Best Tristan Stephenson Podcasts (2025)

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#42 Henrietta Lovell - Tea Masterclass, How To Brew Tea, Tea Agriculture, Economics, Communities, Rare Tea, Matcha 1:59:41

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1d ago1:59:41

1:59:41

Henrietta Lovell is the founder and CEO of The Rare Tea company, a tea educator and author of the book Infused: Adventures in Tea. Over a career of more than 20 years Henrietta has travelled around the foothills of the Himalayas, across China, Japan, India, and Malawi, sourcing some of the best teas in the world and learning from the communities th…

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#41 Dale DeGroff - King of Cocktails, Bars & Restaurants, Rainbow Room, Jazz, NYC History 1:26:07

9d ago1:26:07

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Dale is a bartender, author, brand owner, and the co-founder of the Museum of the American cocktail. In the late 90’s working at NYC’s Rainbow Rooms Dale was probably the most famous bartender on the planet and has remained one of the best loved bartenders to this day. I sat down with Dale in Manhattan a few weeks ago, looking out over the Empire S…

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#40 Alexandre Gabriel - Planteray, Maison Ferrand, WIRD, How Cognac is Made, Jamaican Rum, Barbados, History, Brand Building 2:52:09

15d ago2:52:09

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Today I am speaking with Alexandre Gabriel. Alexandre is the founder of Maison Ferrand, Citadelle Gin, and Plantation—now Planetary—Rum. Expect to learn how a Burgundian farm boy turned his hand to bartending in New York and then went on to innovate across the categories of cognac, gin and rum. We take a deep dive into the production of Cognac - te…

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#39 Sandor Katz - How to Ferment, Koji, Sake, Lactic Acid Bacteria, Wild Fermentation, Kefir, Kombucha, Cultures 1:44:21

23d ago1:44:21

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Sandor Katz is ften called a “fermentation revivalist,” Sandor has spent decades exploring how microbes shape our food, our drinks, our culture, and even our sense of place. He has written a number of book son the subject including Wild Fermentation, The Art of Fermentation, Fermentation as Metaphor, and Fermentation Journeys — the latter chronicli…

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#38 Toby Cecchini - Inventing the Cosmopolitan, NYC Bars, Andy Warhol, Long Island Bar, Guest Shifts 1:33:55

30d ago1:33:55

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Toby Cecchini is a bartender of some 40 years, the author of Cosmopolitan which remains the best memoir on the life of a bartender, but perhaps best known for inventing the drink by the same name, which defined an era and still attracts love and hate from consumers and bartenders alike. With a storied career spanning decades at some of New York Cit…

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#37 Joy Spence - World's First Female Master Blender, Jamaica Rum, Appleton Estate, Rum Chemistry 1:14:03

1M ago1:14:03

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Joy is a true legend of the spirits industry. As Master Blender at Appleton Estate in Jamaica, she holds the historic distinction of being the first woman ever appointed Master Blender in the world. A trained chemist, Joy’s remarkable sensory talents and scientific rigour have been instrumental in Appleton’s rise to global prominence, making her on…

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#36 Esteban Morales - Agave Spirits History, Mezcal, Raicilla, Challenges, Community, Tequila 1:51:48

1M ago1:51:48

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Esteban is the founder of Casa Endemica which is a stable of brands that includes La Venenosa Raicilla, Derumbes Mezcal, La Higuera Sotol. He has been a major force in championing mezcal outside of he state of Oaxaca (where 91% of mezcal is made) and really led the charge on exposing the amazing spirits of ancestral raicilla (the mezcal of the stat…

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#35 François Thibault - Creator of Grey Goose, Maître de Chai, Vodka Market, How Vodka is Made, Wheat, France, Cognac 44:14

2M ago44:14

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Francois Thibault is the co-creator of Grey Goose vodka, which launched in 1997 quickly became the world’s most respected super premium vodka brand. I travelled to Picardy in Northern France alongside Grey Goose’s global brand ambassador, Joe McCanta to meet Francois, and visit the wheat fields of the region the distillery where Grey Goose is made.…

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#34 Dr. Anastasia Miller & Jared Brown - Rewriting Gin History, G&T's, History of Distillation, The Gin Craze, Female Distillers, London Dry Gin, Old Tom 2:03:27

2M ago2:03:27

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Jared Brown and Anastasia Miller are internationally acclaimed authors, historians, distillers. They are the co-founders of Mixellany Limited, they have consulted for spirits brands and bars worldwide, contributing significantly to contemporary cocktail culture. It’s also Jared and Anastasia we have to thank for discovering the first known written …

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#33 Professor David Mabberley - Citrus Fruit, The End of Citrus, History, Citrus Hybrids, Cultivation, Morphology, Medicine, Biology 1:00:14

2M ago1:00:14

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Professor David Mabberley is a world renowned botanist, writer and public speaker, who specialises in the taxonomy of tropical plants. Over more than 50 years he has authored countless scientific papers and identified dozens of new plant species through fieldwork conducted in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Australia. He is a former Keeper of the He…

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#32 Kevin Armstrong - Satan's Whiskers, Drinks Knowledge, Match Bar Group, Cocktail Gripes, Awards 2:36:32

2M ago2:36:32

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Kevin Armstrong is a bartender, bar owner, spirits and cocktail educator and the author of Round Building, a manual for the professional bartender. Kevin rose to fame in the London bar scene over 20 years ago as the group bar manager for the Match Bar Group. He wrote and deployed the most comprehensive cocktail training program of the era, contribu…

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#31 Dr. Iván Saldaña - Agave Biology, Mezcal & Tequila Production, Lewis Hamilton, Lenny Kravitz, Mexican Whisky 1:44:14

3M ago1:44:14

1:44:14

Iván Saldaña is a Mexican biologist and internationally recognised expert on agave spirits. With a PhD from the University of Sussex, his research focuses on agave ecology and evolution. Saldaña co-founded Montelobos Mezcal and Casa Lumbre, launching innovative brands like Ancho Reyes, Abasolo whisky, and Sotol Nocheluna. He blends scientific exper…

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#30 Luca Gargano - Godfather of Rum, Classification, Haiti, Caroni, Nomad Project, Velier 2:27:14

3M ago2:27:14

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Luca Gargano, CEO of Velier, is one of the most influential figures in rum, known for transforming the rum category globally. Based in Genoa, Italy, Luca's expertise spans wine and spirits trading, authorship, and deep-rooted connections within the Caribbean rum world. In this episode, Luca discusses his extensive experience travelling the Caribbea…

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#29 Desmond Payne MBE - Beefeater Master Distiller, 50 Years Making Gin, How To Make Gin, Gin Category 53:49

3M ago53:49

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Desmond Payne MBE is Master Distiller Emeritus of Beefeater, one of the world's best loved and most respected gin brands. He is the longest serving gin master distiller in the world, having also spent a 20 year stint at Plymouth Gin. And he is perhaps the most respected gin distiller alive today.I sat down with him in his office at the Beefeater Di…

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#28 Jonathan Downey - Milk & Honey London, Sasha Petraske, Dick Bradsell, Success, Disaster, Street Feast, Vodka 1:28:35

3M ago1:28:35

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Jonathan, known to his friends as JD, is a bar and restaurant operator of nearly 30 years who has been responsible for some of the best loved and most influential cocktail bars of the early 21st century. In 1997 he founded the Match Bar group which through JD’s uncompromising vision and an illustrious cast of future superstar bartenders, made for g…

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#27 Jaime Orendain - Tequila, Regulation, Family History, Tequila Arette Production, Agave Economics 1:17:32

4M ago1:17:32

1:17:32

Jaime Orendain is a tequilero based at the El Llano Distillery in Tequila Town, Mexico. The Orendain family are considered one of the four founding families of tequila and remain the only family owned producer of the founding four. Jaime and his brother Eduardo established the Arette brand of tequila in the 1980's from the El Llano distillery, and …

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#26 Ed Hughes - Beer Sommelier, Beer Styles, Sharps Brewery 2:19:00

4M ago2:19:00

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Ed Hughes is a certified beer sommelier, the author of Just add Beer - a book about beer and food pairing - and also one of my oldest friends. Based in Cornwall he works at Sharps Brewery as an educator and advocate for Molson Coors but also the beer category as a whole. This is a wide ranging conversation about beer, where we drink through 10 diff…

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#25 David Gluckman - Inventor of Bailey's, Tanqueray Ten, Smirnoff Black, The Singleton, etc. Innovation, Non-Alc, Design 2:02:45

4M ago2:02:45

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David Gluckman is a retired brand and advertising consultant and author, who over a 40 year career working in the drinks industry created the ideas behind some of the world’s best know spirits, liqueurs and soft drinks. This is a conversation about how brands come into existence, how to test them, package them and market them, and how to streamline…

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#24 Jake Burger - Who/What is the Greatest Bartender, Bar, Cocktail Book & Cocktail Of All Time? 2:11:42

4M ago2:11:42

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Jake Burger is a bartender, gin producer and amateur (his own words) drinks historian. I gave him just four questions - who is the greatest bartender of all time, what is the greatest cocktail of all time, what is the greatest cocktail book of all time, and which is the greatest bar of all time?Now an apology. Before recording with Jake I had just …

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#23 Jamie Baxter - 100+ Distilleries Built, How To Make Gin, Baijiu 2:14:22

4M ago2:14:22

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Jamie Baxter is a Distillery Consultant who has designed and built more than 100 distilleries over the past 15 years. He setup the Chase Vodka Distillery in Herefordshire in 2008, built the City of London Distillery, East London Liquor Company, and distilleries in Europe and India. On the episode we discuss his transition from cereal manufacturing …

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#22 Alessandro Palazzi - Dukes Hotel, Martinis, Ian Fleming, 50 Years of Bartending 1:17:34

5M ago1:17:34

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Alessandro Palazzi is the Head Bartender at Dukes Hotel in London where this episode was filmed. In a career spanning 50 years, he has made possibly more martinis that anyone else alive today at what is perhaps the most famous martini bar in the world. On the episode Alessandro shares his 50 year career in hospitality, the philosophy of Dukes, his …

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#21 Dawn Davies MW - Wine Masterclass: Regions, Varieties, Terroir, Biodynamic, Natural, Tasting, Closures, Storage, Enjoyment 2:10:05

5M ago2:10:05

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Dawn Davies is a certified master of wine, former sommelier to the star, former head wine and spirits buyer for Selfridges, and has been the head wine and spirit buyer for the Whisky Exchange for the past 8 or 9 years. 00:00 What is Wine? 01:40 Where is Wine Made? Climate, New World & Old World, History, Soil 08:56 Wine Producing Regions of Note 15…

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#20 Lyndon Higginson - UK's Greatest Bar Entrepreneur, Dive Bars, Inspiration, Rum, Manchester 1:23:47

5M ago1:23:47

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Lyndon is the designer a co-founder of more than 20 bars, pubs and restaurants in the UK including Crazy Pedros, Bunny Jackson’s, Junkyard Golf, Cane & Grain, and Southside. Through a complex range of business partnerships he has conceptualised and built these venues over only a little more than a decade, becoming probably the most successful Briti…

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#19 Ian Stirling - Building a Vertical Distillery, Port of Leith, Fermentation, Regeneration, Sherry, Legacy 1:12:17

5M ago1:12:17

1:12:17

Ian Stirling is the co-founder of the Port of Leith Distillery, located in the historic port of Leith, Scotland. He’s also the co-founder of Lind & Lime Gin and runs a wine and spirits bottling and import business. The Port of Leith Distillery is one of the most remarkable in the world — a vertical distillery built like a tower block in an urban la…

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#18 Charles MacLean MBE - The Scotchfather, Writing, How To Taste, Favourite Drams, Luxury Scotch, Historic Whisky, Charity, Legacy 3:10:28

6M ago3:10:28

3:10:28

Charles Maclean is a renowned Scottish whisky writer, expert, and author. He has written numerous books on the subject, including Whisky: The Water of Life and Scotch Whisky, and specialises in the history and culture of scotch whisky, along with the sensory evaluation of its appreciation. This interview took place at his residence in Edinburgh. Ex…

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#17 Jack Stein - Rick Stein, Television, What Chefs Eat, Fishing Industry, Cornwall 1:43:58

6M ago1:43:58

1:43:58

Jack Stein is a chef, author, and TV personality. He is the executive head chef of Rick Stein Group including the Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall, which recently celebrated its 50th birthday. On the episode we talk about 50 years of The Seafood Restaurant—how it all started as a nightclub, its transformation into a culinary institution, and…

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#16 Isabel Graham-Yooll - Whisky Detective, Counterfeits, Secondary Market, Valuation, Whisky Investment 1:47:03

6M ago1:47:03

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Isabel Graham-Yooll is a leading expert in the world of fine spirits and the secondary market. She was the director of Whisky.Auction and before that, she worked as a spirits buyer at Bordeaux Index and Milroy’s of Soho. In 2024, she launched Wisgy, an independent consultancy specialising in old and rare spirits, helping collectors, investors, and …

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#15 Salvatore Calabrese - The Maestro, Record Breaking Cocktails, Dukes Martini, Celebrity 1:55:48

6M ago1:55:48

1:55:48

Salvatore Calabrese has remained one of the leading figures in global cocktail culture for at least forty years. He has served kings, queens, presidents, and a string of Hollywood actors over a career that has seen him tend the bar at legendary Mayfair hotels such as The Dukes, The Lanesborough, Fifty St James, The Playboy Club, and most recently B…

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#14 Antonio Amorim - How Corks Are Made, Cork Performance, Cork Taint, Sustainability 53:43

7M ago53:43

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Antonio Amorim is the CEO of Amorim Cork, who over a 155 year history have become the world’s biggest producer of cork and cork products. Amorim produce 6 billion cork stoppers annually accounting for over 50% of the global market. Expect to learn the varied way in which infiltrates our lives, cork is harvested, processed and graded, how cork stopp…

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#13 James Hoffmann - Coffee, Caffeine, World Barista Championships, Coffee Economics, YouTube 1:37:16

7M ago1:37:16

1:37:16

James Hoffmann is the best known coffee person in the world. He is the author of the World Atlas of Coffee, co-founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, former World Barista Champion, and the host of the James Hoffmann YouTube channel.Expect to learn how delicious instant coffee is made, how barista competitions work, the best ways to up your coffee …

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#12 Andreia Esteves - History of Drinking Vessels, Egypt, Wine, Greek Symposium, Poison 1:19:37

7M ago1:19:37

1:19:37

Andreia is an archaeologist and museum curator, working principally with the Art of Drinking Museum at the World of Wine in Porto, which holds more than 3,500 drinking vessels dating back 9,000 years. This episode was recorded and filmed in the museum, along with eight selected artefacts taken from the display cabinets that together total more than…

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#11 Ryan Chetiyawardana - Mr Lyan, Language of Drinking, Magic of Bars, Fermentation, Top Whiskies, Sustainability 1:42:43

7M ago1:42:43

1:42:43

Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Ryan Cheti, aka Mr Lyan, is a bartender, bar operator, and author, known for his unique creative style and multi award winning bars in London, Washington DC and Amsterdam, including White Lyan, Cub, Dandelion, Lyaness, Silver Lyan and Super Lyan. Expect to learn about Ryan’s approach to creativity, how important language is …

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#10 Dr. Nick Wykes - Setting Goals, Motivation, Internal Dialogue & Perspective 1:27:11

8M ago1:27:11

1:27:11

Nick Wykes is a former bartender and drinks consultant turned professional sport psychologist who holds a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology and a Doctorate in Sport Science. There is a lot to be learned from elite performers and how they set goals, manage adversity, and work with other people. These skills are certainly applicable to people who w…

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#9 Adrian Bridge - CEO of Taylor's Port, History, Challenges & Innovation, Port Tourism 1:50:23

8M ago1:50:23

1:50:23

Adrian Bridge is the CEO of Taylor’s, Croft, and Fonseca Port Wine brands, a hotelier, museum owner, and holder of perhaps the greatest collection of glassware on the planet. This interview was recored in one of Taylor’s port lodges on the banks of the Douro river. To watch it in full atmospheric 4K HD head to the Curious Bartender YouTube channel:…

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#8 Angus Winchester - 36 Years of Bars, Tanqueray Ambassador, Classic Cocktails, Ukraine 2:37:59

8M ago2:37:59

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Angus Winchester is a 36 year legend of the hospitality and drinks industry who has worked with bars and bartenders across the world. He was the ambassador for Tanqueray Gin for a number of years, and has also worked with Sean Finter at Barmetrix, BCB in Berlin, and the Dark Horse bar in Bath. Follow him on Threads and IG: @anguswinchester…

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#7 Vikram Achanta - Indigenous Indian Spirits, Indian Bar Culture, Indian Whisky, Awards 54:41

8M ago54:41

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Vikram Achanta who is a 25 year veteran of the India bar and drinks industry. He is the founder of Tulleeho, one of the country’s premiere education and consultancy agencies, the co-founder of 30 Best Bars in India and the co-founder of India Bartender Week. This conversation, recorded in October at Bar Convent Berlin, features Vikram, who was deli…

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#6 Arielle Johnson - Food Chemistry, Fermentation, Molecules, Evolution, NOMA 2:00:37

8M ago2:00:37

2:00:37

Dr. Arielle Johnson is a chemist, biologist and food scientist. She was the science advisor to Alton Brown on the TV show good eats, is a director’s fellow at MIT media lab and has worked with acclaimed cooks and scientists across the world. She is the chief scientific advisor for Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, which was founded by Rene Redzepi - w…

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#5 Colin Dunn - Japanese Whisky, Islay, £19m casks, Brora, Port Ellen 2:35:47

9M ago2:35:47

2:35:47

Colin Dunn is a whisky educator and collector and one of the best known ambassadors for malt whisky in the UK. This is a wide ranging conversation about malt whisky covering producing regions, production, marketing, new and old distilleries, luxury whisky, along with a tonne of anecdotes from Colin. You're in for a treat. We are switching Spotify e…

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#4 Sean Finter - The Hospitality Business, Succeeding, Sustainability, Motivation 1:45:13

9M ago1:45:13

1:45:13

Sean Finter is a hospitality coach and mentor who has worked with hundreds of clients over the past 20 years to help them improve profitability, hire better, optimise their business operations and generally perfect the craft of hospitality.Trawling Sean's social media, I offered him 10 of his own quotes with which to frame a conversation around hos…

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#3 Ian Burrell - Rum Classification, Controversy, Spiced Rum, Origin Stories, Bars 2:00:42

9M ago2:00:42

2:00:42

Ian Burrell is a bartender, brand owner, and rum ambassador. He is best known as The Rum Ambassador and as the founder of RumFest, as well as the co-founder of Equiano rum. This is a wide ranging conversation about the culture, classification and love of rum. To support the podcast please subscribe! Thanks to our sponsor: Fever-Tree Ian's book is a…

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#2 Charles Spence - The Multisensory Science of Flavour 2:45:30

9M ago2:45:30

2:45:30

Charles is a professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, the author of Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating, and the head of the The Crossmodal Research Laboratory, which explores the interactions between senses when we experience flavour. Charles also won the 2008 Ig Nobel Prize for Nutrition for his work on the 'sonic crisp'. O…

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#1 Alice Lascelles - The Martini, Journalism, Non-Alc, Tea Competitions, Drinks Trends 1:13:20

10M ago1:13:20

1:13:20

Please subscribe wherever you watch or listen to podcasts as it helps support the show. Alice Lascelles is an award-winning drinks journalist, author and presenter. On the episode expected to find out why I don’t garnish my martinis, the bizarre way that Hemingway liked to drink martinis, Ian Fleming’s tip for ordering a martini in a pub, why an es…

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Back to the Future with Shay Waterworth 36:19

2+ y ago36:19

36:19

What your proudest piece of work? Join Tristan as he chats with journalist and editor of Drinks International, Shay Waterworth about his role in the drinks industry. In this episode you can expect everything from how trends are impacting emerging markets to an epic April Fools prank and more. Tune in now. Tristan chats with Shay about: · How journa…

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How to make your bar sustainable 3:45

2+ y ago3:45

3:45

Looking for ways to make your bar more sustainable? In this Bar Chat short, James Fowler discusses his top tips for reducing waste in your bar and how your business can directly impact the environment. Tune in now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Build Your Own Brand With Ryan Chetiyawardana 1:19:09

2+ y ago1:19:09

1:19:09

International entrepreneur, stretcher of boundaries and empire-builder Ryan Chetiyawardana joins Tristan to chat about his path to creating the world's best bars while cultivating a personal brand of exceptional pedigree - one not to be missed! Tristan chats with Ryan about: His early career The importance of staying true to your values Building a …

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How to Make Social Content for your Bar 2:51

2+ y ago2:51

2:51

Learn from the pros! In this Bar Chat Short Kaitlyn Stewart chats about the ways you can use social media to enhance your career and educate your followers with top shelf drinks content. Listen in now! Sign Up to become a Diageo Bar Academy Member: https://bit.ly/3SFn5X5 Test Your Bar Knowledge With E-Learning: https://bit.ly/3gD7NEU Follow Diageo …

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Stanley Tucci's Happy Hour 59:11

2+ y ago59:11

59:11

Happy hour just got a whole lot happier! Actor, Director and more recently at home Mixologist - there’s little Stanley Tucci can’t do. In this episode of Bar Chat, he joins Tristan to discuss everything from what makes great hospitality to his food tour of Italy and the importance of honing your sense of taste. But, if you just want to know why he …

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Why Exercise Matters in Your Career 2:19

2+ y ago2:19

2:19

From prioritising exercise to creative ways to sneak your steps in, Tim Philips-Johansson shares how and, more importantly, why he makes time to exercise every day. Tune in now. Sign Up to become a Diageo Bar Academy Member: https://bit.ly/3SFn5X5 Test Your Bar Knowledge With E-Learning: https://bit.ly/3gD7NEU Follow Diageo Bar Academy on Facebook:…

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Culinary Cocktails with Adam Handling 40:46

2+ y ago40:46

40:46

Yes chef! In this episode, Tristan welcomes Michelin-starred chef and award-winning restaurateur Adam Handling to the podcast. They chat about his sources of inspiration in the kitchen, his new bar, Eve Bar London and interesting cocktail ingredients - including cabbage. Tune in now! IN THIS EPISODE: - How Adam established himself as a chef and his…

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Why Representation Matters in the Bar Industry 2:54

2+ y ago2:54

2:54

In the last ten years there has been a lot of progress behind the bar with greater representation across gender and race. In this Bar Chat Short, celebrated New York Mixologist Shannon Mustipher discusses how the industry is changing - for the better! Sign Up to become a Diageo Bar Academy Member: https://bit.ly/3SFn5X5 Test Your Bar Knowledge With…