Living Proof: Conversations for Bartenders

Gaz Regan - the Bartender formerly known as Gary Regan - has been around the bar industry since he began working in English pubs in the 1960s. He knows it inside out, having seen it evolve into the cocktail culture we know today and written about it extensively in countless books and magazines. Still fully immersed in the industry in New York, we had Gaz join us to discuss his past experiences, before letting us in on the inspiration behind his current projects – Mindful Bartending, the Worldwide Bartender Database, the updated ‘The Joy of Mixology’ and more.

Then, at around the 40 minute mark we're joined at Hains & Co by Ryan Lane for our Free Pour segment. Ryan manages award-winning Brisbane pub The Gresham and is sixth on the Australian Bartender Magazine's Most Influential List.

Resources, bars and products mentioned

http://www.gazregan.com/ - where you can sign up for Gaz’ email newsletter and buy his orange bitters

G’Vine Gin

Gaz’s Worldwide Bartender Database

The Joy of Mixology, Revised and Updated Edition: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender’s Craft

The Polynesion New York

Cocktail Kingdom, where you can buy Gaz Regan negroni finger stirrers

The Gresham Brisbane

Buffalo Trace – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Key points

5:00 From English pubs to creating cocktails in New York – a brief look at Gaz’s journey behind the bar

11:20 How Gaz made the transition to writing about cocktails

13:15 How the finger-stirred negroni came to be

15:30 Gaz’s advice for young bartenders

21:50 What Gaz is up to these days

23:30 Mindful Bartending

28:45 How Gaz manages his drinking

29:45 the drink Gaz likes to finish his day with

35:10 The story behind Gaz’s famous eyeliner

41:10 The Free Pour Five with Ryan Lane of The Gresham

Sven Almenning is a ex-Norwegian Navy officer who became a bartender while studying in Australia. He now owns and runs the Speakeasy Group of venues and online staff training program Ananas. Prior to that, he and his wife ran Behind Bars, a bartending education consultancy that reached over 15,000 people per year. Sven is second on the Australian Bartender Magazine’s most influential list and he genuinely cares about the industry, its future and the people in it.

After our chat with Sven, we head to Amsterdam for a Free Pour chat with Timo Janse, who’s recently founded Flying Dutchmen Cocktails.

Key points:

4:30 An overview of all the amazing things Sven was involved with in 2018

10:30 What Sven looks for in a Speak Easy venue

14:10 What Sven’s experience in the Navy taught him

18:15 What Sven looks for when hiring employees

22:30 The philosophy behind Sven’s online training program Anana’s

28:20 Sven’s most memorable drinking experiences

33:00 Sven’s advice for young bartenders

36:00 The venue trends that Sven sees taking shape in 2019

41:45 The experience on offer at Sven’s newest venue, Nick & Nora’s

47:40 Sven’s favourite drink to make

52:15 the Free Pour Five with Timo Janse of Flying Dutchmen Cocktails

THIS WEEK :

Feature Interview - Philip Duff on cocktail culture.

Free Pour Five - Rogerio Igarashi with Hisatsugu Saito from Bar Tram, Tokyo.

Philip Duff is a consultant, educator, producer, writer, judge and former venue owner. He's also hilarious. The Irishman has done it all since establishing Liquid Solutions 20 years ago: He's owned the Netherland's first speakeasy - door 74, mentored some of the world's best bartenders (including Marcus!) and he's now the Director of Education at Tales of the Cocktail. Oh, and he also produces Old Duff Genever Single Malt, one of only three brands permitted to carry the seal of Schiedam.

Phil's always ahead of the curve, which makes him the perfect person to kick off 2019 with. Our wide-ranging interview covers the cocktail revolution, where and what he's most excited about in 2019, what he'd tell bartenders starting out today (he's one of the most accomplished mentors going around) and what he regards as the most important of the many positions he's held to date.

Then, we bring you the Free Pour Five with two of Asia's best bartenders - Rogerio Igarashi and Hisatsugu Saito - to explore the unique world of bartending and cocktail culture in Japan.

Key points:

10:00 Changes Phil has seen in his time at Tales of the Cocktail.

17:00 Why Phil regards Australia as the best pound-for-pound cocktail nation in the world.

19:00 Where Phil thinks the cocktail revolution is at and where it’s headed

24:50 What Phil thinks people are looking to drink in 2019.

26:40 What Phil looks for when judging cocktail competitions.

33:10 The advice Phil would give to bartenders starting out today.

39:50 Phil’s most memorable drinking experience.

44:00 We bring out Phil’s soft side!

48:50 The Free Pour Five with Rogerio Igarashi and Hisatsugu Saito from Tokyo.

Full Show Notes, including all bars and products mentioned, on our website.

Allen Katz is one of the world's leading experts on distilled spirits and cocktails. He founded the Brooklyn-based New York Distilling Company in 2011 with Tom Potter, and has been at the forefront of the resurgence of rye whiskey. He's even helped to create a new category of the stuff - 'Empire Rye' - which requires 75% of the mash bill to be rye grain grown in New York.

We were dying to ask Allen: why is he so enamoured with whiskeys? Are they increasing in popularity? Does he have any advice for the plethora of young craft distillers entering the market today? How is the Shanty Bar, which is attached to the NY Distillery, experimenting with the company's famous spirits? Allen is absolutely brimming with valuable knowledge and expertise.

Then, our Free Pour Five segment features young gun Ollie Margan, a 26-year-old venue owner from Adelaide who's already making waves in the industry.

Key points:

04:00 Rye whiskey and the reclamation of American heritage.

06:00 Is the number of rye whiskey drinkers increasing?

12:00 Where did the idea behind the Empire Rye category grow from?

14:45 What advice would Allen give young craft distillers planning to break into the industry?

17:00 Why there’s a bar, the Shanty, attached to the New York Distillery.

19:15 Where does Allen see cocktail culture going?

24:20 What does Allen look for in a Manhattan, his favourite cocktail?

27:20 The advice that Gaz Regan gave Allen when he first started bartending.

29:40 Why Dave Wondrich described him as ‘The Mysterious’ Allen Katz.

37:15 The Free Pour Five with Ollie Margan.

Next week: We'll be having a short break over the Christmas/New Year period, and we'll be back on January 7 with Tales of the Cocktail's Philip Duff.

Dale DeGroff is King Cocktail. He’s a bartender, author and “one of the world’s foremost cocktail experts,” according to in the New York Times. He’s worked some of the US’ best bars, written some timeless books, helped found award-winning training platform Beverage Alcohol Resource, and even opened a Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans.

As one of the most qualified to opine on the current state-of-play of the cocktail world, where does he think we have got to and where does he see us going? What does he credit with driving the resurgence of classic cocktails and their twisted varietals? Which drink does he regard as the true test of a bartender? How did he wind up inventing cocktails for Rupert Murdoch on one of his first days on the job? And what would he tell a young bartender starting out today?

Stick around after Dale’s interview as we head to LA for our Free Pour Five chat with D. ‘Max’ Maxey, The Chestnut Club’s renowned bar manager. He’s a crack-up!

Full show notes on our website.

Introducing Living Proof, a podcast for bartenders and anyone who likes to drink well. Your hosts are award-winning broadcaster Nicole Haack and veteran bar guru ‘The Admiral’, aka Marcus Motteram, who steers the ship at boutique Adelaide venue Hains & Co.

In the Living Proof podcast, we aim to keep you at the edge of spirit, bar and cocktail trends, by keeping you connected with producers, historians and mixologists globally. Each week, we’ll have an in-depth conversation with an industry authority – think Dale DeGroff and Dave Wondrich – before heading somewhere in the world (from our studio) to chat to a lesser-known yet forward-thinking bartender about what they’re pouring.

This will be essential and entertaining listening for bartenders, or anyone who likes to drink well. So like & subscribe, and we’ll see you Monday!

Suggestions, queries or comments? Tweet us @LivingProofPod. Otherwise, you can stay up-to-date at facebook.com/livingproofpod and themessagepod.com.au/livingproof

Here’s to lifting spirits!