The Carbonation Episode: How Two Bartenders Bottled a Movement
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.
🧪 What You’ll Learn
- 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
🔗 Links & Resources
Crossroads Consultancy
The Book
📘 Bubbles: A Guide to Carbonated Cocktails — available via their website.
🔒 Bonus Content
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.
🎧 Hosted by Damian Cole
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.