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The Philip Duff Show

Philip Duff

Liquor, bars, cocktails: the people and companies who make them, sell them and drink them, plus everything & everyone in-between, with your host, globetrotting spirits guy and escaped bartender, Philip Duff.

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21 episodes
weekly
Avg 1 hr 36 min
English

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#172
August 18 · 1 hr 52 min
#172 Shannon Tebay, Director of Mixology for The Venetian Resort (Las Vegas), former head bartender The American Bar at The Savoy (London), Death & Co (NY), 17 August 2026
Shannon is an utter powerhouse, and after seeing her nail it at Death & Co, then the American Bar at the Savoy, then the ultimate (massive) rock 'n' roll venue Outernet London, it came as no surprise she was tapped to be Director of Mixology for the Venetian - 1st or 2nd largest resort IN THE WORLD! - in Las Vegas. So we had to talk. This is a good one. Shannon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/Shannontebay/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#171
August 10 · 2 hr 1 min
#171, Allen Katz, spirits & cocktail educator and founder of New York Distilling Company
I met Allen in an Amsterdam bar in 2008, and everyone in the US scene already knew him; I assumed he'd been a bartender and transitioned into education & consulting, as so many of us did in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But the truth is much cooler! From growing up in Baltimore, living in NY as an aspiring musician, running a cooking school in Italy to becoming part of the Slow Food organisation, hosting a tribute to Jerry Thomas at the Plaza Hotel, being central to cocktail & spirits education for America's largest distributor and then founding NY Distilling Co and creating Dorothy Parker gin and - now - Jaywalk Rye, as well as making "Empire State Rye" a protected category, Allen really has done it all. We recorded at NYDC's gorgeous new home in Bushwick, which you really should visit Allen on IG: https://www.instagram.com/nydistilleryman?igsh=MXN1bTVlYXpzeWc5YQ== NYDC on IG: https://www.instagram.com/nydistilling?igsh=c2pqMjdyMTFmcnFy NYDC: https://www.nydistilling.com/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#170
August 4 · 1 hr 32 min
#170, J’Nai Angelle Williams, Lead Bartender at the Chandelier Bar, Four Seasons New Orleans, & Content Creator
J'Nai, a born-and-raised New Orleanian, is lead bartender at The Chandelier Bar inside the rather ritzy Four Seasons New Orleans, was just nominated into the final 4 for "US Bartender of the Year" at the 2026 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, makes content with her companies Pretty Magic Cocktails and Magic House Media, and is also awesome (we met on a shoot for Australian Bitters Co. that involved us, ahem, "taste-testing" Sazeracs at 10am in the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon St) and great fun, so onto the Philip Duff Show she goes! We talked about her upbringing, swerving from dentistry to bartending, how she got into the industry and into craft cocktails, finding her own voice, being Black in big-city New Orleans versus small-town Georgia, political polarisation , the joy of dive bars and how she just wants to be able to eat all of the garnishes, all the time! J'Nai on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jnai.angelle Magic House Media: https://www.instagram.com/magichousemadeit Pick Up My Shift: https://www.instagram.com/pickupmyshift Pretty Magic Cocktails: https://www.instagram.com/prettymagiccocktails (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#169
July 27 · 49 min
#169, Philip Duff solo - The Tales (& Awards) recap! 27 July 2026
Well, we - meaning me - survived Tales! (not that Delta Airlines were any bloody help). Here's a recap of what I did, where I went and how I think it all shook out, including of course some - sometimes salty - commentary on the Spirited Awards, said commentary applying to all the the other awards, Lists, nominations and suchlike that now bedevil our once-tranquil industry. Enjoy! (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#168
July 20 · 1 hr 43 min
#168, Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski , master distiller, Matchbook Distilling, North Fork, Long Island, NY. 20 July 2026
I didn't realise Leslie was the person behind Matchbook Distilling until I had her brother, Andrew Merinoff, on the show (Episode #154, here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Qgz2nPJNYyrVu4MnHoLfd?si=Ypn5UXXlTMii5zNOD_1KrQ ) I was aware of Matchbook, you see, because as well as making their own mindboggling spirits, Matchbook are spoken of reverently by the very best bars in New York, such as Death & Co., Eleven Madison Park, Shinji's (RIP), Schmuck, and more, for the custom distillates they will co-create with such bars to form the basis of truly unique cocktails. So when I learned Leslie was the powerhouse behind this all I badly wanted to have her on the show - we just had to wait a couple of months, as she was 8 months pregnant (and still working!) when I first contacted her, not long after I had had Andrew on. The day finally came, and the conversation was amazing. She's had a wild route into this industry, from being born into American liquor royalty on both sides of her family, to home brewing in high school and college, immersing herself in the world of fruits and grains and vegetables, founding Matchbook, being awarded Distiller of the Year (2025) - and even becoming an innkeeper. If you're even mildly interested by distilling, this is the episode for you. Leslie on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thebookofbam/ Matchbook on IG: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DZOIkukumxH/&ved=2ahUKEwi7muvuzLyVAxXEF2IAHU9gNKoQFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw22tx7IOUyWGccq-Kw8L6uf Buy Matchbook products: https://mdcdropshop.com/collections/all Stay at the Lin Inn: https://linbeachhouse.com/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#167
July 13 · 1 hr 34 min
#167, Emma Janzen & Toby Maloney, award-winning authors of “The Bartender’s Manifesto” and “The Classic Cocktail Sessions”
Toby is a veteran bartender and mixologist, who added high-level mixology to his legendary drinkmaking speed with stints at Milk & Honey (NY), The Violet Hour (Chicago) and Mother's Ruin, before turning his hand to (as well as consulting on bar programs) writing and co-authoring "The Bartender's Manifesto" with Emma, which won a James Beard award, and most recently "The Classic Cocktail Sessions" a prequel to the Manifesto. Emma is an acclaimed Chicago-based spirits, cocktail and bars writer and author, and has won numerous James Beard awards in addition to the one for The Bartender's Manifesto. This was really a chat about both the books they've written together, as well as the industry as a whole - enjoy! Emma on IG: https://www.instagram.com/emmajanzen/?hl=en Toby on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tobycocktail/?hl=en Buy the Bartender's Manifesto from an independent bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-bartender-s-manifesto-how-to-think-drink-and-create-cocktails-like-a-pro-emma-janzen/46c7cc8bda6b756b?ean=9780593137987 Buy the Classic Cocktail Sessions from an independent bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-classic-cocktail-sessions-a-bartender-s-new-fashioned-approach-to-the-world-s-most-beloved-recipes-emma-janzen/583e258db56145d2?ean=9780593798584 (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#166
July 6 · 1 hr 46 min
#166, Scott Mayer, bartender, manager , beverage director & founder of Blended Family liqueurs
I first ran into Scott down in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail, but we've since hung out many times, also in Atlanta. His story, about coming up in mixology, especially in Miami in the early years when it wasn't cool, is fascinating. Like a lot of bartenders back then, he made his own bitters, syrups and liqueurs because the industry then hadn't yet caught up to the Second Golden Age of cocktails; unlike a lot of bartenders, he decided to make his experience into a branded range of liqueurs, higher quality than anything out there, yet priced to sell and work in cocktails. We talk about illegal blackcurrants, Benedictine, Fernet, his love of amari generally, and we do a whole deeeeeeeeeep dive into liqueurs, so while this is on the nerdy side, if you read this far - you're very likely to enjoy it. And if you do? Give us a five-star rating, post the episode on your socials, or recommend us to a friend. Enjoy! Email Scott! mailto:scott@blendedfamilyspirits.com Scott on IG: https://www.instagram.com/scottdmayer?igsh=ZzZtZmVobzA5bXFt Blended Family Liqueurs on IG: https://www.instagram.com/blendedfamilyspirits/?hl=en (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#165
June 29 · 1 hr 46 min
#165, H. Joseph Ehrmann, owner, Elixir bar (San Francisco), Chief Mixology Officer, Fresh Victor cocktail mixers 29 June 2026
H is an old friend and I'd been meaning to catch up with him anyway, but when I heard he was piloting a ground-breaking new mentorship program for bartenders, in association with the brand he helps spearhead, Fresh Victor, it was time to schedule a session. From being a line cook to gaining an MBA, creating products for grocery and consulting on liquor brands, then breathing new life into San Francisco's second-oldest bar, he's done it all. Enjoy! H on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocktailambassadors/ Elixir on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elixirsf/ Fresh Victor: https://www.instagram.com/freshvictorcocktails/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#164
June 22 · 1 hr 59 min
#164, Seymour Ferreira, global liquor CEO, brand owner (inc. Ridgeview Wine Estate), founder of Chimera import, distribution & brand development (UK)
Seymour has has a long career in liquor and has been a global CEO multiple times, adding millions of cases and value to every firm he worked at, from the Philippines to Singapore, to Amsterdam, and from Allied-Domecq to Maxxium to Amber Beverage, and many more besides. Seymour was my client for years, starting at Maxxium, and we developed a friendship that's seen us collaborate on many projects since. His newest venture, Chimera brand development in the UK, is less than two years old but already has thousands of distribution points in bars and wholesalers throughout the UK and recently acquired the Ridgeview Wine Estate in England as well. We talk about his upbringing and education, working for the Mars brothers, his route into liquor, how competitive it was back then, fighting counterfeiters in the Philippines, building global liquor brands, what's important, what isn't, and how it all works. This is a great episode - enjoy. Seymour on IG: https://www.instagram.com/seymourferreira/ Seymour on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seymour-ferreira-3b41351 Chimer Brand Development: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWlisdcsPjY/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#163
June 15 · 1 hr 19 min
#163, Hemant Pathak, partner & beverage director Junoon, Jazba, Room 207 & Tandoor Oven (NYC), World Class and Bacardi Legacy winner (India)
Hemant , who is from a small village in the foothills of the Himalayas, became a star overnight after winning Diageo World Class India, followed quickly by winning Bacardi Legacy India, but when he moved to New York he was briefly homeless and just four weeks from returning to India. At the last moment he was connected to restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj, owner of the Michelin-starred Junoon restaurant, where Hemant went on to become the beverage director and general manager. Subsequently Hemant was able to buy his own restaurant, Tandoor Oven on NY's Upper East Side, and go on to open the acclaimed Jazba and, most recently, Room 207 bar with Rajesh, and even open his own boutique hotel in his home town. Hemant's a warm and cheerful man I've known for years, and it was a delight to get his full backstory - this is one of the best episodes we have taped, enjoy! Hemant on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hemantnyc/?hl=en Junoon: https://www.instagram.com/junoonnyc/?hl=en Jazba: https://www.instagram.com/jazbanyc/?hl=en Room 207: https://www.instagram.com/room207nyc (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#162
June 10 · 2 hr
Brian Maxwell, owner & beverage director, Vieux Carre, Pittsburgh
Brian is a peripatetic bartender who's slung drinks in his native Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York, and, with the recently opened Vieux Carre, back to Pittsburgh. He's also been a fighter, starting with wrestling, then boxing and MMA, and fought the booze too, becoming and staying sober after going to just one too many "celebrations of life" for someone who left us too soon. This is a great conversation, and fun too - enjoy! Brian on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shakerofspirits/ Vieux Carre on IG: https://www.instagram.com/vieuxcarrepgh/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#161
June 2 · 56 min
Aarón Díaz, founder, Carnaval (Lima), beverage director Super Group, chef & mixologist
I met Aarón in Europe when he was visiting, and I've wanted to sit down with him for ages. From a childhood in kitchens to teaching culinary arts around the world and falling sideways into mixology after a stint at Chicago's world-famous Aviary, his career path has been anything but straightforward. He's now moving on from Carnaval, the bar he founded that put Lima on the map for 50 Best Bars, so we caught up on his plans. Aarón on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarondiazolivos/?hl=en (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#160
May 25 · 1 hr 48 min
Mike Paladini and Danny Polise, founders, Penelope Bourbon
I bumped into Mike at NY's legendary Irish bar Swift in 2020, when a mutual friend who'd been showing Mike around Manhattan bars introduced us. I'd heard a story or two about this new-to-the-market MGP-sourced bourbon named Penelope from a couple of New Jersey guys, and I took his business card and wished him well; the whiskey had only been available for a year or so at that stage. Mike sent me a nice email afterwards saying he enjoyed reading some of the articles I was writing for Imbibe magazine at the time. Fast forward to May 2023, and MGP bought the brand for $105m in cash, and potentially a further $110.8m if they hit some targets. So it was high time for Mike and his co-founder and childhood friend Danny Polise to come on The Philip Duff Show and tell us how they did it! This is a great episode, covering Mike's origins in the worlds of showbiz and tech, Danny's background as a bar owner and engineer, and how they built Penelope by ignoring a lot of received industry wisdom, working from first principles, and trusting in themselves. Danny also taught himself to be a true master blender, never having done it a day in his life before. Enjoy! Many thanks to LaForce PR for hosting us (great cookies!) and Mike and Danny for bringing some tasty whiskey for us to try, plus their banging bottled cocktails. Mike on IG: https://www.instagram.com/michaelpaladini/ Danny on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dpolise/ Penelope Bourbon: https://www.instagram.com/penelopebourbon/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#159
May 20 · 1 hr 26 min
Rakshay Dhariwal, founder, Maya Pistola Agavepura Indian agave spirit, co-founder Passcode Hospitality and India Cocktail Week
I met Rakshay a few years back on one of the legendary Blueblazer press tours of bars in Italy, and he let me taste the agave spirit he produces in India, Maya Pistola Agavepura. Its distilled with traditional tequila methods from an Indian-grown species of agave usually used in Mexico for mezcal, then aged on the tropical Indian island of Goa before bottling. Pistola was born during Covid and after being on the market for just a couple of years, Diageo's Indian subsidiary, United Spirits, became minority investors. Its the best non-Mexican agave spirit I've ever had. We got together to talk about Pistola , Rakshay's background in hospitality and the group he co-founded with his sister, India Cocktail Week and a lot more - enjoy! Rakshay on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rakshay/ Maya Pistola Agavepura on IG: https://www.instagram.com/pistola.agave/ Passcode Hospitality: https://www.instagram.com/passcode.hospitality/ India Cocktail Week on IG: https://www.instagram.com/indiacocktailweek/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#158
May 5 · 1 hr 6 min
#158, Drew Schenck, owner, Dram & Draught bar group,(North Carolina), founder, Moonbird Gin & GOATz Rum
Drew has been a friend for half a decade, and as well as being a lauded bar owner, we created Moonbird Gin (double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Awards) and GOATz Spiced Rum together - and he's a hilarious, fascinating guy. Drew on IG: https://www.instagram.com/drewbarman/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#157
April 27 · 1 hr 12 min
#157, Eric van Beek, co-founder, Handshake Bar (Mexico City, #1 W50BB ‘24) & Shakerato (Amsterdam)
I met Eric in Amsterdam in 2019 just before he moved to Mexico City to open his first bar there, and our paths have crossed a good bit since then, most recently at the Maybe Cocktail Festival in Sydney, where we got to hang out for almost a week. Eric started off in the world of basketball, training and playing in the US, switched to hospitality after returning to the Netherlands, and rapidly learned his craft, winning the global finals of Bacardi Legacy in 2018 and moving to Mexico City in 2019 to open a bar there. His second bar in CDMX, speakeasy Handshake, opened in 2021 and within just six months was on the 50 Best Bars list, winding up as #1 in 2024 and maintaining the top spot for 50 Best Americas in both 2024 and 2025. In late 2025 he finally opened the European cafe-style Shakerato in his native Amsterdam. This is a great episode, as Eric speaks with typical Dutch honesty on some of the tougher challenges he had on the road to opening a W50BB #1 bar. Eric on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ericvanbeek.carino/ Handshake Bar: https://www.instagram.com/handshake_bar/ Shakerato Bar: https://www.instagram.com/shakerato_bar/ Ahorita Bar: https://www.instagram.com/ahoritacantina/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#156
April 13 · 1 hr 34 min
#156, Sven Almenning, founder, Behind Bars agency (Australia), and Australian cocktail bars Eau de Vie, Nick & Nora’s, The Roosevelt, The Sanderson, Pearl Diver & Mjolner Viking steakhouses, 13 April 2026
What can you say about the extravagantly-bearded Norwegian Sven Almenning, who at one stage owned the world's largest bar agency, based in Sydney, running best-in-class bartender engagement programs at scale, and has since morphed into a tycoon of the Australian cocktail bar scene, with 8 or so top-notch venues in Sydney, Melbourne and the like? Well, quite a lot it seems! We talked about savant vibes master Max Greco (quite a bit, in fact), what it takes to create a great bar now in Australia vs 16 years ago, banter becoming an endangered species, the death of staff-hugging, what changed with bartender contests, and how he bribed his kids with screen time if they did exercise, only to see them regulate their own screen time as they began to enjoy exercising more and more, while the IG they created (link below) to share family High Intensity workouts exploded to 644, 000 followers, with another 260, 000 on Facebook (link also below). It's a great chat with an old friend, recorded while we were both in the same time zone, thank God. Sven's Speakeasy Group: https://speakeasygroup.com.au/ Family HIIT workouts on IG: https://www.instagram.com/fam_hiit_squad/ Family HIIT workouts on FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealFamHIITSquad/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#155
March 30 · 2 hr 9 min
#155, Tobin Ellis, veteran bartender, author of “Bar Design Essentials", champion flair bartender, principal of Barmagic design studios (Las Vegas & New York) 30 March 2026
God help me, I've known Tobin for thirty years now, having met when we both competed in flair bartending contests, starting with the legendary Quest for the Best in Orlando many moons ago. Tobin went on to co-found the Flair Bartenders Association (FBA) and later moved to Las Vegas, where he still (mostly) hangs his hat. He went all-in on bar design decades ago, and has completed a book, "Bar Design Essentials" that he started writing in 2007, and which is as seminal and definitive for bar design as "Roundbuilding" is for making rounds of cocktails, and as "The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails" is for, well, spirits and cocktails. If we design bars better, so bartenders can work faster, better and injury-free, we're setting those bartenders up to be true hospitalitarians - so why don't we? We down all the rabbit holes we could find, and then invented a few more, from the complexity of modern cocktails to cotton candy machines, his favorite bar shape, the redheaded stepchild of hospo, the state of training these days and his many, many injuries - enjoy! Buy "Bar Design Essentials": https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Design-Essentials-Bars-Everyone/dp/1732648255/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3C0RU5C7EQITE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wCArtZBcOpz-miH-Y7KqWRgbb0njE3tMWljJBB7TxcUccMb9qb2TxdLoiUq4ZCfjzyemQLFQz-S1aHy3DYykR1QPkyI0m0nshOeKlgSmx-Mt27wsBAkV7b01g7W3GkbJ.7-ENn58hVESjGOMFLpJwszH7mpptAujNNUioZHWxd5E&dib_tag=se&keywords=tobin+ellis&qid=1774708898&sprefix=tobin+ell%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-1 Follow Tobin on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tobinellisdesign/ Check out Studio Barmagic: https://www.barmagic.com/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#154
March 23 · 2 hr 7 min
#154, Andrew Merinoff, Co-founder & Investor Chinola Liqueur, Coconut Cartel, Empirical Spirits, Matchbook Distilling, Seven Rooms, & more
I met Andrew several years ago when he came to hang out at an Old Duff Genever evening I was hosting at Berlin’s marvellous Zyankali Bar, and the good people of Rachel Harrison Communications recently recommended I get him on, which struck me as an excellent idea. Turns out he’s fourth-generation American liquor royalty, with a mother from the Hiram Walker family, a great-grandfather who bootlegged during Prohibition, a grandfather who legalised the business, and his father, who built US liquor distribution juggernaut Breakthru Beverage Group. As well as a lifelong love of hospitality that started with a teenage stage at the three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, Andrew was very successful as an investor, in startups that included Seven Rooms reservations & CRM software, which had a lucrative exit. We chat Chinola, Empirical, Great Jones Distilling, his time at Proximo , the liquor and hospitality biz and a lot more - enjoy! (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...
#153
March 16 · 1 hr 34 min
#153, TJ Lynch, co-founder Mother’s Ruin (NY, Austin, Nashville, Chicago), Lowlife Bar and Lost Isle restaurant (South Carolina)
TJ Lynch is one of the most genuinely hilarious people I know, but the success he and business partner Richard Knapp have had with cocktail dive bar Mother's Ruin - four branches, a fifth and sixth on the way, plus separate concepts in Folly Beach and Johns Island South Carolina - is no joke. And it all started with a little bar on Spring Street in Manhattan that they opened in 2011 for the princely sum of $185, 000. We talk about his switch into bartending from cooking, then into management, then ownership, what's changed since the first Mother's in 2011, his and Richard's philosophies for running a bar, reinventing the slushie, and how they deal with investors. It's terrible audio quality because TJ was on location helping some of his staff revamp yet another bar, but it really rewards a listen - enjoy! TJ on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tjismyhero/ Mother's Ruin NY: https://www.instagram.com/mothersruinnyc/ Lowlife Bar: https://www.instagram.com/lowlifebar/ Lost Isle restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/lostislejohnsisland/ (Get in touch with Duff! Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.) And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

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