What happens when a celebrated cocktail journalist and one of the country’s foremost rum authorities join forces? The result is Echo Lake. But opening the bar proved more challenging than either expected. Chloe Frechette had spent her career covering bars, not opening them, while Paul McGee had built his reputation in Chicago, not New York. On this episode of The Buildout, Chloe and Paul join Adam to talk about the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned, and how they created one of the most exciting new additions to the cocktail and rum scenes.

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Echo Lake: https://www.instagram.com/echolakebar

Chloe Frechette: https://www.instagram.com/chloefrechette

Paul McGee: https://www.instagram.com/bagchatter

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taking over a decades-old family restaurant is daunting enough. Turning it into a cocktail bar in Chicago’s Chinatown — a neighborhood without a high-end cocktail destination — raises the stakes even more. But partners Lily Wang and Joe Briglio embraced the challenge, bringing Lily’s family along for the ride. The result is Nine Bar, one of the most exciting new additions to Chicago’s cocktail scene, drawing drinkers to a neighborhood many had never considered for cocktails. On this episode of The Buildout, Lily and Joe join Adam to share how it came together, from navigating family dynamics to honoring the culture of the neighborhood.

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Nine Bar: https://www.instagram.com/ninebarchicago

Lily Wang: https://www.instagram.com/lw4ng

Joe Briglio: https://www.instagram.com/joebrigs

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Opened in 2009, The Keefer Bar quickly became one of Vancouver’s essential cocktail destinations. But what happens when a beloved local institution suddenly finds itself on the national—and international—stage? In 2026, Keefer was named Best Bar in Canada, and a new wave of attention followed. On this episode of The Buildout, we tell the story of The Keefer Bar: how it helped shape Vancouver’s cocktail culture, influenced Canada’s bar scene at large, and is now navigating what comes next after reaching the top.

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The Keefer Bar: https://www.instagram.com/thekeeferbar

Keenan Hood: https://www.instagram.com/keenanhood

Amber Bruce: https://www.instagram.com/amberbruce

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Ross Simon left London for the States, he set out to make his mark on the American cocktail scene. What he didn’t know was that mark would be made in Phoenix, Arizona — a city that, at the time, was hardly known for its drinks culture.

But maybe that was part of the magic. Ross landed in Phoenix and, a few years later, opened Bitter & Twisted, a cocktail bar that not only helped make his name, but also put the city on the map as a serious cocktail destination.

On this episode of The Buildout, Ross joins Adam to tell the story of Bitter & Twisted and how its success helped transform Phoenix into one of America’s most exciting cocktail cities.

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Bitter & Twisted: https://www.instagram.com/bitterandtwisted_az

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the moment Joseph Leonard opened, it was nearly impossible to get a table. The restaurant had an energy from day one that made diners want to spend their evenings there — even if it meant waiting hours for a seat.

Owner Gabe Stulman credits that energy, at Joseph Leonard and across all great restaurants, to the bar. On this episode of The Buildout, Gabe joins Adam to discuss Joseph Leonard, the heartfelt ode to his grandfathers that helped launch his hospitality company, and cement his place as one of New York City’s most influential restaurateurs.

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Joseph Leonard: https://www.instagram.com/josephleonardny

Gabe Stulman: https://www.instagram.com/gabestulman

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ask anyone in the cocktail world where the energy is on the West Coast right now, and one name keeps coming up: True Laurel.

On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with Nicolas Torres to talk about how the San Francisco bar went from beloved neighborhood spot to one of the most talked-about cocktail destinations in the country. While the techniques Nicolas and his team are using may feel perfectly suited to this current moment in drinks, many have been part of True Laurel’s DNA since it opened in 2017.

Nicolas reflects on building the bar before Covid, watching it gain national and international attention after the pandemic, and what it means to receive acclaim without having to become something else.

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True Laurel: https://www.instagram.com/truelaurelsf

Nicolas Torres: https://www.instagram.com/key2_thecity

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to mourn a bar? When a place becomes more than a business — a home for its staff, a gathering place for its regulars, and a defining chapter in a city’s cocktail culture — how do you come to terms with closing the door for good?

On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with Ivy Mix, co-founder of the beloved Brooklyn bar Leyenda, to talk about the full arc of the venue: how it began, what made it matter, and the difficult decision to ultimately close it. Ivy reflects on the grief that comes with ending something so personal, the complicated emotions of letting go, and what it takes for a founder to find the desire — and the courage — to build again.

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Ivy Mix: https://www.instagram.com/ivymix

Whoopsie Daisy: https://www.instagram.com/whoopsiedaisybar

Fiasco: https://www.instagram.com/fiascobrooklyn

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a time when many new cocktail bars are chasing acclaim with high-tech techniques and elaborate presentations, Jen Murphy went in the opposite direction: perfectly poured Guinness, ice-cold martinis, and the kind of easy hospitality that makes a bar feel instantly essential. The result is Banshee, a true East Village neighborhood bar built on simplicity, precision, and a very clear point of view. On this episode of The Buildout, Jen joins Adam to talk about why New York needed a bar like Banshee, how she found her business partner, and why the perfect pint is anything but simple.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast

Banshee: https://www.instagram.com/banshee_nyc

Jen Murphy: https://www.instagram.com/jenmnyc

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amor y Amargo was only supposed to be a six-month pop-up. Instead, it became one of the most influential bars of the modern era—a place with a distinct philosophy, a fiercely loyal audience, and a legacy that still matters.

On this episode of The Buildout, Sother Teague joins Adam to tell the story of Amor y Amargo, explain why the drinks are always stirred and never shaken, and reflect on legacy, longevity, and why it still feels important for the bar to exist today.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast

Amor y Amargo: https://www.instagram.com/amoryamargo

Sother Teague: https://www.instagram.com/creativedrunk

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Bell may be best known for PDT, but as much as the bar reflects his influence, it wasn’t something he built from the ground up. That bar is Kees. A deeply personal project, Kees gave Jeff the chance to create something entirely his own—and to do it under the weight of expectations that come with being so closely associated with one of the most famous bars in the world.

On this episode of The Buildout, Jeff joins Adam to talk about his second act, the pressure of opening a new bar when your name is already tied to an iconic one, and the intentionality behind building Kees from scratch.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast

Kees: https://www.instagram.com/seekkeesnyc

Jeff Bell: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreymbell

VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair

Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter

Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.