The Speakeasy

Steva Casey is a bartender at The Atomic Lounge in Birmingham, AL. She also works on numerous projects including International Cocktail Karaoke and Tiki By The Sea. Her cocktail recipes and ideas about building drinks have been published in Cosmopolitan, Men’s Journal, and on CNN . When asked to explain her job, she quickly responds that it's mainly about being a good host. She owns more bottles of Scotch than dresses. Also sitting in this week is Greg Benson, co-host of the podcast Bar None, which focuses on one drink per episode as a lens through which to examine a particular era of history. 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 week, we're joined in studio by Eryn Reece, who has tended bar all over New York City, and is now heading up a new bar program at Banzarbar, a new concept above Freemans Restaurant in the Lower East Side. 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.

Kate Perry grew up in Maine, and earned degrees in Anthropology/Archaeology & Geography/Geology from the University of Denver. She moved to Seattle after college, drank a lot of sherry, opened a rum bar, and drank a lot of rum. She was invited to Haiti with the Velier spirits company, where she fell in love with Haiti and fell in love with Velier. After returning to the states, she moved to NYC to work for Velier, the Indiana Jones of rum -- so she's using her degrees and still drinking a lot of rum. 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 week, Damon is without Sother...which is fine. He's joined in the studio by Rob Dietrich, Head Distiller of Stranahan's Whiskey, which, at tender age of fourteen, was the first company to be granted a distilling permit in Colorado. 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 week, Sother is joined by Charlie Marshall, the Design Director and a principal of Parc Office. With a background in industrial design, retail and hospitality design, and interactive experiences, Marshall works to find innovative ways of integrating digital interactivity in physical spaces. Prior to Parc Office, Marshall ran the Lab at Rockwell Group, designing experiences and innovation labs for Coca Cola and Google, and designing bars and restaurants for Le Meridian, W Hotels, Darden Group, Royal Caribbean and the Cosmopolitan hotel. Marshall's hospitality experience comes from growing up in the trade, his family being owners of a vineyard in the UK (?!) and partners in award winning British brewery Bath Ales. Starting working in kitchens and bars and the brewery from the age of 12, Marshall is an "enthusiast" who is also the emergency last resort line cook or barman for a variety of restaurant kitchens and bars throughout New York. 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 week, Damon and Sother are joined by Maggie Hoffman, author of the new book The One-Bottle Cocktail: More than 80 Recipes with Fresh Ingredients and a Single Spirit, which will be published by Ten Speed Press in March 2018. Hoffman writes about cocktails, spirits, food, beer, and wine. She founded the drinks section of Serious Eats in 2011, and served as the managing editor for the James Beard award-winning site. 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 this Valentine's Day edition of The Speakeasy, Damon and Sother are joined by Dani DeLuna, Shannon Mustipher, and Austin Hartman of the Cane Club Collective, a group that organizes experiences around cane spirits that foster community and appreciation for rum and the people working in the industry. 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 week, Damon and Sother sit down with Alfred Cointreau, the sixth generation scion of – you guessed it – the Cointreau family, which has been making the French orange-flavored liqueur brand of the same name for over 150 years. Also joining them are Kayla Mata and Emily Arseneau of Collectif 1806. 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 is back from Miami, where he was named Mixologist of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. He and Damon are joined today by Mike Milyavsky and Anna Gorovoy, founders of Shaker & Spoon, which is sort of like the Blue Apron of cocktail ingredients. 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.

Willy Shine is a proud and dedicated Spirits & Hospitality Professional. Willy has an affinity towards building spirits brands using unconventional marketing, relationships, networking and immersing himself into its history & culture while paying forward the education bestowed upon him. Willy is the Brand Meister for Mast-Jägermeister U.S. – National Brand Ambassador, Head of Brand Education, Trade Advocacy and Mixology. 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.