Lush Life

How many cocktail competitions are you doing this year?  Our guest has challenged herself to do a number you won’t believe! It’s not as if she has nothing else to do, she is busy at one of the most exciting places in London.

Laurie Howells might sound like a Brit, but she don’t let her fool you. She was born and lived in the USA until she was whisked to her new hometown of Bury St. Edmunds.  How did she find herself headin...

For someone who is passionate about horses and bourbon there is one position that would be a dream to have and our guest has got it!  

When you think of horse races, there is only one: the Kentucky Derby.  When you think of cocktails at horse races, there is only one - the Mint Julep. And what bourbon do you find in that Kentucky Derby Mint Julep? Woodford Reserve. 

As Vice President and Master Distiller of Woodfo...

Have you been to the small hotel with a wishing well and now a fabulous new bar helmed by today’s guest? I’m pretty certain that if Rogers and Hart had taken even one sip of any of the new cocktails, their famous song may have turned out very differently.

If you are a Sinatra fan, you might be aware of his rendition of the song There’s a Small Hotel written in the 1930s by Rogers and Hart for the musical On Your Toes.

This sweet ditt...

Can you feel the heat on your face?  This episode we want to transport you right to the sunny island of Barbados. Anyone’s guess which rum we’ll be exploring??

If you haven’t guessed already, it’s Mount Gay, not only the oldest rum in Barbados, but the oldest rum in the world!!  I’m thrilled that Trudiann Branker, the trailblazing Master Blender, is joining us.

Starting at the distillery in 2014 as Quality Assurance Manager...

We are exploring a very important issue and, even if you aren’t in the drinks industry, it’s something you need to address if you have a business - how are you prioritizing inclusion in your workplace?

Vicky Ilankovan, the Executive Director of Equal Measures UK, is with me to help you answer that question. Equal Measures is the award-winning non-profit spearheading the delivery of intersectional inclusivity in the drinks & hosp...

Most people know that sake is made with rice, but did you know that rice might be grown in California? 

This is the 250th episode of Lush Life Podcast, every week I have been inspired to live life one cocktail at a time by the guests who have been kind enough to join me and I am sure I will continue to be inspired by those who are yet to be on the program. 

Thank you everyone for your support, especially Evo Terra and his t...

Yes, we are back with the 9th - how is it possible -  season of Lush Life!  Where best to begin? Venice, of course! 

How is it that there weren’t already Venice Cocktail Tours before now? Well, I don’t want to reveal the whole story in this intro, you can now enjoy two different cocktail tours in Venice!

Let’s just say that great minds were thinking how best to introduce you to not only the role that Venice played in b...

Philip Duff,  a true icon in the industry, is on Lush Life. He is a renowned expert on everything drinks related and has a passion for the craft.

Thank goodness our guest was not one of the Skerries-born citizens who kidnapped St. Patrick's goat and was cursed to bleat from then on, cus that would make for an awkward interview. 

Today we have a true icon in the industry. Philip Duff is not only an internationally renowned e...

Did it ever occur to you to ask your friendly bartenders where they like to drink? Because you know they know the best places in town. Well, don’t worry, our guest has. And lucky for us, he’s sharing that info.

Sam Gilani was making Sazeracs when he was at university - that should tell you that he was bound to become The London Boozehound. He is not only a journalist with a massive Instagram following but also the founder of the Bar...

Who doesn’t want to enjoy a tipple or two in a gorgeous setting? Today, I bring you to one of the most historically important homes in London, which held and is still holding some of the best parties the city has ever seen.

On today’s episode, you’ll meet a power player in Georgian society, the Lansdowne House, constructed in the 1760s by the celebrated architect Robert Adam. 

Not only did it see the signing of the Treaty of Par...

Remember a time when asking for a non-alcoholic beverage meant getting a soda or an apple juice? Well, thanks to the brain behind Seedlip, there are now stores filled with No-ABV and Low-ABV spirits. It’s not often one can invent a whole new category of drinking, but our guest did, and now he is coming for bitters, watch out.

My friend and former Lush Lifer Ben Branson was on the program more than 5 years ago and since that time, he...

This March, I was blown away by the creativity of some of the best bars in the world. Not only were they making cocktails, but they were saving the planet. 

On the 17 and 18th of March 2024, the third edition of the Paradiso Sustainability Summit, organized by Giacomo Giannotti and his team, in partnership with Ketel One Vodka through their Garnished with Good program was held.

Giacomo’s bar Paradiso is ranked one of the best Ba...

The butterfly effect is the idea that small things can have non-linear impacts on a complex system. The concept is imagined with a butterfly flapping its wings and causing a typhoon. Our butterfly, in this case, is one small sip of bourbon. 

That specific sip of bourbon started off a chain reaction that would see not only the world of drinks but the world at large change forever and I am not exaggerating!

But I am not going to r...

I think relaunch is the word of the moment. It is Spring, after all. 

Not only will I be relaunching Season 8 of Lush Life, bringing you exciting episodes about sustainability, horse racing, the Beatles, absinthe, and so much more! 

But the big news is I have just re-launched my cocktail tours in London’s Soho- Long story but I first started them in Nov 2019 and well we know what happened then. 

Now, I am thrilled to sa...

Few people would have the courage to leave a very secure future in academia for a very uncertain life behind the bar.  Our guest did, and he has never looked back.

Are you crazy for Thomas Shelby and also have a passion for Japanese Whisky? Do you have no clue who Thomas Shelby is but love your Japanese whisky? Or do you not know either about Thomas Shelby or Japanese Whisky but just want to meet one of the greatest guys in the...

You asked for it, and you got it - all of you kind people who filled out my survey asked for more interviews with more legends. Our guest is the world's most-awarded bartender & bar owner. If Mr Lyan isn’t a legend, I don’t know who is.

If you call yourself a cocktail connoisseur, then you will have come upon the name Mr Lyan in your travels. Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan opened White Lyan in London in 2013. It was a moment t...

Throughout history, artists and writers have been drawn to the Northern Italian hill town of Asolo; some say it’s because it’s the “city of a hundred horizons,” I think it’s because it’s the home of Asolo Prosecco!

At one time, you might have caught a glimpse of poet Robert Browning, actress Elenora Duse, or writer Freya Stark sitting enjoying a glass of bubbly at one of the cafes in this Pearl of the Veneto; I can almost guarantee ...

School is back, and a new season of Lush Life commences! How exciting!

I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and this is the Lush Life Podcast, every week we are inspired to live life one cocktail at a time.

Yes, next Tuesday, I bring you the first episode of Season 8 of Lush Life.  This season, we’ll have even more great conversations, enjoy more great cocktails, and visit a few more great places to enjoy a sip or two.

We...

Just when you thought my season was over, I’m surprising you with a little mid-summer episode dedicated to a place and spirit I love.

If you’ve been listening to Lush Life for a while, you would probably know that I love Venice. If you are a first-timer to Lush Life, I'll say it again I love Venice! 

So how excited am I to be joined by my friend Rudi Carraro, Global Brand Ambassador of the very Venetian Select Aperitivo? &n...