It wouldn’t be fair to say I have a favorite restaurant in Venice, but my guest today runs the one spot that is nearest to my heart. Now he’s not only wowing them with his world-class Venetian cuisine but he’s created an amaro that makes the gondoliers sing.

I’m not the only one who Luca di Vita has welcomed into Alla Testiere, the wonderful restaurant he owns with chef Bruno Gavagnin. London’s Russell Norman of Trattoria Brutto, a former Lush Lifer,  is also a dear friend and colleague. Out of this friendship, Amaro Nostrano was born.

And one sip of an amaro that is a tribute to Venice and its lagoon is all I needed to love it, but it seems I am not alone. To bastardize John Ruskin’s quote, “Venice is now  – a splendor of one amaro.”

During my stay in Venice, I was thrilled to sit down with my friend Luca to hear how and why Nostrano came to be. 

The cocktail of the week is the Bacan.

INGREDIENTS 

• 30ml Amaro Nostrano 
• 20ml Gin
• Tonic water
• Lemon slice

METHOD

• Add the Nostrano and gin to a highball glass
• Add ice
• Top up with Tonic Water
• Garnish with a lemon slice!

You’ll find this recipe, more Venetian cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find all the ingredients in our shop.

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Heading to the City of London is like going home! Fleet Street, one of its most famous addresses, was always the denizen of journos who were known to enjoy a tipple or two. My guest today welcomes me back with a Gimlet that’s pure London through and through.

Very few businesses are allowed to use the livery of the City of London and William Borrell, the Director of the City of London Distillery and Founder of Vestal Vodka, explains how it all happened plus so much more on today’s episode, sponsored by the City of London.

Did you know the City of London is just one square mile and forms the oldest part of London and was founded by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago - it even has its own mayor, the Lord Mayor, and government and is run independently from London? 

The City has so many things to see and do, before and after work, from quirky independent cafes to internationally-renowned cultural institutions, world-class modern architecture to historic heritage sites. From high-end shopping to vintage stalls,  from street food to Michelin-star restaurants, and of course from small boozers to glitzy wine and cocktail bars, there is a little bit of everything for everyone.

The City of London is a vibrant part of London with its own unique atmosphere, culture, and history just waiting to be re-discovered. 

The “Square Smile '' campaign is designed to raise awareness of the benefits of returning to the City and face-to-face interaction as firms increasingly give their staff more flexibility on where they locate through hybrid working.  It showcases the City’s vibrant offerings – ranging from world-class culture, heritage, cuisine, entertainment, retail, architecture, BARS, and so much more. Visit www.squaresmile.london for great ideas of places to visit, to see, discover, and drink.  

The cocktail of the week is Grapefruit Gimlet:

INGREDIENTS 

• 50ml Whitley Neill Connoisseur's Cut
• 20ml fresh lime juice
• 15ml fresh grapefruit juice
• 15ml simple syrup (gomme)

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass
• Add ice
• Stir, stir, stir
• Strain into a coupe glass

You’ll find this recipe, more City of London Distillery recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find all the ingredients in our shop.

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It might be known for rock, ballroom dancing, arcades, and even The Cure’s Robert Smith, but one wouldn’t automatically think of Blackpool, England as the home of Sweet Mash. Thanks to the efforts of our guest today, you will now.

Moving from New York City to Blackpool England is only a small step if your goal is to redefine what an English whiskey can be.  Vince Oleson, Distillery Manager of Bankhall Sweet Mash, has taken that step. He is bourbon bent and hell-bound, to co-opt the title of the famous song by Hank Williams, Jr. 

Although, on their way to having liquid in the barrel for 3 years in oak casks, Bankhall’s Sweet Mash was just too good not to share. Vince is here with me today to chat about what makes it so good and what will be waiting for us when those 3 years are over already! 

FYI we do say whiskey and bourbon interchangeably in the ep when describing Bankhall, but it is a sweet mash, bourbon style liquid technically! 

The cocktail of the week is ‘From New York to Blackpool’

INGREDIENTS 

• 50ml Bankhall Sweet Mash
• 25ml Lemon Juice
• 15ml Simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• 10ml Red Wine 
• 2 dashes Angostura

METHOD

• Add Sweet Mash, Lemon Juice and simple syrup to shaker tin and shake hard with ice.  
• Strain and remove ice from shaker and add egg white. Shake hard. 
• Strain shaker into glass over rock ice. (Preferably a Tumbler)
• Pour red wine over back of a bar spoon slowly.
• Garnish with 2 dashes of Angostura, Lemon wheel, Brandy Cherry

You’ll find this recipe, more whiskey recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find all the ingredients in our shop.

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Thinking of opening a new cocktail bar or planning a fabulous cocktail party?  Thanks to our guest today we don’t have to start from scratch. He’s given us the tools to hone every facet of the guest experience!

How lucky are we that Jason Williams, Creative Director of Proof & Company and head of Proof Creative, their bar and beverage consultancy program, has shared his 20 PIllar Plan with the rest of the world. 

He could have kept it a secret. But in the spirit of community and collaboration, the 20 Pillar Plan, designed as a holistic guide to opening and launching a bar, can be found right on their website. These include drinks, of course, concept, food, uniform, and 16 others.

Proof and company is one of the world’s most awarded drinks agencies. They’ve launched more than 100 bar projects since opening their doors in 2014, including some of the world's best bars 28 HongKong Street, Atlas Bar, Manhattan and so many more. 

Today Jason walks me through each and every one of the 20 Pillar Plan.

Our cocktail of the week is the ATLAS martini. Jason created this martini for ATLAS bar currently 16th on the list of the world's 50 best bars. If you're in Singapore, do not miss it.

INGREDIENTS 

• 60ml London Dry Gin
• 15ml Bianco Vermouth
• 2dsh Orange Bitters
• 5dsh Champagne Bitters

METHOD

• Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 
• Long pour strain neat into a frozen Martini glass. 
• Garnish with a lemon twist 

You’ll find this recipe, more Martini recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find all the ingredients in our shop.

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

For those of you who listened to the very, very end of my ep last week, you were expecting this week to be all about the City of London, well, due to unforeseen circumstances with which I won’t bore you. 

Instead, this week we will be answering all your questions about bitters with two who have been in the bitters biz for almost 10 years. 

I’ve had many eureka moments in the over 200 episodes of Lush Life I’ve done, but never so many in one episode! All to do with bitters. 

Who should be here to answer all my questions about bitters, and there were many, but my friend and former Lush Lifer Lauren Mote & her partner in business and life Chef Jonathan Chovancek, Co-Founders of Bittered Sling Bitters, Canada's award-winning cocktail bitters brand. 

To hear all about Lauren’s background, check out my two eps dedicated to her career. 

Jonathan has had more than 20 years of experience creating local, sustainable fare for some of Canada’s most celebrated, establishments, plus he has contributed to many magazines, been on telly, and was the chef/host of CBC TV’s groundbreaking documentary Village on a Diet, which was watched by more than a million people coast to coast. 

With those two at the helm, let’s see how many eureka moments you have!

The cocktail of the week is Times They Are A-Chain-Gin:

INGREDIENTS 

• 1.50 oz | 45 mL Tanqueray Ten Gin
• 1.00 oz | 30 mL Rose Vermouth
• 0.25 oz | 10 mL Verjus Cordial (*equal parts 1:1 simple syrup to white verjus)
• 0.25 oz | 10 mL Campari
• 2 dashes Bittered Sling Orange & Juniper Bitters

METHOD

• Stir all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 
• Strain neat into a chilled cocktail glass. 
• Express orange oils over the top of the cocktail and around the glass. 

You’ll find this recipe, more gin recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find all the ingredients in our shop.

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I wish I had known my guest sooner. Every dinner party he has ends with a round of homemade liqueur. The liquid was so good that he was convinced to bottle it for the whole world to enjoy. Now everyone’s dinner party can end with one more sip! 

Thomas Lester was busy doing other things when he realized what he was making was just too yummy not to share. Thus,  Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur was born. It took a few twists before he had the perfect recipe, but now you just can’t miss its colorful bottle everywhere you look. Who is Reverend Hubert and how did his picture end up coloring the iconic label? 

Well, you’re just going to have to listen in.

The cocktail of the week is Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur Negroni:

INGREDIENTS 

• 30ml Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur
• 30ml Sweet vermouth (e.g., Cocchi Vermouth di Torino or Cinzano 1757 Rosso)
• 30ml Campari
• Garnish: A twist of clementine zest

METHOD

• Add all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker
• Add ice
• Shake vigorously
• Strain into a chilled glass over ice (a thin layer of foam will form like a winter’s frost on the surface)
• Garnish with a slice of clementine zest, twisted to release the oil.   

You’ll find this recipe, more Reverend Hubert Winter Gin Liqueur recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find all the ingredients in our shop.

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

Yes, it’s a biggie. My 200th episode, and who should join me but one of the biggest names in cocktails and my constant companion during the lockdown, Lynnette Marrero.

199 episodes ago, I had a mic and “bottom’s up” to end the show. Now we have reached the 200th episode - I have a mic, bottoms up, and 199 episodes of Lush Life Podcast!

This is due to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with A Lush Life Manual and Lush Life podcast, especially my producer Evo Terra who was with me when Lush Life was in the idea stage and who has remained my work partner throughout my Lush Life Journey.

Everyone who sat across from me has become part of the Lush Life family. I’ve been inspired by all their stories and lucky enough to have tasted some of the best drinks in the world thanks to their time and generosity. 

Of course, there would be no show if you didn’t listen to it, and I thank you for tuning in every Tuesday!

Planning my 200th episode was easy; I spent my lockdown with Lynnette Marrero. For those of you who don’t know her. Where do I even begin?  Her bio is longer than this entire podcast. She began her career working at the Flatiron Lounge in NYC alongside Julie Reiner and has worked as a bartender, senior bartender, bar consultant, and Rum Ambassador for Diageo. 

She is now the Bar Director at Brooklyn hotspot The Llama Inn and the newly opened Llama San. She’s won tons of awards for her work, including the James Beard Award as one of America’s Leading Female Mixologists in 2009. She’s received the Tales of the Cocktails’ Spirited Awards for World’s Best Bar Mentors and the inaugural Philanthropy Award with co-founder Ivy Mix for their work in Speed Rack. 

She most recently won the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2021. The award is voted for by a group of bartenders who are asked to name one peer who pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a great bartender. 

How did I spend lockdown with her - well, Marrero launched the Masterclass.com Mixology platform in March 2020, just as the world went insane, helping home bartenders live life one cocktail at a time. How could I not have her on the program?  

Our cocktail of the week is Lynnette’s Clara Bow:

INGREDIENTS 

• ½ ounce Grenadine
• ½ ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ ounces bourbon
• 5–6 mint leaves
• Mint sprig, for garnish

METHOD

• Add all of the ingredients to a shaker
• Add ice
• Shake, shake, shake
• Double strain into a coupe glass
• Garnish with the mint sprig

If you want to make the grenadine from scratch, then head to this recipe at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find even more recipes and all the ingredients in our shop.

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Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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Yorkshire is known for its turbulent weather and wildly romantic hills and dales, which influenced not only the Bronte sisters but our guest today.

We have Richard Thompson, Co-Founder of Sing Gin, with me today on the program. When his father brought home a still, they were not sure what would come of it. Throwing caution to the wind, he and his family produced an award-winning gin that comes from and is tied to the Yorkshire landscape.

He is here to tell us what transpired. In the words of Emily Bronte, kind of, we’ll discover: “It was not the flax bending to the gin, but the gin embracing the flax.”

So let’s get to it.

Our cocktail of the week had to be the Sing Gin Floradora:

INGREDIENTS 

• 50ml Sing Gin
• 20ml Fresh lime juice
• 25ml Raspberry syrup
• Ginger ale

METHOD

• Combine the gin, lime juice, and syrup in an ice-filled cocktail shaker
• Shake, shake, shake
• Strain over cubed ice into a balloon glass.
• Top with ginger ale and stir gently
• Garnish with raspberries and a lime wedge

You'll find this recipe, more Sing Gin recipes, including the Rose Gin Fizz, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shop.

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Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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This is a pre-Thanksgiving quiz. What American Revolutionary War hero said, “I have not yet begun to fight?” and has a rum named after him. No, it’s not Hamilton!  

We have Finnian Gill, Co-Founder - Master of Flavors for...wait for it...for John Paul Jones Rum here to answer every question you might have on how the two that is American Revolutionary war hero John Paul Jones and rum came together, plus even more on the not-so-secret ingredient that makes their rum different from every rum out there.

By the way, if you can’t hear it already, I have bronchitis which is still wreaking havoc on my voice. But it has been two weeks without a single episode. Please bear with my voice, at least in the beginning and end. I totally sound like me in the interview because I recorded pre-cold!

Now let’s begin to drink - I think John Paul Jones said that too!

Our cocktail of the week had to be the Espresso Martini made the John Paul Jones way!

INGREDIENTS 

• 50ml John Paul Jones Rum
• 40ml coffee liqueur
• 1 shot of premium espresso
• Pinch of sea salt

METHOD

• Add all of the ingredients to a shaker
• Add ice
• Shake, shake, shake
• Doubles train into a coupe glass

You'll find this recipe, more Espresso Martini recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shop.

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

So I have one question for you before I begin: Are you Team Bach or Team Coward?  Bach said: “Without my morning coffee, I’m just like a dried-up piece of a goat.” While Noel Coward asked, “Why do I drink champagne for breakfast? Doesn’t everyone?” So how do you wake up in the morning

Sponsored by Tanqueray Gin, I was joined at the final Lush Life Book Club at Oriole bar in London by Pippa Guy, the Brand Ambassador of Tanqueray Gin, and Jason Clark, Brand Ambassador of Talisker whisky.  Both former guests on this very podcast reveal their secrets to writing a cocktail book.

Pippa’s book “Let’s Get Fizzical” is an inspiring mix of classic cocktail recipes such as bellinis and mimosas and offers tips, tricks, presentation ideas, and technical know-how to make your cocktails as sensational for the eye as they are for the palate.

Jason recently designed and launched his first cocktail book "The Art & Craft of Coffee Cocktails" to inspire bartenders to care more about coffee & baristas to get more creative with coffee mixology.

If you want to hear how this got where they did, you’ll have to catch up on Lush Life - Jason’s episode is #104 - How to love the things you hated as a child, and Pippa’s is #171 How to Make History

We have one coffee cocktail and one fizzy cocktail as our cocktails of the week.

We start with the coffee and then celebrate with the fizz

Our first is the Coffee & Tonic. You’ll need

INGREDIENTS 

• 45ml Tanqueray 10 gin
• 60ml cold brew coffee and 
• 120ml premium tonic water

METHOD

• Fill a highball glass with ice cubes
• Add the gin, coffee, and top with the tonic
• Stir gently
• Garnish with a grapefruit zest

For the Blueberry Bellini, you’ll have to find it at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shop.

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more! 

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!