In our 6th episode, Renato LeBron, known simply as The Wine Guy in Las Vegas, sits down and shares his journey.From Q-Tester, judging green coffee beans, to cheesemonger (a master of cheese making), to Journeyman Chocolatier, then to advanced sommelier. Eventually he uses his major in economy to join Merrill Lynch in San Francisco, before leaving that for Mondavi’s Opus when it was just being built. So how the heck did he end up working for Trader Joe’s? So much to learn from him in such a short time. Find out something about everything with the real “World’s Most Interesting Man”.00:00 Intro to Renato LeBron (teaser)00:26 First Rusty Nail3:03 Drambui 5:00 (The cocktail we couldn’t figure out was the Bobby Burns)6:30 Coffee Bean - Q Grader(1 of Less than 600)9:45 Cheese Monger13:12 Journeyman Chocolatier 17:08 Sommelier (WSET Advanced)19:24 Econ major - Merrill Lynch  20:50 Robert Mondavi and Opus24:15 Trader Joe’s 26:10 Riedel Glassware 27:08 Jitters Coffee before there was Starbucks32:00 The Martinez34:30 Tony Abou-Ganim Modern Moxologist & Johnny Love35:35 Garnish as an afterthought!37:20 Joe Pereira - Blood & Sand,Luxardo cherry Sangue Morlacco38:45 Coffee Talk 46:28 Garnish P2 - PEELS 51:00 First Time Bar Lead52:30 Pisco sour: egg white 53:30 Juyoung 56:00 Cole and sprite is not Gingerale! 59:35 Trader Joe's all employees do all jobs 1:03:00 Old Pal1:06:07 a man's glass1:07:00 Class Jozef Latasi 1:08:29 Butcher and thief1:11:00 The Sommelier is a dying art1:16:00 servers and bartenders should go out and experience other conceptsRusty Nail (Our proportions):2.00 oz Johnny Walker Black1.00 oz Drambui Garnish - Lemon Peel Either Build in glass with regular ice or combine ingredients in mixing glass, add ice, stir, and strain over large cube and garnish with a lemon peel. The Martinez Recipe:1.50 Hayman's Old Tom1.50 1757 Cinzano rosso 0.25 Maraschino Liqueur2 dashes angostura Garnish - Orange peelCombine ingredients in mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain into chilled Coupe glass and garnish with an orange peel.Old Pal Recipe:1.00 Minden Mill Rye whiskey1.00 Campari1.00 Dry vermouthGarnish - Lemon peelCombine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Pour into a Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a lemon peel.Special Thank you to Renato Lebron for years of bringing delicious Trader Joe’s Snacks to the many bars I’ve served you at & for taking the time to share some of your story! @C @Coffeewme Created & hosted by Michael GiambroneExecutive producer: Angelo Cabanos

Katie Kush sits down with Giambrone for a candid, fun, and eye-opening conversation on Pouring Stories Season 2 Episode 5.

The adult film star shares her real experiences in the industry, from her favorite gonzo-style scenes and surprising least favorite moments (including VR) to the unique chemistry that makes or breaks a shoot. Katie opens up about relationships, industry judgments, weird directors, OnlyFans impact, and what life is really like in front of the camera.

Along the way, we dive into her personal hobbies like junk journaling, awkward fetishes (yes, including horror-themed), psychology in adult film, and why she never watches her own work. This episode blends mixology, honest storytelling, and plenty of laughs - including her unforgettable “I can find the gutter!” moment.

We also mix up some delicious tequila cocktails including a Tequila Mule & a Margarita.

If you enjoy real conversations with fascinating people paired with great cocktails, this one delivers.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 Katie Kush Intro Teaser

00:25 Katie’s First Scene

02:40 Jalisco Tequila Mule

09:57 Copper Mug & Glassware

12:47 Least Favorite Scene… VR

13:25 Pillow Princess

14:33 Favorite Scene… Gonzo

15:25 Chemistry Between Actors

16:59 The Reality of Adult Film Shoots

18:25 Weird Directors

21:52 Relationships as a Performer

25:05 Judgments from Others

26:03 “I can find the gutter!” 😂

26:40 OnlyFans Impact

28:36 Pour Decisions: Meeting Katie Kush

30:53 Why Porn Sets Are Sober Environments

32:42 Cocktail Riffs on Classics

34:09 Cocktail Competitions

36:00 Basic B*tch Cocktails

38:25 Katie’s Hobbies Outside Work

41:00 Junk Journaling

44:34 Margaritas

47:15 Katie’s Feet Bartending

50:25 Awkward Fetishes: Horror p*rn

55:05 Psychology of the Industry

58:28 Katie Doesn’t Watch Her Own Films

59:45 Katie’s Dream lay

1:01:20 P*rn Mt. Rushmore

Jalisco (Tequila) Mule

1. ​00 Sieta Leguas Blanco Tequila
2. ​50 Fresh Lime Juice

3-4oz San Benedetto Ginger beer

Build in glass and stir.

Garnish with any combination of candied ginger, lime wheel, & mint

Margarita

1. ​00 oz Siete Leguas Reposado
2. ​50 oz Pierre Ferrand Orange curaçao
3. ​75 Fresh Lime Juice
4. ​50 agave syrup

Add all ingredients in mixing tin, add ice, shake, strain into salt/tajin rimmed rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel

Special thank you to Katie Kush for her honesty, energy, and willingness to share real stories.

Created & Hosted by Michael Giambrone

Executive Producer: Angelo Cabanos

#KatieKush #PouringStories

J.R. Starkus joins us at the Pouring Stories bar for a masterclass in hospitality, bar management, and opening successful venues. A true legend in Las Vegas for decades, J.R. went from leading mixologist to the face of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. He’s mentored countless industry professionals and continues to set the standard for what a career in beverage and hospitality can look like.

This episode delivers an honest, intelligent breakdown of what bars get right and wrong - and why integrity should always come first.00:00 J.R. Starkus Intro Teaser

00:25 Nickel, Dime, Quarter.

02:15 Director Of Business Development For New Accounts

03:40 Southern Glazers Beverage Company

06:28 RX Boiler Room built for J.R.

07:54 Rookie Move

09:20 The Pain Killer

09:45 The Soggy Dollar Bar

11:47 J.R.’s Integrity 

15:37 Expectations & Mise En Place 

20:47 Opening bars… Initial plan vs reality

27:08 Cocktails trends - The Espresso Martini

29:26 Mental tricks on menus

31:07 Cognac - (Remy Martin)

34:39 Las Vegas not respected

36:55 I know it probably doesn’t work like that.

36:05 The Arts District 

38:04 Sidecar - Dry Curaçao’s crucial role

42:07 Cognac - Most underrated spirit

43:10 J.R. Makes Drinks

45:14 Patron Cristalino - Margarita

47:33 Barrel Aged Spirits

52:05 Weber Ranch Vodka

54:30 “Gluten Free” spirits

57:03 Bars have evolved 

59:38 Collecting Mentors

1:01:13 The Costs and Rewards of a career in “Beverage”

Special Thanks to J.R. Starkus for years of mentorship and being a leader in the Las Vegas and global beverage industry. 

Pusser’s Painkiller Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 oz Pusser’s Rum

4 oz Pineapple Juice

1 oz Orange Juice

1 oz Cream of Coconut

Fresh grated nutmeg (for garnish)

Build:

Shake all ingredients with ice. Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Recipes:

The Side Car

1.50oz Remy Martin VSOP

1.00oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

0.75oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Garnish half sugar rimmed coupe glass & Lemon Peel.

Build:

Add all ingredients into a shaker tin, add ice, shake vigorously, and double strain into a Half sugar rimmed coupe glass. Garnish with expressed lemon peel.

During the end of season 1, production went off the rails and Pouring Stories had to go a new direction with our editing. This was this final episode of our first season. It was an amazing episode that deserved more attention. Despite the production issues I wanted to share it with the world. Joe and Jen are incredible people and I am thrilled to share their perspective with my audience!

00:00 Intro teaser

00:38 Joe Arakawa intro Cynar Southside

2:40 Worlds Best

10:37 Spirit & Seoul

14:30 USBG

17:55 Not Just a bartender

18:58 Jen’s official intro LPM

19:35 Craft Bartender’s incomes

22:50 “Deckered" It’s been rough

23:46 Consistency

27:00 Jen’s Cocktail Kuramoto Ice

28:00 Shaved Ice

29:29 Shochu vs. Soju vs Baijiu

35:00 Highball History

41:20 FRESH ORIGINS

45:30 Buzz Button

46:30 Verbena at Cosmo - Lorena Mercer

47:54 Biju - Ming River

53.20 Cultures Bartenders

1:06:00 Horse Radish

1:13:20 A special riff on a Vesper

1:20:00 Batch Programs 1:29:00 Brick and Mortar

1:34:33 Outro Fernet Birria Consume

Special thanks to Spirit & Seoul (Joe & Jen) for their years of friendship and patience! Created and Hosted by Michael GiambroneEdited by Kyler Fleming

Eryn Korby, Owner Of Sin City Saints, visits Pouring Stories for Episode 3 of Season 2! 

Sin City Saints is an Adult Non Alcoholic Boutique, located on Main Street, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She carries amazing zero proof spirits and she brings some for us to try. Korby even makes a non-alcoholic Old Fashioned! We talk about the direction the industry is going, the shift to other substances from alcohol, and how the industry should react!

Please like, subscribe, and leave a comment/suggestion, to help our podcast grow! 00:00 Intro Teaser

00:00 Eryn Korby Introduction (Teaser)

00:28 Pouring Stories Season 2 Episode 3

01:54 Adult Non Alcoholic industry 

02:30 Sin City Saints Retail in Arts District  

03:30 “The New Veganism”

7:20 Who is driving growth? 

9:19 “ZEBRA STRIPING”

https://www.foodandwine.com/dry-january-zebra-striping-11880462 

11:27 N/A Amaro - Pathfinder

12:48 The Ritual of having a cocktail.

14:35 “The 3 B’s: Bite, Bitter, & Body!” 

16:55 All bars need Zero Proof offerings 

19:07 Analog ANAs.

22:00 Alcohol in sour dough, bananas, etc.

https://nabeerclub.com/can-you-buy-drink-na-beer-under-21/ 

23:30 Can anyone purchase N/A beers?

26:13 How to add bite! Capsaicin.

30:00 “Mocktail” - Julia Momose

https://bartenderatlas.com/hospitality-gems/julia-momose/

33:00 Who should judge Non-alchs

34:20 Derek Brown

35:23 “Que The Sober People”

35:50 The Proof Awards https://issuu.com/proofthemagazine/docs/pr_f_magazine_-_january_2-26

38:13 All The Bitters - Best N/A bitters

40:55 Adaptogens and nootropics

42:35 DROMME 

44:25 Tasting notes

45:22 Off the cuff cocktail building

47:27 18 Bin

49:00 Building the cocktail

53:20 Inclusive Hospitality

57:25 Feeling judged

1:01:06 Korby Makes Dromme O.F.

1:05:20 “You take the pink one!” Tasting Korby’s creation. 

01:06:38 Favorite spots to get ANA bevs.

1:08:20 Where to find Korby! 

Special Thanks to Korby for all her expertise and her time! 

Check out Saint Beverage Co. 

Dromme O.F.

2.00 oz Nkd N/A whiskey

1.00 oz Dromme Calm

0.50 oz Charred Oak & Maple Yesco

10 dashes All The Bitters Orange

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass, add ice, stir. Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass. 

Garnish with Orange peel and cherry

Hosted and Created by Michael Giambrone

Executive Producer: Angelo Cabanos

Adam O'Donnell, Co-Owner of Jive Turkey in Las Vegas, returns to Pouring Stories for our second episode of season 2. Like at his and Sam's bar "Jive Turkey", Adam is back on the podcast to push boundaries! The conversation goes from shooters and gendered ordering to the history of the Old Fashioned and Luxardo cherries. All along Adam uses his shocking sense of humor to surprise the host G. There is a lot of playful word jousting but at the end you know, this is just how two good friends, show their love.

Please rate and follow our channel to help our podcast grow!

00:00 Introducing Adam O'Donnell

01:58 A Jabroni vs A Giambrone

02:40 Cement Mixer…

05:48 An Old Fashioned Argument

08:55 Season 2 changes... ANGELO!

11:00 An education on Luxardo & Perla Dry!

15:00 Gendered P-Mix (men vs. women ordering trends)

17:30 Shumaker deserves better!

19:50 “Other People’s Property” at Jive Turkey

22:08 Saturday Morning Cartoons NotJustABartender

23:26 Building Cocktail Menus

26:55 THE COSTS OF OWNERSHIP

29:45 “Irrealistic” IS IT A WORD? P1

30:40 Does lime go in a Pina Colada?

32:15 "Irrealistic" P233:10 Picking Rum

34:20 "Irrealistic" P3

35:31 Recipe: The piña COLADA (Scarface)

36:55 Ferraro’s Cardamom Saffron tincture

39:55 “Even when they’re bad, they’re still good”

41:15 Finishing The drink

43:43 “oooh weee, I think we got something here”

44:50 Liquid Alchemist

47:21 How to make a cocktail

50:25 What makes a “Dive Bar”?

52:25 Tiki Bars

53:00 Cannibalizing Bramare (Allegedly)

55:10 Dives vs Tiki P2

57:00 Stereotypes

57:55 Dives P3 dives vs sports bars

1:00:00 Jive’s Chicken Sandwich.

1:08:00 Malort

1:11:07 Refused Icing

1:15:10

1:15:57 icing p2 end

1:16:501:18:00 Nocturno

1:20:00 Adam’s dessert island food - Burger

1:20:43 Bar Bohem's burger

1:21:50 “fuck your for icing me” P3

1:24:13 Cocktails “oh Malort”

Blacking Out

Recipe

Bastardized piña colada

2.00 oz pineapple

1.00 oz coconut

0.50 oz Fernet Branca

0.50 oz Planteray Pineapple Stiggins

0.50 oz Lemon Hart & Sons 151 Rum

0.25 oz Fresh Lime Juice

This Old Fashioned

2.50 oz Old Forester 100 prrof

0 .25oz simple syrup

3 dash Angostura bitters

2 dash Orange bitters

G- Orange peel & Cherry

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass, add ice, stir, strain over large cube. Express orange over cocktail and a cherry pick for garnish

Pouring Stories Season 2 Episode 1

Heidi Wiest, Master Hair Stylist, Sound Healer, and founder of Wyld Kī®, joins the Pouring Stories Podcast for our first episode of season 2. Heidi speaks to her over 25 years of experience in beauty and personal care, drinking expensive “cat coffee”, & enjoying good tequila, all while desperately seeking a decent Skinny Margarita! During the episode we test tequila's for additives, talk about the alleged shady practices of some brands, tattoo care, and G gets Heidi's personal touch with her product Ignite! As the drinks go down, the conversation ramps up in this hilariously good time!

00:00 Intro Heidi Wiest Teaser

00:20 Skinny Margaritas

01:45 Wyld Ki and Sound Healing

04:11 Skinny Margaritas p2

08:10 Sound Healing

09:48 Wyld Ki Dear Tallow

12:20 Men and Skin Care

15:25 Additives in Tequila

21:30 Tattoo Care

30:40 Routines & The Key To Sex-ess!

32:00 Comparing Tequilas

37:08 Side Sippin’ great Tequila

42:00 Quality vs. Hype

44:00 Tito’s will never sponsor us!

48:40 Allegedly!

52:52 G isn't an espresso expert...

55:10 Luwak (Cat Poop) Coffee

57:30 Carajillo riff with Ilegal Mezcal

60:00 First days of a new tattoo

65:00 Heidi melts G with "Ignite" from Wylde Ki

69:25 WRAP IT UP!

Recipes

Skinny Margarita

2.00 oz G4 Reposado Tequila

1.00 oz Cointreau

1.00 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Shake and strain into Rocks Glass with Tajin rim

Modified Carajillo

2.00 oz Fresh Espresso

1.50 oz Licor 43

0.50 oz Ilegal Caribbean Cask Reposado

Shake and strain over ice and garnish with orange peel. Check out her website www.wyldki.com for all her amazing products (this is not a paid promotion).

Like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to see all of our episodes!

A special thank you to our guest Heidi Wiest for her years of friendship and great hair cuts!

Hosted and Created by Michael Giambrone

Executive Producer: Angelo Cabanas

🎙 Pouring Stories Ep.18 - Giambrone sits down with Nathan Grates, co-owner of The Sand Dollar LV, Sand Dollar Downtown, and La Casa De Juliette, to talk about the grind behind building three of Las Vegas’ most respected cocktail and live-music destinations.

From brutal late nights as a beverage manager to wild college bar shifts, Nate opens up about the real costs of success: Physical, emotional, and financial. We dive deep into cocktail competitions, sobriety in the industry, Las Vegas dram shop laws, and why authenticity beats hype every time. If you care about Las Vegas bars, cocktail culture, or the business of hospitality, this episode is pure gold.

💡 Why Watch / Listen

✔ Inside story of The Sand Dollar Las Vegas-from concept to cult status

✔ Brutally honest look at the hospitality industry: burnout, sobriety, and creative passion

✔ Cocktail nerd talk: Trinidad Sour, additive-free spirits, and Martingale Cognac

✔ Lessons on entrepreneurship, partnership, and staying authentic in a world of influencers

⏰ Chapters & Key Moments

00:00 Intro Teaser

01:04 Ole Bison Bourbon - Tasting room with Jeremy Wilkinson

02:30 Building a foundation

04:19 Beverage Manager Hell - “It Destroyed Me Physically & Emotionally”

07:55 First moments bartending - “Is this legal?”

11:26 Enthusiasm for bartending

12:18 Cocktail Competitions (Presentation)

14:18 Cocktail Competitions (Scoring bias)

15:45 Over-drinking & Sobriety in the beverage industry

18:35 D.U.I., Taking their Keys, & Dram Shop Laws in Las Vegas

22:45 Davey’s Locker

24:40 Bartending a College Bar - “I overserved everybody”

27:20 Media Dinners!

29:46 Concierge

31:31 Trinidad Sour - What did G do wrong?

35:00 G realizes his mistake!

37:00 Additive Free in the news!

42:55 Ghost Busters44:10 Corrected Trinidad Sour (after 2 bottles of ango)

45:54 La Casa De Juliette

50:00 No Smoking at The Dollar!

52:25 Girls love the most horrific content - Last Podcast on The Left

55:10 Nate & Jamison - Origins of true partnership

1:08:00 Born to work - It’s how you’re raised

1:14:00 10 Years of The Sand Dollar (Cancelled Comp?!)

1:26:00 Additive vs. Additive Free

1:28:10 Martingale Cognac

1:31:00 Guillaume Vallet - Louis XIII

1:32:00 “Certain cultures are notoriously poor at making beer”

1:33:50 Vegas Brewers

1:37:00 People who talk but never do

1:38:30 Bringing authenticity to content creation

🍹 Featured Drink – Trinidad Sour

The Giuseppe Gonzalez recipe:

1.50 oz Angostura Aromatic Bitters

1.00 oz Orgeat

0.75 oz Lemon Juice

0.50 oz Rye Whiskey

Shake with ice, double strain into a Nick & Nora, garnish with a lemon peel.

🎧 Pouring Stories

Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming

Executive editor: Kyler Fleming

Follow for more conversations with bartenders, spirits pros, and the people shaping cocktail culture.

For more info on Nate's venues click the links below.

https://lacasadejuliette.com/

https://thesanddollarlv.com/

Dario Doimo spent half of his life abroad, sneaking into an international competition at 19, and falling in love with bartending ever since. He went on to win the World Flair Bartending competition, open venues, became a U.S. Citizen, and is now The Agave Ambassador for Bacardi! Dario finally sits down with his old friend Giambrone, to share some of the wild ride he has been on!

0:00 Dario Doimo Ep.17 Pouring Stories teaser

1:30 Cuba Libre (Bacardi Select)

3:00 Old limes

4:10 Born to bartend: How it started.

6:56 So many cocktail names

9:30 Soda-guns suck

12:00 Health Department

15:35 Bad vs. Good Bar Design

21:10 "He drank Cocchi with Cocchi" (Jozef)

22:44 Restaurant opening woes

33:00 How Dario ended up at Mr. Coco

37:00 Negroni Bianco

40:00 Las Vegas prices are out of line

45:50 Spritz & Carver Steak by Francesco LaFranconi

53:00 THE SUDDEN BRAMARE CLOSING

1:00:00 Vegas lost exclusivity...

1:04:00 Binge Drinking

1:07:00 The Art Of Italicus 2019/Comps

1:17:15 The Flair Life

1:30:00 Bopitty Boo Boo

1:31:00 Training for World Flair

1:37:40 Outdated process for citizenship

1:46:57 Bartending teaches you about people

1:48:10 Dario performs for a village

1:54:10 Patron Cristalino

1:55:40 Tennessee Whiskey = Lincoln County Process

1:57:00 Ilegal Mezcal Caribbean CaskSpecial T

hanks to Dario Doimo for years of friendship and excellence. Thank you to Bacardi, Patron, & Ilegal Mezcal for lending your Agave Ambassador and for delicious spirit

Kristi De Vita joins us on Pouring Stories, to share her family's French connection to Chartreuse, adding needed context to her hidden tattoo reveal during the podcast. Kristi goes on to talk about leaving Boulder City for a new life in New York City, gaining the attitude she needed to navigate the sidewalks, and becoming the Business Development Manager for Gallo in New York! She finishes by teaching us a trick, opens a bottle of Champagne, and detailing the finer points of the glassware we choose.

0:00 Kristi De Vita | Pouring Stories Ep.16

2:30 The Dillinger, Boulder City

6:00 The managers struggle

10:40 Chartreuse in the blood

14:00 Proper tipping, over tipping, & tip fatigue

23:25 Moving to NYC (flibbertigibbety)

29:50 New York State Of Mind

35:03 "Gear-Head's, I'm sorry" - Giambrone

38:06 Know one needs another "How-To" (Last Word)

41:22 Episcopal & other Chartreuse gems

44:35 Total Wine & Lee's Discount Liquor

49:38 The French & Kristi's shirt glitch

53:20 Kristi's Tattoo (Chartreuse fun facts)

57:10 Chartreuse Green vs. Yellow vs Vegetal

59:21 Wine for breakfast

1:06:00 Kristi's Disclaimer

1:06:59 Rombauer Chard to Sauv

1:08:22 Sauvy B's, Menty-B's, and S&M!

​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​1:12:25 Super Tuscan, Chianti, Sangiovese

1:17:00 Corked Wine TCA. Cork Soakers!

1:23:38 Why people go out to eat!

1:25:58 Gallo and Rombauer

1:28:18 Sideways quote that crushed Merlot

1:35:50 Opening Champagne with Kristi De Divta

1:41:30 Best Glass for Champagne

1:47:00 WORKING WITH INTENT in your career

Please like, share, & subscribe to support the channel!

Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone and Kyler FlemingSpecial thank you to ​⁠Kristi De Vita ​& Gallo