The Speakeasy

This week on The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte is joined by bartender, musician and all around great guy Kevin Denton. Denton crafts cocktails that utilize obscure ingredients and modern techniques. Denton worked his way up as a journeyman bartender at establishments steeped in classic and neo-classic form.Denton was born in Lawrence, Kansas in 1979. He earned his Bachelors and Masters of Regional Planning degrees from the Architecture, Art and Planning College of Cornell University in 2001, and 2003. Following a brief period as a land use planner in Philadelphia, Denton moved to New York in 2005 to become head bartender at Danny Meyer’s “Tabla.” He worked as a bar consultant in Siena, Italy, for a boutique, historic hotel. Upon returning stateside, he assisted in opening “Hotel Delmano” in Williamsburg (2008) and shortly thereafter was part of the opening staff at the Tequilaria “Mayahuel” in the East Village.His most recent work experience was as General Manager and Beverage Director for Gramercy Terrace at the Gramercy Park Hotel, where he established the city’s first rooftop bar and restaurant garden. Denton, and his cocktails, have been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, GQ, Details, and Men’s Health magazines. He has also been featured on the Martha Stewart Show, and as a guest Mixologist for the Cooking Channel’s Holiday programming (2012). This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “WD50 allowed people, without much thought to the bottom line, to explore and be creative.” [03:00] –Kevin Denton on The Speakeasy

We’re talking Moonshine today on The Speakeasy as host Damon Boelte is joined by Brent Thompson from Sugarlands Distilling Company. Sugarland produces craft quality moonshine and whiskey. The distillery in downtown Gatlinburg, Tenn. is a popular attraction where guests are invited to taste free samples of authentic Sugarlands Shine, take behind the-scenes tours of the production, and purchase a variety of moonshine flavors, mountain merchandise, and apparel. The distillery also offers live music, Appalachian storytelling, and outdoor adventure tours in the Sugarlands, an area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park historically referred to as “moonshiners’ paradise.” The company is East Tennessee-owned, with a focus on bettering the local community through a variety of events and charitable giving. Sugarlands Distilling Co. opened its downtown Gatlinburg distillery in March 2014 to perform the age-old craft of distilling fine Sugarlands Shine. Its authentic spirits, barn-house location, and first-class entertainment offer visitors the complete Tennessee moonshine experience. Sugarlands Distilling Co. is a proud, locally owned, community-minded, “give-back” brand. This program was brought to you by Visit Napa Valley. “We like to say that white corn is for whiskey, yellow corn is for critters.” [08:00] “A lot of spectators thought this was a flash in the pan and that moonshine would go away. What has happened is that it’s started to stick.” [23:00] –Brent Thompson on The Speakeasy

This week on The Speakeasy Damon interviews Jamie Salas, the Milagro Tequila Brand Ambassador. Salas tells us about the evolution of the tequila industry and how the openness of the industry has changed over the past few decades. The two then discuss the expense of producing tequila and how it can be an extremely taxing process. This program was sponsored by the International Culinary Center “Tequila is one of the most expensive spirits to produce.” [45:00] “Its a labor of love [Producing tequila].” [50:00] — Jamie Salas on The Speakeasy

The one and only Jordana Rothman rejoins Damon Boelte on The Speakeasy for a candid thirty minute conversation on everything from leather aged cocktails to national spirit trends. Jordana, formerly of Time Out New York, has been freelancing, focusing on bigger picture journalism and just finished working on Alex Stupak’s upcoming book with Clarkson Potter. Damon and Jordana asses some of the things going on across the country in the world of cocktails and spirits and give listeners some real insight, tips and takeaways. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “I’m doing less service style journalism and more bigger conversation stories now.” [08:00] “I have some triggers around the hipster whiskeys that are made [at a facility] in Indiana but the consumer thinks they’re having something distilled and bottled locally. There’s a real lack of consumer education around that. Everybody thinks they’re having one thing but there’a a lot of labeling noise.” [12:00] –Jordana Rothman on The Speakeasy

If you like your drinks bitter and stirred, Amor y Amargo is for you. Tune in to a brand new episode of The Speakeasy as Damon Boelte is joined by Sother Teague and Austin Hennelly of the aforementioned Amor y Amargo – a small bar in the East Village that bills itself as a “bitters tasting room and general store”. Tune in and find out what inspires them behind the bar, why the 240 square foot space was meant to be a clubhouse and what both guys are excited about in the industry today. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “Every drink we’ve ever made at Amor y Amargo – as long as the bottle exists we can still make it today.” [03:00] –Sother Teague on The Speakeasy

Steve Schneider is the star of the film Hey Bartender, Principal Bartender at Employees Only NYC, 2012 Cocktail World Cup World Champion, 6-time Speed Bartending Champion and an all-around American badass who now has his own podcast, The Steve Schneider Show. Tune in to a brand new episode of The Speakeasy as Steve catches Damon up on what’s been going on in his life and shares some of his thoughts about the beverage industry. He also serves up a mean Macho Man Randy Savage impression. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “I try to give everybody my all at all times. It’s a good problem to have” [04:00] –Steve Schneider on The Speakeasy

Beloved bartender and inventive ice-man Zach Gelnaw-Rubin is this week’s guest on THe Speakeasy! He’s behind the bar at Dutch Kills and Attaboy and helps run Hundredweight, the first company of its kind, supplying New York City with the highest quality ice specifically for use in craft cocktails. Their cubes, spears, spheres and punch blocks are all cut from 300 pound blocks of crystal-clear, totally pure ice, and lend a new level of quality and aesthetic to cocktails. Tune in and find out why ice matters more than you might realize and how Zach got the idea off the ground. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “Four, five years ago – you didn’t have to make a choice about ice because there was no choice.” [10:00] “More and more bars are opening up that are regular environment bars that are also serving high level drinks.” [13:00] –Zach Gelnaw-Rubin on The Speakeasy

What is American brandy and why should you care? Find out on a brand new episode of The Speakeasy as Damon Boelte is joined by Joe Heron, the co-founder of Copper & Kings Distillery. Copper & Kings is an American brandy company based in Butchertown, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. They make a differentiated, uncommon, unadulterated, pure pot-distilled natural American brandy. Tune in and find out what all the fuss is about and what Copper & Kings is doing to serve the community and push American spirits forward. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. “Almost every farmer who settled America was at some stage a brandy distiller.” [05:00] “Kentucky is at it’s best when it’s zagging instead of zigging. The city and state are much more open minded than people realize” [10:00] “What makes craft beer so fabulous in the US is that the interpretation of style is individual and unique – and to me that’s very American.” [15:00] “We’re much more interested in being a community asset than a tourist attraction.” [21:00] –Joe Heron on The Speakeasy

To kick off the new year on The Speakeasy, Damon Boelte is joined by Heather Greene, Whiskey Sommelier at The Flatiron Room and author of Whisk(e)y Distilled. Heather Greene is one of America’s leading whiskey experts, media’s newest “go-to” woman on the topic of brown spirits, and the author of Whiskey Distilled, A Populist Guide to the Water of Life on Viking Studio, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She is also The Director of Whiskey Education and sommelier at The Flatiron Room in Manhattan where her classes sell-out regularly. Heather is also an accomplished musician. Her latest (third) record was released in 2012 under the name Argon 4o with her music partner Adam Williams. Their music is currently licensed to MTV Networks after being called by BBC radio as “Beautifully simplistic, yet thoroughly complex.” She has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. When she’s not sipping whiskey or playing keyboards, she can be found on her stoop drinking a simple gin and tonic. This program was brought to you by Michter’s. “There a lot of synergies between music and something beautiful and mystical like whiskey.” [08:00] “There’s an incredible amount of subjectivity in the human palate. The idea of a best whiskey is kind of lost when it comes to science.” [19:00] –Damon Boelte on The Speakeasy

Misty Kalkofen of Del Maguey