John deBary is the author of DRINK WHAT YOU WANT, a mixology book that demystifies the art of creating cocktails at home, a skillset that John perfected first as a bartender at New York's legendary PDT and then for nine years as bar director for the Momofuku group. In today's session, we talk to John about washing lettuce, serving others. vs himself, being "a courtly bartender," performance anxiety, and studying drinks on flashcards. We also talk about the first successful cocktail that he invented at PDT (The Norman Inversion), the elements of a cocktail, rhubarb Amaro, how he chooses a drink at a restaurant, and raising $7 million for restaurant workers during the pandemic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amateurgourmet.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices