Bardtenders

Bardtenders

You’re listening to Bardtenders! A Dungeons & Dragons Podcast where a group of bartenders escape their lives behind bars and trade in their shakers for dice. Join us each episode as we put liquids in cups, discuss the world of hospitality and bartending, and whomp monsters along the way! You can check us out on social media @bardtenders or at https://www.bardtender.com/ to check out our shows, explore new content, snag some food & beverage education, and so much more! 

  1. The Mixing Glass | Heard House 2026 | Guest Shift - Matan Steinfeld

    6 days ago

    The Mixing Glass | Heard House 2026 | Guest Shift - Matan Steinfeld

    Live from Fort Worth, Texas!  The Bardtenders head to Fort Worth for the third annual Heard House to bring you live episodes with some amazing hospitality professionals. The Bardtenders had the chance to stay at the Heard House sponsored by Heard Card Game where bartenders from around the country came together to share their stories, gain access to education opportunities, and create some amazing memories along the way. Join us over the next several weeks as these bartenders share their experiences in the hospitality industry! In this episode of "The Mixing Glass", Matan Steinfeld joins us to talk about what it takes to pursue the career you want to have and the importance of quality bar tools - like those made at Bull in China!  ------------ Like many young people before him with an underdeveloped frontal cortex and questionable decision-making skills, Matan realized early on that a traditional corporate career  did not suit his personality. Inspired heavily by his college life in New Orleans, he decided the world of booze, bars, and hospitality felt a lot more interesting than becoming another soulless finance bro. Pivoting away from that path, he started barbacking at a fancy bar and bottling at a local distillery before moving to New York City as a liquor sales rep representing brands under Diageo and Moët Hennessy. It was there that he fell in love with spirits, wine, cocktail culture, and the world of truly great bars and restaurants. Eventually, Matan found himself back in his hometown of Portland, Oregon where he met the original founders of Bull in China. He immediately connected with their mission of making professional-grade bar tools built specifically for bartenders, and eventually purchased the company from them. Since taking over Bull in China, Matan has dedicated himself full-time to designing and sourcing barware that balances durability, functionality, and unapologetic beauty. Whether it’s solving common frustrations behind the bar or creating unnecessarily luxurious versions of everyday tools, he’s constantly chasing ways to make great barware feel even better in the hand. ---------- Don't miss out on any of the action!  Head to www.bardtender.com to stay up to date with all of the Bardtender content, find resources for mental and physical well-being, get access to education materials, and check out what all of our bards are up to! Support the show

    1hr 22min
  2. The Mixing Glass | Heard House 2026 | Guest Shift - Molly Cummings

    15 Jun

    The Mixing Glass | Heard House 2026 | Guest Shift - Molly Cummings

    Live from Fort Worth, Texas!  The Bardtenders head to Fort Worth for the third annual Heard House to bring you live episodes with some amazing hospitality professionals. The Bardtenders had the chance to stay at the Heard House sponsored by Heard Card Game where bartenders from around the country came together to share their stories, gain access to education opportunities, and create some amazing memories along the way. Join us over the next several weeks as these bartenders share their experiences in the hospitality industry! In this episode of "The Mixing Glass", Molly Cummings talks about her choice to leave the world of academia behind to pursue opening a distillery with her family. We also take a deep dive into the main ingredients in gin - Juniper! Molly shares her stories in foraging local Texas Juniper and how to work with botanicals when developing your own spirits.  ------------ While being a Biology Professor at the University of Texas in Austin, Molly Cummings founded WildGins Co. —makers of the only gins in the world featuring native Texas Junipers.  Of the 8 native Texas juniper species, Molly found the best two for gin in West Texas. WildBark West Texas Dry Gin features the Alligator Juniper—a juniper that grows above 5,000 ft in the West Texas Mountains— and is a bold Texas take on the classic London Dry.  WildJune Western Style Gin features the Redberry Juniper—a juniper that grows only in the high plains of West Texas—and offers a wildly unique Texas spin on gin. WildGins honors our trees by putting the batch-specific tree names on their side labels—making them the world’s first single-origin gin.   WildGins Co. also preserves the lands that give us these unique Texas junipers by giving proceeds to the West Texas chapter of The Nature Conservancy with their ‘Give a Wild Buck’ campaign. They invite you to ‘Take a Sip on the Wild Side’ and Celebrate Texas Biodiversity with WildGins! ---------- Don't miss out on any of the action!  Head to www.bardtender.com to stay up to date with all of the Bardtender content, find resources for mental and physical well-being, get access to education materials, and check out what all of our bards are up to! Support the show

    55 min
  3. The Mixing Glass | Heard House 2026 | Guest Shift - Tobias Steeves

    1 Jun

    The Mixing Glass | Heard House 2026 | Guest Shift - Tobias Steeves

    Live from Fort Worth, Texas!  The Bardtenders head to Fort Worth for the third annual Heard House to bring you live episodes with some amazing hospitality professionals. The Bardtenders had the chance to stay at the Heard House sponsored by Heard Card Game where bartenders from around the country came together to share their stories, gain access to education opportunities, and create some amazing memories along the way. Join us over the next several weeks as these bartenders share their experiences in the hospitality industry! In this episode of "The Mixing Glass", Tobias Steeves discusses his journey in the world of hospitality, building a customer base in a small community in South Dakota, and The Flying Spaghetti Monster.  ------------ Tobias Steeves grew up as a Military Brat across the country with his 8 siblings, but started his hospitality and bartending journey in downtown Colorado Springs, CO, at The Archives (an underground cocktail bar) where he cut his teeth as a barback/bartender and was there for several years. Tobias has worked at several other bars over the years and is a member of the US Bartenders' Guild.  He has competed in numerous cocktail competitions and won the 2021 Fernet Branca Barback Games. He was also the runner up in 2022’s Patron Perfectionist, 2021’s Hampton Water Rocking Rose by Bon Jovi, and has had multiple World Class by Diageo top 10 /and top 30 placements.  In 2021 Tobias moved to Spearfish, South Dakota, and after 6 months of living there he took ownership of a small local Italian restaurant where he began building up the local cocktail and beverage scene through the restaurant.  In July of 2025 he built and opened his first cocktail lounge in the basement of the building where my restaurant is located. Tobis is also a self-proclaimed massive nerd and loves Fernet! ---------- Don't miss out on any of the action!  Head to www.bardtender.com to stay up to date with all of the Bardtender content, find resources for mental and physical well-being, get access to education materials, and check out what all of our bards are up to! Support the show

    1hr 6min

About

You’re listening to Bardtenders! A Dungeons & Dragons Podcast where a group of bartenders escape their lives behind bars and trade in their shakers for dice. Join us each episode as we put liquids in cups, discuss the world of hospitality and bartending, and whomp monsters along the way! You can check us out on social media @bardtenders or at https://www.bardtender.com/ to check out our shows, explore new content, snag some food & beverage education, and so much more!