How to Be the First Guest with Andy Mil, Cocktail Trading Company, London

99 episodes ago I had a mic and “bottom’s up” to end the show. Now we have reached the 100th episode - I have a mic, bottoms up and 99 episodes of Lush Life Podcast!This is due to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with a Lush Life Manual and Lush Life podcast, especially my producer Evo Terra who was with me when Lush Life was in the idea stage and who has remained my work partner throughout my Lush Life Journey and of course, my boyfriend and life partner Akis Stephanides, architect extraordinaire! You may not hear their voices but their presence is felt in every episode.Everyone who sat across from me has become part of the Lush Life family. I’ve been inspired by all their stories and lucky enough to have tasted some of the best drinks in the world thanks to their time and generosity.Of course there would be no show if you didn’t listen to it and I thank you for tuning in every Tuesday!Planning my 100th episode was easy, I had to revisit some of my previous guests who had gone on to other adventures. Really I just wanted an excuse to see them again.So today I’m back with Fabiano Latham, now Brand Ambassador of Reyka Vodka; Tom Soden, who’s now created Ace & Freak cocktails plus a billion other things; Anna Sebastian, now Bar Manager of Artesian, Dave Miller whose at Nuala Bar, and, of course, I had to finish up by going back to the beginning with my first interviewee ever: Andy Mil of the Cocktail Trading Company.Our Cocktail of the Week is The Puffin Collins, made with Reyka Vodka.Ingredients:50mls Reyka Icelandic Vodka30mls fresh pink grapefruit juice20mls elderflower cordial1 x cherry tomato50mls soda waterMethod:Muddle tomato in shaker, add ingredients (not the soda…explosive). Shake like a Viking beast! Strain over ice in a highball. Top with soda and stir. Garnish with a cherry tomato on the vine.You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week on ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shopFull Episode Details: https://wp.me/p90reB-3t6Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

11 Dec 201855min

Our guest today always loved the stories, that’s why he went in for a degree in history. Now Pete Garraway, Brand Ambassador of STARWARD whisky, spends his days telling one particular story - of why one should be drinking Australian whisky. It’s not hard to convince them once they have had a sip of STARWARD, the award winning whisky born and bred in Australia. He joins us today to tell us his story, having just returned from Singapore a place that brought back all sorts of memories for him.Our Cocktail of the Week is the Mac’s Sly Grog - This drink comes from their “5 Boroughs of Melbourne” cocktail menu. A little history lesson of Melbourne in this one - it’s a Cherry Ripe riff on the Manhattan inspired by the borough of Fitzroy and its bygone days when gangsters slung under the table grog and the MacRoberston’s chocolate factory dealt out their sweet goods from Kerr Street.Ingredients:40ml STARWARD Wine Cask15ml Belsazar Red Vermouth10ml Jack Rudy Cherry5ml Mr Black’s Coffee Amaro2 dashes cacao & macadamia bitters2 dashes AngosturaMethod:Stir down over cubed ice in a mixing glass. Strain. Spritz an orange zest and then discard. Garnish with a cherry.You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week on ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shopFull Episode Details: https://wp.me/p90reB-3rGAlways remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

4 Dec 201835min

My first stop on my first trip to Louisville or so I thought, but I was to be corrected by our guest today. Technically we were in Shively not Louisville even though it’s minutes away from the centre of town. Sylvia Holden, Team Leader for the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at Stitzel-Weller Distillery, explained why being in Shively was so important for bourbon history. As a native Kentuckian, even she had to leave Louisville to return to Bourbon.Our Cocktail of the Week is the Kentucky Meadow Hot Toddy.Ingredients:1 Smith Teamaker Meadow Sachet1¼ oz. Bulleit BourbonGreen apple peelCinnamon stick1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrupApple wedgeNutmegMethod:Place 1 Smith Teamaker Meadow sachet in a cup or mug, add boiling water, leaving room for the whiskey. Steep 5 min. Add 1 1/4 oz. Bulleit Bourbon and remove sachet. Add green apple peel and a cinnamon stick. Stir in 1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup. Garnish with apple wedge and shave nutmeg on top of final beverage.You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week on ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shopFull Episode Details: https://wp.me/p90reB-3qIAlways remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

20 Nov 201820min

Our guest today made his way from Georgetown Kentucky to Tahara Japan and came back with Ganbaru -the Japanese word for never stopping until a goal is achieved. This became crystal clear when I met Daniel Harrison, co-founder of Country Boy Brewery. DH, as he is known, was always a beer lover, but during his stint teaching english in japan it became a passion. Arriving home in Kentucky he and his partners were inspired not only to make beer, but the very best, and won’t stop until this goal is achieved.Usually after we finish chatting, we go on to our cocktail of the week, but this week we are doing something a little different. Since we’re talking beer, I decided to scrap the cocktail of the week for this episode. Instead we’re going on a tour!When I visited Country Boy, DH walked me through the brewery and I thought why not take you with me as well.So consider this our first Lush Tour…Look out for a cooler near you to see if Country Boy is stocked!I will be writing a piece on my travels through Kentucky so make sure to check back on alushlifemanul.com or my sister site bestbitsworldwide.com or head to www.kentuckytourism.com to find out more about Kentucky.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

13 Nov 201829min

Our guest didn’t realise he was a lover of rum until he sipping it at his first RumFest. His wife’s comment “wouldn’t it be fun to go to the Rum Fest in London for the weekend” changed everything for him. Now Pete Holland has given his life over to this molasses based spirit and has never regretted it. He is the man behind TheFloatingRumShack.com and one of the UK’s Authorities on Rum. Now he is also the Brand Ambassador for Old Fashioned Week here in London.Our cocktail of the week is Agri’Old Fashioned in celebration of the forthcoming Old Fashioned Week.Ingredients: 60ml Rhum JM V.O. 15ml Rhum JM Shrubb3 Dashes of Angostura BittersOrange ZestMethod:Build in a rocks glass, stir to perfection. Garnish with a lovely orange zest.You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week on ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shop.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

6 Nov 201850min

The region of Savoie Mont Blanc in France is known for a lot of things - mountains, skiing, hiking, Michelin starred restaurants, but not usually its wines. That’s all changing as more and more of them are winning awards. I was invited by Savoie Mont Blanc Tourism to meet the folks who are spreading the word about the wines I’ve been sipping with my tartiflette when shushing the slopes of Chamonix.First I met Bernard Vissoud the Savoie wine specialist, who took me on a tour of the vineyards teaching me the history of the region, then I toured two of the local vineyards the Domaine Dupraz and the Domaine Edmond Jacquin who are open to visitors and ready to talk wines with anyone who is in the neighborhood.I have definitely become an ambassador of Savoie wines and have been introducing them to everyone I know. But don’t think just because it’s wine country that I wasn’t drinking a cocktail or two. 1883 Syrups are located in Savoie Mont Blanc and I was treated to a cocktail-making class with Brand Ambassador Johnny Salvo.Our cocktail of the week is one of the many that Johnny made for me. It’s called the Mauresque Mai Tai - the Savoie twist on the Mai Tai or you could say a tiki twist on the local Mauresque cocktail, originally made with Absinthe and Orgeat.Ingredients:20 ml Pastis20 ml Classic Rum (Cuban or Puerto Rican)20 ml Sugar cane rum (Cachaca, Rhum Agricole)20 ml Orgeat Syrup (Almond)1 teaspoon of Orange Blossom Water20 ml squeezed lime juiceAromatic BittersGarnish - mint, slice of dried lime and a star aniseMethod:Put all the ingredients into a shaker, add ice and then shake. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Add a few dashes of aromatic bitters on the top. Garnish with mint, slice of dried lime and a star anise. You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week on ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shop.If you are heading to Savoie Mont Blanc, check out my latest post on bestbitsworldwide.com or the Savoie Mont Blanc Tourism or http://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

30 Okt 201827min

Most of the people I interview have been doing their jobs as brand ambassadors for a long, long time - having begun their career as bartenders or in house at a drinks brand. Few have come to it through a special program designed to appeal to graduates from all backgrounds. I thought that hearing that journey would make a change.Our guest today, Scott Lever was one of those lucky grads. Only a year ago, he embarked on the Chivas International Graduate Programme and is here to tell us all about it.Our cocktail of the week is the Chivas Extra Old Fashioned.Ingredients50ml Chivas Regal Extra12.5ml Nut and Raisin Syrup15ml Pedro Jimenez Sherry2 dashes of Nut BittersOrange Twist GarnishAdd all ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice and stir down. Serve on the rocks, garnish with Orange Twist.You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week on ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shop.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

16 Okt 201823min

It might seem like a long stretch to go from lawyer to Co-lead Brewer at Truman’s Brewery, one of the most iconic of British brands. but not if you listen to the advice of our guest’s mother. Charlotte Cook wasn’t shy and she grabbed what she could. It literally took one sip of IPA to get her to change her career from would be lawyer to would be brewer, but let her tell you how.I am forgoing our usual cocktail of the week to give you a guided tour through a few of Truman’s special beers.Truman’s Brewery has been around since 1666 and thankfully a few of the old recipes were discovered.The first is called London Keeper - a dark and wintery stout Based on a Truman's recipe from 1880, Beer writer Pete Brown, describes it best. “A silky, chocolatey, vinous essential... Look out for it. Put it on your present wish list. In fact, mug, steal or blackmail to get it if you must.”Then we fast forward to a recipe from 1916. This time it’s a Barley Wine made from traditional English hops alongside a malt base. Red fruits can be tasted, thus the wine factor.Runner was traditionally the name of a brewery's easy drinking session beer - available to everyone everywhere. Truman's Runner is their interpretation of this. Super easy to drink.Now the award winning beer - To celebrate the reopening of Truman’s Brewery, they created Lazarus, a pale gold refreshing beer which has gone on to win tons of awards.You’ll find a selection of these beers in our shop.Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!-----If you live for Lush Life would you consider supporting us by buying us a coffee…Just go to buymeacoffee.com/lushlife and you can donate once or monthly to make sure we are still here every Tuesday.Life Merchandise is here – we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers and more covers for everything, and more!Theme music for Lush Life is by Steven Shapiro and used with permission.Lush Life is always and will be forever produced by Evo Terra and Simpler Media Productions.Until next time, BOTTOMS UP 🍸

9 Okt 201827min