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We have been so excited to publish this episode with someone who is one of our favorite people in the whisky world AND one of our favorite people in the world, period. Lee Ann Rayner, the founder of the YouTube channel Scotch on the Bayou, has an incredible depth of whisky knowledge, an expert palate, boundless charisma, and a passion for making Scotch approachable and, above all, FUN. Lee Ann’s whisky journey began with a solo trip to Scotland and a distillery tour that changed her life. We talk about how that experience led her to the whisky community and eventually to creating Scotch on the Bayou, where she shares reviews, educational videos, practical tips for exploring whisky, and why "a fine single malt can be enjoyed in the swamps of Louisiana just as well as in a fine dining establishment." Our conversation covers everything from Lee Ann’s favorite whiskies and the Scotch styles that capture her attention, to the art of tasting, training your palate, and getting more out of what’s in your glass. We also get into independent bottlers, what makes the whisky community so special, blind tastings (including one where Lee Ann absolutely schooled us, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRZJdMGtfro), and planning a trip to Scotland. As we say on the podcast, watching Lee Ann’s channel feels like being welcomed into a friend’s home to share a dram, and that same warmth comes through in our conversation. Even if you've never met Lee Ann, listening to this episode will feel like being invited to the table of a dear friend - one who happens to know an awful lot about whisky and makes sharing it an absolute pleasure. You can find Lee Ann on YouTube at Scotch on the Bayou (https://www.youtube.com/c/scotchonthebayou), on Instagram at @scotchonthebayou and on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/ScotchontheBayou/posts). As always, please email us with any comments, questions, or suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram (@spiritedenthusiast), share with spirits novices and enthusiasts alike, and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Cheers!

On this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Sother Teague, co-founder of New York City’s legendary bar Amor y Amargo, partner at Overthrow Hospitality, author, podcaster, educator, and Amaro evangelist. Sother joins us for a wide-ranging conversation that is equal parts spirits education, hospitality philosophy, and hilarious storytelling. We dive deep into the world of bitters and Amari, including how newcomers should approach the category, which Amari are basically “adult Coca-Cola” and “adult Dr. Pepper,” how Jägermeister became a college staple thanks to an unlikely marketing scheme involving metal bands, and why Sother believes Amari remain one of the most fascinating and rewarding corners of the drinks world. Along the way, we discuss hospitality, the state of the bar industry, and the evolving conversation around alcohol and wellness. Sother also shares the story behind Amor y Amargo’s remarkable 15-year journey from a six-month pop-up to an internationally recognized destination, his philosophy on creating truly memorable guest experiences, and how to build a relationship with your neighborhood bartender. It's an episode packed with stories, recommendations, laughter, and plenty of spirits wisdom. If you’ve ever been curious about Amaro, the bar industry, or would simply enjoy spending some time with one of the most thoughtful, knowledgeable, and entertaining people in the spirits world, this episode is for you. To learn more about Sother and his various projects, visit: @creativedrunk on Instagram https://creativedrunk.bigcartel.com/productswhere you can purchase Sother’s bitters, hot sauce, and books https://www.amoryamargo.com/ https://www.overthrowhospitality.com/ The Speakeasy podcast: https://heritageradionetwork.org/series/the-speakeasy/available on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-speakeasy/id428499961and https://open.spotify.com/show/7iM1x2yL8rbqMXTZlMOmId Sauced podcast: https://www.saucedpodcast.com/,available on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sauced/id1865545247and https://open.spotify.com/show/2wAx90JsSz1iiXeYsUwHeo Sother’s books are available everywherebooks are sold: I’m Just Here for the Drinks: A Guide to Spirits,Drinking and More Than One Hundred Extraordinary Cocktails (https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-m-just-here-for-the-drinks-a-guide-to-spirits-drinking-and-more-than-100-extraordinary-cocktails-sother-teague/4c3eb7e9c5b51c94)and Let’s Get Blitzen: 60+ Holiday Cocktails to Make Your Spirits Bright (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lets-get-blitzen-sother-teague/1141673199?ean=9781956403329) As always, please email us with any comments, questions, or suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram @spiritedenthusiast, share with spirits novices and enthusiasts alike, and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Cheers!

We know it's been a minute, but this episode is DEFINITELY worth the wait and a genuine can't-miss for spirits enthusiasts of every level. Alexandre Gabriel is the owner and Master Blender of Maison Ferrand, one of the world’s premier independent producers of fine spirits, with a mission to preserve and revive traditional production methods. Born and raised on a farm in southern Burgundy, Alexandre was taught by his grandfather how to make wine and distill spirits, and those early lessons became the foundation for one of the most remarkable careers in the spirits world. In 1989, he acquired an old cognac house in the heart of the Grand Champagne region of France, which is now the world-famous Maison Ferrand (which also makes Ferrand Dry Curaçao). By 1996, he had created Citadelle Gin using a patented progressive infusion process, and in 1999, he founded what is now Planteray Rum. Today, Maison Ferrand also owns Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and is a co-owner of National Rums of Jamaica (including two legendary distilleries: Long Pond and Clarendon).  Our conversation covers cognac and gin (including what makes them unique, the different types, how to explore them, and Alexandre's favorite ways to experience them) and the wisdom Alexandre lives by every day to enjoy any kind of distillate. And you won’t want to miss Alexandre’s genuinely moving thoughts as to why distillers, bartenders, and the shared experience of a good drink might be exactly what the world needs right now. To learn more about Maison Ferrand and Alexandre, you can visit https://maisonferrand.com/. As always, please email us with any comments, questions, or suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram @spiritedenthusiast, share with spirits novices and enthusiasts alike, and subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Cheers!

We're back! Our first episode of Season 2 features the one and only Leandro Di Monriva of The Educated Barfly, and is a can't-miss episode, whether you love cocktails or are a spirits-only fan (for now). Since its inception in 2017, The Educated Barfly YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/theeducatedbarfly) has been dedicated to high-quality, in-depth tutorials on classic, modern, and craft cocktails. The channel - which Leandro runs with his producing partner, Marius Haugan - has amassed over 85.5 million views, 522,000 subscribers, and 1,550 videos. But that only begins to capture Leandro’s role in modern cocktail culture—as a consultant, author, and storyteller focused on the craft, culture, and people behind great drinks. Leandro's success comes from his unique blend of professional technique, spirits education, approachability, and deep historical curiosity for both home bartenders and industry professionals. Our candid conversation with Leandro peels back the curtain on the spirits industry. He doesn't hold back as he tackles subjects like the realities of cocktail competitions, marketing, the challenges of bringing cocktail culture to the screen, and the complicated dance between authenticity and brand sponsorship. But perhaps most exciting for our listeners, Leandro shares his definitive tips to level up your home bar game. And he joins forces with me to, once again, try to get Martin on the rum train. Leandro's book, "Home Bartending Mastery: Iconic Cocktails to Build Skills and Drink Better," is out now and available wherever books are sold, including Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/p/books/home-bartending-mastery-iconic-cocktails-to-build-skills-and-drink-better-leandro-pari-di-monriva/c7b4773a70d08155?ean=9780760393789&next=t, which supports independent bookstores), Barnes & Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/home-bartending-mastery-leandro-pari-di-monriva/1146904076) ,and Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Home-Bartending-Mastery-Iconic-Cocktails/dp/0760393788) You can join The Educated Barfly's Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/theeducatedbarfly You can follow The Educated Barfly on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theeducatedbarfly/ As always, please email us with any comments, questions or suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/spiritedenthusiast), share with spirits novices and enthusiasts alike, and subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Cheers!

We get into the holiday spirit on this episode, chatting with George Kaplan, a whisky enthusiast, who, for the past several years, has run an expertly curated Whisky Advent from December 1 to December 25th. Through George's Advent, he creates community, educates (not only about whisky but about movies and music as well), and shares some of the best whisky out there. George walks us through how he created the Advent and gives tips for starting a spirits Advent of your own! You also won't want to miss this episode because Martin and Kim make absolute fools of themselves trying to guess whiskies presented to them by George in a blind tasting. Find George on Instagram @gkap59 and enjoy George's Advent playlists on Spotify (link below). As always, please email us with any comments/questions/suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spiritedenthusiast, share with spirit novices and enthusiasts alike, and subscribe so that you don't miss an episode!

Daniel Whittington's Instagram bio reads: "A whisky youtuber, a whisky somm, a whiskey drinker, a Chancellor, a musician, and a business consultant with a reasonable taste in hats." That description barely seems to scratch the surface of what Daniel has done in the whisk(e)y community. Daniel's ⁠Whiskey Vault YouTube Channel⁠ has nearly 450,000 viewers and approximately 2,100 videos. Daniel founded the Whisky Marketing School⁠⁠ ⁠in 2015, where he created the Whisk(e)y Sommelier course, and he is the Chancellor of Wizard Academy in Austin, TX, a "Non-Traditional, Non-Profit, Non-Boring Business School." Daniel also co-founded the Whiskey Tribe community and YouTube Channel,⁠ and co-founded Crowded Barrel Whiskey⁠ in Austin, TX. Before Daniel's whisky journey started, he spent 20 years as a studio and touring musician. Our chat with Daniel covered, among many other things, spirits education (including which programs and certifications are best suited for which purposes), the importance of knowing how and when to communicate about whisk(e)y (and when not to), the overlap between the sensory experience of a spirit and EQ (for all you spirits and music nerds like us), the current state of the whiskey industry, and how to make a great gin and tonic that actually tastes like a cocktail. As always, please email us with any comments/questions/suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram @spiritedenthusiast, share with spirit novices and enthusiasts alike, and subscribe so that you don't miss an episode!

If you want to hear from someone with a wealth of whiskey/whisky knowledge, an incredible story and career, and an infectious passion for spirits, you can't do better than Holly Seidewand, who co-owns a fantastic retail whisky shop called First Fill Spirits in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. with Charles Grabitzky, which focuses on independent bottlings and new-whisky producing regions of the world. Holly has traveled all over the world visiting, studying, and writing about distilleries, and has documented over 150 distilleries including distilleries in Japan, the USA, Scotland, Ireland, Tasmania, and more. She worked at Knockdhu Distiller (anCnoc) under distillery manager Gordon Bruce in the Highlands of Scotland, was on the Bacardi Single Malts team as the North American Brand Ambassador, and holds a General Certificate in Distillation from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, Scotland.  We had SO much fun talking to Holly and only scratched the surface of what she had to offer. You can find Holly at her store (https://www.firstfillspirits.com/) and her blog (https://www.herwhiskylove.com/), and make sure to subscribe to her and Charles' podcast, It's Whiskey #FFS (https://open.spotify.com/show/2y1PxWAm63xL8sl1cDHy9e?si=d43dd77363074287). As always, please email us with any comments/questions/suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram @spiritedenthusiast, and subscribe so that you don't miss an episode! We have many more episodes launching soon that we can't wait for you to hear. And please share with anyone - spirits novices and enthusiasts alike! *The music used to introduce Holly is from her podcast and was written by Isaac Joel Goldenseal.

@weber_ninja's handle is "Spreading Happiness with Grilling" and he does just that for his 15.3k followers on TikTok and 13.8k followers on Instagram (as well as on YouTube and Facebook). Woody is a grilling champion, including winning 1st place at Paris Steak Wars in Paris, TX in 2022 and in 2024 was ranked 13th in the world at the Steak Cookoff Association. Woody has gone "viral" with his grilling videos, but, like us, his true passions are the relationships he has built in the community he has grown. As Woody has said, "we are all from different walks of life, but have some of the same things in common." In this episode, we gave Woody the chance to ask us anything about spirits and took him through a tasting of generally accessible and reasonably priced whisky. If you would like to taste along with us, we poured: (i) Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey; (ii) Arran 10 Year Old SIngle Malt Scotch Whisky; (iii) Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon; (iv) Bulleit Rye Whiskey; and (v) Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. We think enthusiasts at all levels (from beginner to seasoned) will love this episode as much as we loved recording it. As always, please email us with any comments/questions/suggestions at [email protected], follow us on Instagram @spiritedenthusiast, and subscribe so that you don't miss an episode! We have many more episodes launching soon that we can't wait for you to hear.

We are so excited to welcome to the podcast Jay Cocorullo, a Founder and President of the Florida Rum Society, a community group with over 2,500 members worldwide (open to everyone, not just Florida residents) committed to the education and experience of rum and bringing high quality rums to the state of Florida. This episode is a can't miss, whether you are a rum lover, rum curious or you think you (heaven forbid) hate rum! Jay's passion is infectious, he taught us SO much - including that rum is so much more than the general public thinks it is - and we simply had a great time. After listening, we challenge you, if you are not a rum lover - and especially if you are rum curious - to go explore this amazing category of spirits that has so much to offer! As always, email us with any comments/questions/suggestions at [email protected]. To learn more about the Florida Rum Society, visit: https://rum-society.com// The latest Florida Rum Society Barrel Pick (they have released over 30 single barrel selections in their five years!) is still available here: https://curiada.com/products/dead-reckoning-83-islands-vanuatu-rum-frs?srsltid=AfmBOopsRY8krQd5t07-HxtE6GBdiarGBS3HQMMobZxq1wATqJK_RzCJ&variant=46410256842972

On this episode, we are thrilled to welcome our first guest, Mark Broda of Scotch 4 Dummies ("S4D"), a group of four friends exploring the world of Scotch whisky who have a YouTube channel with 114,000 subscribers and counting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1ZL5bS6kkNVdxcnGf8NVLg. S4D are "four guys on a mission to explore the world of Scotch whisky—one dram at a time....Since each of [them] has a unique palate, you’ll likely find one of [them] whose taste aligns with yours—making your next whisky purchase a confident one." You can join their Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/Scotch4Dummies/posts?redirect=true. The latest Scotch 4 Dummies American Single Malt pick is available here: https://shop.vadistillery.com/products/scotch-4-dummies-bourbon-cask. As always, feel free to email us with any comments, questions, suggestions, etc. at [email protected]. Slàinte Mhath!

You can purchase the Virginia Distillery Co. Scotch 4 Dummies cask we discussed here: https://shop.vadistillery.com/products/scotch-4-dummies-bourbon-cask. As always, email us with any comments, suggestions, ideas for episodes, etc. at [email protected].

Email us with any comments, suggestions, ideas for episodes, etc., at [email protected].

A sneak peek into what's in store for The Spirited Enthusiast Podcast