The Curious Bartender Podcast

Tristan Stephenson
  • 5.0 (12)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Conversations on food and drink through history, science, culture and geography with bestselling author and bar person Tristan Stephenson

  1. #61 Claire Warner - Non-Alc, Social Connection, Healthspan, Happiness, Dry January

    6D AGO

    #61 Claire Warner - Non-Alc, Social Connection, Healthspan, Happiness, Dry January

    Spotify will now include a video version of the podcast 🎉 Which also means I've done away with the introduction (probably also a 🎉 for most of you). These show notes will offer a glimpse though, as well as the chapter markers. To support please share, like & subscirbe. Claire is a veteran of the hospitality industry having served as Global Belvedere Vodka Ambassador for many years, before moving into the non-alc space when she co-founded Æcorn Aperitifs with Seedlip founder Ben Branson. She has served as the Head of Luxury brands at Diageo, is a non-exec at Tales of the Cocktail, and spends great deal of time these days extolling the virtues of third spaces, social connection, and responsible consumption. This episode is sponsored by Algebra Drinks - use code CURIOUS15 to get 15% off at https://algebradrinks.com/ 00:00 Is Dry January Still Relevant? 05:01 The Gamification of Health 07:35 The Growth of Alcohol Free Brands - Function, Marketing, Occasions 18:10 The Cost of Non-Alcoholic Brands vs. Alcohol, Homemade Non-Alcohol Spirits, Legacy of Seedlip 24:40 Is Alcohol An Important Part of Socialising? 29:05 How is Socialising Changing? Atrophy of the Social Muscle 40:30 The Loneliness Epidemic 44:58 Hospitality as a Framework for Social Development 52:25 What Are Gen Z Doing if They’re Not Drinking? 55:02 Can Being Fit Mitigate the Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption? 1:04:40 Is Sugar Still Bad? Sweeteners: Taste & Health 1:08:30 Alcohol & Sleep 1:10:30 Solutions to the Hospitality & Social Crisis: Evolution of Hospitality 1:15:55 GLP1 Inhibitors and Hospitality 1:19:10 Is Health Just Another Trend?

    1h 25m
  2. #60 Will Hawkes - 500 Best Pubs, Pub History, Cask Ale, Craft Beer, Guinness

    JAN 12

    #60 Will Hawkes - 500 Best Pubs, Pub History, Cask Ale, Craft Beer, Guinness

    Is the British pub dying? In this episode I’m joined by beer and pub writer Will Hawkes, who has spent years travelling the country and visiting thousands of pubs for his reporting. We talk honestly about where British pub culture stands in the 2020's: the closures, the economic pressures, but also the surprising resurgence of affection for traditional boozers with carpets, darts boards and multiple rooms. Will argues that while the industry has been shrinking for over a century, what people still crave is the warmth, social glue and sense of belonging that only a great pub can provide. From there we explore how pubs have evolved since the post-war years, from the dominance of breweries and the rise of the Big Six, through to gastropubs, craft beer and the shifting power of pub companies. Will explains why the person running a pub matters more than anything else, how regional quirks still define pub culture, and why some fiercely idiosyncratic rural pubs continue to thrive despite being miles from anywhere. We also dive into pub history – from gin palaces and tiled Victorian interiors to misleading claims about “the oldest pub in England” – and what really separates a pub from a bar or restaurant. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about class, nostalgia, architecture, community and why, despite everything, pubs still matter. https://www.willhawkes.net/ Thanks for listening, to support please share, like and subscribe.

    1h 29m
  3. #59 Rémy Savage - Are Drinks Art? Bar Concepts, Philosophy of Creativity, AI in Hospitality, Designing Drinks, Motivation, Baguettes

    JAN 5

    #59 Rémy Savage - Are Drinks Art? Bar Concepts, Philosophy of Creativity, AI in Hospitality, Designing Drinks, Motivation, Baguettes

    Rémy is the founder and co-founder of some of the most talked-about venues of the last five years, including A Bar with Shapes for a Name, Bar Nouveau, and his most recent Paris project, Abstract. His work is unapologetically high-concept, with design, intent and philosophy baked into every decision. This is one of the most thought-provoking and, at times, intellectually demanding conversations I’ve recorded so far. Together we dig into the fundamentals of art, creativity, motivation and human nature, using drinks and bars as the jumping-off point. We discuss whether drinks can truly be considered art, why it can sometimes be useful to make guests feel uncomfortable, how Rémy develops new cocktails, and why children might actually help us understand flavour better. We explore where the line between art and craft begins to blur, whether legacy really matters, what technology might offer hospitality, and how it could just as easily threaten it. There’s also a full lowdown on all of Rémy’s venues, plus a wider discussion on whether bars can still play a meaningful role in society. Whether this is your first episode or you’ve been listening for a while, welcome to 2026. I’ve got an exceptional run of guests lined up over the coming weeks, so make sure you’re subscribed. Missing out would be a pretty poor way to start the year. Links Rémy Savage (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/remysavage A Bar with Shapes for a Name: https://www.abarwithshapesforaname.com Bar Nouveau: https://www.instagram.com/barnouveauparis Abstract Paris: https://www.instagram.com/abstract.paris

    2h 16m
  4. #58 Best of 2025 - 12 Conversations that Shaped My Thinking

    12/29/2025

    #58 Best of 2025 - 12 Conversations that Shaped My Thinking

    Big thanks to all of my guests this year - every one of you brought amazing things to the conversation and I am incredible grateful to you all. Here though are 12 conversations that really stood out - if you like what you hear be sure to check out the full episode if you haven't already. See you next year... 00:00 Introduction 02:50 Sandor Katz - The History of Fermentation 05:50 Serge Valentin - Are We Taking Whisky too Seriously? 08:15 Tony Cecchini - How the Cosmopolitan Was Invented 24:10 Harold McGee - That Magic of Salt & Seasoning 27:15 Jeffrey Morgenthaler - How To Start a Trend 31:06 Jared Brown & Anastasia Miller - The Origins of Distillation 34:34 Kevin Armstrong - Souring Agents in Cocktails 37:07 Dave Broom - On Writing and Researching 40:36 Henrietta Lovell - Where Does Tea Come From? 43:46 David Mabberley - Is Citrus Doomed? 47:01 Luca Gargano - Haiti and Clairin 53:04 Megs Miller - Exploring Agave Species for Wellness

    59 min
  5. #57 Gabe Cook - How Cider is Made, Appreciating Cider, Cider History, Growing Apples, Cider Producers, English Cider, American Cider

    12/22/2025

    #57 Gabe Cook - How Cider is Made, Appreciating Cider, Cider History, Growing Apples, Cider Producers, English Cider, American Cider

    Gabe Cook (aka Ciderologist) is a cider expert and educator based in the UK. On the episode (recorded at Haywood Cider Farm in Cornwall) we take a deep dive into the culture, history and appreciation of cider, tasting our way through half a dozen English and American ciders. See links below for those producers and products. Find Gabe here - https://www.theciderologist.com/ Tasty Stuff -https://www.haywoodfarmcider.co.uk/https://www.wildingcider.co.ukhttps://www.baumanscider.comhttps://www.greggs-pit.co.ukhttps://oliversciderandperry.co.uk/https://chancecider.com/

    2h 1m
  6. #56 Simon Difford - Diffordsguide.com, CLASS Mag, 28 Years of Publishing, Influential Bars & Bartenders, London, Sauce Guides, Jiggers, Daiquiris

    12/15/2025

    #56 Simon Difford - Diffordsguide.com, CLASS Mag, 28 Years of Publishing, Influential Bars & Bartenders, London, Sauce Guides, Jiggers, Daiquiris

    Simon is a writer, publisher and business entrepreneur. He is the founder of Diffordsguide.com, Class Magazine and Difford's Guide to Cocktails book Series which is now in its 18th Edition. To support the show please rate and subscribe - thanks!

    1h 23m
  7. #55 Dr. Johnny Drain - Hacking Flavour, Microbes, Food Systems, Gut Health, Chocolate without Cocoa, Future of Food

    12/08/2025

    #55 Dr. Johnny Drain - Hacking Flavour, Microbes, Food Systems, Gut Health, Chocolate without Cocoa, Future of Food

    Dr. Johnny Drain is a materials scientist turned fermentation obsessive, flavour innovator, and co-founder of the cocoa-free chocolate company pushing the industry to rethink everything it thought it knew about cacao. Johnny’s one of those rare thinkers who can sit comfortably in the worlds of cutting-edge science and high-end hospitality. He’s worked with some of the most boundary-pushing restaurants and bars on the planet, helping them unlock new flavours, reduce waste, and harness the incredible power of microbes. His new book, Adventures in Fermentation, is part manifesto, part manual, part love-letter to the invisible life that shapes what we eat and drink. In this episode, we get into the evolution of chocolate, the future of fermentation, how microbes actually make flavour, why pasteurisation isn’t the enemy, what gut science is really telling us, and what a “sound-tuned” ferment might taste like. It’s a conversation about flavour, sustainability, identity, and the weird, wonderful magic of transformation. Settle in — this is a fascinating deep dive with one of the most interesting flavour thinkers working today. Where to find Johnny:Website: drjohnnydrain.com Book: Adventures in Fermentation (available now in print + audiobook) podscan_ABnstXrbweK9idIY2nCk9XKfeChCbWtD

    1h 43m
  8. #54 Richard Seale - Barbados Rum, Foursquare Distillery, Rum Distillation, Rum History, Rum Fermentation

    12/01/2025

    #54 Richard Seale - Barbados Rum, Foursquare Distillery, Rum Distillation, Rum History, Rum Fermentation

    In this episode, Richard Seale of Foursquare Distillery joins me for a fast-moving deep dive into the history, culture and technology of rum — from 17th-century Barbados to the modern distillery.Key Topics:Is Barbados the birthplace of rum?Richard explains why the island is the true origin of cultural rum-making — not because it was “first”, but because it produced the earliest consequential, documented rum industry with skilled distillers, equipment, trade routes and scale. Sugar, the Dutch, and the rise of an industryWe explore how Dutch traders brought Brazilian sugar technology, how Barbados’ wind and water resources made large-scale production possible, and how early planters rapidly adopted boiling, milling and distillation methods. Early rum wasn’t crudeContrary to modern assumptions, 17th-century rum was sophisticated: spontaneous fermentations managed with skimmings and dunder, double distillation in copper, and a deep practical understanding of acidity and microbial balance. Export markets and the fall from dominanceBarbados supplied the American colonies with vast volumes of rum until war, revolution and hurricanes collapsed its export market — paving the way for Jamaica and others to dominate. The sugar industry’s long arcRichard traces the rise, centralisation and 20th-century collapse of Barbados sugar, from hundreds of estates to the single remaining factory today. The double retort pot stillA highlight of the conversation: why the double retort became the Caribbean’s signature still. Richard explains its structure, how low wines and high wines recycling works, and why it produces high proof, clean separations and excellent ester development. Batch vs continuous distillationWe cut through common myths: pot stills versus continuous stills, why “hybrid still” is a misnomer, why strength doesn’t equal flavour loss, and how batch and continuous distillation differ fundamentally in chemistry and output.

    2h 55m
See All (61)

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Conversations on food and drink through history, science, culture and geography with bestselling author and bar person Tristan Stephenson

Information

  • Creator
    Tristan Stephenson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tristan Stephenson
  • Show Website
    The Curious Bartender Podcast

You Might Also Like