#120, Alexandre Gabriel & Matt Pietrek, authors of “The Rum Never Sets”, a history of naval rum (collab dual-cast with The Speakeasy podcast) 28 July 2025

Myself and The Speakeasy Podcast co-host Greg Benson were both in New Orleans last week at the Tales of the Cocktail festival, and so were Alexandre Gabriel, master distiller and blender at Maison Ferrand & Planteray rum, plus Matt Pietrek, spirits author & publisher, who lives in the Crescent City. AND Alexandre and Matt had just published (with Matt's WonkPress company) "The Rum Never Sets: A History of Naval Rum", so we all decided to get in the pool (where else to tape a podcast about naval rum?!) and talk about Mr Fogg, Alexandre's journey from being a cognac distiller to a rum blender, naval rum, historical research, and a whole lot more - enjoy! Oh, and we drank Mr Fogg Navy Rum, the latest Planteray rum that pays homage to Michael Fogg, who you will learn about in the podcast, and the book, and HERE: https://planterayrum.com/limited-edition/mister-fogg-navy-rum/Oh, and HERE the link if you'd like to WATCH this - yep, we recorded video! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI975RFZXxIThis episode is a dual-cast collab with The Speakeasy, the longest-running spirits / bar / cocktail podcast around, to which you should certainly subscribe, link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3K545VNuOTdTSICk7D2jvB?si=1jQuzjaiTFuZtZM4qjHlGABuy The Rum Never Sets: https://www.wonkpress.com/products/the-rum-never-sets?srsltid=AfmBOooimTmyM_c6CZ6aiSmWIAXTX0OdkGo1XM5w6Mylq3wt8Be6HetEGreg Benson on IG: https://www.instagram.com/100proofgreg/?hl=enThe Speakeasy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasypodcast/?hl=enAlexandre Gabriel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/alexandregabriel.masterblender/?hl=enPlanteray on IG: https://www.instagram.com/planterayrum/?hl=enMatt Pietrek on IG: https://www.instag Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

I first met Christian, who is Argentinian, in 2000, at the Quest for the Best world bartending championships in Orlando. I'd competed in Quest and Roadhouse and other contests like those quite a few times, but when many of us saw Christian that year - who competed in the Rookie division - a lot of us just decided to retire from competition and become judges! He was that good; next-level, Michael Jordan-good. And he was just getting started: Christian went on to utterly dominate flair bartending contests, becoming practically unbeatable, not just in exhibition and working flair, but also in pourtesting and speed rounds. Headhunted to bartend and perform in Las Vegas, he spent 14 years there before relocating to Miami almost a decade ago, working at the Fontainebleau, Sweet Liberty and Sexy Fish. He's just opened Presidente Miami, the third branch of an Argentinian group of cocktail bar-restaurants and their first American opening, and that was as good an excuse as any for us to sit down and catch up on old times. Enjoy!Christian on IG: https://www.instagram.com/christiandelpechofficial/?hl=enPresidente on IG: https://www.instagram.com/presidentebar.miami/Christian's Freepouring Masterclass: Shaken And Stirred, documentary about flair: https://www.shakenandstirredthemovie.com/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

I've judged many a cocktail contest with Ian, and he's got a new book out AND just been awarded the Lifetime Achievement award by Tales of the Cocktail, so it was time for us to catch up over a rum or two. Having played basketball in his native UK, and rapped - he still gets royalties from a song of his featured on the soundtrack of "Space Jam" - Ian built a career as the self-styled Global Rum Ambassador, evangelising the whole category at a time when there was very little education about, or even respect for, rum. That led to Ian founding the world's first (and now longest-running) rum festival, UK RumFest, travelling the world to teach about rum, co-founding the Equiano Rum brand, and writing his books, "Rum: A Tasting Course". Enjoy!Ian on IG: https://www.instagram.com/therumambassador/Buy Ian's book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/rum-a-tasting-course-ian-burrell/21335716UK RumFest on IG: https://www.instagram.com/ukrumfest/Equiano Rum on IG: https://www.instagram.com/equianorum/guides/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Timo has been a friend for almost two decades now: first he was the bartender who served me, then my employee, then my bar's manager, and then a bar owner in his own right, before founding a bar show, and several other excellent bars. We could have gone for four hours. We've known each other through multiple marriages, got to know each other before my Dutch was good enough to switch from English, worked together, collaborated together...and always had a drink. (Although his new skull tattoos are straight up fucking insane, WTF Timo)He is a genuine lifer. Bars for life. He's crazy in the best way. I love you, man.Timo's website: https://www.timojanse.com/Timo on IG: https://www.instagram.com/timo.janse/Dutch Courage genever cocktail bar: https://www.instagram.com/dutchcouragecocktails/Perfect Serve Barshow: https://www.perfectserve-barshow.com/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Krissy is a hilarious person that I got to know judging spirits contests together, and an accomplished drinks writer as well as being an outspoken proponent of the LGBTQIA+ community, so I wanted to catch up with her just as we round out Pride Month. We had a great chat, not even that much about that community, because we both had a lot to catch up on, and she had a hard stop as she had to go do some heavy drinking in Bristol, which is entirely understandable. But this was super fun! I feel we should do another ep soon and go over everything we had no time for - what do you think?. In the meantime, enjoy!Kristiane's website: https://www.kristianewestray.com/Kristiane on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kristianewestray/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

It's been a minute since we went over the news, and I've been rocketing around the world doing interesting things, so here's a DNN episode!We cover bar shows like BCBrooklyn, the Gulf Bar Show, the upcoming BCB London, the risers and fallers in the annual Millionaires List of million-case-selling liquor brands, Pernod's restructuring, the tiny cocktail trend, how I found the best cocktail bar at Disney Paris, and much more - enjoy. Oh, and if you're doing something cool at Tales of the Cocktail, or if you want to be invited to the top-secret invite-only stuff that I'M organising - DM me... Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

I've known Lorenzo since his days bartending at The Savoy in London, and have also had the pleasure of his drinks during his stint at Argo Bar (HK).Now he's opened Bar Leone, which is the fastest-ever to get to #1 in Asia's 50 Best Bars and #2 in World's 50 Best, after opening in June 2023. He's also about to open Montana bar in HK together with his fellow Italian, Simone Caporale. We got together to catch up after a dizzying array of guest shifts and pop-ups on his part, and talked bars, competitions, London, Hong Kong, Dandelyan, Korea, the ethos of Leone and a lot more - enjoy!Lorenzo on IG: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzoantinori_/?hl=enBar Leone on IG: https://www.instagram.com/barleonehk/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Woody, a New Zealander, has been a fixture in Australian bartending for as long as I've been in the business, and he built his flair bartending and cocktail catering firm into a massive business there, wrote ten best-selling cocktail books, toured with Guy Fieri, burned out, came back, and has now founded a new solution to revolutionise the import-distribution of liquor in Australia, Drinks Network. Clearly, we were overdue - enjoy!Hayden on IG: https://www.instagram.com/mrliquidkitchen/?hl=deHayden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haydenwood639 Drinks Network on IG: https://www.instagram.com/drinks_networkBuy Hayden's books: https://www.amazon.com/Woodys-Liquid-Kitchen-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0975212397/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.52_NKdp9nuEABSwqKVec1kGMwmlKVWWB0kpsfr-XwCt7-zAsV4wibhBcAJuJ91FXIseUDUSiLp_zzjMhmPg_P583sJIFJ1ekyaGiZ-nb1GuyW6lqkgEyaZNNUqwkNE5cqGyRjXSUoYKAIA7Bq5ScGeNdjYJDNn30Y640FX6RolY32cMqC_6wzDJyjCyyDPZ7ZSHxpR3rlUtRN2toB_jpbVUmJdZbZ30VR6lq3KIDW4Q.RfvFQUrxPwFvFzcoR88XakGfy1FM4LPM2Iuv7cjpSQg&dib_tag=se&qid=1748226980&refinements=p_27%3AHayden+Wood&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Hayden+Wood Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Me, Josh and a bunch of other people (including Julio Bermejo and Mauro Mahjoub) were together in Yerevan for Yerevan Cocktail Week (YCW), so I took the chance to tape an episode with Josh, who I always run into at Tales of the Cocktail, but never get to sit down and chat with. Josh is best known for Trick Dog cocktail bar in SF, a perennial award winner and two-time World's Best Cocktail Menu winner at Tales; in fact, Josh taught a class at YCW on cocktail menus. It was a special trip for Josh, whose grandparents fled Armenia for America; he is the very first member of the entire family to return to Armenia, ever. Over some remarkably pungent Armenian string cheese, and a beer on my part and possibly some Mount Ararat brandy, we talked bars, menus, awards, travel, the industry, his new bar and a lot more. Enjoy!Josh on IG: https://www.instagram.com/josh_the_bon_vivants/?hl=enTrick Dog: https://www.instagram.com/trickdogbar/?hl=enThe forthcoming Quik Dog: https://www.instagram.com/quik_dog/?hl=enPig 'n' Punch: https://www.instagram.com/pig_n_punch/?hl=en Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...

Taped live in an annoyingly child-ridden park on a lovely day in NYC, myself and the rock 'n' roll Irish-Italian Rome-based cocktail bar owner Patrick Pistolesi cracked some all-American tariff-free beers, washed 'em down with mezcal and 'Murican single malt whiskey, and talked about Japan, billionaires, awards, his adventurous Irish mum, bars, cocktails, and the profusion of guest bartending, plus looots more stuff - enjoy!Patrick on IG: https://www.instagram.com/_thepisto_?igsh=aDhxczI2YXJyOGU=Drink Kong bar on IG: https://www.instagram.com/drinkkongbar?igsh=MXN1N29sdDRiYjVzdQ==Nite Kong bar on IG: https://www.instagram.com/nitekong?igsh=MXNsdG03c2o2bGszeg==NIO Cocktails on IG (we forgot to talk about them, but they're awesome): https://www.instagram.com/niococktails/ Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: [email protected] (PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: [email protected] on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...