beloved beverage brand from the ground up. He pulls back the curtain on the wins, the lessons, and the grit it takes to turn a dream in...

Join us for a new perspective on the art of dining out with Adam Reiner, a James Beard Award-winning journalist who spent over two decades working in some of New York City's most celebrated restaurants, including Babbo, Carbone, and The Grill. Adam joins the show to discuss his new book, The New Rules of Dining Out, a book that offers practical, step-by-step advice on everything from soliciting recommendations from your server and ...

On this week's show, we sit down with Paul Clarke, Editor-in-Chief of Imbibe Magazine, to celebrate the publication's 20th anniversary. Paul explains how Imbibe has thrived for two decades by rejecting rapid expansion in favor of independent, intentional growth. Together, they trace the evolution of the craft cocktail movement—from hazy IPAs to mezcal Negronis—and unpack industry challenges lik...

Join us for a conversation with the James Beard Award-winning duo behind the new book, The Cocktail Sessions: Toby Maloney, award-winning bartender, and acclaimed author Emma Janzen. Toby draws on decades behind the bar to break down the fundamentals of classic cocktails, from the Daiquiri and Old Fashioned to the Negroni and beyond, revealing how small adjustments in balance, texture, temperature, and tec...

Join us for a conversation with Chuck Cerankosky, the restaurateur and visionary founder behind New York State's only annual weeklong spirits festival, the Rochester Cocktail Revival. Chuck takes us inside the festival's remarkable 13-year journey, from its 2014 launch with 2,000 attendees to a powerhouse event drawing more than 21,000 guests and featuring over 75 events across the city. He shares the stor...