The dynamic duo of Travis Tober and Brandon Hunt have created the modern legend of a bar Nickel City. At first apprehensive of one another, the 2 forged a long lasting relationship over a few Old Fashioned’s. Nickel City is the apex of hospitality and accessibility in the cocktail movement. With inexpensive food, rare whiskey, and an unparalleled staff, the Austin staple has quickly become one of the most lauded bars in the United States. But the only way to truly understand Nickel City is to sip a dram and enjoy a burger. Thanks to Travis and Brandon a monument to community thrives in East Austin.
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Ep 256 – Benny Hurwitz: Bringing DC to the World of Whiskey
Wild Turkey’s Benny Hurwitz has no problem working any gig on the totem pole. For him, mastering even the smallest of things, leads to a much better and well-rounded life. After realizing the suit and tie lifestyle wasn’t for this skateboarding Maryland native, he entered the freeing world of hospitality. This land of little structure, no lectures, and a lot of creative freedom set his career on a whole new path. With his great experience at the Columbia Room and Jack Rose Dining Saloon, he attending his first session of Behind the Barrel. This connection to the Wild Turkey family continued to grow and now he travels the states sharing…
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Ep 255 – Christopher Stevens: Turning Wine into Mezcal
Christopher Stevens of Craft Distillers INC flies under the radar. He doesn’t have much in the way of social media presence and his humility directly mirrors that of the producers for which he works. Once a psychology student focused on going into practice, his connection with hospitality and initially, fine wine, set his path on a whole new direction. Now as a regional sales manager for Craft Distillers Inc, he shares the fine mezcales of Alipus, Los Nahuales, and the Mezcalero collection with intrigued palettes across the states. We chat Hawaii, fatherhood, San Andres, and more.
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Ep 254 – Amy Florez: Diverse Tastes Across Diverse Places
Dalla’s Amy Flores started down the straight and accepted path of college and a “real” job. For some this is a fine and regular endeavor, but as Amy’s mind grew more creative and sought out more diverse experiences, a desk job just wasn’t enough. Enter Hospitality stage left, and then a connection between people, spirits, and stories enrich Amy’s life forever. After years behind the bar, time in distribution, and now as an educational liaison for Collectif 1806, Amy shares some of the finest Remy Cointreau products to the masses while conducting roundtable chats about insights with industry legends. We chat Bon Iver, Cognac, community college, and more.