The Speakeasy

What’s the difference between blended whiskey and spirit whiskey? What are the origins of rye whiskey? If you’re at all interested in the history of whiskey, this episode of The Speakeasy is for you. Tune in as Damon Boelte sits down and chats with friend of the show Nick Jarrett over some 1951 Old Overholt Rye Whiskey. Learn more about bonding regulations, excise taxes, the bottled-in-bond act and more history as it relates to rye whiskey. Bottoms up! This episode was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “You would make your own whiskey back in the day just like you would salt your own pork or chop your own trees down.” “The bottled in bond act was actually an attempt to achieve purity in whiskey.” –Nick Jarrett 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 welcomes Time Out New York’s infamous food and drink editor, Jordana Rothman. Jordana shares her defining, imbibing “a-ha” moment and gives listeners some insight into likely trends for 2012. Tune in to hear how she came around on challenging spirits like cynar and why she thinks nobody should be excluded from the cocktail movement. Damon & Jordana also discuss what makes food at cocktail bars successful and why small plates and communal dishes are usually the way to go. This episode was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. “I’m committed to finding access points for my readers that may be buying Time Out New York for, say, the music listings. I want to find ways for people to get excited about the things I’m excited about.” “You can’t get people excited about the cocktail movement by making people feel like assholes.” “I love when a cocktail bar isn’t just providing a sponge for the booze, but putting some attention into the food.” Jordana Rothman 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 down and chats with Selena Ricks-Good, the woman behind the popular blog, The Dizzy Fizz. Tune in to hear how she’s trying to make high end cocktails more accessible through the blog and the events that she throws such as The French Spirits Soirée. Hear why Selena thinks some cocktails have too much sugar these days, what place novelty drinks have in cocktail culture and which trends she thinks will take off in 2012. This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market. “With this website [The Dizzy Fizz], I wanted to take some of the seriousness out of cocktail culture.” –Selena Ricks-Good on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the year-end episode of The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte is joined by Allen Katz and Nate Dumas, partners in the New York Distilling Company. Tune in to hear how the distillery went from fantasy to reality and what the guys have in store for 2012. Find out how they are re-imagining gin and trying to introduce some fresh idea into the world of spirits. Learn more about The Shanty, a bar inside of the distillery, and listen in as the guys taste some gin on-air. This episode was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “People are now starting to accept the fact that bartenders take their job seriously” –Allen Katz on The Speakeasy “We’re not setting out to open another classic cocktail bar…I want people to feel completely comfortable coming in to order a beer and a shot” –Nate Dumas on The SpeakeasySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trust your barender! Especially if his name is Frankie Cocktails. Tune in to a friendly episode of The Speakeasy as Damon speaks with Frank Cicneros, aka Frankie Cocktails, about his latest venture, The Bourgeois Pig. Learn about his sherry based cocktails and how carbonated cocktails are generally trending. Don’t be that guy at the bar who constantly asks for drink modifications, trust the expert behind the bar! This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market. “People forget that proof and water content are very important elements of a cocktail” – Frankie Cocktails on The Speakeasy “A great cocktail is the result of 50 failures” – Frankie Cocktails 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 childhood friend and owner of Ba’sik Bar in Wiliamsburg, Jay Zimmerman. Hear what made him want to expand to Williamsburg and find out what challenges come along with opening a new bar in New York. This episode was sponsored by Roberta’s See 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 has a great conversation with friend and bartender Jim Meehan, author of “The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender’s Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy”. Jim discusses his experiences at PDT and elaborates on the bartender vs customer wars. Why do people always ask for vodka? Does vodka have a place in high-end cocktails? Tune in to hear about what it’s like working on cocktail books and how the classics helped inspire Jim to get to where he is today. This episode was sponsored by Fairway Market. See 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 welcomes an old duo to the studio: Avery and Janet Glasser, the founders of Bittermens. They talk about their revival and re-envisioning of new spirits and liqueurs such as Hiver Amer Cinnamon, Amère Sauvage, Commonwealth Tonic Liquer, and more. From the formulation of the perfect gin and tonic to Avery’s trials and tribulations of trying to make an American Frenette, tune for an informed and expert conversation from the people who know bitters best. This episode is sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. See 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 host Damon Boelte is joined by Rennaissance man Mayur Subbarao. Not only is Subbarao a cocktail afficianado, a bartender, and a spirit crafter at Bittermens, but he also works by day as an environmental lawyer helping with green energy and building. Tune in for a panoramic discussion on extreme bartending, starting DIY cocktail clubs, and one of Damon’s favorite subjects: bitters. Learn how Mayur has been recreating his own bitters such as Amer Picon and bringing back lost flavors to the cocktail world. This episode is sponsored by Whole Foods Market. See 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 takes a break from the bar songs and speaks with Brad Thomas Parsons, the author of “Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas”. Tune in to learn more about one of the components of the original definition of “cocktail”; bitters. Find out how all the different variations are related and why it’s so hard to get your hand on artisanal bitters. Learn how you can make your own bitters at home and discover why novelty and practicality are not mutually exclusive when it comes to making cocktails. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.