Dine Fine with Funked Up Wine with Claire Paparazzo
27/03/2026 | 46 mins.
What makes a good sommelier? Encyclopedic knowledge of the wine world? The ability to sell anything to anyone? Or something more empathetic and human? If anyone knows it’s Claire Paparazzo, Wine Director for Sunday Hospitality Group and the Hotel Chelsea. Drawing on her knowledge from such iconic places as Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Claire chats with Greg about the challenge of running four properties under one roof, the art of making wine approachable, and why the fad for natural wine and orange wine probably springs from somewhere deep and sick and wonderful in our collective psyche. And, she talks about the time she almost got mauled by a pig.
PLUS, are AI somms coming for our jobs? Greg offers an oddly hopeful take on whether that industry’s days are numbered
Follow Claire at @clairepaparazzo Follow her documentary work at @wineifyouwantto Follow her art at @jasperheart2021
LINKS
Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance Support the Salt Cure Fund at thesaltcurefund.org The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
You'll Never Find a More Pleasant Hive of Vibes and Hospitality with Patrick Shanahan
20/03/2026 | 54 mins.
In another Boomerang! episode from Raleigh, North Carolina Greg sits down with Patrick Shanahan in his new bar space Rosebud to talk about the space, the buildout, and what it took to incorporate influences ranging from Japanese hi-fi lounges to spaghetti westerns to midcentury modern aesthetic. Then, they dive into the vibe and culture of North Carolina’s capital city to discuss where it’s been and where it’s going next. PLUS, are savory cocktails the new mezcal? Greg and Patrick discuss. Follow Patrick at @pmshanahan Follow Rosebud at @rosebudraleigh LINKS Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars The Business Insider article about Zoomers and dive bars: businessinsider.com/gen-z-exclusive-restaurants-regularmaxxing-central-perk-2026-1 For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance Support the Salt Cure Fund at thesaltcurefund.org The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Texas v. Kentucky: Battle of the Bourbons! with Heather Greene
13/03/2026 | 47 mins.
What is Texification, and why do it to Kentucky whiskey? Heather Greene, Master Blender of Milam & Greene hops on with Greg and Sother to answer that very question. She delves into what the unique climate of Texas does to a barrel of bourbon (or rye), what place whiskey occupies in our lives these days, and how she met the partners in her whiskey supergroup in the first place.
PLUS, the kids are alright, but the way journalists cover them still sucks. Greg and Sother break down a recent piece about how Zoomers have “discovered” dive bars and discuss what it might mean for the “Gen Z doesn’t drink” narrative.
Follow Milam & Greene at @milamandgreenewhiskey Follow Heather at @thewhiskeyauthority
LINKS
Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars The Business Insider article about Zoomers and dive bars: businessinsider.com/gen-z-exclusive-restaurants-regularmaxxing-central-perk-2026-1 For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance Support the Salt Cure Fund at thesaltcurefund.org The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Triple Barrel-Aged Tequila with Natasha Sofia
06/03/2026 | 39 mins.
Ever age tequila in oak, cherry AND acacia barrels? Mijenta Tequila has and Natasha Sofia, their Global Advocacy Director, is here to tell us about it. She dives into their aging process, sustainability, and what it means to actually win the award for Best US Brand Ambassador at Tales of the Cocktail.
Editor's note: at 3:46 Natasha misspoke: the second type of wood used is Cherry, not French Oak.
PLUS, an update on BrewDog’s attempt to sell itself and what it means for the future of craft beer… and cannabis!
Follow Natasha at @natasha_sofia Follow Mijenta Tequila at @mijentatequila
LINKS
Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance Support the Salt Cure Fund at thesaltcurefund.org The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Menu with 2,500 Cocktails with Tao Zrafi
27/02/2026 | 50 mins.
Tao Zrafi claims he “broke cocktail menus forever” with his small bar in Illinois that boasts a menu of over 2,500 drinks. And yet it’s far from the wildest idea the Drink Masters star has ever produced. He sits down with Greg and Sother to discuss building replicable formulas that can produce literally thousands of drinks, his venture into entrepreneurship by creating acid powders that can replace citrus juice, are shelf stable, and can be shipped anywhere in the world, and how growing up in Tunisia and cutting his teeth behind the bars of Montreal shaped a truly unique view on the world of cocktails.
PLUS, BrewDog is for sale! Greg catches us up on the latest from the embattled microbrewery. And it snowed in New York, again and the city’s id was on full display… for better and for worse.
Follow Tao at @travelingbartenders Follow No School Tomorrow at @noschooltomorrow.bar
LINKS
Become a Regular: patreon.com/SpeakeasyRegulars For resources on dealing with ICE agents in your community visit nouswithoutyou.la/ and @thenycalliance Support the Salt Cure Fund at thesaltcurefund.org The Speakeasy is now on YouTube! Tune in to “see” what we’re talking about at youtube.com/@Speakeasy.Podcast Check out Quiote Imports at quioteimports.com and use promo code “Speakeasy” to get free shipping at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Hosts Damon Boelte, Sother Teague, and Greg Benson sit down to talk cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, tea, coffee, and all the other exciting liquids in the universe. With each episode, learn from some of the world’s experts in mixology, bar history, distillation, and brewing. Bringing on guests ranging from bartenders and brewers, alchemists and ambassadors, roasters and regulars, and every expert and enthusiast in between, The Speakeasy introduces listeners to all the unique ways we enjoy imbibing today.
New Zealand