Part 2: Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future

Once dismissed as “mocktails,” non-alcoholic cocktails are now among the most exciting frontiers in modern bartending. And at Kato in Los Angeles, Austin Hennelly is forging an exciting new path, rethinking NA wine and creating systems that ensure guests who don’t drink are never accidentally served alcohol. He joins Cocktail College to share his wealth of expertise on the category, through quick tips and advanced techniques. Listen on to learn more, and read below to discover one of his simplest recipes. Finally, don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!  - Non-alcoholic beer of choice - ½ ounce lime juice - ½ ounce non-alcoholic aperitif Serve over ice with a lime wedge.  📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 🤓 Read more: Transforming the Flavor and Texture of Dealcoholized Wines With Kato’s Austin Hennelly and Han Suk Cho 🎧 Related episodes: (29) Techniques: Non-Alcoholic Cocktails (181) Picon Bière  🍸 Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Austin: https://www.instagram.com/afhennelly/  - Kato: https://www.instagram.com/katorestaurant/     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cameron’s Kick is one of the great curiosities of the cocktail canon: a split-base sour that brings Scotch and Irish whiskey together in the same glass. First published by Harry McElhone in the 1920s, it’s a classic with a nutty twist thanks to orgeat. Joining us to unpack its history and execution is Liam Weitz, head bartender at Brooklyn’s Deux Chats. Listen on (or read below) to discover Liam's Cameron’s Kick recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!  Liam Weitz's Cameron’s Kick Recipe  - ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice - ⅓ ounce (scant ½ ounce) orgeat, such as L’Orgeat Almond Liqueur - ⅓ ounce (scant ½ ounce) simple syrup - 1 ounce Scotch, such as Johnnie Walker Black - 1 ounce Irish Whiskey, such as Bushmills Black Bush - Garnish: lemon twist  Directions  1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 2. Shake until chilled. 3. Double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. 4. Express a lemon twist over the top then discard.  📧 Get in touch: [email protected] 🤓 Read more: Chronicling the Cameron’s Kick, the St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail Turned Bartender Darling 🎧 Related episodes: (63) The Boulevardier (88) The Vodka Y Soda (163) The (Re)Boulevardier  🍸 Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Liam: https://www.instagram.com/liamweitz/ - Deux Chats: https://www.instagram.com/deuxchatsbk/    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2001, behind the bar at London’s Match Bar, Vincenzo Errico created the Enzoni — a twist on a gin sour that’s since become a modern classic. Soon after, he brought the drink with him to New York’s Milk & Honey, where it took its final shape under Sasha Petraske’s guidance. Today, he joins Cocktail College to share the full story behind his enduring creation. Listen on (or read below) to discover Vincenzo's Enzoni recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!  Vincenzo Errico's Enzoni Recipe - 2 ounces gin - ½ ounce fresh lemon juice - ½ ounce simple syrup - ½ ounce Campari - 6 white grapes - Garnish: 3 grapes  Directions  1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. 2. Muddle, add ice, and shake until well chilled. 3. Strain into a chilled rocks glass with a large cube. 4. Garnish with 3 white grapes on a pick and an optional slice of orange.  📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Vincenzo: https://www.instagram.com/vinc.enzo.errico/ - L'Artefatto: https://www.instagram.com/lartefattococktailbar/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Planter’s Punch is more than a recipe — it’s a rhyme, a debate, and a cornerstone of rum history. From “one of sour, two of sweet” to its place at Kingston’s Myrtle Bank Hotel, this punch has always been bigger than the sum of its parts. Guiding us through it all is Christian Favier of Charleston’s Seahorse, bartender and educator on the deep ties between rum, history, and culture. Listen on (or read below) to discover Christian's Planter's Punch recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts! Christian's Planter's Punch Recipe  - ¾ ounce lime juice - ¾ ounce cane syrup - 1 ¾ ounces high quality rum, such as Hampden Estate, R.L. Seales 12 year, or Doorly’s XO - 8 - 10 dashes Angostura bitters - Garnish: mint sprig, grated nutmeg  Directions  1. Add al ingredients to a large glass with some crushed ice. 2. Swizzle to chill and top with more crushed ice. 3. Serve with a straw and garnish with a mint sprig and grated nutmeg.  📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Christian: https://www.instagram.com/christianjfavier/ - Seahorse: https://www.instagram.com/theseahorsechs/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Aviation: an early 20th-century classic, pale blue and delicately perfumed, with a reputation that still splits opinion. Gin, lemon, maraschino, and, crème de violette form its elegant frame. And joining us to explore its history and craft is Frank Caiafa, who returns for his third Cocktail College appearance armed with decades of bartending insight. Listen on (or read below) to discover Frank's Aviation recipe — and don't forget to leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts!  Frank Caiafa's Aviation Recipe  - 2 ounces London Dry gin, ideally 47 percent ABV - ¾ ounce lemon juice - ½ ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur - ¼ ounce Crème de Violette, such as Rothman & Winter - Garnish: cherry, lemon twist, or orange twist  Directions  1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. 2. Shake until well chilled then fine strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. 3. Garnish with a cherry, lemon twist, or orange twist.  📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Frank: https://www.instagram.com/handlebarsnyc/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark a major milestone, we’re stepping outside our usual format to explore the evolution of cocktail culture over the last three decades — and the very reason this show is possible. Joining us are Mark Pascal and Francis Schott, better known as The Restaurant Guys, who operate New Brunswick's Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi, and are credited with running the country’s longest-standing craft cocktail program. This conversation goes beyond bartending — it’s about ownership, staying power, and the people and places that helped shape modern drinking culture. Listen: The Restaurant Guys Podcast Read: 10 Years After His Passing, Sasha Petraske Still Lives On 📧 Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - The Restaurant Guys: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantguyspodcast/ - Stage Left Steak: https://www.instagram.com/stagelefteats/ - Catherine Lombardi: https://www.instagram.com/catherinelombardirestaurant/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final chapter of our three-part mezcal documentary, we turn our focus to the present and future of the category. Visiting the progressive palenque Lalocura and speaking with its founder, Eduardo Ángeles Carreno, AKA Lalo, we explore how industrialization, monoculture, and loose regulations threaten mezcal’s roots. We also learn how traditional producers are fighting back — and what that means for your next bottle. With insight from Lalo, our travel companion Ivan Vazquez, and voices across Oaxaca, we ask: Can mezcal stay true to itself as it conquers the world? And where — if anywhere — do cocktails fit into that future?📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Ivan: https://www.instagram.com/ivan_vasquez_/- Madre: https://www.instagram.com/madre_losangeles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 2 of our three-part mezcal documentary, we travel deeper into mezcal’s past, uncovering the ghosts that continue to haunt the spirit — from government crackdowns and corruption to secret hillside palenques and state-sanctioned Espadín monocultures. Joined by restaurateur Ivan Vazquez and legendary mezcaleros across Oaxaca, we explore how prohibition-era policies reshaped production, erased diversity, and left an indelible mark on the mezcal we drink today. This is a story of survival, adaptation, and the delicate balance between tradition and commerce. 📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Ivan: https://www.instagram.com/ivan_vasquez_/- Madre: https://www.instagram.com/madre_losangeles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first installment of our three-part mezcal documentary, we head deep into Oaxaca’s rugged Sierra Sur to trace the roots of this singular spirit. Alongside Los Angeles restaurateur Ivan Vazquez, we visit traditional palenques and meet the maestro mezcaleros working with wild agave, ancestral tools, and techniques at risk of disappearing. This is the story of mezcal before the boom — a spirit once made in secret, passed down through generations, and shaped by place, labor, and fire. 📧Get in touch: [email protected]  🍸Follow us:  - VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair/ - Tim: https://www.instagram.com/timmckirdy/ - Ivan: https://www.instagram.com/ivan_vasquez_/ - Madre: https://www.instagram.com/madre_losangeles/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming July 17, we're sharing a special, three-part miniseries on the Cocktail College feed: Mezcal’s Untold Past, Soaring Present, and Fragile Future. Together with LA-based restaurateur, Ivan Vazquez, we traveled down to Oaxaca, Mexico to meet with with several maestro mezcaleros, and to better understand what mezcal is all about. These small-scale, traditional producers represent generations of experience and keep mezcal's beating cultural heart alive. They showed us some time-tested techniques that give mezcal its signature character, told us of ancestral practices that are slowly being lost, and shared stories of a time — more recent than you would think — when mezcal production was demonized, criminalized, and even driven underground. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.