Podcasts about holiday cocktail lounge

Barbara Sibley opened La Palapa 20 years ago, bringing authentic regional Mexican cuisine to New Yorkers who thought nachos, fajitas and burritos were what Mexican food was all about. While the menu has evolved over the years, there are many “untouchables” that she will never take off. This became especially apparent during the pandemic, when regulars were comforted by ordering the menu items they had come to love. The pandemic was just one of several crises La Palapa has endured over two decades. Sibley also navigated the restaurant and her team through 9/11, Hurricane Sandy and hundreds of day-to-day potholes along the way, leading with a blend of compassion, flexibility and resiliency. Her incomparable operational style and extensive community outreach earned Sibley the 2022 Operator of the Year award from the Bar and Restaurant Show. Listen as she tells La Palapa's story and shares details about her newest concepts, two taco bars and Holiday Cocktail Lounge.

Training for Mastery takes years of work and dedication, and after a certain point there is no road map in any industry that helps the novice graduate to the journeyman, and the journeyman transform into the master. In our continuing Bartending Masterclass, host & Master Bartender Michael J. Neff, discusses the different phases of mastery with some of the finest bartenders from around the world. In this episode, we're talking with Modern Bartender, ms. franky marshall.This is the second of our two-part conversation with ms. marshall. You can find part one on our web site at https://thecottonmouthclubpresents.com.Ms. marshall has been a bartender for a hot minute—both before the modern cocktail movement in nightclubs & dive bars around New York, and after at such storied cocktail bars as The Holiday Cocktail Lounge, Clover Club & The Dead Rabbit.She has also traveled around the world studying spirits, cocktails, and the culture that surrounds them. Her insights in this, the first part of our conversation, are valuable to anyone with an interest in life on either side of the bar.Support the show

Training for Mastery takes years of work and dedication, and after a certain point there is no road map in any industry that helps the novice graduate to the journeyman, and the journeyman transform into the master. In our continuing Bartending Masterclass, host & Master Bartender Michael J. Neff, discusses the different phases of mastery with some of the finest bartenders from around the world. In this episode, we're talking with Modern Bartender, ms. franky marshall.Ms. marshall has been a bartender for a hot minute—both before the modern cocktail movement in nightclubs & dive bars around New York, and after at such storied cocktail bars as The Holiday Cocktail Lounge, Clover Club & The Dead Rabbit.She has also traveled around the world studying spirits, cocktails, and the culture that surrounds them. Her insights in this, the first part of our conversation, are valuable to anyone with an interest in life on either side of the bar.Some highlights include:“You have to put as much effort into making that vodka soda as you do in making a Japanese Whisky Highall.... You should be taking pride in your work, so that every single drink you make, even the simplest one, is going to be great.”“As a trainer, you need to be able to give and you need to be generous with your knowledge.”“(Relating to people is) why you need to read books, or travel, or look at art, so you have other things to to give to people across that bar.”Support the show

Barbara Sibley came to New York City from Mexico in the early 1980s and fell in love with the restaurant industry thanks to time working at the storied La Tulipe in Greenwich Village. Today, she owns and operates La Palapa, an authentic Mexican restaurant, and is creative director of Holiday Cocktail Lounge, in the East Village. Barbara and Andrew caught up recently in the garden behind Holiday Cocktail Lounge and discussed a wide range of industry, and non-industry, subjects.Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

Joining us in the studio today is former brand ambassador Erik Trickett @erik_trickett . Erick moved to New York from sunny LA a few years ago and landed a gig at Holiday Cocktail Lounge where he’s now the head bartender. We discuss his humble beginnings and what it’s like to operate one of the most raucous sing along bars in NYC!

On this episode, we have an epic chat with William Pineapple, currently of the infamous Holiday Cocktail Lounge in NYC. His long & storied career (for such a young man!) is stuff of legend that spans time at London's Trailer Happiness, & much couch surfing. His Spotify tunes are here: https://open.spotify.com/user/shebmo/playlist/7qZfyyzmYHyc16GFsc9ISL

This week on the podcast we talk to Burlesque Dancer and Bartender Rosie. We caught up with Rosie a while back at Holiday Cocktail Lounge one night when she was behind the bar. Her stage name is Rosie 151. It's the Bartender Journey Podcast Number 229!  Listen with the audio player on this page, or subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Android or Stitcher Radio. First, let’s talk a bit about garnishes. Cutting that fruit - It’s something we do everyday behind the bar, but nobody really talks about it!  I say - take some pride in that task!  You need a sharp knife to cut good looking garnishes.  I carry all my bar tools with me in a bag and I have 2 really sharp small paring knives in there. It makes cutting the fruit a pleasure. These knives are very inexpensive and a worthwhile investment. The pith - the white parts of the fruit - are bitter and can impart a odd flavor after it sits in a drink for awhile.  Try to remove as much as possible. Of course when cutting the lemons and oranges you want to remove as many seeds as possible.  What’s worse than getting a lemon seed in your mouth when you are sitting at a bar, trying to make conversation? It takes a little longer, but what you end up with is some nice fresh looking fruit. How about twists?  I love to do my twists a la minute’ or “to order”.  I use my y-peeler and get a nice long thick piece of zest with no pith and express those oils over my drink.   A well done garnish gives a visual cue to your guest that this we put some attention and care into making that drink.    Herbs are tough to keep fresh.  I’ve come up with this method for my mint, which does keep it pretty good looking for a while, but what I really want is a little garden just outside where I can cut mint right out of the ground more or less as I need it!   ASAP after the mint is delivered, I cut off the very bottom of the stem like you would if you had flowers you were going to put in a vase, so that it will drink up as much water as possible.  Then place that bunch of mint in ice water, stem side down. Let it sit there around 20 minutes or so, but less time seems to be ok too.  The cold water “shocks” the herbs, “setting” the color.  Then drain the mint, but not bone dry. I’ll make small bundles that will fit nicely and fold the bottom of a paper towel over the cut stems then gently roll it all up so that the everything is covered. I’ll take my small bundles of wrapped herbs and put them in a resalable gallon plastic bag.Every day or two I’ll change the paper towels, to keep it from getting mushy. As for cherries and olives - well luxardo cherries are just awesome and impressive in your drink. The luxardo cherries are expensive, that’s for sure, so if you are using them, don’t forget to factor that into the price of your cocktail.  In Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s great  The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique he says that he likes to remove the cherries from their liquid and store them in brandy. As for olives, he removes them from the brine, which of course is saved for making Dirty Martninis and he store the olives in Dry Vermouth. Book of the Week: The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique by Jeffrey Morgenthaler Cocktail of the WeekBrown DerbyThis is a delicious cocktail.  I first had one at the Flatiron Lounge many years ago, it was a real ah-ha moment for me.  It was absolutely delicious … I had never had one before.  It just made me realize that a drink made with just 3 ingredients, if they are perfectly balanced and high quality ingredients to begin with is really what a perfect cocktail should be.  I add a small amount of lemon juice to the classic recipe, which “brightens it up” a bit. 1 3/4 oz Bourbon 1 oz Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice ¼ oz Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice ½ oz Honey Syrup (1:1 honey dissolved in hot water) Shake.  Grapefruit twist. Unrelated Podcast Suggestion of the WeekBrought to you by Sudio Headphones, makers of high quality Bluetooth headphones.Use the coupon code “BartenderJourney” for 15% off and to show your support for this show. Our Unrelated Podcast Suggestion of the Week is Jordan, Jessie, Go. They are trained in improv comedy and really know how to make funny out of nothing...which is a skill that is very helpful behind the bar.  So give those guys listen on your new Sudio Bluetooth headphones.

Today on the Speakeasy, it's episode number 200! Damon Boelte and Sother Teague talk Japan and the evolution of bar tools with Cocktail Kingdom's Greg Boehm. But before that, we also hear from a special guest calling in to wish Damon the very best.

Today on The Speakeasy, barman Danny Neff joins us in the studio to talk about the revived Holiday Cocktail Lounge, and his favorite meal last week at New Orleans' Tales of the Cocktail.