It was right around this very same time last year that we sat down with a whole slew of splendid bartenders and mixologists to discuss shochu following their tour across Kyushu.

This week, we’ve done it again! Only this time instead of trying to squeeze a large group into a single episode, we pulled aside a single specialist – the one-and-only Philip Duff – to explore shochu in the context of the greater spirits landscape.

Philip has a long and storied history in the world of bartending, cocktails and shaping the future of spirits. From opening Holland’s first speakeasy, Door 74, to serving as the educational director for Tales of the Cocktail, writing for many of the industry’s most respected media, judging for many of the industry’s largest bar and cocktail awards, and circling the globe as one of the most prolific educators and consultants in the world of spirits, Philip is now concentrating his efforts on his original genever label, Old Duff Genever, and further developing his on-trade consultancy at Liquid Solutions.

While shochu does indeed dominate the conversation, given Philip’s unique experience and perspective on the industry, Sebastien and Justin also pick his brain about the rise of Japanese gin, the world’s misconceptions of genever, how Japan might be able to learn from the U.S. tequila industry, and more!

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We’ll be back in a couple more weeks for just a bit more Sake On Air before we close out 2019.

Stay tuned, and Kampai!

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