In their annual year end wrap-up show Greg, Sother and Damon sit down to talk about what the heck just happened. They unpack some of the leading trends of 2025, including Hi-Fi Lounges, High-Dives, Premiumization and the migration to the extremes of either luxury or ultra-discount experiences. Are we too used to curated experiences to accept risk in our bars and restaurants? Can a true high-end dive really exist? And why does Sother have such a fascination with the US Postal Service anyway? All that and more is answered in the final Speakeasy of 2025. LINKSBecome a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegularsFor resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycallianceThe Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.PodcastCheck out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Boomerang! episode Greg travels to the Second City of Anaheim, where he meets with Strong Water’s “Fleet Commander” Ying Chang. They discuss how the bar was assembled almost entirely from estate sales, how the idea of elevated tropical bar with great rum cocktails came to fruition, their impending high dive concept, and what it’s like running a James Beard Award finalist bar in the “middle brother” of Los Angeles and San Diego Follow Strong Water at @strongwateranaheim LINKS Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegularsFor resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycallianceThe Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.PodcastCheck out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Wondrich is one of the few people in the world of spirits and cocktails that truly needs no introduction. The James Beard and Spirited Award-winning author of Imbibe!, Punch, and The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails is back with a new book, The Comic Book History of the Cocktail. He sits down with the band to talk about breaking new ground in the world of cocktail history, picking the right collaborator for a work of this size and answering the age old question that eats at all of us: Cocktails… what are they for? PLUS, Jimmy’s Corner, a hidden gem in Times Square, is in danger of closing. Greg, Sother and Damon discuss why it’s so hard to get a decent drink in that part of the world (for less than forty dollars) and what losing a storied institution like this would mean for the theatre district, and for New York City. Follow David at @splificator LINKS Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegularsFor resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycallianceThe Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.PodcastCheck out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Boomerang! episode Greg sits down with Stephen Julander, Senior Ops Manager at Woody Creek Distillers to talk about his new gig, what it’s like to distill and age whiskey over a mile above sea level, and how needing more space to grow potatoes for vodka brought a movie star into the company. Follow Woody Creek at @woodycreekdistillers LINKS Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegularsFor resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycallianceThe Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.PodcastCheck out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you put a barrel inside a barrel? That’s the question Dixon Dedman looked to solve when he founded 2XO, a Kentucky Straight Bourbon brand that uses two times the oak on all of their whiskies. Dixon sits down with Greg and Sother to discuss his innovative solution to this problem (it involves a very fun prop) his long family history in Kentucky Bourbon, and how blenders might finally be getting the respect they deserve in the world of whiskey. PLUS: Raccoons. They’re just like us. And as a recent news story makes clear, if you've been on a bit of a bender, those cool bathroom tiles feel mighty good, no matter what your species is. Follow 2XO at @2xowhiskey Follow Dixon at @dixon_dedman Follow Til Death at @tildeathkc LINKSBecome a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegularsSupport Til Death’s fundraiser for Veteran’s Community Project: vcp.orgFor resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycallianceThe Sauced Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/timmckirdy/sauced-the-podcastThe Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.PodcastCheck out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the second Boomerang episode from Kansas City Greg sits down with Phil Worden and Andrew Loos of Til Death, the famous speakeasy located below a fully operational funeral home. In a surprisingly deep and moving conversation the three of them chat about the relationship between alcohol, grief and celebration, the similarity between the job of a funeral director and a bartender, and the character of a city at a crossroads. Also, they talk about how a bar wound up in a mortician’s basement a half century ago, and the practical concerns of having a casket for a bar top. Follow Til Death at @tildeathkc Learn more about Veterans Community Project at vcp.org LINKS Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegularsFor resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycallianceThe Sauced Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/timmckirdy/sauced-the-podcastThe Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.PodcastCheck out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Greg travels to Kansas City to chat with Ryan Maybee, Co-Founder and keeper of history about rediscovering and re-founding KC's famous long-lost distillery. The two of them chat about the historic campus the new distillery sits on, what the Kansas City Whiskey style entails (hint: sherry is involved) and how the cocktail culture of Kansas City reflects its storied past. Follow J. Rieger at @jriegerco See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Think about some of the world's most iconic dishes: Beef Bourguignon, Coq au Vin, Penne alla Vodka. What do they all share in common? Not only do we love accompanying them with something delicious in the glass, they literally incorporate booze into the dish. That's the premise of “Sauced,” a new podcast that's been teased here on the Speakeasy feed before. Today, Greg and Sother are joined by Tim McKirdy, who’s co-hosting and launching Sauced with Sother. He sits down with the band to dig into what makes an ideal Sauced dish, whether it's ever appropriate to pair cocktails with classic cuisine, and what typical episodes will look like — all in the name of cooking with booze and drinking with food. PLUS, stick around for an exclusive 3-minute clip from the Sauced pilot at the end of the episode to get a taste of what's coming. Follow Sauced on Instagram: @sauced.pod Sauced Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/timmckirdy/sauced-the-podcast/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s a certain, very specific green liqueur that’s become difficult to find in the past few years… impossible in some places. Jessica Leigh Graves, the founder of Violet Crown Spirits in Austin Texas, set out to make a “twin” (her word) of this bottle, and did pretty damn well for herself. She sits down with Greg and Sother to talk about making absinthe in Texas, what it’s like to try and recreate one of the most famous cordials ever, and what she and her partner are doing on a farm they’ve set up in Texas’s hill country. PLUS, congress recently closed a farm bill loophole that could have massive implications for the THC beverage industry. Greg breaks down what’s happening, and why, on this particular issue, he actually agrees with Ted Cruz. Follow Jess & Violet Crown at @violetcrownspirits LINKSBecome a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegularsPre-order Monk Parakeet: violetcrownspirits.com/buy-online/For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycallianceThe Sauced Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/timmckirdy/sauced-the-podcastThe Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.PodcastCheck out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ice Week 2025 is going strong as Chase Haider joins Greg and Sother to discuss Klaris, the company he spearheads that makes crystal clear ice cubes and fits on an a household countertop. Chase digs into how his baby works, how he knew there was a niche in the market he could fill, and why he thinks this struck such a nerve with home bartenders. Follow Klaris on Instagram at @craftklaris and check out their ice machines at craftklaris.com and for 10% off use code SPEAKEASY10 at checkout! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ice Week continues with Jill Cockson of Kansas City's own Chartreuse Saloon and Swordfish Tom's, both of which use crystal clear ice that Jill makes in her very own back room with her very own Clinebell machines. Jill chats with Greg and Sother about the process of making ice this way as a proprietor, including how it works and why anyone would go through the trouble of doing that in the first place. She also talks about running an ice delivery service in KC and why she eventually shut that business down - spoiler alert, it wasn't for lack of demand. And of course, Jill shares her tips for keeping cool in the Missouri heat. Follow Swordfish Tom's on instagram at @swordfishtoms.kc Follow Chartreuse Saloon at @chartreusesaloon Check out Klaris's countertop clear ice machines atcraftklaris.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ice Week 2025 continues with Richard Boccato, an alumni of Milk & Honey and founder of Hundredweight, a bespoke ice vendor operating out of NYC. Richard walks the band through the founding of hundredweight and how he knew there was a market for fine frozen water, how he plys his trade, and how his time running iconic New York watering holes Fresh Kills and Dutch Kills prepared him for the job. Follow Hundredweight on Instagram at @hundredweightice Check out Klaris's countertop clear ice machines at craftklaris.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ice Week 2025 kicks off with Camper English, author of "The Ice Book" and winner of the Spirited Award for Best New Cocktail Book in 2024. Camper and the band dive into the origins of his obsession with making crystal clear ice, the clear ice trend for home bartenders, and how anyone can make clear ice in their very own freezer - spoiler alert, it has nothing to do with boiling the water beforehand! Follow Camper on Instagram at @alcademics and at alcademics.com Check out Klaris's countertop clear ice machines at craftklaris.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Craig Schoettler, Executive Director of Beverage for MGM Resorts International, sits down with the band to discuss what kind of atmosphere they’re going for, where people are drinking in Vegas these days, and whether or not a speakeasy is still cool.

Patrick Dooley chose to give the world its first new edition of classic Parisian magazine “The Boulevardier” in almost a century.

Rob Easter's Workhorse Rye brand is based on heirloom grains sourced specifically to make great whiskey, and his Modern Ancient Spirits label is dabbling in all manner of off-the-wall distillations.

Multi-award-winning author Emma Janzen takes a break from all the irons she has in the fire to talk about collaborating with drinks luminaries on her host of cocktail books, her creative process, and how what she wants to report from the world’s barstools has changed over the years.

An alumnus of Manhattan’s legendary Angel’s Share, Shige Kabashima went on to found ROKC, a beloved ramen and oyster spot in Harlem, and NR, it’s spiritual successor on the Upper East Side.

Aaron Baker and Evan Butteris from Dale’s sit down with Greg and Damon to talk about educating drinkers that IPAs can in fact come in cans, why denim just felt like the right brand move, and what they’re doing with the US curling team.

Angela Bosco is here to pull back the curtain on the often murky, sometimes deliberately opaque distribution system for alcohol in this country.