Sometimes, you don't realize that all paths have led you to where you end up. Think about it - it could be true for you. It is for our guest - he’s right where he was meant to be all along.

For Tom Chisholm,  all those dead ends and missed starts made sense when Buck & Birch was born. Founded in 2016 by Tom and his partner Rupert Waites when they joined forces to share a deep bond created back in their respective childhoods growing up in nature, surrounded by exhilarating wilderness landscapes.

The duo began hosting pop-up dining events in the 2000's, with a focus on wild and foraged Scottish ingredients. Their wild elderberry liqueur proved insanely popular with all and Buck & Birch was on its way.

Follow along with us on Tom’s path from Norway to Scotland and how he found himself the co-founder of a drinks company!

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual.

Also If you love the show, we would so appreciate your support! You can get our advice on anything to do with home bartending, where to drink in every major city, special recipes, plus a Lush Life mug! Just head to alushlifemanual.substack.com and sign up!

The cocktail of the week is the Birch Forest Martini:

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml BIRCH Premium Botanical Vodka
• 15ml white vermouth
• Garnish: lemon twist

METHOD

• Add the ingredients to an icing glass
• Add ice and stir
• Strain into a Martini glass
• Garnish with a lemon twist.

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/buck-and-birch-with-tom-chisholm

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

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How many cocktail competitions are you doing this year? Our guest has challenged herself to do a number you won’t believe! It’s not as if she has nothing else to do, she is busy at one of the most exciting places in London.

Laurie Howells might sound like a Brit, but she don’t let her fool you. She was born and lived in the USA until she was whisked to her new hometown of Bury St. Edmunds. How did she find herself heading up Archive & Myth, one of London’s newest bars? She will have to tell you that.

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual.

Also If you love the show, we would so appreciate your support! You can get our advice on anything to do with home bartending, where to drink in every major city, special recipes, plus a Lush Life mug! Just head to alushlifemanual.substack.com and sign up!

The cocktail of the week is the Archive & Myth Bee’s Knees:

INGREDIENTS

• 40ml Gin (they use Renais Gin)
• 10ml Everleaf Forest
• 5ml Tio Pepe Fino
• 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
• 20ml Bay Honey Syrup

METHOD

• First, make the bay honey syrup by bringing water to a boil and infusing bay leaves into it for 10 minutes to steep. Filter them and then whisk together a 3:1 ratio of honey to bay water to make an incredibly tasty and herbaceous honey syrup.
• Shake all ingredients together with ice
• Fine strain into a coupe glass.
• Garnish with a lemon twist.

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/archive-and-myth-with-laurie-howells

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more!

Produced by Simpler Media

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New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

For someone who is passionate about horses and bourbon there is one position that would be a dream to have and our guest has got it!

When you think of horse races, there is only one: the Kentucky Derby. When you think of cocktails at horse races, there is only one - the Mint Julep. And what bourbon do you find in that Kentucky Derby Mint Julep? Woodford Reserve.

As Vice President and Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Elizabeth McCall calls the shots when defining the quality sensory standard to which every batch of Woodford Reserve must comply. What does it take to become the third Master Distiller ever at Woodford and one of the youngest distillers in the United States? I will let her tell you!

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual.

Also If you love the show, we would so appreciate your support! You can get our advice on anything to do with home bartending, where to drink in every major city, special recipes, plus a Lush Life mug! Just head to alushlifemanual.substack.com and sign up!

The cocktail of the week is the Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
• .5 oz demerara simple syrup
• 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
• large ice cube
• orange peel

METHOD

• Pour Woodford Reserve Bourbon into your favorite glass
• Add sugar syrup and bitters
• Add ice
• Stir for 10 seconds
• Express orange oils & garnish with the orange peel

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/woodford-reserve-with-elizabeth-mccall

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more!

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

Have you been to the small hotel with a wishing well and now a fabulous new bar helmed by today’s guest? I’m pretty certain that if Rogers and Hart had taken even one sip of any of the new cocktails, their famous song may have turned out very differently.

If you are a Sinatra fan, you might be aware of his rendition of the song There’s a Small Hotel written in the 1930s by Rogers and Hart for the musical On Your Toes.

This sweet ditty was inspired by Hart’s stay at the Stockton Inn in Stockton, New Jersey, a place also dear to my heart. My family has had a house nearby for the past 30 years. When new folks had acquired the inn, we held our breath.

Then I discovered Brian Miller was in charge of the bar, and I knew there was nothing to fear!

Brian is a veteran of the New York bar scene having worked in some of the most famous bars in the world like the Pegu Club and Death and Company.

He has a special penchant for tropical cocktails, which culminated in the creation of Tiki Mondays with Miller - a Polynesian & pirate-themed pop-up bar. And his own bar, The Polynesian, which was nominated for Best New American Bar at Tales of the Cocktail and recognized by Esquire Magazine as one of America’s Best Bars.

So how did this self-described pirate find himself in that small hotel with the wishing well in the woods of New Jersey?

You’ll have to listen in to find out.

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual.

Also, if you love the show, we would so appreciate your support! You can get our advice on anything to do with home bartending, where to drink in every major city, special recipes, plus a Lush Life mug! Just head to alushlifemanual.substack.com and sign up!

The cocktail of the week is the Jack Rose:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 dashes orange bitters
• ½ oz lime juice
• ½ oz lemon juice
• ½ oz grenadine
• ¼ oz cane syrup
• ¼ oz Jacoulot crème de framboise liqueur
• 1 oz Laird’s bonded apple brandy
• 1 oz Domaine de Montreuil “Selection” calvados

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and add ice
• Shake until chilled
• Strain into a coupe glass

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/stockton-inn-with-brian-miller

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more!

Produced by Simpler Media

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Can you feel the heat on your face? This episode we want to transport you right to the sunny island of Barbados. Anyone’s guess which rum we’ll be exploring??

If you haven’t guessed already, it’s Mount Gay, not only the oldest rum in Barbados, but the oldest rum in the world!! I’m thrilled that Trudiann Branker, the trailblazing Master Blender, is joining us.

Starting at the distillery in 2014 as Quality Assurance Manager, Trudiann rose to prominence with her unique ability to merge scientific expertise and creative intuition.

Under her guidance, Mount Gay has unveiled award-winning innovations like the Master Blender Collection and the Single Estate Series!

We met at the launch of the Single Estate Series 2, and I couldn’t wait to have her on the show! Single Estate is super special, and it’s great to have her explain how it all came to be

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

Also If you love the show, we would so appreciate your support! You can get our advice on anything to do with home bartending, where to drink in every major city, special recipes, plus a Lush Life mug! Just head to alushlifemanual.substack.com and sign up!

The cocktail of the week is the Cocohill:

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml / 2oz Mount Gay XO Rum
• 1 Coconut water ice cube

METHOD

• Pour Coconut Water into a silicone mould 3-3.5cm high or regular ice cube moulds and freeze.
• Once frozen, place the coconut ice cube(s) into an old fashioned glass
• Add XO and serve

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/mount-gay-rum-with-trudiann-branker

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more!

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

We are exploring a very important issue and, even if you aren’t in the drinks industry, it’s something you need to address if you have a business - how are you prioritizing inclusion in your workplace?

Vicky Ilankovan, the Executive Director of Equal Measures UK, is with me to help you answer that question. Equal Measures is the award-winning non-profit spearheading the delivery of intersectional inclusivity in the drinks & hospitality industries.

She has a proven track record of promoting companies, developing and restructuring systems, diversifying services, and building communities of engaged stakeholders. As her career spans everything from editorial, marketing, PR, and events, to global distribution, business development, project management, drinks consultancy, and spirits awards judging, she has a panoramic understanding of the hospitality and drinks industries, its networks, and operation.

I am honored to have her on the program.

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more, just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

Also If you love the show, we would so appreciate your support! You can get our advice on anything to do with home bartending, where to drink in every major city, special recipes, plus a Lush Life mug! Just head to alushlifemanual.substack.com and sign up!

The cocktail of the week is the Bajan Divorce:

INGREDIENTS

• 40ml Foursquare Nobiliary (or Doorly’s XO as this is hard to find now)
• 10ml Corte Vetusto Ensamble II mezcal
• 10ml Pensador Ensamble mezcal
• 15ml Gonzalez Byass PX Nectar
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Garnish with an orange twist

METHOD

• Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice and stir to mix and dilute (around 6 rotations).
• Garnish with a freshly cut orange peel, being sure to spritz the fresh orange oils around the glass.
• Sit back, and enjoy the rich flavours.

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/iequal-measures-with-vicky-ilankovan

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more!

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday,...

Most people know that sake is made with rice, but did you know that rice might be grown in California?

This is the 250th episode of Lush Life Podcast, every week I have been inspired to live life one cocktail at a time by the guests who have been kind enough to join me and I am sure I will continue to be inspired by those who are yet to be on the program.

Thank you everyone for your support, especially Evo Terra and his team, that’s my producer, and thank you for listening.

Now, back to that 250th episode!

I was shocked, too. I had just assumed the rice was all grown in Japan. That’s just one of the many things that Ken LaGrande revealed about sake over cocktails at the Connaught. In fact, those aforementioned cocktails had all been made using SoGood Sake.

Why create a new sake and one whose pedigree is purely American?

Joining me today to explain everything is Ken himself and, one of the other co-founders of SoGood Sake, Meryl Kennedy.

Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more, just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual that's youtube.com/@lushlifemanual!

The cocktail of the week is the Sake Sunset:

INGREDIENTS

• 40 ml SoGood Sake
• 20 ml Dark rum
• 60 ml Solo Coldbrew
• 20 ml Miso Caramel (1:9 White Miso to Caramel)
• Garnish: Dark Chocolate

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a shaker and add ice
• Shake until well diluted and cold
• Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice
• Garnish with Grated Dark Chocolate

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/sogood-sake-with-meryl-kennedy-and-ken-lagrande

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more!

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!

Yes, we are back with the 9th - how is it possible - season of Lush Life! Where best to begin? Venice, of course!

How is it that there weren’t already Venice Cocktail Tours before now? Well, I don’t want to reveal the whole story in this intro, you can now enjoy two different cocktail tours in Venice!

Let’s just say that great minds were thinking how best to introduce you to not only the role that Venice played in bringing you some of the greatest drinks ever, but also to how amazing the cocktail scene is.

I happened to meet Monica Cesarato by chance during Venice Cocktail Week two years ago. Not only did Monica create the first cicchetti tours in Venice, but she is also the author of two books, food & travel blogger, podcaster, and producer.

Our Co-Founder, Romena Brugnerotto, leads all different types of tours throughout the city, like art, culture, and cicchetti, as well as being a sommelier! Together, they had a brilliant idea to create cocktail tours, just as I was also thinking the same. Our worlds collided, and the rest is history, but there is so much more to it than that!

The cocktail of the week is the Cinico:

INGREDIENTS

• 30ml prosecco
• 30ml cinico (Italian cinnamon liqueur)
• 30ml soda water
• Garnish: lime, mint and a cinnamon stick

METHOD

• Add all ingredients to a rocks glass with ice
• Stir gently
• Garnish with lime, mint, and a cinnamon stick

You’ll find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, plus links to most of the ingredients.

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/how-to-take-venice-cocktail-tours

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Become a supporter of A Lush Life Manual for as little as $5 - all you have to do is go to https://substack.com/@alushlifemanual.

Lush Life Merchandise is here - we’re talking t-shirts, mugs, iPhone covers, duvet covers, iPad covers, and more covers for everything! And more!

Produced by Simpler Media

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

Get great cocktail ideas on Pinterest

New episodes every Tuesday, usually!!