
The Speakeasy
Hosts Damon Boelte, Sother Teague, and Greg Benson sit down to talk cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, tea, coffee, and all the other exciting liquids in the universe. With each episode, learn from some of the world’s experts in mixology, bar history, distillation, and brewing. Bringing on guests ranging from bartenders and brewers, alchemists and ambassadors, roasters and regulars, and every expert and enthusiast in between, The Speakeasy introduces listeners to all the unique ways we enjoy imbibing today.
Latest episodes

Oct 20, 2023 • 47min
Classical Jazz
Han Suk Cho has an impressive set of titles. Founder of Zero Proof. Lead bartender of Kato's boozy and non-alcoholic offerings. Punch’s 2023 Best New Bartender of the year. And classical music composer. No big deal. This week she sits down with Greg and Sother to talk transitioning from back of house to the front, establishing her niche in the industry, and building a career that lasts. Plus, what’s Sother spicy about this week? Check out his new kickstarter to find out! Photo Courtesy of Dylan Ho. Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Oct 12, 2023 • 56min
Enjoy Your Stay
Imagine running 6,700 different properties on six continents. Okay, now pick yourself up off the floor and tune in to this week’s Speakeasy where the band sits down with Adam Crocini, the senior vice president and global head of food and beverage brands at Hilton. Yes, that Hilton. Hear about what it’s like to run a company of that magnitude, curate individual experiences and adapt to changing tastes on a global scale. Plus, Greg went down a mine earlier this week and came back with… whiskey? And Sother is bitter again! He’s launching a new bitter experience with Shaker & Spoon, check it out here.Photo Courtesy of Hilton.Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Oct 5, 2023 • 40min
Not a Ton of Fire, but Still Some Fire
Nicolas O’Connor of Apotheke (say that one out loud) sits down with the band to talk about building a distinctive brand identity, being an OG cocktail bar down an odd little side alley in Chinatown, and the relative merits of lighting your bartop on fire. How do you take someplace iconic and make sure that spirit doesn’t get lost when you move to a new locale? Tune in to find out! Plus, Sother is bitter again! He’s launching a new bitter experience with Shaker & Spoon, check it out here. Photo Courtesy of theiiagency.Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Sep 22, 2023 • 54min
The Pop-up From the Black Lagoon!
It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers! Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes, the creative forces behind the spooky season popup Black Lagoon pop by to chat inspiration, metal bars, franchising a takeover, and where you can find their hell-raising cocktails this autumn! Plus, rivers of wine in Portugal, DUIs on horseback, and Greg finds out in real time that Ron Jeremy is canceled. All that and more on this episode so stay tuned!Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Sep 15, 2023 • 55min
A Grand Old Time
Kailee and Jason Asher from Century Grand in Phoenix sit down with the band to talk about their recent “Best Cocktail Bar” win at Tales of the Cocktail, building a sustainable (and profitable) bar program and creating immersive experiences. Wanna drink craft cocktails on a train? Better book your flight to Arizona. Plus, Sother’s back from Milwaukee and shares his thoughts on the band’s collaboration on a Speakeasy cocktail box with Shaker and Spoon.Photo Courtesy of Grace Stufkosky.Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Sep 7, 2023 • 55min
Unboxing
It’s a podcollaboration! Anna Gorovoy and Mike Milyavsky of Shaker & Spoon swing by the studio to talk about their latest cocktail box, which just so happens to have been designed by the guys behind the Speakeasy! Tune in as they talk gin, the art of making cocktail kits to ship, and how their business has grown over the years. Plus, what Greg and Damon got up to on their summer vacations. Want to grab a Speakeasy cocktail kit of your very own? Check it out here: https://shakerandspoon.com/pg/the-speakeasy-box Photo Courtesy of Shaker & Spoon. Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Aug 31, 2023 • 46min
January Spirits
Lucky Preksto and Jon Langley from the newly established January Spirits share with us the the path they’ve taken to bring a spirit brand that includes a gin, genepy, and an amaro to market. Photo Courtesy of Chad Arnholt.Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Aug 4, 2023 • 53min
Not the Last Word
In a special on-location dispatch episode from New Orleans, Sother sits down with Karl duHoffmann and Regan Doughty of Preiss Imports to investigate possible alternatives to the now dwindling availability of Chartreuse. Together they sample several examples of Joaquín Simó’s neo classic Naked and Famous as well as the venerable Last Word cocktail. Though they all agree the differences are notable, it’s clear that there are some viable options for substitution as well as avenues for innovation. Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Aug 3, 2023 • 54min
Not to Brag, But...
Elayne Duff, Director of Advocacy for Samson & Surrey, founder of the Beverage BA Academy and all around bar all-star (and former rescuer) sits down with the band to talk brand ambassadorship, keeping busy, when to stay humble and when to brag just a little bit. Plus, one of her brands has a new collaboration with Alice In Chains, so you should check it out. Oh, and there’s a little bit of housekeeping news on the show from last week too. You might wanna tune in to check it out :) Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.

Jul 28, 2023 • 54min
The Oslo-down
Adrian Michalcek joins Greg and Damon live from Norway where he’s the head bartender at Pier 42 to talk storytelling, sustainability and what it means to welcome guests in with your hospitality. Plus, it’s Tales of the Cocktail week everyone! Remember to drink lots of water, get a reasonable amount of rest, and take everything in moderation, including moderation. Have fun out there kids!Don’t forget to click SUBSCRIBE and RATE the show if you can. 🔥🔥Join us each week as industry leaders, Damon Boelte and Sother Teague, sit down with a wide range of hospitality and spirits experts from around the world to discuss everything that impacts our business. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:Damon Boelte @DamonBoelteSother Teague @CreativeDrunkGreg Benson @100ProofGregSpeakeasy Podcast @SpeakeasyPodcastFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:Sother Teague @CreativeDrunkSpeakeasyRadio @SpeakeasyRadioHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support The Speakeasy by becoming a member!The Speakeasy is Powered by Simplecast.
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