This world traveler was literally born into this industry. Michelle Fedor is the lovely brand ambassador behind Bruichladdich and The Botanist Gin. Her varied interests have led her in many directions professionally but ultimately were never quite the perfect match that she now feels with Whiskey. But what about that moment when it's ready to give it all up and just hit the road? We talk materialism, Florida, Scotch, and great marketing.
The history of Ireland and Irish Whiskey is an eye opening one. Once the largest segment of whiskey in the world, now has had to reinvent itself and bring people back to Irish Whiskey. With great options and conversations, Irish whiskey sees a bright future; especially now that Jennifer Farrell has moved from Ireland to Texas specifically representing the wonderful Tullamore Dew. Jen is an ambitious Irish native that knows whiskey and wants to share a sip with each and everyone of you. Focused on studies, her master's degree, and a career that didn't involve observing consumer behavior in the grocery store with a clipboard, fate lined up and Tullamore Dew brought her to Texas to socialize the brand. We talk prohibition, Tully 12, youth, and the future of whiskey.
Hungarian immigrant turned animator turned hospitality extraordinaire: Mate Hartai is a pensive and compassionate man. He has taken to the English language with eloquence and charisma. As beverage director at HG Sply Co, he is concerned about the well being of his employees and how they can sustain a safe/injury free career in this industry. He can design a better bar, and strives to enrich the lives of those around him. We chat Bowie, Mezcal, Dallas, and more....
Julian Pagan was infused with the spirit of music and invention from an early age. He traveled the states for love and ended up making a massive creative splash in the Dallas cocktail scene. With a constant quest for learning and approaching new ingredients, Julian has read his way to being one of the finest minds in the game. His recent chapter with St. Germain exhibits his dedication to great work and flavors. We talk hip hop, vinyl, champagne, Madrina, and Tony Romo.
The godfather of the Austin cocktail scene, Bill Norris. He's a published author, noted speaker, and modern mentor. His east coast personality brings about a clever terseness that has shaped his experiences in this intriguing journey. From teaching to politics, Bill has endured many sides of the human experience and ultimately found the perfect match in hospitality. Bill influenced the early days of the Austin cocktail scene and pushed into motion many of the trends that are commonplace in the best cocktail establishments today. In the latest chapter, Bill champions the brilliant concept and experience that is The Alamo Drafthouse. He invokes the intersection of amazing cinematic experiences paired with perfectly crafted cocktails. We chat health, english, pork rolls, and whiskey.
With a Steve McQueen rebelliousness and a Jack Kerouac sense of wanderlust, Adam Bryan has faced a lot of tumultuous roads and escaped them all. With the fundamentals in mop work, and hospitality checked off early on in his life in the Pacific Northwest, he headed to San Francisco, and ultimately Austin. As love has punctuated his life and created the new chapters, Adam's influence on the Austin cocktail scene is inescapable. He was at the forefront of the narrative, and continues to execute amazing beverages. We talk bureaucracy, walking away from a business, Mexico, and love without bounds.
Pardon the enunciation, JP De Loera deserves an introduction worthy of a fine emperor. Another brilliant compatriot of the William Grant and Sons roster, he travels the world speaking the praises of Milagro Tequila and manages to eat some chocolate along the way. From Mexico to San Antonio, JP has been focused on business, cocktails, and making the most important impact to the world of agave that he can. This unique chat traverses through the building of a bottle of Milagro Tequila. Chapter by chapter, we learn more about JP and more about each step of the process in constructing this fine Tequila. We chat politics, Havana Club, and making sure the agave locals are on the right stage as well.
Stefano Francavilla is the perfect blend of a rough and sarcastic exterior covering a truly compassionate core. A Milanese world traveler, Stefano has expertly adapted to his amazing global journeys and emerged as one of the most memorable personalities in agave. He's multi-lingual, a self proclaimed punk, and an absolutely lovely person. The exciting travels ultimately brought his story to a new chapter with Tequila Fortaleza. Stefano shares his passion and riveting storytelling to the world through the lens of tequila. We chat animal fostering, still-strength Tequila, and the unrelenting smell of curry.
A modern John Wayne, Jeramy Campbell resides as beverage director at Juliet in Austin, TX. He's the all-American hard working athlete, turned soldier, turned hospitality guru (in no particular order). Jeramy learned the manual labor trade at the early age of 8 and has used this time in the fields to craft an amazing sense of devotion and unwavering work ethic. He leads a great staff at Juliet and plans on taking his message to the classroom at the Bar Institute June 13th- June 14th with his class Poker Face: Making the Right Deals (with Brands) and Making Them Work for You. Learn more about the event and the class here. We talk about changes of perspective, whiskey, and Negroni week.