The Speakeasy

Today on The Speakeasy, we talk to Paul Finn and special guest William Pineapple. Paul started his career in music and movies, producing his first feature film at age 21 for Kevin Smith’s View Askew Productions. While working on the soundtrack for that film, “A Better Place”, he decided to re-focus on a career in the music industry both as an artist, touring with critically acclaimed bands The Kingsbury Manx and Spider Bags as well as working behind the scenes at the legendary Drag City and Merge record labels. During this time, bills were paid by waiting tables. He began working at Acme, a fine dining restaurant in North Carolina, working his way up from busboy to GM. He later pursued craft bartending at the James Beard winning Lantern restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC. He now lives in Austin where he helped open Garage cocktail bar, winners of the 2015 Official Drink of Austin. Garage has garnered a reputation for providing an excellent cocktail program and has received national recognition in publications such as Conde Nast, Imbibe, Maxim and Architectural Digest. It was also at Garage that he found a kindred spirit with a shared passion for hospitality and industry wellness in owner William Ball, who made the revolutionary decision to provide full medical benefits for the staff. Paul has continued to champion healthcare and wellness for an industry that desperately needs it. William Pineapple, a talented mixologist with 16 years of hospitality experience in 5 countries, joins Paul to guide us through the healthcare of his fellow bartenders. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Today's Speakeasy Damon talks with Kevin Beary, Beverage Director at Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago. Kevin Beary his first taste of bartending while shaking and pouring colorless liquid as a minor. His first official gig was aboard a Delaware River cruise in Philadelphia, where 500 thirsty passengers would board the ship most nights and drink tickets would start flying. Beary worked in restaurants while attending La Salle University and rose to beverage director of Hyatt at the Bellevue, whose Library Lounge is the home of the Clover Club cocktail. In 2012, he transferred to Chicago’s Park Hyatt to oversee the property’s beverage program and open its cocktail bar, NoMi Lounge, until he took over the juggernaut tiki program that is Three Dots and a Dash. Beary revamped every aspect of prep, installing industrial cold press juice machines and centrifuges to ensure consistency and quality in every one of the 2,000-plus cocktails his team serves on Saturday nights. Beary is a great lover of rum, so much so that he led his 16 bartenders through an 11-week rum course, and he’s working on a master’s degree in brewing and distilling. Together they discuss batching drinks, tiki cocktails, seasonality, and more. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rocky Yeh is the Gardien des Chais (keeper of the cellar) at Maison Ferrand and Danny Ronen is the proprietor of Academia in Austin and partner at Unlimited Liabilities. Tune in as Sother chats with these two about travel, New York Brandy Week, subscription cocktail boxes and getting educated at a bar. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aaron Goldfarb is a writer who lives in Brooklyn. He’s written the novels “How to Fail: The Self-Hurt Guide” and “The Guide for a Single Man/Woman.” He writes about beer, whiskey, and drinks culture for places like Esquire, PUNCH, and VinePair. His latest book is “Hacking Whiskey.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Damon sits down with Jeremy Allen, the GM of MiniBar in Hollywood, CA. Allen has done time under James Beard Award winning chefs in both LA and Mpls, and is a CMS Certified Somm with a Wine Spectator Award, but you wouldn't guess it by his sailor speak. More importantly, Jeremy has spent tons of time drinking in the best and worst bars and restaurants, backstages and backyards across the world. Tune in to hear them talk cold beer, warm gin, live jazz, and more! The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Speakeasy turns 300! Joining Damon and Sother to celebrate is Kara Newman, author of the forthcoming book NIGHTCAP: More Than 40 Cocktails to Close Out Any Evening. Tune in to hear them talk nightcaps, and drink a few (or several) themselves! The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This autumn, Asbury Park resident Diana Pittet, who grew up in Atlantic Highlands, is teaching a pioneering, one-of-a-kind graduate seminar at New York University on “The History, Culture, and Politics of Drinking,” from the Neolithic period to the present day. That’s a time span of over 9,000 years of humans intentionally (as opposed to accidentally) making and consuming alcohol--all the while, having mixed feelings about it. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your hosts travel to the southern shore of Lake Erie to investigate the hospitality scene in Cleveland. Guided by native Stefan Was of the Porco Lounge and Tiki Room, Damon and Sother zig zag across the City talking to some of Believeland's most beloved bartenders and restaurateurs. From Ohio City Provisions to the venerable Velvet Tango Room, Cleveland is making its mark on the nightlife landscape. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sother went down to this year's Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, armed with a recorder and a dream...a dream to cover the entire festival in-depth. However, due to his jam-packed schedule, only this interview got recorded: a sit-down with Jabin Troth, founder of the world's largest craft cocktail Instagram account, Licensed to Distill. Tune in and give him a follow! The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Today's show Damon and Sother talk with Charlotte Voisey, Director of Advocacy at William Grant & Sons USA. They discuss the rise of gin in America, respect for cucumbers, and travel tips. Plus, we get some surprise guests at the end of the episode! The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.