The Cocktail Academy Podcast
1) Saeed “Hawk” House on Bartending, Cocktail Content Creation & Making Drinks Fun Again
Saeed “Hawk” House – better known online as @cocktailsbyhawk – joins Damian to talk about his path from Bay Area barback to LA content creator, why he still thinks like a working bartender, and how in...Show More
2) Sother Teague (Amor y Amargo): Bitterness, Balance & the Beauty of Saying No
From culinary classrooms to cocktail culture, Sother Teague has built one of the most distinctive bars in the world... Amor y Amargo in New York’s East Village by doing what few dared: saying no to ju...Show More
3) Kiki Lounge: Building a Tropical Bar on a Not-So-Tropical Island
On this episode, Damian Cole sits down with Jamie Lewis and Drew Fleming from Kiki Lounge — the award-winning bar bringing tropical escapism to the windswept Isle of Man. The pair share how a pandemic...Show More
4) Emma Janzen: Translating Bartender Brilliance into the Written Word
This week Damian is joined by Emma Janzen, an award-winning journalist and drinks writer whose byline has become a fixture in the cocktail world. What started as a happy accident — cocktail classes in...Show More
5) Lost Irish: The Tim Herlihy Interview
This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian welcomes back Tim Herlihy, co-founder of Lost Irish Whiskey, storyteller, and longtime champion of Irish hospitality.Tim’s journey is anything but ord...Show More
6) How to Taste with Mandy Naglich: Unlocking Flavor, Aroma & becoming a better taster
This week Damian is joined by Mandy Naglich, an Advanced Cicerone®, certified taster, drinks writer, and author of How to Taste. Mandy’s journey into the world of flavor started with homebrewing, wher...Show More
7) The Whiskey Bible with Noah Rothbaum
This week, we sit down with one of the most influential voices in modern drinks journalism — Noah Rothbaum, author, editor, historian, and the man behind some of the most important cocktail publicatio...Show More
8) David Wondrich: From Imbibe! to the Oxford Companion and beyond.
This week I’m joined by none other than David Wondrich – cocktail historian, author, and one of the most influential voices in the modern drinks world. If you’ve ever picked up Imbibe!, mixed a punch ...Show More
9) From Pastor to Cocktail Creator: Jordan Hughes, the High-Proof Preacher
This week on the podcast, Damian is joined by Jordan Hughes, better known as the High-Proof Preacher — a former pastor turned cocktail creator, photographer, author, and educator. Jordan has become on...Show More
10) Live from Bourbon Street: The Irish House at Tales 2025
This week, we’re taking you straight to Bourbon Street for a very special episode recorded live at the legendary Irish House event during Tales of the Cocktail 2025.Forget the quiet studio chat — this...Show More