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!