The Speakeasy

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon is joined by the “Captains” of Tiki Mondays, Brian Miller and Ryan Liloia. Hear the genesis behind the highly successful weekly guest bartender night at Lani Kai where all tips go to charity. Tiki Mondays has become a family affair, and Brian and Ryan talk about how this community of bartenders teach each other new things (including the Corporal Captain Dance) constantly. Learn more about Tiki drinks and why bartending is much bigger than serving drinks on a feel-good episode of The Speakeasy. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “Everything I do behind the bar, I’ve taken from watching [Brian] Miller and the guests do their thing.” –Ryan Liloia on The Speakeasy “Tiki is something that’s in everybody’s consciousness now and people are realizing how fun it is.” “The first drink I ever created, I made thirty different ways and it was only three ingredients.” –Brian Miller on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Damon is back from Tales of the Cocktail and he’s joined in studio by Antonia Fattizzi of Lucas Bols. Antonia and Damon chat about Bols Genever and how it’s slowly gaining popularity in the states. Genever is extremely popular in Amsterdam and drinks like a gin but is closer related to whiskey. Learn more about this interesting spirit and tune in as they make a Holland Razorblade on air! This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “Genever actually outsells vodka by 4 to 1 in Amsterdam.” “Galliano is no longer just anis in your face! There’s so much more going on in the bottle now.” –Antonia Fattizzi of Lucas Bols on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon chats with Marshall Altier and Nick Pelis of Denizen Rum. Learn what makes different rums unique and how each acts differently in cocktails and with mixers. White rum is not vodka, and the guys at Denizen are doing everything they can to educate the consumer in that regard. Find out why subsidies have favored quantity over quality and hear why Denizen takes no shortcuts in the quality control of their product. Tune in as the guys make cocktails on-air and whet your appetite for delicious summer rum cocktails. This program was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “Part of the reason why we’ve lost flavor in the rum categories is because of tax subsidies the US government provided islands like Puerto Rico. The subsidies are tied directly to quantity, not quality.” –Nick Pelis of Denizen Rum on The Speakeasy “White rum shouldn’t be expensive, by virtue of what it is. It’s an inexpensive thing to make and doesn’t need to cost a lot.” –Marshall Altier of Denizen Rum on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon is re-joined by friend of the show Steve Schneider of Employees Only and Macao Trading Company. Steve has been a busy man in the past year, traveling across the world for competitions, exhibitions and general craziness. Hear how he broke speed records at the “Rematch” bartending competition and why he challenges anybody in the world to compete with him! Steve passionately explains how bartenders are like family and describes the camaraderie that helped him get to where he is today. From his early days in the Military to breaking records and making the highest quality cocktails in the world, learn more about the man with the hammer, Steve Schenider. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “I’ve always believed that if you want to be successful and great, you have to surround yourself with successful and great people.” “I can make pine tar taste like strawberries if I try hard enough.” “I challenge any bartender on this planet or any other planet to a Rematch style competition, because I don’t think anybody can beat me on my best day!!!” –bartender Steve Schneider on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon chats with Amanda Womack, manager at Caskin San Francisco. Cask sells artisanal beverages and is part of the Future Bars group. Find out how Cask sources their small batch liquors and learn about their American Whiskey Club. Get a sense of what cocktail and spirits culture is like on the West Coast, as Amanda shares some of her favorite beverages and cocktails right now. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “I can’t ever think of a time where I wanted just dry vermouth by itself, but I’d totally drink Vya Whipser Dry by itself.” –Amanda Womack of Cask on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon chats with Michael Kinstliek, CEO of Coppersea Distilling. Michael talks about the rise of craft distilling in New York and the country at large and discusses how distillers have followed the model that craft breweries created in the marketplace. Learn what challenges craft distillers are faced with and how specialty distribution is starting to develop across the nation. Find out what factors make or brake small brands and how packaging, price points and quality all contribute to success. Check out CopperseaDistilling.com for more information.This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “In 2000 there were 25 craft distilleries and now we’re up to about 250 firms in the craft distillery market.” “A lot of folks enter the market with a product first attitude over marketing and branding, and the market is fluid enough now that that’s not such a bad strategy!” –Michael Kinstliek, CEO of Coppersea Distilling on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte chats with friend and distiller at Van Brunt Stillhouse, Daric Schlesselman. Tune in to hear what it’s like running a small batch distillery and why Grappa got him into this whole business. From sugar to aging, learn about the process of distilling and how different techniques can make different products. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “Finishing is a little bit of a challenge for a small distiller. It takes years to have enough mature product to get there. At this point I’m choosing the aging process that I think will do the best for me in the shortest period of time possible.” –distiller Daric Schlesselman on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fresh off the Manhattan Cocktail Classic bender, Damon Boelte sits and chats with bartender Rocky Yeh from Vessel Lounge in Seattle. Hear some wild stories from the MCC and get an insiders perspective on bartending, spirits distribution and liquor availability. How is running a bar in Seattle different than New York? How could the entire state of Washington run out of Aperol? Learn more on another edition of the best bartending show in the world. This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. “When people say ‘We make everything in house’ my response is ‘Really? Why?’ 9 times out of 10 if you’re making something like orgeat syrup on your own it’s not better or more consistent than available products out there.” –bartender Rocky Yeh on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon sits and chats with the ladies of Speed Rack. Speed Rack is a competition created for and by female bartenders to promote female bartenders. Hear from Ivy Mix, Lynette Marrero & Claire Bertin-Lang as they preview the upcoming competition on May 10th, 2012. Find out how intense the competition gets and what to expect from a room full of the most skilled women bartenders in the world! This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. “This cocktail community spreads across the nation. We can all drop into any city and work with somebody.” –Lynette Marrero of Speed Rack on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte sits and chats with Tom Macy & Jesse Wohlers of The Clover Club. Find out what makes bartending such a grueling gig and how they both got to where they are now. Find out how to climb the ranks in a bar and make a career out of the most fun job in the world. Hear their thoughts on everything from social skills behind the bar to mocktails. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “[When bartending] I want the customer to feel like I have nothing better in the world to do than talk to them.” –Tom Macy of The Clover Club on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.