Toby is a veteran bartender and mixologist, who added high-level mixology to his legendary drinkmaking speed with stints at Milk & Honey (NY), The Violet Hour (Chicago) and Mother's Ruin, before turning his hand to (as well as consulting on bar programs) writing and co-authoring "The Bartender's Manifesto" with Emma, which won a James Beard award, and most recently "The Classic Cocktail Sessions" a prequel to the Manifesto. 

Emma is an acclaimed Chicago-based spirits, cocktail and bars writer and author, and has won numerous James Beard awards in addition to the one for The Bartender's Manifesto. 

This was really a chat about both the books they've written together, as well as the industry as a whole - enjoy!

Emma on IG: https://www.instagram.com/emmajanzen/?hl=en

Toby on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tobycocktail/?hl=en

Buy the Bartender's Manifesto from an independent bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-bartender-s-manifesto-how-to-think-drink-and-create-cocktails-like-a-pro-emma-janzen/46c7cc8bda6b756b?ean=9780593137987

 Buy the Classic Cocktail Sessions from an independent bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-classic-cocktail-sessions-a-bartender-s-new-fashioned-approach-to-the-world-s-most-beloved-recipes-emma-janzen/583e258db56145d2?ean=9780593798584

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

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I first ran into Scott down in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail, but we've since hung out many times, also in Atlanta. His story, about coming up in mixology, especially in Miami in the early years when it wasn't cool, is fascinating. 

Like a lot of bartenders back then, he made his own bitters, syrups and liqueurs because the industry then hadn't yet caught up to the Second Golden Age of cocktails; unlike a lot of bartenders, he decided to make his experience into a branded range of liqueurs, higher quality than anything out there, yet priced to sell and work in cocktails. 

We talk about illegal blackcurrants, Benedictine, Fernet, his love of amari generally, and we do a whole deeeeeeeeeep dive into liqueurs, so while this is on the nerdy side, if you read this far - you're very likely to enjoy it. 

And if you do? Give us a five-star rating, post the episode on your socials, or recommend us to a friend. 

Enjoy!

Email Scott! mailto:[email protected] 

Scott on IG: https://www.instagram.com/scottdmayer?igsh=ZzZtZmVobzA5bXFt

Blended Family Liqueurs on IG: https://www.instagram.com/blendedfamilyspirits/?hl=en

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

H is an old friend and I'd been meaning to catch up with him anyway, but when I heard he was piloting a ground-breaking new mentorship program for bartenders, in association with the brand he helps spearhead, Fresh Victor, it was time to schedule a session. 

From being a line cook to gaining an MBA, creating products for grocery and consulting on liquor brands, then breathing new life into San Francisco's second-oldest bar, he's done it all. 

Enjoy!

H on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocktailambassadors/

Elixir on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elixirsf/

Fresh Victor: https://www.instagram.com/freshvictorcocktails/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Seymour has has a long career in liquor and has been a global CEO multiple times, adding millions of cases and value to every firm he worked at, from the Philippines to Singapore, to Amsterdam, and from Allied-Domecq to Maxxium to Amber Beverage, and many more besides. 

Seymour was my client for years, starting at Maxxium, and we developed a friendship that's seen us collaborate on many projects since. 

His newest venture, Chimera brand development in the UK, is less than two years old but already has thousands of distribution points in bars and wholesalers throughout the UK and recently acquired the Ridgeview Wine Estate in England as well. 

We talk about his upbringing and education, working for the Mars brothers, his route into liquor, how competitive it was back then, fighting counterfeiters in the Philippines, building global liquor brands, what's important, what isn't, and how it all works.  

This is a great episode  - enjoy. 

Seymour on IG: https://www.instagram.com/seymourferreira/

Seymour on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seymour-ferreira-3b41351 

Chimer Brand Development: 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWlisdcsPjY/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Hemant , who is from a small village in the foothills of the Himalayas, became a star overnight after winning Diageo World Class India, followed quickly by winning Bacardi Legacy India, but when he moved to New York he was briefly homeless and just four weeks from returning to India. At the last moment he was connected to restaurateur  Rajesh Bhardwaj, owner of the Michelin-starred Junoon restaurant, where Hemant went on to become the beverage director and general manager. Subsequently Hemant was able to buy his own restaurant, Tandoor Oven on NY's Upper East Side, and go on to open the acclaimed Jazba and, most recently, Room 207 bar with Rajesh, and even open his own boutique hotel in his home town. 

Hemant's a warm and cheerful man I've known for years, and it was a delight to get his full backstory - this is one of the best episodes we have taped, enjoy!

Hemant on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hemantnyc/?hl=en

Junoon: https://www.instagram.com/junoonnyc/?hl=en

Jazba: https://www.instagram.com/jazbanyc/?hl=en

Room 207: https://www.instagram.com/room207nyc

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Brian is a peripatetic bartender who's slung drinks in his native Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York, and, with the recently opened Vieux Carre, back to Pittsburgh. He's also been a fighter, starting with wrestling, then boxing and MMA, and fought the booze too, becoming and staying sober after going to just one too many "celebrations of life" for someone who left us too soon. 

This is a great conversation, and fun too - enjoy!

Brian on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shakerofspirits/

Vieux Carre on IG: https://www.instagram.com/vieuxcarrepgh/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

I met Aarón in Europe when he was visiting, and I've wanted to sit down with him for ages. From a childhood in kitchens to teaching culinary arts around the world and falling sideways into mixology after a stint at Chicago's world-famous Aviary, his career path has been anything but straightforward. He's now moving on from Carnaval, the bar he founded that put Lima on the map for 50 Best Bars, so we caught up on his plans. 

Aarón on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/aarondiazolivos/?hl=en

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

I bumped into Mike at NY's legendary Irish bar Swift in 2020, when a mutual friend who'd been showing Mike around Manhattan bars introduced us. I'd heard a story or two about this new-to-the-market MGP-sourced bourbon named Penelope from a couple of New Jersey guys, and I took his business card and wished him well; the whiskey had only been available for a year or so at that stage. Mike sent me a nice email afterwards saying he enjoyed reading some of the articles I was writing for Imbibe magazine at the time. 

Fast forward to May 2023, and MGP bought the brand for $105m in cash, and potentially a further $110.8m if they hit some targets. 

So it was high time for Mike and his co-founder and childhood friend Danny Polise to come on The Philip Duff Show and tell us how they did it!

This is a great episode, covering Mike's origins in the worlds of showbiz and tech, Danny's background as a bar owner and engineer, and how they built Penelope by ignoring a lot of received industry wisdom, working from first principles, and trusting in themselves. Danny also taught himself to be a true master blender, never having done it a day in his life before. 

Enjoy!

Many thanks to LaForce PR for hosting us (great cookies!) and Mike and Danny for bringing some tasty whiskey for us to try, plus their banging bottled cocktails. 

Mike on IG: https://www.instagram.com/michaelpaladini/

Danny on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dpolise/

Penelope Bourbon: https://www.instagram.com/penelopebourbon/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

I met Rakshay a few years back on one of the legendary Blueblazer press tours of bars in Italy, and he let me taste the agave spirit he produces in India, Maya Pistola Agavepura. Its distilled with traditional tequila methods from an Indian-grown species of agave usually used in Mexico for mezcal, then aged on the tropical Indian island of Goa before bottling. Pistola was born during Covid and after being on the market for just a couple of years, Diageo's Indian subsidiary, United Spirits, became minority investors. 

Its the best non-Mexican agave spirit I've ever had. 

We got together to talk about Pistola , Rakshay's background in hospitality and the group he co-founded with his sister, India Cocktail Week and a lot more - enjoy!

Rakshay on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rakshay/

Maya Pistola Agavepura on IG: https://www.instagram.com/pistola.agave/

Passcode Hospitality: https://www.instagram.com/passcode.hospitality/

India Cocktail Week on IG: https://www.instagram.com/indiacocktailweek/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Drew has been a friend for half a decade, and as well as being a lauded bar owner, we created Moonbird Gin (double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Awards) and GOATz Spiced Rum together  - and he's a hilarious, fascinating guy. 

Drew on IG: https://www.instagram.com/drewbarman/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  [email protected] 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected]

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...