The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

Eric Kozlik
  • 4.7 (71)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Modern Bar Cart Podcast is a weekly discussion of the tools and techniques that make great drinks. Hosted by Modern Bar Cart CEO Eric Kozlik, this cocktail podcast gives great information for home bartenders and industry professionals alike. If you're looking to take your cocktail game to the next level, this is the podcast for you.

  1. The Donn of Tiki with Alex Lamb and Max Well

    8H AGO

    The Donn of Tiki with Alex Lamb and Max Well

    In this fascinating conversation with Max Well and Alex Lamb, directors of The Donn of Tiki, some of the topics we discuss include: How a COVID-era YouTube short on the history of Tiki in LA snowballed into a full-length feature film on one of the most iconic bar entrepreneurs of the 20th century: Ernest Gantt, AKA Donn Beach, AKA "Don the Beachcomber." The way that stop-motion puppetry and clever era-appropriate animations were used to give Donn an embodied presence in his own story, with audio unearthed from a single set of tapes uncovered at the University of Hawaii. The interesting ironies that run through Donn's life, including his propensity to build big and lose everything and the very different love interests who came and went, changing his trajectory and altering the arc of tropical drinks history in the process. We also explore the two seemingly opposed natures operating at the same time in Donn Beach: his unwavering pursuit of authenticity and quality, on the one hand, which was often masked by his flair for showmanship and his trickster-like talent for tall tales and misdirection. Along the way, we revel in Donn's ability to create freak evening thunderstorms with a hose atop his LA speakeasy, speculate about how he might feel about super juice, and even take the time to appreciate his unexpected role in the revival of authentic Hawaiian culture in the 20th century. When this episode airs, Alex and Max will still be touring and doing screenings around the country, so head over to TheDonnOfTiki.com to check out their schedule, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for when this film hits your favorite streaming services in the near future.

    54 min
  2. Your Whiskey Math is Bullsh*t

    JAN 28

    Your Whiskey Math is Bullsh*t

    Eric kicks off 2026 with an audio essay rant targeted at the ham-fisted "percentage" math that people use to answer the question: "How much of a whiskey's flavor comes from the barrel?" In the censored words of George Carlin: "It's all BS, and it's bad for ya." To demonstrate this, we sift through GC-MS whiskey sample results, human neurobiology, and behavioral economics. In the end, it's a poorly posed question invented to solve a problem that doesn't exist, and it colors our expectations about flavor in harmful ways.

    33 min
  3. Sacred Serves: The Rituals that Make Drinking Human

    12/05/2025

    Sacred Serves: The Rituals that Make Drinking Human

    This time around, we'll be taking a look at drinking rituals from around the world. A few months back, my friend Reece Sims asked me to write an article about drinking rituals for her new publication, The Flavour Report. She has graciously agreed to let me read the article on-air and give you all a bit of a "Director's Cut" version of the article, entitled: Sacred Serves: The Rituals That Make Drinking Human. For those of you who have the opportunity to enjoy a few drinks with family and friends this holiday season, I hope some of these thoughts about the importance of ritual, hospitality, gratitude, and the sometimes radical act of coming together can help you to appreciate some of those moments even more. Please remember, as always, to drink responsibly and experiment boldly. Additional Resource: Video of Queimada Ritual (WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT AT HOME)

    26 min
  4. The Bartender's Manifesto with Toby Maloney

    11/17/2025

    The Bartender's Manifesto with Toby Maloney

    Eric interviews Toby Maloney (@tobycocktail) about his award-winning book, The Bartender's Manifesto. Some of the topics covered in this conversation include: How Toby thinks about cocktail development, including the importance of inspiration, intention, comfort, and curiosity The importance of curated attention in the creative process, allowing you to notice aspects  of the world around you that can be used as inspiration and structural components for cocktail building A live cocktail development case study, where Toby and Eric riff on a menu prompt and create their very own custom cocktail worthy of inclusion on a seasonal menu. Along the way, they explore the Fall-friendly flavors of pisco and tequila, the strange betrayal of curried potatoes, the speculative physics of anti-gravity cocktails, and much, much more.

    45 min
  5. Building Iconic Bar Programs with Toby Maloney

    10/30/2025

    Building Iconic Bar Programs with Toby Maloney

    In this modern classic conversation with bartender and beverage consultant Toby Maloney, some of the topics we discuss include: Toby's journey through the food and beverage world, from bussing and dishwashing, to culinary school, to tending bar, eventually landing gigs at famous venues like Milk & Honey, and Pegu Club, and going on to open The Violet Hour in Chicago. The decisions and philosophies (plus the techniques and ingredients) that allowed Toby and his cohort at The Violet Hour to open the hearts and minds of the people of Chicago to the paradigm shift that was the Cocktail Renaissance. What it's like to open a bar in 2025, specifically with respect to the ingredients and philosophies that carry over well from the last 15-20 years, and which practices and vibes might need a refresh. Then, we take a close look at how Toby is setting the tone at The Elbow Room with pre-batched "Flavor Booms," free pours, dirty dumps, a Hawthorne strainer moratorium,  and other service speed innovations. Along the way, we learn why people hated The Violet Hour Team at first, how to "David-Chang-ify" a food or beverage program, why Gen Z is primed for their "Fern Bar" moment, and much, much more. If you like this conversation with Toby, well buckle up for part 2, where we dig even deeper into how he develops cocktails, complete with a live, on-air cocktail building exercise. But for now, please enjoy part 1 of this super fun interview with Toby Maloney.

    40 min
  6. Episode 304 - The Cigar Blend Dilemma with Maggie Kimberl

    10/10/2025

    Episode 304 - The Cigar Blend Dilemma with Maggie Kimberl

    In this smokey, robust conversation with cigar and whiskey expert Maggie Kimberl (@lougirl502), some of the topics we discuss include: A working definition of "cigar blend whiskey," plus some specific thoughts on the ideal proof point for these types of blends. The two primary pairing strategies that you can use to pair any two items in the flavor world, whether you're talking about wine and food, whiskey and cigars, or even building the perfect charcuterie bite. How to think about "flexibility" in the whiskey and cigar pairing space. Essentially: is a given whiskey designed to pair with a wide range of cigars, or has a blender designed it to pair with one cigar in particular? Then, we look at cigars. We talk about how a cigar is going to change as you smoke it, how to think about size metrics like shape and ring gauge relative to other factors like robustness and country of origin, and the best way to leverage online reviews and your local tobacconist to help you navigate the scene. We wrap up by talking about some of the more recent trends and collaborations in the whiskey and cigar world, exploring certain ways in which cigar blends and pairing collaborations are getting better, and even more complex at the same time. Along the way, we cover what your breakfast beverage of choice says about your taste in cigars, which $25 bottle of whiskey Maggie ended up pairing with a $1000 cigar, the results of her 7-month Manhattan study, and much, much more.

    1h 3m
  7. Episode 303 - The Official Rum of Leisure with Malcolm Gosling Jr.

    09/25/2025

    Episode 303 - The Official Rum of Leisure with Malcolm Gosling Jr.

    In this smooth-sailing conversation with Malcolm Gosling Jr., 8th generation steward of the Goslings Rum company, some of the topics we discuss include: How a lapsed ship charter to Virginia kicked off the Gosling family's spirited enterprise on the humble 21 square mile rock in the middle of the Atlantic known as Bermuda. The ways in which Goslings rum both conforms to and expands what most rum nerds think of when they hear the term "British-style Caribbean rum," and why the family's roots in sourcing, blending, and retail are key to the entire flavor profile and identity. We also dig into two key brand stories: the origins of the "Black Seal Rum" name and logo, which involves upcycling Champagne Bottles used by the British navy, and of course the legend of how one poor bartender's failure to politely cut off a drunk guy is responsible for the Dark 'N Stormy cocktail. And we wrap up by covering some of Goslings Rum's longer-aged and special edition products that will pique the interest of any rum enthusiast, including their "Spirited Seas" project that's aged aboard the Oleander cargo ship. Along the way, we discover why pigs gave Bermuda a scary reputation back in the day, explore some of the creative activations Malcolm and his team are pursuing as "The Official Rum of Leisure," take a spin in crazy aunt Shiela's industrial rum swizzle machine, and much, much more. SPECIAL RESOURCE: Webinar Link: Signature Serves: Building Simple, Viral, Brand-Driven Cocktails

    1h 22m
  8. Episode 302 - Shop Talk: On-Premise Positioning for Spirits Brands

    09/09/2025

    Episode 302 - Shop Talk: On-Premise Positioning for Spirits Brands

    View the video of this seminar: here! 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 looks at things distillers and spirits brands can be doing to create successful partnerships with bars and restaurants.

    52 min
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About

The Modern Bar Cart Podcast is a weekly discussion of the tools and techniques that make great drinks. Hosted by Modern Bar Cart CEO Eric Kozlik, this cocktail podcast gives great information for home bartenders and industry professionals alike. If you're looking to take your cocktail game to the next level, this is the podcast for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Eric Kozlik
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    329
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 | Modern Bar Cart, LLC
  • Show Website
    The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

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