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Hosts Damon Boelte, Sother Teague, and Greg Benson sit down to talk cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, tea, coffee, and all the other exciting liquids in the universe. With each episode, learn from some of the world’s experts in mixology, bar history, distillation, and brewing. Bringing on guests ranging from bartenders and brewers, alchemists and ambassadors, roasters and regulars, and every expert and enthusiast in between, The Speakeasy introduces listeners to all the unique ways we enjoy im ...
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Live from the Turkish Coast, Shavinraj Gopinath joins Damon and Greg to talk about his gig as Group Beverage Manager for Max Royal Resorts, which sounds pretty sweet all things considered. Between discussing their foraging program, the elite level of hospitality he’s playing at and how the place even smells nice, Sha has the guys pretty much sold o…
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Feeling “ginspired” by the French Riviera? Tom Nichol and Matthieu Perrin sure were when they created the Gardener Gin, a bright, refreshing spirit with botanicals inspired by the beauty of France’s southern coast. The two of them sit down with Greg and Damon to talk about the genesis of this idea, working with a movie star (tune in to find out whi…
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Claire Marin started out the way all distillers do - by keeping bees. The founder of Pollinator Spirits sits down with the band to talk about her first forays upstate, the move from making honey to making rye whiskey, and what she looks for when making her own not-Campari Campari. She also discusses the role her company’s namesake - those busy bees…
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In our latest episode of the GuildSomm podcast, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with Lauren McPhate about her journey through the IMW to become a Master of Wine, discussing what worked and what didn't in her approach to studying and examining. Lauren found wine through a career in accounting and finance that brought her to Hong Kong, where she…
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A few weeks ago the city of Asheville, North Carolina was hit by a devastating hurricane. Lives were lost and the damage topped $50 billion. Danny Boyer manages The Crow & Quill, just one of many bars impacted by Hurricane Helene, and he sits down with Greg to discuss the extent of the damage, how Asheville is pulling together as a community, and w…
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A collector’s set with a blanco, a reposado, and an añejo? Yeah, we’ve seen it before. A fragrance collector’s set with those three varieties? Now you’re talking! Joseph D. Solis of Maison Solis sits down with Greg and Damon to talk about growing up as a fragrance collector, moving from the beverage space to the fragrance space, and how he adapte…
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When it turned out everything he knew about Navy Rum was wrong, Alexandre Gabriel sailed out to set the record straight… and start making his own. The brains behind Maison Ferrand Cognac and Planteray Rum, Alexandre set about relearning everything he ever knew about this unique style of rum which resulted in a book - Exploring 300 Years of Royal Na…
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In our latest blind tasting episode of the GuildSomm podcast, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with Master of Wine Bree Stock about her approach to blind tasting. They discuss why it's an important career skill to continually develop, even after achieving certification goals. Bree became a Master of Wine in 2016 and has worked as a consultant a…
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Sam Ross, Joaquin Simo and Miles McQuarrie of Tip Top cocktails swung by the studio and we just couldn't say no to having them on! Tune in as they discuss their latest ventures in the RTD space and how it feels to be a powerful voice in a movement that's now in its twenties. Plus, how bout those Mets?? Find out how Sam's first group of friends in N…
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Get your ten-foot Home Depot skeleton out on the lawn because it’s Spooky season y’all! Megan Rickerson, the owner of Brooklyn’s Someday Bar joins the band live from Portland Cocktail Week to talk about her journey from host to bartender to bar owner and all the tears and joy that entails. Megan talks about forging bonds with local lawmakers, culti…
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Named for the first woman ever to head the bar program at London’s Savoy Hotel, the Ada Coleman project provides a resource to shed a spotlight on women in the bar industry. Co-founders Kristine Bocchino and Kaitlin Wilkes-Back sit down with the band to discuss their searchable database of women+ bar professionals, how they view the progress they’v…
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Bittermilk founders Joe and MariElena talk to us about the hurdles involved in creating brand of shelf stable cocktail compounds, switching branding to “cocktail mixers” and expanding to multiple line extensions including Barcoop Bevy, Drinkmanship, and Tipplemans all while juggling a growing family in South Carolina. Follow Bittermilk on Instagram…
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In our latest episode of the GuildSomm podcast, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with Kevin Pike about distilling eaux-de-vie and spirits, and managing a farm to cultivate the materials to make it all happen. Kevin owns Schatzi, a New York–based importing company that started off by specializing in German and Austrian wines but has expanded its…
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Baijiu is the world’s most popular spirit by volume, easily. And yet most Americans don’t know what it is. Derek Sandhaus is on a mission to change that by introducing Ming River Baijiu (pronounced bye-JYO) to us westerners. He sits down with the band to talk about his journey from publishing to distilling (typical) adapting this ancestral spirit f…
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Chris Hunter started his first company at twenty-five, which makes sense once you hear what it was. The multi-time entrepreneur and creative force behind Koia sits down with the band to talk about his journey through the beverage space, beginning as a nightclub bouncer and ending as a holistic, health conscious dad. Oh, and along the way he also sp…
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Ireland is in the house! It’s a Hibernian takeover of the Speakeasy as Daragh Flanagan of Bord Bia, Tim Herlihy of Lost Irish and Andy Ferreira of Cask In Cork sit down with the band to talk about the future of Irish bars and Irish spirits in the US. From the early days of Irish Whiskey to the exciting untapped potential of Poitin (pronounced “puh-…
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In our latest blind tasting podcast, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe chats with Jonathan Eichholz,MS, about proven study methods that have helped both of them develop the skill to not only pass the Master Sommelier exam but also continue to improve their tasting ability and adapt to evolving wine typicity. Working with the GuildSomm team, Jo…
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Ben Jones of Rhum Clement and Rhum JM beams into the show to talk about the rhums of St. Lucia and Martinique - what makes them distinct, what makes them delicious and what the American public makes of them anyway. He also debuts their new Bana Canne, which takes all the deliciousness of bananas and fuses it with the rhuminess of rhum. Plus, Damon’…
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From gin-soaked martini olive connoisseur to distillery owner, Melissa Katrincic and gin go way back. This week she sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about her journey to making gin, from getting the business off the ground (in a control state no less!) to reshaping the way Americans think about gin. The results are alternatively citrusy, savo…
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In our latest podcast, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe connects with Greg Lambrecht, the founder of Coravin, to discuss how the Coravin came to be, the science behind it, and how to maximize its efficiency. Greg has a background in medical device design and developed the Coravin prototype while drinking solo when expecting his first child. H…
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Allen Katz of New York Distilling Co. sits down with his old buddy Damon to discuss the state of modern distilling, what he’s up to at his shop in Brooklyn, and the new Jaywalk Rye they recently introduced to wild acclaim. Follow New York Distilling Co. on Instagram at @nydistilling Love The Speakeasy but wish there was more? Check out Bottled in B…
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Paul Nakayama sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about Nikaido Shochu. Paul's journey into the world of shochu began with a 12-hour boat ride to a remote Japanese island on his honeymoon. Now he and his wife are the first to import Nikaido Shochu to the US. Tune in to hear about the magic of Koji, the place it occupies in modern Japan, and how …
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Golf. It’s a sport enjoyed by millions of people and it can also be almost as divisive as modern politics. Can it only be enjoyed by the landed gentry and the country club set? Turner Lewis doesn’t think so and he’s out to prove the haters wrong with Fore Craft Cocktails, a line of RTDs designed for the golf course but, as tested by our boundary-pu…
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In our latest podcast, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe connects with Sother Teague, a bartender and a founding partner of Overthrow Hospitality, in New York City, to discuss all things bitter and the current state of cocktails. The conversation explores the differences between tinctures and potable bitters, the espresso martini phenomenon, a…
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Cristalino. What is it? Why is it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it taste like? Jaime Salas, Head of Agave Advocacy at Proximo Spirits sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about this latest innovation in the world of agave spirits, why it follows in a proud tradition of tequila innovation, and how he deals with the haters who need to be…
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Hot dogs, white dog, and so much more comes up when Michele Clark and Sienna Jevremov sit down with Greg & Damon for a special Fourth of July episode of The Speakeasy! The two luminaries from Widow Jane talk about their new proprietary strain of “Baby Jane” corn and the ten year process of going from seeds in a field to bourbon in a glass. Plus, th…
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In our latest blind tasting podcast, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with two Seattle sommeliers, each working in a different sector of the business, about how they apply blind tasting skills to their daily routines. They taste a white wine that tends to be a bit tricky! Ally Lanoue is the assistant wine director at the Canlis restaur…
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Two of Suncliffe gins founders Ryan Lawrence and Tom Giddings join us to discuss how infusing vodka with items foraged in the Arizona desert during the pandemic led them to being gin producers. They also illuminate how opening a gin company during the pandemic was full of advantages that may not have otherwise existed. Timing is everything Follow S…
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When Austa Somvichian-Clausen didn’t see a space for her and her former partner, she decided to make one. The creator of Grotto, a sapphic pop-up in New York’s Chinatown sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about building a space for queer women, what she does when the odd straight guy stumbles into it, and the state of lesbian bars and journalis…
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In our latest podcast, the host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe explores the diverse wine styles of Hungary, including the iconic and incredibly complex sweet wines of Tokaj as well as lesser-known dry wines from multiple regions. Our guest this month is Hungary’s first Master Sommelier, Tamás Czinki, from Budapest, who is the wine director of th…
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It’s June and Pride is popping up and popping off! Joining the band live from Mexico City Michael Aredes jumps in to talk about his journey in the service industry as a queer Chicano, his work to create welcoming spaces - including his new queer Latino popup, Noche Traviesa - and what it’s like to work at New York’s Superbueno now that it’s a year …
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ET (aka Eric Tecosky even though no one calls him that) wants to talk olive brine! The founder of Dirty Sue talks about his early days as a bartender (and even earlier days as a screenwriter), the lightbulb moment of offering olive brine in a bottle, and how he shifted from bartender to a dirt, salty, entrepreneur! Plus, Greg and Sother saw each ot…
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In our latest blind tasting episode, host and Master Sommelier Christopher Tanghe speaks with two talented Canadian wine professionals, Barbara Philip and Élyse Lambert. They taste a red wine blind and discuss how they apply blind tasting in their work and why it’s okay to be wrong from time to time. Barbara Philip is a Master of Wine and is curren…
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