Serena Kim got bit by the hip hop bug early, and dove into the culture completely. So how did she wind up the co-owner of the Swift House Inn and the popular bar in it? After a stint at Jive Records (among several hip hop labels) and serving as the features editor at Vibe magazine, Serena took her turntables and pens to Middlebury, Vermont to take over the Swift House Inn and start Fancy Fridays at their bar, which has an acclaimed wine list and has become a cocktail stop in the state. She's educating her clientele about dance music, and created this amazing Dance Map playlist for us too: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1c7xS37d1aqjXK0wjLqP98?si=Y3aZ50BRT06LmMW6firG6A

Cristina Allen is the cofounder of Volans Tequila and it's no lie to say that she rocks! Born and raised in Mexico, she brought her love of tequila to the US when she arrived to study sound engineering. She spent 5 years in LA working the boards at such legendary venues as the Roxy and the Troubador, and moved with her husband Chad to Boise where she took the reigns at the Knitting Factory. The pandemic caused her to shift gears and soon she & Chad were devoted to their other love - tequila! They now produce additive free and small batch tequilas, and yes, she still loves heavy metal and classic rock. Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4FfZ1mddfF8OvtiWby3jXa?si=0tLY2eSSSmmVorkI7mSTzw

Ryan Abrams takes us on a little tour of the bar scene in Birmingham, Alabama, where he is a part owner as well as beverage director of the classy cocktail spot, Paper Doll. He found himself becoming charmed by hospitality and the concert scene in his hometown, and those loves led him to becoming more involved in his community. If you come to his bar on the right night, you might find yourself helping to create the playlist. Check out the playlist he shared with us here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3nEAJdsMHp65UEoUwwCz2K?si=RByilcMBR5STSZZysW-2mw

Dave Wondrich is an acclaimed spirits writer and historian - Imbibe is a cocktail classic about mixology in the US - but his journalism career actually kicked off with music. As a bassist, he played in NYC's rock clubs and cabarets at the height of the city's edgiest musical era (late 70s early 80s) before heading to LA to try and get signed with his band, A Blind Dog Stares. That didn't happen, but he did educate his bandmates about scotch along the way. Listen to his tour stories, his path to becoming a leading authority on the bar scene then and now, and some of his music! Also check out his native New Yorker playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2o5uU83DMYzNzGbUWAPGuk?si=XAJzpIP6SoyR8WPpuXepuw

Allegory in Washington D.C. has received accolades from many of the world's most prestigious organizations, and beverage and creative director Deke Dunne is just part of the reason why. We chat about this bar based on a mural featuring civil rights activist Ruby Bridges, the vibrant D.C. bar scene, and the push to make hotel bars respectable again. Deke also gives some tips on how to sing in that Cookie Monster voice without destroying your throat, as he was a vocalist for a bunch of bands over the years (playing bass on an instrument he permanently borrowed didn't quite work out). Check out Deke's playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tn3SzVn10MHzWAhA7CstN?si=4NjnShpPQ5W0FN3_KBPDGw

Michael Aredes, currently at NYC's award winning spot Superbueno, has long worked and championed both bar and audio culture. He has presented a seminar on the link between the two and formerly poured cocktails at James Murphy's (LCD Soundsystem) bar Nightmoves. This former Punch Bartender in Residence came from a very musical family: Michael played many instruments and sang. Now he channels that passion into amazing playlists for his queer Latino pop up, Noche Traviesa, which travels around the country. Check out one of those playlists here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4nVBo0ZgROpByAp0UTYWNZ?si=8f52f3940ff04c4a

Derrick Jones drums in a couple of bands when he's not crafting wild garnishes for the immersive tropical Seattle spot Inside Passage, which lives tucked away inside legendary bar Rumba. Following in his father's footsteps, the Hawaiian native was banging on pots and pans before learning to play drums in all sorts of genres, and currently can be seen on various Seattle club and festival stages. When he isn't there, he's setting up shop not only at Inside Passage, but Rumba and Life on Mars too. He talks about the intense link between music and booze in Seattle on this episode, and picks some tunes for you to listen to as well: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4a8OoHgwX2LlCdFCHTvQ60?si=f2fde51527ec408a

Austin Forshee was a booze slinger in Kalamazoo and then found himself in Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of the opening crew of the celebrated tiki palace, Max's South Seas Hideaway. He went from muddled old fashioneds to training with the legendary Martin Cate, and now balances out all of that exotica with metal (which actually isn't all that uncommon). From banging on the drums to learning all the r(h)ums, Austin tells us how he learned to tiki and also get his Tommy Lee on. Check out his playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3NuKV8Vo8Y7wFP1KVjmj45?si=cc288188edb94e8b