Bar Hacks

Hosted by David Klemt & Doug Radkey

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Episodes

176

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

You’ve heard of life hacks? How about #BarHacks? Created by KRG Hospitality consultants Doug Radkey (president, principal consultant) and by David Klemt (partner, senior consultant), Bar Hacks is a reflection of both high-level journalism & consulting experience within this industry. This informative and conversational podcast is the perfect listen for any aspiring or seasoned bar, pub, lounge, or even restaurant owner, operator, and manager who is looking for that competitive edge in industry driven trends, development, and operations. Have a listen and let us know what you think!

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60 recent

August 11, 2026Episode 1446 min

How Bon Vivants Built a Craft Cocktail Culture in the Bahamas

When Kyle Jones decided to open a craft cocktail bar in the Bahamas, he faced several challenges: the logistics of equipment procurement and maintenance; getting his hands on premium spirits and other drink ingredients; explaining craft cocktails to local hospitality professionals and bargoers; and a three-month training program. Overcoming those challenges has paid off, however. Bon Vivants enjoys a high employee retention rate and has become the training ground for craft bartenders in the Bahamas. Locals and tourists both love the coffee and cocktail programs. And the bar is collecting accolades, like earning a spot on the 2026 World's 50 Best Bars list and several Top 10 Honoree nominations from the Spirited Awards. During this chat, Kyle shares the story of Bon Vivants, touching on procurement, training, the creation of the Caribbean Cocktail Tour, and balancing what he wants for his bars with guest expectations. Cheers! Notes Kyle Jones IG ⁠⁠ Bon Vivants Nasssau IG Bon Vivants Nassau website The Dilly Club IG Horse to Water IG Old Pal Hospitality IG Caribbean Cocktail Tour IG Young's Fine Wine IG ⁠⁠KRG Nightlife IG⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠KRG Nightlife website

July 28, 2026Episode 1348 min

Growth & Authenticity: Stay True, Listen, and Take the Risk

ALB Vodka has been experiencing significant growth and forming key partnerships through a few powerful tactics: they listen to operators, chefs, bartenders and partners, and they innovate while remaining authentic and true to themselves. That is, in part, what got Bar Hacks host David Klemt interested in speaking with Brian Grimsley of ALB Vodka. However, there's more to the brand's story, and it's something that caught David's attention immediately. It turns that out many notable Italian restaurants throughout NYC use ALB Vodka to make their vodka sauces. During this chat, Brian and Chef Anthony tell the ALB story, share what authenticity means to them, discuss institution status, and even dive into vodka sauce specifically and red sauce in general. This is a fun one! Cheers! Notes ⁠ALB Vodka IG⁠ ⁠ ALB Website website⁠ Chef Anthony IG Emilio's Ballato IG Vitolo IG Vitolo website ⁠KRG Nightlife IG⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠KRG Nightlife website

July 14, 2026Episode 1259 min

Drink Wise: Building a Beverage Brand with Conviction

Every successful beverage brand has an origin story. For Owl's Brew, it began with tea, craft cocktails, and a commitment to doing things differently. On this episode of Bar Hacks , we're joined by the founders of Owl's Brew, Maria Littlefield and Jennie Ripps. Our conversation includes the story of a visit to a New York City hotel bar that unexpectedly validated their product, why distributors understood their vision before consumers did, what Gen Z is teaching the industry about the future of drinking, and why authenticity has remained their greatest competitive advantage. We also explore the launch of Spiked Pop, the Wise Women Collective, the Boozy Book Club, and what it takes to build a brand that stays true to itself in an industry that constantly pressures companies to follow the next trend. Whether you're building a beverage brand, operating a bar, or simply curious about where the industry is headed, this conversation is full of practical insights on innovation, community, and drinking wise. Cheers! Notes Owl's Brew IG Owl's Brew Spiked Pop Owl's Brew website KRG Nightlife IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠ KRG Nightlife website

June 30, 2026Episode 111 hr 5 min

The DC Bar Scene Isn't Emerging. It's Already Here.

On this episode of Bar Hacks, David Klemt sits down with Kapri Robinson and Princess Johnson of Allegory in Washington, DC, for a conversation that goes far beyond cocktails. Together, they explore what makes DC's bar scene unique, why it deserves recognition alongside cities like New York, Chicago, and Miami, and how strong hospitality begins with strong teams. From designing thoughtful cocktail programs and creating memorable guest experiences to preventing burnout, elevating non-alcoholic offerings, and the return of happy hour, this episode is packed with practical insight for anyone passionate about hospitality. Along the way, there are plenty of laughs, including David somehow swapping both guests' surnames during the introduction even though he was reading his own notes. Cheers! Notes Kapri Robinson IG Princess Johnson IG Allegory DC IG Allegory DC website ⁠⁠⁠Bar Hacks IG⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality IG⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality website

June 16, 2026Episode 1059 min

Ethos & Sensibilities: Ektoras Binikos on Bars, Art & Distilling

Artist, operator, bartender, mixologist, distiller, creator... Ektoras Binikos wears a lot of hats. That said, he wears them under the unifying umbrella of hospitality. Not long after arriving in NYC from Greece, he started making a name for himself. By 2019, Ektoras was ready to open the doors to his own bar, Sugar Monk. He and his team overcame significant challenges, including navigating shutdowns. Now, in June of 2026, Sugar Monk is celebrating its seven-year anniversary. Ektoras opened Bitter Monk in 2024, and has tapped into his family's history of distilling through the creation of Atheras Spirits. One of the threads tying his journey together is the effective balancing of creativity with ethos, sensibilities, and business. Cheers! Notes ⁠⁠ Ektoras Binikos IG ⁠ Sugar Monk IG Bitter Monk IG Atheras Spirits IG Sugar Monk website Bitter Monk website Atheras Spirits website ⁠⁠Bar Hacks IG⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality IG⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality website

June 2, 2026Episode 91 hr 11 min

I'm Your Huckleberry: Mike Bausch Wants You to Succeed with Pizza

Mike Bausch, one of the first certified master pizzaiolos in America, was also one of the first guests host David Klemt ever talked with on the Bar Hacks podcast. He dropped by five years ago for episode 18. Now, he returns for episode 151. If you operate a pizzeria or have pizza on your menu, and if you really want to cut through the BS and succeed in this highly competitive area of F&B, Mike can help. On this episode, he delivers the reality of running a pizza business straight, peeling back the complicated layers of pizza operations. It's possible your name is holding you back from being discoverable. Perhaps you should be calling your pizza something else. If you're in the pizza space you're not just battling other pizzerias, and you need to understand that. Your marketing may not be working because of what you're focused on and how you communicate. Mike unpacks the reality of pizza in 2026, and shows you the way forward. Cheers! Notes ⁠Mike Bausch IG⁠ Mike Bausch YouTube Unsliced Andolini's Pizzeria Andolini's Worldwide Prossimo Ristorante ⁠Bar Hacks IG⁠⁠ ⁠⁠KRG Hospitality IG⁠⁠ ⁠⁠KRG Hospitality website

May 12, 2026Episode 81 hr 4 min

150 Episodes Later: The Side of Hospitality We’ve Never Explored

Episode number 150! Thank you for listening, subscribing, liking, and sharing. Without you, we wouldn't have reached this milestone. To celebrate, we're tackling a topic we haven't talked about on the podcast before: audio, lighting, and video. On this episode, David speaks with a friend of around 20 years, Josh Mierly. Josh is a freelance production manager for live touring acts, meaning nightclub, amphitheater, theater, festival, arena, and stadium operators will be speaking with him about the acts they've booked to perform. During this friendly but informative chat, Josh explains what it takes for an artist and the production team to work with a venue: the venue's capabilities on paper, what it's actually capable of delivering that day or night, building a positive working relationship with production managers and their teams, problem solving to ensure the show is a success and helps the venue make its sales, brands to consider, and why nightclub operators need to invest in the right audio engineer rather than just the most affordable. He also touches on what goes on in the booth or on stage, protecting your hearing, and some entertaining stories from the road (including tour bus etiquette). Cheers to 150 episodes! Notes Josh Mierly IG Bar Hacks IG⁠ ⁠KRG Hospitality IG⁠ ⁠KRG Hospitality website

April 28, 2026Episode 759 min

Innovating in the Tequila Space to Balance the Taste with Responsibility

Will Brooks, Global Ambassador for Tequila Herradura, returns to the podcast. This time, he and host David Klemt dig deeper into tequila as a category and Herradura as a producer. The two discuss Lowland vs. Highland agave, what gives Herradura its unique "fingerprint," sustainability efforts, ensuring innovation is a benefit rather than a branding exercise, and another tasting trick (last episode it was oranges). Cheers! Notes William Brooks IG Tequila Herradura website⁠ Tequila Herradura IG Bar Hacks IG KRG Hospitality IG KRG Hospitality website

April 14, 2026Episode 641 min

Emma Janzen & Toby Maloney on The Classic Cocktail Sessions

James Beard Award-winning cocktail authors, educators, and bar and drinks aficionados Emma Janzen and Toby Maloney drop by the Bar Hacks podcast to chat about their new book, The Classic Cocktail Sessions . The duo share how they first linked up to begin collaborating with one another, the motivation behind writing and shooting the photos for The Classic Cocktail Sessions, writing a book about classics we all know and love with the modern palate in mind, the "casualing" of bars, and their takes on the current state of hospitality. The Classic Cocktail Sessions will be available starting in June. Check out the links below to pre-order your copy! Notes ⁠ Emma Janzen IG⁠ ⁠Toby Maloney IG The Classic Cocktail Sessions IG⁠ Book and pre-order details The Elbow Room IG ⁠⁠ Bar Hacks IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠David Klemt IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality website

March 31, 2026Episode 553 min

Never Stop Learning: Mastering the Margarita & Taking a Natural Approach to Hospitality

"Respect the ingredients and the cocktail will respect you back." Fresh off of the grand opening of Despacho Margarita in Mexico City, co-owner Oscar Valle drops by the Bar Hacks podcast to chat with host David Klemt. Oscar shares how the core team came together, the vision for Despacho Margarita, how they're focusing on finding people with a real thirst for learning to build out the team, and the philosophy behind Natural Hospitality that drives the team and concept. Oscar also addresses the explosive popularity of cristalino tequila, how Despacho Margarita started out as a bottle shop and small bar but has transformed into a modern social club and cantina, and the recipes for two of the team's incredible Margaritas. Cheers! Notes Despacho Margarita IG Oscar Valle IG ⁠ Bar Hacks IG⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠David Klemt IG⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality IG⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠KRG Hospitality website