Isabel Graham-Yooll is a leading expert in the world of fine spirits and the secondary market. She was the director of Whisky.Auction and before that, she worked as a spirits buyer at Bordeaux Index and Milroy’s of Soho. In 2024, she launched Wisgy, an independent consultancy specialising in old and rare spirits, helping collectors, investors, and enthusiasts make sense of the ever-evolving market.

Expect to learn how the secondary whisky market works, who’s buying, who’s selling, and why prices have skyrocketed in recent years. Isabel breaks down the different types of whisky buyers—drinkers, traders, and collectors—and explains how miniatures have become a key part of the market. We also discuss the difference between price points and actual value, how trends shape whisky investment, and how reporting can sometimes distort perceptions of the market.

For those looking to buy or sell, Isabel offers expert advice on where to go to ensure you’re getting the best deal and avoiding potential pitfalls. She explains the challenges of valuing rare bottles, especially when there’s little market history to go on, and how informed guessing plays a role in setting prices.

We also hear some incredible stories of “barn finds”—forgotten caches of whisky discovered in attics and cellars—highlighting the importance of provenance and how a bottle’s backstory can affect its value. Isabel then walks us through the complex process of authenticating rare spirits, from referencing distillery archives to forensic testing and even carbon dating.

Counterfeit spirits are a growing problem, and we dig into the strategies used by forgers, from manipulating glass and closures to preying on psychological biases. We also discuss some of the most infamous fakes, including Macallan replicas, and how collectors can protect themselves. Finally, we shift our focus to vintage liqueurs and cocktails, exploring how factors like heat, light exposure, and the mysterious “old bottle effect” impact the flavour of aged spirits.

wisgy.co.uk

Salvatore Calabrese has remained one of the leading figures in global cocktail culture for at least forty years. He has served kings, queens, presidents, and a string of Hollywood actors over a career that has seen him tend the bar at legendary Mayfair hotels such as The Dukes, The Lanesborough, Fifty St James, The Playboy Club, and most recently Browns Hotel.

We sat down for a conversation about his life and career at the Donovan Bar in January 2025. During the conversation you can expect to hear about Salvatore's early years behind the bar at age 11, his mentor and teacher in Italy, how a flaming drink gone wrong landed him his first proper bar job in London, what it felt like when a guest dropped a priceless bottle of cognac in front of him at The Playboy Club, the circumstances that lead to the creation of the now legendary Direct Martini at The Dukes Hotel... and much more.

Antonio Amorim is the CEO of Amorim Cork, who over a 155 year history have become the world’s biggest producer of cork and cork products. Amorim produce 6 billion cork stoppers annually accounting for over 50% of the global market.

Expect to learn the varied way in which infiltrates our lives, cork is harvested, processed and graded, how cork stoppers are produced and their applications, how the threat of TCA - aka cork wine taint - is viewed by Amorim in 2025, the remarkable sustainability credentials that cork can offer, and much more...

https://www.amorimcork.com

James Hoffmann is the best known coffee person in the world. He is the author of the World Atlas of Coffee, co-founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, former World Barista Champion, and the host of the James Hoffmann YouTube channel.Expect to learn how delicious instant coffee is made, how barista competitions work, the best ways to up your coffee game at home, why this might be the end of the golden age of coffee, and much more...

Links:James' YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMb0O2CdPBNi-QqPk5T3gsQSquare Mile Coffee: https://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimseven/?hl=enMe on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tristanstephenson

Andreia is an archaeologist and museum curator, working principally with the Art of Drinking Museum at the World of Wine in Porto, which holds more than 3,500 drinking vessels dating back 9,000 years. This episode was recorded and filmed in the museum, along with eight selected artefacts taken from the display cabinets that together total more than 20,000 years of human drinking history.

Expert to learn how the Egyptians drank wine, how the Greek Symposium evolved into the Roman Triclinium, the interesting innovations in drinkware that were going on in Mesoamerica 3,000 years ago, how the Germans played drinking games 400 years ago, and much more.

This episode was an absolute privilege to record and I want to thank all of the team at WOW in Porto, but especially Andreia herself whose passion and knowledge of this collection speaks for itself.

The Art of Drinking Museum - https://www.wow.pt/en/museums/the-art-of-drinking-the-bridge-collection

Andreia on Instagram - @andreia_fce

Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Ryan Cheti, aka Mr Lyan, is a bartender, bar operator, and author, known for his unique creative style and multi award winning bars in London, Washington DC and Amsterdam, including White Lyan, Cub, Dandelion, Lyaness, Silver Lyan and Super Lyan.

Expect to learn about Ryan’s approach to creativity, how important language is to hospitality and flavour, some of the weirdest ingredients both of us have used or tasted, how Ryan was inspired to make a drink influenced by Chernobyl, challenges the hospitality industry faces, plus a load of chat about whisky, and much more besides.

To support this show please share this episode with anyone who might find it interesting.

Ryan's instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrlyan/?hl=en

My instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tristanstephenson/?hl=en-gb

Nick Wykes is a former bartender and drinks consultant turned professional sport psychologist who holds a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology and a Doctorate in Sport Science.

There is a lot to be learned from elite performers and how they set goals, manage adversity, and work with other people. These skills are certainly applicable to people who work and train in teams but also relevant to anyone who is striving towards a goal or objective.

One of my goals for this podcast to occasionally bring on guests with expertise in psychology, social sciences, philosophy, business and arts, whose insights might help all of us become happier, healthier and more productive individuals - and thus support our shared curiosity of the history, science, and culture of food and drink.

Expect to learn about what makes a high performance individual, how to set goals and protocols to achieve them, accountability, vulnerability, dealing with failure, managing your internal dialogue, dealing with stress and anxiety, maintaining perspective, motivation.

Please rate and subscribe to support this podcast.

Adrian Bridge is the CEO of Taylor’s, Croft, and Fonseca Port Wine brands, a hotelier, museum owner, and holder of perhaps the greatest collection of glassware on the planet. This interview was recored in one of Taylor’s port lodges on the banks of the Douro river.

To watch it in full atmospheric 4K HD head to the Curious Bartender YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVD2zCfy0GVCd5kFTmbsr_A/