The Cocktail Code | Paul MacDonald

Banter Can you teach hospitality or are you just teaching people to fake it? Mark and Francis discuss scripted service, sincerity, and a restaurant’s apparently AI-generated emails that promised a personal welcome the dining room failed to deliver. The Conversation Paul MacDonald of the Lovers Bar at Philadelphia’s Friday Saturday Sunday joins the Guys to explain how a cocktail experiment became a decade-long exploration of flavor and proportion. His Fibonacci cocktails use five ingredients in a 1:1:2:3:5 ratio, but he’s quick to clarify that the formula represents just one corner of the bar’s broader cocktail program. That experiment evolved into the Carousel: 21 bottles arranged in a fixed order, with five consecutive ingredients combined according to the ratio. Guests can spin for a drink or choose a combination that appeals to them (that’s not cheating!). Paul shares a favorite recipe, while the Guys explore why giving guests something to participate in makes a bar experience memorable. They also discuss keeping regulars’ favorite drinks alongside new creations, a low-alcohol aperitif with the character of a stronger cocktail, and Philadelphia’s particular talent for serving exceptional food at a lively neighborhood bar. After the interview, Mark and Francis recap their Halloween pop-up, complete with a vampire sommelier, an overheated Sasquatch, and a smoke machine that didn’t delight every dinner guest. Guest Bio Paul MacDonald is the head bartender at the Lovers Bar at Philadelphia’s Michelin-starred Friday Saturday Sunday. His cocktail program includes the Carousel, an interactive menu built around 21 bottles and Fibonacci proportions. The Lovers Bar was a 2025 James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Bar; Friday Saturday Sunday received the 2023 award for Outstanding Restaurant. Friday Saturday Sunday Timestamps 00:00 — Can hospitality be taught—or faked? 12:00 — Paul MacDonald on what Fibonacci cocktails are and are not 14:00 — The five-ingredient experiment behind the formula 20:00 — How the cocktail Carousel works 24:00 — Friday Saturday Sunday and Philadelphia’s dinner-at-the-bar culture 30:00 — Vampires, Sasquatch, and the spooky bar Paul’s Carousel Pick Using ¼ ounce as one part: 1¼ ounces Becherovka ¾ ounce Oloroso sherry ½ ounce rhubarb liqueur ¼ ounce Barolo Chinato ¼ ounce Bols Genever The recipe totals 3 ounces before dilution. Info The Lovers Bar and Carousel: https://www.fridaysaturdaysunday.com/lovers-bar Friday Saturday Sunday: https://www.fridaysaturdaysunday.com/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regular https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/ Magyar Bank https://www.magbank.com/ Stage Left Wine Shop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Our Places Stage Left Steak https://www.stageleft.com/ Catherine Lombardi Restaurant https://www.catherinelombardi.com/ Stage Left Wineshop https://www.stageleftwineshop.com/ Reach Out to The Guys! TheGuys@restaurantguyspodcast.com