I've known Natasha for ages and it's no exaggeration to say she's changed the landscape of gin consumption in her native Missouri, and indeed in the wider USA as well.
Much as Julio Bermejo built a dedicated band of fanatics drinking 100% Blue Agave tequila at Tommy's, a suburb of San Francisco, Natasha did the same with gin, in her family's restaurant in St. Louis.
Today, the Gin Room is a must-stop for every serious gin distiller in the USA, and her Gin World festivals have entranced people around the US and as far afield as Mexico.
We sat down for a breakfast session early during Tales of the Cocktail - enjoy!

Natasha on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thegingirl/
The Gin Room on IG: https://www.instagram.com/natashasginroom/

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 about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.)

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
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Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
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Zev's had one of the most interesting career arcs of any bartender I know, but when we finally sat down to tape an episode, it turned out to have even more twists and turns than I thought!
From Brooklyn to Melbourne to Montreal and back to NY, and from bartending for Heston Blumenthal Down Under to manning the shakers in the Meyerverse* that is Union Square Hospitality Group at it's Michelin-starred The Modern, to a COVID-era swerve into working as one of less than half a dozen spirits specialists worldwide at Sotheby's (who had just auctioned off a $44m T-rex skeleton the day before we met up) where he values whisky and other liquor that sells for five-figure sums, Zev has tales to tell and kindly supplied vintage whiskey to fuel the storytelling as well.
(I still think he's actually a spy, tho).
Many thanks to Sotheby's New York for hosting us, and the whiskey book Zev recommends in this episode is "Collecting Scotch Whisky" by Emmanuel Dron.
*Danny Meyer, that is. #IYKYK

Zev on IG: https://www.instagram.com/raisezbar/

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 about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.)

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, 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 Facebook: facebook.com
Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oldduff...

Anna is brilliant and this episode - taped partly in a hotel lobby in London, and then on Zoom - is just like having a drink with her, which is always great.
She's not afraid to say the things others won't, and her goal is to elevate anyone she works with, and especially to make bars better and get more women to embrace hospitality as a career option.
Enjoy!

Anna on IG: https://www.instagram.com/annasebastian3/?hl=en
Anna at Tales of the Cocktail:
- "The Evolution of the Modern Hotel Bar", Monday 22 July, 245pm, seminar at The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans
- "Upliftment in Action: Finding Meaningful Ways to Elevate and Empower Your Community", Tuesday 23 July, 10am seminar at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans
Celebrate Her on IG: https://www.instagram.com/celebrate___her/?hl=en
Under One Sky on IG: https://www.instagram.com/underonesky_london/?hl=en
The film I'm Still Here: https://www.instagram.com/imstillherethefilm/?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 about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.)

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, 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 Facebook: facebook.com
Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oldduff...