The Speakeasy

The tables get turned this week on The Speakeasy as producer Jack Inslee interviews host Damon Boelte! Hear Damon’s incredible story – from a small farm in Lone Wolf Oklahoma to the big lights of New York City. Find out how he discovered cocktails at an early age and what made him want to pursue bartending as a serious career. This program was brought to you by Michter’s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aaron Polsky, formely of Amor Y Amargo, is one of the best bartenders in New York City and a good friend of The Speakeasy. He drops by this week to chat with Damon Boelte about his new gig bartending at FC Gotham in the Meat Packing District, his thoughts on seasonal produce and how it relates to cocktails and jail tattoos – amongst other things. Welcome the fall season with a great look into the wonderful world of bartending on The Speakeasy. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “You really want to capitalize on the end of summer thing. Really the end of August/early September has the best produce.” [18:00] “Old Fashioned’s and Manhattan’s are incredible fall drinks.” [24:00] –Aaron Polsky on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Han Shan is the new brand ambassador for Tuthilltown Spirits and Hudson Whiskey and he’s also the guest this week on The Speakeasy with Damon Boelte. Han had his first sip of whiskey at three months old (really) and now finds himself rooted deeply in the whisky industry. He and Damon discuss the state of American whiskey, the differences in styles of whiskey and current trends in the industry. From grain to glass – get the inside scoop on America’s spirit. This program was brought to you by Michters. “It’s a very exciting time for American whiskey in a general and its a dream come true for me to be working in whiskey.” [04:00] –Han Shan on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brad Goocher and Ken Ho are bartender’s bartenders. Tune in as they talk shop with Damon Boelte on a brand new episode of The Speakeasy. The three beverage professionals kick back and discuss various aspects of the industry – from service to style. Brad tells the fascinating story on how he got his unlikely start in bartending and Ken elaborates on how his palate changed depending on where he worked. Listen as Damon, Brad and Ken share their thoughts on what good service should be and why the role of the bartender is a unique one in the hospitality business. This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham. “Many times people want to be engaged [at the bar] and that’s a beautiful thing we’re able to do.” [15:00] “As far as drinks go – my goal is to make them as delicious as possible. At the end of the day I want the drink to taste as good as possible.” [16:00] –Brad Goocher on The Speakeasy “The great thing about bartending that’s different from serving is that you can sit down and have a conversation with your customer at a bar. You can’t do that at a table.” [18:00] –Ken Ho on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Humans have been perfecting the science of alcohol production for ten thousand years, but modern scientists are only just beginning to distill the complex reactions behind the perfect buzz. In Proof: The Science of Booze, a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers puts our alcoholic history under the microscope, from our ancestors’ accidental discovery of fermented drinks to the cutting-edge laboratory research that proves why—or even if—people actually like the stuff. Tune in to this week’s episode of The Speakeasy as Damon chats with Adam about the book and the science of booze! This program was brought to you by Michters. “I’m a science writer by training and I try to understand the world through that lens.” [04:00] –Adam Rogers on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Almost a year ago, popular Williamsburg bar Donna was forced to close due to an electrical fire. Now – they are back and stronger than ever. Tune in to a fun episode of The Speakeasy as Damon Boelte is joined by the crew at Donna who have brought a kegged cocktail to the studio with them. Yes, you read that right, they are pouring draft cocktails on-air in the studio! Learn about the advantages of cocktails on tap and why carbonation almost always makes a drink better. Hear why architecture is such an important component in bar design and find out how they are making craft cocktails more accessible for everybody. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “There’s a psychology to architecture. If you can tweak little tiny things it affects how people move in the space and how they enjoy themselves in it.” [08:00] “We take our beverage program really seriously but we want it to be fun and accessible. We want people to come in and get a drink quickly and party. That’s what this draft cocktail program is all about.” [25:00] Leif Huckman on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Find out how to become the best home bartender you can possibly be on a brand new episode of The Speakeasy as Damon Boelte chats with David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, the husband-and-wife authors of The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles. Hundreds of Cocktails. A New Way to Drink, and publishers of the popular blog 12bottlebar.com. Mr. Solmonson has written for both film and television, while Ms. Solmonson, spirits and wine writer for L.A. Weekly, is also the author of Gin: A Global History and the forthcoming Liqueur: A Global History. 12 Bottle Bar was created with the simple goal of making classic cocktails accessible to the home bartender. Despite having a voluminous liquor cabinet, home bartenders David and Lesley Solmonson were continually frustrated by drink recipes that called for more and more esoteric ingredients. Their solution? Create a fixed list of main ingredients – the twelve bottles – and present hundreds of classic and original cocktails that could be made from them. Unlike other cocktail publications, which cater to the professional or seasoned amateur, 12 Bottle Bar is targeted specifically at the novice home bartender. The primary goals are to engage and excite the reader and generally raise the quality of drinking in the average American home. This program was brought to you by Michters. “I saw a real divide in what was happening in the craft cocktail movement and the home bartendering scene.” [06:00] —David Solmonson “Taste is subjective that’s the whole point of cocktails – we always say drink what you like.” [15:00] —Lesley Jacobs SolmonsonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On a casual and insightful episode of The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte chats with bartender Tim Miner of Long Island Bar, a Brooklyn landmark, serving food and drinks for almost 55 years. Tune in for thoughts on everything from bourbon to bar design as Damon and Tim talk shop. Find out why you shouldn’t chug your craft cocktail and why sometimes the drink isn’t all that matters at a bar. This program was brought to you by Michters “I hate when people slam a cocktail in a quicker amount of time than it took for me to make it!” [17:00] “Going to Long Island Bar is like walking into a cozy little time machine.” [21:00] –Tim Miner on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get some great insights and go deep into the world of craft cocktails on a brand new episode of The Speakeasy, as host Damon Boelte is joined by bartender/drink impressario and author, Greg Seider. His latest book, Alchemy in a Glass: The Essential Guide to Handcrafted Cocktails is full of original, ingredient-driven recipes for cocktails, mixers, garnishes, and bitters, this book by a cocktail expert for master chefs shows readers how to transform spirits and flavors into inspiring, mouthwatering drinks. In bars and restaurants across America, drinkers are being exposed to the artistry of the modern cocktail. Seider, who has created cocktail programs for top bars and restaurants in New York and Los Angeles, approaches cocktail creation as the art of understanding how flavors work together and develop over the course of a drink. Drawing on his experience developing cocktail programs for chefs such as Eric Ripert, Seider goes beyond recipes to show readers how flavors work, giving them blueprints for constructing a balanced drink. This program was brought to you by Michter’s. “The danger with a lot of cocktails is too many bitter components in a rink that knocks out complexity or flavors.” [11:00] –Greg Seider on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tune in to a fun, friendly and informative episode of The Speakeasy as host Damon Boelte is joined by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, bar manager at Clyde Common and Pepe Le Moko in Portland, Oregon and author of The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique. Damon and Jeffrey talk shop and discuss the importance of technique over recipes, subjectivity in cocktail tasting and the state of drinks in 2014. Tune in and get some serious insight into the world of cocktails on another awesome episode of The Speakeasy. Today’s show was brought to you by Rolling Press. “Recipes and flavors are so subjective, which is great! We don’t have to agree about the proper proportions for a whiskey sour because there are so many different palettes and preferences. One thing we can agree on is that we should strain the lemon juice before the whiskey sour so theres no pulp. The technique is more objective, which is fun for me.” [13:00] –Jeffrey Morgenthaler on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.