🎙 Pouring Stories Ep.18 - Giambrone sits down with Nathan Grates, co-owner of The Sand Dollar LV, Sand Dollar Downtown, and La Casa De Juliette, to talk about the grind behind building three of Las Vegas’ most respected cocktail and live-music destinations.
From brutal late nights as a beverage manager to wild college bar shifts, Nate opens up about the real costs of success: Physical, emotional, and financial. We dive deep into cocktail competitions, sobriety in the industry, Las Vegas dram shop laws, and why authenticity beats hype every time. If you care about Las Vegas bars, cocktail culture, or the business of hospitality, this episode is pure gold.
💡 Why Watch / Listen
✔ Inside story of The Sand Dollar Las Vegas-from concept to cult status
✔ Brutally honest look at the hospitality industry: burnout, sobriety, and creative passion
✔ Cocktail nerd talk: Trinidad Sour, additive-free spirits, and Martingale Cognac
✔ Lessons on entrepreneurship, partnership, and staying authentic in a world of influencers
⏰ Chapters & Key Moments
00:00 Intro Teaser
01:04 Ole Bison Bourbon - Tasting room with Jeremy Wilkinson
02:30 Building a foundation
04:19 Beverage Manager Hell - “It Destroyed Me Physically & Emotionally”
07:55 First moments bartending - “Is this legal?”
11:26 Enthusiasm for bartending
12:18 Cocktail Competitions (Presentation)
14:18 Cocktail Competitions (Scoring bias)
15:45 Over-drinking & Sobriety in the beverage industry
18:35 D.U.I., Taking their Keys, & Dram Shop Laws in Las Vegas
22:45 Davey’s Locker
24:40 Bartending a College Bar - “I overserved everybody”
27:20 Media Dinners!
29:46 Concierge
31:31 Trinidad Sour - What did G do wrong?
35:00 G realizes his mistake!
37:00 Additive Free in the news!
42:55 Ghost Busters44:10 Corrected Trinidad Sour (after 2 bottles of ango)
45:54 La Casa De Juliette
50:00 No Smoking at The Dollar!
52:25 Girls love the most horrific content - Last Podcast on The Left
55:10 Nate & Jamison - Origins of true partnership
1:08:00 Born to work - It’s how you’re raised
1:14:00 10 Years of The Sand Dollar (Cancelled Comp?!)
1:26:00 Additive vs. Additive Free
1:28:10 Martingale Cognac
1:31:00 Guillaume Vallet - Louis XIII
1:32:00 “Certain cultures are notoriously poor at making beer”
1:33:50 Vegas Brewers
1:37:00 People who talk but never do
1:38:30 Bringing authenticity to content creation
🍹 Featured Drink – Trinidad Sour
The Giuseppe Gonzalez recipe:
1.50 oz Angostura Aromatic Bitters
1.00 oz Orgeat
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
0.50 oz Rye Whiskey
Shake with ice, double strain into a Nick & Nora, garnish with a lemon peel.
🎧 Pouring Stories
Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Executive editor: Kyler Fleming
Follow for more conversations with bartenders, spirits pros, and the people shaping cocktail culture.
For more info on Nate's venues click the links below.
https://lacasadejuliette.com/
https://thesanddollarlv.com/
Dario Doimo spent half of his life abroad, sneaking into an international competition at 19, and falling in love with bartending ever since. He went on to win the World Flair Bartending competition, open venues, became a U.S. Citizen, and is now The Agave Ambassador for Bacardi! Dario finally sits down with his old friend Giambrone, to share some of the wild ride he has been on!
0:00 Dario Doimo Ep.17 Pouring Stories teaser
1:30 Cuba Libre (Bacardi Select)
3:00 Old limes
4:10 Born to bartend: How it started.
6:56 So many cocktail names
9:30 Soda-guns suck
12:00 Health Department
15:35 Bad vs. Good Bar Design
21:10 "He drank Cocchi with Cocchi" (Jozef)
22:44 Restaurant opening woes
33:00 How Dario ended up at Mr. Coco
37:00 Negroni Bianco
40:00 Las Vegas prices are out of line
45:50 Spritz & Carver Steak by Francesco LaFranconi
53:00 THE SUDDEN BRAMARE CLOSING
1:00:00 Vegas lost exclusivity...
1:04:00 Binge Drinking
1:07:00 The Art Of Italicus 2019/Comps
1:17:15 The Flair Life
1:30:00 Bopitty Boo Boo
1:31:00 Training for World Flair
1:37:40 Outdated process for citizenship
1:46:57 Bartending teaches you about people
1:48:10 Dario performs for a village
1:54:10 Patron Cristalino
1:55:40 Tennessee Whiskey = Lincoln County Process
1:57:00 Ilegal Mezcal Caribbean CaskSpecial T
hanks to Dario Doimo for years of friendship and excellence. Thank you to Bacardi, Patron, & Ilegal Mezcal for lending your Agave Ambassador and for delicious spirit
Kristi De Vita joins us on Pouring Stories, to share her family's French connection to Chartreuse, adding needed context to her hidden tattoo reveal during the podcast. Kristi goes on to talk about leaving Boulder City for a new life in New York City, gaining the attitude she needed to navigate the sidewalks, and becoming the Business Development Manager for Gallo in New York! She finishes by teaching us a trick, opens a bottle of Champagne, and detailing the finer points of the glassware we choose.
0:00 Kristi De Vita | Pouring Stories Ep.16
2:30 The Dillinger, Boulder City
6:00 The managers struggle
10:40 Chartreuse in the blood
14:00 Proper tipping, over tipping, & tip fatigue
23:25 Moving to NYC (flibbertigibbety)
29:50 New York State Of Mind
35:03 "Gear-Head's, I'm sorry" - Giambrone
38:06 Know one needs another "How-To" (Last Word)
41:22 Episcopal & other Chartreuse gems
44:35 Total Wine & Lee's Discount Liquor
49:38 The French & Kristi's shirt glitch
53:20 Kristi's Tattoo (Chartreuse fun facts)
57:10 Chartreuse Green vs. Yellow vs Vegetal
59:21 Wine for breakfast
1:06:00 Kristi's Disclaimer
1:06:59 Rombauer Chard to Sauv
1:08:22 Sauvy B's, Menty-B's, and S&M!
1:12:25 Super Tuscan, Chianti, Sangiovese
1:17:00 Corked Wine TCA. Cork Soakers!
1:23:38 Why people go out to eat!
1:25:58 Gallo and Rombauer
1:28:18 Sideways quote that crushed Merlot
1:35:50 Opening Champagne with Kristi De Divta
1:41:30 Best Glass for Champagne
1:47:00 WORKING WITH INTENT in your career
Please like, share, & subscribe to support the channel!
Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone and Kyler FlemingSpecial thank you to Kristi De Vita & Gallo
Author, Educator, & Designer Of The EuroBar | Livio Lauro | Pouring Stories | Episode 15
Join me and my long-time friend & mentor Livio Lauro as we dive into the world of bartending on Pouring Stories 15th episode. We explore the creation of the EuroBar, the art of classic cocktails like the Negroni, and why the size of your ice cube matters more than you think. I also share some war stories from high-volume bartending nights. Just a note: the audio has a few minor rough edges for the first 23 minutes so i timestamped it, in case you want to skip ahead!
00:00 Sizzle Reel
00:46 Who Is Livio Lauro
05:12 Ponce De Leon (Cocktail) P1
06:48 Liquor.com vs. Difford’s Guide
07:30 Southern Glazer’s through the years
10:20 Authenticity & Service
12:10 Mise En Place
14:00 Ponce De Leon P2 (Joe Galsini)
19:10 Brand & Distributor Relationships
20:30 The Southern Wine Class
[Guest Mic Gets Fixed]
23:43 Mic Fixed
24:34 Ponce De Leon P3 (Ankle Blender)
28:10 Cocktail Competitions
31:06 The Saturn Origins
35:32 “I Fink You Finky” from The Sand Dollar
36:07 Cockpit Style Bar Stations
37:00 Creating The EuroBar
48:55 The Gatsby’s experience (Resorts World)
50:36 The Big Cube Controversy
53:12 “100 ways to skin the rabbit” 🤣
56:00 Americano vs. Negroni
58:34 Ice Nerds 🤓
1:00:33 The “Dirty Dump”
1:01:10 “3 Deep” bartending (High Volume)
1:04:19 The Pirlo (Cocktail)
1:09:25 How to say Negroni Sbagliato
1:10:35 Why Are Italians Obsessed with Bitter?
Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone and Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to Livio Lauro, a person who I owe so much to. I have been learning from you for a decade and I am eternally grateful.
Also thank you Campari & Weber Ranch
Link to Master Your Glass website: http://www.masteryourglass.com
The Usbg link for Liquid Legacy By Livio Lauro https://www.bystadium.com/us/en/stores/united-states-bartenders-guild-56700/S701602289/p/liquid-legacy-c299940709Amazon link for liquid legacy https://a.co/d/hUd2pcH
Hospitality is more than a job. It’s the time invested into your patron, guest, or even coworkers and staff. Get insight from one of the best to ever do it all in Vegas. Spotty made a name for himself at incredible bars in Las Vegas & Arizona. Especially at the world famous Herbs & Rye. He gives us some back of house info and even makes the Herbs Old Fashioned. You can see him now slinging Sagamore Rye all over the Southwest region!
00:00 Clint “Spotty” Spotleson Pouring Stories Ep.14
03:32 Sagamore Crush (cocktail)
4:43 Preventing Waste : Oranges
08:43 HERBS & RYE through the years
11:30 Garnish Theory
15:24 How To Treat Every Guest/Regulars
34:51 OJ Simpson Story
38:17 BARMANIA
40:35 Jeffrey Morgenthaler Amaretto Sour (cocktail)
51:00 Sequels Almost Always Suck
55:01 “Vegas locals, just know how to hang”
59:17 Tariff’s & liquor brands
1:00:30 About Sagamore & Rye Whiskey
1:13:30 Spotty Makes The Herbs Old Fashioned
1:22:00 Booze is starting to hit…
1:27:00 Spotty’s parting Story
Hosted & produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to Clint Spotleson. Over the years it has been a pleasure to sit at your bar-top and an even greater pleasure being your friend!
Join us for Episode 13 of Pouring Stories as Christopher “Tater” Gutierrez, Partner & Operator of Stray Pirate in Las Vegas’ vibrant Arts District, takes us on a nostalgic journey! From the golden era of flair bartending to the 2000s cocktail renaissance, Tater shares stories of opening a dog-themed pirate bar, crafting unique cocktails like the Zombie, and embracing life’s lessons behind the bar. This lighthearted yet thought-provoking episode dives into bar culture, industry insights, and the art of mixology. 00:00 - Intro & Sneak Peek
00:25 - How does one become a “Tater”?
01:47 - Las Vegas Arts District vs. Downtown
02:50 - Tater’s Passion for Bartending Begins
04:38 - Crafting the Zombie at Stray Pirate
06:20 - Jägermeister Love
07:20 - Zellerfeld Mini-Meister Story
09:10 - Stray Pirate’s Underwater World Vibe
11:00 - “we’ll Handle the Heavy Lifting”
12:16 - The Rum Blend at Stray
12:43 - Drinking with Intention
13:45 - Gwen Rosewater’s Black Velvet Paintings
15:35 - Life Lessons learned through doing
15:56 - Flair Bartending & Tater’s Fitzgerald Days
18:50 - Machines vs. Job Security
20:34 - Energy Levels & Perfect Serve Timing
21:05 - Bars with Food vs. Without
22:50 - Spoiled Bartenders: “I’ve Juiced Enough!”
24:00 - Pay Your Dues: Learning from Experience
26:20 - Avoiding Industry Burnout
28:51 - American-Made Mugs at Stray Pirate
30:55 - The Corduroy Era
32:53 - Competition Drives Excellence
35:40 - Comfort in Uncomfortable Situations
36:54 - Caipirinha & Neglected Cachaça/Rum
38:45 - Jägermeister as a Cocktail Modifier
39:45 - Your Bottles Are Deteriorating!
41:46 - Uncle Stuart: The Renaissance Man
45:05 - “What’s Your Excuse?”
45:55 - Interview Fails & Bar Team Chemistry
49:50 - Soul vs. “Yip!”-ioca Cachaça
51:00 - Kyler’s “Suck It, Soul” Moment 😂
52:00 - Avuá Cachaça Spotlight
52:50 - Deciding on Concepts
53:44 - Understanding Your Bar’s Offerings
55:30 - Arts District Gems: Vesta Coffee56:30 - Silver Stamp: World-Class Beer Bar
57:15 - Haze-Bros?
59:31 - “I Am Where I Work”: Evolving Palates
1:00:27 - Same Drink for 30 Years?
1:02:18 - Stray Pirate’s House-Made Ginger Beer
1:03:06 - Tangible Guest Experiences
1:04:12 - Cachaça & The Caipirinha
1:05:15 - Old Fashioned vs. Wisconsin Style
1:06:00 - “I’m Never Making This at Home!”
1:08:20 - In the Weeds at Family Gatherings
1:08:50 - Party Prep: Freezer Martini
1:09:25 - The Future of Pouring Stories
1:09:40 - Family Feedback Can Be Harsh
1:10:45 - Briney Daiquiri & Superfrico Daq-Off
1:12:11 - Losing to Jen
1:13:39 - When in Doubt, Collins It Out (2:1:1)
1:14:00 - How Tater Builds Sours
1:15:14 - “The Spirit’s the Picture, the Cocktail’s the Frame”
1:15:34 - Regal Shake? What’s That?
1:17:38 - Perfecting the Shake
1:18:10 - Martini musing
1:21:05 - True Aperitivo Vibes
1:24:39 - Making Judgments Behind the Bar
1:25:25 - Interpreting Guest Needs
1:27:00 - Avoiding Bartender Missteps
1:40:20 - Always Working on the Next Thing
1:42:35 - Best Tiki Bars & Mai Tais in Vegas
1:44:05 - Writing Creative Menus
1:46:30 - “Bring the Funk, Make It Weird”
1:47:00 - Embracing Bitter Flavors
1:50:15 - Toast to Uncle Stu
1:52:00 - Shoutout to Andrew Tran
1:52:28 - Rum love
1:52:48 - Brettanomyces isn’t an Encyclopedia!Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to Christopher Gutierrez for being a pillar to the Las Vegas craft bartending industry and teaching us all so much! Congratulations on Jive Turkey & the brand new Prowl!
Join us for an unfiltered chat with Chef Nicole Brisson, a Las Vegas culinary legend! From her training in Italy to the heartbreak of losing Carnevino, Nicole dives deep into dry-aging steaks, chef life, and her innovative Italian-Japanese pop-up. We also sip on Campari Americanos, muse about cigars, and explore sustainable cooking methods. Don’t miss this journey into hospitality, entrepreneurship, and Vegas vibes!
0:00 Chef Nicole Brisson’s Training in Italy
3:52 Bisteaka De Brisson
5:03 Dry Age Vs. Wet Age
12:28 Losing Carnevino
15:50 An Illustrious career
17:11 “Momentum isn’t Forever”
18:30 Healthy & Sustainable methods
21:00 Thyroid Disease & Livestock
25:06 Indulging & Moderation
27:45 Cigars & Chef Life
31:17 Where do You want to go?
36:30 Vermouth Fresh Vs. Old
42:00 Campari’s Americano
44:58 Aperitivo Hour
49:26 “Big Smoke” convention
55:35 Italian-Japanese Pop-up
58:18 Sparrow’s “Bar Snacks”/Takeovers
59:55 Learning a bit about Kyler
1:01:45 The Bramare Bar Experience
1:03:20 Perlick Bars
1:04:45 Cooper’s Gin Fizz Story…
1:06:49 Mozzarella Bars
1:08:45 Chef Robbie Felice Concepts
1:10:15 final musings
Subscribe for more Pouring Stories episodes with top hospitality insiders! 🥃 Drop a comment: What’s your favorite chef story? 👇#NicoleBrisson #DryAgedSteak #VegasDining #Bartending #PodcastHosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to Chef Nicole Brisson for many years of kindness, professionalism, & above all her friendship!
Join us for an engaging episode of "Pouring Stories" as we welcome Tucker St. John, the Director of Beverage at Esther’s Kitchen in Las Vegas, NV. This episode dives into his innovative ideas, philosophical insights, and insider knowledge about the world of mixology and hospitality, offering a fresh perspective for both industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts.
Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to Tucker St. John for all his work and years of excellent hospitality I personally have enjoyed many times!
Adam O’Donnell, the mastermind behind Jive Turkey in Las Vegas, spills the tea on the wild, unexpected chaos of opening your first bar. He’s dropping truth bombs about why bartending shouldn’t be some snooty, pretentious gig—and then cranks it up a notch with the iciest, most gangster "Icing" moment ever captured mid-interview. This is the raw, unfiltered bar life story you didn’t know you needed!
0:00 Honesty and hard truths w/ Adam O’Donnell
2:10 Sparrow & Wolf
7:30 G4 tequila
9:55 Additive free
22:36 Building bars/inefficient bar designs
13:38 Selling vs. offering an experience
18:25 Dry ice cocktails - drink masters
19:25 Ghosting a bar right away.
22:35 Designing and opening bars
36:30 Bunny hug
42:55 Ryan McGinnis or Adam O’Donnell
44:15 Old Tom Rules!
47:55 More additives In tequila
48:35 Adam likes additives
49:10 Carmel coloring and blending whiskey’s
51:15 Adam Ice’s G!
55:50 Frey ranch absinthe
58:00 Frey ranch rye/bourbon
1:06:15 Weber Ranch
1:15:00 Adam gets behind the bar
1:25:35 50/50 martini or modified.
1:28:50 Friends and family
Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
A special thank you to a my friend and industry role model Adam O'Donnell and congratulations on Jive Turkey!
Master Mixologist and Host of Master Your Ash Michael Przydzial explains pairing beverages and spirits with Cigars, the arduous journey he took to earn his Master Of Mixology accreditation, and being brand representative in Las Vegas!
00:00 Pouring Stories The Smoking section
5:30 Humidity in cigars
10:20 Cutting Your Cigar
12:15 Lighting your cigar
15:38 Retrohaling?
17:40 Are Cigars Bad For You?
19:53 Fermentation and Cigars
23:31 Master Of Mixology/USBG
31:20 Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne
32:00 Barrel Aged Cocktails
37:15 Heublein Cocktail Company
44:20 Rethinking the thesis
46:13 Dividing your cigar in thirds
48:50 Strive to be a Renaissance man/women
1:03:15 Cigar culture & lifestyle
1:09:24 "Final Third" of a cigar
1:13:15 EMS vs. AMS
Hosted and Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to an important mentor and friend, Michael Przydzial.
Check out Michael's channel! https://open.spotify.com/show/6BszBXKsknzHCNCURaUcWI?si=8210909d21514717
High-volume craft bartender Adam Giles lays out the many different career options in beverage and what goes along with those choices, while also sharing interesting beverage knowledge and fun moments.
Van-Alan Nguyen Owner of 595 Craft & Kitchen, District Deli & Coffee, as well as Partner with Able Baker Brewery, describes his journey opening several different concepts in Las Vegas, Nevada. Insights into the lessons learned, methods used, and how to get results!
00:00 Van on Opening 595 Craft & Kitchen
04:43 Sour Beers
09:20 Making Beer lists/Beer Trends
14:24 The FOOD at 595!
17:00 NON-Alcoholic Beverages
22:20 District Deli & Coffee
24:50 The Evolution of THE ARTS DISTRICT
31:20 Is it for the guest's benefit or owner's ego?
34:10 595 is a special place
38:00 Caring personally about guests/regulars
42:20 Positive Staff make the difference
46:13 Life skills gained from service jobs
53:10 Alpine AngeVert and Low ABV cocktails
54:30 Partnering with Able Baker Brewery
58:35 Expectations vs. Reality - New openings
01:04:00 The Costs of Covid shutdown on venues
01:09:00 To-go business Pre & post Lockdown
01:15:00 Bartender's nightmare: Third-party delivery
01:18:53 VAN'S WARNING
Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thanks to Van, 595, and Able Baker Brewing
Anthony Jamison Co-Owners of one of Las Vegas' most iconic bars, The Sand Dollar, lays out how it all came to be. From the pitfalls to becoming an industry haven and opening new concepts!
00:00 Anthony Jamison Pouring Stories ep 5
01:15 The Sand Dollar origin story
04:50 Jamison’s looks out
10:07 Jamison and brand reps
12:30 Chase Gordon
17:00 Moody
18:40 Mary Lee
20:20 Making bars profitable
23:25 Montucky Cold Snacks
25:50 To each their own
27:40 “If it’s wet, I’m going to drink it”
30:00 Don’t insult your guests
33:30 The Pizza at The Sand Dollar
36:45 Gaming license
38:50 Live music in Vegas bars
42:53 What it takes to open a bar
45:34 “Please Don’t Puke In The Urinals”
46:45 Sung Joon Koo, KAME, & Springs Mtn.
50:20 Shifting dinning times
53:00 PT’s monopoly?
57:40 Beer/Wine license… loopholes?
01:00:08 Drink how you like!
01:01:54 Ordering at a SLAMMED bar.
01:03:35 Brief history of Bartenders and bars
01:05:45 Tom Tom and the Tale of USBG XMas
01:10:30 Cycles of trending bars
01:12:15 Broadening your horizons
01:20:50 Captain’s Log
Hosted & Produced By Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to Anthony Jamison, for coming on Pouring Stories and sharing the story of The Sand Dollar & La Casa De Juliette.
Join Giambrone, the host and bartender for Pouring Stories as he makes drinks and interviews Brand Ambassador Ryan McGuinness. They speak to the life of a brand work, the history of many of the timeless classics cocktails and the spirits behind them. Of course there's always a few anecdotes from the beverage and hospitality industry.
00:00 Pouring Stories Podcast Ep.3 | Ryan McGinnis
1:35 Deep dive on the Mai Tai
6:35 Tiki Bars - Stray Pirate, Glitter Gulch
8:08 Chartreuse, Chartreuse Elixir
12:15 Different Old Fashioneds
15:00 Mojito - Bartenders and their mint...
20:00 Giambrone has some questions
22:45 Shake citrus?
24:00 G loves Sand Dollar's Grass Hopper riff
25:45 CUSTOM DRINK REQUESTS
28:00 Clement Bana Canne/Mezcal Veras
32:15 Sex On The Beach (retro cocktail resurgence)
34:00 Giuseppe González
36:30 Vampiro - "NO Bloody Mary after 5PM"
38:00 Supasawa, Ryan disrespects the Negroni
42:00 Ford's Gin "For bartenders by bartenders"
46:00 Bottle Design
49:26 Matthew Rose, La Club, French venues
52:10 G loves chains?
54:00 Handling Complainers
57:15 THE FORTALEZA TRIP!
1:05:00 Respect the culture you're visiting
1:06:25 Service standards have slipped
1:09:15 Depends on who's bartending...
1:11:05 Steps of service (Controlling the table)
1:14:05 Non-alch Prosecco
1:16:40 "Cocktails are an American thing"
1:17:00 Timeless cocktails vs. fads
1:20:14 Speakeasy vs Craft cocktail lounge?
1:22:05 Cult followings
1:24:45 Opening Restaurants & hiring
1:28:00 Ryan's expectations and industry greed
1:29:40 LEGAL or BRIBERY or LOOPHOLE?
1:32:43 CIERTO TEQUILA RESERVE NOM1146
1:35:30 BAGAZO fermentationHosted & Produced by
Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming
Special thank you to Ryan McGinnis