The Industry

E265 Dylan Nowo

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:00:00 -0000

In this episode of The Industry Podcast, we’re joined by Toronto-based hospitality professional Dylan Nowo, whose path into bartending and the cocktail world is anything but typical.

After starting on the brand side in beer, cider and spirits sales and events, Dylan is now making the transition behind the bar — offering a unique perspective on the hospitality industry, cocktail culture, and what it really takes to build skills in bartending. We talk about breaking into Toronto’s bar scene, learning the craft from the ground up, and navigating imposter syndrome along the way.

Dylan also shares his experience competing in the Montenegro cocktail competition, his approach to cocktail experimentation, and how the Toronto hospitality community has supported his growth.

Whether you’re a bartender, working in the spirits industry, or just passionate about cocktails, this episode is a great look at carving out your place in hospitality and developing your craft over time.

@mr_nowo

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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LinkedIn - Geoffrey Toffetti

E264 Geoffrey Toffetti

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Geoffrey Toffetti, who joins us from Orlando, Florida. Geoffrey is the CEO of Frontline Performance Group, a global company that helps hotels and hospitality brands unlock revenue growth by empowering their frontline teams. With more than two decades of experience across hospitality, operations, and technology, Geoffrey specializes in helping organizations transform everyday guest interactions into meaningful service experiences that also drive measurable business results.

Geoffrey’s career began in the hospitality industry, where he worked his way up from roles such as valet and front desk agent to leadership positions in guest services. This hands-on background shaped his belief that the frontline employee—often the first point of contact with a customer—is the most powerful driver of both guest satisfaction and revenue growth.

At Frontline Performance Group, Geoffrey has helped lead the company’s evolution from a consulting and training organization into a technology-driven SaaS platform. Its flagship system, IN-Gauge, combines training, analytics, and performance tracking to help hospitality companies improve service, engagement, and revenue outcomes.

Today, Geoffrey works with some of the world’s largest hospitality brands—including major hotel groups—to help leaders build high-performance cultures, motivate frontline teams, and use data to improve the guest experience and bottom line.

Frontline Performance Group

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E263 Jeremiah Tomas

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0000

This week, we sit down with Jeremiah Tomas, General Manager at The Pine in Creemore, Ontario where Jeremiah works alongside an incredibly talented team focused on building one of Canada’s most thoughtful and ambitious dining experiences — currently holding 1 Michelin Star.

Jeremiah’s been working in hospitality since his teenage years, and over the years he’s had the privilege of learning in exceptional dining rooms with some of Canada’s top culinary talents. More than anything, Jeremiah cares about the daily work of improving service, building strong teams, and creating memorable experiences for guests. Jeremiah is deeply passionate about fine dining and about exploring how far Canadian hospitality and cuisine can go, guided by curiosity, humility, and a constant desire to learn.

@jeremiahjtomas

@the_pine

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E262 Alex Black

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Alex Black, Director of Bars at Our House Hospitality Company. With over 20 years immersed in the world of bars, Alex has refined his craft and passion for hospitality to a high level. Originally from Winnipeg, Alex had the privilege of working in some of Canada’s most esteemed establishments. In 2011, he began calling Vancouver home, significantly contributing to the city’s vibrant cocktail scene. In 2024, Alex embarked on a new chapter in Toronto, excited to explore fresh opportunities and bring my experience to a new and dynamic community.

Alex’s journey is supported by a broad range of certifications and credentials, establishing him as one of Canada’s most knowledgeable and certified bartenders. Alex holds a Level 3 Diploma in Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), as well as certifications from the International Sommelier Guild, Beverage Alcohol Resource Group, West Indies Rum and Spirit Producers Association, Consejo Regulador del Tequila, Society of Wine Educators, and Pernod Ricard & École Hôtelière de Lausanne.

Alex’s career has also been enriched by valuable time spent working in distilleries across the globe, deepening his understanding of the craft from the ground up. In 2018, Alex was honoured with the title of Vancouver’s Best Bar Personality and the Global Winner at the Tahona Society Bartender competition, a recognition that reflects his dedication to advancing mental health conversations within the hospitality industry. As managing partner and creative director for acclaimed Vancouver establishments, Alex played an instrumental role in securing accolades, including being named Canada’s Best New Bar by Canada’s 100 Best and earning regional honours for World’s Best New Cocktail Bar by Tales of the Cocktail.

blacktending.com

@blacktending

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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eloradistillingcompany.com

E261 Paul Lachowich

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Paul Lachowich - Director of Operations & Head Distiller, Elora Distilling Company. As the first employee hired by Elora Distilling Company, Paul has been instrumental in shaping the company’s operations and product offerings.

Paul’s career highlights include the following:

Head Distiller: Recipient of 2 Gold Medals and 2 Silver Medals at the Canadian Artisan Spirit Awards ; Designed and launched a diverse product line, including over 40 products such as gin, liqueurs, RTDs, rum, vodka, and whisky

Beer, Brewing, and RTD Blending: Brewed beer and blended ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, combining technical expertise with creativity. Served as a beer judge for the Canadian and Ontario Brewing Awards, showcasing deep industry knowledge.

Hospitality: Developed and curated the tap list at Birreria Volo, a premier Toronto craft beer destination.

Paul’s extensive hospitality background provides a unique understanding of consumer preferences and market trends, enabling him to craft products that resonate with customers while demonstrating a mastery of distillation. This combination makes him a key figure in Canada’s growing craft spirits landscape.

@plachowich

@eloradistillingco

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E260 Nadia Hrkać

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Nadia Hrkać, a Toronto based Luxury Food Importer who works closely with farms and producers in Europe - mainly Italy, to create custom recipes, and private labels. She will introduce you to the highest quality artisanal products from around the world.

Nadia has been importing Fresh Truffles particularly from Italy, Croatia, Spain, France and Australia for many years and supplying restaurants, hotels and specialty food shops in Canada. Nadia’s catalogue of products also includes extra virgin olive oils and vinegars, caviar, sea water spirits, and wine plus many other artisanal foods. Given her Holistic Nutrition background, Nadia is also very conscious of ingredients when selecting items for her catalogue.

You can find more information on Nadia's product line at nadiyya.com

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E259 Vanessa Gouachi

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Vanessa Gouachi who joins us for in person interview. With over two decades in the industry, Vanessa has enjoyed a long and storied career. Initially starting as a dishwasher, Vanessa moved to numerous roles in the family business from back of house, to front of house and eventually bartending. Eventually Vanessa moved to Toronto for school and continued in the Industry by working in corporate restaurants, night clubs and events. Eventually, Vanessa moved out west and left the industry.

After experiencing difficulty getting a suitable job in the industry despite the wealth of experience, Vanessa landed a job working at a hotel and discovered a new world of hospitality. Since that time, Vanessa has worked at numerous hotels that have allowed her to work in locations such as Pender Island in British Columbia, Muskoka in Ontario and the Cayman Islands.

Vanessa eventually moved back to south western Ontario, and has spent the last decade opening restaurants, developing cocktail menus, and training bar teams. Today, you can find her running the beverage program for the Charcoal Legacy group as the beverage manager for the Charcoal complex in Kitchener which includes - Del’s Italian Kitchen, Martini’s Bar & Patio and the Charcoal Steakhouse.

@nesstothesess

@muddypawstreatco

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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Relentless Growth: Cultivating a Chef’s Mindset for Professional Fulfillment

E258 Franck Desplechin

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Chef Franck Desplechin, author of the new book Relentless Growth: Cultivating a Chef’s Mindset for Professional Fulfillment. Chef Franck is not just another chef with battle scars from the kitchen. He has a remarkable journey: entering kitchens at 15, dedicating over 25 years to leading Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels, and now helping professionals unlock deeper fulfillment through his consulting firm, Incrementum.

Relentless Growth skips the usual surface-level advice and goes straight into the real world pressures, resilience, and mindset that drive authentic leadership. Franck’s perspective is as direct as it is motivating—he understands that technical skills get you started, but it is the relentless pursuit of growth that carries a career to the next level. He’s passionate about showing how grit and adaptability aren’t just survival tactics, but the keys to evolving in any industry.

cheffranck.com

@chef_franck_84

Franck Desplechin

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E257 Jasmyne Colín

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Jasmyne Colín who joins us from Denver, Colorado. Jasmyne aka “Malort Mami” is a self-proclaimed “bar-activist”. She has competed in many competitions such as Speed Rack and won the Malort competition Denver. While Jasmyn loves bartending and the freedom it gives her to be creative, her passion lies in activism. Jasmyne received her degree in Political Science and Ethnic Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2021, right around the time she joined the industry.

Jasmyne’s ethos as a bartender is centred around community and connection. Over the past year and a half, Jasmyne has found ways to blend her two passions of activism and bartending, proving that the two are not mutually exclusive. One such as example was hosting the first ever Latine focused party at PDXCW, that centred culture and community. Jasmyne strongly believes that as members of the service industry, we are stronger together and that we have the power to impact our communities in a profound and unique way.

Currently, Jasmyne bartends and is the Social Media Manager at Pony Up Denver.

@malort_mami

@ponyupdenver

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E256 Garrett Stewart

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0000

On this weeks episode of The Industry podcast, Garrett Stewart joins us for an in-person interview. Gary has been bartending for 4 years at an “upscale casual” restaurant that focuses on local, sustainable and ethical products. Over the course of his career, Gary has taught kindergarten, worked in youth shelters, was employed as a carpenter, a tree planter, and a cherry picker, but he always somehow wound end up in hospitality.

Gary landed his first job in the industry at 16 and most of his experience has been in pubs and dive bars. He never really started exploring the art of bartending until his current job. This year Gary entered his first cocktail competition and won the coveted “Golden Shaker” award from Elora Distilling.

Gary is also currently in the process of launching his Uncle Gator brand which is focussed on event curation, menu development, and consultation - basically the elements he loves about his chosen profession.

Gary also plays in a band called LUVR with an incredible group of friends. In his spare time he snowboards, makes silly art, and spends time reading at the bar.

@unclegator666

@luvrmusic

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E255 Blake Canning

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Blake Canning who joins us from Toronto, Ontario. Blake is the National Canadian Brand Ambassador for Bearface Whisky. In his role as a Brand Ambassador, Blake has travelled across this great country educating on all that his brand and Canada have to offer. From unique cask blends to the patented Elemental Aging Process, Blake always attempts to share what makes Bearface and Canadian whisky so unique and important,

@bearface.blake

@thebitterendbar

@bearfacewhisky

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E254 Angelo Solimando

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Angelo Solimando who joins us from Costa Rica. Currently, Angelo is the Bar Manager at the brand new 2 Michelin Keys Resort Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. With Italian roots and a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel & Hospitality Management, Angelo has over 20 years in the industry, nine of which have been with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. He has held key roles at prestigious properties, including The Ritz-Carlton Abama in Tenerife and The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, gaining deep expertise in luxury hospitality.

A certified WSET Level 3 wine and spirits professional, Angelo has earned global recognition for his mixology skills, including being named Diageo World Class Cayman Islands Champion and a Global Finalist in Shanghai (2024). He was also featured at Tales of the Cocktail 2022 within the Marriott International Events and placed second globally at the Mount Gay International Competition in Barbados in the same year. At Blue by Eric Ripert within The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, Angelo contributed to the restaurant’s #1 ranking in La Liste Caribbean & Latin America and its Forbes 5-Star award—helping the resort become the Caribbean’s first and only Forbes Triple Five-Star property.

Angelo’s favourite cocktail is the Negroni. Favourite spirit: Bourbon. Beside his passion for the bar world and the sustainable practices behind the bar, Angelo loves scuba diving, long hikes, and photography.

@angelosolimando

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E253 Brenton Mowforth

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Brenton Mowforth who joins us from Toronto, Ontario. Since creating Cheers to Happy Hour in 2017, and Wander Thirsty in 2021, Brenton Mowforth has become the authority on where to drink and how to drink. His mission is to influence people to share in his passion for 'drinking better, not more' by taking a more thoughtful approach to what we consume.

Celebrating flavour and savouring the moments that are usually accompanied by craft cocktails and spirits defines the business and mindset of Brenton's day-to-day operations. Brenton's online community is immersed in the Farm-to-Glass / Liquid-to-Lips culture that has imbibers across the world abuzz with libation filled conversations.

Brenton's passion for cocktails and the hospitality industry have been recognized by the 50 Best Bars organization, Forbes, Toronto Star, Destination Toronto and Liqour.com, among others, and he continues to be a one-man encyclopedia on the subject of libations.

Brenton is currently focusing on creating artisanal yet approachable cocktails that inspire his audience to take a closer look at the ingredients and the creativity that goes into modern cocktails and spirits.

@cheerstohappyhour

@wander.thirsty

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

kyppsaunders@gmail.com

E252 Shawn Flanagan

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Shawn Flanagan. Shawn is a Kitchener native and hospitality professional with over 20 years experience working throughout the region. Starting as a dishwasher at thirteen, then assisting with prep, he’s worked near every position in the restaurant industry; from line cook to kitchen manager; from serving and bartending to management.

Shawn’s been involved in the successful start-up of four restaurants within the region, and is now on his fifth at his current role as Operations Manager and partner of The Boathouse DTK, a vibrant modernized build out of a local historic site. Outside of his profession, Shawn has a strong passion for linguistic arts, earning an MA in Rhetoric and Communication Design from the University of Waterloo with a focus on organizational and interpersonal communication. Shawn utilizes this background to take an interdisciplinary approach to restaurant management, in which the communications between guests, staff, atmosphere, and infrastructure are understood as perpetually negotiated.

@boathousedtk

boathousedtk.com

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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kyppsaunders@gmail.com

E251 Amanda Jones

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Amanda Jones, who joins us from Austin, Texas. Amanda is a 19-year veteran of the bar and restaurant industry and the 5 year GM of Nickel City, one of the country’s most beloved neighborhood bars. A 2025 Spirited Awards Top 10 U.S. Bartender nominee, Amanda is known for her leadership, hospitality expertise, and dedication to creating welcoming, community-driven spaces.

@juicebyjonesy

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E250 Amanda Colomb

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Amanda Colomb who is a whiskey educator and content creator with nearly 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Amanda has spent a good portion of her career helping people discover new spirits and enjoy memorable experiences. She uses that background to make whiskey approachable, fun and a little bit cheeky. Her goal is to take intimidation out of whiskey and replace it with humour, stories and knowledge that help people drink smarter and laugh a little along the way. Whether is bourbon, scotch or that mystery bottle on your shelf that you’re not sure how to pronounce - Amanda will probably have something to say about it!

You can find Amanda on Instagram @bourbon_and_bikinis

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E249 Arianna Hone

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Arianna Hone who joins us from Park City, Utah. Arianna is currently the Head Bartender at High West Saloon in Park City. Arianna has competed multiple times in Speedrack a speed bartending competition for femmes/women and was a top 5 national finalist in 2021. She is a Tales of The Cocktail CAP alumni and has worked in their program multiple times. Arianna is also a BAR 5 day graduate and is featured in the 2025 documentary ‘BAR’ , a true look into our industry as craft cocktail and hospitality professionals.

Ariana hosted her own pop up series Womxn Crush Wednesday from 2017-2020 platforming female/femme bartenders in SLC and donating to women focused non profits. She has been a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards judge as well as a Punch Bartender in Residence. Arianna continues to seek out excellence in her craft and the spirits industry and loves mentoring the up and coming bartenders at High West. In her free time, Arianna likes to hike with her dog, splitboard, camp, travel, and volunteer for the Salt Lake Film Society.

@ariannacicely_

The Alchemist is presenting the Toronto Cocktail Festival which is occurring from October 22-26, 2025. The first annual Toronto Cocktail Festival will be a toast to the art of the cocktail and so much more. It will be a destination event that celebrates the vibrant culture of food and drink in a city that is a hub of culinary and cocktail creativity. The city’s multi-award-winning bartenders, brand ambassadors and chefs make this an exciting culinary event that will give them the showcase they deserve—and serve up delicious fun for consumers, too.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

@non_barnary @placesyouarewelcomzine placesyouarewelcom.com

E248 Calliope Draper

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Calliope Draper who joins us from Montreal, Quebec. Calliope has dedicated herself to building a brighter and more inclusive hospitality sector. Her vision to provide unfailingly warm hospitality to LGBTQ+ folks, and her passion for educating those both in front of and behind the bar is baked into everything she does. In 2024, Callie founded Places You are Welcome, a spirited award nominated cocktail-zine devoted to spotlighting queer stories and excellence across the hospitality industry. A regular speaker at cocktail events and conferences across Canada, and the global winner of the 50 Best Bars Roku Scholarship 2024, Callie has become a rising star in hospitality. As the first ever transgender person to win a global cocktail competition she has traveled the world on a mission to make every bar a gay bar and spread some good old fashioned Canadian hospitality. Now you can find her at Montreal's iconic Bisou Bisou sharing her love of sherry, apéritifs and the city of Montreal.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E247 Lia Niskanen

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Lia Niskanen is dedicated to the power of storytelling and is a passionate whiskey advocate. She is an Executive Bourbon Steward (Stave and Thief Society), holds an advanced Diploma in Single Malt Whisky from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, and is an award-winning distillery visitor experience professional with a deep passion for whiskey history. She is the founder of Barrel Strength Talent, a whiskey events and education business based in Brooklyn, NY, and an approved course provider for the Edinburgh Whisky Academy who currently teaches the EWA Certificate Course in Sensory Appreciation in NYC.

Lia also spearheaded the tour program for Fort Hamilton Distillery in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to that, Lia was the first manager of tours and events for Kings County Distillery in Brooklyn. Lia created and developed KCD’s onsite distillery tour, winning the TripAdvisor “Certificate of Excellence” in 2017, 2018, and 2019. During her tenure at KCD, Lia also executed a wide roster of other educational activities including private tours, tastings, classes, and large events. Pivoting during the pandemic shutdowns, she created a virtual whiskey tasting program for a range of corporate and private guests.

In the years before her tenure at Kings County Distillery, Lia developed and conducted day long tours of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for Mint Julep Tours in Louisville Ky, and National Historic Landmark Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Lia lives in Brooklyn, New York. When her nose isn't buried in a good whiskey book (or a dram!) she enjoys fast talking film noir gangster flicks and attending tastings with Drammers Club NYC, of which she is a member.

@barrelstrengthtalent

barrelstrengthtalent.com

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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Toronto Cocktail Festival

E246 Gail Nugent

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Gail Nugent, who joins us from Vancouver, British Columbia. Gail is the publisher of The Alchemist - a magazine devoted to the dynamic, increasingly diverse world of micro-distillers and craft cocktails. Gail is also the publisher of Vitis Wine Culture Magazine and The Growler Craft Beer Magazine. Furthermore, Gail is the founder and Producer of Vancouver Cocktail Week and the Toronto Cocktail Festival.

TCF 2025 presented by The Alchemist magazine will celebrate the city’s cocktail culture with five days of events designed to appeal to industry, consumers, visitors and media alike.

These events also offer brands, venues, retailers and agents an opportunity to showcase their establishments and products.

International in scope but with a local emphasis, the aim of The Alchemist is to entertain and inform readers with stories about the passionate, talented people who are changing what and how we drink for the better.

The writers and photographers at The Alchemist deliver readers authoritative and stylish commentary on the fascinating characters and brands that all play their part in elevating the timeless ritual of enjoying a cocktail. Beautifully designed and smartly portable, our seasonal magazine is made to be a keepsake.

Find this all at thealchemistmagazine.ca, where they share information about and stories from the print issues, as well as exclusive web-only content that includes recipes, spirit recommendations, breaking industry news and other timely features that don’t make it into print.

@thealchemistmag

thealchemistmagazone.ca

@vitismag

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

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E245 Jessica Neblina

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Jessica Neblina who joins us from Los Angeles, California. Jessica started her hospitality career in her teens and has worn many hats since. Currently, Jessica is running her own bar in Riverside, California called Bar Ni Modo which has been a concept and project in the works for the last two years.

Over the last three years, Jessica has also been a participant in the Cocktail Apprenticeship Program (CAP), a long standing program by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation completing her second year as a grey coat.

Jessica has also started a collective called La Raza Raza, highlighting under represented communities in the bar industry - providing mentorship to bartenders that have never been given an opportunity to showcase their creative talents. Jessica is continuously trying to work and create places for the LatinX community to thrive.

@_jessbunny

@bar_nimodo

@raza_raza.la

Looking for a Bartending Service? Or a private bartender to run your next corporate or personal event? Need help crafting a bar program for your restaurant? Contact Alchemist Alie for all your bartending needs: @alchemist.alie

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

@bartender_bethany @hawksrestaurantgranitebay

E244 Bethany Nardi

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Bethany Nardi who joins us from Granite Bay, California. Bethany’s maiden initials are BAR so it seems that a career in the hospitality industry was always meant to be. Bethany started in the industry in 2006 as a server in a little family run Italian restaurant called Strings. At that time, Bethany was working towards her fashion design degree at Sierra College in Rocklin, California. Bethany found passion in the fashion industry and quickly became the fashion club president at the age of 19. She ran the club for two years where she designed future trends, ran modeling calls, fundraised, budgeted funds, and put on fashion shows. Although she earned her certificate in design, it turned out the restaurant industry had captivated her heart and that became her career path.

In 2011, Bethany started bartending at a corporate restaurant called Red Robin. She was obsessed with being behind the bar! Bethany enjoyed leveraging her previous years of serving to foster more personal connections with guests at her bar. Before she knew it, eight years had passed and, in that time, Bethany not only honed her bartending skills but also tied the knot with her husband and welcomed two out of her three kids into the world. Like many, life threw a few changes her way, and she realized she needed and wanted something more.

Bethany embarked on a journey, gaining valuable experiences at various fine dining establishments from Lincoln to Sacramento, eventually landing in Granite Bay, where she currently bartends.

In 2021, Bethany secured a spot at Hawks Restaurant in Granite Bay just as the restaurant began to reopen after pandemic shutdowns. She quickly fell in love with the overall concept, serving classically prepared, seasonal dishes and drinks with fine dining execution. Bethany was graciously welcomed by Mike Fagnoni and Molly Hawks (chef owners and operators of Hawks) and proved herself quickly, creatively developing drinks for the bar program.

They inspired Bethany to intertwine her design talents and love for the craft. Just like the dinner tasting menu at Hawks, Bethany's cocktails follow the seasons as well, with fresh ingredients provided by local vendors. Bethany styles each cocktail in a way that is both well-balanced and visually stunning!

Since the pandemic the perception of the food and cocktail world has changed and, in Bethany's opinion, people want to taste with their eyes first and want a photo-worthy experience. Bethany thinks the guests “want to feel special with a gorgeous drink in front of them, as if that drink was conceived with them in mind.”

During her journey at Hawks Restaurant, Bethany welcomed her 3rd baby. Like most of us in the industry she couldn’t do what she does behind the bar without her amazing bar team.

Hawks has allowed Bethany to grow tremendously and for that she is very grateful. After 18 years in the industry and 13 years as a bartender, Bethany decided to enter the Barboss competition where she quickly realized how many people love to see her creations. Bethany was incredibly humbled to make it into the semifinals where she was able to create her cocktail using Dos Hombres Mezcal. The feedback and support Bethany received was overwhelming, and she is very appreciative for the opportunity to share her craft with the world!

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E243 Mara Mullen

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Mara Mullen who joins us from Dunwoody, Georgia. Mara is currently the Beverage Manager at Politan Row at Ashford Lane, where she oversees Bar Politan, Okay Anny’s Cocktail Bar and Streaker’s Pub.

With over 15 years behind the bar and a background in science, Mara bring a blend of curiosity, creativity, and precision to everything she does. Her passion lies in the stories behind classic cocktails, crafting drinks tailored to the individual, and building bar programs rooted in both historical depth and modern flair. One of Mara’s proudest accomplishments was mentoring and growing a team of bartenders into confident, skilled professionals who care as much about the craft as she does.

Outside of work, Mara stays moving—whether it’s swimming, walking her dogs, or leaning into her master’s in exercise physiology at the gym. And when the shaker’s down, Mara’s probably tapping lands: Mara and her husband host Magic: The Gathering Commander nights at Streaker’s, turning the bar into a gathering place for drinks, strategy, and a little friendly chaos.

@bitterisinthename

@okayannysbar

@streakerspub

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

Facebook: The London Cabaret Club

E242 Evelina Girling

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Evelina Girling who joins us from London, England. Evelina is a remarkable entrepreneur and one of the few women leading in London’s nightlife and hospitality sector. She’s the co-founder and CEO of The London Cabaret Club — the capital’s longest-running cabaret — which she launched in 2013 after transitioning from a career in finance. Under her leadership, The London Cabaret Club has grown from a one-off pop-up into a permanent fixture in London’s nightlife, expanded internationally to Dubai, and is now celebrating 10 years with plans for further global growth.

thelondoncabaretclub.com

@thelondoncabaretclub

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E241 Gabriela Holzer

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Gabriela Holzer, who joins us from Cleveland, Ohio. Gabriela has been in the hospitality industry since 2015, upon graduating from university, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Gaby moved to Cleveland in 2017, where she began her journey in the cocktail world. Gaby has helmed a variety of cocktail bars and restaurants around the city, and has been the lead bartender at Thyme Table for 4.5 years, which includes codeveloping cocktail menus, training new bar team members, and setting the standard for bar hospitality.

Gabriela has also competed in a variety of national cocktail competitions, and has been a part of the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales of the Cocktail as a Red Coat in 2023 and returned as a Grey Coat in 2024. More recently, she has been featured by StarChefs in their visit to the Rust Belt Region, and awarded as one of two Rising Star Bartenders of the Rust Belt 2025 class. These experiences have been instrumental to her broader understanding of the bar industry, and fuelled her drive to create something unique in Cleveland. Gaby's tenure at Thyme Table is coming to a close this year as she gears up to open her first solo venture, located on the west side of Cleveland, called Hereafter.

Hereafter will be an intimate cocktail bar and restaurant that will focus on creating with intention and welcoming guests with mindful hospitality. The design of Hereafter will be a minimalist space that allows guests to feel calm, and therefore be more present in their experience. Every detail at Hereafter is meant to elevate the guest experience to feel precious, while still maintaining a feeling of warmth, comfort, and home. It is projected to open December 2025.

Gabriela’s degree in Fine Art informs much of her creative process for Hereafter. She is involved with every aspect of creative direction, from cocktail design, to interior design, as well as creating artwork for the bar. Realizing the dream that is Hereafter is a new and grand frontier to her artmaking. To influence not only the way someone feels through visual art, but also through flavor, function, and interpersonal connection, really allows Gabriela to fine tune every aspect of the environment for her guests.

@hereafterbar

herafterbar.com

@gabyholzer

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E240 Paul Helman and Dan Andrews

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guests are Paul Helman and Dan Andrews who join us from Florida and are the creative force and owners of Pure Pour - Stop The Waste - Pour Spouts That Never Leak.

Paul and Dan are two cagey bar industry vets who’ve seen it all, poured it all, and probably drank most of it. These days, they’re the guys behind Pure Pour, saving bars thousands in lost booze… because nobody’s got time (nor money) to waste good liquor.

But let’s be real: Paul and Dan are still just a couple of bar guys at heart. They’ve got war stories, hard-earned lessons, and more than a few laughs to share with the listeners of The Industry Podcast. If the audience digs straight talk about running bars, cutting losses, and the ridiculous stuff that happens behind the stick, Paul and Dan are their guys.

No mixologist nonsense. No influencer fluff. Just two dudes who’ve been there, done that, and figured out how to make bar life a little easier (and a lot more fun)!

@purepour

thepurepour.com

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E239 Reece Sims

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Reece Sims, who joins us from Calgary, Alberta. This is Reece's second appearance on the show! Reece previously appeared on episode 227.

Reece is an entrepreneur, educator, and writer with expertise in drink trends, flavour pairings, and beverage market insights. As a former award-winning bartender and top-performing Sales Manager, she founded SIP Spirits Consulting Inc. to deliver sensory marketing solutions for beverage brands. In addition, she founded Flavor Camp™, a program that teaches consumers and bartenders a universal language for tasting and comparing spirits and develops their sensory skills.

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

@mymasondesserts mymasondesserts@gmail.com

E238 Lillian Whyte

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Lillian Whyte. Lillian is the owner, operator and creative force behind My Mason - which are decadent desserts such as black forest cake, blueberry lemon cheesecake, tiramisu and many other varieties of desserts served in a mason jar. Born and raised in Guelph, Lillian is a life long baker who initially learned how to bake with her Mom and considers baking therapeutic and as a way for her to decompress and relieve stress.

A pastry chef by trade, the Industry has taken her to several unique destination over the years. Having attended Algonquin College for Baking and Pastry Arts, the school had an abroad program as part of the curriculum for interested students. Lillian took up the offer and wound up moving to Australia. Lillian spent over seven years living and travelling all over Australia and Tasmania before moving back to Canada.

Upon returning to Canada, Lillian worked at several Industry establishments before deciding to start a family. After the birth of her son and subsequent return to work, Lillian decided that it was time to start up her own venture. This led to concept for desserts in a jar and the start of her brand - My Mason.

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

@the.art.of.sprit.and.mixology

E237 Josh Cuellar

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Josh Cuellar who joins us for an in person interview. Bringing over 13 years of experience in the industry, Josh’s career has worked its way through a multitude of events and functions such as freelancing, special events bartending, to running cocktail programs for restaurants.

Currently, you will find Josh running the cocktail program at Charcoal Steakhouse and Del's Italian Kitchen. From cocktail competitions to cocktail seminars, Josh is always striving to be an active member of the bar scene in Waterloo Region.

If you're hungry for lunch - check out the best sandwiches in town @harpersdeli

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E236 Melissa Brennan

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Melissa Brennan, a Toronto-born and raised bartender with almost a decade of experience behind the bar. Melissa got her start in several notable Toronto spots — Bar Raval, 416 Snack Bar/Short Turn, and Mother — before making the move to Vancouver. Since landing on the West Coast, Melissa has been both inspired and impressed by the strength and sense of community in the local bar scene. Currently, Melissa is behind the wood at Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions.

Melissa is also a proud brand ambassador for Elevación 1250, a tequila brand owned and distilled by women. Uplifting and advocating for women in hospitality is a core part of Melissa’s life and what she truly cares about.She is deeply passionate about building safer, more supportive, and more sustainable spaces behind the bar. Melissa finds inspiration in her travels and the incredible women she’s met along the way — they push her to keep growing, connecting, and showing up with intention in this work that she loves.

@melissa.brennan

A big thank you to Jean-Marc Dykes of Imbiblia for setting up our new website theindustrypodcast.club. Imbiblia is a cocktail app for bartenders, restaurants and drink nerds and built by a bartender with more than a decade of experience behind the bar. Several of the features includes the ability to create your own Imbiblia Recipe Cards with the Imbiblia Cocktail Builder, rapidly select ingredients, garnishes, methods and workshop recipes with a unique visual format, search by taste using flavor profiles unique to Imbiblia, share recipes publicly plus many more……Imbiblia - check it out!

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E235 Katie Black

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Katie Black. Born in Austin, Texas, and raised between live music and livestock shows, Katie wrapped up high school in Wichita Falls, a town where ambition has to shout over Friday night football. Katie originally headed to New Jersey on a film and theatre scholarship, clearly chasing a dramatic plot twist, but ended up studying dental assisting instead.

Then came Germany—where instead of finding herself, Katie found gastronomy, a word she barely knew but now lives by. Since then, she’s racked up more beverage certifications than most sommeliers have opinions, including an A.A.S. in Brewing, Distillation, and Fermentation and enough lab hours to clone a hop.

Her career? Think if Anthony Bourdain and Boba Fett had a baby who freelanced. Katie’s brewed wild beers, managed cider taprooms, distilled bittersweet amaro, and built full bar programs from scratch. In Texas, she’s worked everything from tequila fueled ACL activations to high-speed Formula 1 service—wrangling crowds, menus, and bartenders like a rodeo queen of spirits. Katie recently competed on Moonshiners: Master Distiller, and is now diving into brand advocacy, education, and throwing events that actually make people care about what’s in their glass.

@probablykb

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E234 Niki McHugh

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Niki McHugh who joins us for an in person interview. Niki is currently the long time serving and well entrenched day shift bartender at Wildcraft in Waterloo. Niki has been employed at Wildcraft since day one of their opening over eighteen years ago.

Niki initially got her start in the Industry over two decades ago when she landed a job at a nightclub in downtown Kitchener. After a few years of working in this environment, Niki transitioned to working in restaurants. This included stops at Morty’s and The Keg. Eventually, Niki had a desire to work Monday to Friday day shifts only and was hired to work at Wildcraft where she has remained since.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

Lets be Spicy online merch

E233 Cassandra Michelle

Mon, 26 May 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Cassandra Michelle, who joins us from Tampa , Florida. Cassandra is a creative and viral content creator who’s taken the social media world by storm. With over half a million followers on TikTok, Cassandra is known for producing relatable, and highly shareable bartending content and recipe videos. Cassandra is also the author of a popular shot e-book, named Shots 101 featuring unique recipes paired with video demos for a fully interactive experience.

Cassandra collaborates with bars across Tampa and Florida, bringing in fresh energy for a night behind the bar while creating content. This marketing approach has made her a well-known figure in the Florida bar scene. Cassandra is also the founder of a merchandise line featuring fun, bold designs like “I Prefer Tequila” and “Tattoos, Tequila, and Trauma.”

cassandramichelle.com

Tik Tok - iamcassandra.michelle

Instagram @cassandramichelle_

YouTube: iamcassandra.michelle

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kyppsaunders@gmail.com for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E232 Jordan Mazzanti

Mon, 12 May 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Jordan Mazzanti who joins us from the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada. Jordan is currently working as the Directory of Beverage at Oviinbird Golf Club.

Jordan started working in restaurants at the age of 15 when he landed a job washing dishes. Since that time, Jordan has held every position in many different styles of restaurants all over the world.

Jordan spent his 20’s travelling and working in Asia, Central American and Australia. Hospitality jobs at the time were a way to keep travelling, not a career path. That changed for Jordan when he was introduced to the world of wine. Since that discovery, Jordan’s career in wine has taken him from slinging pints at pubs to working at white linen table cloth establishments. Jordan has experience in all aspects of the wine world from serving, teaching and selling.

Wine and hospitality have become a complete obsession for Jordan, but he takes pride in being himself and and being approachable and down to earth.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E231 Theresa Bell

Mon, 05 May 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Theresa Bell who joins us from Atlanta, Georgia. Originally born and raised in Jacksonville Florida, Theresa has resided in Atlanta for the past 15 years. Theresa has a background in performing arts and her artistic creativity was easily translated into becoming a mixologist Queen. Theresa has traveled all over the world in both her dance and mixology career. This allowed her to develop a very diverse palette when it comes to mixing and matching flavors and out of the box ingredients.

Theresa started her career in hospitality as a server and quickly worked her way up to creating cocktail menus and managing bar programs. Theresa gained her knowledge by traveling world wide and learning from master distillers, to winning competitions, and being featured in Thirsty magazine, and Gentlemen‘s Jack magazine. Theresa now runs the Fellowship beverage program and manages the bar as well. Theresa continues to create out of the box recipes, traveling to learn from the best of the best, and sharing her knowledge behind the bar and beyond.

@theresathebartender

@just_theresab

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E230 Janice Bailon

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Janice Bailon, who joins us from New York City. Born in Panorama City, California, and growing up in Ventura County, Janice embraces her California background. Janice feels California awarded her some of her greatest passions. She still cultivates these passions and hobbies: Forgotten classic cinema, movies, and musicals, especially from the 1970s and earlier, local seasonal produce and food history. One of Janice’s most beloved personal and professional passions is Agave and the relationship between Mexico and the Philippines. Bailon proudly calls herself an “agave nerd” believing that if you think you know everything and are an expert of agave you really don’t know anything.

Professionally, Janice has been recognized as a leader in the hospitality industry with articles published in Forbes, Punch and other media outlets as well as a Tales of the Cocktail Best New Bar Nomination in 2022 for her work at San Francisco’s For the Record. Janice also served as former President for the SF Chapter of the United States Bartender’s Guild supporting members through the pandemic. In 2025 she was named as one of the Imbibe 75’s and her program at Leyenda was the only New York Bar nominated for Outstanding Bar Program by the James Beard Foundation.

Janice dedicates her efforts to shape a better world through her brainchild, Hospitality of Asians & Pacific Islanders (HAPI), a nonprofit organization established in 2022. Nestled in the unceded Ohlone territory, known today as the San Francisco Bay Area, HAPI's mission is to elevate the voices and stories of the Asian and Pacific Islander community within the hospitality industry. They strive to normalize the success and thriving of API individuals in the industry through a plethora of initiatives, including events to boost visibility and promote the community, a forthcoming mentorship program, and the dissemination of career development opportunities and resources.

@mytinydancer

fueledbyagave.co

@hapi.community

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

Wine Shop at Langdon Hall

E229 Esther Dawson

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Esther Dawson is a Certified Sommelier based in Ontario with over eight years of experience in hospitality. Esther currently works as the Sommelier, Cellar Lead, and F&B Content Creator at Langdon Hall Relais & Châteaux, where she’s not only on the floor pairing wines and opening bottles, but also involved in the marketing and media side—crafting content, managing promotions, and helping tell the story of the restaurant’s food and beverage program.

Esther began her journey in wine while working in hospitality, with formative years spent at The Elora Mill and nearly a decade at Langdon Hall, where she officially became a sommelier in 2023. She holds certifications from both the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET Level 3), and is currently preparing for her Advanced Sommelier certification.

Esther also works as a consulting Sommelier for Sarnia Golf Club and other private clubs, bringing curated wine experiences and events to members and guests. As if that isn't enough, Esther is also involved with the InVintory app as one of their consulting Sommeliers. With a background in Vocal Music, she brings creativity, curiosity, and a warm, approachable style to everything she does.

When Esther’s not talking about wine, she is likely traveling the world or spending time with her adorable Toy Poodle puppy, Reggie—who’s quickly become the star of her off-hours life.

@esther_dawson

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

E228 Jenae Hyland

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Jenae Hyland, who joins us from Chandler, Arizona. Jenae is a powerhouse beverage operations strategist and Forbes trained mixologist and the creator and owner of The Pretty Libationist - a full service mobile bartending company servicing events like weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, parties and in home custom cocktail and mocktail experiences, mixology classes and more. Jenae has a flair for creativity and a passion for crafting unforgettable drinks and elevating the art of mixology to new heights. Check out the Pretty Libations platform on the web prettylibations.com and on Instagram @theprettylibationist and @pretty_libationist

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

prettylibations.com

@theprettylibationist

@pretty_libationist

E227 Reece Sims

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Reece Sims, who joins us from Calgary, Alberta. Reece is an entrepreneur, educator, and writer with expertise in drink trends, flavour pairings, and beverage market insights. As a former award-winning bartender and top-performing Sales Manager, she founded SIP Spirits Consulting Inc. to deliver sensory marketing solutions for beverage brands. In addition, she founded Flavor Camp™, a program that teaches consumers and bartenders a universal language for tasting and comparing spirits and develops their sensory skills.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

LInks

E226 Tiffany Huntington

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Tiffany Huntington, who joins us from Scottsdale, Arizona. Originally from Los Angeles, Tiffany moved to Arizona back in 2006. Tiffany has spent over 2 decades in the service industry, working as a bartender, manager, and booking agent. Tiffany is a tequila master, craft cocktail and culinary artist. As a side gig, Tiffany is also a model. Currently, you can find Tiffany slinging drinks and putting on shows at Pour Decisions in Old Town, Scottsdale.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

LInks

@thugw1fe

E225 Amy Probasco

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Amy Probasco who joins us from Chicago, Illinois. Amy has been a hospitality professional for nearly two decades. A Virginia native, she has worked throughout the country in high volume clubs, award-winning restaurants, and nationally recognized craft cocktail bars. Named by the Chicago Tribune as one of city's top bartenders in 2012, she went on to establish the bar program at the James Beard Awarded Girl & the Goat restaurant and implement bar systems and operations for the opening of Soho House Chicago.

Amys's cocktail recipes have been featured in Forbes, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and Punch magazines. Though working in bars and restaurants will always be her first love, Amy has enjoyed traveling the country as a cocktail consultant - helping streamline beverage programs, create focused drink menus, and lead trainings on cocktail technique and spirits history. Amy is currently an in-house mixologist for Beam Suntory, managing the bar at their North American Headquarters in Chicago.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

LInks

@amesly_p

The Shaft on Apple Podcasts

E224 Josh Lindley Returns

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Josh Lindley who returns to the show. Josh began his spirits quest in 2006 after short stints in the broadcasting and music industries. Josh has worked behind bars at notable Toronto establishments like Bar Isabel, Chantecler and Civil Liberties. Josh also worked as brand ambassador for an unusual gin. In 2016 he and life partner, Jessica Blaine Smith, created Bartender Atlas, a worldwide online directory of bartenders. Together, they travel the globe tasting exciting cocktails made by the most passionate bartenders. Jessica and Josh are also co-creators of the Toronto Cocktail Conference and execute events for bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts all over the world. In 2023 Josh made a Spirited Awards Top Ten Nominated Podcast called “The Blackbird” and in 2024 he made sequel called “The Shaft”. Josh’s preferred style of drink is “bitter and stirred” and his preferred style of music is “desperate”.

**WHAT IS THE SHAFT? **

In 2022, Bartender Atlas traveled to Victoria, British Columbia to visit some old friends and taste some of the city’s most interesting cocktails. Jessica and Josh found what they were looking for and more. One thing in particular was a cocktail known as “The Shaft”. This creamy coffee concoction was entirely new to the Bartender Atlas crew. Jessica Josh needed to know where it came from and how it became so ubiquitous in this Western Canadian Capital. What they found out was that there is nothing simple in the story of this three ingredient drink.

The Shaft on Spotify

@bartenderatlas

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

LInks

E223 Meghan Webb

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Meghan Webb who joins us from Austin, Texas. Meghan is a seasoned hospitality professional with over a decade of crafting memorable experiences. A Texas native , Meghan’s journey has taken her across the globe , including a four year stint in Australia and New Zealand. Starting her career in craft beer, Meghan quickly found her passion in wine and spirits, which had led to her current role with Bodega Lustau, a renowned producer of fortified wines, including sherry and Vermut.

A true creative at heart, Meghan delights in bringing people together, often over a thoughtfully curated cheese board. Meghan possesses a genuine love for connecting with others, valuing their stories and the unique beauty each individual brings. Driven by desire to inject fun and playfulness into the her industry, Meghan is a vocal advocate for inclusivity and representation, committed to championing diverse voices. Meghan embraces daily challenges as an opportunity for growth, and is always striving to improve and , above all, laugh more.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Links

@meghanlustaullion

E222 Harley O'Grady

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Harley O’Grady who joins from Chicago, Illinois. Harley is a bartender turned Brand Ambassador with deep roots in hospitality since birth. Always on the go seeking spontaneity and adventure leading a life with minimal dull moments.

Contact the host Kypp Saunders by email at kypp@babylonsisters.ca for products from Elora Distilling, Malivoire Winery and Terroir Wine Imports.

Looking for more Service Industry Podcasts - Check out the Top 10 Service Industry Podcasts on Feedcast

Links

@gnarleyharley4

kypp@babylonsisters.ca

E220 David Schaub

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is David Schaub who joins us from Ottawa, Ontario. Trained and raised in Waterloo, Ontario, David Schaub spent a decade learning his craft in the area’s restaurants, caterers, and butcher shop. Most notably, Dave spent nearly five years at Bhima’s Warung, learning the foundations of his career. Settling in Ottawa in 2010, Dave worked his way through some of the city’s kitchens before perfecting his ketchup recipe at The Black Cat Bistro. He started bottling small-batch condiments as The Ketchup Project in 2017.

LInks

theketchupproject.ca

@theketchupproject

@liverwurstprovisions

@indoorrecessottawa

@utilityinfieldimprov

E219 Lia Dionisio

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Lia Dionisio who joins us from Bergen County, New Jersey. Lia is a WSET II Certified spirits industry professional. Over the last thirteen years, Lia has worked in various aspects of spirits including marketing, PR, event production, spirits education and more. Lia has worked for leading brands including Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo, Hendrick’s Gin, Maker’s Mark and has reached thousands of consumers in NJ/NY through her own cocktail and events company - Jersey Drinks. She has also been featured on ABC News and Forbes and served as guest speaker and educator for brands including Shop Rite, The Financial Diet and Seaton Hall University.

Lia currently works as the US Brand Manager for the world’s largest tequila company and continues to host cocktail experiences in NJ/NY and sharing her passion with all those who attend. To learn more and see what’s currently shaking, check out @jerseydrinks on Instagram.

LInks

How To Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life

E218 Mandy Naglich

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 21:00:00 -0000

Mandy Naglich is an author, journalist, and educator covering all aspects of our beloved booze industry. Her book “How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life” which recounts her adventures in the wild world of professional tasting, is a Spirited Awards Finalist. Mandy travels the world as a cocktail judge, host, and consultant, but calls NYC home.

As a certified taster, Advanced Cicerone®, National Homebrew Competition Gold Medalist, CCP, and WSET Spirits certified professional Mandy is a pro at blind and focused tasting. Mandy regularly teaches both enthusiastic consumers and bonafide professionals about finer points of flavor, hospitality, and memory and how the three intertwine in workshops and master classes. A variety of print and digitaloutlets feature Mandy’s point of view on beer, spirits, cocktails, and hospitality trends including VinePair, Food & Wine, American Whiskey Magazine, Vice, Popular Mechanics, and Club Oenologique.

A true nerd at heart, Mandy is happiest geeking out on the science, history, and culture of drinking with other eager learners in person or on her popular Instagram account @drinkswithmandy.

LInks

www.mandykn.com

@drinkswithmandy

Mahjong Witch on Apple Music

E217 Miroki Tong

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Miroki Tong. When not sipping, learning, and educating about vino, Miroki is the Chief Executive Officer of The Story Engine Deck, which develops card based open prompt creative tools for writers, game masters and educators. She holds an MBA with specializations in Strategic Management, Organizational Behaviour and Entrepreneurship. She is also an award-winning performer, producer and musician currently working on an upcoming Opera Metal EP under her artist name Mahjong Witch. She has two singles, “Until The Last Planet Dies” and “The Edge of Life” released on Spotify, Apple Music and other major streaming platforms.

A passionate enthusiast of all things wine, Miroki Tong has tasted her way all around the world, learning from winemakers, experts, and fellow enthusiasts, always eager to talk with someone who shares in her love of this drink.

Miroki seeks to highlight not only the best wines for taste and value, but to introduce the world to the people behind the glass. Winemakers, bar owners, and people looking to make positive change in the wine industry are all highlighted with Miroki’s characteristic humour, endearing geekiness, and easy-going nature.

You can find her on Instagram @9OuncesPlease, as well as the co-host of the podcast Tasting Together, which explores the food and drinks scene with some of the best chefs, mixologists and restaurateurs in Canada and globally.

Links

@9ouncesplease

storyenginedeck.com

Mahjong Witch on Spotify

Tasting Together Podcast

Imbibila on the Apple App Store

E216 Jean-Marc Dykes

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Jean-Marc Dykes - who is the creator, developer and driving force behind the Imbiblia app - a cocktail recipe platform for bartenders, bars, restaurants and pretty much everyone and anyone interested in cocktails.

Imbiblia allows for quick visual filtering of information and eliminates the need for content scanning of text which makes the platform far more efficient than searching for a cocktail recipe in a physical binder. Since the initial release of Imbiblia when it was a collection of recipes, it now also features subscriptions for bartenders so that they can create a shareable portfolio of recipes in order to showcase the range of their creativity. Furthermore, Imbiblia can support virtually any degree of complexity in a drink imaginable. Want to top a drink with Lime "pearls" made with sodium alginate and calcium lactate? Well, someone has already done that on Imbiblia.

Jean-Marc is also the driving force behind guestbarshift.com

To learn more about Imbiblia - check out the Imbiblia Website

Imbiblia on Google Play Store

Links

E215 Emma Janzen

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Emma Janzen. Emma s an award-winning book author and journalist who reports on global drinking cultures for outlets including The New York Times, PUNCH, The World’s 50 Best Bars, and more. The recipient of two James Beard Foundation awards and two Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, Emma co-authored The Way of the Cocktail with Julia Momosé, The Bartender’s Manifesto with Toby Maloney, and The Bartender’s Pantry with Jim Meehan; authored Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World’s Ultimate Artisanal Spirit; and has contributed to other texts including The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails by David Wondrich and Signature Cocktails by Amanda Schuster. Emm currently serves as the Midwest Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Bars and has been included in the Drinks International Bar World 100, an annual list of the industry’s most influential people, since 2023.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E214 Beckaly Franks

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Beckaly Franks, who joins us from Hong Kong.

Originally born in Hawaii, but raised in Idaho, Beckaly moved to Hong Kong in 2015. Beckaly co-founded The Pontiac, which has been featured on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 7 years and is credited with pushing for female empowerment and creating an inclusive space where everyone is welcome. More recently, Beckaly founded Hungry Ghost with her wife and opened venues Call Me AL and Artifact Bar.

Beckaly is a born leader and the legion of acolytes who have received her mentorship, sampled her drinks or, simply, spent an evening in her consuming, intoxicating presence, will agree that she is well deserving of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award for Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023.

Hungry Ghost - Founder includes venues: Call Me AL, ARTIFACT Bar Asia 50 Best Bartenders Bartender 2023 The Pontiac - Co-Founder from 2015-2024 Asio 50 Best list for The Pontiac 2016-2022 (7 years)

LInks

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E213 Jake Richards

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 21:00:00 -0000

Jake Richards joins the show this week for an in-person interview. Jake is a certified sommelier who is currently working at Loloan Lobby Bar in Waterloo, Ontario.

Jake got his start in the Industry at the age of 12 when he landed his first job at a pizza restaurant and he’s been employed in the industry ever since. In our conversation with Jake, he talks about his first steps in becoming a sommelier when he had an accidental injury early in his career. While not being able to work on his feet, Jake enrolled in a sommelier training program and his career took off from there. Jake talks about the rigorous training involved, such as developing a strong sensory memory, and the art of guiding customer to discover new wines and spirits and the importance of creating a welcoming, unpretentious experience for customers. We also talk about the challenges of running a niche liquor business, especially in a smaller market like Kitchener-Waterloo, the challenges of working in the restaurant industry, including dealing with no show reservations. In the closing minutes of the show, we reference a tv show that we couldn’t recall the name of during the recording - the show is named ‘Drops of God’ and we finish off with a humorous anecdote about Jakes first customer that he encountered in his very first serving role in his career.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E212 Cassandra Walker

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Cassandra Walker who joins us for an in-person interview. Cas is currently working as a bartender at LaLa Social House in Waterloo, Ontario. Cas starting working in the Industry while in her teen years when she landed a job as a hostess at Turtle Jacks. From there, Cas moved on to working at e11even in Toronto. After moving to Waterloo to attend University, Cas has worked at numerous local establishments such as The Works, 21Fir Whiskey Bar, Grand Trunk, Grand Surf and Sugar Run.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E211 Madeleine Hayles

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Madeleine Hayles who is a sommelier and the owner of Happy Coffee And Wine, a cafe and wine bar in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mads had done several stints at classic restaurants like Terroni and higher end fine dining at Actinolite and Hop Goods Foodliner, but she found her passion working at Midfield Wine Bar. After 4 years there, Mads and several partners opened up Happy Coffee and Wine in 2019 - a neighbourhood spot focused on keeping wine diverse and affordable. The cafe and wine bar is more likely to carry a pet-nat than a barolo, but aren't necessarily a natural wine bar.

More recently, Mads has gotten into winemaking. Mads has done a couple of harvests at Trail Estate Winery in Prince Edward County, and at 2Naturkinder in Franken, Germany. Currently, Mads is working on her own wine project focusing on Ontario hybrid varietals, hopefully to be released in the new year.

Mads is also working on a new collaboration with Jess Maiorano, the chef & owner of Pasta Forever, a specialty pasta shop, Italian grocer & caterer on Dundas West. The new restaurant is named Zia’s Place and is set to open in January 2025.

Links

@happycoffeeandwine

happycoffeeandwine.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E210 Jay McNeely

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Jason McNeely who joins us for an in person interview. Currently, Jay is the Lead Bartender at Area which is in The Well complex in Toronto.

Jay got an early start in the Industry when he started washing dishes at his grandparents restaurant in Gananoque, Ontario. Jason eventually worked in all the roles from dishwasher to cooking to sever before he eventually left to go to school in Ottawa. Initially, Jay did a quick stint at University of Ottawa studying physics before realizing that this wasn’t the career for him and switched over to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu and completed the Superior Cuisine Diploma.

Jay worked in both corporate and private establishments while in school, and decided to focus on working in smaller establishments shortly thereafter. Jay eventually wound up working back at his family’s restaurant to help them out for a while. After a fire at the restaurant, Jay moved in to becoming a sales rep, as he became a food sales rep. This in turn led to Jay becoming a rep for a microbrewery.

As all good things eventually come to an end, and Jay decided to move back to working front of house at a restaurant, and decided to take on the job of becoming a bartender. This has been a terrific move for Jay as he has gone to run several bar programs, manage and open numerous bars as well as compete in the region finals of World Class a couple of times.

Jay also has a successful Instagram page that you can find @jay.mcn

Links

@jay.mcn

facebook.com/1620distilling

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E209 Alyson Tuner

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:00:00 -0000

Alyson Turner is the co-founder of 1620 Distilling, a thriving distillery she launched in 2021 alongside her husband and in-laws. Alyson leads the company’s social media presence and marketing efforts, driving brand awareness and engagement. Her expertise in digital marketing stems from her personal success as a prominent whiskey influencer, where she has cultivated a following of over 250,000 enthusiasts. Beyond the world of spirits, Alyson is a serial entrepreneur, owning and operating several businesses within the real estate industry. Her passion for innovation and business development is evident across all her ventures, making her a dynamic force in multiple industries.

Links

@1620distilling

1620distilling.com

@drinkingwithalyson

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E208 Chris Gardner

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Chris Gardner who joins us for in person interview. Chris is currently working as a chef at Malt and Barley in Kitchener. Chris got his start early in The Industry when he landed his first job as a dish washer at The Golden Griddle in his early teen years. Chris has worked in a number of spots covering both smaller private businesses as well as large corporate enterprises over the course of his culinary career in and around Waterloo Region.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E207 Olivia Cox

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Olivia Cox who joins us from Orange County, California. Liv is the Chef de Cuisine at The Cellar restaurant in Fullerton, California. Liv’s culinary journey started when she was eighteen when Liv attended the Art Institute in order to attain her associates degree in culinary arts. However, after two years of going to school, Liv landed a job at Disneyland California Adventure at the restaurant Ariels Grotto. At that point, Liv decided that she was learning more from work than from actual school and she immediately dropped out to focus on working in the industry. After a year at Disneyland, Liv decided to move on and started working at The Cellar as a line cook. Within six months, Liv became the lead line cook. After a short period as lead line cook Liv was promoted to Sous Chef and then eventually was promoted to Chef de Cuisine.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E206 Matt Maretz

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Matt Maretz who joins us from New York City. Matt has worked as a bartender in NYC for the last 6 years and during the last 5 he has worked through the program at Employees Only and now is a Principal Bartender and Assistant Bar Manager at the world renown bar celebrating it’s 20th year this year. Originally from San Diego CA, Matt studied Acting at Syracuse University receiving a BFA and worked in various acting projects before turning to hospitality and falling in love with the bar industry.

Links

@simplyshelleyandcocktails2

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E205 Shelley Stuart

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Shelly Stuart who joins us from The Woodlands, Texas. Shelley is the creator and driving force of Simply Shelley And Cocktails. Shelley’s motivation behind starting this brand was that she was not a fan of sweets and sugary cocktails - so Shelley wanted to bring a ‘healthier’ and easy way to make cocktails and mocktails to others. Initially, Simply Shelley and Cocktails started out as a hobby and grew from there. Plus, this is a fun way for Shelley to show her creative side.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E204 Katie Auth

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks we are joined by Katie Auth, a New York City based bartender. Katie has been working in hospitality for over a decade. She’s know for her culinary style cocktails, with influence from food and dishes from across the globe. Katie hopes to help impact the community positively with her focuses on healthy living and fitness. Currently, you can find Katie working at Record Room in Long Island City, Queens.

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Elora Distilling Company.

Elora Distilling Company produces handcrafted, premium products in a grain to grass distillery and the grains are sourced from local farms in Waterloo and Wellington counties. There are over 25 products on the Elora Distilling company’s roster including gins, vodkas, rums, whiskeys, liquors and pre-mixed products. All products are available for wholesale to restaurants and bars. Follow them @eloradistillingco or check out EloraDistillingCompany.com

Links

@katie.sips

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E203 Nicolette Diodati

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Nicolette Diodati - Head of Trade Advocacy for Pernod Ricard North America.

Nicolette Diodati's journey into the hospitality industry reads much like a cocktail recipe: one part rebellion, two parts passion, and a generous splash of creativity. At the young age of 21, she discovered that her true calling lay in the art of hospitality and dove headfirst into the world of wine, beginning a love affair with flavor, service, and the intricate dance of human connection that defines the industry.

Over the past decade, Nicolette has immersed herself in various facets of the industry, working at vineyards, suppliers, and wine bars before finding the world of Advocacy. Her unique perspective, combining hands-on industry experience with marketing expertise and a deep respect for the people that make this industry run has led her to her current role as Head of Advocacy at Pernod Ricard North America. Here, Nicolette orchestrates a symphony of education and activation for over 30 iconic brands.

Driven by a genuine enthusiasm for hospitality and the pursuit of new flavors, Nicolette holds WSET III, CSW, and ASI Level 3 degrees. Whether she's building advocacy strategies, partnering with trade organizations, planning events, or exploring new corners of the world, she approaches her work with creativity and dedication, always aiming to contribute positively to the evolving world of food and beverage. In Nicolette's world, the line between work and play is as blurred as she laughs on a barstool somewhere in the world – and that's exactly how she likes it.

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Elora Distilling Company.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E202 Madison Homewood

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Madison Homewood. Madi is an award-winning bartender known for her innovative cocktails and exceptional service. Named one of the top 30 under 30 in foodservice and hospitality, Madi has left an indelible mark on the industry.

Currently, Madi serves as the Head of Research and Development at Civil Pours, where she leads groundbreaking initiatives in beverage creation and flavor development.

Madi's passion for cocktails extends beyond crafting drinks; it encompasses pushing the boundaries of flavor and technique. Madi's commitment to excellence and her ability to blend tradition with modern trends have positioned her as a leader and influencer in the field. With a relentless pursuit of perfection and a dedication to elevating the drinking experience, Madi continues to inspire and shape the future of hospitality.

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Elora Distilling Company.

Links

The Art of drinking with Join Jules and Your Favourite Uncle Podcast

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E201 Julianna McIntosh

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks we are joined by Julianna McIntosh. Julianna started the platform Join Jules as a cocktail blog back in 2020, and has quickly grown into a major brand and platform. Join Jules was created with the idea that everyone ought to be able to enjoy a craft cocktail at home. In a mixology world dominated by male bartenders and almost overly complicated cocktails, Jules sought to create a new understanding of what cocktails could and should be. Join Jules’ mission is to spotlight the importance of fresh flavors and showcase delicious and accessible recipes for the at-home bartender. Join Jules is a community for anyone with a passion for travel, lifestyle, and of course, a well-crafted cocktail with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients and visually appealing cocktail recipes. Join Jules Cocktails is becoming a brand that invites any and all to come together, and is helping break the barrier between high-brow mixology and at-home craft cocktails.

Jules has a new booking coming out on July 23, 2024 titled Pretty Simple Cocktails. Pretty Simple Cocktails sprang from the notion that everyone should be able to whip up the happiest of hours right in the comfort of their own home. It’s all about fresh ingredients, top-notch spirits, and crafting drinks that are both delicious and simple to make.

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Elora Distilling Company.

Links

joinjules.com

@join_jules

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E200 Jill Sadler and Aaron Hatchell

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This is our 200th Episode! For this special episode, we are joined by Jill Sadler, owner and operator of SVUptown and Aaron Hatchell Head Bartender at SVUptown . Both Jill and Aaron have made previous appearances on the podcast in our first year and we are thrilled to have them back to help us celebrate this 200th Episode milestone. Make sure you support your local small business!

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Elora Distilling Company.

Links

@empress1908gin @sugarrunbar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E199 Wyn Vida

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Wyn Vida - a beverage and hospitality consultant who current resides in Austin, Texas. Originally from Southern California, Wyn moved to Portland, Oregon after finishing college before currently settling down in Austin. Wyn got her start in the Industry in her early teenage years working as a barista and this continued through her college years when Wyn got into the world of bartending. Upon completing college, Wyn moved to Portland and landed a job as general manager of a steakhouse. It was shortly after this point in her career, that Wyn came to the realization that a career in the hospitality industry was indeed for her.

Wyn is also looking forward to eventually opening her own bars and restaurants. Currently, Wyn is working with Empress Gin and Dulce Vida Tequila as their in House Mixologist and Senior On-Premise Market Manager for the South, US.

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Elora Distilling Company.

Links

@drankbywyn

linkedin.com/in/jason-e-brooks @sugarrunbar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E198 Jason E. Brooks

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Jason E. Brooks who joined us from Charlotte, North Carolina. Jason is a speaker, coach, author, and founder of HospiVation, LLC.

Jason creates content that helps impact hospitality leaders on their journeys to help others around them fulfill their calling. His first book, Every Leader Needs Followers: 10 Keys to Transform Restaurant Managers to Hospitality Leaders, launched in March 2024. Jason is a professional speaker and coach speaking on leadership mindsets and techniques in the hospitality industry.

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Elora Distilling Company.

Links

jasonebrooks.com

@2leadnsucceed

@thebank.gastrobar @sugarrunbar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E197 Cayley Balint and Sarah Sanders

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guests are Cayley Balint and Sarah Sanders who join us from Kingston, Ontario. Cayley is the Head Chef and Sarah is the Head Bartender at The Frontenac Club in Kingston - a cocktail bar and gastropub located inside a historic 180 year old building which also functions as an upscale boutique hotel. Sarah and Cayley are responsible for serving up craft cocktails and a curated wine list along with preparing globally and locally inspired dishes.

Cayley Balint started her cooking career in 2008 at Atomica, making gourmet pizzas whilst being apprenticed under the head chef next door at Le Chein Noir. Cayley attended culinary school at St. Lawrence, and used her summer co-op placement to travel to Banff, Alberta where she worked at Buffalo Mountain Lodge, part of Canadian Rocky Mountain resorts. This is where she obtained her love and inspirations for Canadian and global style cuisine. Upon arriving back in Ontario, Cayley got a job as a line cook at Aquaterra restaurant. Over the next decade she would work her way up to become the Catering and Banquet Chef of Aquaterra and the Delta hotel, which the restaurant resides within. Cayley joined The Frontenac Club team in August of 2020.

Sarah Sanders has been in the service industry for twenty-one years and behind the bar for eleven. Sarah is originally from Kingston, Ontario, raised in the Thousand Islands and surrounding area. Sarah attended Sheridan College, where she studied several aspects of Art and Design. Sarah’s majors were Fine Art and Textile Design. Sarah started working in restaurants in college, as a nights and weekend job, first in BOH. Years and a few restaurants later moved to FOH, then eventually bartending.

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsors - Civil Pours and Elora Distilling Company.

Civil Pours is a ready to pour, premium cocktail program that blends the highest quality, proprietary ingredients into shelf stable, top selling cocktails delivered to you in draft-ready kegs. All you do is pour, serve, and savour a seamless experience designed to captivate your customer and smooth your service. To get in touch contact sales@civilpours.com or check the website civilpours.com

Links:

@chefcayleybalint

@baronessvondilligaf

@frontenacclub

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E196 Ashley Hoar

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Ashley Hoar who joins us from Hamilton, Ontario. Ashley is a Personal Holistic Chef and owner of Real Roots Kitchen.

Ashely is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist turned Chef with 8+ years in the Personal Chef Business. Ashely I make client’s needs her main focus. Ashley caters to many different families/individuals with different styles of preferences and diets. Ashley describes her style of cooking as chef inspired and elevated, just everyday whole food made from scratch.

You can find more information about Ashely on Instagram @realrootskitchen

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsors - Civil Pours and Elora Distilling Company.

Links

@realrootskitchen

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E195 Jody O’Malley and Kirstie Herbstreit

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 20:00:23 -0000

Grown from a mutual respect over perfectly cooked calamari, The Culinary Studio is a partnership between Red Seal trained Chefs Jody O’Malley and Kirstie Herbstreit.

Jody and Kirstie have been in the food industry for over 20 years (although you wouldn't think so!). After both completing University degrees, they set off to culinary school, in Stratford & Calgary respectively to feed their need to cook. After restaurant apprenticeships and college-level instruction, Jody and Kirstie came together to open Kitchener-Waterloo's Premier Recreational cooking school.

After 10 years of in-person teaching, The Culinary Studio evolved into a global online cooking class platform in 2020. Jody and Kirstie quickly learned that there are no boundaries to share their knowledge, their humour and of course their love of food & time honoured cooking techniques.

Recipes taught are tried and true with absolutely no sacrifice in flavour. You will be amazed and empowered with what you create in your own home kitchen! The Culinary Studio motto: no cook is left behind! The Jody & Kirstie guarantee: The Culinary Studio online cooking classes educate, entertain, and guarantee you restaurant results in your own home kitchen!

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsors - Civil Pours and Elora Distilling Company.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E194 Jenna Elie

Mon, 27 May 2024 20:00:23 -0000

Jenna Elie, based in Atlanta Georgia jumped into the whisky industry 8 years ago and started Whisky A Go Girl. Since then Jenna has been featured in film, The Water of Life, worked with spirits brands around the globe, and judged cocktail and spirits competitions. Jenna has also held the role of The National Ambassador for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America for 5 of those years, one of the leading whisky clubs and independent bottlers in the world. Now, she works as the Eastern Brand Development Manager for Shand Import, and continues her consultancy work through Whisky A Go Girl!

And a big thank you to this weeks sponsor - Civil Pours - A ready to pour, premium cocktail program that blends the highest quality, proprietary ingredients into shelf stable, top selling cocktails delivered to you in draft-ready kegs. All you do is pour, serve, and savour a seamless experience designed to captivate your customer and smooth your service. To get in touch contact sales@civilpours.com or check the website civilpours.com

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E193 Tyler MacLellan

Mon, 13 May 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Tyler MacLellan who joins us from Chicago, Illinois. Tyler is currently one of the managers at 3 Dots And A Dash bar in Chicago - a tropical themed speakeasy.

Tyler was originally born in California, but grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin. This is where Tyler got his start in hospitality, starting from the ground up and working in all positions before moving into management. Eventually, Tyler began curating and overseeing beverage programs in the Appleton area. Eventually, Tyler decided to move on to other cities and worked as the bar manager at Town Council Kitchen & Bar in Neenah, Wisconsin and also the opening bar director for a tropical cocktail bar on the rooftop of a Milwaukee hotel called Pufferfish.

During Tyler's current stint at Three Dots he was also a part of the Cocktail Apprenticeship Program class of 2023 and excited to be accepted back to be a part of the class of 2024.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E192 Léa Colla

Mon, 06 May 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Lea Colla who joins us from Paris, France. Lea is currently a Senior Le Syndicat in Paris. Le Syndicat has been voted as one of the 50 best bars in the world.

Lea started her barmaid career in Sweden at @pharmarium. Initially, Lea's plan was to only work in a bar for a few months. Lea realized that working behind the bar was her passion and decided to make this her career move full time. Eventually, Lea moved back to France to explore even more of this sector and learn about French methods.

Lea quickly developed the skills and knowledge to advance her career due to her passion for the Industry and the time she invested in to the craft of cocktailing. Lea has also had amazing mentors who she has had the pleasure of meeting along her journey who have helped her immensely.

Lea has entered various cocktail competitions and last year she won the Best Serving Ritual prize at the Hennessy Challenge.

Several of Lea's favourite bars include @brokenshaker @botanicalbyalfonse and @cafeklandestino_bar

Links:

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E191 Lindsey Johnson

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This week's guest is Lindsey Johnson who joins us from Louisville, Kentucky. Lindsey is the Founder and Creative Director at Lush Life Productions - the first dedicated Bartender Advocacy Agency. Along with her work at Lush Life, Lindsey has gone on to found and manage Camp Runamok, a Bartender Summer Camp hosted on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Portland Cocktail Week, a hospitality worker focused program dedicated to helping people take the next steps in their careers.

Now in its 17th year, Lush Life continues to set industry standards for best practices in bartender advocacy and engagement, and Lindsey works daily to ensure hospitality workers have access to education, entertainment, and opportunities that would be out of reach otherwise.

Lindsey is originally from New York City, but currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky where she owns Expo, a cocktail bar, with her partner, Nickle Morris. They have two cats, Onions and Shallots, who wish Lindsey would travel less.

Links:

@livethelushlife

lushlifeproductions.com

@lushlifeproductions

Camp Runamok

Portland Cocktail Week

Fig And Fortune Etsy Storefront

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E190 Carolyn Sandler

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Carolyn Sandler who joins us from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Carolyn is a born and bred Torontonian with a passion for all things dessert related. Carolyn’s been freelancing in Film and TV with a strong focus on logistics and culinary for the last 15 years. In addition to set work, Carolyn has taught food media, tourism and culinary theory at a local Toronto College and loves working alongside her international students to discover the best of Toronto’s food landscape. Carolyn has also managed catering and events for some of Toronto’s biggest chefs including Fidel Gastro’s.

Carolyn is an avid traveller, always hoping on a plane to visit an exciting new country! With 35 countries visited, Carolyn is always looking for new food adventures to discover.

When Carolyn’s not working with food on set or in the classroom, she can be found, snacking, getting tattooed, traveling, learning new dishes and languages and waterfall hiking. Carolyn loves true crime, a substantial charcuterie board, and cuddling with her Min Pin / Chihuahua, Chance.

You can find Carolyn online at Instagram @miss_sugarskull and her Etsy storefront Fig And Fortune.

Links:

@miss_sugarskull

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E189 Marcela Hernandez Gonzalez

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Marcela Hernandez Gonzalez who joins us from Toronto. Known for orchestrating record-breaking "Pop-Up" events, Marcela embodies the essence of a consummate host, curating unique experiences that weave an atmosphere of warmth and conviviality, compelling patrons to return time and again. From immersive celebrations like "Dia de Muertos," paying homage to her Mexican heritage, to lively summer bashes channeling Cuban vibes.

Hailing from Mexico, Marcela's journey into the hospitality industry began upon her relocation to Toronto several years ago. Starting in the back-of-house as a dishwasher, Marcela swiftly transitioned to the front-of-house, honing her skills across diverse dining experiences. Nowadays, you'll find Marcela rocking the roles of both manager and bartender at Little Sister in Toronto.

Marcela firmly believes that the most valuable investment in any business is its staff, prioritizing the creation of a nurturing environment where staff can thrive. She thrives in the lively banter shared with patrons seated at the bar, her genuine passion evident in every interaction.

If you are interested in contacting Marcela to set up your next Pop-Up event - you can reach her on Instagram @marcehdzglz

Links

@marcehdzglz

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E188 James Frangos

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Chef James Frangos who joins us for an in person interview. James made his first appearance on Episode number 3 of our podcast and makes his triumphant return for episode 188.

In this episode we catch up with James and talk about his experience opening a restaurant two weeks prior to covid being declared a pandemic in March 2020, we talk with James about getting away from the hospitality industry for a couple of short years to recharge and how he got back in the industry as he is now the driving force behind the menu and food offerings at Babylon Sisters in uptown Waterloo.

James is also the founder and sole operator of the renowned Harper’s Deli - a premium sandwich shop operating out of Babylon Sisters bar for the lunch crowd. Make sure you check it out online at @harperdeli.

Links

@harperdeli

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E187 Phil Morgan

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 20:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Phil Morgan who joins us from Brooklyn, NY. Phil is a multidisciplinary design and strategy leader with 25+ years of experience building brands and places where people love to be. A serial entrepreneur opening the first of his many restaurants in 1994 and later founding a notable restaurant design firm in Brooklyn, creating 150+ incredible new spaces in the hospitality market. Phi is renowned for his dedication and commitment to distilleries, consulting on process improvement in the creation of high-quality spirits. Phil continues to have a profound impact on the New York culinary and spirits community.

Links

@phillizard

Master Your Glass - Youtube

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E186 Livio Lauro

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 20:00:23 -0000

Livio Lauro is a Drink expert and a Cocktail historian. He started his hospitality career 30 years ago in Southern Italy on the Amalfi Coast.

Livio is widely recognized as one of the most instrumental figures in the resurgence of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) and served as National President from 2004 to 2010.

Since 2001, Livio has been employed by Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS). In his role at SGWS he works alongside the foremost distillers and hospitality groups helping them put together successful brands activations.

Livio owns some 1400 vintage and modern books on mixology, hospitality, drinks, and is deeply passionate about his research on these topics. His seminars are routinely featured at major beverage trade shows and are recognized as being both innovative and trend setting.

Livio is the founder and designer of the EuroBar Station and a resident lecturer in the topics of alcoholic beverages at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) which is the highest ranked hospitality program in the country.

He hosts a weekly show on Youtube called Master Your Glass and is the author of the “Liquid Legacy” and the co-author of “The Beverage Engineer” and "The 12 Cocktails".

Links

Books

Beverage Engineer Book (Purchase Here)

The 12 Cocktails Book (Purchase Here)

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E185 Cassandra Brownrigg

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 21:00:23 -0000

This weeks guest is Cassandra Brownrigg who currently resides in Kitchener, Ontario. Cassandra is currently the head chef at The Rich Uncle Tavern.

Cassandra was born in Kitchener but while still very young, she moved to Central New York with her family. While in high school Cassandra worked at a grocery store which piqued her interest in cooking. At 18 she moved out of her parents house and got her own place where she taught herself how to cook. Cassandra would host BBQs and get togethers with friends.

At 21 I decided Cassandra moved back to Canada to be with family and go to school. Cassandra picked the culinary program because it was closest to the student house where she happened to live! School felt very natural for her and she was excelling very quickly while also being quickly noticed by her teachers/chefs.

While still in school, Cassandra went to go work at Beertown Waterloo. It was her first kitchen job and a very fast paced kitchen. This eventually led to stints at many different restaurants such as Guilt, Wildfire and Proof Kitchen and Lounge, Loloan, Bhima’s, Greystone Raquet Club and Trio Restaurant.

Links

@cassbrownrigg

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E184 Elissa Dunn

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 21:00:00 -0000

Elissa 'HellQueen' Dunn returns to the show. Joining us from Phoenix, Arizona, Elissa discusses rebranding from The BadassBartender to HellQueen Cocktails. Elissa discusses Arizona Cocktail Weekend, the bar scene in Phoenix and surrounding areas plus a host of other topics. You can find Elissa's on Instagram @hellqueencocktails

Links

@hellqueencocktails

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E183 Ray White

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Ray White who joins us from Tel Aviv, Israel. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia Ray relocated to Tel Aviv over a decade ago.

Over the years, Ray has become recognized as one of the top female bartenders in Tel Aviv. Ray's journey began in her late teens in an Irish pub, where she cultivated her bartending skills. Starting with whiskey and beer, Ray immersed herself in Italian restaurants to explore wine, cigars, and chef cuisine. In her early 20s, Ray's passion for cocktails led her to own a small beach bar for a summer season.

Fast forward to 23, and Ray relocated to Tel Aviv, managing renowned cocktail bars like Bellboy, Spicehouse, and Bushwick. Ray has not only competed and judged in cocktail competitions but also served as an ambassador for Mezcal IBA for four years and Beluga vodka for two years.

Currently, Ray is a co-owner of R2D (Ready to Drink) with her husband and another partner. R2D offers bar consulting services that include crafting cocktail menus, bars, and providing service and alcohol history lessons. R2D organizes private and large-scale cocktail events, tailoring experiences from boutique affairs with handcrafted syrups to massive festivals. The company also produces products like AI Foam (a vegan foam) and AI Mix (foam + sweet + sour). R2D supply draft cocktails in beer kegs throughout Israel.

Beyond Ray's professional endeavors, she is also a proud mother of three kids. Despite the demands of her dynamic career, Ray also finds time to host a monthly alcohol TV show called "SaneDrink" and actively contribute to the local bartenders' school by teaching a special Mixology course.

Ray's goal is to share her expertise and passion for cocktails, inspiring the next generation of bartenders.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E182 Melanie Peradin

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Melanie Paradin who joins us from New York City. Melanie is the North American brand ambassador for Antique Pelinkovac. With over 10 years of experience in the service industry, Melanie's journey from self-taught bartender to creating her own menus showcases her dedication and passion to the industry. Melanie began her career at hotel bars like The Roxy and Ace Hotel, and has also played a pivotal role in opening projects such as The Little Shop in South Street Seaport, a speakeasy that has garnered recognition in publications such as Vogue and Forbes for its curated flavor profiles and inviting atmosphere. Melanie's Croatian heritage has uniquely positioned her as a fitting brand ambassador for Antique, as she combines her cultural background with the vibrant bar scene of New York City, her hometown.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E181 Anastasia Artamonova

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Anastasia Artamonova who is a creative entrepreneur and public speaker based in Milano, Italy. Also known as Nastia, she is the founder and creative director of Nice and Nasty – a bar without a bar and an edutainment platform that connects mind, body, and spirits. Sharing wisdom from behind and beyond the bar for people to heal, grow, and have fun, Nastia's main focus in the industry is the art of human connections: the power of vulnerability, deeper conversations with others and with yourself, growth and self-care, and overall happiness and well-being.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E180 Ty Miners

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by the returning Ty Miners who joins us for an in person interview.

Ty got her start in the industry close to a decade ago when she landed a job at Jack Astors as a server. Ty stayed there for about a year and a half before moving on to Chucks Roadhouse to help open the first location in Kitchener. Ty worked there for about a year when she had a desire to move into a more structured environment where she could really engage with guests, tighten up her dialogue and learn more about casual fine dining. Since then, Ty has moved on to work in supervisory and management roles at several different establishments including The Bauer Kitchen, Brown's Social House and most recently The Argyle Arms.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E179 Pamela Wiznitzer

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Pamela Wiznitzer who joins us from New York City. Since 2006, Pamela has been working throughout NYC and globally to bring cocktail culture to life. Pamela was nominated as one of the top 10 bartenders for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 "American Bartender of the Year" award at Tales of the Cocktail and was named the "2014 Bartender of the Year" by the Village Voice. Additionally, Pamela was named as one of Food & Wine Magazine's top 10 Rising Star Mixologists, an inductees to the "Dames Hall of Fame" in 2015 and one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's "40 Under 40" (now "Future 40") in 2015. Pamela has a Master’s degree in Food Studies, with a concentration on spirits and alcohol from NYU’s Steinhardt School, and is also a graduate of Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary. And she has been featured in multiple publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Zagat, Glamour, Bloomberg, The Jewish Food Society, and Esquire, as well as recurring media appearances on the the Food Network, Vh1, and NBC. You can follow her recipes and cocktail inspiration on instagram at @pamwiz

Links

@pamwiz

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E178 Rob Miller Returns

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:00:00 -0000

Rob Miller returns to join the show this week for an in person interview. Rob has worked the floor as Sommelier at some of the top restaurants on the continent including Langdon Hall, Alo (#1 restaurant in Canada for the 5th year running), Giulietta and Daniel (Daniel Boulud’s eponymous ** Michelin Star restaurant in Manhattan, NYC).

Rob is certified with both the International Sommelier Guild and the Court of Master Sommeliers. Rob holds the prestigious Diploma from the Wine & Spirits Trust in the UK, an organization he also teaches for. As well as a Certificate in Oenology & Viticulture from the University of Guelph, Mr. Miller also holds certifications from the Wine Scholar Guild, Society of Wine Educators, Vinitaly International Academy, and both Wines of Chile & Wines of Portugal!

Rob has worked with The Vine Agency import firm for over a decade.

Links

The Vine Agency

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E177 Shamez Amlani

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Shamez Amlani. Having grown up in Toronto, 19 year old Shamez got a summer job as a busser at Le Select Bistro on Queen Street West back in 1989. Little did he know this was the beginning of a lifelong career in the restaurant industry. Quickly moving into his favourite position behind the bar, he found his passion creating opportunities for strangers to meet and setting the scene in that third place - not home, not work, where one can be free.

After extensive travels in Europe and a return home to hone his knowledge as waiter and bartender, Shamez re-located to Paris in '93 to start a new life. There he managed a small bar while continuing to travel and have many adventures touring with a band, pretending to be a writer, teaching English, eventually returning to Toronto in '97. He came back to Le Select as bar manager while his new life partner Maria Flawia Litwin forged a career as fashion designer and eventually contemporary artist.

By the time 2000 had come around, he realized the only thing to do next was open a place of his own, so with friend and chef Mike Harrington and Maria, they opened La Palette in Kensington Market, imagining that their humble French Bistro would last a year, maybe two. Instead, the place became well entrenched in the neighbourhood and Shamez discovered a passion for community activism while helping to create Pedestrian Sundays, car-free neighbourhood celebrations where street food and live music were king. In 2005 they bought out their chef partner and continued to push the boundaries of what a restaurant could be as they laid down deeper roots in Toronto.

When the lease came up for renewal, La Palette cast its net wider and opened a second, bigger and more ambitious place on Shamez's old stomping grounds of Queen West. After closing the original location, he vowed never to run two businesses at the same time again, a promise he couldn't keep. In addition to running the new place with tall ceilings, open kitchen, and a long bar, La Palette was also involved with an artist collective called Fedora Upside Down where he ran the bar and catering at legendary events that brought thousands of people together to celebrate diverse global music traditions.

All of these inspirations came together with the birth of a new venue a block away, Drom Taberna in 2018. It was an Eastern European Tavern that was casual and affordable with live world music every day and a kitchen that stays open very late. Maria and Shamez invited some of their staff to be partners in the business with the opportunity to work off their share with sweat equity. It quickly became a staple on a street known for great bars and live music venues. Drom is as much a community centre as it is a venue, for the staff and artists that fill the space with great vibes and the public that find it to be an incredibly safe, multicultural and queer friendly space.

When the pandemic hit, everyone involved with the two places was too stubborn to quit, having lived the immigrant experience which held creative problem solving and perseverance as core tenets. La Palette became a wine shop and Drom a deli and grocery store, with both places staying a moving target while navigating outdoor dining, repeated lockdowns and re-openings, and insurmountable economic and emotional hardships.

Now, both places continue to be vibrant cultural hubs where you'll usually find Shamez at his favourite place behind the bar at La Palette, enjoying the buzz of a busy night, or on the dance floor by the stage at Drom. One couldn't ask for a better job, making fun for so many friends and strangers alike.

Links

lapalettequeenwest.ca

Bardtenders - Apple Podcasts

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E176 Brandon McDonald

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:00:12 -0000

This weeks guest is Brandon McDonald who joins us St Augustine, Florida. Brandon has spent the last 15 years in the service industry, opening and operating bars and restaurants across the US. After spending a decade in Gainesville, FL, he made the move to Denver, Colorado to continue honing his craft. In 2020 Brandon returned to Florida, and now splits his time between bartending and his podcast, Bardtenders.

Links

@_liquidsincups

www.bardtender.com

Bardtenders - Spotify

Bardtenders - YouTube

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E175 Shawn Telo

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Shawn Telo who joins us for an in person interview. Shawn has been involved in the hospitality industry for over a decade in the local Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph areas. Shawn originally got his start in the Industry when he landed a job as a driver for a food service company. Shawn eventually worked his way up to a sales rep. Due to Covid, Shawn last his entire territory due to the shutdowns. As a result, Shawn decided to make a change and started working as a territory account manager for a bakery ingredient company and eventually became a key account manager. This role eventually helped him land his current job as Sean is an Account Manager for Tre Amici Wines providing wine and tequila all over South Western Ontario.

Links

@shawntelo

Tre Amici Wines

Looking to Book a Christmas Party?

janine@babylonsisters.ca

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E174 Lisa Talbert

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Lisa Talbert who joins us from Portland, Oregon. Lisa is a career bartender with over 15 years behind the bar in a variety of bar settings. This ranges from dive bars, upscale dining, family dining, casinos, distilleries and craft cocktail lounges.

Lisa started her drinkstagram journey in the wake of the pandemic as a hobby, and a little break for herself from having to homeschool her kids during that time. Lisa loved photography, so she did some YouTube and Google research, absorbed as much photography info as she could and @lisa.sips on Instagram was born.

Lisa grew up in the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. Fiji is an extremely diverse country, with a vast food history and Lisa uses that influence as flavor inspiration for her cocktails. Fiji does not have a prevalent drinking culture, so it's a way for Lisa to border the two. Being able to share her creativity through cocktails has become therapy for Lisa. As a result of starting the Instagram page - we can quote Lisa on the following : “I has been fortunate to receive an extensive education on techniques, spirits and the history of the industry than I ever would have if I hadn't started my page. The possibilities of cocktails are endless!”

LInks

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E173 Devon Trevathan

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 21:00:00 -0000

Devon Trevathan is the cofounder and co-owner of Liba Spirits, a nomadic distilling company. After living in Taiwan for a year, Devon returned to the states and got her start in the distilling industry at Corsair Distillery in Nashville, Tennessee. Devon has held a variety of positions in the Industry from beverage alcohol–spirits journalist, brand ambassador, bartender, server, marketing consultant, tour guide, wine retail manager, that person at the party who talks way too much about what you have in your glass. Now, Devon is the cofounder of an exceptionally unique and ambitious distilling company in which she and her business partner Colton Weinstein travel all over the globe, renting space in different distilleries to distill their own spirits. Above all, she is a human, flawed and rushed at times, who would nevertheless love to meet up for a drink!

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E172 Rick Sousa

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Rick Sousa who joins us from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Rick has been working aboard various cruise ships since 2004 and has recently taken on the role of Brand Ambassador Remy Cointreau Dominican Republic and Global Cruise Ships.

Rick values the importance of learning and educating oneself as he has earned the following accreditations over the course of his career:

Advanced Mixologist graduated from EBS European Bartender School Bartender by IBA New York International Bartender Association Barista by Illy in Genoa and Barista Hustle Italy Sommelier LV2 by WSET in Napa Valley California WSET LV 2 Spirits ( Ongoing) Chef by Errand du Paris in Paris Master Distiller by Inov Bev Master Brewer by Science of beer

Furthermore, Rick speaks 8 languages and enjoys competing in various cocktail competitions. Rick has placed in the top 5 best bartenders in Brazil World Class 2020 and 2021. Rick is also the winner of the best margarita in Brazil and the 8 best in the world 2020/21/23 by Cointreau. This is in addition to having been a semifinalist numerous times Liqueur 43, Campari Competition, Flor de Caña Rum.

Check Rick’s personal page on Instagram @rickthemix

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E171 Rob Miller

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Rob Miller. Rob has worked the floor as Sommelier at some of the top restaurants on the continent including Langdon Hall, Alo (#1 restaurant in Canada for the 5th year running), Giulietta and Daniel (Daniel Boulud’s eponymous ** Michelin Star restaurant in Manhattan, NYC).

Rob has worked with The Vine Agency import firm for over a decade and started his own agency, The Road Wine Imports, during the end of the pandemic.

Links

The Road Wine Imports

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E170 Louise Wilson Cormier

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Louise Wilson Cormier Master of Wine

During her 30+ years of industry experience, Louise Wilson Cormier has specialized in sales, marketing, export, procurement, retail and hospitality. Today, she is the owner of Wilco Fine Beverage, an Ontario-based beverage alcohol agency and one of 10 Masters of Wine located in Canada.

A Master of Wine, also known as an MW, is a beverage industry professional who has exceptional expertise in the wine business. To become a member of the Institute of Master of Wine, each candidate must pass a rigorous exam as well as adhere to a code of conduct. The exam, which was first written in 1953, tests the candidate’s knowledge of wine theory, their tasting ability and requires the completion of an original research paper. There are currently 414 Masters of Wine based in 31 countries around the world.

Louise is passionate about creating new and exciting taste experiences for consumers. The Wilco Fine Beverage portfolio is centred around wines with a point of difference and based on the foundations of innovation, value across all price segments and excellence.

Links:

Wilco Fine Beverage https://wilcofinebeverage.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wilcofinebeverage/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091354211026

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/wilco-fine-beverage/about/?viewAsMember=true

Masters of Wine https://www.mastersofwine.org/

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E169 Ellen Slots

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Ellen Slots who joins us from Orlando, Florida. Ellen is an accomplished and customer-centric professional with 5+ years of experience in food and beverage, hospitality, and operations management within the hotel and hospitality industry. Having worked as the lead sommelier for Michelin star restaurants and beverage director for 5-star Forbes hotels, Ellen possesses a solid history of success in managing overall operations, while providing excellent customer service, developing and implementing standard operating procedures, and preparing/managing budgets to meet financial requirements. Skilled in event planning and execution, team development and leadership, quality assurance and control, and asset management.

Ellen graduated from University of Southern California with honors and two bachelor degrees; Psychology and English Literature. After graduating college, Ellen soon discovered a passion for wine. When Ellen moved to Chicago for graduate school, she worked developing her passion for wine, despite pursuing a career in corporate America. Ellen has a track record of working as a Program Director for a non-profit organization, Marketing Manager for a real estate development company, and Event Director for a conference production company. After obtaining her business acumen in the corporate business world, Ellen decided to turn her passion of wine into a career and dedicated her entire time working in the hospitality industry. Since her career conversion, Ellen has worked as a server, bartender, manager, general manager, event director, sommelier, lead sommelier, and beverage director. She has managed multiple beverage programs at one time and has been responsible for educating staff and management, equipping staff with sufficient knowledge to increase overall business.

During COVID, Ellen decided to hone her skills into her own business: Providing beverage consulting to small businesses that were trying to regain momentum. Since then, Ellen moved from Miami and is now a permanent resident in Orlando, Florida.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E168 Jacob Mentel

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Jacob Mentel who currently lives in San Diego, California. Jacob is a bartender at The Realm of 52 Remedies in San Diego. Jacob's bar history consists of opening Youngblood Cocktails, working at Noble Experiment, and assisting with menus at Polite Provisions. Jacob has had the privilege of being trained by Sam Ross and Erick Castro.

Jacob is an avid mental health advocate as he has been diagnosed with Anxiety/ Depression / ADHD/ Autism. Jacob is extremely open about this and his struggles in an effort to allow for conversations to happen and people to seek help. Jacob is also working with Chilled Magazine to do a series of columns interviewing well known industry professional about their own struggles and how they were able to push through and become resources for others.

Links

@thecocktailretriever

The Pump Room Bar - YouTube

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E167 Cressida Lawlor

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Cressida Lawlor who currently resides in Manchester, England. Cressida works in high end hospitality and has done so for many years. Cressida was named to Double Dutch Trailer Blazers 2023 List and Top Four IWSC Emerging Bartender 2022. During the Covid lock downs, Cressida decided to take her knowledge of cocktails and hospitality and turn it into a successful youtube channel named The Pump Room Bar. Currently, Cressida is in the process of opening up the Manchester location of Sexy Fish - a high end cocktail bar and restaurant. Furthermore, Cressida is currently travelling the length of the UK filming a documentary series on being queer behind the bar.

Links

@cressidalawlor

@pumproom.bar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E166 Lex Ward

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Lex Ward who joins us from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Lex got her start in the industry while still in high school when she landed her first job at a coffee shop. This sparked Lex’s interest in the Industry as she eventually moved on to waitressing and bartending and hasn’t looked back since! We talk about the local scene in the beach town of South Kingstown and the surrounding towns and cities in Rhode Island, we talk about the time Lex spent several years attending Ole Miss and her experiences working for a packed and busy college bar. Lex is currently working for Horizon Beverage.

Links

Bardtenders - Apple Podcasts

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E165 Jonathan Mateer

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Jon Mateer is the Beverage Manager at TPC Sawgrass with the PGA Tour. Jon has worked in bars and restaurants over the last 12 years and places a major focus on craft cocktails. Some of the highlights along the way include being part of the opening bar team at the prestigious Death & Co. in Denver, where he worked as a bartender and education lead. During his time there, the team received numerous accolades from the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation including being a finalist for both “Best New American Cocktail Bar” and “Best American Bar Team.”

Jon has been fortunate enough to have been selected as a Top 100 Bartender in The United States by Diageo World Class in 2022 & 2023! Last year, Jon claimed the title of U.S. National Champion of the Giffard West Cup and traveled to France to compete in the International Finals. Locally, Jon serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Bartender’s Guild in Jacksonville, Florida.

In his spare time, Jon has a podcast called Bardtenders where he and a few fellow bartenders take a break from putting liquids in cups. Bardtenders is a Dungeons & Dragons podcast run by a group of bartenders who traded in their shakers for sets of dice. While they play D&D, “…one of our other major focuses is providing on-the-job education for hospitality industry employees and also giving them access to mental and physical health resources!"

Links

@vodkapaysmybills

www.bardtender.com

Bardtenders - Spotify

Bardtenders - YouTube

Hospitality DNA on Amazon US

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E164 Dave Nitzel and Dave Domzalski

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Dave Nitzel and Dave Domzalski - who are successful hospitality coaches, entrepreneurs and authors. Most recently, Dave and Dave released a book that they co-authored titled “Hospitality DNA”. Dave and Dave interviewed elite and award winning industry talent from around the globe to find out how they operate in the bar and restaurant business. Together with the interviews and their own research, Hospitality DNA is a compilation of story telling chapters of great challenges and achievements woven into meaningful business lessons.

Dave and Dave have also published another award winning book several years ago titled “The Bar Shift” - a compilation of best practices for managing your bar and restaurant specifically targeting concepts and processes that will improve results and work-life balance.

Dave and Dave run a joint hospitality consulting venture - Dave and Dave Hospitality - you can find more information on their website daveanddave.co

Links

daveanddave.co

Hospitality DNA on Amazon Canada

Hospitality DNA on Audible

Hospitality DNA at Apple Books

The Bar Shift on Amazon US

The Bar Shift on Amazon Canada

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E163 Denis Hernandez

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Denis Hernandez who joins us for an in person interview. Originally born in Woodstock, Ontario, Denis is of El Salvadorian background where cooking, eating and sharing food plays a prominent role in life. Denis’s mother and aunts are a big influence on his passion for the industry.

Denis has been in the culinary filed for the past 16 years. Denis started his journey in the Industry when he attended the Niagara Culinary Institute after high school. It was during that time that Denis began his apprenticeship at Peller Estates at Niagara On The Lake which really opened up his mind to the creativity of the kitchen. Over the last decade, Denis has moved around Ontario and has had the opportunity of working with some of the most talented chefs in the province.

In Denis’s career he has been the recipient of many accolades and rewards and has given his time and effort back to the community. Some of these include becoming Feast On Certified; Canadian Chef at the Stratford Chef School; Awarded Top Dishes in Waterloo Region; Les Marmitons Guest Chef; Canadian Mental Health Association Guest Chef; Carizon Guest Chef.

Denis is currently operating his own food and catering business H86. You can find more information on Instagram @h86.co or try his food out at the Argyle Arms in Cambridge.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E162 Mila Chernii

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Mila Chernii. Mila joined us for the interview from her temporary home in Barcelona, Spain. Mila was born and raised in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Mila is the co-founder and co-owner of NightHawks bar in Vinnytsia. Mila is also the Chief Editor of Barout Media and an Ambassador for BARTA Tools (Ukrainian designed and crafted tools for bartenders in Spain. **

Prior to opening NightHawks, Mila spent over a decade in management, human resources, marketing and social media. Mila also owned a Social Media Marketing agency and a coffee shop and bakery. After 3 years of dropping the phrase “Let’s open a bar!” - Mila and her friends did just that and opened NightHawks!

Mila is very passionate about the bar industry as she has spent the last several years as an active member and guest of numerous industry events, both working and delivering talks. Some of the events include the following:

Speaker of Ukrainian Bar Science School. **Speaker of Athens Bar Show 2022. ** Speaker of Mirror Hospitality Expo 2023.

Mila’s personal motto: “Drink Better - Not More!”

Links

@mila.chernii

@polunocnyky.bar

https://polunochnyky.bar

If you are interested in donating to the war and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, you can do so through the following website: u24.gov.ua

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E161 Alexandra Evans

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Alexandra Evans joins us this week for an in person interview. Alex started her hospitality career over four decades ago in her teenage years working at a French café a few blocks from where she grew up in midtown Toronto. A few years later, Alex lied her way into a waitressing job at Toby’s Goodeats - very popular burger chain in Toronto in the 1980’s. Alex loved the late nights and fast cash and fast cameraderie that comes with working in the industry. Alex moved into Management at Toby’s and in the early 90’s joined the team at O’Tooles on Carlton St across from Maple Leaf Gardens and stayed for 3 years.

Alex eventually moved on to work at a French bistro - Le Paradis - for over 12 years, then soon after got bitten by the wine bug. Alex started a wine class in 1999 that morphed into a Sommelier diploma by 2004. That diploma opened the door to a management job at Boba restaurant on Avenue Road then Celestin on Mount Pleasant. That in turn opened a bigger door to Scaramouche restaurant where she stayed for 10 years as Maitre d’, Sommelier and server. Eventually, Alex retired from serving in 2019.

Alex and her partner moved to Stratford Ontario in the summer of 2021 and started teaching wine and service at the Stratford Chefs School where she enjoys passing the torch to the younger generation. In March of 2022 Alex started working for Nicholas Pearce Wines as their sales representative for South West Ontario where she gets to interact and keep her foot in the door of the hospitality industry and be in bed by 10pm….. In Alex's own words "It’s been a great gig!"

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E160 Brittany Sobisch

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Brittany Sobisch who joins us from Edmonton, Alberta. Originally from Kitchener-Waterloo, Brittany got her start in the Industry in her teenage years and has worked in almost every role in the front of house and back of house and in every environment from night clubs, dive bars, pubs and fine dining and music venues. Spending a good portion of her working life in Toronto, Brittany has recently moved to Edmonton, Alberta. Currently, Brittany is working at The Starlite Room in Edmonton.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E159 Natalie Bovis

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Natalie Bovis. Natalie’s first high school restaurant job was as a busser in her hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico, back in 1985. Since then, Natalie has held every front-of-house position imaginable in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs from Los Angeles, Paris, Washington DC,to a small town on the Costa Brava in Spain. Natalie has been a restaurant publicist, and is currently a culinary event producer, and cocktail book author.

Natalie was one of the first women blogging about mixology when she launched The Liquid Muse in 2006. From there, she has taught mixology seminars at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, at the Bols House in Amsterdam, Portland Cocktail Week, Arizona Cocktail Week; consults for liquor brands; and co-founded OM Chocolate Liqueur, which is now available in 18 states and the Caribbean. In 2015, she created New Mexico’s first annual mixology festival, and she is also a Culinary Producer for the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America national dinner series. Natalie's latest book, Drinking with My Dog: the Canine Lovers’ Cocktail Book, came out earlier this year, and her next book Cocktails with My Cat: Tasty Tipples for Feline Fanatics comes out next Spring.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E158 Danielle Pingert

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Danielle Pingert who joins the show from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Danielle has been in the service industry for fifteen plus years. Danielle’s first bartending job was at a hotel bar where she learned the basics as well as speed and efficiency. At this point, Danielle fell in love with the Industry. Danielle eventually moved on to work at a high end cocktail lounge where she studied and learned the cocktail culture and its history. From there, the cocktail culture world expanded for Danielle. Seeing as there is so much more than just pouring drinks, Danielle started building connections with guests and coworkers and providing an experience unique to each customer.

After mastering speed and classic cocktails, Danielle discovered the world of cocktail competitions. Danielle has competed in numerous competitions that have included Bombay, Makers Mark and Belvedere plus many others. With competition bartending, there was always something new to learn and that is what Danielle loved the most. The challenges were motivating for Danielle.

One of Danielle’s proud accomplishments was having the last bar she managed make the list for Tales Of The Cocktail Top 50 Best International Hotel Bars. Danielle also had the opportunity to design and help open a lounge in the Alt Hotel, where she is currently managing.

"The industry is a community that I’m very proud to be a part of, there's an unspoken liquid language that we all understand." - Danielle Pingert

Links

Keely Rollheiser - LinkedIn

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E157 Keely Rollheiser and Yelena Anter

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This week we have another 2 part episode. The first interview is with Keely Rollheiser and Yelena Anter of Cocktail Vision returns to close out the episode with our second interview.

In the main part of the show - our first guest is Keely Rollheiser - Keely is originally from Chilliwack BC but recently moved to Providence, Road Island. Keely started her career in the Industry at age 19 when she landed a job at a corporate chain restaurant. Within six months of getting hired, Keely became the bar manager. Keely loved the pressure of performing like she had something to prove. As Keely puts its “it was sort of a baptism by fire”, and she found her groove quickly.

A few years into Keely’s career, she wanted the freedom to be more creative than the corporate structure could provide her. Keely started working for a family owned and new restaurant. Keely found this to be an amazing experience opening a new spot and being able to put her personal flair on the bar and make it her own. Keely also found the process to be very humbling starting from scratch and finding what worked through trial and error. Keely loved being able to create seasonal menus and experiment with local ingredients.

Two years later, Keely moved to Cork, Ireland, with her husband where he was finishing his degree and she quickly immersed herself into the Irish bar culture! Keely helped open a really unique cocktail bar in the middle of the city. The bottom floor was a speakeasy with a lounge feel, and the upstairs was a full on nightclub. Keely loved working and collaborating on menus with bartenders that had different ideas, experiences and ingredients than she was used to.

Keely recently relocated to Providence, Rhode Island and is excited to see where her career in the Industry will take her next!

Yelena Anter - joins us from Las Vegas Nevada. Yelena is the driving force behind Cocktail Vision - an online platform that guides you through your journey in the cocktail and spirits world with recipes, products and consulting advice.

Links

@keelyrollheiser

cocktail.vision - Website

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

E156 Roger Watson and Elissa Dunn

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks episode is a 2 part show. In the first part of the show - Roger Watson - a highly acclaimed chef now working as a private chef joins us from Indianapolis, Indiana. Roger was born and raised in Doncaster in South Yorkshire in England. Roger started cooking in 2001 while still in high school when he landed a job at a local restaurant in his home town. Roger eventually enrolled in a hospitality program as Doncaster college. However, Roger left Doncaster college early before graduating after being told he would not achieve anything by leaving school early. As a result, this was the motivation Roger needed to fuel his career.

Roger eventually moved to Manchester to further his career by woking at Raymond Blanc's restaurant - while also mentoring under head chef Simon Stanley. This prepared Roger for his eventual move to London where he worked under several noted chefs and restauranteurs such as Gordon Ramsey, Tom Aikens, and Bibendum. While working in London, Roger also cooked for visiting US Presidents and for the Royal Family.

In 2013, Roger got his break in to the private chef industry when he worked for a Ukrainian billionaire - cooking for his family of 4 and staff. This was at the most exclusive address in the world - Number 1 Hyde Park, London.

In 2015, Roger moved to Memphis, Tennessee to continue his career as a private chef. Since 2019, Roger is now a private chef for an ultra high net worth family in Indiana and loving his life!

In the second part of the show - Elissa 'HellQueen' Dunn returns to the show. Elissa discusses rebranding from The BadassBartender to HellQueen Cocktails. Elissa discusses how this change came about and the process involved in the rebrand. You can find Elissa's on Instagram @hellqueencocktails

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E155 Danielle Crowley

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Danielle Crowley who joins us from Whistler, BC. A very passionate and creative bartender, Dani is originally from Aurora Ontario and has been in the industry for over a dozen years now.

Dani has worked in multiple facets of the industry from golf courses, cafes, nightclubs, train travel service and everything in between. Dani has also started competing in cocktail competitions and was crowned the Giffard West Cup Canadian National Champion in 2022 and was a semifinalist at Diageo World Class.

Currently, Dani is bartending at The Raven Room - a craft cocktail bar in Whistler where she slings drinks, creates seasonal menus and hosts cocktail workshops.

Links

The Booze Hustle - Apple Podcasts The Booze Hustle - Spotify @theboozehustle

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E154 Christen LaRochelle

Mon, 22 May 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Christen LaRochelle. A professional booze hustler for over 20 years, Christen started working in the restaurant and hospitality industry at 13 years old and segued those skills into a career in the wine and spirits supply and distribution world. Today, you'll find Christen managing a portfolio of fine wine and craft spirits in the Northeast and regularly leading educational events for consumers and trade partners alike.

In her spare time, Christen is attempting to validate the money she spent on her journalism degree by producing and hosting a wine and spirits podcast, called The Booze Hustle where she has interviewed guests like actor John Malkovich, bartending legend Dale Degroff and winemakers like Master of Wine, Nova Cadamatre.

Christen has advanced certifications in wine (WSET 3) and is in the process of obtaining her advanced spirits certification.

Links

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E153 Mike Derry

Mon, 15 May 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Mike Derry. Mike currently splits his time between Cartagena Colombia and New York City. Originally from Penticton in British Columbia, Canada, Mike waited tables and bartended through college. Mike has spent his working life in various careers - teacher, commercial production in Los Angeles, legal recruiter in NYC until he came back to his dream - bar life! Mike opened his first bar in NYC in 2013 and sold it several years later in 2018.

Eventually, Mike opened his next bar in Cartagena Colombia after travelling there for a vacation. Mondo Exotica opened 6 weeks before the pandemic and then immediately shut down for 8 months due to pandemic restrictions. The bar survived the pandemic and is now thriving. Currently, Mike is looking for a new space in NYC.

Links

@mondoctg

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E152 Michael Anderson

Mon, 08 May 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Michael Anderson. Currently, Michael is a Sommelier, Restaurant Manager and Restaurant Director at the Elora Mill located in Elora, Ontario. Michael got his start in the industry over two decades ago while he was earning his diploma in Recreation and Leisure Services. Michael worked at various independent and family restaurants as a server, bartender and manager. Eventually, Michael earned his Sommelier certification from CMS and CAPS in 2010. From there Michael worked as a Sommelier at various fine dining establishments and eventually became a wine agent for Nicholas Pearce Wines. During this time frame, Michael also started working for the Cambridge Mill which is part of the Pearle Hospitality Group and this led to where he is today at the Elora Mill.

Links

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E151 Ben Kingstone

Mon, 01 May 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Ben Kingstone is a hospitality professional with a passion for creating exceptional guest experiences. Ben entered the industry to pursue a career that feeds his drive for knowledge and excitement. With expertise in crafting unique and innovative cocktails, Ben was a finalist for Diageo World Class in 2023.

With experience in roles such as Beverage Director & Director of Operations, Ben has curated and managed beverage programs for a range of venues, including a 400-room hotel and some of Canada’s top restaurants and bars.

Ben's ability to curate excellent beverage programs, leverage beverage partnerships and manage large teams has contributed to his success and reputation for in the industry. With experience and passion like Ben’s it’s no surprise that he’s also been nominated this year for Forbes Top 30 Under 30. Ben is also set to release a bar book later this year, showcasing his knowledge and love of this industry and all its many facets. Ben believes educating the next generation of hospitality workers is critical and his commitment and passion for this is evident in the video series Beyond The Bar with NOW Magazine & his upcoming book release.

Links

@kingcoctions

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E150 Sidney Kendall

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Sidney Kendall who currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. Kendall has been in the Industry since she was 15 and has worked her way through fast food, casual and fine dining restaurants; sports and dive bars and cocktail lounges.

Kendall has moved extensively in her life as she has lived in California, Illinois, Nebraska and now lives in Arizona. Currently, Kendall is the Beverage Director for TruColor Concepts in Phoenix. Kendall oversees the bar program for the Sip & Coffee locations, 36 Below and The Rose Garden. Kendall works with a terrific team that allows her a lot of creative freedom and continues to push her out of her comfort zone.

Kendall also teaches Meditation and Breathwork with Intuitive readings. Kendall has managed to find a beautiful balance to do both passions and is excited to see where these opportunities take her!

Links

@kendallkocktails @thecatalystexperience

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E149 Hugo Gamino

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Hugo Gamino who is currently a writer and food content creator. A classically trained chef, Hugo spent over ten years in the professional kitchens of multiple brigades across the United States where he held various positions such as sous chef, chef de cuisine, executive chef, and some stages at Michelin starred kitchens.

Hugo then made a transition into the fashion industry, attending fashion design school and working for brands like Brooks Brothers, and TOM FORD.

Hugo would ultimately make his way back to the hospitality industry, working for the Chicago Cubs baseball organization as Director of Operations Premium where he was tasked in creating and developing restaurant concepts, hospitality programming menu development.

Hugo now resides in Phoenix Arizona with his wife and two boys and is in the process of developing his short story cookbook of the industry.

Links

@frombarreltobottle frombarreltobottle.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E148 Kate Boushel

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Kate Boushel who joins us from Montreal, Quebec. Kate is currently a Partner, Beverage and Education Directo and Bartender for the Barocco Goup.

After leaving the restaurant and bar industry for a successful public and government relations career, it’s Kate’s passion for local flavours, spirits, and cocktails, as well as her natural inclination toward the art of hospitality that brought her back to the craft. Since her return, nearly a decade ago, she has worked and collaborated with many industry leaders, and her work has received numerous global and national accolades.

In her role as Director of Beverage & Education for the Barroco Group in Montréal [Tiohtià:ke], she strives to lead by example, help build a stronger and healthier community, and give back along the way through mentorship and knowledge-sharing. In 2021, she was named Bartender of the Year at Les Lauriers de la Gastronomie Québécoise, and Top 10 nominee for International Bartender of the Year at the 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Spirited Awards®. She can still be found behind the bar at the Atwater Cocktail Club and Milky Way Cocktail Bar.

Links @kateboushel @groupebarroco groupebarroco.com @atwatercocktailclub @milkywaycocktails @bon_delire

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E147 Rob Wigg

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Rob Wigg of From Barrel To Bottle. Founded in December 2017 by four friends, From Barrel To Bottle's Creative Director, Erik, was contracted by a whisky company for images of their bottle in the mountains. After delivering these images and looking around online, Erik realized there was a major gap in the market. He proposed that the group of four friends start reaching out to other brands with examples of their work and companies were thrilled!

Slowly, From Barrel To Bottle began learning more about whisky and the industry, and they started pushing their creativity to find new ways to capture the beauty of whiskey. The From Barrel To Bottle team traveled to Scotland and fell in love with whiskey and the people and processes behind it. As their knowledge of whiskey grew, they were able to produce better and better content and started working with more and more brands on bigger and bigger projects.

By 2020, the From Barrel To Bottle team had been all over North America and Scotland helping brands create world class content, and they had built a strong following on Instagram of whisky enthusiasts. They started shifting a lot of their production to videography. Now in 2023 a large part of what From Barrel To Bottle do is create commercial quality videos for product launches, brand refreshes, and advertising.

Links

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E146 J'Nai Angelle and Bonus Yelena Anter

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by J’Nai Angelle in the first and main segment of the episode. In the bonus segment at 35:15 Yelena Anter makes her return to the show.

According to Where Y’at NOLA Magazine, J’Nai is “[NOLA’s] favorite virtual bartender.” J’Nai was born and raised in New Orleans, LA and she is a graduate of LSU. J’Nai has been bartending for 10 years, and has worked in almost every type of bar environment: a college bar, a dive bar, a sports bar, a classic cocktail bar, a fine dining bar, and even a dessert bar. J’Nai has also competed in numerous bartending & cocktail competitions, such as NOLA Bourbon Fest, Bourbon Brawl, Espolon Cocktail Fights, and Speed Rack.

J’Nai currently picks up shifts at Bar Tonique in the French Quarter and she create educational social media content through her Instagram @jnai.angelle to help teach others about cocktails and spirits. In 2021, J’Nai started a company called Pretty Magic Cocktails to offer high quality cocktail and spirits education classes to the public.

Links

@jnai.angelle @prettymagiccocktails prettymagiccocktails.com @cocktail.vision cocktail.vision

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E145 Ron McKinlay

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 21:00:00 -0000

Canadian Chef Ron McKinlay is the Executive Chef of Canoe restaurant in Toronto, where he works closely with producers, gatherers, and suppliers to create dishes inspired by Canada’s diverse landscapes and its distinct provinces.

After traveling, working, and training with some of the best chefs around the world, he, alongside his team, are aiming to promote and take Canadian produce and suppliers to new heights.

After highschool Ron spent 12 months in a culinary program but the school part was the problem. It is what drew him away from the program, not being a fan of the academic structure. Studying and books has never been his thing. Always finding it a struggle to concentrate in a classroom format so sitting and listening wasn’t working for him. So Ron shut that chapter out for a few years and concentrated on his first love - rugby – and put cooking as a profession behind him. Fast forward to 2004 and a shoulder injury made him reassess his next move. Taking some time to think about what he wanted to do. And the only thing that made sense was cooking.

To begin he individually emailed every single 1 Star restaurant in the UK and set off. Literally got only 1 reply which is pretty surprising considering he had no little to no experience and wasn’t even in the country at the time. He managed to land a job on the small island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It was a start and got his foot in the door and some cash in his pocket. But was left wanting more and started planning his next move after about 6 months.

From there Ron moved onto Edinburgh and got a job working for Tom Kitchin. “ Ive never had my world turned so upside down, so fast.” This was by far the most intense, challenging and rewarding work he had ever done. Over the course of four years, he immersed himself in every aspect of the kitchen and learned everything from how to pick herbs properly to making stocks to learning how to make Lievre a la Royale from scratch. All in all, teaching him what real craft is and it’s something that he can’t thank Chef Tom enough for.

Then onto Australia. Now 2010 and Ron was fortunate to get involved with the opening team for Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia. While short lived (visa issues) it gave him the chance to find his next “home” at Estelle working for Scott Pickett A.K.A the Cheffo.

“I haven’t witnessed another person who cooks as he does. From butchery to classical sauce making, working for Cheffo was a whirlwind every day. Double alcohol reductions. Stocks for every protein. Sauces were being finished to order. Upwards of 8 different sauces were made daily for service. To say it was a push is an understatement.”

And that was his home for the next four years. At Estelle Ron worked his way up as Chef de Partie to Sous Chef. They earned 1 Hat in his time there (Australia’s version of a Michelin Star). Then Cheffo opened another place called Saint Crispins, Ron went along and was shortly promoted to head chef. ”No sooner had we opened the doors and in true Cheffo style, we earned Best New Restaurant garnering 2 hats almost immediately. Never a dull moment with Cheffo! Still to this day he is a mentor and a friend and I consider myself very lucky to have spent so much time working side by side with the Cheffo. ”

Over a decade had gone by, and Ron was getting the itch to come home. So, after some time at a restaurant in the Middle East and a few more global cooking adventures, he made his way home to Canada, first on the West Coast to see the family and eventually making his way to Toronto in 2017, where Canoe is now home.

Now, as the Executive Chef of Canoe, Ron is thrilled to apply the refined techniques and modern cooking style learned and taught by some of the best out there. Continually excited to innovate new dishes and flavours influenced by Canadian ingredients – from B.C. seaweed and Ontario birch syrup to foraged Labrador tea and Fogo Island crab.

Links

@rwmckinlay @canoerestaurant canoerestaurant.com

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E144 Steph Soulis

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Steph Soulis who is the President and CEO of Little Mushroom Catering currently based out of Cambridge, Ontario. She created LMC in 2010 as a natural extension of her love for food and quality service. Stephanie was featured in a commercial for CTV in Libro’s Share the Future campaign. She is past Chair of the Board for the Kitchener Public Library, past Chair of the Board for Foodlink Waterloo Region, and was a Director with the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce. Stephanie also sits on the Waterloo Region Food System Round Table and is Chair of the Conestoga College Hospitality Program Advisory Committee. Stephanie currently sits as a Director on the Board for Libro Credit Union. She is a volunteer with the Business Education Partnership program, Junior Achievement, and a proud member of 100+Women Who Care Waterloo Region.

Stephanie has been a guest speaker at the KWBWA, IAAP, Rotary, the Marketplace Conference, Social Media Breakfast, 140ConfOnt, Scouts & Guides groups, Junior Achievement Graduation, and several other community groups. She’s been featured in the Women of Merit Magazine, and was a regular contributor to Neighbours of Grand River. In 2016, Stephanie won the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur Award, the Libro Growing Prosperity Award and she was awarded the inaugural JA Alumni of Distinction Award in 2015.

Links

@littlemushroomcatering littlemushroomcatering.ca @littlemushroomdininglounge

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E143 Raven Dales

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Raven Alexis Dales who currently lives in Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Raven has been working in the Food & Beverage industry since 2011, beginning her career studying culinary arts at Vancouver Community College and working in restaurants in Vancouver & Victoria. While doing so, Raven studied through the WSET program to better understand the relationship between food pairings and beverages.

Raven’s shift into front-of-house roles was a slow smoulder in the last couple years of her culinary-focused career. Raven wanted a better understanding of all parts of a restaurant—striving towards a better hospitality experience for all, so she began bartending in late 2018. Raven participated in the Nimble Bar Co. school curriculum and learned the ropes at Pagliacci’s; an institution in Victoria BC run by Solomon Siegel, along with the mentorship of Shawn Soole.

Raven quickly became Head Bartender and helped lead the bar program until early 2020, when she moved on to Veneto Bar and Ristorante. That venture stopped abruptly when Veneto closed permanently amidst COVID-19 restrictions, and in the time since then Raven has found herself tending bar at several establishments throughout Victoria. Raven spent a good deal of that time helping develop the bar program at Wind Cries Mary in Bastion Square, and is currently the bar manager at The Lakehouse in Shawnigan.

Raven has also participated in a few bartending competitions: Diageo World Class, Speed Rack, Made with Love and Negroni Week to name a few. Raven’s favourite parts about the competition world have been the camaraderie, meeting new people, and how amazing it is to hype and bring your peers up around you!

Links

@radhospitalitymerc @thelakehouseatshawnigan

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E142 Danny Posey

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Danny Posey who joins us from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Danny has over 16 years in the industry as he’s worked as a server, bartender, corporate trainer and general manager. After several years in a managerial role, working 80-90 hour weeks in a corporate restaurant environment, Danny simplified his life and got back to bartending. Currently, Danny is the bar manager at The Amendment in Fayetteville where he has been for the last four years.

Over the course of the last several years, Danny had been spending more time travelling to various industry events and trades shows such as Tales of the Cocktail New Orleans, Bar Convent Brooklyn, Behind the Barrel, Bar Convent Berlin and Portland Cocktail Week. As a side project, Danny is also helping smaller brands with little to no footprint in Arkansas raise awareness of their brands, and hosts tastings and cocktail classes for the public. Make sure you check out Danny’s Instagram profile @drinkwithdanny

Links

@drinkwithdanny

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E141 Meredith Barry

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Meredith Barry who joins us from St Louis, Missouri. Meredith Ann Barry was immersed within the hospitality industry at an early age, her father placing her to work in the country club that he managed some time ago. Although she held many roles throughout her time there, the excitement of creating drinks for others to imbibe seduced Meredith. From the humble beginnings of mini bottles and Island Oasis Pina Coladas, to creating craft cocktails at one of the top bars in the city of Chicago it has always been about giving a genuine experience. Meredith believes in the power of acting, speaking, leading, and being consistent in expectations, commitments, and passions to those around her—whether at home or in the work place. Meredith is forged in the heat of passion for the love, respect, validation and commitment to every individual who walks through the door.

In Chicago, Meredith has worked at Ombra, Sable, and Volume 39. She was the national champion of Compass Box’s Scotch Competition in 2018 and an national finalist in the Gra’it Grappa Competition in 2017.

Meredith is the co-owner of the bar Platypus in St Louis, Missouri and has also appeared as a contestant on Drink Masters on Netflix.

Links

drinkplatypus.com @drinkplatypus @whiskeygirltavern @meredithbarry92517

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E140 Monte Burrow

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Monté Burrow -- An HBCU graduate (Morgan State University) and seasoned leader with nearly 2 decades of beverage alcohol industry experience.

Monté’s introduction to the alcohol world emanated while at Morgan State when Anheuser-Busch came on campus to recruit for an 8-month co-op opportunity at their headquarters in St. Louis, MO. He would later go on to found a boutique Experiential Marketing & Promotions company, partnering with behemoth brands such as Martell and Crown Royal. A dual threat (Engineering & Marketing), he would go on to spend 12 years at Diageo, the world’s largest alcohol company working leadership roles on all sides of the bottle from Production and Operations to Brand Marketing and Innovation.

Monté’s has gone on to co-found Proof Theory (www.prooftheory.co) a holding company for niche brands, and Blackleaf Organic, the first French Organic Vodka on the market (www.blackleafvodka.co). Monté is passionate about creating a legacy for an inclusive community.

Links

blackleafvodka.co @blackleafvodka prooftheory.co @prooftheory @iammonteb

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E139 Chef Nuit Regular And Jeff Regular

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 21:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Chef Nuit Regular and Jeff Regular. This dynamic couple is making waves on the Toronto and Canadian food scene. Chef Nuit Regular is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of PAI, Kiin By Chef Nuit, and Sukhothai, as well as the Executive Chef of Selva.

Chef Nuit has transformed the Thai food scene in Toronto through the distinct flavours of Northern Thai cuisine and hospitality. It all began when Chef Nuit opened the humble Curry Shack in the small town of Pai, in Northern Thailand. She made the decision to leave her career as a nurse so that she could share her passion and life experiences through family recipes, street market dishes, and Royal Thai cuisine in Canada.

The first Thai SELECT Ambassador for Canada, Chef Nuit has been recognized by the government of Thailand for the authenticity of her Thai cooking and was awarded the prestigious Thai SELECT Signature designation for her restaurants. She has been named a WX Network’s 2022 Top 100 Powerful Women in Canada with the BMO Entrepreneurs Award, and is the recipient of the 2022 American Express Award for Business Leadership. She has been a guest judge on MasterChef Canada and Top Chef Canada, Season 9, appeared on Big Food Bucket List, and is a resident judge on Food Network Canada's Wall of Chefs. Her debut cookbook, Kiin: Recipes and Stories from Northern Thailand, won a 2021 IACP Cookbook Award and a Taste Canada Gold Award. Follow her on Instagram @chefnuitregular.

Links PAI Kiin Sukhothai Executive Chef of: Selva @chefnuitregular

Additional Links

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast email us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co

E138 Lauren Mote

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 21:00:00 -0000

Lauren Mote is the Global Director of On Trade Excellence for PATRÓN Tequila, developing the global PATRÓN trade advocacy agenda for the Tequila brand, and leading the global PATRÓN Perfectionists Bartending Program. Lauren is also a founding partner of the award-winning Bittered Sling cocktail bitters company, Nightcap Media marketing agency and Women Celebrate social enterprise.

Lauren is an active member and educator within the global spirits industry, Lauren has led Bar Convent Berlin and Sao Paulo seminars, Athens bar Show, Barometer, London Cocktail Week, TED Vancouver , Tales of the Cocktail and presented at World's 50 Best Bars Awards. Lauren is a part of the Tales of the Cocktail's Culture, Education and Spirited Award committees, serving as the Co-Chair for the Tales of the Cocktail Business Education Committee, and member of the European Spirited Awards Committee. Her industry peers recognized Lauren as the “International Bar Mentor of the Year” at the 2022 Spirited Awards Ceremony with Tales of the Cocktail, and in the past has been recognized as one of the top 4 International Brand Ambassadors of the Year 2019, and top 4 Best Bar Mentor 2021 & 2020. Lauren was also recognized in 2015 as the first Canadian woman inducted into the "Dame Hall of Fame" by Tales of the Cocktail. Lauren is often included in the industry's best lists, including the Bar World 100 by Drinks International, celebrating the very best of the global drinks industry, for the past 3 years. This year is Lauren’s 22nd year in drinks, and 26th in the hospitality industry. Lauren’s first book, "A Bartender’s Guide to the World" [Appetite by Penguin Randomhouse] launched on October 25, 2022 worldwide.

IG Links

@academia_patron @patron @laurenmote @bittered_sling @mobofmentors @appetite_randomhouse

Web Links

academiapatron.com bitteredsling.com Bartenders Guide To The World on Book Depository Bartenders Guide To The World on Amazon

Additional Links

@sugarrunbar @babylonsistersbar @the_industry_podcast

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E137 Alie Kudoba Returns

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Alie Kudoba who is currently the head Bartender at The Bauer Kitchen in Waterloo, Ontario. Alie returns for her second appearance on the show. Alie joins us while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. We start off talking about Alie’s side hustle - her bartending and cocktailing business. We also cover the work that goes in to crafting a cocktail list for a corporate large capacity bar. We discuss the many different factors that influence the final outcome and how you draw that fine line between creativity and the corporate reality that relies on cost and efficiency. If you’re interested in booking Alie for your next private or corporate event, you can find her on instagram at alchemist.alie - Enjoy the show!

Links

@alchemist.alie

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E136 Matt Hassen

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 21:00:00 -0000

Matt Hassen joins us on our latest episode from Kelowna, British Columbia. Matt has had over a 20 year career in the industry. Originally getting a start as a bar back, Matt quickly moved on to bartending, managing and currently as a head bartender. Matt has successfully worked his way up to being one of the top 10 bartenders in Canada through Diageo World Class. Matt is also a recipient of a kidney transplant 5 years ago after living with kidney disease for over a decade. Matt discusses how overcoming his health issues have helped him to focus on his career. Currently, Matt is working as the Head Bartender at Skinny Duke’s Glorious Emporium in Kelowna and you can find him on Instagram @matt.tender.

Links

@matt.tender

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E135 Maddie Jaggers And Yelena Anter

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 21:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Maddie Jaggers of Chef Rubber and the returning Yelena Anter of Cocktail Vision. Maddie and Yelena discuss how they represent their two distinct brands that share a common platform and resources that benefits all parties involved. Both Maddie and Yelena also talk about the hectic and intense life on road when attending and working the many trade shows.

Links

Website: cocktail.vision

Chefrubber.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E134 Raven Mina and Elissa Dunn

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 21:00:00 -0000

This week we have another 2 part episode. In the first part of the episode Raven Mina joins the show from Los Angeles California. Raven got her start bartending in Riverside California while she was still in school. Raven originally worked as a server and bar back, but once she was given the chance to become a bartender and create cocktails, she fell in love with the craft and you now find her working at Death and Co in Los Angeles as well as Native Son. In her downtime between the two jobs, Raven always finds time to play Dungeons and Dragons with her friends every week as well as spending time immersed in RPG video games.

In the second part of this episode, the Badass Bartender Elissa Dunn returns for another chat. Elissa discusses her viral video success and how this led to a substantial increase in social media followers.

Links

@zenraisin

@the.badass.bartender

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

happyaccidents.info @sugarrunbar

E133 Kate Gerwin

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Kate Gerwin who joins us from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kate is a widely celebrated bartender and hospitality consultant, is well-known in the drinks industry for being the first woman and first American to win a global bartending championship for Bols Around the World Bartending Championship in 2014, but this is just one of her many worthy accomplishments. In her more-than-20-year career, Gerwin has been named by Drinks International as one of the industry's "Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the World" (2019 & 2022), she has worked as a certified advanced master sommelier for some of Napa’s top wineries, consulted on the TV docuseries Bar Rescue, taught at the Le Cordon Bleu campus in Scottsdale, Arizona and the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt.

And we’d be remiss not to mention, as she puts it, her "favorite crowning moment:" being inducted into the Tales of the Cocktail Dame Hall of Fame, which celebrates the contributions of hard-working people to the spirits and cocktail industry.

But it is her new distillery and cocktail bar, Happy Accidents, that she is most passionate about, specifically for the industry changing work they are achieving with a new “distillery bar” concept, enabling them to operate on whole new “post pandemic” level. Buying bulk spirits directly from distilleries, distilling in house, and acting as a blending facility, they have open the door to a myriad of possibilities and profits, enabling them to operate a more equitable company for their staff. Living wages, benefits, profit sharing and partnership are only the tip of the iceberg for this 100% bartender owned, industry changing operation which puts “staff first” in all operational decisions. They offer over 70 cocktails on the menu, all of which have base spirits uniquely designed for the cocktail itself. The bartenders have the freedom to adjust not only a spirits flavor profiles and ingredients, but even the proof of the spirits that they select for their libations. Not only is each cocktail carefully curated, but the spirits themselves are designed by each bartender to compliment the intended result. Full control from still to glass.

Happy Accidents, has won TWO Best New Bar in the U.S. awards, one from Tales of the Cocktail and one from liquor.com in their inaugural awards. She is also currently on the Netflix competition series, Drink Masters.

Links

@alchemistkate

@happyaccidentsbar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

mdfkindustries.com @sugarrunbar

E132 Andi Ichim

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Andi Ichim who joins us from New York City. Half russian and half gypsy and born in Transylvania, Andi has been a hospitality pioneer more than half of his life.

Over the years, Andi has competed in several bar contests and performed in multiple bars, tv shows, and huge events around the world like: Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, France, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Ireland, Romania, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, New Orleans, Colorado, Nevada, California, Texas, Arizona, Connecticut and many others.

For the last several years Andi coordinated the bar program for the instagram sensation, Salt Bae, setting up and putting on track all his restaurants and bars in the US.

Nowadays you may find Andi literally anywhere, putting in a show and delivering unicorn energy in/ on top of/ out of/ behind of a bar somewhere.

Andi is building his own brand and you can get more information by visiting his website mdfkindustries.com

If you see him, you better be ready, just because he’s all about #AllGasNoBreaks.

Links

@mdfkandi

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E131 Kim Haasarud

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Kim Haasarud. From her humble beginnings as a bartender in the 90’s in New York City to becoming James-Beard honored mixologist and author, Kim Haasarud has embraced innovation and hospitality throughout her work on hundreds of projects with clients ranging from hotel groups, restaurant chains, mixology bars, liquor brands, distributors and other beverage brands both domestically and internationally.

Kim’s enthusiasm, professionalism, and easy-to-approach style have won her long-lasting client relationships with groups from drink development to on-site presentations, and opening bars.

This year, she opened Garden Bar PHX and The Cocktail Collaborative (a hospitality workspace) in downtown Phoenix in addition to developing virtual tasting experiences for corporate groups, where the bar took home two Foodist awards, “Best Mixologist” and “Superb Bar”.

While her volunteer service started years ago, during the pandemic Kim helped raised and distribute over $US 10 Million to bartenders in the US in need through her Board of Directors role with the USBG National Charity Foundation.

Kim is the author of the best-selling “101... “ cocktail series with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (101 Margaritas, 101 Martinis, 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks, 101 Champagne Cocktails, 101 Blended Drinks, 101 Mojitos and other Muddled Drinks 101 Tropical Drinks and 101 Shots).

Kim has been a featured presenter at Epcot’s “Food & Wine,” a judge on Iron Chef America, USBG World Class (Diageo), Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and LA Spirits Competition. She has done guest appearances on the “The Today Show,” CBS’ “Early Morning Show,” “Fox & Friends Live”, “Sonoran Living” and “Your Life A to Z”. Her work has also been seen in dozens of print and social media outlets including the NY Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Imbibe, Saveur to name a few.

Kim currently lives with her husband Kevin, two children Holden & Maddy, and miniature Australian Shepherd, Lucy, in Phoenix, AZ.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E130 Rick Baroncelli

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Rick Baroncelli is a wine professional from Waterloo, Ontario representing “The Case For Wine, Vinexx”. Rick has over 37 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, most notable was his 20 years at iconic Canoe Restaurant in Toronto. At Canoe, he served food and wine to a high-end clientele; it is there where he really discovered his love of wine and his passion for honing sommelier skills. The Canoe environment had a great wine list but also focused on tasting menus, so food and wine pairings were a top priority. Canoe has a reputation as a high-profile restaurant and is a foodie destination. This enabled Rick to be on episodes of Food Network shows such as, MasterChef Canada, Top Chef Canada, Fink, and Michael Smith’s Chef At Large. Rick has also served high profile people such as, David Beckham, Shania Twain, Justin Trudeau, and every Canadian bank CEO, to name a few.

Once leaving Toronto Rick worked at Langdon Hall, The Bruce Hotel, and ran the wine program at The Berlin in Kitchener. Currently, Rick works at The Elora Mill as a Sommlier. While managing a busy work schedule Rick also enhanced his wine knowledge by completing courses with the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS), WSET, and the Italian Trade Commission and is a Sommelier candidate with the CMS.

A lifelong learner, Rick obtained his Honors Degree in Political Science at York University. After graduation he continued to study accounting and economics at the University of Western Ontario. His love of numbers lead him into day trading, where he has traded for over 13 years. He is currently a Proprietary Trader of Futures at Leeloo Trading. Futures are a form of investment derivatives and is one of the many investment vehicles day traders choose to trade.

Rick keeps busy with many projects and is currently working on perfecting his food and wine pairing program that can easily be presented to groups. Also in the works is a wine tasting program that studies the effect of salt, sweet, and acidity on the wine taster’s palate. A believer that the balance between food and wine can make or break a pairing, and he always strives for balanced pairings. His favorite white wines come from the Loire Valley in northern France and reds from Barolo. The portfolio of old and new world wines that the The Case For Wine offers, coupled with Rick’s experience, creates many wine pairing options, whether a clean crisp Sancerre, a buttery Chardonnay, or a bold California Cabernet Sauvignon…

Links:

@rickbaroncelli

Contact Rick: rick@thecaseforwine.com kyppsaunders.ca

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E129 Leo Robitschek

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Leo Robitschek who joins us from London, England. As Vice President of Food and Beverage and Head of Bars at Sydell, Leo brings tremendous experience, leadership, and creativity to the culinary and beverage programs across the Sydell portfolio. Working alongside Sydell since 2010 as NoMad’s Managing Partner of F&B and Bar Director at Make it Nice, Leo Robitschek has been responsible for concepting, developing and leading the food, beverage and cocktail programs and teams at all NoMad properties.

A native of Venezuela, he first began working in hospitality while attending the University of Miami, but it was upon moving to New York City where his appreciation for the craft of cocktails and food began to take focus. First joining Eleven Madison Park in 2005, he reinvented the cocktail program of the award-winning restaurant. Since the opening of the first NoMad hotel and Elephant Bar in New York in 2012, and the subsequent openings of NoMad properties in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and London, Leo has overseen all aspects of the cocktail programs and served as a leader to the beverage teams for the NoMad brand.. Leo also helped lead the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales of the Cocktail for 10 years, where he helped mentor 70 global bartenders yearly with a focus on teamwork, equity, and industry growth.

Leo and his team have been the recipients of numerous Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program, as well as Best Bar in North America and #4 in the world on the list of 50 Best Bars in 2018. Leo is also the author of The NoMad Cocktail Book.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E128 Cristina Robles and Bonus Segment with Elissa Dunn

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks episode is sponsored by The Case for Wine. Get $25 off your first purchase when you mention 'The Industry Podcast' The Case For Wine has been importing quality artisanal wine for over 20 years. Founded in 1998, The Case For Wine sells its products through an assortment of channels including LCBO Vintages, LCBO General Products, the Consignment channel, and to private collectors. Contact Rick Baroncelli for all your wine needs for home and commercial at rick@theaseforwine.com Get $25 off your first purchase when you mention 'The Industry Podcast'

In the first and main part of this episode, we are joined by Cristina Robles. Also known as "Lady Tequila", Cris was born in Guadalajara Mexico. With a degree in gastronomy-chef, including food and beverage administration, Cris is also a sommelier and a certified tequila expert. Her sixteen years in the industry include five years at Altos Brand Ambassador for Mexico and then as Global Advocacy Coordinator for House of Tequila at Pernod Ricard. Having been in charge of tasting, speaking and presenting at international bar shows, Cris was nominated 3 years in a row for Bartenders Awards Mexico's "Best Ambassador." Cris is passionate about bartender advocacy and sharing her "tequila love." Check Cris out on Instagram @ladytequila_

For the second and bonus part of the episode, Elissa Dunn returns on a new recurring segment that will appear every few weeks. Elissa currently resides in Phoenix Arizona. Check Elissa out on Instagram @the.badass.bartender

Links

@ladytequila_

@the.badass.bartender

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Youtube Channel - DJ Twist

E127 Brian "Twist" Orr

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Brian "DJ Twist" Orr. Twist has been featured throughout print and TV media and performed on stage in front of thousands of people in over a dozen countries and more than 100 cities. Several of Twists's notable media appearances include Live! With Kelly Ripa, Good Day New York and Keeping Up W The Kardashians. Since starting a family, Twist has turned multi-city performing into multi-family investing, turning his first $30K investment into currently over $1 million.

Links

djtwist.com

@djtwist

email: brian@djtwist.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

CockTail Time With Kevin Kos

E126 Kevin Kos With Bonus Yelena Anter

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 20:00:54 -0000

This week we are joined by Kevin Kos in the first and main segment of the episode. In the bonus segment at 25:14 Yelena Anter makes her monthly return to the show.

Kevin Kos, is a 32-year-old bartender from Slovenia, working in hospitality since he was 16, which means that this year marks the point where Kevin has been working in this fascinating industry for half of his life! But bartending happened randomly, since Kevin originally enrolled in a civil engineering school. When he finished school, Kevin stuck to the job he worked at, and had fun in. After winning the Havana Grand Prix 2018 competition in Slovenia, Kevin's career and motivation took off and he quickly realized that he will be bartending for a long time. Kevin was offered a head bartender position in Niagara Cocktail Bar in Maribor where he has now worked for 5 years. At Niagara, Kevin started with his own Thursday evening called ‘Unknown Taste’ where he served a three-course cocktail menu with food pairings. This themed evening pushed Kevin even further in learning new things and techniques. Ever since Kevin expanded his knowledge about bartending and mixology - he wanted to share the knowledge with his staff; and; more recently on his YouTube channel called “Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos”. This is a project where Kevin works with two of his good friends, Sašo Veber (Director of Photography) and Robi Fišer (the Director). More recently, Kevin is focusing on the channel with the hope that his social media following will grow and that he could teach an even wider audience about the beautiful world of cocktails.

Links

kevinkos.com

@kevin_kos

Website: cocktail.vision

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E125 Katalin Bene

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 20:00:56 -0000

This weeks episode is sponsored by The Case for Wine. Get $25 off your first purchase when you mention 'The Industry Podcast' The Case For Wine has been importing quality artisanal wine for over 20 years. Founded in 1998, The Case For Wine sells its products through an assortment of channels including LCBO Vintages, LCBO General Products, the Consignment channel, and to private collectors. Contact Rick Baroncelli for all your wine needs for home and commercial at rick@theaseforwine.com Get $25 off your first purchase when you mention 'The Industry Podcast'

This weeks guest is Katalin Bene, who currently resides in Geneva Switzerland. Originally hailing from Hungary, Katalin grew up in a tiny village, in the picturesque Transylvania, where she could often be found outdoors, exploring the countryside, or helping her parents with agricultural work.

After finishing school, Katalin’s curiosity pushed her to move to the city of Cluj and study “Tourism Geography”, and it was during that time that she started working in the hospitality industry.

Katalin often speaks about starting from the disadvantage of not knowing any other alcoholic beverage except wine, beer, fruit distillates, never tried many basic food items, and had absolutely no idea about cocktails, but she was immediately mesmerized by this whole new world and quickly decided to become a bartender.

In the present, Katalin is a well-traveled hospitality professional, with 16 years of bartending experience, and an extensive knowledge about exotic herbs, spirits, cocktails and homemade ingredients; but more importantly, she has dedicated her professional life to ensuring guests have amazing experiences in the bars in which she works.

First, Katalin made a name for herself in London, as the Bar Manager of The Gibson Bar (at that time ranking 6th on the World’s 50 Best Bars list), then as Bar Manager & multi award-winning bartender in Switzerland. She is currently working as Bar Manager of the newly opened Live Bar, M3 Groupe in Geneva.

Katalin is a creative dynamo, or the “Swiss Tornado” - nicknamed by her industry peers. Katalin has consulted/advised for several artisanal spirit brands, she has judged international bartending competitions, and led presentations and trainings for bartenders across Europe.

In the past few years, Katalin was also one of the International Judges of Tales Of the Cocktails Spirited Awards.

Katalin’s accomplishments include the following:

Falstaff Magazine "Bar Woman of the Year" Award, 2019.
”Mixology Bar Awards” – Shortlisted in the Top 4 Bartenders of 2019.
BRIFT Bar Convent "Best Mixologist Award", 2018.
”World Class Bartender of the Year” and Global finalist, 2018, Switzerland.
Winner of International Team Competition “De Kuyper Bar Fights”, 2015.

Links

@katalin_bene

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

@christiandelpechofficial

E124 Christian Delpech

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 20:00:56 -0000

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Christian Delpech started working in bars in 1995 at the age of 17. It was at this time that Christian fell in love with flair bartending after watching the movie Cocktail. This prompted him to start practicing by himself in his home’s backyard. Christian worked in numerous places in Argentina doing shows and working flair. In 1998 Christian traveled to Spain to start his global bartending adventure and worked in Tenerife, Ibiza, Miami, Cancún and found his home in Las Vegas (which was also his dream location to work). Christian started competing in flair bartending competitions and after winning his first Pro World Championship in Vegas - Christian gets an offer to work at Caesar’s Palace - which of course he took!

Christian started to compete all over the world and winning multiple flair competitions - with many of them being world championships. After winning Legends of Bartending for the second time, Christian gets a job offer from Carnaval Court (a prestigious flair bar worldwide), where he worked for 10 years straight. After Leaving Carnaval, Christian opened The D Bar in downtown Las Vegas where he worked for 2 years, then opened The Fuel Bar. After 14 years of being in the best flair bars in Vegas, and being feature on bill boards in Las Vegas Boulevard (only bartender to be feature in 3 different billboards in Las Vegas Boulevard) and having his name in a Bar (The D bar), Christian leaves for a new adventure - this time to Miami and to join the team at the Bleau Bar at The legendary Fontainebleau Hotel.

After Fontainebleau, Christian jumps into a new adventure, working at Mr Coco in Las Vegas - a luxury high end cocktail bar with his mentor in the cocktail world, Mr Francesco Lafranconi.

In 2019, Christian returns to Miami to join the Spanglish team where he worked as head bartender for the next two years. Christian’s next move - and where he currently works - was on to Sweet Liberty - where he joined the team as head bartender. Sweet Liberty was rated one of the top 100 best bars in the world.

Christian has been in over 45 different countries competing, training people and performing. Christian has 19 World Championships tittles in Flair bartending under his belt, and over 60 other international competition winnings, including speed comps, and the King of Daiquiri in Florida, La Habana (the only bartender from out of Cuba to ever win this competition). Christina loves bartending in general and he consider himself a bartender (not a Flair bartender, not a mixologist, just a passionate bartender). Christian also spends time furthering his reach and influence by creating content for Social Media - especially Instagram. @christiandelpechofficial

Links

Christian's Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/christiandelpechofficial

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@christian_delpech

Additional Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E123 Tales Of The Cocktail - The Interviews

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:00:56 -0000

This weeks show is a collection of short interviews that Kypp managed to capture while he was at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans in late July. You will hear from the following people in the following order during the episode - the start time of each interview segment is shown in MM:SS

01:14 Vicki Diez of Brittany Sales Vicki Diez on Instagram

05:38 Jacob Salazar of Broken Shaker and Ellen Slots who runs her own hospitality consulting business @wake_n_jake23 @Ellen_m.f_slots

11:28 Ingrid Rodriguez of Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey Irodriguez@whistlepigrye.com https://whistlepigwhiskey.com

13:48 Seth Miller of the Spotted Cat @wandering_mind https://www.spottedcatmusicclub.com

16:50 George Rowley of Lafee Absinthe https://lafee.com

realabsinthe

21:58 Matthew and Laurie Westfall of Archipelago Gin and Full Circle Craft Distillers @fullcircledistillers https://fullcircledistillers.com

23:36 Elissa Dunn - a former guest of the podcast @the.badass.bartender

26:42 Nikki and Henry Preis of Preissimports @preissimports https://www.preissimports.com

31:28 Je’Nai Williams of prettymagiccocktails.com @jnai.angelle @prettymagiccocktails

48:46 Danny Posey - Bartender/Manager at The Amendment in Fayetville Arkansas @drinkwithdanny https://www.facebook.com/theamendmentondickson

53:30 Cocktail Vision @cocktail.vision https://cocktail.vision

Additional Links @sugarrunbar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

@drinks.with.fonz @sugarrunbar

E122 Alfonso Esquivias

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Alfonso Esquivias who joins the show from Long Beach, California. Alfonso starting working in the restaurant industry back in 2011 when he landed a job at a small Mexican restaurant named Taco Surf in Seal Beach, California. In 2018, Alfonso moved on to Mama’s Comfort Food and Cocktails. In 2021, Alfonso began getting into craft cocktails at home and started buying books and bottles which led to a never ending hobby. Then, in July 2021 Alfonso launched his mobile bar business, Drinks With Fonz LLC and that endeavour has proved to be successful. Afonso is still working at Mama’s while running Drinks With Fonz and other projects in the industry.

Links

drinkswithfonz.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

@2brofurlough @sugarrunbar

E121 Rohan Puri

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Rohan Puri who joins us from London England. Rohan is a highly experienced mixologist with over 11 years working in the industry at award winning cocktail bars such as Menzels, The Great Gatsby, Daisy’s and Barrowboy in Sheffield. Rohan left bar work to pursue a career in social research, but has kept his cocktail skills sharp through his drinks Instagram page @2brofurlough where he has gained over 4000 followers and partnered with brands such as Wooly’s, Hogg Norton, London Square Spirits and Casa Agave. Rohan loves the craft involved in creating delicious, balanced cocktails and takes much care to present them in a beautiful and enticing fashion in order for them to provide a sensory experience for their consumers. Rohan’s favorite spirits are those with an agave base or bitter red Italian liqueurs.

One additional note - if you are going to be in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail - Kypp will be there from July 27 to the 29th. If you’d like to be interviewed for the podcast - you can DM us on instagram or email us at info@theindustrypodcast.club

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E120 Myesha WIlliams

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Myesha Williams was born and raised in Memphis Tennessee and currently resides in Los Angeles California. Myesha graduated from the University of Memphis in 2017 with a degree in theatre. Not only is Myesha a southern girl but she is also a theatre kid. In her last semester of college, Myesha started her bartending career at Coyote Ugly Saloon on Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. During that time, Myesha bartended, promoted and performed body shots during the shifts, and danced Coyote Ugly routines in the bar. Myesha also traveled to wok at several other Coyote Ugly locations in Austin, San Antonio, New York, and Nashville.

In the summer of 2019, Myesha moved to LA to pursue her acting career. While in LA, Myesha landed a few gigs being a mobile bartender. This was a quick change in the dynamics from crazy dive bars to elegant weddings, birthday parties, memorials, and more. Myesha decided to create bartender content on social media platforms to keep the creative and performance side of her active. She has also bartendeded at Don Quixote numerous times for events. Myesha is now a full-time bartender for the new location of Soho House on Holloway street in West Hollywood.

Links

Instagram @myesha2.0

Tik Tok @myesha2.0 @sugarrunbar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E119 Ashly Levi

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Ashly Levi aka Miss Agave who joins us from Miami, Florida. Ashly is a bartender who focuses on Agave Spirits education. Ashly originally got her start in the industry when she moved to Australia at the end of 2015. Ashly’s first job was at a tequila and Mexican food themed restaurant. It was this first job that sparked Ashly’s interest in agave spirits.

Ashly’s passion is the education of agave and we discuss the many types of agave as well as some of Ashly’s favourites and her recommendations. We also talk with Ashly about developing her own brand, we discuss the Miss Agave platform and Ashly’s plans moving forward. Make sure you check out Ashly on Instagram @missagave and on Tik Tok @missagave Links

Links

Instagram @missagave

TikTok @missagave

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E118 Yelena Anter Returns

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Yelena Anter returns this week for another interview on The Industry. Originally from a small village in Russia, Yelena currents lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yelena has a very strong entrepreneurial spirit and is the creator and the driving force behind Cocktail Vision - an online platform that guides you through your journey in the cocktail and spirits world with recipes, products and consulting advice. You can find all of Yelena’s products on Chef Rubber.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E117 Lucinda Wright

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks episode is sponsored by The Case for Wine. The Case For Wine has been importing quality artisanal wine for over 20 years. Founded in 1998, The Case For Wine sells its products through an assortment of channels including LCBO Vintages, LCBO General Products, the Consignment channel, and to private collectors. Contact Rick Baroncelli for all your wine needs for home and commercial at rick@theaseforwine.com

This week we are joined by Lucinda Wright who is the co-founder and CEO of Cask & Kettle, a craft cocktails company serving up at-home hot cocktails. Lucinda and her team believe that making the perfect cocktail requires knowledge, proper ingredients, and passion. While most of us don’t have mixologists hanging around our homes, Cask & Kettle can fill the void.

Links

@caskandkettleusa

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E116 Madison Cashubec

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Madison Cashubec. Born in St Jacobs, Madison moved to Kitchener-Waterloo around the age of 10. Madison started her career in the Industry when she landed a job as hostess at Wildcraft while working on her undergrad in Languages at Wilfrid Laurier University. Madison eventually moved on to working catering events and serving. This was her introduction to Hacienda Sarria - a wedding events venue in Kitchener where Madison worked for several years as a bar tender and eventually the bar manager.

Madison moved on to 21 Fir, a cocktail-focused bar where she was able to expand her knowledge of spirits and creativity. Currently Madison works at the Grand Trunk Saloon where she manages the bar program.

Links

@kwgrandtrunk

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

@cocktailman thecaseforwine.com

E115 Danil Nevsky

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Danil Nevsky, a Russian globe trotter currently living in Barcelona. Dan is the Founder and CEO of Indie Bartender.

Dan has been nominated among the Top 100 Most Influential in the Hospitality Industry and also addresses himself as ‘The Independent Bartender’, has a diverse range of international experiences and over 15 years in the hospitality industry.

Dan has successfully completed the ‘Vagabond Project’, 16 Months when he worked free full time in 11 different bars and 11 Countries.

Ambitious, unfiltered & always interested in pushing the limits of the Hospitality industry, Dan’s main goal is to provide independent meaningful marketing solutions for spirit brands and empower the bartenders worldwide.

Links

indiebartender.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E114 Kayla Davidson

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 20:00:02 -0000

This weeks guest is Kayla Davidson. Kayla is from the Kitchener-Waterloo area and started working in The Industry when she was still in high school when she landed a job at local landmark Angie’s Kitchen. Kayla moved to Michigan for a few years where she spent time working in a Thai Restaurant and even worked as a GoGo dancer at a club. Kayla eventually moved back to the K-W area and spent a number of years working all aspects of front of house in various bars and restaurants. Kayla even spent some time managing a clothing store. Kayla found time to have two wonderful children over this time and recently returned to work at Babylon Sisters part time while she pursues her degree at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Kayla has a successful side business - @_lostlolavintage - a makers and thrifters vintage shopping experience.

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E113 Christie Collins

Mon, 30 May 2022 20:00:24 -0000

This weeks guest is Christie Collins. Christie has worked in a multitude of restaurant settings from breakfast places to brew pubs to casual fine dining establishments and golf courses and many more. Currently, Christie is the driving force behind growprepcreate.com - an online platform dedicated to helping people cook, meal plan and prep in a way that supports your health goals and delights your tastebuds. You can also find Christine online at christiecollins.ca and on Instagram @grow.prep.create

Born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, Christie grew up in a very large, close family where all of the gatherings entered on food. There was a love and appreciation built for amazing spreads, pot luck style where every family contributed a dish or two with the dishes and presentation getting fancier as everyone got older.

Having worked in all sorts of restaurant settings through the years, Christie has gained a deep understanding and appreciation of cooking, dining, wine and enjoying life. Each place Christie has worked, she has always been one to ask a lot of questions to the chefs and cooks about any new dishes or ingredients. Along the way, Christie developed a wealth of knowledge regarding specific techniques and flavour combinations from some amazing chefs.

Loving food and beverages (wine.. mostly wine) has been a huge part of what has lead Christie to nutrition - wanting to find a way to indulge in delicious food everyday, but still leading to a healthy life.

Also a big thank you to our sponsor - thecaseforwine.com Contact rick@thecaseforwine.com for all your wine needs - both personal and commercial.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Purchase Tickets for the Moose Lodge Show

E112 Jay Leonard

Mon, 23 May 2022 20:00:40 -0000

This week we are joined by Jay Leonard - the company owner and director of the mobile app Social Kindred (iOS and Android)- a hub for promoting the local nightlife, cultural, food and entertainment scene in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and surrounding areas. Jay is also the drummer and band leader of local band Romeo Sex Fighter.

Jay got his start in The Industry when he started working at the age of 13 in family diners and breakfast joints. Jay started working the entry level positions of dish pit and greeter/busboy and this became his industry education. Eventually Jay moved into food prep and food runner. By the time Jay turned 18, he became a sever and within a year, Jay was training the new staff members on all aspects of front of house. By this point of his early Industry career, Jay was expediting or managing working in detail oriented fine dining service establishments or the fast pace of pubs.

After nearly 10 years of food service under his belt, Jay was fortunate enough to join the music end of the nightlife industry. Jay has been a part of the original music scene, touring Canada and the British isles, sponsored events in Japan and across the U.S. Jay has played in bands of all genres from Bluegrass, Jazz, Celtic and Pop Rock. Currently he spends his time in music as band leader in Romeo Sex Fighter, a local fan favourite party band where most of the shows are on corporate stages.

For the last seven years Jay has devoted his time to developing a mobile app platform that promotes nightlife as an industry. This includes events such as food and dining, music, pub trivia, stand-up comedy, burlesque, cultural events - essentially anything that is fun and gets people involved in supporting local nightlife. The app is called Social Kindred and it is expected to make its official launch Summer 2022.

Romeo Sex Fighter is playing live this coming Friday May 27, 2022 at the Moose Lodge in Kitchener. Tickets are $20

Social Kindred on iOS

Social Kindred on Android

@romeosexfighter

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E111 Oliver Leung

Mon, 16 May 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest Is Oliver Leung - the Canadian Brand Ambassador for Luksusowa (Look-su-so-va) Vodka & Wyborowa (Vee-bo-ro-va) Vodka. Oliver was born in Hong Kong, and moved to Mississauga/ GTA area when he was 13. Oliver graduated from the Hospitality & Tourism Program from the University of Guelph, and that’s where he began his career in hospitality.

Oliver’s first job in the industry was as a Bar back/ Server at a convention center in Burlington during the summer while he was in school. At first, Oliver wanted to get into bartending purely because he saw how much money bartenders can make. But as he was learning how to bartend, Oliver started to fall in love with the bartending craft and started going down the rabbit hole with cocktails & spirits. Over the years, Oliver became a WSET level 3 holder and has bartended across many different bars in Toronto such as industry well-known Project Gigglewater, Suite 114 cocktail bar, Four Season Hotel Toronto, Hotel X Toronto and other hotels & restaurants. Eventually, Oliver became a Brand Ambassador for PMA, representing Luksusowa & Wyborowa Vodka, continuing the journey of Cocktails & Spirits

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E110 Rose Fernando

Mon, 09 May 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Rose Fernando who joins us from London England. A whisky aficionado and a former Johhnie Walker Experience Ambassador, Rose has an extensive knowledge of all things whisky.

Rose's Bio in her own words:

My name is Rose Fernando and I am a massive Johnnie Walker fan, of the blend and of the history. I first was introduced to Johnnie Walker as a rebellious teen and hated it and wondered who would ever drink it (clearly it took a little while for my palate to refine).

At the age of 28 I received my first bottle of Blue Label and had a dram of it instantly. The richness of the whisky, all its subtleties and aromas, I was a changed woman. I started learning more and more about the whisky process and learning more and more about the blend and history of Johnnie Walker.

Fast forward 3.5 years and I now have more than 200 bottles in my private collection, more than 400 newspaper and magazine prints dating from 1909 and endless branded merchandise all related to Johnnie Walker.

I was able to be on the team when Johnnie Walker Princess Street opened their doors last year but due to health reasons, I wasn't able to stay for long and soon found myself back in London.

If you have any questions about the brand, my collection or questions in general, please feel free to follow and send me a DM @roses.johnniewalker

Links

@roses.johnniewalker

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Contact Tommy on LInkedIn

E109 Tommy Yionoulis And Bonus Segment with Yelena Anter

Mon, 02 May 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This week we have a special 2 segment episode. In the first and major part of the show, we are joined by Tommy Yionoulis - the founder and Managing Director of OpsAnalitica - an Operations Management Platform designed for the service industry. At the 45:00 minute mark, Yelena Anter returns to the podcast for a new recurring segment that will happen every month. Yelena discusses some of the interesting experiences she has had over the years while working in Las Vegas.

Tommy Yionoulis has been in the restaurant industry for nearly his entire adult life. He has a BSBA from University of Denver’s Hotel Restaurant school in addition to an MBA. This former stand-up comic turned SaaS founder, has extensive experience helping businesses become more efficient and profitable through process, accountability, and data. Tommy is currently the Managing Director of OpsAnalitica, an Operations Analytics platform that focuses on managing and measuring daily team activities for large multi-unit businesses. Tommy believes that the next big technological disruptor event for many businesses is going to be implementing Operations Management software to shape the future of work and beat our competitors through better, more consistent daily operations.

Links

OpsAnalitica

Website: cocktail.vision

Recipe Book on Amazon - Christmas Cocktails And Shenanigans

email us info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E108 Jules Ouroumis

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Jules Ouroumis who is currently employed as the Brand Specialist for Flor De Cana Rum. Jules is originally from the Greater Toronto Area and joins the show this week from Pickering, Ontario. Before Jules discovered the world of fine wine and spirits, Jules played hockey for Brock University.

Jules started her career when she graduated from Brock University and moved out west to British Columbia. Jules landed a job at arguably one of the most beautiful wineries in Canada, Mission Hill. Jules started as a Sommelier/Server at their fine dining restaurant ‘The Terrace’. Jules quickly fell in love with sales and the Industry itself as she eventually became a territory manager for the Mark Anthony Group. Jules also continued with positions in Key Accounts and Territory Management.

Jules career has taken her to Whistler, Kelowna, Vancouver and Toronto. She has represented brands such as Moet & Chandon, Rodney Strong, Veuve Cliquot, Buffalo Trace and Hennessey. Jules has sold the range from fine wines to that bourbon that should be on your bar cart - she has sold it all!

Several years ago while on a backpacking trip to Nicaragua, Jules discovered Flor De Cana Rum - one of the most sustainable rum brands on the planet! When an opportunity eventually arose to work with Flor De Cana Rum - Jules jumped at the chance and has not looked back since. Jules loves to talk about all things Flor De Cana - make sure you check her out at one of her many upcoming Flor De Cana appearances at an establishment near you!

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E107 Ty Miners

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 20:00:05 -0000

This week we are joined by Ty Miners who currently works at The Bauer Kitchen in Uptown Waterloo.

Ty got her start in the industry about seven years ago when she landed a job at Jack Astors as a server. Ty stayed there for about a year and a half before moving on to Chucks Roadhouse to help open the first location in Kitchener. Ty worked there for about a year when she had a desire to move into a more structured environment where she could really engage with guests, tighten up her dialogue and learn more about casual fine dining.

Ty soon moved into a supervising role at The Bauer Kitchen and realized that she loved the management aspect of this part of the industry. This was a big move for Ty as she assumed that serving was going to be in her sights for many years to come, connecting with her guests and creating regulars that come in just to sit in her section. Ty wound up going full time supervisor within three months of being hired at Bauer Kitchen and put all her efforts into making sure the restaurant and the team were set for success. With all of her extra hours put in, Ty was then offered the position to be the Service Manager. This transition was not an easy one, with a whole lot of push back. However, it wound up being the right decision for Ty.

Approximately eight months later, the Beverage Manager left and Ty was considered for the position. This did not come lightly as Ty was not ready for the beverage program initially. But in Ty’s own words she said "Bring it on" and has not looked back since.

Links

@alchemist.allie

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E106 Mallory Lee

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Mallory Lee who currently lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Originally born and raised in the United States, Mallory started working in the Industry at a young age while living in New York City. Mallory has worked the entire chain of positions such as hostess, waitress, bar back, bartender and bar manager. Mallory left the US when she was 22 without a plan and a 1 way ticket to Istanbul. Mallory spent some time working and living in Turkey, Greece and Lebanon before moving to her current home in Dubai. Currently, Mallory is employed as the Brand Ambassador for Giffard Liquers and Syrups and splits her time between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and France.

Links

@malgiffard

@giffard_liquers_syrups

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Jose Mariano on Instagram

E105 Jose Mariano

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Jose Mariano joins the show this week. Currently residing n Tulsa Oklahoma, Jose is originally from Modesto California. Jose is a quick learner and has developed a keen interest in the craft cocktail world. Jose is a rising star in the hospitality scene and you can find Jose's profile on Instagram.

Jose’s bio in his own words: “My name is Jose Mariano, from Modesto California. I’m someone with a high drive willing to learn and adapt quickly with greatest ambition. Coming from a family with nothing allows me to stay dedicated to success. No matter how difficult job duties get I’m willing to get the job done and create an amazing atmosphere for myself and my team. With Only a few years in the industry, I’ve learned to adapt to the restaurant and bar scene. Whether making drinks, serving, or even being a busser. Bartending has been my greatest decision and with my skills and knowledge, I’m willing to improve everyday and create new memories with amazing people and influencers.”

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E104 Fernanda Cardozo

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is the talented Fernanda Cardozo. Fernanda currently lives in Madrid Spain, but was born and raised in Columbia which is were she started her hospitality career. Fernanda has studied international cuisine and is very passionate about asian flavors. Fernanda has also studied molecular gastronomy at the University of Girona.

After several years of working in the kitchen, Fernanda fell in love with the bar. She saw the bar and the relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant from afar, which was very different from a busy kitchen. Therefore, after 4 years in the kitchen Fernanda started working behind the bar in her early 20’s. Fernanda studied in Cali, Columbia and worked in several bars in Colombia, creating menus and working with brands. Fernanda opened a bar with a close friend in Cali Colombia called Elsa Café. They currently have 4 locations.

Fernanda eventually moved to Spain and realized that this is where she needed to stay. Fernanda had originally started visiting Spain as a child to see family and considers Spain as her second home.

Fernanda spent several years studying whisky and improving her mixology skills. Eventually, Fernanda applied for a vacancy in a Michelin starred restaurant named Benares where she became the bar manager in her mid 20s. Fernanda was responsible for creating the menu and managing staff. Fernanda eventually moved on to a popular speakeasy bar in Madrid called Bad Company.

Fernanda also has a passion for photography. She is now making a career out of her hobby and photography skills. Fernanda currently creates content for brands and bars in Madrid. Fernanda is currently creating a new cocktail menu for restaurant chain called The Lobstar.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E103 Yelena Anter

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Yelena Anter from Las Vegas Nevada. Yelena is the driving force behind Cocktail Vision - an online platform that guides you through your journey in the cocktail and spirits world with recipes, products and consulting advice.

Yelena is a fantastic guest with an incredibly interesting story that originates in a small village in Russia listening to Elvis Presley records that were smuggled in behind the iron curtain and how this helped fuel her motivation to move to Las Vegas. This is a interview that you will enjoy listening to!

This is Yelena's story in her own words:

“Just look pretty, sell as many frozen drinks as possible, and sell an extra shot or two of booze,” my boss instructed me. This where my mixology journey began, like all great things, in sleazy obscurity. At the age of twenty one, I was hired as a bartender for a daiquiri bar on The Las Vegas Strip. Originally from a small village in Russia, I had no clue what comprised a Rum and Coke or Gin and Tonic, except perhaps the Coke. I was strong even in high heels, carrying as many drinks as would fit onto two trays at once. It fascinated me how different a blue, red or yellow slushy tasted, depending on what spirit was added to it. I was instantly hooked on the entire scene.

My twenties flew by with increasing sophistication and decreasing crushed ice, at the same time “high-end” cocktails became mainstream. I found myself and the industry evolving away from those simple, sweet ole’ days selling yard-long slushees taking nothing away from that quintessential Vegas experience. I also found myself closer to my Russian roots of resourcefulness and stylistic restraint. With extremely limited options for ingredients, I was accustomed to improvisation and creativity ever since I was a child. Artisanal mixology is, after all, best achieved combining well-chosen ingredients sparingly in a shaker instead of dumped into a blender.

Whether recreating a beloved classic or fashioning a novel libation, I approach the craft of mixology as a chef would create an entree. An intimate knowledge of ingredients and their synergy is key. Traveling the world, I’ve been blessed to have experienced a wealth of cultures, their unique cuisines and their rainbow of distillates. Classically trained in art, I understand the essence of good orchestration — a perspective I use to build and integrate the flavor components of a cocktail. My special power, were I a superhero, is my mental library of flavors I’ve cataloged over the years. My second superpower is my ability to imagine the interaction of those thousands of flavor combinations in my head. It saves money on booze, trust me.

I find my purpose leading people through a well-provisioned cocktail journey, as does a seasoned expedition guide through the jungle. The spirit safari, if you will, begins upon opening the menu — better yet, the spirit story book. What enchanted libation will you be experiencing tonight? “Peachcraft” or “Voodoo Brew”? Each masterpiece is custom built, uniquely garnished and lovingly poured to evoke the senses and help carry you away on an unforgetable cocktail adventure. I achieve my inner zen in the joy shown on the faces of others while sipping my creations and enjoying the journey I’ve thoughtfully curated for them.

Let Cocktail Vision be your spirit guide!

Links:

Website: cocktail.vision

Recipe Book on Amazon - Christmas Cocktails And Shenanigans

@yelenaanter

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Chef Matt Basile Youtube Channel

E102 Matt Basile

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 20:00:00 -0000

Matt Basile is the founder of the Toronto-based street food brand, Fidel Gastro's, which, within four years, went from an underground sandwich pop-up to an internationally recognized food brand. Now almost a decade later, Matt has a still growing business of food experiences, restaurant consulting and new and exciting foodie-filled projects on the way. Matt always strives to be different in an industry steeped in tradition.

For two seasons, Matt was the host of the internationally aired, reality TV show, Rebel Without a Kitchen, seen on Netflix, the Travel and Escape Channel, the Cooking Channel, and the Asian Food Channel. In 2015, Matt was nominated for a coveted Canadian Screen Award for Best Host of a Canadian Reality Series. In spring 2020, Matt starred in CBC’s new reality show, Fridge Wars, which will see two celebrity chefs challenge each other to make the best meals possible using only ingredients found in Canadian families’ homes across the country.

Matt is also the author of the bestselling cookbooks, Street Food Diaries and Brunch Life, which was nominated for a Taste Canada Award and a World Gourmand award. He has also contributed as a food writer for Huffington Post and Vice, and is a regular guest on programs such as Global Morning and Breakfast Television.

The Fidel Gastro’s brand celebrated six phenomenal years with their brick and mortar gastro pub, Lisa Marie, which was featured on various TV series, including You Gotta Eat Here! and Chef In The City. It was also ranked as the ninth best brunch spot in Canada by OpenTable magazine.

Today, in addition to growing Fidel Gastro’s brand, Matt collaborates with brands and food personalities over his popular social media and YouTube channels. He also posts original recipes and hosts cooking series via YouTube, including Chefs in Cars Getting Takeout, Date Night with Grandma, and YAAA Brunch.

Links:

Instagram @chefmattbasile

TikTok @chefmattbasile

chefmattbasile.com

Fidel Gastro's

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E101 Justin Vail

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Justin Vail who currently lives in Toronto, Ontario. Justin is the co-owner of Sugar Run in Downtown Kitchener.

Justin got his start in the industry in his early 20’s while he was in the midst of pursing a musical career. Working in The Industry provided Justin the freedom to have a flexible schedule. One of Justin’s early jobs was working at Wildcraft - one of the many restaurants in the South Western Ontario chain of restaurants owned by the Charcoal Group. Working in a chain provided the structure and rigidity that helped shaped Justin’s approach to his career which he has maintained ever since. Justin has worked in many different aspects of The Industry from fine dining, to high volume bars and independent breweries.

Justin is now co-owner of Sugar Run along with The Industry Podcast host Kypp Saunders.

Links:

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E100 Matt Hewson and Janine Saunders

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:00:40 -0000

This is our 100th Episode of The Industry Podcast. Joining us this week are Matt Hewson who is the Manager at Sugar Run in Downtown Kitchener, and Janine Saunders the Manager of Babylon Sisters in Uptown Waterloo. Matt Hewson is originally from Kingston Ontario and has extensive experience working both back of house and front of house positions in various bars and restaurants in the Kingston area, Vancouver and Waterloo Region. Matt’s creativity in the cocktail scene is unparalleled and absolutely sensational. Janine is from Waterloo Region and also has extensive experience working in the bar and restaurant industry. From her humble beginnings as a sandwich artist at Subway to perfecting her cocktail creations at White Rabbit and now running the show at Babylon Sisters - her knowledge of food and wine is unprecedented.

We also want to send out a big Thank You to Zak Hannah for all the artwork for the podcast - make sure you check out his website at zakhannah.co

Thanks to everyone who has had a chance to listen to the podcast - and cheers to the next 100 episodes!

Links:

@matt.hewson

@chasephotography.ca

The Bottle Shop By Sugar Run

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E99 Jonathan Gushue

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 21:00:00 -0000

This week’s guest is Jonathan Gushue - one of Canada’s finest and most decorated chefs. After training in the Japanese Alps for one year, Jonathan accepted an apprenticeship with the Savoy Group in London. Jonathan later moved on to the Novelli Group and Pied a Terre also in London. Upon returning to Canada, Jonathan made his way across the country and back again working in St. John’s, Toronto and Vancouver. In 2002 Jonathan was named head chef of the famed Truffles Restaurant at the Four Seasons in Toronto, where he developed his passion for regional cooking. There he maintained the restaurants 5 diamond status for 3 years. In 2005, Jonathan became executive chef of Langdon Hall, a Relais and Chateaux property just outside of Toronto. Some regard its kitchen to be the finest in Canada. Most recently Jonathan and his kitchen have received the Tattenger Award of Excellence, #77 in S. Pellegrino top 100 and the Pinnacle award for Canadian Chef of the Year.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E98 Sassy Ray

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 21:00:05 -0000

This week the only and only Sassy Ray of Sassy Ray Burlesque joins the show. The “Voice That Makes Ya Moist” - Sassy Ray has been bringing burlesque revival to the masses for over 15 years now. Since Sassy’s stage debut, her brand of music, comedy and tease quickly became and remains a crowd favourite. Sassy is the Producer of Top Shelf Burlesque at Sugar Run, a host of The Toronto Burlesque Festival and some of Sassy’s accomplishments include Winner of “Best Singer” and “Best Act” at the 2015 Burlypicks Burlesque and Variety Performance Competition Canadian Finals, “Best Singer” at the 2014 Burlypics International Finals in Hollywood, CA. Sassy is also a long time teacher and mentor of many burlesque babies.

Sassy Ray is bringing Top Shelf Burlesque show to Sugar Run this Saturday, February 19 2022. Doors open @7pm - get there early as the show is always a sell out.

Links:

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E97 Heather “Foster” Kjollesdal

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 21:00:11 -0000

This week guest is Heather ‘Foster’ Kjollesdal. Heather is currently the Dressing Room Coordinator for both Metallica and The Rolling Stones. Heather’s job is essentially to take care of the band and ensuring that they have everything they need while on tour.

Heather started working in The Industry when she got a summer job while in high school as a dishwasher. Within a few months, Heather was being trained on the line as a cook. At age 18, Heather moved on to a new summer job at a catering company that catered all the concerts and major events in Toronto as both cook and dining room service. This included venues such as Massey Hall, Maple Leaf Gardens, Exhibition Stadium on the CNE grounds and many more. The company catered every show or event that came through Toronto from Bette Midler to the Indy car race, to Guns N Roses with Metallica, The Rolling Stones, etc.

After the summer job ended, Heather attended university and worked at various restaurants as a line cook. Once Heather completed her post secondary education, she returned to Toronto and worked various jobs. Several years later in 2002, Heather got a call from the catering company she had previously worked for and they had asked her to go on tour with he Rolling Stones as the front of house caterer for the crew. This launched Heather’s career, and she has never looked back.

Some of the notable acts and tours that Heather has worked for include the following:

2003 - 2004 Metallica dressing rooms

2005 - U2 rehearsal in Vancouver for a month as crew caterer

2005-2007 The Rolling Stones dressing room caterer

2007 Van Halen tour management - Canadian tour

2008 John Mellencamp crew caterer - Canadian tour

2008 -present Metallica dressing room coordinator

2012 - present The Rolling Stones dressing room coordinator

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Kazimierz Wine & Whiskey Bar

E96 Dominique Jackson

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 21:00:29 -0000

This weeks guest is Dominique jackson. Currently residing in Scottsdale, Arizona, Dominque grew up in Akron, Ohio. While living in Akron, Dominique landed her first job in the Industry bartending at a hookah lounge that had a full service bar. Dominique spent several years working at the hookah lounge and this stint led to her taking a deeper interest in bartending and to learning the craft. As a result, Dominque immersed herself in books related to mixology and books that were bartending adjacent.

Dominique spent several more years in Akron until the Covid shutdown of March 2020 happened. With nothing really tying Dominique down in Ohio, Dominique decided to move west in July 2020 and set her sights on expanding her skill set in warm and sunny Arizona. Dominque managed to land a job at Kazimierz in Scottsdale and has not looked back since. Dominique recent dropped her first cocktail menu consisting of sixteen cocktails her own twist and approach. The future looks bright for Dominque!

Links

@drinkingwithdom

@kazbarscottsdale

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E95 Andrew Daw

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 21:00:39 -0000

This week we are joined by Andrew Daw - Canadian Brand Ambassador for Crystal Head Vodka and Signal Hill Whisky. Andrew was born and grew up in St John’s, NewFoundLand but currently resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Andrew started working in The Industry at the age of 19 when he landed his first job as a bouncer/security at Club Bounce in St John’s. From there, Andrew eventually moved over to the Sundance where he got his first taste of working behind the bar as he now moved on to being bar back as well as a bouncer. Andrew spent over a decade working the bar and restaurant strip of George Street in St Johns in many different facets of the bar and restaurant industry as he has worked the dish pit, food runner, promotions, bar back, bartender, server, supervisor and bar manager.

In 2015, Andrew entered his first bartending competition when he competed in the Best Caesar in St. John’s where he placed 2nd. A few months later, Andrew completed in the MIXXIT on the Rock Best Bartender in St John’s where he placed 1st. It was at this point that Andrew started taking bartending more seriously as he had developed the confidence required to grow his skills. Andrew stared entering additional competitions and conducting bar training sessions.

In 2018, Andrew moved to Toronto where he was hired as part of the opening team at Don Alfonso 1890. From there, Andrew moved on to the The Shore Club where he eventually landed the role as Bar Manager where he spent the next year and a half.

In January 2020, Andrew stared his current role as Canadian Brand Ambassador for Crystal Head Vodka and Signal Hill Whisky. Dan Aykroyd is the creator and major owner of Crystal Head Vodka.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E94 Kadrian Possul

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 21:00:40 -0000

This weeks guest is Kadrian Possul who joins the show from Norway. Originally born in Tallinn Estonia, Kadrian has been working in the Industry for over a decade. Kadrian got her start in the Industry when she got her first summer job as a restaurant. Realizing that the money was good, Kadrian keep the job all through her high school years.

Once Kadrian had completed high school, she went to work on a ferry that travelled between Tallinn and Helsinki. It was while working on the ferry that Kadrian received her first proper training for waitressing and bartending. This piqued her interest in the Industry as a career. As a result, Kadrian attended a bartending training program at the Estonian Bartending Association.

Once her training was complete, Kadrian moved on to working at different bars all over Tallinn. First as a bar back, and then eventually as a bartender and then the last few years as a bar manager.

Over the last five, six years, Kadrian has spent time working in Spain and New York City.

At the end of November 2021, Kadrian moved from Estonia to western Norway to help open up a new bar in a small town south of Bergen. The bar is named Yos By The River.

Links:

@kadrianpossul

@yos_by_the_river

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E93 Elise Sergerie

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 21:00:39 -0000

This weeks guest is Elise Sergerie who currently lives in Montreal, Quebec. Elise has worked in the industry for sixteen plus years. Elise has worked pretty much every position in the back of house and front of house. Elise eventually found her fit behind the bar as she likes to be creative every day. Elise also paints as a hobby.

For Elise, bartending is an escape from all of life's worries. There is nothing like a ribbon of chits to block out what you might be going through at the moment and focus on the next task at hand. Being behind a bar is like a dance, moving in coordination to the rhythm of making drinks. Elise found her passion for creating around seven years ago. She was able to express her feelings through delicious cocktails and her guests who enjoyed them. Elise’s favourite thing to do is to take odd ingredients you normally would not find in a drink, and making a fun and balanced cocktail.

Links:

@eliseoperations

@bargeorgemtl

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Vietcetera - 3 Drinks to Beat The Heat at Renkon, Saigon with Lola Lau

E92 Lola Lau

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 21:00:24 -0000

This weeks guest is Lola Lau who currently works at Hope & Sesame in Shenzen, in Guandong Province, China.

Lola has been working in The Industry for over 9 years. Lola got her first job in The Industry after graduating school when she landed a job at an Irish Pub. It was around this same time that Lola saw the movie Hey Bartender and this piqued her interest in cocktails and spirits and a career as a bartender.

Lola has worked at many different bars in South East Asia such as The Compass Bar in Shenzen, Eight/Four Collective in Vietnam for both Sake Central as well as Renkon, The Odd Couple in Shanghai, and most recently as the Head Bartender at Hope & Sesame in Shenzen.

At Hope & Sesame in Shenzen, they have three different rooms with three very different concepts. The front of Hope & Sesame is Charlies - a cafe, Hope is the second space - a modern cocktail bar and the back room is called The August - a speakeasy themed bar.

Lola has also competed in numerous cocktail competitions as well. Lola won First Place in the 2017 Cointreau Queen China Competition.

Links:

@lolasaysgo

@hopeandsesame

Hope & Sesame

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E91 Tyler Smith

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Tyler Smith. Tyler is an accomplished chef with over two decades of experience in The Industry. Tyler has worked in many difference facets of the food industry since his first job in fast food over 20 years ago. Tyler has worked every position, station, job and title in the kitchen. Everything from porcelain and stainless steel steward (dishwasher for those unfamiliar with the term) to executive chef and everything in between.

Tyler attended Conestoga College in the Cook Apprenticeship Program. Tyler has worked for some recognizable names and companies in Waterloo Region over the years including the Charcoal Group, Fat Sparrow Group and Hannah’s Bella Bistro just to name a few.

When Tyler is not cooking, he loves to travel (when it was allowed - damn you Covid) and he is deeply inspired by the cuisines he encounters on his travels.

Tyler is currently working at Ethel’s Lounge in Waterloo and does private catering on the side.

Links:

@tylerdroop

@theindustrypodcast

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

CandiceAndChivonne.com www.facebook.com/chaostocalmmindset @chivski

E90 Chivonne Monaghan

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Chivonne Monaghan has over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, both locally and internationally.

Chivonne spent the first 12 years of her career at Jack Astor’s doing everything from hostessing to flair bartending. Next, she worked at a bar in Ireland before coming home to work for Fionn MacCool’s in Kitchener.

After that, Chivonne moved to Abu Dhabi to fly for Etihad Airways.

When Chivonne got sick of airline hospitality, she moved to Florida and worked fine dining at Walt Disney World until she landed back in London, Ontario and worked at both Abruzzi and Redtail Golf Course.

Outside of the industry, Chivonne is a yoga teacher, life coach, Thai Massage Therapist, amateur photographer and is currently writing her first book.

If you are looking to shoot the shit, talk travel, or go deep into personal development, Chivonne can currently be found charming guests at The Grand Trunk Saloon in Down Town Kitchener.

Links:

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.com

E89 Abbie Rudson

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 21:00:00 -0000

This weeks we are joined by Abbie Rudson. Abbie is a Toronto-based bartender, currently shaking things up at Mahjong, Juice and The Dime in the city’s west end. Abbie constructed cocktail menus for Mrs. Robinson, won first place in Noble Coyote’s Mezcal Competition 2020 and recently placed as a finalist in the Mionetto Prosecco Cocktail Competition. Abbie has created an original cocktail for a 437 swimwear brand activation as well.

Links:

Podcasts We Recommend

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah - zakhannah.com

E88 Teddy Martinez

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 21:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Teddy Martinez who is currently bartending in Long Beach, California. Teddy was born in Manila and moved to the United States when he was 3. Growing up as a half Mexican and half Filipino in such a diverse city as Los Angeles, Teddy was exposed to all types of culture growing up. This multicultural exposure has shaped Teddy’s personality as well as his cocktail style. Teddy is inspired by the rich vibrant, diverse flavors of Mexico and the tropical, Asian flavors of the Philippines. Furthermore, understanding how to marry these flavors requires Teddy to be constantly learning and dedicated to the craft.

Teddy dedicates his time to the art form just like he dedicates his time to living an active lifestyle. Teddy has been training in Martial Arts since 2006 and Crossfit/Weightlifting since 2011. Teddy used to coach both for a number of years prior to his bartending career. Teddy would bartend parties for friends for free by showing up with his shaker tins, booze and some ingredients. Teddy finally got his first shot bartending as a career, when a friend approached Teddy about working at their restaurant and leading up the bar program. Teddy learned a lot o the fly, made errors (naturally) and it gave him priceless experience. From working at a brewery/gastro pub to working in the heart of Hollywood and now in Long Beach, Teddy loves where his journey has taken him. Three years in the industry has gone by quickly and Teddy is looking forward to next the few years of being behind the stick. This is just the beginning,

Links:

@teddysinthemixx

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

Currency Exchange Podcast

E87 Alex Jump

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 21:00:00 -0000

Alex Jump originally hails from Chattanooga, TN, where she grew up breathing Southern hospitality. A BAR-5 Day graduate, Alex honed her skills by working behind and running bar programs at multiple James Beard nominated restaurants. She has competed in multiple national competitions including Speed Rack, Lustau Solera Standout, Heaven Hill Bartender of the Year, & Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender.

In 2018, a year after moving to Denver, Alex joined the opening team of Death & Co Denver as the Head Bartender. Over the last 3+ years for the company she has worn many hats and is currently the Bar Manager at Death & Co Denver as well as the company’s Cocktail Class Coordinator. She was one of Punch’s Bartenders in Residence in 2019, nominated for Bartender of the Year at the 2020 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, and most recently was included on Forbes 30 Under 30 for F&B in 2021.

In early 2020 after competing in Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender and forming the idea for Focus on Health, an initiative dedicated to bringing health & wellness to the forefront of the hospitality world, Alex joined forces with Lauren Paylor to bring this idea to life. Together they are working towards creating better lives for those who work in the food & beverage industry through community outreach, training, and the Focus on Health and No Proof podcasts. Outside of work, Alex enjoys practicing yoga, doting on her dog, Julep, and riding motorcycles with her friends.

Links

Focus On Health - fohealth.org

Instagram: @fohealth

Reach Alex on Instagram: @axljump

Focus On Health Podcast

No Proof Podcast

Death And Co - Denver

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hahhah - zakhannah.com

E86 Heather Wideman

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 21:00:39 -0000

This weeks guest is Heather Wideman who currently resides in Waterloo Region. The main topic of our conversation with Heather centres on her decision to leave the Industry. Heather has a terrific perspective on life, and this is an interview you definitely need to listen to.

Heather got her start in the Industry when she moved to Australia for a year and a half. Heather jumped right in to serving at a fine dining restaurant. As the saying goes “fake it til you make it” and Heather made it work for 13ish years.

When Heather came home to Canada, she worked at various bars and restaurants in town such as McMullans, the Huether, The Grand Trunk Saloon, Jane Bond, Public (just to name a few) and eventually ended it at Ethel’s where she had worked the longest (3 summers, one winter). Realizing that her health was being compromised by life in the industry, Heather decided she needed out. As a result, Heather went to college for Travel and Eco-Adventure in Thunder Bay. The pandemic kiboshed the travel industry, along with the service industry; so when patio season 2020 was ending Heather realized she still needed to work for a living - so she landed a job at Legacy Greens - a produce and grocery store that specializes in localized products. Still the food industry, but much different. Heather started managing the store at the start of 2021. Heather’s tenure at Legacy Greens is slowly coming to a conclusion at the end of this calendar year as she is moving on to focus on her art more (for now) while she spends the winter in Nicaragua.

Heather’s art can be found on Instagram @bright.and.true

Additional Links:

Podcasts We Recommend

Shake Steady Youtube Channel

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah - zakhannah.com

E85 Shake Steady

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 21:00:18 -0000

This week we are joined by special guests Shake Steady - a terrific soul and funk band based out of Michigan. They like to dig deep in the gold mine of Soul and Funk and bring out the latest get down music for you and yours.

Shake Steady are playing live at Sugar Run in Kitchener on Friday November 19th - doors open at 7:00pm and tickets are $25 at the door. Come on out to the show and get your groove on!

Links:

shakesteady.com

@shakesteadymusic

Shake Steady Facebook Page

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E84 Kevin Isabelle Ryrie

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 21:00:46 -0000

Kevin Isabelle Ryrie (they/them) is currently working as a server and shift captain at the Elora Mill which is located in Elora, Ontario.

Isabelle started working in the industry in 2006 at A&W in Kitchener. A spur of the moment interview led them down a path of restaurants that has lasted more than 15 years. After getting their toes wet doing all roles possible in quick service restaurants for almost 4 years, including the thrill of opening a new restaurant, they made the transition to serving at Symposium in Waterloo.

The next several years saw Isabelle doing stints at East Side Mario's, Wildcraft, Abe Erb and Pauper's Pub (Toronto).

Returning to downtown Kitchener after some time away, they ended up serving part-time with a phenomenal team at the B@THEMUSEUM.

Due to a fortuitous 2am barstool conversation at the B, Isabelle was offered a job bartending at the newly opened Grand Trunk Saloon. Starting off barely knowing what a Manhattan was, they quickly fell in love with the bartending side of the business.

Creating bold, booze-forward cocktails in a dark spot where you could rock a multi-coloured mohawk, vest and tie was a dream come true.

Isabelle has since also bartended at the Braai House in Stratford and worked back at the B managing/bartending.

Links

@kevinisabelleryrie

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E83 Bryan Simpson

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Bryan SImpson. Bryan has been part of the whisky community for over a decade, in both his native Scotland and his new home of Canada. He is known for his passion about whisky from the history and science aspects but just as important to Bry is the community and friendships in the industry. He is a co-founder of The Hipflask Hiking Club, a keen photographer and has the dream job of national brand ambassador for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.

Links

@ardbeg

@glenmorangie

@whiskybry

@hipflaskhikingclub Shake Steady Performing @SugarRun Friday November 19th, 2021

@shakesteadymusic

shakesteady.com

Get In Touch With The Industry Podcast

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E82 Liz Furlong

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This week we are joined by Liz Furlong. A Canadian based out of Costa Rica, Liz Furlong has become known as one of Central America's most prominent mixologists. Experimenting with local botanicals and ferments, she takes advantage of her fertile surroundings to forage and collect ingredients for her cocktails with a style she likes to call “Jungle Bartending”

Since 2012, Liz has spent her time working closely with chefs and farms, consulting for restaurant and hotel clients throughout Latin and North America.

Her bar, Bebedero, opened in 2017 in the historic center of San José, Costa Rica. Bebedero was one of the country’s first cocktail bars, focusing on the use of local ingredients from the rainforests of Central America to encourage biodiversity and conservation. In 2020, Bebedero was a Tales of the Cocktail Regional Top Ten Honoree for Best International Cocktail Bar in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Bebedero will soon reopen its doors, but for the moment they are offering services online and directly to the comfort of your home. You can also expect a new bar project, Curandero, based out of San José, Costa Rica, from her soon.

Liz is also the founder of La Sociedad del Cóctel (The Cocktail Society), a bartender’s guild offering free training and lifestyle tools to bartenders in Central America.

Links

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E81 Jodie Foster

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This week’s guest is Jodie Foster. Jodie has had an interesting career in the Industry as she spent over a decade working on Super Yachts catering to the whims of the super rich and celebrities. Jodie has visited 73 countries, and has travelled over 175 000 sea miles. Some of Jodie’s favourite spots visited were Croatia, Alaska, Seychelles, Maldives, NYC, Holland (ShipYard). Some of the famous folks encountered during her career in yachting included Steven Tyler, Stevie Nicks, Lenny Kravitz, Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock Bee Gees, TV stars, Diplomats, Presidents Vladimir Putin, Prime Ministers, Vice Presidents, Formula One Drivers etc.

Currently, Jodie and her business partner run The Curator’s Shop - an elevated custom gifting business - thecuratorsshop.com.

For reference, Super Yacht sizes range from 30 Metres to 66 Metres (115-200ft). Crew sizes range from 6-26 (with some staff on rotation). Some of the roles Jodie had while working on Super Yachts included Deck Hand, Deck/Steward, 2nd Steward, Chief Steward.

In order to work on Super Yachts, Jodie had to take the STCW95 US Coast Guard course. This is mandatory for staff and covers safety, survival techniques, basic first aid CPR and fire fighting. Jodie also took Diving//tender driving/floral/wine/Silver Service/ Cigars/Social responsibility on board, etiquette and protocol - as well as Anti-Pirate Training by X-Royal Marines.

Prior to working in the Yachting world, Jodie had spent several years working at McDonalds, a few more years at Country Boy in Kitchener, Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Mount Norquay and managing a clothing store on Queen West in Toronto.

Eventually, Jodie needed a break from private service and moved back home to the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Jodie that went back to school for Events Management and worked at Hacienda Sarria in Kitchener for 4.5 years in Events/Weddings/Management.

Jodie also started picking up occasional work in NYC for a principal with his private parties, yacht, house, etc.

From there Jodie took Charles MacPherson - Private Household Management Program in Toronto. This course consisted of Butler skills, Service, Etiquette and Protocol. Jodie was hired by Charles himself as a Consultant setting household standards, wardrobe management, training staff, and working with Principals to create a work plan for their staff/onboarding.

In 2020, Jodie and her business partner Leah opened The Curators Shop.

Links

The Curator's Shop

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E80 Alie Kudoba

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 20:00:47 -0000

This weeks guest is Alie Kudoba who is currently the head Bartender at The Bauer Kitchen in Waterloo, Ontario. Born and raised in Kitchener Ontario, Alie got her start in the industry as a barista at Second Cup while still in high school. It was Alie’s first test of a fast paced customer service environment. At that point in time, Alie realized she enjoyed the challenge of making drinks beautifully but also with speed and efficiency.

Alie eventually moved on to Molly Blooms in Kitchener, where she started serving and bartending. Alie worked with the greatest people at that little dive bar which included one of her very best friends still to this day. After two years at Molly Blooms, Molly and a couple of her friends moved out to Whistler, British Columbia together. At the time, Whistler would not hire anyone in the industry without a minimum of 3 years serving/bartending experience, so Alie settled for another barista job.

During her time in Whistler, Alie met an Australian boy, and decided to move to his home town on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland Australia. While in Australia, Alie got a job working at a fine dining restaurant on the beach. Eventually, the Australian romance fizzled out, and Alie moved back to Whistler BC.

Now that Alie finally had 3 years of serving and bartending experience, Alie was hired at Earls Whistler in the dead season of summer. However, her job did not start until September. Running low on funds, Alie reached out to her mom. Her mom’s advice was to move back to Ontario and live at home and save up some money until Alie could go back out west on her own dime. Alie’s plan was to work at The Bauer Kitchen in Waterloo for 6 months and then move back to Whistler. However, while working at The Bauer Kitchen, Alie met the love of her life. Being close to home and family and with a new romance, Alie decided to end her backpacking plans, and call Kitchener-Waterloo her home.

Alie has now been working at The Bauer Kitchen for 8 years now. During the early stages of the covid lockdown, Alie has also started her own side hustle. Under the name “Alchemist Alie” - she started hosting online mixology courses through zoom, paired with cocktail kits and bar tools. From there, she gained private bartending gigs and is now venturing into bottled cocktails with a friend who owns The Grazing Table in KW. You can find Alie on instagram at @alchemist.alie.

Links @alchemist.alie

The Grazing Table

The Bauer Kitchen

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E79 David Hudyma

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is David Hudyma. David has been a bartender in Toronto for the last 6 years. David has primarily worked in Cocktail bars through his career. This includes such places as the following: Project Gigglewater, Famous Last Words and the Cloak Bar as well as a few others.

David is a giant spirits nerd which led him to spend 6 months in Scotland in 2018 in order to visit distilleries and fully immerse himself in the whisky culture while there.

David is a recent graduate of the Niagara College Artisan Distilling program, and is currently employed as a Distiller at Nickel 9 Distillery in Toronto.

Links

@daveandwhisky

Nickel 9 Distillery

Project Gigglewater

Email Us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E78 Stacey Anderson

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Stacey Anderson who currently works at the Elora Mill Hotel and Spa as Lead Bartender. Having grown up in Cambridge, Ontario, Stacey got her start in the industry in her late teenage years, working at the Dallas Beef Parlor. After spending some time behind the bar, and realizing that she could work part time hours, but make full time pay - Stacey realized that working in The Industry could be a career for her. Stacey eventually moved on to East Side Marios, where she learned to deal with high volume and utilizing the steps of service. Stacey’s next stop was Langdon Hall, where she stayed for seven years and experienced her first role in management.

From that point, Stacey helped open several independent restaurants in Waterloo Region such as Berlin and Lokal. From there, Stacey moved on to management positions at Easy Pour Wine Bar in Blair Ontario, as well as The Bruce in Stratford.

In 2019, Stacey started planning her move from Ontario to Fogo Island, Newfoundland to work at the famed Fogo Island Inn. Unfortunately, just prior to leaving Ontario in March 2020, the Covid pandemic started and dashed all plans of this move. However, the pandemic did allow for a break from the long workdays and provided some time to relax. Stacey moved on to her current role at the Elora Mill in Summer 2020.

Links

@stomacey

Elora Mill Hotel and Spa

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E77 Daphnée Vary Deshaies

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Daphnée Vary Deshaies - co-founder and co-creator of the cocktailroads.com website. Daphnee along with co-founder Roxanne Mailloux, decided to bring together their respective skills and talents in a photo-reportage that would shine the light on the Canadian Cocktail community, all the while allowing people to connect and be creative at a time when most bars & restaurants across the country were closed.

Currently residing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Daphnee started to work in hospitality a little over 10 years ago. Daphnee began as a busser and worked her way up from there. After several years, Daphnee was working in fine dining and it was not until about 6 years ago that she found herself working in a bar. Daphnee spent several more years working in Montreal as a bartender and then moved to Vancouver after graduating university. It was in Vancouver that Daphnee really delved deeply in to the cocktail world and started to understand how little she actually knew about cocktails. As a result, Daphnee spent time every day studying stories and recipes of classic cocktails, reading about booze, testing drinks at the bar, asking questions to her colleagues, etc.

When Daphnee moved back to Montreal, she started a new bachelor degree at university and got a part time job as a bartender at Foxy Restaurant. Daphnee stayed there for 3 years and left as the general manager. Shortly after, Daphnee became responsible of the bar program for A5 Hospitality, one of the biggest group of restaurants and bars in Montreal, that is until covid hit. During the early stages of the pandemic, Daphnee and her partner Roxanne created Cocktail Roads, a platform for the bar community that aims at showcasing the many talents and amazing people that work in the cocktail industry. Daphnee and Roxanne travelled from coast to coast in Canada, interviewing people who work in the cocktail industry. They decided to set base in Vancouver for a little while once they reached the West coast but just recently moved back to Montréal. Daphnee is back working with A5 Hospitality, but now as a Project Director for a new restaurant that will open this winter.

Daphnee has also participated in a few cocktail competitions. Daphnee was a national finalist for Speed Rack Canada in 2018 and 2019 and she just recently made it to Diageo World Class Canada top 4 several months ago.

Links cocktailroads.com

@cocktailroads

The Industry Podcast

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E76 Jamie Johnson

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 20:00:00 -0000

GLENFIDDICH’S NATIONAL BRAND AMBASSADOR, Toronto-based Jamie Johnson, is a highly-respected whisky champion and conversationalist. She is widely known for hosting tasting events and masterclasses across Canada, as well as co-hosting the popular whisky podcast, The Whisky Topic. She has also written extensively about whisky, and whisky culture for publications like Relish & Whisky Magazine and whisky.buzz to name a few. Aside from hosting masterclasses at all the top whisky shows in Canada, Jamie spearheaded – within her first year as a brand ambassador – a Grand Masterclass at Victoria Whisky Festival, bringing all 13 of her Balvenie ambassador colleagues from across the world to Canada to converse about, and champion the Balvenie profile. In her new role, she now takes on the world’s most- awarded Single Malt, Glenfiddich.

Jamie’s in-depth knowledge of whisky began with a personal passion project when she invited (“forced”, in her words) friends to her Toronto home to share different bourbon drams and have spirited conversations about flavour, taste, production process, and so on. This informal gathering grew, as interest in contemporary whisky spread outwards, and soon Bourbon Thing became a real thing, with events in bars and restaurants, a fully-fledged website and partnerships with some of the city’s most well-respected bartenders, providing a space for whisky aficionados and neophytes alike to share a dram.

Before long, Jamie realised she had found her life’s work – to spread the word about whisky. With her first move to The Balvenie, Jamie was able to turn her private passion into a whole new career and she is now more motivated than ever to hold as many different conversations with people about whisky as possible. Jamie’s ultimate ambition is to help make people realise how easy whisky is to drink; _“to show people that though it is complex, it is not a complicated drink.” _

In 2018 Jamie consolidated and enhanced her whisky knowledge by completing the renowned General Certificate in Distilling, building on her home-grown knowledge “with all that unromantic but crucial stuff”. This achievement gives her a qualification with international recognition underpinned by scientific knowledge and principles of distilling operations. In addition, Jamie recently completed her WSET Level 2 Spirits award.

Jamie’s favourite Glenfiddich dram is the 15 Year Old Solera Reserve. She finds to be “incredibly well-balanced, approachable and complex. A perfect whisky to spend some time with”. Over the coming years, Jamie would like to continue challenging people’s conception of whisky, reminding them that whisky is for everybody – if they are up for the adventure.

Links

@bourbonthing

The Whisky Topic Podcast

Glenfiddich

Email Us: info@theindustrypodcast.club

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

claytonscocktails.com/pages/claytons-playlists

E75 Clayton's Cocktails

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This week, we are joined by the brother and sister team of Tash and Antosh Samek who founded Clayton’s Cocktails. Based out of Marlow England, Antosh previously worked in the drinks industry at Bacardi and worked as a DJ. He has now owned an award winning bar named Clayton’s Marlow for the last 10 years. Tash has worked in brand and design for many years and is currently a Creative Strategy Director at an agency that specializes in premium and craft brands with a strong emphasis on food and drink.

In the spring of 2020 with the world under pandemic lockdown and the bar closed, Antosh had started talking about doing cocktails deliveries in order to generate revenue and keep the business alive. Tash suggested that they turn the cocktail deliveries in to a brand and make it something special - and this led to the birth of Clayton’s Cocktails.

Clayton’s Cocktails brings the vibe of Clayton’s Marlowe into people’s homes as each cocktail comes with its own dedicated playlist to match the mood of the drink. Clayton’s Cocktails can be summed up as follows - they bring expertly mixed cocktails and music in to people’s homes with bar quality drinks and music!

Links

claytonscocktails.com

@claytons_cocktails

Cocktail Playlists

Interested in contacting us or being a guest on the show? Hit us up on the links below

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah

E74 Beth Havers

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This week, we are joined by Beth Havers - Spirits Specialist. Over the past 20 years, Beth Havers has immersed herself in the spirits business. Today she is recognized as a leader in the whisky world. Beth is a trailblazer for women in the whisky category here in Canada and the around the world.

As a winner of Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Ambassador Of The Year, Beth has been given the opportunity to help shape and create some notable expressions for the world’s number one selling Single Malt - Glenfiddich.

Beth has educated thousands of people here in Canada and around the world, reaching her audience through media interests, social media, live masterclasses and trade shows. Beth has curated memorable experiences and special events for media and consumers alike.

Beth’s most recent venture is a whisky based bakery - Aunt Beth Bakes. Check it out online at AuntBethBakes.com or at one of the many farmers markets in the Greater Toronto Area.

Links:

@whiskybeth

auntbethbakes.com

The Story of Jumbo the Elephant

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah @zak.hannah

E73 Laura Nielsen

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Laura Nielsen - Territory Manager for PMA Canada. Currently living in London, Ontario, Laura originally grew up in St Thomas, Ontario. Laura got her start in The Industry while still in high school when she got a job at a local pizzeria. After a year or so, Laura eventually landed a job as a Sandwich Artist at Subway. It was while at Subway, that Laura moved in to a management role. This would become the first of many management roles that Laura has had through her career.

After graduating high school Laura moved to Guelph Ontario. Laura attended the University of Guelph where she graduated with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Having a love of musical theatre, Laura got herself an agent in Toronto to help her land auditions and roles in acting/singing/modelling/theatre. It was during this time that Laura got a job at Wine Rack where she eventually moved into a Supervisor/Manager role once again. Laura eventually moved on to working as a bartender/server/manager/supervisor while going to auditions in Toronto for 4 years.

In 2011, Laura moved back to London and worked at a corporate Moxie’s for 3 to 4 years as a supervisor/keyholder/head trainer. From there, Laura moved on to McCabes where she was hired as a manager and then shortly thereafter became the General Manager and stayed there for 6 years. Laura gained loads of experience with opening a restaurant and managing people….hiring…firing…training…creating menus….admin work…and being on call eight days a week!

Eventually, Laura moved on to PMA Canada in April 2019.

Links:

@lonielsen1234

PMA Canada - https://www.pmacanada.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah @zak.hannah

E72 Responding To Online Comments And Reviews

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 20:00:05 -0000

This week’s episode takes a different approach as our intrepid host Kypp Saunders responds to online comments and reviews from Reddit and Google. We also add in a couple of rants about customers and coworkers. We may make this format a short segment for each show in the near future. If you have any rants or comments about customers or coworkers - feel free to reach out to us either by DM @the_industry_podcast or send us an email which you can address to info@theindustrypodcast.club. We also encourage sending voice recordings of your rants as well - email them to us. Enjoy the show!

Links:

@sugarunbar

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah @zak.hannah

E71 Jon Rennie

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 20:00:16 -0000

Jon Rennie has spent 20+ years cooking in restaurants in Waterloo Region. As a constant; he has had the pursuit of flavour in mind throughout his life. Always striving to be better; this mentality has taken a drastic switch in focus to mental health (especially in the industry), sustainability beyond food sourcing to his coworkers and their lives, and bettering industry environments wherever he can.

Jon has spent the last few years raising money and awareness for mental health supports through @rest_for_restaurants while taking time away to recuperate from a stressful career and to learn whole animal butchery.

Turning his focus back to restaurants and tossing aside “the way it’s always been” Jon and his closest friend Wes Klassen have set their sights set on a restaurant as both social enterprise and a “community first, restaurant second” mentality.

Links:

Jon Rennie @cookjonrenniecook

Wes Klassen @purpleteethconsulting

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah @zak.hannah

E70 John MacPherson

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 20:00:48 -0000

John MacPherson, Scotch Specialist for PMA Canada, represents 12 of the world’s most prestigious brands of Scotch Whisky, including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, The GlenDronach, Bunnahabhain, Monkey Shoulder and more. A Scotch fan for life, John has immersed himself in the lore, craft and history of this fascinating world. He enjoys nothing more than sharing these stories along with a few drams of these amazing Scotches!

John has been working in the spirits industry since 2009, beginning as a bartender, learning his craft and expanding his knowledge of all kinds of whiskies in the process. It was during this same time that John began hosting small private groups for whisky tastings, leading people through the flavours they should expect to taste and sharing the knowledge of each distillery’s story and process. In 2011, John became a bar manager as his passion of whisky and specifically single malt scotch continued to grow.

John joined PMA Canada in early 2019 as their Ontario provincial Scotch Specialist, leading groups big and small in whisky tastings and helping each person he meets further expand their own passion for single malt whisky. While John loves a good sherry aged scotch, his favourite is whichever one is in his hand at the moment!

Links:

Instagram @thecandianscotchman

Twitter @canadascotchman

pmacanada.com

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah @zak.hannah

E69 Julie Mecteau

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Julie Mecteau aka ‘Jukie’. Born in Québec City, Jukie was raised in the hospitality industry by restauranteur parents and learned the word “workaholic” at a very young age. After 17 years in the service industry, obtaining 6 wine and spirit certifications and living in Australia, Montreal and NYC, she refocussed her hospitality experience to pursue her career as a Brand Ambassador. Now living in Toronto, Jukie is rocking her dream job as the National Brand Development Manager for Tequila Tromba, running on passion and Taking Life By Storm every day!

Julie AKA Jukie is known as the Tequila Fairy for Tromba Canada. Her spirited creative mind is bottomless and this is how she takes life by storm everyday. Although she can come up with millions of delicious and unique tequila cocktail recipes, you'll find her simply sipping on a crisp Tromba & Soda in her favorite Toronto bars.

Links:

@jukie.to

Tequila Tromba

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah @zak.hannah

E68 Kypp Saunders Part 2

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This is Part 2 of our 2 Part interview with Kypp Saunders - the host of this podcast!

Kypp is currently co-owner of Sugar Run in Kitchener Ontario and the soon to be open Babylon Sisters in Waterloo, Ontario. Growing up in Kingston Ontario, Kypp started working in the Industry while still in high school. After finishing high school, Kypp moved to Waterloo Ontario to attend the University of Waterloo. It was at this time that Kypp started working at the Bombshelter Pub - one of the on-campus bars at the University. Upon graduation Kypp worked at a number of spots for several short stints before finding himself a home at Ethel’s Lounge in Waterloo. Kypp spent a total of roughly a decade and a half working at Ethels in two separate stints. Several years in to his first run at Ethels, Kypp decided he wanted to try the day job life and left Ethels to work at telecommunications provider Rogers. It was while working at Rogers that Kypp realized that working in the industry was the career choice for him. He subsequently left Rogers and returned to working at Ethel’s once again.

Eventually, Kypp decided that he wanted to move in to the ownership side of the industry, and together with a business partner, opened up White Rabbit in Waterloo. Several years later, Kypp exited from White Rabbit ownership, and moved on to a new venture in downtown Kitchener - Sugar Run - a speak easy themed bar. Kypp is currently in the process of opening up a wine bar in uptown Waterloo in Summer 2021 named Babylon Sisters.

Links:

Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah @zak.hannah

E67 Kypp Saunders Part 1

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 20:00:00 -0000

This weeks guest is Kypp Saunders - the host of this podcast! Kypp is currently co-owner of Sugar Run in Kitchener Ontario and the soon to be open Babylon Sisters in Waterloo, Ontario. Growing up in Kingston Ontario, Kypp started working in the Industry while still in high school. After finishing high school, Kypp moved to Waterloo Ontario to attend the University of Waterloo. It was at this time that Kypp started working at the Bombshelter Pub - one of the on-campus bars at the University. Upon graduation Kypp worked at a number of spots for several short stints before finding himself a home at Ethel’s Lounge in Waterloo. Kypp spent a total of roughly a decade and a half working at Ethels in two separate stints. Several years in to his first run at Ethels, Kypp decided he wanted to try the day job life and left Ethels to work at telecommunications provider Rogers. It was while working at Rogers that Kypp realized that working in the industry was the career choice for him. He subsequently left Rogers and returned to working at Ethel’s once again.

Links: