Episode 279 - American Agave with Gian Nelson of Jano Spirits
Release Date: 02/26/2024
Episode 302 - Shop Talk: On-Premise Positioning for Spirits Brands
The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
View the video of this seminar: What’s shakin’ drinks fans? Thanks for joining me for this special industry shop talk episode, where I give you a free, behind-the-scenes look at some of the content I produce specifically for people who work in the spirits and cocktail industry. This time around, you’ll get to sit in on a seminar I presented a few weeks ago at the 2025 American Distilling Institute Conference & Trade show in San Antonio, TX. The title of the seminar is: “You’ve Been Served: On Premise Strategies for a Saturated Market," and it presents a bunch of different...
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Episode 301 - Into the Blue with Monique ten Kortenaar
The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
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The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
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The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
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Bonus: Rare Benedictine Tasting
The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
Eric tastes through several rare and vintage Benedictine Liqueur expressions, alongside friends and colleagues from the spirits industry at the 2025 American Distilling Institute International Spirits Competition. In this recording, he's joined by: Mr. David T. Smith (who generously provided the Benedictine samples from his personal collection) and who is the head steward at the ADI competition Joe Barber from Stargazy Spirits (who, for the first time, had a functional microphone for one of these recordings) Author and Spirits expert Eric Zandona, who runs the International Spirits...
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The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
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Episode 297 - In the Weeds with Charles Joly
The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
In part 1 of my conversation with acclaimed bartender , some of the topics we discuss include: The two predominant “schools” of cocktail programs you might encounter in the early 2000s, and how Charles found his home and his voice in the seasonal and ingredient-focused program at a place called . The conditions and events that led Charles to take on his break-out role on a national stage as the beverage director of the incredibly high-profile bar at --a venue renowned for its avant-garde, highly technical molecular mixology drink preparations. How Charles handled the culture shock of...
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The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
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BONUS: Ginspiration
The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
Eric presents selected recordings from the 2024 ADI Gin Summit to provide a few extra perspectives on botanical spirits from some of the world's best category experts, including: - a prolific gin judge and author of The Gin Dictionary and many other excellent cocktail books, - creator of The Gin Room in St. Louis and Gin World, which is an international gin education series for bartenders and other industry professionals), and - experienced spirits judge and travel writer (The Perfect Spot) who works with esteemed organizations like the World’s 50 Best and the James Beard Foundation ...
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Episosde 295 - State of Gin, 2025 with Bobby Freeman
The Modern Bar Cart Podcast
In this Navy Strength conversation with Bobby Freeman (), creator of the hit YouTube Channel, , some of the topics we discuss include: Bobby’s journey through gin, beginning with the gin & tonic that launched his obsession and all of the stylistic preferences and affinities he’s developed along the way A discussion of recent gin trends in the UK, including the “Pink Gin Bubble” that occurred during COVID and the current obsession with citrus-heavy gins. We also cover the popular cocktail trends that are dominant right now in the London bar world, including Pisco &...
info_outlineIn this groundbreaking, down and dirty conversation with Gian Nelson of Jano Spirits, some of the topics we discuss include:
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How Gian found his home in the creative and multidisciplinary workspace of the wine and spirits industry and why he’s selected Agave Americana as the canvas on which he expresses his passion.
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An overview of the different types of agave spirits currently being produced here in the US, specifically: the differences between using imported agave syrup vs. actual farmed or wild agaves.
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Why Mexico is becoming the “Old World” of Agave spirits production, and how American and other international producers are responding to a lack of shared knowledge across borders with characteristic punk rock innovation.
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What it would mean for a bartender or beverage program in Mexico to import American Agave spirits specifically to feature on their sipping or cocktail menu.
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And How many thousands of pounds of pinas it takes to make just ten cases of agave spirits.
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Along the way, we meditate on the mystical nature of inulin conversion, celebrate the influence of Chicano flavors and cultures, learn how to get your neighbor to let you dig up their agave plants, and much, much more.
Featured Cocktail: The Batanga
This episode’s featured cocktail is the Batanga. To make it, you’ll need:
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2 ounces tequila (generally, a silver tequila is utilized, but you can feel free to substitute with any agave spirit of your choosing)
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1/2 ounce lime juice
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3 ounces Cola
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Salt for rimming the glass.
Begin by slicing a fresh lime, squeezing it for juice, and rubbing a spent half around the rim of a highball glass. Next, rim the glass with salt and fill it with ice. Since this is a built drink in the style of a Cuba Libre, all you need to do is add your agave spirit, lime juice, and cola to top (in that order), and, important to the ritual of this drink, stir it with the knife you used to cut the lime. Garnish simply with a lime wheel or a nice lime twist and enjoy.