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Today on the show we talk Ilias Mastroganis, who makes Mastroganis Ouzo and Grappa out in Washington State.
 
Book of the Week:
Road Soda Recipes and Techniques for Making Great Drinks Anywhere by our friend Kara Newman. This is a fun little book about making drinks in Planes, Trains and Hotel Rooms, or wherever you might be.
Every year TOTC runs a competition to determine the official drink of the year for Tales. There is a cash price. They award the prize at the yearly Toast to Tales which is the official kick off of the event. This year the theme is the French 75. Enter here.
Our sponsor this week is Shaker and Spoon cocktail club. They’ll send you a box of great ingredients every month – enough to make 4 portions each of 3 great craft cocktails. You just need to pick up one bottle of whatever spirit is called for that month. These are all original recipes sourced from awesome bartenders all around the US like our friend Cocktail Guru Jonathan Pogash, Souther Teige, Pam Wiz and lots more.
The next box is the Rum Wild box. Order by March 31 and you can get in on this. If you use the coupon code “Bartender” you’ll save $20! If you don’t get your order in on time, don’t worry, shaker and spoon will be doing another box next month! It’s a great way to open your cocktail making horizons.
Each box comes with all the syrups, bitters, garnishes, mixers, citrus you need to make some delicious craft cocktails. Plus you get recipe cards for each drink. The boxes are put together by Mike and Anna in Brooklyn and shipped out to you monthly. You can always skip a box if you prefer.   Go over to shakerandspoon.com – there are lots of great how-to videos to check out there and I hope you’ll sign up for Shaker and Spoon cocktail club and save $20 and show your support for this show by using the coupon code “Bartender”!
 
I went to a couple interesting events this week put on by our friend Walter Easterbrook and sponsored by Woodford Reserve. It was called Beyond the Bar. There was a life coach - Tom Summers, a really smart business woman named Natalie Freihon and Lynnette Marrero.
Walter is going to continue this series with small sessions of 10-12 bartenders where they will have interaction with the top professionals
- Finance
-Personal branding
- PR media  -Wellness and more
If you are in the NY area and want to get in on this, let me know and I’ll get you hooked up. Shoot me an email at brian@bartenderjourney.net
 
Besides being the Woodford Reserve brand ambassador, Walter has a company called the Bowery Collective. One of the Bowery Collecitve’s biggest event of the year is Arte Agave. But in the meantime, put this date on your calendar if you are or can be in the NY Area Friday June 16. It’s a very cool event held at the beautiful Bowery Hotel in Manhattan. Its a “Unique celebration of fine agave spirits and Arts and Entertainment, inspired by the richness of Latino Culture”.
Cocktail of the Week:
El Diablo
1½ oz. reposado tequila ½ oz. crème de cassis ½ oz. fresh lime juice 2–3 oz. ginger beer
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Toast of the Week:
Laugh and the world laughs with you.
Weep and the world laughs at you.