PODCAST · arts
The Cocktail Academy
by Damian Cole
Introducing "The Cocktail Academy" with your host Damian Cole, a seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry. Join Damian and his expert guests on a spirited journey through the world of cocktails, spirits, and all things booze-related. Whether you're a home cocktail enthusiast or aspiring bartender, this podcast is your go-to source for practical tips and insider knowledge, served straight up with no nonsense. From mastering classic cocktail recipes to exploring the latest trends in mixology, "The Cocktail Academy" has everything you need to shake, stir, and sip like a pro. Tune in for candid conversations, industry insights, and plenty of laughs along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Ian Burrell: Rum, Rolling Stones and the Story Behind the Global Rum Ambassador
This week, Damian sits down with Ian Burrell — The Global Rum Ambassador, founder of UK RumFest and author of A Rum Tasting Course. Ian shares how he created a career championing rum around the world, his philosophy of putting the category before individual brands, and some incredible stories…
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Women, Tequila & Representation | Grace González & Tiffanie Barriere
This week on The Cocktail Academy, two conversations from Tales of the Cocktail 2026 bring together very different perspectives on tequila, bartending, representation and the stories the drinks industry chooses to remember. First, Damian sits down with Grace González, master distiller and part of...
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Why Plantation Rum Became Planteray | Alexandre Gabriel on Rum, Risk & Reinvention
What does it take to spend nearly four decades making spirits differently — and to be willing to risk what you've built when you believe something needs to change? Recorded at Tales of the Cocktail 2026 in New Orleans, Damian sits down with Alexandre Gabriel, the master blender and driving force...
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Inside AJABU: The Rise of Africa's Cocktail Culture
AJABU: The Festival Putting African Cocktails on the World Stage Recorded live during Tales of the Cocktail 2026 in New Orleans, Damian sits down with Colin Asare-Appiah and Alexander Quest to explore one of the most exciting movements in global hospitality. At the heart of the conversation is...
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Leo Robitschek: What Would People Miss If Your Bar Closed?
In the first episode of our Tales of the Cocktail 2026 series, Damian sits down in New Orleans with legendary bartender and hospitality leader Leo Robitschek. Leo helped transform Eleven Madison Park from a busy New York restaurant into a three-Michelin-starred institution and the number one...
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Behind the Scenes at Europe’s 50 Best Bars 2026 in Amsterdam
Damian recaps his trip to Amsterdam for the inaugural Europe’s 50 Best Bars 2026. What started as an awards ceremony quickly became a full festival of cocktails, with bar takeovers, brand activations, industry events, parties and a green-carpet ceremony bringing together some of the best bars in...
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The Secret Behind Maybe Sammy's Success | Stefano Catino
Stefano Catino: Why Hospitality Matters More Than Cocktails This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian sits down with one of the most respected operators in global hospitality, Stefano Catino. As the co-founder of the world-renowned Maybe Sammy and leader of The Maybe Group, Stefano has...
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Bourbon, Brand Advocacy & Hospitality Careers with Benji Purslow
Benji Purslow joins Damian this week to discuss his journey from pub bartender and aspiring musician to International Advocacy Manager at Heaven Hill. From pulling pints in seaside pubs to representing one of the world's largest whiskey producers, Benji shares lessons learned from more than 25...
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Inside Sip & Guzzle with Steve Schneider
This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian sits down with Steve Schneider, partner at Sip & Guzzle in New York and one of the defining figures behind modern cocktail hospitality. Steve talks through his journey from the Marines and high-energy DC bars to Employees Only and eventually...
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The Cocktail Apps Bartenders Actually Use
From recipe databases and home bar apps to batching systems, dilution calculators and profitability tools, Damian breaks down the difference between cocktail enthusiast apps and genuine professional bartender tools. He shares honest thoughts on apps like Mixel and My Bar, before exploring why...
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Julie Reiner: Hospitality, Mentorship and the Noise of Modern Bartending
Julie Reiner joins The Cocktail Academy Podcast for a candid conversation on what it really takes to build a lasting career in hospitality. A true legend of the modern cocktail world, Julie is the force behind iconic New York bars including Clover Club, Milady’s and the former Flatiron Lounge. In...
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Inside Casements: Building a Modern Irish Bar in San Francisco
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian Cole sits down with Gillian Fitzgerald of Casements Bar in San Francisco to explore what it really takes to build a world-class modern Irish bar. Casements has become one of the most respected Irish bars in the US by doing things…
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Inside Scarfes Bar: Building a World-Class Cocktail Menu with Andy Loudon and Kris Bazys
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian records live from Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London with Andy Loudon, Director of Bars, and Kris Bazys, Bar Manager, during the launch of the new Heroes & Villains menu. Andy breaks down the thinking behind the menu, how Gerald Scarfe’s artwork...
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Tiny Cocktails, Big Ideas with Tyler Zielinski
Tyler Zielinski has built one of the most interesting careers in modern drinks. In this episode, Damian chats with the author of Tiny Cocktails about his path from early bartending roles in Boston, to advertising in New York, to becoming a writer, consultant, educator, and content creator working...
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Lindsey Johnson on Trust, Care & the Real ROI of Bartender Education
Lindsey Johnson has spent nearly two decades quietly shaping the global drinks industry from behind the scenes. From punk bar bartender to broadcast journalist to founder of the world’s first bartender advocacy agency, Lindsey built Lush Life Productions on one simple principle: take care of...
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Martinis, Standards, and Great Hospitality with Declan McGurk
In this episode, Damian sits down with Declan McGurk, a hospitality leader whose career spans high-volume bars, global spirits brands, and one of the most iconic hotel bars in the world. Declan traces his journey from glass collecting and flair bartending in late-90s Leeds, through brand and…
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Saeed “Hawk” House on Bartending, Cocktail Content Creation & Making Drinks Fun Again
Saeed “Hawk” House – better known online as @cocktailsbyhawk – joins Damian to talk about his path from Bay Area barback to LA content creator, why he still thinks like a working bartender, and how influencers with real bar chops can shape what guests drink around the world. They get into the...
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Sother Teague (Amor y Amargo): Bitterness, Balance & the Beauty of Saying No
From culinary classrooms to cocktail culture, Sother Teague has built one of the most distinctive bars in the world... Amor y Amargo in New York’s East Village by doing what few dared: saying no to juice, sugar and shakers, and saying yes to bitter, spirit-forward drinks built on precision and...
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Kiki Lounge: Building a Tropical Bar on a Not-So-Tropical Island
On this episode, Damian Cole sits down with Jamie Lewis and Drew Fleming from Kiki Lounge — the award-winning bar bringing tropical escapism to the windswept Isle of Man. The pair share how a pandemic pivot turned a small-island nightclub into one of the UK’s most talked-about cocktail...
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Emma Janzen: Translating Bartender Brilliance into the Written Word
This week Damian is joined by Emma Janzen, an award-winning journalist and drinks writer whose byline has become a fixture in the cocktail world. What started as a happy accident — cocktail classes in Austin, Texas, and a story pitch at her local newspaper — turned into a decade-plus career...
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Lost Irish: The Tim Herlihy Interview
This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian welcomes back Tim Herlihy, co-founder of Lost Irish Whiskey, storyteller, and longtime champion of Irish hospitality. Tim’s journey is anything but ordinary — from working on his family’s egg farm in Termonfeckin, County Louth, to becoming U.S....
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How to Taste with Mandy Naglich: Unlocking Flavor, Aroma & becoming a better taster
This week Damian is joined by Mandy Naglich, an Advanced Cicerone®, certified taster, drinks writer, and author of How to Taste. Mandy’s journey into the world of flavor started with homebrewing, where she won a gold medal at the National Homebrew Competition in 2016, and led her into the deep...
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The Whiskey Bible with Noah Rothbaum
This week, we sit down with one of the most influential voices in modern drinks journalism — Noah Rothbaum, author, editor, historian, and the man behind some of the most important cocktail publications of the last 20 years. From bringing a mystery bottle to Dale DeGroff, to co-editing The Oxford...
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David Wondrich: From Imbibe! to the Oxford Companion and beyond.
This week I’m joined by none other than David Wondrich – cocktail historian, author, and one of the most influential voices in the modern drinks world. If you’ve ever picked up Imbibe!, mixed a punch bowl from his recipes, or thumbed through the monumental Oxford Companion to Spirits and…
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From Pastor to Cocktail Creator: Jordan Hughes, the High-Proof Preacher
This week on the podcast, Damian is joined by Jordan Hughes, better known as the High-Proof Preacher — a former pastor turned cocktail creator, photographer, author, and educator. Jordan has become one of the most recognisable creative voices in the drinks world, with his striking visuals, viral...
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Live from Bourbon Street: The Irish House at Tales 2025
This week, we’re taking you straight to Bourbon Street for a very special episode recorded live at the legendary Irish House event during Tales of the Cocktail 2025. Forget the quiet studio chat — this one’s got rooftop terrace energy, full-on party vibes, and the kind of background noise that…
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Toby Maloney: The Craft, Chaos & Calm of The Violet Hour
Toby Maloney is one of the true architects of the modern cocktail movement — a bartender, author, and hospitality mind whose influence spans from Milk & Honey and Pegu Club in New York to The Violet Hour in Chicago, and now to The Elbow Room in Vancouver, Washington. In this episode, Damian sits...
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My Tales of the Cocktail Debrief : Frozen Irish Coffees, Light-Up Ice Cubes and Amazing People
After a cancelled flight, three planes, and a lot of sweat (literal and metaphorical), Damian finally made it to Tales of the Cocktail 2025 in New Orleans — and lived to tell the tale... barely. In this slightly foggy, totally unfiltered solo episode, he shares his jet-lagged recap of the biggest...
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Behind the Book, The Cocktail Balance 2.0 with Stanislav Harcinik
In this episode, Damian is joined by Slovak bartender, author, and mentor Stanislav Harciník, the creator of The Cocktail Balance and The Cocktail Balance 2.0. Broadcasting from Mirror Bar in Bratislava, Stan shares the unexpected beginnings of his hospitality career, the philosophy behind his...
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Preston Lee: Hospitality That Sticks
Preston Lee has helped scale some of the busiest and most beloved hospitality businesses across the UK and beyond — but his story started like many others: behind the bar, with no clue what he was doing. In this episode, Preston breaks down how he turned personal failure into the foundation for…
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The Carbonation Episode: How Two Bartenders Bottled a Movement
Damian is joined by Bart Miedeksza and Valentino Girotto, longtime collaborators, former bar owners, and co-authors of Bubbles: A Guide to Carbonated Cocktails. In this first half of the episode, they dive into the origins of their partnership, the evolution of Crossroads Bar into a consultancy,...
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Jeff Morgenthaler: Cocktails, Calculators & Cutting the BS
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian sits down with one of modern bartending’s most influential voices Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Known for his no-nonsense approach to cocktails, pioneering work at Clyde Common, and the bestselling Bar Book, Jeff shares practical insights from 30...
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Flavour First: A New Way to Taste with Reece Sims of Flavor Camp
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian sits down with spirits educator and founder of Flavor Camp™, Reece Sims a true innovator when it comes to helping people taste differently. Reece shares her winding path from marketing to bartending, blogging, sales, and finally launching…
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From Finance to Fernet: Kara Newman’s Journey in Spirits Journalism
In this episode, Damian sits down with one of the sharpest pens (and palates) in the cocktail world — Kara Newman. Known for her work as a spirits reviewer for Wine Enthusiast and her no-nonsense, consumer-friendly cocktail books, Kara shares the unique journey that took her from writing about…
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Not Barspoon TV: Real Talk from the Service Trenches with Marco Ortiz
Marco Ortiz is the creator behind the wildly relatable @not_barspoontv — where bartender humor meets real talk about burnout, content creation, and bar culture. In this episode, Marco shares his unexpected path from med school hopeful to cocktail competition winner and full-time lead bartender…
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What It Really Takes to Win World Class: Keegan McGregor Breaks It Down
In this episode, Damian sits down with Keegan McGregor, 2024 World Class Global Bartender of the Year. Based in Halifax, Keegan shares the journey from touring musician to top-tier cocktail craftsman. They dive deep into how travel fuels his creativity, why he believes bartending is an expressive...
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The Educated Barfly: Why Technique, Not Trends, Builds Better Bars
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian Cole sits down with Leandro DiMonriva — better known as The Educated Barfly — to explore what it really takes to combine bartending, content creation, and cocktail education at the highest level. Leandro shares his journey from LA’s bar…
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Jawbox & the Belfast Cut: Gerry White’s Blueprint for Great Bars
In this episode, Damian sits down with the inimitable Gerry White – a true Belfast legend whose name is etched into the city’s hospitality scene. From pulling pints in White’s Tavern to creating one of Ireland’s most iconic gins... Jawbox Gin, Gerry shares the stories, the characters, and the...
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Erick Castro - Bartender at Large
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, host Damian Cole sits down with Erick Castro — bartender, bar owner, and creator of the acclaimed Bartender at Large podcast — for a wide-ranging conversation that spans decades of hospitality, creative evolution, and the fundamentals of great...
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Sugar, Neon & Mistakes: Educating Your Palate Through the Worst Cocktails Ever
In this episode, Damian takes us on a nostalgic, neon-lit journey through the "Dark Ages of Cocktails"—a period spanning from the 1970s to the early 2000s when bright colors, sweet mixers, and questionable balance ruled the bar. You'll hear: 🍹 What made this era the "Dark Ages" — and why…
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Spritz Season: How the Spritz Took Over the World
This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, host Damian Cole takes us on a sun-soaked journey through the sparkling history and modern-day popularity of the Spritz — with a spotlight on the iconic Aperol Spritz. Fresh off a trip to Lanzarote, Damian reflects on how this low-ABV classic became a...
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Potatoes, Passion & Peated Whiskey: The Muff Liquor Story
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy, host Damian sits down with Laura Bonner, founder of The Muff Liquor Company, for a deep dive into how a Donegal girl with a bold dream turned her family roots (and potatoes!) into a premium international spirits brand. Laura shares the very real ups and...
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Jillian Vose on Crafting Cocktails and Creating Outwalker Irish Whiskey
This week on the Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian is joined by none other than Jillian Vose — bartender, creator, and the brains behind Outwalker Irish Whiskey. From scooping ice cream in Cape Cod to shaking cocktails in New York’s most iconic bars, Jillian shares the journey that led her from...
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Inside El Gallo Altanero with Freddy Andreasson
This week, Damian sits down with Freddie Andreasson, founder of El Gallo Altanero, one of Mexico’s most talked-about agave-focused cocktail bars. From a small town in Sweden to the heart of Guadalajara, Freddie’s journey is anything but typical — and his passion for independent agave spirits is...
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The Ultimate Guide to Cocktail Garnishes: Tips for Flavor, Aroma & Presentation
In this week's episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, we're diving into the world of cocktail garnishes — from essential citrus twists to outrageous tiki showstoppers! Whether you’re a home bartender or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with tips to elevate your drink presentation and...
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Shaken or Stirred? When to Use Each Technique Like a Pro
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, we’re breaking down one of the most fundamental questions in mixology: When should you shake, and when should you stir? Whether you're making a classic Martini, a refreshing Daiquiri, or a velvety Manhattan, getting this technique right can make or...
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Cocktail Bitters 101: The Secret Ingredient Every Bartender Needs
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy Podcast, we're taking a deep dive into one of the most essential yet often overlooked ingredients in cocktails – bitters. From the history of bitters to their role in cocktails today, we explore everything you need to know to master the art of balancing...
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The Ultimate Margarita Guide: History, Myths & Best Recipes
In this episode, we’re diving deep into one of the most iconic cocktails of all time – The Margarita. From its mysterious origins to its pop culture rise, we’re tracing the evolution of this tequila classic. We also break down the classic vs. modern variations, explore the spicy margarita...
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Coffee & Cocktails – The Craft of Coffee Cocktails
This week on the Cocktail Academy Podcast, we’re diving into the beautiful fusion of coffee and cocktails—two of the world’s most beloved beverages. From bold espresso martinis to tiki-style coffee drinks, we explore how coffee has shaped the cocktail world and why this trend is here to stay. ☕...
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Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr. Lyan) Breaking the Rules of Bartending
This week, Damian sits down with one of the most innovative minds in the cocktail industry, Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr. Lyan). Renowned for challenging conventions and pioneering some of the world’s most groundbreaking cocktail bars, Ryan takes us on a deep dive into his journey from chef to...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Introducing "The Cocktail Academy" with your host Damian Cole, a seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry. Join Damian and his expert guests on a spirited journey through the world of cocktails, spirits, and all things booze-related.
Whether you're a home cocktail enthusiast or aspiring bartender, this podcast is your go-to source for practical tips and insider knowledge, served straight up with no nonsense. From mastering classic cocktail recipes to exploring the latest trends in mixology, "The Cocktail Academy" has everything you need to shake, stir, and sip like a pro. Tune in for candid conversations, industry insights, and plenty of laughs along the way.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Damian Cole
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Cocktail Academy have?
The Cocktail Academy currently has 81 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Cocktail Academy about?
Introducing "The Cocktail Academy" with your host Damian Cole, a seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry. Join Damian and his expert guests on a spirited journey through the world of cocktails, spirits, and all things booze-related. Whether you're a home cocktail enthusiast or aspiring...
How often does The Cocktail Academy release new episodes?
The Cocktail Academy has 81 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Cocktail Academy?
You can listen to The Cocktail Academy on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Cocktail Academy?
The Cocktail Academy is created and hosted by Damian Cole.
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