Bartender Journey - Cocktails. Spirits. Bartending Culture. Libations For Your Ears.

It’s been quite a week in the cocktail world.  Our cocktail community is in turmoil. People are upset. Nerves are raw. It all started with a Facebook Live video of Ann Tuennerman, Founder and Executive Director of Tales of the Cocktail (Tales) during Mardi Gras wearing blackface. Its the Bartender Journey Podcast # 203!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. Ann Tuennerman and her Husband Paul Tuennerman, who was co-owner and chief business officer of Tales, were on prepairing to ride on a Float in a Mardi Gras parade. They rode with the Zulu, Social Aid and Pleasure Club, when they went “Live” on Facebook. The video was pulled off the internet of course, but someone got a screenshot of Ann in the blackface and Ann's comment on the for the video which said “Paul G Tuennerman, interviewing me on Mardi Gras Morning from the Zulu Den. As he said ‘Throw a little Black Face on and you lose all your media skills.’ He did his best as the interviewer”. Ann s

I was honored to have the opportunity to travel to Mexico recently as a guest of Tequila Patrón. The trip was a is a program developed in conjunction with the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) and Tequila Patrón. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast #202!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. A group of 25 Bartenders from all over the U.S. and Canada were treated to an amazing experience on this trip. We saw one of the farms that Patrón contracts with to supply them with harvested agaves. We were treated to lunch at the beautiful Hacienda Patrón, and then given a thorough tour of the distillery, (more about this later). Cocktail of the Week: Margarita 2 oz 1 Lime Juice ¾ oz Grand Marnier ¼ Simple Syrup Shake with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, or a double old fashioned glass with fresh ice. Lime garnish. Book of the week ¡Tequila!: Distilling the Spirit of Mexico Director of Eduction for Patrón Chris Spake – was our host and gui

201 This week on the show we’ll talk to Brian Hoefling, author of Distilled Knowledge: The Science Behind Drinking’s Greatest Myths, Legends, and Unanswered Questions. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast #201!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. This past Monday - just a couple days before recording this podcast was recorded - I did not know that in less than a week I’d be traveling to Mexico as a guest of Patron Tequilla! I’ll be staying at the Patron Hacienda where they actually make the Tequilla. I’ve spoken to other people who have made this trip and every one of them tells me its an amazing experience. Of course I’ll have the portable audio recording rig with me and will be bringing you my adventures down there on future episodes of the show. We have so much coming up for you on the show – we’ll be talking with Master Distiller of Jack Daniels Jeff Arnet, Sam Ross of Milk and Honey Fame, a really interesting and smart gentleman named George B

It has been quite a Journey!  The Bartender Journey Podcast has been going strong for nearly 4 years.  We have spoken to authors, bartenders, bar owners and major influencers in the industry. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast #200!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. Join us for some clips from past shows, (Dale DeGroff, David Wondrich, Jim Meehan, Gary 'gaz' Regan, Dave Pickerell) plus a discussion with fellow bartender and podcaster Ozeal, (No Permission Needed podcast). Cocktail of the Week: Negroni Equal Parts Gin Sweet Vermouth Campari Build in an Old Fashioned Glass over ice.  Stir.  Express oils from an orange twist.  Drop twist into glass. Book of the Week: The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, with Recipes & Lore by Gary Regan Toast of the Week: To Longevity, Good Friends, And a Glass That's Never Empty

199 This week on the Bartender Journey Podcast, we talk with Meagan Doorman, the bar director at the two Raines Law Room locations, Dear Irving and The Bennet, all in Manhattan. We’ll also talk to Tom Richter. Tom Bartends at Dear Irving and also has a company that makes Tonic syrup called TomR’s Tonic. Michael Rodgers organized the Dear Irving Pop Up during SACC. He’s the treasure of the SA chapter of the USBG. Book of the Week: Boston Official Bartender's Guide: 75th Anniversary Edition. The Mr. Boston Bartender Guide was my very first cocktail book, way, way back. I wish I could find that old book I bought when I was probably 17 years old! There have been many editions since its debut in 1935, and the most recent version is edited by our friend Jonathan Pogash. This is an iconic book with tons of cocktail recipes.   Cocktail of the week: Bronx Cocktail: 2 oz. gin 1/2 oz. dry vermouth 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth 1 oz. fresh orange juice Glass: Chilled Coupe Garnish: orange twist Combine all

On the Podcast this week we talk to Jake Corney (GM) and Derik Cortez (Head Bartender) of Jazz Tx in San Antonio, Texas. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast #198!  Listen with the audio player on this page, on the Bartender Journey web site, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. Book of the Week: Amaro The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, by Brad Thomas Parsons Amaro is such a fascinating category that we don’t talk about enough on Bartender Journey.  First of all, what is it?  According to Brad’s book it’s “the collective class of Italian made aromatic, herbal, bittersweet liqueurs, traditionally served as a Digestif after a meal”. To sum it up into a short sound bite:  it’s a bittersweet, herbaceous liqueur. Amari (plural) are an acquired taste, but  once you go down the rabbit hole, you open up into a world of  new and interesting flavors. Cocktail of the Week:  Aperol Spritz.  It’s a very popular drink right now.  Its low ABV and very tasty.  Its also quite

We are just back from San Antonio Cocktail Conference! Listen to our overview of this great event! Lots more from San Antonio Cocktail Conference will be coming up in the next few weeks! The Cocktail of the Week: Classic Daiquiri 2 oz Silver Rum 7/8 oz to 1 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice (to taste) 1 oz Simple Syrup Shake with Ice. Strain into a chilled Coupe glass Book of the Week: Regarding Cocktails by Sasha and Gorgette Patraski. Gorgette finished the book after Sasha passed and it’s a wonderful book. I highly recommend that you buy it!

It's the Bartender Journey Podcast Number 196!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes or on Android. This week on the podcast its a "dueling podcast"! We talk to David Eden-Sangwell.  He is from England and has a podcast of his own called Bartender HQ.  He works for a restaurant group and oversees the bar program for about 8 bars and restaurants.   We chat about the wide-ranging Beverage Program that David manages, Cask Conditioned Beer and Cocktail Conferences. If you would like to hear the Bartender HQ side of this "dueling podcast", you can hear it here. David is planning to attend Tales of the Cocktail On Tour in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2017, and asks for advice on surviving Tales. This week on the podcast its a "dueling podcast"! We talk to David Eden-Sangwell.  He is from England and has a podcast of his own called Bartender HQ.  He works for a restaurant group and oversees the bar program for about 8 bars and restaurants.   We chat about the wide-ranging Beverage Progra

Our live online cocktail party was a lot of fun!  Brian was joined by Stefan Giesbert, Producer of the German Language Cocktailpodcast.  The live event has passed, but listen in to the replay here! It's the Bartender Journey Podcast Number 195!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes or on Android.  

It's the Bartender Journey Podcast Number 194!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. This week on the show, we continue on with our Repeal Day adventures. On the last podcast we chatted with Kara Newman, author of Stir. Sip. From there we move on to the East Village to a Bar called Miss Lily’s and met up with Ben Jones, who just launched an interesting Brand called Rhum Shrub JM. From there we will move downtown even further to Dead Rabbit, where Jack Daniels sponsored an event with 3 bartenders from the UK who won a trip to NY and then onto Tennessee to see the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. Book of the Week. It’s a great one – the Canon Cocktail Book by Jamie Boudreau. Jamie owns the Canon Whiskey and Bitters Emporium in Seattle Washington and has put together a fabulous book. Its not just recipes, although there are plenty. There is a very valuable section in the book titled Starting Your Own Bar: Tips and Advice. This section is worth the cost of th

This week on the Bartender Journey Podcast we celebrate Repeal Day! As you may know, here in the States, Dec 5 1931 was the end of Prohibition. Bartenders across the US now celebrate this un-official holiday, on Dec 5!  It's a great day to be a Bartender or to be anyone who enjoys cocktails! It's the Bartender Journey Podcast number 193!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. I spent Repeal Day wondering around NYC – talking to interesting people and drinking great cocktails.  There was no shortage of events to attend! I started by talking with Kara Newman - an author and influencer in the cocktail scene. We met at Swift Hiberian Lounge in Lower Manhattan. Kara and I have run into each other a few times, but most recently when she was a was a judge at the Diplomatico Rum World Tournament where I was a contestant. Kara wrote Shake. Stir. Sip.: More than 50 Effortless Cocktails Made in Equal Parts Next week on Wednesday December 13, 2016 at 3pm Easte

How should you market yourself and build your “Personal Brand”? Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. Hazel Alverado, marketing guru, joins us on the show this week to talk about Personal Branding and Social Media for Bartenders.  Hazel has been helping out, working behind the scenes at Bartender Journey for awhile now. She’s coming out - getting behind the mic -- to talk about how to build up your Personal Brand and Social Media Presence! We have an online event is coming up Tuesday Dec 13 at 3pm NY time!  BarCraft Live! One of our listeners - Stefan Giesburt from Germany contacted us. He is a Bartender and also does a German Language cocktail podcast. Stefan likes to do cocktail tasting menus for his guests at his bar and for friends, so we came up with this idea to do an online live event.  We’ll provide you with the menu and recipes.  We will also send you a link so that you can join the live video stream.  And we hope you will make the cocktails

We are wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving this week on the show with two Rum Cocktails! Its a short Bartender Journey this week as there are Thanksgiving activities and Thanksgiving Bartending to do! For more info about our upcoming online event on December 13, 2016 please send a request for more information on our Contact Page.

It's the Bartender Journey Podcast number 190!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. It’s a constant in the Hospitality Industry….we are on our feet for hours and hours. How can we make it better? I don’t know about you, but my feet hurt ALL the time! This week on the show we talk with an awesome lady – a doctor, a podiatrist, a holistic healer and she is going to help us with our foot pain! We will talk with Dr. Michele Summers Colon today on the podcast. First, a few important events coming up: San Antonio Cocktail Conference Fri Jan 6-Sun Jan 15 http://sanantoniococktailconference.com/schedule/ BarSmarts Advanced Atlanta - February 9, 2017  BarSmarts Advanced Milwaukee - March 29, 2017 Book of the Week: Once again our BOTW comes to us from Hazel. You’ve heard me talk about the mysterious Hazel before on the show, well next week, we are going to get her on the show and talk about Personal Branding for Bartenders. She’s a Marketing Guru, and

Bar Institute NYC We had the very exciting Bar Institute event here in NY this week. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast number 189!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes,  Android or Stitcher Radio. On Monday before Bar Institute, I attended Diageo World Class Labs. This is an awesome opportunity. Diageo World Class is one of the top 2 or 3 cocktail competitions in the world. Competitions like this can literally change your life. To enter the competition you have to be a USBG member, in the US anyway. But through World Class you can get a free 30 day USBG membership which allows you to get your application in. If you decide to keep your USBG membership after that, its only $125/year, which is a real bargain, but that’s a subject for another day. To enter the World Class competition you have to take at least one World Class Lab class, or you can do it online, but the live events are awesome (and free). They travel to different cities doing the class and I really encourage you

This time on the Bartender Journey Podcast we talk with Kurt Maitland of the Manhattan Whiskey Club - a Members only community that gathers monthly for private tastings.  He also contributes to the Whiskey Reviewer and to The New Single Malt Whiskey Book. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast number 188!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes,  Android or Stitcher Radio. Tickets are still available for Bar Institute NYC. If you will be attending, please let us know! Attend the Bar Institute Kickoff event: For bartenders and other industry people in the NYC area on Sunday, November 6th 2016, join us for a pregame Bar Institute industry kick off party in Hoboken at The Shepherd & The Knucklehead. Mix, mingle and share knowledge in a casual setting over complimentary punches and spirits. Welcome all bartenders, servers, bar managers and liquor reps! For more information email:  hazel@whiskeywithme.com We'll be "going live" on Facebook during Bar Institute, so please Like the

Aquavit is the native spirit of the Scandinavian countries and is making an impact on the cocktail scene around the world! Its the Bartender Journey Podcast number 187!  Listen with the audio player on this page, on BartenderJourney.net or subscribe on iTunes,  Android or Stitcher Radio. We speak with Martin Miller and Thomas Anderson from Copenhagen, publishers of the Cocktails of Copenhagen Blog. Download Martian and Thomas' Aquavit eBook. Book of the Week: Sasha Petraske’s Regarding Cocktails As you may know, recently Sasha sadly passed away, way too early.  He was a true innovator in the cocktail world.  He opened his bar Milk and Honey on  Eldridge St on the Lower East Side of Manhattan on New Years Eve 1999.  This was very early in the so called cocktail renaissance and he inspired an entire generation of Bartenders. This is Shasha's only book, completed by his wife Georgette after his passing. What's in your Bar Kit?  Let us know about your favorite Bar Tools or something unusual th

Martin Cate owner of Smugglers Cove, which was awarded Best American Cocktail Bar at the Spirited Awards during Tales of the Cocktail 2016 is our guest this week on the Bartender Journey Podcast.  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. Book of the Week: Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin and Rebecca Cate This book contains lots of great Tiki cocktail recipes, tons of great knowledge.  There are sections about Understanding Rum, the History of Tiki and Tiki Cocktail Techniques Cocktail of the Week: Mai Tai ·      2 oz Aged Rum ·      ½ oz Orange Liqueur (I used Mandarine Napoleon) ·      ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice ·      ¼ oz Orgeat Syrup (I used Small Hand Food brand) ·      ¼ oz Rich Demerara Syrup  Shake all ingredients with crushed ice.  Pour all ingredients (including ice) into a Double Old Fashioned Glass.  Garnish with a half lime shell (ie: lime used to produce lime juice)

Bartender and Brand Ambassador for Afrohead Rum, Isaac Grillo joins us on the Bartender Journey Podcast Number 185. Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. Isaac tells us about his bar in Miami - RePour and about the great Afrohead Rum. Book of the Week: Short Course in Rum: A Guide to Tasting and Talking about Rum Cocktail of the Week: Froco 1.5 oz AfroHead Rum 3/4 oz lemon juice 2 pure cane brown sugar cubes 3 oz coconut water Muddle sugar cubes with lemon juice in a shaker.  Add AfroHead Rum and coconut water.  Shake and strain all ingredients over fresh ice in a Collins glass.  Garnish with a lemon slice.  Top with shredded coconut.

Bernie Lubbers is the National Whiskey Brand Ambassador at Heaven Hill Distilleries.  He tells us exactly what it takes for a Whiskey (or other Spirit) to be labeled as "Bonded in Bond".   Also we speak with Jacob Ehrenkrona and taste the delicious Martin Miller's 9 Moons Gin. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast Number 184.  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe on iTunes, Android or Stitcher Radio. For a spirit to be labeled "Bottled In Bond" it must be: Composed of the same type of spirits and produced from the same class of materials Produced in a single distilling season by one distiller at one distillery Stored for at least 4 years in wooden containers Reduced in proof with by the addition of only pure water to exactly 100 proof The label must bear the real name of the distillery and the plant number where it was produced and where it was bottled Book of the week: Bourbon Whiskey Our Native Spirit: Sour Mash and Sweet Adventures 2nd Edition by Bernie Lubbers Cocktail of the