The Speakeasy

Jack Ferris is the US national brand ambassador & educator for Bushmills Irish Whiskey. He grew up in as small town called Coleraine in Co. Derry, which is located just 7 miles from where The Old Bushmills Distillery is located. From a young age, he has been passionate about Irish Whiskey. Jack started his whiskey career as bartender at the Bushmills Inn just down the street from the distillery. He then his found his way to a job with Bushmills as a Brand Home Associate where he ran the bar, distillery tours and served as an ambassador and representative for the brand. His work has brought him across the globe, making him an expert in all things Irish Whiskey. Jack has been working with the Bushmills brand for almost 8 years and has covered various roles, both in front and behind the scenes. Most recently, Jack worked on the launch of The Steamship Collection, which was a new and rewarding experience for him. For Jack, the most enjoyable part of his job is communicating with a variety of people of different expertise and taking them on the Bushmills journey. As a US Bushmills Brand Ambassador, Jack champions building awareness and advocacy for Bushmills Irish Whiskey. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast

This week on the Speakeasy, Damon and Sother host Eamon Rockey from the remote studio inside Blue Quarter. Eamon made his mark as a NYC bartender known for making clarified milk punch. Now he's got a bottled version on the market. He’s also helped develop a new generation of bar bag with the workwear brand Tilit as well as being in a leadership role in the newly created beverage program at the Institute of Culinary Education. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.

Today on The Speakeasy, Damon and Sother talk to an activist, a trans woman and a female general manager to discuss hospitality in the new culture of gender fluidity, activism and the #metoo movement. Jackie Summers, Jesse Wohlers and Tyler Beebe. Powered by Simplecast

Today on the Speakeasy, Damon and Sother talk to to Master Distiller Enrique De Colsa from tequila Don Julio. Powered by Simplecast https://simplecast.com [1]https://www.diageobaracademy.com/en_zz/training/meet_our_experts/industry-leaders/enrique_de_colsa/ [2]https://www.donjulio.com/ [3]http://imbibemagazine.com/interview-with-enrique-de-colsa/

Today on the Speakeasy, Damon and Sother talk to Penelope Roussetzki, Stephen Hoppe, Chris Hoppe about beer, working in the food industry and more Powered by Simplecast https://simplecast.com/ [1]https://www.facebook.com/barpenultima/

Damon and Sother get the opportunity to talk with Johnny Schuler, Master Distiller for Caravedo Pisco and all around Pisco advocate. He has dedicated much of his life to setting the standards for excellence in the Pisco industry. And, as Pisco’s ambassador, his travels have taken him throughout Peru, and around the globe, to educate spirits industry professionals and the public alike about the culture, heritage, and craftsmanship that makes Pisco so unique. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.

Today on The Speakeasy, we talk to Paul Finn and special guest William Pineapple. Paul started his career in music and movies, producing his first feature film at age 21 for Kevin Smith’s View Askew Productions. While working on the soundtrack for that film, “A Better Place”, he decided to re-focus on a career in the music industry both as an artist, touring with critically acclaimed bands The Kingsbury Manx and Spider Bags as well as working behind the scenes at the legendary Drag City and Merge record labels. During this time, bills were paid by waiting tables. He began working at Acme, a fine dining restaurant in North Carolina, working his way up from busboy to GM. He later pursued craft bartending at the James Beard winning Lantern restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC. He now lives in Austin where he helped open Garage cocktail bar, winners of the 2015 Official Drink of Austin. Garage has garnered a reputation for providing an excellent cocktail program and has received national recognition in publications such as Conde Nast, Imbibe, Maxim and Architectural Digest. It was also at Garage that he found a kindred spirit with a shared passion for hospitality and industry wellness in owner William Ball, who made the revolutionary decision to provide full medical benefits for the staff. Paul has continued to champion healthcare and wellness for an industry that desperately needs it. William Pineapple, a talented mixologist with 16 years of hospitality experience in 5 countries, joins Paul to guide us through the healthcare of his fellow bartenders. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.

On Today's Speakeasy Damon talks with Kevin Beary, Beverage Director at Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago. Kevin Beary his first taste of bartending while shaking and pouring colorless liquid as a minor. His first official gig was aboard a Delaware River cruise in Philadelphia, where 500 thirsty passengers would board the ship most nights and drink tickets would start flying. Beary worked in restaurants while attending La Salle University and rose to beverage director of Hyatt at the Bellevue, whose Library Lounge is the home of the Clover Club cocktail. In 2012, he transferred to Chicago’s Park Hyatt to oversee the property’s beverage program and open its cocktail bar, NoMi Lounge, until he took over the juggernaut tiki program that is Three Dots and a Dash. Beary revamped every aspect of prep, installing industrial cold press juice machines and centrifuges to ensure consistency and quality in every one of the 2,000-plus cocktails his team serves on Saturday nights. Beary is a great lover of rum, so much so that he led his 16 bartenders through an 11-week rum course, and he’s working on a master’s degree in brewing and distilling. Together they discuss batching drinks, tiki cocktails, seasonality, and more. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.

Rocky Yeh is the Gardien des Chais (keeper of the cellar) at Maison Ferrand and Danny Ronen is the proprietor of Academia in Austin and partner at Unlimited Liabilities. Tune in as Sother chats with these two about travel, New York Brandy Week, subscription cocktail boxes and getting educated at a bar. The Speakeasy is powered by Simplecast.

Aaron Goldfarb is a writer who lives in Brooklyn. He’s written the novels “How to Fail: The Self-Hurt Guide” and “The Guide for a Single Man/Woman.” He writes about beer, whiskey, and drinks culture for places like Esquire, PUNCH, and VinePair. His latest book is “Hacking Whiskey.”