The Speakeasy

Originally from the Finger Lakes, NY, Lauren Corriveau moved to NYC at the age of 17. After graduating college with a degree in Merchandising and Business Management, Lauren went on to work in the fashion industry for almost 10 years. Although she worked in bars and restaurants while in college, hospitality didn't factor into her career path until 2013, when she was hired as a member of the opening team for Battery Harris in Brooklyn. The process of opening a new space resonated with her experience in retail and design and sparked Lauren's passion for hospitality and menu development. Shortly thereafter, she started working at Donna, where she was fully introduced to the cocktail industry. Upon receiving a job offer from Natasha David in 2015, Lauren left fashion for a full time career in hospitality, becoming Head Bartender of Nitecap just one year later. During her time with the company, Lauren has been an integral part of running the business and shaping the brand alongside David. Lauren’s cocktails have been featured in multiple publications including Punch, Eater, Grub Street, Supercall, NY Post, and Sous Vide Magazine. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Giancarlo Mancino is a gifted bartender and entrepreneur hailing from Pignola, Italy. Famous for his amazing hospitality, he has literally traveled the globe progressing the world of cocktails with his own Giancarlo BAR Ltd., a Hong Kong based bar and beverage consultancy firm. Giancarlo is also the creator of the Mancino line of artisanal Vermouths and the Aperitvo Rinomato. He recently launched his own glassware "the Wormwood Collection" in collaboration with Italesse. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Damon is joined in the studio by Nate Dumas, a Prime Meats alum, premium account specialist for the Campari portfolio of brands, and Wild Turkey connoisseur. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steva Casey is a bartender at The Atomic Lounge in Birmingham, AL. She also works on numerous projects including International Cocktail Karaoke and Tiki By The Sea. Her cocktail recipes and ideas about building drinks have been published in Cosmopolitan, Men’s Journal, and on CNN . When asked to explain her job, she quickly responds that it's mainly about being a good host. She owns more bottles of Scotch than dresses. Also sitting in this week is Greg Benson, co-host of the podcast Bar None, which focuses on one drink per episode as a lens through which to examine a particular era of history. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we're joined in studio by Eryn Reece, who has tended bar all over New York City, and is now heading up a new bar program at Banzarbar, a new concept above Freemans Restaurant in the Lower East Side. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kate Perry grew up in Maine, and earned degrees in Anthropology/Archaeology & Geography/Geology from the University of Denver. She moved to Seattle after college, drank a lot of sherry, opened a rum bar, and drank a lot of rum. She was invited to Haiti with the Velier spirits company, where she fell in love with Haiti and fell in love with Velier. After returning to the states, she moved to NYC to work for Velier, the Indiana Jones of rum -- so she's using her degrees and still drinking a lot of rum. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Damon is without Sother...which is fine. He's joined in the studio by Rob Dietrich, Head Distiller of Stranahan's Whiskey, which, at tender age of fourteen, was the first company to be granted a distilling permit in Colorado. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Sother is joined by Charlie Marshall, the Design Director and a principal of Parc Office. With a background in industrial design, retail and hospitality design, and interactive experiences, Marshall works to find innovative ways of integrating digital interactivity in physical spaces. Prior to Parc Office, Marshall ran the Lab at Rockwell Group, designing experiences and innovation labs for Coca Cola and Google, and designing bars and restaurants for Le Meridian, W Hotels, Darden Group, Royal Caribbean and the Cosmopolitan hotel. Marshall's hospitality experience comes from growing up in the trade, his family being owners of a vineyard in the UK (?!) and partners in award winning British brewery Bath Ales. Starting working in kitchens and bars and the brewery from the age of 12, Marshall is an "enthusiast" who is also the emergency last resort line cook or barman for a variety of restaurant kitchens and bars throughout New York. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Damon and Sother are joined by Maggie Hoffman, author of the new book The One-Bottle Cocktail: More than 80 Recipes with Fresh Ingredients and a Single Spirit, which will be published by Ten Speed Press in March 2018. Hoffman writes about cocktails, spirits, food, beer, and wine. She founded the drinks section of Serious Eats in 2011, and served as the managing editor for the James Beard award-winning site. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this Valentine's Day edition of The Speakeasy, Damon and Sother are joined by Dani DeLuna, Shannon Mustipher, and Austin Hartman of the Cane Club Collective, a group that organizes experiences around cane spirits that foster community and appreciation for rum and the people working in the industry. The Speakeasy is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.