Mezcal primer and pandemic recovery with bar veteran Grant Collins

Drinks Adventures - Wine, beer, whisky, gin & more with James Atkinson

A podcast for lovers of wine, beer, liquor (incl. whisky, whiskey, bourbon, gin, vodka, tequila etc) and cocktails, Drinks Adventures hosts wine makers, brewing and distilling experts, sommeliers, bartenders & more.
Grant Collins is an award-winning mixologist who has collaborated and consulted with leading bars and hotels across the world.
Since 2017 he’s been working with the Kensington Street hospitality precinct in Chippendale, Sydney, where he founded Gin Lane, Blossom Bar and in 2021, a third venue, Cartel.
Cartel is a modern Aztec & Latin restaurant with a drinks offering that is heavily focused on agave spirits.
You may also like:The NBA’s wine obsession, with Baxter Holmes of ESPN: S10E1UK wine writer Matthew Jukes on non-alc wine & more: S12E1Brewing legend Chuck Hahn's 50-year global brewing odyssey: S11E2Iconic cocktails: Julio Bermejo, creator Tommy’s Margarita cocktail: S4E8
You’ve heard a bit about tequila previously on this podcast with none other than Julio Bermejo, the man who invented the Tommy’s Margarita cocktail, back in Season 4.
This time, Grant shares with you his recent experience introducing Cartel’s patrons to mezcal, a lesser known relative of tequila.
Grant introduced me to some pretty delicious and interesting mezcals during our chat, which I've listed here for interested parties:

• Quiquriqui Artisenal
• Quiquriqui Pechuga
• El Jorigio Tobala
• El Jorigio Aroquena

This interview was originally scheduled for March 2020. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how that panned out.
So when we finally caught up over a year later, I asked Grant first up how he’s been coping in recent times, running a hospitality business during a global pandemic.
More must-listen episodes:Two Paddocks wine with Sam Neill, pinot noir obsessive: S6E6Wine critic Jancis Robinson on the changing world of wine: S4E4Brewing historian Tara Nurin, and beer sensory expert Briony Liebich: S11E6Cocktails meet coffee with Mr Black Spirits: S8E5