Each week, Leticia mixes up a custom drink for her guest — a bartender, chef, server, manager, or nightlife insider — and gets them to spill their wildest, rawest, and most unfiltered stories from the hospitality industry. From insane customer encounters and workplace drama to scandalous hookups and heartfelt moments, nothing is off-limits once the drinks start flowing. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry — or just love hearing the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of bar and restaurant life — this podcast is your new guilty pleasure.
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Each week, Leticia mixes up a custom drink for her guest — a bartender, chef, server, manager, or nightlife insider — and gets them to spill their wildest, rawest, and most unfiltered stories from the hospitality industry. From insane customer encounters and workplace drama to scandalous hookups and heartfelt moments, nothing is off-limits once the drinks start flowing. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry — or just love hearing the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of bar and restaurant life — this podcast is your new guilty pleasure.
Bartending, Drinking & Losing Myself In The Process
Sips & Secrets with Leticia Duarte
49 minutes
1 week ago
Bartending, Drinking & Losing Myself In The Process
In this episode of Sips & Secrets, we dive into the reality of bartending, bar culture, and drinking — and how easy it is for alcohol to go from “part of the job” to something that takes over your life. We talk about how bartenders often become therapists for customers, taking on emotional weight night after night while trying to keep it together themselves. From crazy customer stories to the pressure to drink during shifts, to how addiction can sneak up slowly, this conversation gets real. If you’ve ever worked in a bar, restaurant, club, or nightlife — you know there’s a side people don’t talk about.
Connect with Leticia Duarte:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl#
Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect
Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650
Timestamps:
00:00 How “Bar Stories” Started — The Real Reason Behind the Podcast
01:00 Naming the Show & The Early Days of Recording on a Shoestring
03:00 Life in the Restaurant Industry — What People Don’t See
05:00 Burnout Behind the Bar — When the Fun Stops Being Fun
09:00 Being a Bartender = Therapist (The Stuff People Confess at Last Call)
12:00 Wild Nights, Hookups, Fights & Secrets That Never Made Instagram
17:00 Leveling Up: From Bartender to Managing & Beer Sales
21:00 Beer Sales Isn’t What You Think — Trends, Snobs & Industry BS
25:00 Cocktail Culture Exposed — Tricks, Flexes & Glassware Drama
30:00 Bar Disasters: Broken Glass, Raw Eggs & Customer Pet Peeves
34:00 Unpopular Opinions: Cocktail Hot Takes & Drink Rants
38:00 Sobriety in Bar Culture — The Hardest Conversation No One Has
43:00 Cash Tips, Bar Math & The Penny Stories You Won’t Believe
45:00 Best Bars We’ve Ever Worked In (And Ones We’d Never Go Back To)
48:00 Signature Drinks, Bar Rituals & Why Glassware REALLY Matters
49:00 Closing Thoughts — What We Learned & What’s Next
Sips & Secrets with Leticia Duarte
Each week, Leticia mixes up a custom drink for her guest — a bartender, chef, server, manager, or nightlife insider — and gets them to spill their wildest, rawest, and most unfiltered stories from the hospitality industry. From insane customer encounters and workplace drama to scandalous hookups and heartfelt moments, nothing is off-limits once the drinks start flowing. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry — or just love hearing the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of bar and restaurant life — this podcast is your new guilty pleasure.
