The Philip Duff Show

What to say about my mate Linden? He built Caffe Dante, already a decades-old fixture in New York, into the #1 rated on the World's 50 Best Bars list, then opened Dante West Village in the teeth of the COVID pandemic, and recently opened Dante in the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills.We talk about his origin story in Australia - I didn't know he was the son of a food critic - his forthcoming partnership with Neil Perry, where the fourth Dante will be located (spoiler alert: it's NY!) and a bunch more, all over a civilised martini to toast absent friends. Cheers! (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Mark is one of the most interesting people you could meet in the liquor business; drawing on his and his father's experiences importing and selling fine wines in his native England, he applied the logic of terroir to spirits, starting back in 2000 when he led a consortium of investors who bought the mothballed Bruichladdich distillery.Mark and the team he assembled built Bruichladdich back into one of the most respected single malt distilleries in the world. After Remy acquired the distillery and its brands (including Botanist gin) in 2012, Mark started looking around for his next project, which became starting the hyper-transparent Waterford Whisky distillery in 2016 because "the south west of Ireland produces the best barley in the world". Never a man to sit still, he founded Renegade Rum in Grenada in 2020, re-starting sugarcane production on the island and building a state-of-the-art distillery.   This is a short (for us) episode, but Mark packs in a whole ton of information, so sit back, relax and listen to me interview a terroirist! (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

He was a bit knackered because he just got back from consulting on  a banqueting event in the Middle East, but London-based Tallaght* bowsie Ciaran Smith brought the heat in this episode, from supplying me with one of his Bottle Cocktail Shop spicy margaritas all the way from London (plus a bottled negroni, and very tasty they both were too), to giving surprisingly insightful** opinions on red & green flags when hiring, why you should take job applicants out for a coffee, reinforcing quality messaging around bottled cocktails by having a bricks-and-mortar location, why your first bar will be done on the cheap decor-wise, and the cut-throat nature of American capitalism and New York hospitality unions (didn't see that one coming, eh!). A great chat with a young entrepreneur who's currently in the third, successful iteration of his career: you'll enjoy this.  *Dublin**For a Tallaght lad. Bottle Cocktail Shop on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thebottlecocktailshop/Ciaran on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ciaran_bcs?igsh=MnAyMWV1cnhocmRo (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Nick Papanicolaou, founder of No Sleep Beverage and former M&A head at Pernod-Ricard USA, shares insights on the liquor industry's dynamics. He discusses the value of MBAs, the challenges of niche spirits, and adapting traditional flavors for the American market. Papanicolaou reflects on the balance of innovation versus market acceptability, the complexities of brand acquisitions, and maintaining identity post-purchase. The conversation also touches on branding strategies and the evolving cocktail culture, all infused with his entrepreneurial spirit.

I was introduced to Amir a few years back by our mutual friend Oron Lerner, of Imperial Group in Tel Aviv. Amir came to New York decades ago to try his hand at acting, and began working in hospitality as a side hustle. Along the way he also worked as a special-education teacher, but he's now, in my opinion, one of the best mixologists in Manhattan, running the beverage program at Ophelia Lounge on top of the art deco Beekman Tower near the UN, as well as at other properties in the group in DC, Miami and elsewhere. He relocated to his native Israel a few years back, but is in NY regularly to supervise the beverage program, and also because he fucking loves New York. We sat down in Ophelia on a Friday morning to have a chat....Amir on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amirbabayoff/  (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

I sat down yesterday with Philip Duff Show stalwart and drinks writer Tony Sachs to catch up, drink some of the colossal amount of booze he has in his apartment, and pre-game an event yesterday evening which saw New York bartending legend Brian Miller step back behind the bar. There's a celebrity rum-off, some tobala mezcal in a plastic water bottle, a mystery vodka that won't come out until September, and an old bottle of French rum. Enjoy! (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Jillian's an old friend from her acclaimed days heading up storied New York cocktail bars such as Dead Rabbit, Death & Co, and Maison Premiere, to name but a few. She relocated to Charleston, South Carolina a while back to open her next project with Sean Muldoon, Hazel and Apple, so it was great to make time to meet up when we were both judging a bartending contest in Folly Beach, which is just outside Charleston.  We talk about what it's like to go from bartending to advising on liquor brands to creating them, what it was like creating Outwalker Whiskey, the new Irish whiskey she founded along with Sean, Northern Ireland hotelier Adrian McLaughlin and former NI rugby international Darren Cave, and a good bit more.  There's a tasting, a cameo appearance by former NY bartender Lulu Martinez, and, even though it was freezing, lots of gnats. Enjoy!(Shout-out to Lowlife Bar (http://instagram.com/lowlifebar) and TJ Lynch (https://www.instagram.com/tjismyhero/?hl=en) for having us down to judge the Folly Beach Classic, and providing a porch to chat on!)Jillian on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jillianvose/Hazel and Apple on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hazelandapple_charleston/?hl=enOuwalker Whiskey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/outwalkerwhiskey/Buy Outwalker Whiskey (EU & UK only): https://outwalkerwhiskey.com/find/ (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Well, I couldn't pass up this opportunity!I was at the third and largest edition of the Paradiso Sustainability Summit in Barcelona recently, organised by #1 W50BB 2022 bar Paradiso, which brought together speakers and bars from around the planet to share best practises on sustainability for bars, and have a bit of fun into the bargain. Margarita Sader, co-founder of Paradiso and Summit, was there of course, as was Bianca Grisolia, the Italian-born Barcelona-based PR guru who helps make her clients like Paradiso famous, as well as Kaitlyn Stewart, Canada's first-ever global Diageo World Class winner, also its first female global champion, and proud owner of nigh-on 1, 000, 000 social media followers on her Likeable Bartender accounts. So I had to grab 'em each for a chat. Hope you enjoy this experimental format; you'll hear, among lots more, that Paradiso is opening a second branch, how Bianca approaches bar PR, and that Kaitlyn is writing a cocktail book!Margarita IG: https://www.instagram.com/margarita_sader/?hl=enAtelier MS Bartrends IG: https://www.instagram.com/msbartrends/?hl=enParadiso IG: https://www.instagram.com/paradiso_barcelona/?hl=enParadiso Sustainability Summit IG: https://www.instagram.com/paradisosummit/Bianca IG: https://www.instagram.com/biancagrisolia/Bianca Communications IG: https://www.instagram.com/bg.communication/ Kaitlyn IG: https://www.instagram.com/k8os/?hl=enLikeable Cocktails IG: https://www.instagram.com/likeablecocktails/?hl=enLikeable Cocktails TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@likeablecocktaills (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

(In my voiceover I say this is episode 2 of 3 for the Agave Series, but we swapped it with last week's episode, to coordinate with the release of The Tequila Ambassador V.O. book, so this - episode 2 - is now coming out 3rd in the series.) Sophie Decobecq is a force of nature: from Lille,  France, she moved to South Africa to work on agave research after a university background playing rugby and studying biological engineering. Having never had a cocktail, a chance encounter with Julio Bermejo (creator of the Tommy's Margarita) made her fall in love with tequila, cocktails, and Mexico, and she moved to Mexico in 1999. Sophie runs a consultancy there helping agave distilleries optimise their fermenting, distilling and aging, and started creating her own tequila brand, Calle 23, in 2003. We talked about her unusual route to being an agave spirits fanatic and expert distiller, how its hard to be a one-man band with a small brand, non-Mexican agave spirits and a lot more. Enjoy!Sophie on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sophiedecobecq/?hl=enSophie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiedecobecq/aboutCalle 23 on IG: https://www.instagram.com/agaveyoumyheart/?hl=enCalle 23 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Calle-23-Tequila-Drinkers/137330322947383?fref=tsCalle 23 on XS/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Calle23tequilaCalle 23 website: https://www.tequilacalle23.com/ (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

I first met Tomas Estes, a  West Coast American (who opened Europe’s first-ever Mexican restaurants starting in Amsterdam in 1976, and  co-founded Tequila Ocho in 2008) almost twenty years ago. We last had dinner and drinks in Athens in December 2020.The Tequila Ambassador V.O.(link to preorder below) is the "director's cut" of Tomas' book The Tequila Ambassador, first published in 2012.  Five years ago Tomas started working on an update with his son Jesse, his business partner Phil Bayly, and Mitch Wilson, who had edited Phil's own book, Agave Love. Tomas passed away in 2021, and the guys finished the book. The book is a beauty, twice the length of the original, incalculably more photos, recipes, agave spirit rules & regulations, essays about Tomas, about Cafe Pacifico, about Tequila Ocho, about tequila personalities and lots, lots, lots more, all in a gorgeous high-quality WonkPress book. Me, Phil, Mitch and Jesse had a 3-continent 4-timezone chat about Tomas, the book, Cafe Pacifico, Tequila Ocho, the agave spirits business, Pacifico's lemon juice margaritas, grinding corn for tortillas in the basement of an Amsterdam townhouse and a loooot more. Enjoy, and raise a glass of good tequila to my mate Tomas; he's raising one in the big cantina in the sky, right now. (Many thanks to Rachel Harrison Communications in NYC for suggesting this episode, and for getting me a pre-publication proof to read).  Pre-order The Tequila Ambassador V.O.: https://www.wonkpress.com/products/the-tequila-ambassador-vo(UK & EU pre-orders coming soon)The Tequila Ambassador V.O. on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tequilaambassadorvo/?hl=enJesse Estes on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jesseocho/Phil Bayly on IG: https://www.instagram.com/philbayly/?hl=enMitch Wilson on IG: https://www.instagram.com/mitchsaidthis/?hl=enTequila Ocho on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tequilaocho/ (Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...