Sother Teague is not your average bartender. A former chef, teacher, and researcher, he built Amor y Amargo into a shrine to bitters and stirred drinks. His philosophy is simple: do one thing with ruthless focus and let the craft speak for itself.

In this conversation we trace his journey from culinary classrooms to world-class cocktail bars, unpack the science of why humans fear and then crave bitterness, and explore how naming, ritual, and repetition shape culture behind the bar. Along the way Sother drops stories about teaching, creating drinks that never die, and why your environment should dictate your order.

If you care about flavor, hospitality, or the hidden psychology of taste, this episode is for you.

Expect to Learn

• Why bitterness was once a survival warning and how it became a pleasure
• How radical focus built one of New York’s most iconic bars
• The surprising gender split in how palates evolve over time
• Why craft is repetition and what Bruce Lee can teach bartenders
• How aquafaba and other kitchen hacks reshape classic cocktails
• Why a cocktail’s name might matter more than its recipe
• How to build a personal Rolodex of flavors that makes creativity effortless
• Why knowing where you drink is just as important as what you drink

• 
  

Suggested Links

• Amor y Amargo
• The Speakeasy on Heritage Radio Network
• Sother’s Book on Amazon

Service starts now.

Follow the show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

I talk mostly to people in and around the service industry space. I'm looking to hear from the people I wish I could have talked to when I was coming up in restaurants. Said another way: I am trying to make sense of this wild, beautiful mess of a life, and help others that are feeling similarly confused and/or lost. You can find more of my work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠my blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and all my social links are at the bottom of that page.

Classic Episodes You May Like:

-#22:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Doug Frost MW MS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#23:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeffrey Morgenthaler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#31:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ET: Entrepreneur (and creator of Surfer on Acid)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-#38:⁠Aaron Goldfarb Hunting for Ancient Booze⁠

-#39:Edward Slingerland's Masterful work on Intoxication

As always, I’m just here taking notes, trying to figure out what it all means.

Cheers