The Philip Duff Show – Details, episodes & analysis

Ruben’s an old friend from Amsterdam, a native Aruban who bartended in Amsterdam and London, and whose life was changed by a Diplomatico rum training he attended while working as a flair bartender at London’s famed Roadhouse. 

(That training was given by none other than Declan McGurk, himself a former flair bartender, who went on to become Director of Bars at The Savoy, leading them to a #1 spot on W50BB, and is now  Commercial Director for Boatyard Gin) 

Ruben went back to Amsterdam with rum in his heart and started Spirited Union rum, inventing “botanical rum”as a category in the process, delivering orders in person, on his bicycle, for the first few years. 

He then crowdfunded (!) buying the former Our/Vodka distillery & bar from Pernod-Ricard, whose bar, cocktail classes and rum blending workshops have made it the #1 activity in the Netherlands on TripAdvisor.  

(Last week’s episode was with Brendan Bartley, btw, who bought the Our/Vodka NY bar & distillery and reopened it as Hello Hello Cafe & Bar and Silent Alibi distillery, making 11th Hour Coffee liqueur and more). 

Ruben’s gone from strength to strength with Spirited Union rum, exporting across Europe, to the UK, and to five states in the US (where their first customer was Whole Foods!) and recently started Pineapple Drinks Club to import & distribute founder-led brands in the Netherlands. 

Enjoy! 

Ruben on IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_rubenmaduro?igsh=MWJtaTFwYnB5d2ljbA==

Ruben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-maduro

Spirited Union on IG: https://www.instagram.com/spirited_union_rum?igsh=MWFxbGxxYTJvZ3E5bg==

Pineapple Drinks Club on IG: https://www.instagram.com/pineappledrinksclub?igsh=bDg5NXNvZjRmOGN5

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Brendan's a hell of a cool guy: Australian, learned distilling in parallel with his university medical and science studies back home, got a Phd from NYU, GM of New York's hugely fun Bathtub Gin, and in late 2025 he opened Hello Hello Bar and Silent Alibi distillery, both of which are in the West 26th Street space in Manhattan  formerly occupied by the New York branch of Pernod-Ricard's epically failed Our/Vodka distillery program. 

This is a proper long Philip-Duff-Show episode, so settle in! 

We kick off talking neuroscience and Ozempic (because of course) and it quickly morphs into Brendan's career path, immigration advice, bartender training, how they got hold of a distillery smack dab in the middle of Manhattan, what they do at the distillery, and his consulting work formulating liquids for clients as well as running two bars and a distillery, and we taste their first brand, the amazing 11th Hour Coffee Liqueur, as well as a rum brand from a consulting project he's working on and a million other things besides. 

Enjoy!

Brendan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b.is.somewhere?igsh=MWI0MzEzdGJjajBiag==

11th Hour Coffee Liqueur: https://www.instagram.com/drink11thhour/

Hello Hello bar: https://www.instagram.com/hellohellobar/?hl=en

Bathtub Gin: https://www.instagram.com/bathtubginnyc/?hl=en

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

I've been a fan of Ben's since his first book, Schott's Original Miscellany came out in 2002, a collection of quirky facts and insights into subcultures; his 13 (!) subsequent books expanded on the theme and have sold more than 2.5 million copies, in multiple languages, to date. 

Ben also wrote two of the best "homage" books in the style of PG Wodehouse, which, if you're a Wodehouse fan, I urge you to read. 

His newest book, Schott's Significa, delves into the worlds of hidden languages and subcultures: open-outcry stock trading hand signals, the unspoken languages of the servers of Eleven Madison Park, and the very-much-spoken insider slang of everyone from the diamond dealers of midtown Manhattan to world-famous cocktail bars like Tres Monos and Overstory. 

We had a very pleasant and - as you might expect - wide-ranging chat about everything, enjoy!

Ben on IG: https://www.instagram.com/benschott/

Ben on X / Twitter: https://x.com/benschott?s=21&t=kTsTPMPK0kgHLvK8ldrFXQ

Ben's website: https://www.benschott.com/

Buy Ben's books (and support independent bookshops): https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=ben+schott

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Colin is a legend, an English native who doggedly pursued his dream of being head bartender at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, a position he achieved and dominated for thirty years, creating the Hemingway Bar along the way, serving & befriending celebrities, heads of states, and run-of-the-mill billionaires as well.
Now retired from the Ritz, he's busier than ever, running incredible drinks events around the world with his new agency Colin Field Bar Concept, and bartending a gruelling one shift a week at Paris' Maison Proust.
This was a great chat with an old mate, and we covered everything from the origins of the negroni to why a code of omerta must exist between bartender and guest, bartending in business class on Air France 380s vs the Emirates configuration (and why Colin prefers Boeing 777s), how he created a true nationally-accredited degree in bartending in France, the politics of five-star hotels, and a whole bunch more.
Enjoy!

Email Colin: colinpeterfield@gmail.com
Colin on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/colin-field-14960a43
Colin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinpfield/?hl=en

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Forest is the O.G. cocktail blogger in France, since she moved there from the US in 2001 and started the 52 Martinis blog, adding a podcast a decade ago. She's also the author of several books including the new "Drink Like A Local In Paris", Academy Chair for France for World's 50 Best Bars, creator of the 52 Martini iPhone app, and a constant champion of all good bars throughout France. We caught up over a cocktail or two and went through the French scene, French spirits, lists like 50 Best and awards in general, and a bunch more, including what being a local or a regular really entails and why Parisians love that cafe life.

The 52 Martinis blog: https://52martinis.com/
The 52 Martinis app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paris-cocktails/id1261249803
The 52 Martinis podcast: https://52martinis.com/podcast/
52 Martinis on IG: https://www.instagram.com/52martinis/

Buy "Drink Like A Local In Paris": https://www.amazon.com/Drink-Like-Local-Paris-Pariss/dp/1646434579

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

I fucking love Rachel Harrison.
We caught up over drinks and went for three hours straight!
Her firm Rachel Harrison Communications is a serious mover and shaker for dozens of hotels, resorts, liquor brands and bars across the US and around the world, with offices in the UK, Mexico and elsewhere.
There's a lot of PR wisdom in here (my favorite: "Hiring a PR agency means you have to work HARDER, not less!") but we also cover vibrators, hiring diverse candidates, gift giving, Breville toasters, lists and awards, her fitness journey and how she has 4 other Rachels working for her.
Give it a listen!

Rachel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/fwaychel/?hl=en
Rachel Harrison Communications on IG: https://www.instagram.com/wearerhc/?hl=en
Rachel Harrison Communications: https://wearerhc.com/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Derek is a hospitality lifer who, after decades of being a bartender, sommelier and founding groundbreaking cocktail bars like The Colombia Room in Washington DC, transitioned in 2018 to being an advocate for no- and low-alcohol cocktails and wellness in general, training as an NASM coach, founding Positive Damage, Inc., and co-founding the Mindful Drinking Fest. Derek's an old friend and it was a joy to shoot the shit for several hours, especially as Dry January looms. We cover everything from Ozempic, beer goggles, the secret sorrow of your kid taking up soccer, Derek's viciously competitive streak that emerges playing Uno, non-alc beers, polishing your shoes if you're wearing a suit, how to get through Day 1 on the wagon, and there's a heartwarmingly wholesome story about Derek's teenage encounter with the late Shane McGowan. Come onboard!

Derek's brand-new  NASM course on Mindful Drinking: https://www.nasm.org/continuing-education/mindful-drinking

Derek's company Positive Damage, Inc.'s website: http://www.positivedamageinc.com

Derek on IG: https://www.instagram.com/positivedamageinc/

Derek on X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveDMG

Buy Derek's book "Mindful Mixology": https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Mixology-Comprehensive-Low-Alcohol-Cocktails/dp/0847871274/

Buy Derek's other book, "Spirit Sugar Water Bitters": https://bookshop.org/p/books/spirits-sugar-water-bitters-how-the-cocktail-conquered-the-world-derek-brown/12299980?ean=9780847861460

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

It was great to finally catch up with Kevin; I’ve been chasing him to come on the podcast since earlier this year, when I read “Roundbuilding” a book he co-wrote with Daniel Waddy on the technique of making rounds of cocktails as quickly and efficiently as possible, so they can all be served at the same time and to the same quality (link to buy below). Kevin opened London bartender’s bar Satan’s Whiskers a decade ago after a stratospheric career at Jonathan Downey’s Match Bar / Rushmore Group that saw him become Group Bars Director, presiding over the bars and training staff alongside luminaries like Dick Bradsell, Dale de Groff and Sasha Petraske. We talk about what’s happened to speed and efficiency, modern bar trends like the “Scandi’ no-garnish trend you see a lot in London, why jiggers aren't magical, and a whole bunch more. Give it a listen - and make sure you get the book!

Satan's Whiskers IG: https://www.instagram.com/satans_whiskers/?hl=en

Buy Roundbuilding: https://www.amazon.com/Roundbuilding-Daniel-Waddy/dp/139993693X

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Great chat with my old friend Kurt Schlechter, who has trained bartenders in every country on his continent from Cape Town to Cairo, and splits his time between the three branches of his award-winning cocktail bar Cause + Effect, and training bartenders throughout Africa.

Kurt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kurtschlechter/
Cause + Effect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/causeeffectbar/

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...

Well, this was a pure delight!
Jeff is an old friend and we sat down to talk about Sippin' Santa's Surf Shack, rum ,tiki cocktails, bar ownership and a whole bunch more - give it a listen!

All Jeff’s links: https://beachbumberry.com/
Jeff on IG: https://instagram.com/official_beachbumberry?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Jeff on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealbeachbumberry

(Get in touch with Duff!

Podcast business enquiries:  consulting@liquidsolutions.org 

(PR friends: we’re only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things besides their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is.
They need to be able to hang.
Oh, plus we don't edit, we won’t supply prepared or sample questions, nor listener or “reach” stats, either, and no, you can't sit in on the interview (or lurk on the Zoom.)  

And our AI automatically deletes pitch emails that are clearly written using AI. 

Retain Philip’s consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.org

Philip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/
Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff
Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter
Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com

Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos
Old Duff Genever on Faceboo...