

The Philip Duff Show
Philip Duff
Liquor, bars, cocktails: the people and companies who make them, sell them and drink them, plus everything & everyone in-between, with your host, globetrotting spirits guy and escaped bartender, Philip Duff.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 1, 2024 • 2h 9min
#47 2023 In Review with Tony Sachs (and some live distilling)
Always fun to sit down with Philip Duff Show stalwart Tony Sachs and go over all the happenings of the year! We covered AI, ChatGPT's cocktail skillz, Skrewball whiskey, gonzo "collabs" like Absolut's vodka sauce made with Heinz and Empirical's Doritos flavour, and discussed the deafening silence around Jason Momoa's Meili vodka, the dastardly abv-lowering deeds of Beefeater Gin, and the likeability of Keanu Reeves. Along the way we had some fancy Tequila Ocho bottlings, the delicious El Viaje raicilla, Charbay's surprisingly tasty R5 hopped whisky, Ryan Maybee's fine J Rieger Rye whiskey, some 1980s Ancient Age bourbon, and (after judicious application of a hammer) some Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal. But, the big news was we fired up the mini copper still I brought Tony back from Lisbon, and distilled a can of Stella Artois into something that wasn't half-bad! Duff-Sachs Distilling is now open for business. Enjoy! Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Dec 25, 2023 • 1h 26min
#46, Colin Field, former head bartender (for 3 decades!), The Hemingway Bar at the Ritz, Paris.
Colin is a legend, an English native who doggedly pursued his dream of being head bartender at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, a position he achieved and dominated for thirty years, creating the Hemingway Bar along the way, serving & befriending celebrities, heads of states, and run-of-the-mill billionaires as well. Now retired from the Ritz, he's busier than ever, running incredible drinks events around the world with his new agency Colin Field Bar Concept, and bartending a gruelling one shift a week at Paris' Maison Proust. This was a great chat with an old mate, and we covered everything from the origins of the negroni to why a code of omerta must exist between bartender and guest, bartending in business class on Air France 380s vs the Emirates configuration (and why Colin prefers Boeing 777s), how he created a true nationally-accredited degree in bartending in France, the politics of five-star hotels, and a whole bunch more. Enjoy!Email Colin: colinpeterfield@gmail.comColin on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/colin-field-14960a43Colin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinpfield/?hl=en Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Dec 21, 2023 • 2h 32min
#45, Forest Collins, French cocktail blogger and author, "Drink Like A Local In Paris"
Forest is the O.G. cocktail blogger in France, since she moved there from the US in 2001 and started the 52 Martinis blog, adding a podcast a decade ago. She's also the author of several books including the new "Drink Like A Local In Paris", Academy Chair for France for World's 50 Best Bars, creator of the 52 Martini iPhone app, and a constant champion of all good bars throughout France. We caught up over a cocktail or two and went through the French scene, French spirits, lists like 50 Best and awards in general, and a bunch more, including what being a local or a regular really entails and why Parisians love that cafe life. The 52 Martinis blog: https://52martinis.com/The 52 Martinis app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paris-cocktails/id1261249803The 52 Martinis podcast: https://52martinis.com/podcast/52 Martinis on IG: https://www.instagram.com/52martinis/Buy "Drink Like A Local In Paris": https://www.amazon.com/Drink-Like-Local-Paris-Pariss/dp/1646434579 Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Dec 18, 2023 • 3h 11min
#44, Rachel Harrison, New York City PR powerhouse for bars, hotels and liquor brands
I fucking love Rachel Harrison. We caught up over drinks and went for three hours straight! Her firm Rachel Harrison Communications is a serious mover and shaker for dozens of hotels, resorts, liquor brands and bars across the US and around the world, with offices in the UK, Mexico and elsewhere. There's a lot of PR wisdom in here (my favorite: "Hiring a PR agency means you have to work HARDER, not less!") but we also cover vibrators, hiring diverse candidates, gift giving, Breville toasters, lists and awards, her fitness journey and how she has 4 other Rachels working for her. Give it a listen! Rachel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/fwaychel/?hl=enRachel Harrison Communications on IG: https://www.instagram.com/wearerhc/?hl=enRachel Harrison Communications: https://wearerhc.com/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Dec 13, 2023 • 2h 28min
#43, Derek Brown, author of "Mindful Mixology", wellness coach, and bartender
Derek is a hospitality lifer who, after decades of being a bartender, sommelier and founding groundbreaking cocktail bars like The Colombia Room in Washington DC, transitioned in 2018 to being an advocate for no- and low-alcohol cocktails and wellness in general, training as an NASM coach, founding Positive Damage, Inc., and co-founding the Mindful Drinking Fest. Derek's an old friend and it was a joy to shoot the shit for several hours, especially as Dry January looms. We cover everything from Ozempic, beer goggles, the secret sorrow of your kid taking up soccer, Derek's viciously competitive streak that emerges playing Uno, non-alc beers, polishing your shoes if you're wearing a suit, how to get through Day 1 on the wagon, and there's a heartwarmingly wholesome story about Derek's teenage encounter with the late Shane McGowan. Come onboard!Derek's brand-new NASM course on Mindful Drinking: https://www.nasm.org/continuing-education/mindful-drinkingDerek's company Positive Damage, Inc.'s website: http://www.positivedamageinc.comDerek on IG: https://www.instagram.com/positivedamageinc/Derek on X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveDMGBuy Derek's book "Mindful Mixology": https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Mixology-Comprehensive-Low-Alcohol-Cocktails/dp/0847871274/Buy Derek's other book, "Spirit Sugar Water Bitters": https://bookshop.org/p/books/spirits-sugar-water-bitters-how-the-cocktail-conquered-the-world-derek-brown/12299980?ean=9780847861460 Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Dec 4, 2023 • 1h 26min
#42, Kevin Armstrong, Owner Satan's Whiskers (London), co-author "Roundbuilding", and bar consultant
It was great to finally catch up with Kevin; I’ve been chasing him to come on the podcast since earlier this year, when I read “Roundbuilding” a book he co-wrote with Daniel Waddy on the technique of making rounds of cocktails as quickly and efficiently as possible, so they can all be served at the same time and to the same quality (link to buy below). Kevin opened London bartender’s bar Satan’s Whiskers a decade ago after a stratospheric career at Jonathan Downey’s Match Bar / Rushmore Group that saw him become Group Bars Director, presiding over the bars and training staff alongside luminaries like Dick Bradsell, Dale de Groff and Sasha Petraske. We talk about what’s happened to speed and efficiency, modern bar trends like the “Scandi’ no-garnish trend you see a lot in London, why jiggers aren't magical, and a whole bunch more. Give it a listen - and make sure you get the book!Satan's Whiskers IG: https://www.instagram.com/satans_whiskers/?hl=enBuy Roundbuilding: https://www.amazon.com/Roundbuilding-Daniel-Waddy/dp/139993693X Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Nov 20, 2023 • 1h 21min
#41, Kurt Schlechter, owner Cause + Effect (Cape Town) and bar trainer throughout Africa
Great chat with my old friend Kurt Schlechter, who has trained bartenders in every country on his continent from Cape Town to Cairo, and splits his time between the three branches of his award-winning cocktail bar Cause + Effect, and training bartenders throughout Africa. Kurt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kurtschlechter/Cause + Effect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/causeeffectbar/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Nov 15, 2023 • 1h 51min
#40, Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, Tiki Historian, Author and Bar Owner
Well, this was a pure delight!Jeff is an old friend and we sat down to talk about Sippin' Santa's Surf Shack, rum ,tiki cocktails, bar ownership and a whole bunch more - give it a listen!All Jeff’s links: https://beachbumberry.com/Jeff on IG: https://instagram.com/official_beachbumberry?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==Jeff on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealbeachbumberry Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Nov 6, 2023 • 1h 42min
#39, Kimberly Fisher, Travel Writer, Journalist, Spokesmodel, Brand Ambassador
I've been bumping into the glamourous Kimberly Fisher at cocktail events here in New York for years now so it was high time we sat down together. An Alaskan native and resident of NY for over a decade, she's been an actress and spokesmodel, is a widely published journalist, qualified yoga teacher, licensed real estate agent, on-camera host and bonafide travel fiend, having clocked up 67 countries and every American state except the Dakotas, for some reason. She also represents Casa del Sol tequila, owned by Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria, and indeed we drank a good bit of it during the taping and very nice it was too. We caught up on topics and wide as bumping Bill Gates off a flight, the Jennifer Lawrence movie "No Hard Feelings", reading 100 books a year, the drinks biz and lots more. And yes, she really did take off her Uggs and put on sky-high Louboutins to record this episode. Enjoy!Kimberly's website: https://kimberlyfisher.com/Kimberly on IG: http://www.instagram.com/itskimberlyfisherKimberly on X/Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kimberlyfisher1Kimberly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlyfisherboone Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Oct 30, 2023 • 1h 33min
#38, Robert Simonson, Award-Winning Drinks Writer & Author
Robert might just be the best-known drinks writer in our whole industry; his articles on spirits, bars and cocktails appear frequently in grown-up newspapers like The New York Times as well as trade publications like PUNCH, Imbibe and Vinepair. He's written more than half a dozen books on bars, spirits and cocktails, co-authored two cocktail apps and has his own signature Old Fashioned kit from Cocktail Kingdom as well as "The Mix", his extremely popular Substack newsletter. His newest book, "The Encyclopedia of Cocktails", just came out. As you might imagine, he's a great person to sit with for a drink and a chat, and that's what went down here, covering everything from how he switched to drinks writing from being a theater critic, why he's not afraid of the threat of AI to writers, if you can earn a living writing in 2023, and his new book, The Encyclopedia of Cocktails. Along the way we also cover awards and lists, anonymity in bars, which types of books sell better and much more - give it a listen!Buy Robert's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-Simonson/author/B001K8HFEA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueBuy Robert's books on Indiebound: https://bookshop.org/search?affiliate=287&source=IndieBound&ref=IndieBoundSearch&keywords=robert+simonson Subscribe to The Mix, Robert's Substack: https://robertsimonson.substack.com/Buy The Simonson Old Fashioned Set: https://cocktailkingdom.com/products/robert-simonson-old-fashioned-set Robert on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RobertOSimonson/Robert on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.simonson.9?mibextid=LQQJ4dRobert's website: https://robertsimonson.net/Email Robert: rbrtsimonson@gmail.co Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview or Zoom.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...