The massive career of Ansley Coale can’t adequately be captured in a mere 60 minutes, but we try. Ansley created Hanger One vodka, Germain Robin Brandy, and all of the amazing brands found at Craft Distillers A once professor turned spirits producer, Ansley lives so much in the moment that sometimes the brilliant achievements behind him are just a flash of a memory. With his new project Communidad, he dives even further into the notion that Mezcal is closer to its producers and terroir than any other spirit in the world. At 80 years old, the hits aren’t stopping, and new projects are continually on the horizon. We chat 1950’s,…
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Ep 326 – Collin De Laval: Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Codigo 1530 Tequila’s master mixologist Collin De Laval is as pure hospitality as it comes. He has worked as a bartender in Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, and Portland. His deep roots in serving bar patrons is accompanied by a deep compassion for people in general. He continues to explore the world of agave and self improvement. As a power lifter, he also understands how to balance the lifestyle of ambassadorhood and his physical health. We chat punk rock, the new Codigo Ancestral Mezcal, parenting, and more.
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Ep 325 – Hector Amaya: Sotol is Growing and Moving
Hacienda de Chihuahua is the biggest Sotol producer in the world. They embrace cognac style elements of production and fermentation to deliver a very elegant result. But as the world of Sotol changes, what can be done for sustainability and continued growth of the category? Hector Amaya, commercial sales at Hacienda de Chihuahua, discusses the increased expansion of global sales, while detailing the popularity growth of Sotol in the United States. We chat basketball, travel, language, and more.
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Ep 323 – William Isler: Baijiu 101
Even though Baijiu is the most popular spirit, by volume consumed, in the world, Americans don’t really understand the category. Bill Isler, founder of Ming River Baijiu, took an interesting turn after studying in China for law. Setting out to work on business opportunities for folks coming into China, a shift into the hospitality industry came about. First starting as a volume bartender, a shift to focus on the tastier marks of Baijiu, led to a new bar project and the eventual creation of Ming River. This episode is a great deep dive into the category, where up is down, and left is right. The production details of Baijiu are…
