C&C Pod - Scott Silverman, Co-Founder of CommerceNext

This week Bill and I are joined by Scott Silverman, Co-Founder of CommerceNext and long-time commerce community builder, to mix up some classic Sazerac cocktails and talk about the keys to building a vibrant professional community and hosting a great event. We also gain Scott’s perspective on the health and state of the commerce community in the U.S. today.

Many of you either know Scott or have seen him on-stage, online, or at an event. Scott joined Shop.org in 1999 and rose to become Executive Director shortly after that, leading that organization as it became a critical part of the National Retail Federation. Scott went on to co-found CommerceNext in 2017, where he continues to drive what is today the most meaningful community of digital commerce leaders in the United States. As we head into (yet another) NRF it was great to connect with

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Scott for many years, and it’s great to have him on the show.

So please pour yourself something to sip along with us and enjoy the conversation.

Cheers!

Note: We recorded this prior to the recent tragedy in New Orleans. We talk about that great city and share experiences we had at Jazz Fest and all the good times we have had in that vibrant, amazing city. Our thoughts are with the people and community impacted by the recent tragedy in NOLA - and unfortunately elsewhere - as we release this episode.

Episode Chapters:

* Exploring the Sazerac cocktail

* Hey Kai, understanding CommerceNext

* The post-pandemic commerce landscape

* Keys to building meaningful professional communities

* Crafting engaging events with solution providers

* “Hot or Not” - a run down of commerce and digital marketing trends

* NOLA Jazz Fest and the joys of music

* Closing thoughts and signature cocktails

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This week’s cocktail - the Sazerac

Few cocktails capture the spirit of a city quite like the Sazerac, the official cocktail of New Orleans. Its history begins in the 1830s, when Antoine Amédée Peychaud, a Creole apothecary, introduced his bitters as a remedy in the city’s burgeoning French Quarter. His creation, a mix of his proprietary bitters, sugar, and Sazerac de Forge brandy gained popularity at a time when medicinal tonics often doubled as recreational libations. Legend has it that Peychaud served his mixture in an egg cup, or “coquetier,” possibly giving rise to the very term “cocktail.” While the origin of the term ‘cocktail’ remains debated, the Sazerac's place in the pantheon of classic cocktails is indisputable.

The Sazerac's story took another turn when phylloxera, the 19th-century vine pest that devastated European vineyards, necessitated a shift to rye whiskey - a substitution that gave the drink its spicy backbone and American identity. The addition of absinthe - with Herbsaint substituted during absinthe’s prohibition - introduced a touch of herbal complexity.

By the 20th century, the Sazerac was firmly entrenched as a pillar in the canon of cocktails, featured in cocktail books and celebrated in bars across the United States. Its codification as New Orleans’ official cocktail in 2008 cemented its cultural importance, ensuring its legacy endures. The Sazerac is more than a drink—it’s a story of resilience, reinvention, and the enduring charm of New Orleans - embodying the cultural crossroads that is New Orleans, a place to come together.

Cheers!

Sazerac Cocktail Spec (Serves one)

Absinthe, to rinse

1 - sugar cube (Demerara recommended)

1/2 teaspoon (~2.5 ml) - Cold water

4 dashes - Peychaud’s bitters

2 1/2 oz (~75 ml) - Rye whiskey

Garnish: lemon peel

The process:

Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe, discarding any excess, and set aside. In a mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube, water and the Peychaud’s bitters. Add the rye whiskey, fill the mixing glass with ice and stir for 15­–20 seconds, until well-chilled.

Strain into the prepared glass and twist the lemon peel over the drink’s surface to express the peel’s oils, then garnish with the peel.

Please share! There is plenty of room for others at the cocktail party! Thank you!

As always, it’s great to have you here! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, rate (it helps!), and let us know your thoughts. We love to hear from our listeners.

Be well, be safe, and here is to good business! Cheers! - Brian & Bill

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