🎙 Pouring Stories Ep.18 - Giambrone sits down with Nathan Grates, co-owner of The Sand Dollar LV, Sand Dollar Downtown, and La Casa De Juliette, to talk about the grind behind building three of Las Vegas’ most respected cocktail and live-music destinations.

From brutal late nights as a beverage manager to wild college bar shifts, Nate opens up about the real costs of success: Physical, emotional, and financial. We dive deep into cocktail competitions, sobriety in the industry, Las Vegas dram shop laws, and why authenticity beats hype every time. If you care about Las Vegas bars, cocktail culture, or the business of hospitality, this episode is pure gold.

💡 Why Watch / Listen

✔ Inside story of The Sand Dollar Las Vegas-from concept to cult status

✔ Brutally honest look at the hospitality industry: burnout, sobriety, and creative passion

✔ Cocktail nerd talk: Trinidad Sour, additive-free spirits, and Martingale Cognac

✔ Lessons on entrepreneurship, partnership, and staying authentic in a world of influencers

⏰ Chapters & Key Moments

00:00 Intro Teaser

01:04 Ole Bison Bourbon - Tasting room with Jeremy Wilkinson

02:30 Building a foundation

04:19 Beverage Manager Hell - “It Destroyed Me Physically & Emotionally”

07:55 First moments bartending - “Is this legal?”

11:26 Enthusiasm for bartending

12:18 Cocktail Competitions (Presentation)

14:18 Cocktail Competitions (Scoring bias)

15:45 Over-drinking & Sobriety in the beverage industry

18:35 D.U.I., Taking their Keys, & Dram Shop Laws in Las Vegas

22:45 Davey’s Locker

24:40 Bartending a College Bar - “I overserved everybody”

27:20 Media Dinners!

29:46 Concierge

31:31 Trinidad Sour - What did G do wrong?

35:00 G realizes his mistake!

37:00 Additive Free in the news!

42:55 Ghost Busters44:10 Corrected Trinidad Sour (after 2 bottles of ango)

45:54 La Casa De Juliette

50:00 No Smoking at The Dollar!

52:25 Girls love the most horrific content - Last Podcast on The Left

55:10 Nate & Jamison - Origins of true partnership

1:08:00 Born to work - It’s how you’re raised

1:14:00 10 Years of The Sand Dollar (Cancelled Comp?!)

1:26:00 Additive vs. Additive Free

1:28:10 Martingale Cognac

1:31:00 Guillaume Vallet - Louis XIII

1:32:00 “Certain cultures are notoriously poor at making beer”

1:33:50 Vegas Brewers

1:37:00 People who talk but never do

1:38:30 Bringing authenticity to content creation

🍹 Featured Drink – Trinidad Sour

The Giuseppe Gonzalez recipe:

1.50 oz Angostura Aromatic Bitters

1.00 oz Orgeat

0.75 oz Lemon Juice

0.50 oz Rye Whiskey

Shake with ice, double strain into a Nick & Nora, garnish with a lemon peel.

🎧 Pouring Stories

Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming

Executive editor: Kyler Fleming

Follow for more conversations with bartenders, spirits pros, and the people shaping cocktail culture.

For more info on Nate's venues click the links below.

https://lacasadejuliette.com/

https://thesanddollarlv.com/

Dario Doimo spent half of his life abroad, sneaking into an international competition at 19, and falling in love with bartending ever since. He went on to win the World Flair Bartending competition, open venues, became a U.S. Citizen, and is now The Agave Ambassador for Bacardi! Dario finally sits down with his old friend Giambrone, to share some of the wild ride he has been on!

0:00 Dario Doimo Ep.17 Pouring Stories teaser

1:30 Cuba Libre (Bacardi Select)

3:00 Old limes

4:10 Born to bartend: How it started.

6:56 So many cocktail names

9:30 Soda-guns suck

12:00 Health Department

15:35 Bad vs. Good Bar Design

21:10 "He drank Cocchi with Cocchi" (Jozef)

22:44 Restaurant opening woes

33:00 How Dario ended up at Mr. Coco

37:00 Negroni Bianco

40:00 Las Vegas prices are out of line

45:50 Spritz & Carver Steak by Francesco LaFranconi

53:00 THE SUDDEN BRAMARE CLOSING

1:00:00 Vegas lost exclusivity...

1:04:00 Binge Drinking

1:07:00 The Art Of Italicus 2019/Comps

1:17:15 The Flair Life

1:30:00 Bopitty Boo Boo

1:31:00 Training for World Flair

1:37:40 Outdated process for citizenship

1:46:57 Bartending teaches you about people

1:48:10 Dario performs for a village

1:54:10 Patron Cristalino

1:55:40 Tennessee Whiskey = Lincoln County Process

1:57:00 Ilegal Mezcal Caribbean CaskSpecial T

hanks to Dario Doimo for years of friendship and excellence. Thank you to Bacardi, Patron, & Ilegal Mezcal for lending your Agave Ambassador and for delicious spirit

Kristi De Vita joins us on Pouring Stories, to share her family's French connection to Chartreuse, adding needed context to her hidden tattoo reveal during the podcast. Kristi goes on to talk about leaving Boulder City for a new life in New York City, gaining the attitude she needed to navigate the sidewalks, and becoming the Business Development Manager for Gallo in New York! She finishes by teaching us a trick, opens a bottle of Champagne, and detailing the finer points of the glassware we choose.

0:00 Kristi De Vita | Pouring Stories Ep.16

2:30 The Dillinger, Boulder City

6:00 The managers struggle

10:40 Chartreuse in the blood

14:00 Proper tipping, over tipping, & tip fatigue

23:25 Moving to NYC (flibbertigibbety)

29:50 New York State Of Mind

35:03 "Gear-Head's, I'm sorry" - Giambrone

38:06 Know one needs another "How-To" (Last Word)

41:22 Episcopal & other Chartreuse gems

44:35 Total Wine & Lee's Discount Liquor

49:38 The French & Kristi's shirt glitch

53:20 Kristi's Tattoo (Chartreuse fun facts)

57:10 Chartreuse Green vs. Yellow vs Vegetal

59:21 Wine for breakfast

1:06:00 Kristi's Disclaimer

1:06:59 Rombauer Chard to Sauv

1:08:22 Sauvy B's, Menty-B's, and S&M!

​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​1:12:25 Super Tuscan, Chianti, Sangiovese

1:17:00 Corked Wine TCA. Cork Soakers!

1:23:38 Why people go out to eat!

1:25:58 Gallo and Rombauer

1:28:18 Sideways quote that crushed Merlot

1:35:50 Opening Champagne with Kristi De Divta

1:41:30 Best Glass for Champagne

1:47:00 WORKING WITH INTENT in your career

Please like, share, & subscribe to support the channel!

Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone and Kyler FlemingSpecial thank you to ​⁠Kristi De Vita ​& Gallo

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!

Join us for an unfiltered chat with Chef Nicole Brisson, a Las Vegas culinary legend! From her training in Italy to the heartbreak of losing Carnevino, Nicole dives deep into dry-aging steaks, chef life, and her innovative Italian-Japanese pop-up. We also sip on Campari Americanos, muse about cigars, and explore sustainable cooking methods. Don’t miss this journey into hospitality, entrepreneurship, and Vegas vibes!

0:00 Chef Nicole Brisson’s Training in Italy

3:52 Bisteaka De Brisson

5:03 Dry Age Vs. Wet Age

12:28 Losing Carnevino

15:50 An Illustrious career

17:11 “Momentum isn’t Forever”

18:30 Healthy & Sustainable methods

21:00 Thyroid Disease & Livestock

25:06 Indulging & Moderation

27:45 Cigars & Chef Life

31:17 Where do You want to go?

36:30 Vermouth Fresh Vs. Old

42:00 Campari’s Americano

44:58 Aperitivo Hour

49:26 “Big Smoke” convention

55:35 Italian-Japanese Pop-up

58:18 Sparrow’s “Bar Snacks”/Takeovers

59:55 Learning a bit about Kyler

1:01:45 The Bramare Bar Experience

1:03:20 Perlick Bars

1:04:45 Cooper’s Gin Fizz Story…

1:06:49 Mozzarella Bars

1:08:45 Chef Robbie Felice Concepts

1:10:15 final musings

Subscribe for more Pouring Stories episodes with top hospitality insiders! 🥃 Drop a comment: What’s your favorite chef story? 👇#NicoleBrisson #DryAgedSteak #VegasDining #Bartending #PodcastHosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming

Special thank you to Chef Nicole Brisson for many years of kindness, professionalism, & above all her friendship!

Join us for an engaging episode of "Pouring Stories" as we welcome Tucker St. John, the Director of Beverage at Esther’s Kitchen in Las Vegas, NV. This episode dives into his innovative ideas, philosophical insights, and insider knowledge about the world of mixology and hospitality, offering a fresh perspective for both industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts.
Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming

Special thank you to Tucker St. John for all his work and years of excellent hospitality I personally have enjoyed many times!