In this episode we sit down with the very talented Frankie Padilla. Frankie is the General Manager of Bistro 8 (Ohco), a modern Mexican restaurant with a French Bistro feel right in the heart of Little Havana. We talk about what it was like growing up in Miami, the changes we've seen good and not so good, and what appears to be the revival of one of Miami's most historic and beloved neighborhoods. We also have special guest Co-Host Eli Diaz from the Codígo De Barra Podcast, it's always fun when she's around. Hope you guys enjoy and see you next week. Cheers!

In this episode we kick off season 2 with Rebecca Quiñonez, the master mind behind Q Consulting Firm. Rebecca shares stories of how she went from humble beginnings to not only owning her own business but thriving in it. We explore both the beauty and the struggle, and the beauty within the struggle, of growing up as a first-generation American. She holds a wealth of information and is eager to share it with anyone that asks. Definitely no gate keeping here. Hope you enjoy. Cheers! 🥂

✨ NOW POURING: Build Your Own Lane
Our final episode of the 2025 run — before we return in 2026.

We close the chapter with Courtney Lane, an industry legend whose story is built, not borrowed. From small-town bar beginnings in Gainesville, Courtney worked her way through South Florida staples like Craft Social Club, Baby Jane, 1306, Wynwood Diner, and Employees Only — each stop shaping the next step.

We talk about:
• Earning your path through consistency and curiosity 🛣️
• The transition from behind the bar into spirits distribution & supply 📦
• How she paved her own way to becoming Director of Brand Strategy at Atian Gin 🍸

A fitting close to the season — a reminder that there’s no single blueprint. You build it, step by step, lane by lane.

We’ll see you in the next chapter.

✨ NOW POURING: Stay Gold
Recorded right outside our friend Robbie’s mobile bar trailer — with Robbie Ritter and Patricio Garcia currently hosting a cocktail van residency at Hoy Como Ayer.

In this episode, we dive into the ecosystem of our industry:
• How keeping the dollar within the community sustains all of us 💸🤝
• Supporting each other’s side projects and passions as a shared network
• Building drink programs that respect their space — the trailer, the food partner, the guests themselves 🍸🍽️

Ray sits down with the guys to talk flavor profiles, creativity inside tight quarters, and how a bar program can be either neglected… or overdeveloped to the point it forgets the person on the other side of the stick.

A conversation about staying grounded, staying intentional — and staying golden.

🌊 NOW POURING: Let’s Take a Dip
A conversation with Mitchel Bauer of Drinkable — dropping just ahead of the final Night Swim of the season on December 15 at the Moxy South Beach.

Mitchel wears many hats in our world: part of the team at Sexy Fish Brickell, and a voice for Axia Spirit, the leading Mastiha brand in the U.S., championing one of the world’s oldest spirits 🇬🇷🥃.

Ray sits in with him to talk about:
• The importance of community events for those of us who live and breathe this industry 🤝
• Why passion projects become extensions of who we are — and why we say yes to them outside of work 🔥
• How connection, creativity, and showing up for each other keeps our scene alive 🌴

A perfect warm-up before the last Night Swim of the year.

🧁 NOW POURING: Beauty of Second Acts
A Thanksgiving-timed conversation with Aurora Fernández, Pastry Chef of Sra. Martinez in Coral Gables.

We slow things down for this one and dive into a story shaped by courage, purpose, and reinvention:
• How her passion first led her into hospitality management & governmental work supporting migrant communities 🤝
• The moment of trust that changed everything — choosing to go to France to study pastry 🇫🇷
• The journey of returning home to begin her next chapter as a pastry chef, fully aligned with who she is and what she loves 💛

A reminder that life gives us many chapters — and the second act might be the most beautiful one yet.

☎️ NOW POURING: The Password Is…
A sit-down with Kelsey Drevyn, General Manager of Red Phone Booth Brickell — the private member club with a little mystery at the door.

We talk about:
• Her shift from criminology into the world of hospitality 🔍➡️🍸
• How her path led to leading a members-only space built on trust, energy & intention 🔑
• The things we overhear at the bar, and the ways we build community around us every night 💬❤️

An episode full of spirit, presence, and personality — just like Kelsey.

✨ NOW POURING: We Owe It to Ourselves
A sit-down with Shauna O’Neil — a seasoned industry veteran now stepping into her next chapter as founder of Cultor, a ready-made tequila-based cocktail rooted in intention and presence.

In this episode, we go deep into:
• The responsibility behind creating a product that reflects your life experience and your work 📈
• Sustainable living, sober curiosity & the maintenance practices that keep us aligned 🌿
• How we show up for ourselves — so we can show up for our guests, our teams, and our craft 🙏

A conversation that becomes spiritual, grounding, and fully representative of Shauna, of Barcode Mixer, and of Cultor’s ethos: presence is everything — and we owe it to ourselves.

Explore Cultor at drinkcultor.com

🍺 NOW POURING: A New Beginning
Part 2 of our conversation with Adam Gersten — the next chapter of the Gramps story.

This week, we move from legacy into evolution:
• How Gramps expanded into Gramps Getaway 🏝️
• The journey from New Schnitzel to what is now Double Luck Chinese 🥠
• The vision for what comes after the shutdown of the OG Gramps — and where the spirit of it will live next 🔮

If last week was about how it all began, this one is about where it’s going.

🍺 NOW POURING: Beginning of The End
Part 1 of a two-part story with Adam Gersten, the mind behind Gramps — a Wynwood original. Part 2 will be next week's episode!

In this first chapter, we go back to the origins:
• How Gramps came to be in a neighborhood that was ripe for a cultural institution
• The role it played as Wynwood grew, shifted, and built itself around its doors 🌆
• What made this place more than a bar — a cultural anchor, a refuge, and a catalyst for community 🎶

A look at the place that started it all — before we get into the legacy and what comes next.