Decoding Cocktails

Dr. Nicola Nice is the author of The Cocktail Parlor: How Women Brought the Cocktail Home. This book helped me think about cocktails and entertaining more holistically. Clubs, bars, hotels, and restaurants may be where many drinks originally came to life, but women are the ones responsible for bringing them into the home.The book has a nice forward by Robert Simonson, who Dr. Nicola says encouraged her to write the book, after she showcased to him how many women are overlooked in the history of cocktails.Fun fact: the first-ever cocktail party was hosted by Miss Clara Bell Walsh in 1917 in my city of St. Louis. Doesn’t she look like a real party animal?If you want to buy the book, you can find it here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

After roughly 18 years with William Grant & Sons in a wide array of positions, including Global Head of Brand Ambassadors, Charlotte Voisey is now serving in the newly created role of Executive Director for Tales of the Cocktail.Having been to Tales three times, and preparing for my fourth, it was a delight to chat with Charlotte. Her enthusiasm for the organization and its work psyched me up for this year’s week-long adventure in the beautiful city of New Orleans.Enjoy this conversation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Back in November, I was invited to take part in an entrepreneur-centric event in my city called STL Startup Week.I knew I’d talk about how I ended up running a cocktail business and what all that entails, but it also felt important to cover how hard and emotionally draining it is. To that end, I felt it was important to talk about the “fuel” I’ve found that sustains me when the going gets tough.When we start a business, I think it’s also important to ask, “Why am I even doing this?” Is this for money, fame, because I feel pressure, because I want to, or something else? For the toll it takes, I worry about people making the decisions for reasons that are about money, fame, or impressing others.We’re at a time in history when entrepreneurship is being lionized. It’s hard and perhaps admirable. But, I also believe that running a company is not a more ennobled path. It is simply a path. We need to be honest with ourselves because life is too short to be doing things for others.In the talk, I mention a Google Doc with links, quotes, etc. You can access it here.It’s also available here on Youtube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Alexandre Gabriel (Instagram) is the owner of Maison Ferrand, which produces products like Citadelle Gin, Ferrand Cognac, and Planteray Rum (formerly Plantation Rum). Several years ago, among many conversations about rum, Alexandre realized that no one could tell him with great clarity about the rules and history of Navy Rum. He decided to get to the bottom of things and commissioned the author and enthusiast Matt Pietrek to get to the bottom of things. Matt spent time in England researching things and not only began to uncover important details but also met a gentleman named Michael Fogg, who ended up providing a world of information they came to rely upon.This year at Tales of the Cocktail, Matt and Alexandre hosted an event to announce the release of an entire book on Navy Rum, 300 Years of Royal Navy Rum and its Techniques. It has two different sections. In one, Matt showcases the history of Navy Rum and in the other, Alexandre lays out the 7 pillars of producing it. I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy for my conversation with Alexandre, but it appears the book still has not been released. You can sign up on Matt’s website to be notified when it is released.Do you know someone who might enjoy this? Please share it.To honor Michael’s contributions to the research, Alexandre named the rum “Mister Fogg Navy Rum”, as Michael has since passed away. Thanks for reading and listening. Subscribe for free to keep up with my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Natasha Bahrami, aka “The Gin Girl” (Instagram) fell in love with the spirit of gin after an eye-opening experience with a dirty gin martini in her early years as a restaurateur. Since then, she has worked to expand the knowledge, experience, access, and appreciation of the gin spectrum with her guests and the world. Elevation of the spirit of gin is her priority.Natasha is the proprietor of The Gin Room and Salve Osteria (Instagram, website) in St. Louis, MO, boasting hundreds of fine gins and an ever-changing creative cocktail list. She is also the owner of the bottle shop, Grand Spirits.In 2015, she expanded her focus nationally, launching a robust education platform Ginworld (website), a company created to help elevate the category of gin in cities domestically and abroad. For the last 6 years, Natasha and the Ginworld Ambassadors have hosted the largest gin festivals in the United States bringing distillers, educators, and brands together to expand knowledge and experience with the spectrum of gin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Charles Joly (website, Instagram) is a renowned mixologist, media personality, and innovative bartending entrepreneur. We met to discuss his latest collaborative venture The Riff Raff Club (website, Instagram) with Virgin Hotels.Do you know someone who might like this? Feel free to share it.Charles says if you want to see more pictures of his dog Jackson, follow him on Instagram. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Allen Katz (Instagram) founded the New York Distilling Company (website, Instagram) in 2011. He was in the industry for many years before this and during a trip to the town of Plymouth, England to visit the Plymouth Gin Distillery, Allen was overcome by the urban location of the distillery. Many historic distilleries were often located in the countryside to be near the produce when it was harvested from farms. As a proud resident of New York City, this left him wondering if this might be possible in New York. Since its beginning, NYDC has focused on distilling products with historic ties to New York, specifically gin and rye whiskey.Do you know someone who might enjoy this? Please share it.Not long into the running of the distillery, Allen found himself at Cornell’s College of Agriculture discussing grains with historical ties to the region. He was later sent 10 seeds in a white envelope called Horton Rye. After years of cultivating these seeds into an amount that could be field tested, 14 years later they now have a rye whiskey called Jaywalk Rye. Thanks for reading and listening. Subscribe for free to receive new posts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Today’s conversation is about the upcoming book The Bartender’s Pantry (website, Instagram), which was written by Jim Meehan (Instagram), Bart Sasso (Instagram), and (Instagram).This multi-year project was catalyzed when Jim began to wonder if the teachings he’d learned about drink mixers and garnishes hadn’t reached the next generation of bartenders. At the same time, he reflected on some of the things he believed about them that he’d never investigated and verified.In the book, you’ll find variety of categories to explore like sugars, grains, nuts, dairy, fruits, ferments, coffee, tea, and more.In addition to being a partner in the Atlanta-based bar Ticonderoga Club, Bart’s background in design can be seen in illustrations throughout the book aimed at distilling kitchen projects onto one page.Do you know someone who might enjoy this? Please share it.After years of being deep in research, testing, and writing, Jim and Bart asked (maybe begged?🙏) Emma to help them turn their mountain of information into a coherent and enjoyable story. Thus, the book is now here for all to read. It comes out on June 11th.Thanks for reading. Subscribe for free to receive new posts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Kip Moffitt (@kipmoffitt) is the head bartender of Superbueno (website, Instagram). A Mexican-American bar that opened for just over a year in Manhattan’s East Village and was just awarded the #2 spot on North America’s 50 Best Bars list.The genesis of the bar came from Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez (@hopignacio) and explores the intersections he has experienced as a resident of New York who is from Mexico.Kip and I talked about Mexican brandies coming on the market, particularly one he likes from Tosba. They use one in their Green Mango Martini. We also discussed their margarita, which contains a mushroom called “huitlacoche” that grows on corn.A fun fact about their menu is that their most “sciency” cocktail as Kip put it, is their Vodka Y Soda cocktail. While you should definitely listen to my conversation with Kip first if you want to go in-depth on the Vodka Y Soda, check out Nacho’s conversation on the Cocktail College podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Last week Mexican authorities raided the home and office of Tequila Matchmaker (TM), also known as the Additive Free Alliance. For many years, their forum has been a place for agave distillate fanatics to visit along with their work to certify tequilas that are free of approved additives that are not required to be listed on a bottle’s label. Their work has begun to affect sales of major brands that are not shown to be additive-free. One agave influencer, @tequilajaybaer, cited 9 and 14 percent drops in sales of Casamigos and Don Julio respectively (see it here).Know someone who might like this? Feel free to share it.The situation is complex. Not simple. Some people say that the push for additive-free tequila is overshadowing other issues that are important like sustainable farming practices, labor wages, preservation of Mexican heritage, and more, but everyone seems to agree that Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin of TM have been forces for good in agave. While it cannot be fully linked, it is likely the government has taken such dramatic action because powerful forces have seen their income impacted.* Vinepair article documenting the raid* Emma Janzen wrote a bit on the Matchmaker situation and has said more is coming.* The history of tequila* Support Grover and Scarlet here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Heyward Gualandi works for Root Shoot Malting (website, Instagram), a 5th-generation family farm in Loveland, Colorado. We sat down to talk about their investments that helped them leave the commodity-farming market, which is good for the business but also allows them grow more flavorful crops, which ultimately creates better tasting beer, whiskey, and food.There is a lot of talk these days about the impact of terroir on agave and sugarcane distillates. Root Shoot wants us to know that whiskey and beer are influenced by it as well. We just haven’t farmed our grains in a way that has allowed the land to play as large of an impact. They and others are working to change that story. Working with a small farm also gives the brewer/distiller more control and visibility into the process as opposed to buying from a large wholesaler.Do you know someone who might enjoy this? Please share it with them.As part of their commitment to the land and the future they’ve had a conservation easement placed on their land to ensure it remains farm land. Watch the short documentary produced about it and their farm.* The grain flavor wheel that was mentioned.* More on regenerative agriculture* The Rye Resurgence Project* For me, this conversation has many parallels with the interview I had with Blue Hill Farm.Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Chris Tunstall co-founded A Bar Above with his wife Julia in 2013. They were early into the online content game with their YouTube channel and broke into the podcast space in 2014, the same year they released the first online Mixology Certification course. They’ve gone on to create several other classes on subjects like batching, syrups, infusions, and more.In 2016, they moved into the barware world, designing and manufacturing tools that looked great and more importantly, didn’t fail (or “suck”, my word) during the middle of service. Chris pointed out that because of manufacturing faults, things as basic as the 1 oz mark on a jigger, can at times be off the mark by 20%, which is wild. And even worse, what if the 1 oz mark is spot on but the 1/2 or 1/4 oz mark is? Then one measurement may be off while the other is on.* Note: during our conversation, Chris mentioned that when he tested jiggers, Oxo was one of the worst offenders when it came to inaccurate measurement markings. Since I use them, I was alarmed. It appears that this error was corrected by the time I purchased mine. I weighed out a 1/4, 1/2, and an ounce worth of water in them in grams on my scale and they checked out. Do you know someone who might enjoy this?Please share it.He also explained to me why A Bar Above’s original Boston shaker, a combination of a weighted and unweighted shaker, helps keep egg white from foaming out of the shaker, which is a problem I have faced for years.Another flaw, as Chris pointed out, is how pieces of metal are fused. A Bar Above welds things like their jiggers and shakers completely around the perimeter. Whereas others (see photos) are only spot welded. This makes it easier for them to break or for water to seep in and ultimately corrode the tool from the outside in.Chris also spent some time talking about the financial and social importance of bars cultivating regulars. They’ll help keep your seats filled and often make your space more welcoming, and when a bartender is in the weeds, regulars can keep each other occupied as opposed to needing to lean on the bartender for social support. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com

Alex Jump (Instagram) is a founder and the senior manager of operations for Focus on Health. Prior to this, she led Death & Company’s Denver bar program. I wanted to kick off the year with this conversation with Alex for two reasons. One, many of us use the beginning of the year to reset our lifestyle and dietary goals and the no-and-low segment of the drinks business is thriving. Now more than ever, there are great flavors to take the place of alcohol or many wonderful ways to drink it but pull back on the ABV. Second, beyond our physical bodies, Alex’s work has encompassed taking better care of ourselves holistically, which we also are prone to reflect on as one year closes and another begins.A few other things* Alex said that if you are a bar or restaurant and you are not offering a nice array of alcohol-free options - beer, wine, cocktails, etc. - you are leaving money on the table.* Life happens at work. While we need to show up and get our work done, we can’t expect that we can always just “check it at the door”. * Most of the alcohol-free spirits are not goig to have as rich of a texture as traditional spirits. Using a richer syrup or foamer will help make up for the density it lacks.* Alex used the term “compounding” during our discussion about NA products. I’ve heard it but admittedly couldn’t have defined it. This means addings flavors after distillation. You can read more here if interested. Mentions: Most Imaginative Bartender Competition, Lauren Paylor O’Brien, Drink Masters, Laura Louise Green of Healthy Pour, Chris Elford, Derek Brown of Positive Damage, Life on Mars ABV-specific cocktail menu, La Maison WellnessNo-and-low cocktail materials: Zero by The Aviary, Mindful Mixology, A few alcohol-free products Alex mentioned: Martini & Rossi Floreale and Vibrante, Seedlip Garden, Pentire, All the Bitter Can you think of someone that might enjoy this? Consider sharing it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingcocktails.substack.com