In this episode, Damian is joined by Slovak bartender, author, and mentor Stanislav Harciník, the creator of The Cocktail Balance and The Cocktail Balance 2.0. Broadcasting from Mirror Bar in Bratislava, Stan shares the unexpected beginnings of his hospitality career, the philosophy behind his writing, and his firm belief in the power of hospitality done right.

This conversation dives deep into what it means to be a modern bartender , not just in terms of technique and creativity, but as someone who understands flavour, business, and guest experience in equal measure. From the theory sections of his book to how he trains new team members at Mirror Bar, Stan’s holistic approach is a blueprint for the future of bartending.

• How Stan went from hating bar work to finding real purpose in hospitality
• The moment he discovered the magic of connecting with guests
• Why his love of cooking and flavour memory shaped his bartending style
• The origin story of The Cocktail Balance, written during lockdown
• Why the first edition was released only in Slovak — and the deeper reason behind it
• What The Cocktail Balance 2.0 set out to do — and why theory comes before recipes
• Why hospitality is more than just service, and how pricing tells a story
• How Stan’s recipes act as creative blueprints, not rigid instructions
• His take on hospitality as “selling love” — and why that’s what guests really pay for

“Being a modern bartender isn’t just about what’s in the glass. It’s about what you deliver, how you connect, and how you grow others.”

“You’re not just selling a drink — you’re selling an experience, a feeling, a piece of yourself.”

“We’re in the business of love. Hospitality is how we show it.”

P.S. The bonus Lock-In session with Stanislav Harciník — where we go deeper into bartender training, creativity, and his “Learn. Grow. Pass it on” philosophy — will be available soon for free at thecocktailacademy.com.

Instagram: @stan_harcinik

Website: thecocktailbalance.com

Website: www.thecocktailacademy.com

Email: sayhello@thecocktailacademy.com

Instagram: @welovecocktails

TikTok: @welovecocktailsx

Facebook: @welovecocktailsx

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preston Lee has helped scale some of the busiest and most beloved hospitality businesses across the UK and beyond — but his story started like many others: behind the bar, with no clue what he was doing.

In this episode, Preston breaks down how he turned personal failure into the foundation for The 30% Rule — a training and operations system that’s helped restaurants and bars go from chaos to consistency.

We talk about what most venues get wrong about training, why being nice isn’t the same as offering hospitality, and how systems can make your worst night feel like your best. Whether you’re an operator, bartender, or GM, this one is packed with real talk and real tools.

• Why only 30% of staff naturally operate at a high level
• The mindset shift that doubled revenue in a struggling venue
• Why most managers fail (and how to stop it)
• The difference between service and hospitality — and why guests feel it
• How to build training that actually works
• What consistency really looks like on a busy Saturday night
• Culture killers that start at the top
• Why you can’t scale a team without clear, repeatable systems
• What closing early says about your business
• Why hospitality is one of the most valuable skills in the world

• 30percentrule.com – Preston’s training and consulting platform
• @the30rule on Instagram

Website → www.thecocktailacademy.com

Instagram → @welovecocktails

TikTok → @welovecocktailsx

Email → sayhello@thecocktailacademy.com

This episode includes a bonus Lock-In segment exclusively for hospitality professionals, covering:

• Why most training doesn’t stick
• Preston’s “hospitality hill to die on”
• Advice for founders scaling multi-site operations
• → Unlock it now at thecocktailacademy.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damian is joined by Bart Miedeksza and Valentino Girotto, longtime collaborators, former bar owners, and co-authors of Bubbles: A Guide to Carbonated Cocktails. In this first half of the episode, they dive into the origins of their partnership, the evolution of Crossroads Bar into a consultancy, and the obsessive research process that led to their groundbreaking book. Expect tales of late-night DMs, deep dives into molecular flavor compounds, and why carbonation is more than just sparkle — it’s a science.

• How Bart & Val transitioned from running bars to full-time consulting
• Why they wrote Bubbles — and how an Instagram post forced their hand
• Collaborating with a Cambridge professor to decode carbonation chemistry
• How they used flavor compound mapping to reverse-engineer cocktails
• Why consistency trumps complexity in modern bar programs
• Tips for designing menus with both guests and GP in mind

Crossroads Consultancy

🌐 www.crossroads.bar

📸 @crossroads.consultancy

The Book

📘 Bubbles: A Guide to Carbonated Cocktails — available via their website.

To hear the exclusive Lock-In Session with Bart & Val — where we dive deeper into carbonation techniques, common pitfalls, and pro tips — head to thecocktailacademy.com.

📸 @welovecocktails

🌐 www.thecocktailacademy.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.