On this episode I’m speaking with Hannah Chamberlain, who runs a blog called Spirited LA. During our conversation we cover everything from her time at Buzzfeed, moving out to California, historical drinkers like Peter the Great, photography, film, and I show how big of a nerd I am. You can check out Hannah on Instagram @spiritedla. I hope you all enjoy, cheers.
Hannah’s IG: @spiritedla
Hannah’s Website: https://spiritedla.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
On this episode I’m speaking with Jason Yu, who is a bartender in Southern California. I started seeing Jason pop up on Instagram, and he’s done a few projects with characters like Josh Suchan and Richard Allison, both of whom have been on the show, and I wanted to learn a bit more about his story. We discuss how he got started as a bartender and his first job at a restaurant, photography, archery, and I got a new outlook on golf. Hope you enjoy folks, cheers.
Jason’s Instagram: @jasonfyu
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
An update on Shot #58. You'd be surprised how much as change in one month, I certainly was. Cheers folks.
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
For this episode I had a chance to speak with Maggie Hoffman, who is the new author of “The One Bottle Cocktail: More than 80 recipes with fresh ingredients and a single spirit.” If you have a moment, Maggie and I would greatly appreciate you leaving an Amazon review. I’ve linked to the book below.
As for the interview itself, Maggie and I talked about her time growing up in Portland, why she choose to go to Princeton, which is probably not something that you’d guess, her first job out of college, and the process of writing a book, which for this one, only took her 12 weeks. I hope you all enjoy, cheers folks.
The One Bottle Cocktail link HERE
Maggie’s Instagram: @maggiejhoffman
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
You might know Tanner from his Instagram account, @thebarologist. I first found out about Tanner when he was on Tipsy Bartender, which I’ve linked to in the description below. Tanner is currently the head bartender at Watertable in Huntington Beach, CA, and we started out talking about his original plan to be a chef, how he got started bartending, wine certifications and a whole bunch of other stuff. I hope that you folks enjoy, cheers.
Tipsy Bartender video 1: Snow White’s Poison Apple
Tipsy Bartender video 2: More Life
Tanner’s Instagram: @thebarologist
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
On this episode I’m speaking with April Wachtel, former bartender and brand ambassador, and currently the the owner of Swig and Swallow, and we get into that business and what she’s currently working on.
There’s a bit of a technical issue towards the end of the interview, just in the last couple minutes, but before you get to that, you’re going to hear about April’s 22 years of experience in the hospitality industry, starting with her very first job in the industry, working as a brand ambassador, bartending at Lahi Kia, attending Tales of the Cocktail, and more. One final note, if you’re familiar with apartment bartender, aka Elliot Clark’s story, he talked on this podcast about being in New York and attending a class on spirits and cocktails. That class, which is what first got him interested in cocktails, was taught by none other than April. It was great to see things come full circle.
April’s Instagram: @aprilwachtel
Movers and Shakers Instagram: @moverssshakers
Swig and Swallow Website: https://www.swigandswallow.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Explaining what the hell I've been up to for the last month or so, what's changed in that time, and what's coming up next for me and the podcast. Appreciate everyone being patience during this time, cheers folks.
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
On this episode I’m talking with a man who is a founding partner at Polite Provisions in San Diego, host of the YouTube series and podcast Bartender at Large, filmmaker of the Bartender at Large movie, and genuinely great person, Erick Castro.
We covered a ton, from growing up, to reading and book recommendations, which I have linked to below, being a brand ambassador, R&D of cocktails, hiring for a bar, how to help yourself become more ambidextrous, and more. This is a crash course on bartending, the art of hospitality, and how to work your ass off. Erick has a ton of great info to share, there’s something in this episode for everyone. Hope you all enjoy, cheers folks.
BOOKS:
Creativity Inc. - Ed Catmull
The Bar Book - Jeffrey Morgenthaler
The E-Myth - Michael Gerber
Erick’s Instagram: @hungrybartender
Bartender at Large Instagram: @bartenderatlarge
Bartender at Large Movie: http://www.bartenderatlarge.com/
Polite Provisions: http://www.politeprovisions.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
On this episode I’m speaking with Katie from the Garnish blog. Fun fact, Katie is actually the first doctor that been on the show. She has a PhD in evolutionary biology and focused on ornithology, the study of birds, and she's conducted research in New Guinea. Super cool, I know! I also got her take on some of the top cocktail bars in Boston, enjoying mocktails, and how she ended up starting Garnish. Hope you all enjoy, cheers folks!
Garnish Blog: http://www.garnishblog.com/
Garnish Instagram: @garnish_girl
Mocktails Recipes: http://www.garnishblog.com/search/label/Mocktails
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Kevin Diedrich is currently the General Manager and a Partner at Pacific Cocktail Haven, or PCH, in San Francisco. Prior to PCH he worked for hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton, as well as bars like PDT and Clover Club in Manhattan.
I could have gone on for a long time with Kevin, but in this round we talked about Kevin’s start in IT and how he got his first job as a bartender, his first time drinking, the different between working in a hotel and working at a restaurant or cocktail bar, opening up PCH, how PCH got its name, hiring and staffing a bar, and motivation. Enjoy folks, cheers!
PCH Website: http://www.pacificcocktailsf.com/
PCH Instagram: @pch580
Kevin Diedrich Instagram: @therealdiedrich
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
On this episode I’m talking about Applejack, the first spirit that colonist in North America started distilling. Just one problem though, a lot of them didn’t have access to a still for distillation, and during the winter they were definitely having issues with heating anything up. This is the story of how these early colonists found a way to get something stronger then apple cider to sip on during the winter, and you shouldn’t try to recreate this technique at home. The Reddit feed that I refer to is linked below. Cheers folks, and happy holidays!
https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/2sgzw4/psa_regarding_freeze_distillation_for_us/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
On this episode I’m speaking with the winner of the 2017 Diageo World Class competition, Kaitlyn Stewart. Based out of Vancouver, Kaitlyn got her first bartending job at the age of nineteen and hasn’t looked back since. We talk about the impact her family had on her getting into bartending, how she handles high pressure situations, and a bit about what the next year of her life is going to look like after winning World Class. Currently she’s the Bar Manager at the Royal Dinette, which Vancouver Magazine named the best new restaurant in 2016 and the Best Pacific Northwest restaurant in 2017. Hope you all enjoy, cheers folks!
Kaitlyn’s Instagram: @k8os
Royal Dinette: https://www.royaldinette.ca/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
On this episode I’m joined by Natalie Migliarini, the creator of Beautiful Booze. Natalie broke down how she got to where she is today, from hosting cocktail parties in Seattle to starting her blog and ultimately, to the past two years, where she’s been living a nomadic life and travelled around the world.
For a lot of people, that sounds like a dream life. Quit the job, travel the world, and work for yourself, all the while drinking cocktails. And it’s a great life, but Natalie was honest about some of the realities that come with her lifestyle. My biggest takeaway from her story was about the importance of flexibility. Natalie shared a recent experience where she had an international flight to catch out of Australia and a majority of her clothes were locked in a laundromat, meaning she was going to have to leave with almost no clothing. BIG contrast between that and the high points of her experience. We dove into working your way through those all these kinds of experiences, and how Natalie got to where she is. Hope you folks enjoy this one, cheers!
Beautiful Booze Instagram: @beautifulbooze
Beautiful Booze Website: http://www.beautifulbooze.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
On this episode I’m speaking with a fellow podcaster, Kenny Coleman, who is a co-host of the Bourbon Pursuit podcast. I really enjoyed having a chance to talk with another podcaster, and we definitely talk about how Kenny and his co-host, Ryan, met and ultimately started their show.
But from there we focused on Kenny, his experience from the University of Kentucky to today, and how his relationship with bourbon has changed over time. Kenny has some really good stories that he shared, and great perspective on the bourbon industry and how it’s changing. I hope you guys enjoy this one, cheers!
Bourbon Pursuit Instagram: @bourbonpursuit
Bourbon Pursuit Website: http://bourbonpursuit.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
If you’re not familiar with who Ivy is, here’s a few of her accomplishments:
-In 2015, Ivy was named the bartender of the year at Tales of the Cocktail, which is an annual conference for the spirits industry
-She’s currently the owner of Leyenda, which Travel Magazine named one of the top 10 cocktail bars in Brooklyn
-She’s the co-founder of Speed Rack, an all female speed bartending competition, that has raised over $700,000 for breast cancer research
In short, she’s a badass.
ALSO: Leyenda is having a winter pop-up called Slayenda, which Ivy described as half Christmas, half Beyonce, which is starting next week, November 29th through Christmas.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, cheers folks!
Lyeneada’s Website: http://leyendabk.com/
Ivy Mix Instagram: @ivymix
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
On this episode I’m speaking with Talia, who started the cocktail blog Twoforthebar. Like me, Talia had a transformative experience at a bar that changed her relationship with booze forever, and her story was a fascinating one to hear. Talia also had a really great perspective on how the combination of her blog and her day job are working together to challenge her in some different ways, I thought that was a really interesting insight and one that I don’t think I’ve heard before on the show.
We also talked about her first time drinking, drinking culture growing up, her prior writing experience, why she got started as a social worker, and more. Hope you all all enjoy, cheers folks!
Twoforthebar Website: http://twoforthebar.ca/
Twoforthebar Instagram: @twoforthebar
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Chelsea created the blog and Instagram account Ritual and Craft. Because she's based out of Salt Lake City, I had a chance to meet Chelsea and have this interview in person before I left, which makes this the first face to face interview I’ve had for the show.
Chelsea and I talked about everything from the Salt Lake foodie scene and the start of the craft cocktail movement in Utah, some of the quirky Utah laws around liquor, including things like the Zion Current, her experience growing up in a Mormon family, tattoos, favorite author and poets, and first trips to New York City.
I had a great time talking with Chelsea, and I hope you all enjoy. Cheers folks.
Ritual and Craft Website: https://ritualandcraft.com/
Ritual and Craft Instagram: @ritualandcraft
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
This episode is an interview with Nate Whitehouse, one of the co-founders of Avua Cachaça. Cachaça is a Brazilian spirit that’s made from sugarcane, and it’s actually the oldest spirit that we know of from the Western Hemisphere. Nate and I dive into this and several other aspects that make Cachaça truly unique. Nate and I also talked about his personal story, from how he found out of about Cachaça, his trips to Brazil, and his story before he got involved with this spirit, and that ranges everywhere from the human genome project to law school.
Hope you all enjoy this one, cheers!
Avua Cachaça Website: http://www.avuacachaca.com.br/
Avua Cachaça Instagram: @avuacachaca
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Greg Dillon runs the blog Great Drams, which explores the world of whisky. He also has a recently published book, The Great Drams of Scotland, which we talk about towards the end of our conversation. I have to say that Greg knows a lot about the US and American culture, and has seen more of the country then many Americans I know. We also talk about Greg’s work as a brand strategist, how he got started with his blog, and the philosophy that he had behind all of his content.
Also, if you order Greg’s book from the link below, he will send you a signed copy. I had a great time speaking with Greg, and I’m confident that this is one you’ll all enjoy. Cheers!
Great Drams Website: http://www.greatdrams.com/
Great Drams Book: http://www.greatdrams.com/product/greatdrams-scotland-book-greg-dillon/
Great Drams Instagram: @greatdramsgreg
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypocast
A cocktail used to be something that you had in the morning. But if you did drink too much at night, you might need something to help you ease into the day. This is where the corpse reviver name comes from, and the cocktail we enjoy today was popularized by the great Harry Craddock in his 1930 “The Savoy Cocktail Book”. This is a short history of the Corpse Reviver No. 2, a delicious drink for anytime of the year. Happy Halloween everyone, cheers!
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Thomas Andersen is the man behind Cocktails of Copenhagen, which this year was a finalist for Saveur’s Best Drinks Blog category. We talk about how he got started with Cocktails of Copenhagen, and the medium that he originally saw for this project. I also got to dive to Thomas life, discussing everything from how he landed his first gig as a bartender to his current day job, helping entrepreneurs and researchers connect and work on product development.
We also talk about Aqua Vita, Denmark's national spirit, and I’ve linked to Thomas free E-book on the topic below. I had an awesome time talking with Thomas, and hope that you all enjoy. Cheers!
Cocktails of Copenhagen Instagram: @cocktailsofcopenhagen
Cocktails of Copenhagen Website: http://cocktailsofcopenhagen.dk/
Aqua Vita E-Book: http://cocktailsofcopenhagen.dk/aquavit-cocktails-ebook/
Shots of History Instagram:@shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Kate Richards has one of the most original Instagram accounts out there. Drinking with Chickens beautifully combines her chickens, her backyard, and her sarcastic personality into an account that is truly one of a kind. During this interview Kate not only shares about her experience with the chickens, but also all of the other animals that she currently has. We also talked about the metal artwork that she does, which I’ve linked to below. And of course we got into how Drinking with Chickens got started, which is an awesome story all on it’s own.
I hope that you all enjoy this one as much as I did, and a big thank you to Kate for coming on the show. Cheers!
Drinking with Chickens Instagram: @drinkingwithchickens
Drinking with Chickens Website: https://www.drinkingwithchickens.com/
Kate’s Metal Artwork: http://www.katerichardsart.com/original-work
Shots of History Instagram: @shotsofhistorypodcast
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Marisa Sergi is the CEO and Founder of RedHead Wines. Currently only 23, Marisa’s brand is quickly expanding across the country. We got to focus on some more entrepreneurial topics in addition to the story of how she got started with RedHead Wines. Marisa is a 3rd generation winemaker, and her passion for making great wine was apparent throughout our conversation. Hope that you all enjoy, cheers!
RedHead Website: https://redheadwine.us/
RedHead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RedHeadWine/
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codylwheat/
Emily Arden Wells wasn’t expecting to start a cocktail blog. In fact Gastronomista was a food blog that she started with another friend while living in New York City. But over time she ended up running the blog on her own, making the transition into the world of cocktails, and at the beginning of this year moved back to Colorado where she originally grew up. During this interview Emily shares where the name Gastronomista came from, some of her boozy adventures around the world, and how she goes about making her own drinks, like this Artichoke Negroni. I hope that you enjoy listening to her stories as much as I did, cheers!
Gastronomista Website: http://www.gastronomista.com/
Gastronomista Instagram: @gastronomista_
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @codylwheat
Richard Allison is a bar manager in Los Angeles and the founder of Root Bitters. In this episode he shares how he got into the world of bartending and how he founded Root Bitters. But the story that really resonated with me, and the one that I think you’ll take the most away from, is Richard’s story of a motorcycle accident that he was in a few years ago. It’s part of how he got started with experimenting with bitter and ultimately making them on a more consistent basis. I hope that you guys enjoy this one, thanks for listening!
Root Bitters Website: http://www.rootbitters.co/
Root Bitters Instagram: @rootbitters
Shots of History Website: http://shotsofhistory.com/
Shots of History Instagram: @codylwheat