Bartender at Large

This week we are joined by bartender, spirits specialist and consultant Lex, who opens up about the hardest chapter of her life. For four years she worked 14-hour bar shifts while raising the little sister she adopted when she was just 26. She also fought for custody in family court on her own, often walking into the courthouse straight from a closing shift with no sleep. So tune in as she shares how she kept smiling for guests through all of it, and how the coworkers who stepped up carried her when she couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. She also explains why everyone deserves a little grace, on both sides of the bar. ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

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This week we head to Washington, DC to pull up a stool with Kapri Robinson and Princess Johnson of Allegory, one of the most inventive bars in the country and a fixture on the North America's 50 Best Bars list. They take us behind the scenes of their famously ambitious concept menus, including their current book-length tribute to Ruby Bridges, complete with hand-built dioramas made from thrifted toys. Along the way, they break down the one-to-two-year R&D process behind every menu, how they keep egos out of the creative room, and what's next for Allegory, from new formats to "Club Allegory" dance nights. LINK TO MENU: https://www.allegory-dc.com/allegorymenu ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

Walk into any Total Wine & More these days and there's a good chance a bartender has had a hand in what you're seeing on the shelves. This week we're joined by Molly Horn, Chief Mixologist and Spirits Educator at Total Wine & More, who traded restaurant bartending for a role teaching both store staff and shoppers how to drink better at home. We dig into how bar trends take a few years to trickle down to home bartenders, how TikTok can send a drink like the Dubai chocolate martini viral overnight, why rum and mezcal are having a moment in certain markets, and how canned cocktails are turning curious shoppers into home bartenders. Plus, Molly shares why putting a bartender on the sales floor might be the best move a bottle shop can make. Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

Rum has long suffered from an image problem in this country, as too many drinkers still associate the category with sugary spiced bottles and sticky frozen drinks. But if tequila could go from a spirit taken by the shot to one sipped and studied, then why can't rum do the same? To help us make sense of where the category is headed, we are joined this week by actor and co-founder of Palm Republic Rum, Eric Winter. So tune in as he shares how a single pour of aged rum nearly twenty years ago set him down this path, and what went into blending Jamaican funk with rums from Panama and the US Virgin Islands. Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

Bartenders spend their whole careers reaching into ice wells, pulling from speed rails and slamming glass door coolers shut a few hundred times a night, and yet most of us have never given a second thought to who decides how any of that gets built. To help us pull back the curtain on the equipment side of the business we are joined by Corrinne Walenda, Corporate Training Manager and Brand Ambassador for Perlick, who has spent nearly 15 years working in restaurant equipment and building training programs that translate between the people who make the gear and the people who use it.

Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

It is no secret that our industry moves in cash and good nights, but very few of us were ever taught what to actually do with it once it lands in our pocket. Between untracked income, lifestyle creep and a social media feed constantly telling us how we should be spending, it is far too easy to make great money for years and still have nothing to show for it. This week's guest learned that lesson early, watching her mother lose her job in the 2008 crash after more than a decade of strong earnings behind the bar. So tune in as we are joined by Dana June, founder of How to Cocktail and author of the book of the same name, as she shares practical advice on maximizing income, building an emergency fund, and taking advantage of the tax benefits that service industry workers so often leave on the table. Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

This week we are joined by Chris Lowder, co-founder of Lowder-Tascarella Hospitality, two-time Tales of the Cocktail nominee for Best Global Bar Mentor, and one of Drinks International's 100 Most Influential Figures in the Global Bar Industry. After leading World's 50 Best-recognized bars across China, Chris co-founded LTH, now a team of 18 spanning New York, Miami, and Bangkok, with his latest work on display at Miami Beach's Shelborne by Proper. So tune in as we discuss why sustainable operations and financial literacy beat chasing accolades, his years bartending in Korea and China, and the hidden challenges of hotel F&B development.

Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

This week we are joined by Chris Lowder, co-founder of Lowder-Tascarella Hospitality, two-time Tales of the Cocktail nominee for Best Global Bar Mentor, and one of Drinks International's 100 Most Influential Figures in the Global Bar Industry. After leading World's 50 Best-recognized bars across China, Chris co-founded LTH, now a team of 18 spanning New York, Miami, and Bangkok, with his latest work on display at Miami Beach's Shelborne by Proper. So tune in as we discuss why sustainable operations and financial literacy beat chasing accolades, his years bartending in Korea and China, and the hidden challenges of hotel F&B development.

Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

This week we are joined by Chris Lowder, co-founder of Lowder-Tascarella Hospitality, two-time Tales of the Cocktail nominee for Best Global Bar Mentor, and one of Drinks International's 100 Most Influential Figures in the Global Bar Industry. After leading World's 50 Best-recognized bars across China, Chris co-founded LTH, now a team of 18 spanning New York, Miami, and Bangkok, with his latest work on display at Miami Beach's Shelborne by Proper. So tune in as we discuss why sustainable operations and financial literacy beat chasing accolades, his years bartending in Korea and China, and the hidden challenges of hotel F&B development.

Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge

Not too long ago, the idea of a truly great cocktail coming out of a can seemed like a contradiction in terms, but this week's guest has been on a mission to change that. We are joined by Neal Cohen, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Atlanta-based Tip Top Proper Cocktails. Before launching the brand in 2018 with childhood friend Yoni Reisman, Neal spent years in radio and as Marketing Director for Superfly, producing large-scale events like Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, where he noticed something was missing from the market: bar-quality classic cocktails you could actually enjoy at a concert, a tailgate, or on your own couch. So tune in as Neal shares how they enlisted eight-time James Beard Award nominee Miles Macquarrie (Kimball House) to develop the recipes, how a background in music and brand-building shaped the company, and what it takes to pioneer an entire category. In addition, we discuss the growing lineup of Tip Top classics, from the Old Fashioned and Negroni to the Paper Plane and Penicillin, and where the prepared cocktail space is headed next.

Get your free samples: https:perfectpuree.com/bal ____________________________________

Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge

WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender Bartender at Large: https://www.tiktok.com/@bartenderatlarge

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Erick Castro: www.twitter.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.twitter.com/BartendAtLarge