The Speakeasy

In our final Boomerang! from Tales of the Cocktail Greg and Phil sit down with Amir Babayoff, beverage director at Ophelia in NYC. The conversation takes a number of twists and turns around well-crafted martinis about the creative process, the chaos that is New Orleans in July and how this whole crossover series with the Philip Duff show might just come back next year.

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Live from Tales of the Cocktail 2025 Greg and Phil sit down with Sahil Bari of Australian Bitters Co. Together they discuss the creation of a bitters company, how their ingredients are different and what it's like to build a company around botanicals from a specific - and specifically weird - continent.

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In a second live poolcast from Tales of the Cocktail Greg and Phil return to talk to Alexandre Gabriel and Matt Pietrek about their new book "The Rum Never Sets - 300 Years of Royal Navy & London Dock Rum," and the rum spinoff it inspired. They discuss common misconceptions about navy strength rum, how the British navy came to be rum's biggest consumer, and what a former programmer is doing researching rum in the first...

In a special live poolcast from Tales of the Cocktail 2025 Greg Benson and Phil Duff of the Philip Duff show take a dip with Guy Brennan and Alan Murungi of Procera Gin. They chat poolside with martinis in hand about Procera's single tree gin, the history of African spirits, and of course the rest of the debauchery they're getting up to at Tales.

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The high/low, upstairs/downstairs, elevated dive concept has been in the news and on peoples’ minds for a while now, but you know who’s really taking it to the next level? Steve Schneider, one of the co-founders of acclaimed NYC watering hole Sip & Guzzle. Steve sits down with the band to discuss how his partnership with Shingo Gokan crafted their bar’s dual identity, their long history as foils in the bar community, a...

THC drinks have come a long way - they don’t taste like someone put a joint out in a beer anymore! Darnell Smith, consultant and entrepreneur, saw these market trends coming together when he founded MXXN, a non-alcoholic thc-infused spirits brand. Darnell sits down with Greg and Damon to talk about the challenges of operating within the patchwork system of US regulation, MXXN’s distinct branding, and how they got the disti...

Live from BCB Brooklyn and Industry City Greg and Damon catch up with Lalo González of Lalo Tequila. They stop by Lalo’s booth to discuss the booming market for blanco tequila, where the future of agave spirits is headed, and how they hit on the very distinctive bottle and label design that’s become the cornerstone of the brand. It’s a Boomerang! episode live from our own back yard 

Follow Lalo Tequila at @lalospirits

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There’s so much more to Korean drinking culture than just soju and Haera Shin wants to tell everyone all about it. From the distinctive (and uniform!) green bottles, to the culture of “first place,” “second place” and “third place” to a fermented rice beverage that’s way older than sake, Haera’s enthusiasm is boundless and contagious. She sits down with the band to talk about her upcoming book on Korean drinks and cocktail...

When Steve Jackson stopped drinking in 2023 he noticed something odd. As much as non-alc drinks have improved over the past twenty years no one was making a zero proof alternative in the premium wine space. He set out to fix that with Society de la Rassi, which offers a high-end drinking and aesthetic experience at 0.5% ABV. Steve sits down with Greg to talk about positioning his product in the market, the process by which...

Marcelo Chasi has led a lot of lives: bartender, soldier, fight club enthusiast, salsa dancer (yes, really). And now he’s sitting down with Greg and Damon to talk about the launch of Herradura’s new blanco tequila. They discuss the thinking behind releasing a new clear tequila expression in 2025, what makes this particular flavor distinct, and cocktail trends in New York City and beyond.

Plus, Damon and Greg recap their BCB...

Wow, the last fourteen years just flew by didn’t they? Greg, Sother and Damon sit down together at Fort Hamilton Distillery in Brooklyn’s Industry City during BCB 2025 to talk about the state of the union when it comes to microdistilling, how NYC bartending has changed over the years and the history of Rye Whiskey in America. They’re joined by Alex Clark, the Co-Founder and CEO of Fort Hamilton who delves into his origin s...

Greg continues his trek across Savannah's riverfront, venturing into Baobab Lounge. Built inside of a former power plant, Baobab's food and beverage program echo its founder's deep appreciation for African culture, while their Kenyan sous chef brings a taste of her family recipes to the menu. GM Vonnie Ciesla walks Greg through their story, their drinks, the neighborhood, and the tale of a very weird crocodile as Greg trie...

In the second Boomerang! installment from Savannah Greg ventures to the riverfront district to talk with Brittany, aka Bugsy of the Bootlegger bar. They unpack the responsibilities that come with running a bar that is several centuries old and how to make the best Old Fashioned in town. Greg might even come around to smoked cocktails! Listen now.

Follow Bootlegger at @thebootleggersavannah

Our 600th Episode Extravaganza is h...

Greg returns with another Boomerang episode, this one live from Savannah's Club Bardo with industry luminary Eben Klemm. The two discuss trends in high end hospitality, the state of the union for hotel bars, and what makes the city of Savannah so unique. They also dig into what it takes to hire and train a team to run Hotel Bardo's restaurant, Saint Bibiana.

Plus, it turns out Eben was something of a mentor for a certain ot...

Jackie Williams is the brains behind Bar Convent Brooklyn, or as we like to call it, BCB. Tasked with running one of the largest cocktail conventions in the world, she has hundreds of stakeholders to juggle and no two work days are alike. She takes time out of her busy schedule to talk with Greg and Damon about 2025’s upcoming festival on June 10th and 11th in Industry City, what goes into making BCB Brooklyn a success, an...

Jonathan Adler is a triple threat. Michelin-starred chef, certified sommelier, and now a 50 Best rated mixologist. His latest venture is Shinji’s in midtown Manhattan, which has been racking up praise and instagram mentions alike for its inventive, high technique cocktail program. Jonathan sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about some of the varsity-level moves his team pulls to make these drinks, whether there’s a pla...

What’s a Scotch distillery doing making gin? For that matter, what’s a Scotch distillery doing making an unbelievably peated single malt in packaging so dark you can barely read it? Douglas Taylor of Bruichladdich and The Botanist sits down with the band to discuss the iconoclastic whisky distillery, their philosophy behind pushing the envelope with locally sourced barley, how they wound up making a London Dry Gin, and how...

Is the world ready for a Southside RTD? How are you gonna handle the minty flavor? What the hell is a southside supposed to taste like anyway? These were all questions Meredith Mills-Merritt wrestled with when she found the Original Southside. Based on her mother’s famous cocktail recipe from Oklahoma, Meredith worked in secret to perfect the recipe before launching last year. She discusses the R&D process of getting t...

Ever wanted a barrel of whiskey delivered directly to your living room? George Koutsakis can’t provide that exactly, but he can definitely find one for you to buy. The writer, serial entrepreneur and whiskey lover sits down with the band to talk about a number of his ventures, including Barrel Global, a service that allows organizations and individuals to buy whiskey barrels for a single barrel expression of their very own...