The Speakeasy
by Heritage Radio Network
Award-winning bartenders and co-hosts 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.
Episodes
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After a Fashion with Alex Day
This year iconic New York City cocktail bar “Death & Co.” turned twenty years old. Alex Day started working a single Sunday swing shift there and is now a Partner and COO of Gin & Luck, the bar’s parent company. He sits down with Greg and Sother to discuss the bar’s success and its legacy, the...
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You Got Baiju In My Whiskey! with Matt Rubin & Karl Josef Co
Baiju is the worlds most popular spirit, but outside of a handful of nerds few people in the states know about it. Whiskey, on the other hand is a movie star. So naturally you’d combine them into a new category, right? That’s what Matt Rubin and Karl Josef Co did, and they’re here to talk about…
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Woody Creatures with William H. Macy & Sean Kenyon
How exactly does one go from movie star to spokesdude for a small independent distillery? That’s the course that William H Macy charted for himself in the world of spirits when he joined up with Woody Creek Distillers. Together with man about town Sean Kenyon, Bill sits down with Greg and Sother…
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Banned in DC with Kapri Robinson
Kapri Robinson has a story to tell. At Allegory in Washington, DC she weaves together Alice in Wonderland, Ruby Bridges, post-apocalyptic archetypes, banned books, Bad Brains… and of course, delicious cocktails. She sits down with Greg and Sother ahead of the 2026 midterms to discuss how her...
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Wiggin' Out with Oscar Simoza
Everyone loves a good wig, especially Oscar Simoza for reasons that will be clear to our video listeners. The Beverage Director for The Wig Shop sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about his journey through hospitality, 90s nostalgia and how he mentors his “kids” behind the bar. PLUS, does…
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An Island Girl with Kate Perry
How do you go from a bartender to building a career and an identity around a type of rum you’ve grown to absolutely fall in love with? And then, once that’s done, how do you walk away? That’s what Kate Perry, National Portfolio & US Market Manager for LM&V is doing right now, and she sits down…
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Rum Through the Jungle with Brad Parkes
What comes first in a premium brand? A great product, or a market niche? That’s the question Brad Parkes, the Co-Founder of Palm Republic Rum is sitting down with us to resolve. He discuss building a premium brand in a category that isn’t always renowned for quality, getting people to change…
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Drinks Shoots & Leaves with Iain McPherson
When you’ve already pioneered two advanced techniques that take the bartending world by storm, and been called Cocktail Menu Innovator of the Year by The 50, where do you go next? That’s what Iain McPherson, the owner of Edinburgh’s award-winning bar Panda & Sons is here to talk about. He…
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A Little Schooled with Tiffany Hernandez & Juliana Manzanarez
There are times when we all need a lawyer. Tiffany Hernandez, the founder of Escuelitas and Juliana Manzanarez, the founding attorney of VIA law group sit down in the studio to discuss of the administration’s immigration crackdown is affecting the hospitality industry, and what ordinary citizens...
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All the Booze That's Fit to Print with Ryan Foley
Running a print magazine in the year 2026 is a choice to say the least. Ryan Foley, Publisher of Bartender Magazine sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about how the magazine has changed since his dad started it, what it’s like running a family business with his mom, what sorts of stories...
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The Gin Twins with Ektoras Binikos
No one in this industry’s mind works quite like Ektoras Binikos. The man behind Atheras Spirits, the distillery that gave us a shisho mastiha and fig leaf liqueur is back on The Speakeasy because he’s gone and done something really radical this time: made a couple of normal base spirits. Ektoras...
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Make Cocktails, Not War with Jena Ellenwood & Lily Chun
How is a bartending competition different from a regular shift? What if there are cameras beaming that competition out to a national audience? And what if NSYNC is in the room watching you make drinks? Those are the conditions Lily Chun and Jena Ellenwood had to contend with on Cocktails Wars, a...
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A Bartender Prepares with Nic Hamilton
Are you playing a character behind the bar? Or just being yourself? Actor, author and CocktailTok celebrity Nic Hamilton joins Greg and Sother to talk about his stage and film career, how his first cocktail video got a million views overnight, and what it’s like to move from online content…
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The Best of 50 Best with Emma Sleight
What does it take to be one of the 50 Best bars? And what does “Best” mean anyway? Emma Sleight from 50 Best sits down with Greg and Sother to discuss how a bar makes the list, whether she’s still impressed with hospitality and what role these kinds of lists play in the hospitality industry at...
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A Book and a Library with Brett Adams
Brett Adams just finished writing his second book. Good thing he had a lot of time since his day job is curating a bar with thousands of different bottles. Brett, author of “Raising the Bar” and “The Bartender’s Library” sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about his work as Spirits Curator and...
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The Most Sustainable Bar This Side o' the Mississippi with Fred Beebe
“Sustainable” and “Farm-to-Table” sound good on a business plan, in a press hit and on social media. But what does it actually mean for a bar to be sustainable? Fred Beebe has taken one approach, and focuses on sourcing almost everything at Post Haste in Philadelphia from east of the Mississippi....
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Re: Mixers with David Vogel
Mixers have to fight an uphill battle to make an impression. They’re not as sexy as whiskey or gin, and if you’re starting a new company one question inevitably comes up: Does the world really need another tonic water? Fortunately David Vogel, the Founder & CEO of Badger Bevs has the answers. He...
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The Tree of Life with Damola Timeyin
When Damola Timeyin co-founded Bayab Gin he set out to “put Africa on the world’s back bar.” Greg and Sother chat with Damola about what that entails, how his company is aiming to avoid the mistakes of colonialism, and what that means the gin in the bottle actually tastes like. Spoiler, one of…
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Nod in the Direction of Barcelona with Raj Nallapothola & Àlex Cardona
What does it take to get consumers to try Vermouth straight? Not in a Negroni, or a Manhattan or a Martini, but by itself? And would it be any easier if you told them hey, that’s the way they drink it in Barcelona? Raj Nallapothola and Àlex Cardona, the co-founders of LAIE Vermouth join Greg and...
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Something Cool Is Coming...
We're on summer break this week but we've got an announcement about the community we're building.
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What We've Ginned Up with Karl Finegan & Philip Duff
The minds behind World Gin Week, Philip Duff and Karl Finegan sit down with Greg and Sother to discuss the inaugural festival which took place this summer in New York City. They discuss the learnings from their first go-round, which was made possible in part by the fantastic staff at Ivory…
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From Chardonnay to Sake with Nikki McCutcheon
Nikki McCutcheon started working with Tao Group Hospitality when she was eighteen. Now she's the VP of Beverage in New York and her career has progressed from passing the level two somm exam, to designing cocktail menus, to opening a punk rock sake bar. She chats with Sother and Greg about what’s...
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Tales of the Cocktail 2026 - The Spirited Awards
Greg and Sother are live on the red carpet at Bartending’s Biggest Night! They speak to the winners of the 2026 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, including Amanda Gunderson and Travis Nass who took home Best Bar Mentor for their work with Another Round Another Rally, the team from Allegory…
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Monkey Business with David Muhs
Next week David Muhs is going to open his cocktail bar Monkey Thief for the third time. He sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the different incarnations of his concept, what he’s learned by opening the same bar three times in Hell’s Kitchen, and how the bar has been refined in the...
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Poolcasting at Tales of the Cocktail! - Day 4 with Shawn & Vay from Vandell
Greg and Sother are back in the pool at Tales of the Cocktail 2026! On Day Four they’re joined by Shawn Lickliter and Vay Su, the owners of Vandell in Los Angeles which is up for best new cocktail bar at this year’s Spirited Awards. They discuss what makes Los Angeles different from New York…
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Poolcasting at Tales of the Cocktail! - Day 3 with Kate Gerwin
Greg and Sother are back in the pool at Tales of the Cocktail 2026! On Day Three they tough out tropical storm Bertha with Kate Gerwin, the owner of Albuqurque’s Happy Accidents and a Top Four Finalist for Best US Bar Mentor. Kate walks through her philosophy of bar mentorship, how her feelings…
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Poolcasting at Tales of the Cocktail! - Day 2 with Taln Rojanavanich
Greg and Sother are back in the pool at Tales of the Cocktail 2026! On Day Two they sit down with Taln Rojanavanich from Bar Us in Bangkok. Talk is up for three awards at this year’s spirited awards including Best Cocktail Menu, Best International Bar Team and Best International Cocktail Bar,...
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Poolcasting at Tales of the Cocktail! - Day 1 with Libby Lingua
Greg and Sother are back in the pool at Tales of the Cocktail 2026! For the first day of Tales they’re joined by Libby Lingua from Highball in Phoenix, who’s a Spirited Award top four finalist for Best US Bartender, presented by Brown-Forman. Libby discusses the down-to-earth approach to…
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Room to Grow with Tommy Tardie
A lot’s changed since Tommy Tardie opened the Flatiron Room in 2012. New York is different, guests are different… and Tommy’s expanded the business from a whiskey bar to an award-winning restaurant and jazz club, as well as to a second New York location and a third one coming soon in Miami. Tommy...
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Classics Rock! with Toby Maloney & Emma Janzen
How do you follow up one of the most acclaimed modern classic cocktail books of all time? By writing a modern book about classic cocktails, naturally. Toby Maloney and Emma Janzen sit down to talk about their new book “The Classic Cocktail Sessions” which Toby almost considers a prequel to their...
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Stay Cool Everybody!
The Speakeasy is off this week BUT we have a special announcement. This show is an official media partner of Tales of the Cocktail 2026. Tune in for live updates from the festival and in the meantime enjoy this classic episode from Club Bardo in Savannah, Georgia. LINKS Become a Regular:...
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A Kinda Nice Kinda Day Off with Patty Dennison & Ally Marrone
What’s harder than building out and opening a new cocktail bar in Williamsburg Brooklyn? Building out and opening a new dance floor underneath the bar you just opened. That’s the task Patty Dennison & Ally Marrone set for themselves when they opened up Kinda Nice and Shenanigans earlier this year...
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The Champagne of Sparkling Wines with Justin Meade
How do you innovate in a world built on luxury and tradition? Justin Meade sits down to talk about how Maison Telmont is innovating to make sustainable champagne. That includes shipping their bottles only by sail power, redesigning the glass and the shape of the bottle itself to be lighter, and...
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Twenty Years of Imbibing with Paul Clarke
The first issue of Imbibe Magazine hit store shelves twenty years ago in 2006. It was a fascinating time to be a drinks magazine because drinks – and magazines – have changed A LOT since then. Paul Clarke, Imbibe’s Editor in Chief sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the last twenty years...
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The Imperfectionists with Matthew Maddy and Milos Zica
How does a cocktail menu affect the layout of a bar? How does the floorplan inform your martini spec? These are questions that Matthew Maddy and Milos Zica, the Desinger and Beverage Manager of Williamsburg’s Bar Susanne have been puzzling out. They sit down to talk about designing a bar program...
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Consorting with Consultants with Bobby Carey and Tom Hogan
Ever wondered what bar consultants do, and specifically what they do if they’re asked to build a bar inside of a 140 year old Singaporean national monument? Bobby Carey and Tom Hogan of Studio Ryecroft are here to answer that question and more, as they discuss their approach to realizing a high...
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Tropical Scotch with Stewart Walker
The Scottish Highlands are many things, but “tropical” isn’t usually listed as one of them. However, Stewart Walker, distillery manager of Fettercairn Whisky talks about how they’ve found a way to get passionfruit, pineapple, and other notes more commonly associated with tiki cocktails into their...
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A Sotol Difference with Aaron Dujovne
Sotol is not an agave product, but it often gets marketed that way to consumers, posing a conundrum for the folks that make it. Aaron Dujovne, Co-Founder of Casa Lotos Sotol sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about differentiating his product from agave spirits, what makes a desert spoon…
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Long Beach's Secret Japanese Speakeasy with Kevin Lee
At the end of an alleyway, behind a burrito shop, on a relatively unassuming street in Long Beach is one of the newest Tokyo style speakeasies outside of Japan. Kevin Lee, lead bartender of Tokyo Noir sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the impact of classics on modern bar programs, how…
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Night at The Museum with Misha Chavez & Bobbi Adler
A Natural History Museum-themed cocktail bar is coming to Bushwick and Greg couldn’t be more thrilled. Misha Chavez and Bobbi Adler join the show to talk about their new concept, discuss the “permanent exhibits” that will adorn their menu, (as well as the special exhibits) and break down all the...
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Who Pulls a Better Budweiser Than Me? with Robby Dow
Where do you go for arguably the best pint of Budweiser in America? Why, Wilmington, North Carolina of course, where Robby Dow, formerly of Grand Army in Brooklyn, has opened his new place Bespoke which has been called, on this show, a perfect bar. He sits down to talk with Damon and Greg about…
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You Can Take the Guy Out of the Bear Suit but You Can't Take the Bear Out of the Suits Guy with Anthony Moniello & Gabriel Macht
What do you do if the spokesperson for your brand is an actual bear? What if the creative partner for your brand is a famous actor from a hit TV show? CEO Anthony Moniello and Actor Gabriel Macht sit down to talk Bear Fight, their whiskey brand that has launched an American single malt, a bourbon...
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Dine Fine with Funked Up Wine with Claire Paparazzo
What makes a good sommelier? Encyclopedic knowledge of the wine world? The ability to sell anything to anyone? Or something more empathetic and human? If anyone knows it’s Claire Paparazzo, Wine Director for Sunday Hospitality Group and the Hotel Chelsea. Drawing on her knowledge from such iconic...
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You'll Never Find a More Pleasant Hive of Vibes and Hospitality with Patrick Shanahan
In another Boomerang! episode from Raleigh, North Carolina Greg sits down with Patrick Shanahan in his new bar space Rosebud to talk about the space, the buildout, and what it took to incorporate influences ranging from Japanese hi-fi lounges to spaghetti westerns to midcentury modern aesthetic....
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Texas v. Kentucky: Battle of the Bourbons! with Heather Greene
What is Texification, and why do it to Kentucky whiskey? Heather Greene, Master Blender of Milam & Greene hops on with Greg and Sother to answer that very question. She delves into what the unique climate of Texas does to a barrel of bourbon (or rye), what place whiskey occupies in our lives…
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Triple Barrel-Aged Tequila with Natasha Sofia
Ever age tequila in oak, cherry AND acacia barrels? Mijenta Tequila has and Natasha Sofia, their Global Advocacy Director, is here to tell us about it. She dives into their aging process, sustainability, and what it means to actually win the award for Best US Brand Ambassador at Tales of the...
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Hennessy After Dark with Sean Johnson
In a special late night edition of The Speakeasy Hennessy Ambassador Sean Johnson joins Greg and Sother to talk about the historic cognac brand’s legacy, the art of selling a spirit everyone thinks they already understand, and what it was like to start this job in summer of 2020, when not much…
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Washington, Drink City with Nycci Nellis
Who are better customers, Democrats or Republicans? Nycci Nellis, longtime Washington, DC food and drinks writer, radio host, consultant and more sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about the cocktail scene in the nation’s capital. Together they talk business, branding, wine and which…
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That Lifestyle Brand Lifestyle with Rashaun Hall
Is Branded Content the future of journalism? Or put another way, does a news outlet that springs out of a lifestyle brand hold the keys for journalism’s survival? That’s what Rashaun Hall, Editor-in-Chief of The Whiskey Lifestyle is here to discuss. He sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about...
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Northern Exposure with Kristin Rose Pike
Canadian Whisky? Heck yeah. Canadian Gin? I mean sure, why not? Canadian Wine??? Now we’re getting weird. Kristin Rose Pike, Founder of Northern Rose Selections joins Greg and Damon to talk about the delicious drinks made by our neighbors to the north, from gin to amaretto to cold weather wines....
About this show
Award-winning bartenders and co-hosts 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.
Hosted by
Heritage Radio Network