The Cocktail Academy

Stefano Catino: Why Hospitality Matters More Than Cocktails
This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian sits down with one of the most respected operators in global hospitality, Stefano Catino.
As the co-founder of the world-renowned Maybe Sammy and leader of The Maybe Group, Stefano has helped build one of the most celebrated hospitality businesses in the world. But as you'll hear in this conversation, his success has far less to do with cocktails than it does with people.
From growing up in his father's restaurant in Italy to building a hospitality empire in Australia, Stefano shares why creating memorable guest experiences, building great teams, and having fun at work are serious business strategies.
We discuss the difference between service and hospitality, why culture should come before cocktail knowledge, the importance of leading from the front, and why the world's best bars are moving back towards simplicity.
If you're a bartender, bar owner, hospitality professional, or anyone interested in creating experiences people never forget, this episode is packed with practical insights.

In This Episode
Stefano's journey from a small town in Italy to Sydney's cocktail scene
The origins of Maybe Frank, Maybe Sammy, and The Maybe Group
Why hospitality is more valuable than service
The hiring philosophy behind world-class teams
Creating a culture people want to be part of
Why "fun" is a serious business strategy
Leading by example as an owner and operator
The atmosphere and energy behind Maybe Sammy
Cocktail trends, tequila, and the return to simplicity
Why hospitality remains the ultimate competitive advantage

Key Takeaways
Hospitality Is What People Pay For
Stefano argues that service and hospitality are not the same thing. Service is completing the task. Hospitality is how you make people feel throughout the experience. It's often the difference between a customer returning and never thinking about you again.
Hire Humans, Not Talent
Technical skills can be taught. Genuine care for people is much harder to develop. Stefano believes operators should hire people they genuinely want to spend time with and then train the skills afterwards.
Fun Is Not an Accident
The atmosphere at Maybe Sammy isn't random. It's deliberately protected, modelled by leadership, and reinforced every day. According to Stefano, taking the job seriously while not taking yourself too seriously is one of the keys to creating memorable hospitality.
Culture Starts at the Top
Whether you're a bar owner, manager, or team leader, culture isn't something you delegate. Stefano believes leaders must consistently demonstrate the behaviours they want to see in their teams.
Simplicity Is Winning Again
After years of increasingly complex cocktails, Stefano sees the industry moving back towards simpler drinks, shorter menus, classic serves, and better guest experiences.

Connect with Stefano Catino
Instagram: @stefanocatino
Maybe Sammy - @maybe_sammy_sydney

Connect with The Cocktail Academy
Instagram: @welovecocktails
TikTok: @welovecocktailsx
Facebook: @welovecocktailsx
Website: www.thecocktailacademy.com
Email: sayhello@thecocktailacademy.com

Enjoyed This Episode?
If you enjoyed this conversation, please follow The Cocktail Academy Podcast on your favourite podcast platform and leave a rating or review. It helps more hospitality professionals discover the show.
Share this episode with a bartender, manager, or venue owner who believes great hospitality is still the most powerful tool in the business.
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Benji Purslow joins Damian this week to discuss his journey from pub bartender and aspiring musician to International Advocacy Manager at Heaven Hill.
From pulling pints in seaside pubs to representing one of the world's largest whiskey producers, Benji shares lessons learned from more than 25 years in hospitality and explains what modern brand advocacy really looks like.
The conversation explores career progression, supplier relationships, bourbon's current challenges, and why deep expertise remains one of the most valuable assets a bartender can develop.

Key Takeaways
Hospitality teaches resilience, adaptability and work ethic that transfers into almost any career. The best brand advocates aren't simply marketers—they connect producers, distributors, bars, bartenders and consumers. Benji explains why brands look for the right fit rather than simply chasing social media numbers, and why developing specialist knowledge in a single category can create significant career opportunities.
The discussion also explores bourbon's current oversupply concerns, why the situation is more nuanced than many headlines suggest, and how today's challenges could ultimately benefit whiskey drinkers in the years ahead. Above all, Benji argues that passion matters, and that the most successful advocates tend to work with products and categories they genuinely love.

In This Episode
Benji's route into hospitality, the realities of modern brand advocacy, working with Heaven Hill and American whiskey, what brands look for in bartenders and venues, bourbon's boom, slowdown and future outlook, career advice for aspiring advocates, and reflections on Tales of the Cocktail and industry networking.

Follow Benji on Instagram: @benjipurslow
Follow The Cocktail Academy:
Instagram: @welovecocktails
TikTok: @welovecocktailsx
Website: www.thecocktailacademy.com
Email: sayhello@thecocktailacademy.com
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This week on The Cocktail Academy Podcast, Damian sits down with Steve Schneider, partner at Sip & Guzzle in New York and one of the defining figures behind modern cocktail hospitality.
Steve talks through his journey from the Marines and high-energy DC bars to Employees Only and eventually building Sip & Guzzle alongside Shingo Gokan. What starts as a conversation about cocktails quickly turns into a deep dive into bar identity, hospitality, storytelling, service culture, and what it actually takes to create bars people emotionally connect with.
Steve breaks down the philosophy behind Sip & Guzzle, explaining how the venue was designed as a “love story between New York and Tokyo,” inspired by the history of Japanese samurai arriving in New York in the 1860s and the evolution of Japanese bartending culture. He also opens up about building concepts with intention, managing high-volume service, training teams, and why modern bartending is now more about flavour and experience than showing off technical knowledge.
The episode is packed with stories, hospitality philosophy, operational insight, and the unmistakable energy Steve has become known for.

In this episode:
• Steve’s journey from the Marines into bartending
• Winning speed bartending competitions and early industry life
• Joining and eventually becoming partner at Employees Only
• Building Sip & Guzzle alongside Shingo Gokan
• The concept and storytelling behind the venue
• The difference between SIP and Guzzle
• Japanese bartending versus New York bartending culture
• Designing hospitality experiences around emotion and atmosphere
• Why lighting and music matter more than people realise
• Managing consistency in high-volume cocktail bars
• Training experienced bartenders versus younger staff
• Why patience matters for young bartenders wanting to open bars
• The evolution of modern cocktail guests and flavour-driven drinking

Highlights:
• “Sip & Guzzle is a love story between New York and Tokyo.”
• “You fight through the hustle and bustle upstairs, then go downstairs and drink amongst the samurai.”
• “The worst thing somebody can say is: ‘I don’t understand this place.’”
• “The gloves are off now. You can really do whatever.”
• “I stayed behind the bar for 13 years before opening my first place.”
• “We’re smarter downstairs at SIP, but we’re better looking upstairs at Guzzle.”
• “I don’t like telling people what they should or shouldn’t do behind the bar. If your guests are happy, go for it.”

Steve also shares his thoughts on:
• Why the best bars aren’t necessarily the ones with the best drinks
• How hospitality has evolved in the social media era
• Why experienced teams matter in high-volume environments
• The importance of understanding your concept and market
• Why guests today are far more educated and adventurous than ever before

Follow and subscribe to The Cocktail Academy Podcast on your preferred platform to support the show and stay up to date with future episodes.
Follow The Cocktail Academy:
Instagram: @welovecocktails
TikTok: @welovecocktailsx
Facebook: @welovecocktailsx
www.thecocktailacademy.com
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From recipe databases and home bar apps to batching systems, dilution calculators and profitability tools, Damian breaks down the difference between cocktail enthusiast apps and genuine professional bartender tools.
He shares honest thoughts on apps like Mixel and My Bar, before exploring why Bartender's Choice remains one of the most respected cocktail apps in the industry.
The centrepiece of the episode is a deep dive into Bevnap, Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s modern bartender toolkit built around batching, costing, scaling, carbonation, ABV calculations and operational consistency.

Damian also reflects on how modern bartending is changing:
Are bartenders relying too much on apps?
Is memorisation disappearing from cocktail culture?
Are we moving from artistry to systems and scalability?
What actually separates a cocktail enthusiast from a working bartender?
This episode is packed with practical insight for bartenders, bar managers, hospitality professionals and cocktail enthusiasts alike.

In this episode:
The rise of cocktail apps in modern bartending
Why Damian doesn’t love Mixel
The difference between enthusiast apps and professional bartender tools
Why Bartender’s Choice is still highly respected
How Bevnap is changing cocktail batching and bar operations
Costing cocktails and running profitable bar programs
The future of batching, prep systems and bartender education
Why consistency matters more than memorising specs
Julie Reiner’s “batchology” discussion revisited
The evolving role of the modern bartender

Featured Apps:
Mixel
My Bar
Bartender's Choice
Bevnap

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone in hospitality.
Follow The Cocktail Academy:
Instagram: @welovecocktails
TikTok: @welovecocktailsx
Website: The Cocktail Academy
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Julie Reiner joins The Cocktail Academy Podcast for a candid conversation on what it really takes to build a lasting career in hospitality.
A true legend of the modern cocktail world, Julie is the force behind iconic New York bars including Clover Club, Milady’s and the former Flatiron Lounge. In this episode, she talks about hiring for hospitality over skill, why warmth matters more than technical knowledge, and how great bars create opportunities for people to grow.
Julie also reflects on how the cocktail world has changed since the early days of the modern cocktail revival, from the rise of social media and awards culture to the impact of batching on bartender education. She shares honest thoughts on burnout, mentorship, women in bartending, Speed Rack, and why young bartenders need to slow down, learn the classics and put the time in.
This is a conversation about longevity, leadership and the kind of hospitality that actually makes people feel better than when they walked in.

In this episode:
• Why Julie hires for personality first
• What makes someone naturally suited to hospitality
• How Clover Club and Milady’s develop staff
• The impact of awards culture on modern bars
• Why bartenders need to understand the classics
• How batching has changed bartender training
• The importance of mentorship and women-led networks
• What good hospitality really means

Follow Julie Reiner:
Instagram: @mixtressnyc
Bars: @cloverclubny, @miladysnyc

Follow The Cocktail Academy:
Instagram: @welovecocktails
TikTok: @welovecocktailsx
Website: www.thecocktailacademy.com
For bonus content, resources and more from the show, visit thecocktailacademy.com.
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