Radio Imbibe

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off our coverage of the 2025 Imbibe 75 list of people and places sure to change we drink in the months ahead with this conversation with Howard Conyers. Trained as an aeronautic engineer and with a resume that includes work with NASA, he’s also a barbecue pit master and now a distiller at his family’s Backyard Distillery in Manning, South Carolina. For this episode, he shares the story behind his multifaceted career path, and the significance of moonshine and barbecue in rural and Black communities in the South.

Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us at imbibemagazine.com, and on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook, and if you're not already a subscriber, we'd love to have you join us—click here to subscribe.

The Brandy Crusta isn’t only an essential New Orleans cocktail, it’s a key part of cocktail history, too. New Orleans bartender Chris Hannah first refined his approach to the Crusta while working at Arnaud’s French 75, and today the cocktail is a central part of the story at Jewel of the South, the French Quarter bar and restaurant where he’s a partner. For this episode, Chris Hannah shares the significance of the Brandy Crusta, and talks us through the Jewel of the South approach to the cocktail today.

Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us at imbibemagazine.com, and on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook, and if you're not already a subscriber, we'd love to have you join us—click here to subscribe.

Australian bartender Sam Ross first made his name in the New York City bar world at Milk & Honey, working under Sasha Petraske and alongside longtime business partner Michael McIlroy. Today, Ross is the co-owner of Attaboy, along with a growing list of bars and cafes. For this episode, we talk about the duo’s newest New York bar, Good Guy’s; the growth of their bar group in New York City and Nashville; and about his role as creator of modern classic cocktails including the Penicillin and the Paper Plane.

Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us at imbibemagazine.com, and on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook, and if you're not already a subscriber, we'd love to have you join us—click here to subscribe.

Audrey Saunders has been one of the world’s most influential bartenders and bar owners for more than 25 years, at places including Blackbird and Bemelman’s Bar starting in the 1990s, followed by her pioneering New York City bar, Pegu Club. In this episode, Saunders makes her first-ever appearance on a podcast, sharing details behind her role in restoring the Tom & Jerry to prominence as a holiday drink; other favorite holiday cocktails; and what life has in store for her following Pegu Club’s permanent closure in 2020.

Tom & Jerry

Go old-school with this recipe by beating the batter with a whisk or mixer—or take Audrey Saunders’ recommendations from this episode, and use a food processor to speed things up.

Batter
6 eggs, separated
1 pound sugar
1 ounce aged rum
3 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 dashes Angostura bitters

For each drink
6 oz. milk
1 oz. aged rum
1 oz. Cognac

Make the batter: In a bowl (or a food processor), beat the egg yolks until thin. While still beating, slowly add the sugar, rum, vanilla, spices, and bitters. Separately, beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the yolk mixture. Refrigerate the batter in a large container overnight.

To serve, heat the milk in a hot pot or a small saucepan until boiling. While the milk warms, pre-heat the serving cups, and use a whisk to recombine the batter. For each drink, add 2 oz. of batter, 1 oz. each of rum and cognac, then slowly top with boiling milk, whisking the drink until foamy and well-combined. Top with grated nutmeg.

Adapted by Audrey Saunders

Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us at imbibemagazine.com, and on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and if you're not already a subscriber, we'd love to have you join us—click here to subscribe.

Sother Teague is the author of I’m Just Here for the Drinks, a co-host with Damon Boelte of The Speakeasy podcast, and beverage director of Amor y Amargo in New York City. For this episode, he walks us through incorporating bitter liqueurs into holiday cocktails; mixes an Amor y Amargo original, the Bald Mountain; and discusses the state of his bar in the COVID era.

In 2018, Teague was profiled by Shanna Farrell for Imbibe, focusing on his advocacy for mental health care among bartenders and other hospitality professionals. In this episode, he shares resources he’s found helpful during the COVID crisis, including FOH (Focus on Health, from bartenders Lauren Paylor and Alex Jump), and The Healthtender, from bartender Amie Ward. For more coverage of mental-health issues, including links to available resources, check out our 2018 profile and this article from April 2020.

Bald Mountain

1 oz. Varnelli Punch Fantasia

1⁄2 oz. aged rum (Amor y Amargo uses The Real McCoy)

1⁄2 oz. overproof rum (Amor y Amargo uses Smith & Cross)

1⁄2 oz. rich cinnamon syrup

1⁄4 oz. Giffard Caribbean Pineapple Liqueur

2 dashes Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters

Mulled Hot Water, to top

Glass: 8 oz. mug or cup (Amor y Amargo uses the iconic New York City takeout coffee cup)

Garnish: orange twist, fresh-grated nutmeg

Combine all of the ingredients in a cup, and top with mulled hot water. Twist a piece of orange peel over the drink, and sprinkle with fresh-grated nutmeg.

Rich Cinnamon Syrup: In a saucepan, combine 2 cups of demerara sugar, 1 cup of water, and 4 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces. Bring to a boil while whisking to dissolve sugar, then let simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool, then strain and bottle for use; keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Mulled Hot Water: Fill a small saucepan or electric kettle with water, then add one or two cinnamon sticks, several whole cloves, and a couple of whole star anise, to taste. Let mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes, and keep warm for serving.

Blake Walker

Amor y Amargo, New York City

Radio Imbibe is the audio home of Imbibe magazine. In each episode, we dive into liquid culture, exploring the people, places, and flavors of the drinkscape through conversations about cocktails, coffee, beer, spirits, and wine. Keep up with us at imbibemagazine.com, and on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and if you're not already a subscriber, we'd love to have you join us—click here to subscribe.