Bartender at Large

Bartender at Large treats cocktails as a working culture, not just a list of recipes. The show is interview-driven, casual, and quick on its feet, with Eric Castro steering conversations through the details that bar people actually notice. A guest can start with whiskey, rum, non-alcoholic liqueurs, a cocktail book, or a neighborhood venue, and the episode usually widens into a practical argument about hospitality. The whiskey talk with Matt Cleet uses American single malt to explore category expectations, cocktail substitution, and how bartenders introduce unfamiliar spirits without overcomplicating the pitch. The cocktail book conversation with Michael and Zara Madrusan circles around old sources, obscure classics, staff education, and the value of a reference work that working bartenders can actually use. The lost-bar discussion with Will Pasternak gets especially useful when it moves into niche concepts, bitter stirred cocktails, cheap rent, small rooms, and the population density needed to keep a specialized idea alive. The non-alcoholic episode with Camille Vidal reflects how zero-proof service has moved from side option to a real part of modern hospitality. The Elbow Room episode with Monique King and Toby Maloney uses a James Beard-nominated bar in Vancouver, Washington, to talk about revamping a bar. The rum episode with Brian, the Rum Champion, has the loose pleasure of two drink people comparing stories about strong classics, guest behavior, and how a menu can teach without lecturing. The Ryan Mabee conversation brings entrepreneurship into the same frame, connecting restaurants, distilling, history, and identity. Even when sponsors and Patreon mentions appear up front, the core show is a shop-floor exchange among people who know the business from the inside. It is not precious about cocktails. It is curious about why certain drinks, bars, categories, and service choices work. The pacing is brisk. The vocabulary is industry-literate without becoming closed off. Episodes often hinge on a concrete example: a Zombie replacing a Long Island, a classic book yielding a hidden banger, a bar layout encouraging strangers to talk, or a distillery history shaping a brand. That makes the show especially strong when it turns experience into usable judgment. The best fit is a listener who enjoys spirits knowledge, but cares just as much about rooms, people, menus, margins, and mood. Bartender at Large sounds like the drinks world thinking aloud while the shift is still fresh.