Gin has been a bartending fixture for hundreds of years and stars in countless famous cocktail recipes.    On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum talk about gin’s roots and how the spirit has evolved and kept current for centuries—including during the modern cocktail renaissance. Sebastien Derbomez, manager of brand advocacy for William Grant & Sons, joins in on the discussion to explore where gin might head next and what parts of the world will help lead the category. This chat is inspired by entries found in the brand-new book The ..read more

The launch of Grand Marnier in the late 1800s helped to establish a new standard for luxury liquor brands. The Cognac-and-orange liqueur also inspired the creation of several delicious cocktails, including the original version of the Bijou.    On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the origin of Grand Marnier, why citrus was so sought-after at the time, and the important role Paris played in creating global trends. This discussion is inspired by entries in Wondrich and Rothbaum’s brand-new book, The Oxford Companion to Spirits ..read more

Everyone has heard at least one story about how the Margarita came to be—at last count, there were seven credible origin stories.   On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum explore the possible stories behind the Margarita’s invention, as well as a groundbreaking advertising campaign by José Cuervo that made the drink a household name. This discussion is inspired by entries in Wondrich and Rothbaum’s brand-new book, The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, which features more than 1,100 entries from 150 expert contributors.    ..read more

The Negroni and the Americano are perennial favorites of professional and amateur bartenders around the world. But when were these classic cocktail recipes created? And how did Italy’s bar culture become a sensation?    On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum delve into the backstory of these drinks and the important cocktail connection between America and Italy. Their discussion was inspired by entries in their brand-new book, the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, which features more than 1,100 entries from 150 expe ..read more

For nearly ten years, Life Behind Bars co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum have been working on a special project: The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails.   A few weeks ago, the nearly 900-page book debuted with more than 1,100 entries from 150 contributors. On this special episode, Wondrich and Rothbaum take you behind the scenes of this massive book to talk about how it came to be and how they put it together. This kicks off a short mini-series of episodes inspired by the Oxford Companion.   So fix yourself a cocktail and listen to this episode of Life Behi ..read more

Rye whiskey beguiles the palate with a range of slow-to-reveal flavors. The same could be said of the spirit’s long and complex history, which continues to delight (and frustrate) modern distillers, historians and journalists.   On this special live episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum assemble a panel of rye-whiskey luminaries: Nicole Austin, general manager and distiller for Cascade Hollow, home of George Dickel; Todd Leopold, co-founder of Leopold Bros. Distillery; and Allen Katz, co-founder of the New York Distilling Company ..read more

The rebirth of the cocktail started in big cities, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. But over the last few years, smaller markets have arguably made the biggest bartending strides.   On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by chef Cheetie Kumar and bartender John Gertsen from the acclaimed restaurant Garland in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kumar and Gertsen share their fascinating life stories and how they came to live and work in the Tar Heel State.    So fix yourself a cocktail an ..read more

People have been writing about drinks as long as they’ve been enjoying them. And with the rebirth of the cocktail during the last 20 years, prices for vintage drinks books have risen dramatically and bargains are much harder to find.    On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by two experts—antiquarian bookseller Lizzy Young and Oxford-educated sociologist and Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur founder Dr. Nicola Nice—to talk about cocktail book collecting and some newly discovered and undervalued volumes. (Yes, d ..read more

Single malt Irish whiskey is in distiller Darryl McNally’s blood. His ancestors made the historic spirit for centuries in Ireland. Now he’s trying to rebuild his family’s Limavady distillery at the northern tip of the island. On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by McNally to talk about his project and his new sherry cask–finished single malt Irish whiskey that just launched in the United States. The trio also chats about the McNally family’s long and spirited history, the state of Irish single malt and his plans f ..read more

From bartenders to craft spirits brands to liquor behemoths, everyone seems to be launching a new canned cocktail these days.    On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by acclaimed Half Full columnist Wayne Curtis to discuss the historic roots of these pre-mixed beverages. (Spoiler alert: They’ve been around in some form for about 150 years.) The trio also talks about some of their favorite canned cocktails, the ground rules for picking new ones to try, and how these drinks will transform the bar world. &nbs ..read more