Just a quick note before we start this episode. When we recorded this, things were a little bit different in the world. Things hadn't been said. Things hadn't been threatened. We were in a little bit different place. We just want to make sure that everybody knows this is our love letter to Canada. We think you're an amazing country full of great people. We have no interest in you becoming the 51st state. You're vibrant and beautiful as you are. And with that out of the way. Here we go. Welcome back to Drinking With Robots. I'm your host, Ingrid Folkers. And I'm your host, Rob Nester. And today we're talking all about our friends from the land of maple. We'll discuss the history of Canada, its natural beauty, our favorite Canadian foods, and we can't skip Canadian pop culture and sport. A little later, Marian Walsh, known affectionately as Mayor, from Handsome Dave's Neighborhood Bar in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, will join us to talk about her Great White North inspired cocktail. We'll find out if her cocktail defeats the AI challenger or if she's going to be sorry. But first, a word from our sponsor. Upgrade your cocktail game with Remedy Cocktail Company's handcrafted bitters. Order online at RemedyCocktailCompany.com and choose from over 20 flavors. Elevate your drink experience today. Now, before we discuss the history of Canada, we must first recognize the devastation of colonization on indigenous peoples across North America. Before European settlers arrived, indigenous peoples had rich cultures, thriving trade networks, and complex systems of government. For instance, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy developed a peace-based model of governance that is believed to have influenced the U.S. Constitution. When Europeans like Jacques Cartier and John Cabot arrived in the 15th and 16th centuries, they began trading with indigenous peoples. But as European settlements expanded, the fur trade disrupted indigenous ways of life and diseases such as smallpox decimated populations. Settlers pushed westward, displacing indigenous peoples through forests or broken treaties. Unlike the U.S., Canada has taken nationwide steps towards recognition, reconciliation, and reparations for the harms caused to indigenous peoples. However, these efforts are ongoing and often uneven. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and formal apology for residential schools have set a higher standard for reconciliation. But challenges remain, particularly regarding land and environmental justice. Both Canada and the U.S. were shaped by European colonial powers. The French established colonies in Canada, while the English founded the original U.S. colonies. Following the French and Indian War, which was fought from 1754 to 1763, Britain took control of Canada, setting the stage for future tensions with the United States. During the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, many loyalists fled to Canada, influencing its demographics and future. While the U.S. declared independence, Canada opted for gradual self-rule. The war of 1812 saw the U.S. attempt to annex Canada and fail, solidifying Canada's separate identity. The Treaty of 1818 established the 49th parallel as the border. And as the U.S. expanded westward, Canada largely remained conflict-free. Many escaped slaves also sought refuge in Canada via the Underground Railroad. The Finnean raids of 1866 to 1871 were a series of attacks launched by Irish Americans against Canadian military posts and other strategic targets. The Finneans believed that by attacking British-held Canada, they could pressure Britain into negotiating for Irish independence. These heightened tensions, along with Canada's growing fear of U.S. expansion, led to the British North American Act, which created the Dominion of Canada in 1867, which aimed to create a stronger federation. Canada's name has an interesting origin, derived from the Huron-Iroquois word Canada, meaning village or settlement. It was first used by Jacques Cartier in the 16th century to refer to the area around what is now Quebec City. Over time, the term expanded to describe the entire territory. In 1867, the name became official and Canada gained more control over its affairs, but didn't actually achieve full sovereignty until 1931. And it wasn't until 1982 that the country could amend its own constitution without British approval. Around the time Canada achieved full sovereignty, the U.S. was experimenting with prohibition, and Canada became a critical supplier of alcohol. With the 18th Amendment banning the production and sale of alcohol in the U.S., Canadian distilleries continued to produce liquor legally, sparking a booming smuggling trade across the border. The U.S.-Canadian border, particularly around the Great Lakes and Montreal, became a hotspot for smuggling. Rum runners and bootleggers used small boats or they hid the illicit liquid, amongst other cargo, to ship alcohol from Canadian cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver into the U.S. Canadian distilleries either directly exported alcohol or worked with smugglers to meet the high demand in the United States. While Canada never fully embraced prohibition, some provinces like Ontario and Prince Edward Island did enact temporary bans on alcohol, though these were less strict and shorter lived than the U.S. national ban. This created an opportunity for Canadian distilleries to thrive, making Canada a haven for U.S. bootleggers seeking alcohol. The rum running trade proved highly profitable, with many Canadians involved in the underground economy. Organized crime syndicates, including notorious American figures like Al Capone, were heavily involved in smuggling alcohol into the United States through Canada. The border became a crucial route for these illicit operations. It wasn't just organized crime syndicates either. While there's debate to the veracity of the claims, Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of former American President John F. Kennedy, was often rumored to have been deeply involved in bootlegging operations at this time in Canada. Some of these smugglers were incredibly creative. In upstate New York, a smuggler who lived on the U.S.-Canadian border came up with a clever idea to evade detection. He would strap bags of alcohol to deer and then release them across the border in Canada. The deer, drawn by the scent of food back home, would naturally return to the smugglers' property, alcohol in tow. Unfortunately for him, the authorities got wind of this peculiar smuggling ring when they noticed an unusual number of deer acting tipsy in the woods. That reminds me of a story I read where a rum runner in Florida had a parrot that he trained to shout warnings whenever law enforcement was near. The parrot would sit in the front room of the rum runner's house and squawk, "Coppers! Coppers!" whenever anyone in uniform approached. On one occasion, the parrot's incessant squawking alerted the neighbors who called the police to investigate the noise. The rum runner was caught not because of the police themselves, but because of his overly enthusiastic parrot. Speaking of crazy criminal activities, we have to talk about the great Canadian maple syrup heist. Absolutely. Between 2011 and 2012, nearly 3000 tons of maple syrup valued at approximately 18.7 million Canadian dollars were stolen from a storage facility operated by the Federation of Quebec maple syrup producers. This wasn't just any theft. It was a meticulously planned operation that exploited weaknesses in the storage system. The FPAQ's warehouse in St. Louis de Blanford was targeted by a group of thieves who siphoned off the syrup from barrels, replacing it with water to avoid immediate detection. The sheer scale and ingenuity of the operation is astonishing. The syrup was then sold on the black market, spreading across various regions before the heist was discovered in July of 2012. The economic impact was significant, highlighting how valuable maple syrup is to Canada's economy. The investigation that followed was extensive. Authorities worked tirelessly to trace the stolen syrup, leading to the arrest and conviction of several individuals involved in the operation. Law enforcement recovered a portion of the stolen syrup, but the incident left a lasting impression on the industry. I do think it's wild that in 2011 and 2012, they didn't have cameras in the storage facility, which is a big reason the heist went on for so long. Canadians are so trusting, even with their precious maple syrup. You know, the maple leaf has long been a symbol of Canada, representing the country's natural beauty, history and identity. It was first used as a symbol by French settlers in the 18th century, who saw the maple tree as a resource for both timber and sap for making maple syrup. During the 19th century, the maple leaf began to appear on Canadian military insignias and uniforms, especially during the War of 1812. The most significant milestone in the maple leaf's journey to becoming a national symbol was its inclusion on the national flag. Designed by George F. G. Stanley and John Matheson, the red maple leaf flag was officially adopted on February 15, 1965. This iconic design features a stylized 11-point red maple leaf in the center, flanked by red bars on either side. The maple leaf is now widely recognized around the world as a representation of Canada. It appears on Canadian coins, corporate logos and various products. It symbolizes Canadian values like peace, tolerance and nature. Speaking of nature, we have to mention Canada's amazing natural beauty. For sure. Canada is a land of breathtaking beauty, and its natural wonders are renowned worldwide. For example, the magnificent Rocky Mountains stretching across British Columbia and Alberta are home to some of the most stunning alpine scenery on the planet. Banff and Jasper National Parks are must-visit destinations. Did you know that Banff is Canada's oldest national park? It was established in 1885, and it's also where you can find the stunning Lake Louise with its turquoise waters reflecting the surrounding peaks. Fun fact, the Rockies are actually still growing. Due to tectonic activity, these mountains rise about one millimeter each year. There's much more to Canada than just the Rockies. Niagara Falls, which straddles the border between Ontario and New York, is another example of iconic Canadian scenery.

Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. We took a trip to the American side of the falls about a decade ago, and I have to say, they are awe-inspiring. You know, over the years there have been several people who have attempted to go over the falls. In 1901, a 63-year-old school teacher named Annie Edison Taylor became the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She hoped the stunt would bring her fame and fortune, but it turned out to be a far more dangerous endeavor than she anticipated, and it never brought her the financial gains she was seeking. In 1985, a man named Sam Patch attempted to go over the falls on a jet ski. He survived the plunge, but was severely injured. And in 2003, a stuntman named Kirk Jones went over the falls without any safety equipment. He, too, survived the fall, but suffered serious injuries. In both of these cases, the Daredevils were later charged with dangerous stunt activities because they failed to notify authorities of their stunts ahead of time. Likely because they would have been told, yeah, you can't do that. True. There are so many beautiful places in Canada that we could fill an entire episode and not cover them all. While it's a country with an abundance of scenic beauty, I think what really makes Canada a beautiful place is the people. The interplay between French and English influences has created a dynamic and inclusive culture that is uniquely Canadian. The fusion of English and French culture have had immense influence on Canadian food. I, for one, am a huge fan of poutine. Yay, poutine. For those unlucky enough not to have enjoyed this comfort food. So sad. It's a savory delight made of crispy French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and smothered in hot gravy. Mmm, hot gravy. Poutine is a quintessential Canadian dish that originated in Quebec in the late 1950s. It has since gained international fame and can be found in various forms, including gourmet versions with added toppings like pulled pork, pork belly or truffles. Another quintessentially Canadian food are Nanaimo bars. These tasty little bites are a layered no-bake dessert bar consisting of a crumbly base made of graham cracker crumbs, cocoa and coconut. A creamy custard middle layer and a smooth chocolate ganache topping. This delectable treat is a favorite at potlucks across Canada. Butter tarts are also worth a mention. They're a classic Canadian pastry consisting of a flaky buttery crust filled with a rich gooey mixture of butter, sugar and eggs. These sweet treats date back to pioneer times and are a staple at Canadian bakeries and family gatherings. They epitomize the simple yet indulgent flavors of Canadian baking. Moving further toward the sweet side, I have a serious love of coffee crisp and arrow candy bars. Have you had either of them, Ingrid? No, I don't believe I've had the pleasure. Coffee crisp candy bars consist of alternating layers of vanilla wafer and a foamed coffee flavor soft candy covered in milk chocolate. They're kind of like a larger and much, much better Kit Kat. That sounds so good. And arrow bars. They're really unique. It's a candy bar that originated in England in the mid 1930s and is made with aerated chocolate, which means there are these empty little cavities in the chocolate making it lighter. And there's just something about non-American chocolate that is so much better. Actually, fun fact, it's the lack of butyric acid. Arrow bars come in a variety of flavors, including original mint chocolate, dark chocolate, my favorite and white chocolate. I'm a sucker when I find them randomly in grocery stores here in the American South and I can't pass them up. I need to get my hands on a coffee crisp candy bar stat. That sounds right up my alley. On the more savory snack side, we also have to mention all dress chips and ketchup chips. Have you tried them? I love all dress chips, but I cannot get behind ketchup chips. Sorry. Oh, I'm a big fan and you are missing out in my opinion. But, you know, there's more to Canadian culture than just the food. Canada has a rich and storied music history as well. Yeah, a big turning point for the Canadian music scene was when the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission introduced Canadian content regulations in the 1970s. These regulations, often referred to as CanCon, require that radio stations in Canada devote a certain percentage of their airtime to Canadian content. For example, commercial radio stations must ensure that at least 35% of their popular music they broadcast each week is Canadian content. This percentage can vary depending on the type of radio station and the type of music it broadcasts. Canada is the birthplace of many superstar and cult classic bands and artists, including Celine Dion, Neil Young, Bachman Turner, Overdrive, Steppenwolf, The Band, Justin Bieber, Tegan and Sarah, The Weeknd, Skinny Puppy, Arcade Fire, The Bare Naked Ladies, Nickelback and Canadian Treasures, Rush and The Tragically Hip. These artists have not only achieved domestic success, but have also made a significant impact on the global music scene. Other lesser known Canadian artists that I'm personally a huge fan of are City in Color, fronted by former Alexis on Fire singer Dallas Green, The Glorious Sons and The Sheepdogs from way out in Saskatchewan. Canada's music market is one of the largest in the world, ranking eighth globally. In 2022, the market grew by 8.12%, reaching a value of over $800 million. This growth rate was almost double that of the United States. That's not the only part of the entertainment industry that's booming in Canada. This country pushes out a great number of actors and actresses as well. Pamela Anderson, Martin Short, Eugene and Daniel Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Seth Rogen, Jim Carrey, William Shatner, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers and the ever benevolent Keanu Reeves to name just a few. Canada doesn't just have a lot of great actors and actresses. They also produce great film and television themselves. Actually, one of my favorite shows comes out of Canada. Have you seen Letterkenny? Yeah, I absolutely love it. In fact, I actually was able to see Letterkenny live here in North Carolina and it was amazing. Can confirm. Can confirm. I love the fast paced banter style of comedy that they have perfected. The writing on that show is just top tier. If you listeners out there haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. Pitter patter. And we can't discuss Canada without talking about Canadian sports. Our American listeners might be surprised to learn that the first documented football game, a practice game played on November 9th, 1861 at University College, University of Toronto, predates the first documented football game in the US. In another first, the first written account of a game played was on October 15th, 1862. The Grenadier Guards and the Scots Fusilier Guards met on the field at the Montreal Cricket Grounds with the Grenadier Guards proving victorious. Twelve years later, an historic game between Harvard University and McGill University helped to evolve the rules of the game with Harvard adopting such Canadian innovations as running with the ball, using downs and tackling and introduced them into a match with Yale the following year. Turning from the gridiron to the ice rink, Canada has a rich ice hockey history. Fair point. Go Bruins. It's clear that our friends from the North sure are a talented bunch. I also have to point out that they have a vibrant cocktail culture as well. They've had four global winners of world class in the last seven years, with back-to-back winners Jacob Martin in 2023 and Keegan McGregor last year in 2024. It's no surprise that world class global finals are going to be held in Toronto this year. And I can't wait to see what comes out of the Canadian cocktail scene in the near future. So as we wrap up our love letter to Canada, we hope that we've inspired you to get a bowl of poutine, put Rush's 2112 on the record player and settle in with a pupper's golden lager or a Caesar and reflect on this incredible nation. From its all inspiring natural wonders and rich cultural heritage to its trailblazing contributions to music and film, Canada truly is a land of beauty and diversity. After the break, we'll sit down with Miriam Walsh from Handsome Dave's Neighborhood Bar in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Will her cocktail have what it takes for victory? Or will our AI competitor make a hosier out of her? Stick around to find out. Are you a full time professional bartender who thinks they have what it takes to defeat our AI challenger? If so, we'd love to talk to you. Reach out to us by sliding into our DMS. We're drinking with robots on Instagram or emailing us at bookings at DrinkingWithRobots.com. Hey, you. Yeah, you listening right now. Do us a favor. Make sure you've subscribed wherever you're listening to this podcast app. And then while you're at it, hop over to Apple or Spotify or any of those kind of places and leave us a five star review. If you leave us one, I'll make sure and read it on air. Hey, we just want to say thank you so much for listening so far. We'd love it if you connected with us on social media. You can find us at drinking with robots on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and threads. While you're at it, go ahead and hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to this episode at so you don't miss any future ones. Also, check out DrinkingWithRobots.com while you're at it. Thanks for sticking around on today's episode. We are lucky to have with us a wonderful representative of Canada. Mayor is joining us. She is a bartender at Handsome Dave's in Hamilton, Ontario, as well as owning Quick Stir Cocktail Catering. She is a Deanston Distillery Changemaker Bartender of 2024 and a Toronto Cocktail Conference 2024 Trash Panda. Mayor, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. Welcome. Yes, thank you. Thank you for having me. Now, Mayor, tell us a little bit about your bartending career. Tell us your origin story. Well, I started when I was 16 years old in a pub that was called the Whistling Mountie, if you want to get Canadian about it. I was the hostess with the mostess, also food runner, expediter, like everything. I was there for a couple of years, wanted to move into serving, and they wouldn't let me because I was too good at all the other jobs. Classic. So they put me on brunch shift, right, everyone's favorite. I slayed it. And it was funny, there was a competition of who could sell the most orange juice at brunch. And if you won, you got $2,000 cash and $2,000 credit towards like via rail, like our train. Yeah. Transit, like not just your go stuff, like the fancy trains that you can have your first class service, all this stuff. So not only did I win that, I won it twice because I sold so much juice. So I won $4,000 cash and $4,000 in these train passes. That's crazy. Right? So there I am, 18 years old, you know, doing the brunch shift that no one likes, slinging orange juice. What did you tell people was in the orange juice? Right? Isn't that wild? So yeah, so that was a good start. But then they wouldn't let me, you know, transfer kind of to bar and stuff. So as much as I was leveling up, it became kind of a dead end. So then I transferred to a different pub, where then I was given more opportunity, and was like management, head of floor staff, and then was able to transfer more behind the stick and learn more about like proper bartending craft, which at the time was not kind of what it is today and was your Tom Cruise style cocktail, if you will. Then just based on what's happening in my life at the time, I moved to Hamilton. I was in like a partnering city next door, but moved to Hamilton area to work at yet another pub, which then moved me to some more like banquet golf course style. It was kind of doing a bunch of things at once for a bit. But I was getting kind of sick of that. And I'd already so at this point, I've already been doing pub style for, you know, over 10 years, maybe 15 at that point. So I think I was approaching 30 and was having one of those crises of like, what am I going to do with my life and blah, blah, blah. And there was a cocktail oyster bar that was opening up that was the first of its kind for the city and kind of put Hamilton on the map when it came to drinks and kind of that more like class style of service. And it was a small little place. And it was a small little place. We had to do all the things like you worked bar, you worked floor, you you were shucking oysters. We also offered like charcuterie boards that we would build and whatnot as well. We had chalkboard menus, communal like harvest table. It was this cute little spot, but it was mayor and her bears. I ended up being management and it was a small crew of me and all the fellas. And we had all come from different backgrounds, but we're all trying to kind of achieve the same thing. And honestly, it was one of the best jobs I ever had. I learned so much just about industry and like the different styles and let alone oyster education and the cocktail education. And yeah, it was it was a great team. We had a great time. Unfortunately, it no longer exists. But that group restaurant group at that time in the mid 2000s was blowing up because they were I would they were opening a taco bar that I was supposed to go manage. But there were so many delays that I ended up at the cocktail bar. And even before the taco bar open, they'd already opened three other places. Then they opened a hotel like they were on fire. So I started with this restaurant group and there was only 15 employees. By the end of that first year, we were up to like 150. Wow. So I bounced around kind of helping open other spots. But the cocktail bar for the most part was my mainstay. So that said, where I am now is the third GM operations manager, Dave, a.k.a. handsome Dave. There's kind of an irony to that now. Formerly known as if you will, had opened a French style bistro, which was called Bontemps. And that was 2018. 2018. Let's put it this way. We made we were shy of our one year before the pandemic hit. But that said, we had a total of five years. It was awesome. We were fortunate because a lot of people, you know, weren't once again, super small staff. We're probably one of the best restaurants in the city. Didn't get enough credit for it. But it's just not sustainable anymore based on the food we were serving. And, you know, inflation of everything. And once again, costs for even wages had gone up. Like just nothing made sense anymore. So we we shut her down in August. We took a month and flipped it. And now we're handsome Dave's neighborhood bar. We've got TVs, easy bar snacks. We still have elevated drinks. But yeah, a lot of things coming down the pipe for us for for entertainment and such. And so so far so good. So, yeah, it's kind of our last kick at the can. But I think I think it was the right move. Everyone loves the neighborhood bar. So I'm wishing the best of luck for y'all. What kind of drove you into more of the craft cocktail side of it? I know you said you started at this oyster bar. But what really ignited your passion? Did you have a mentor at that time? Just walk us through that process. Yeah, it's funny. I'm going to say Dave, who I work with now was like meant to be the mentor as such for us. But he was being spread across so many places that it was kind of the fellas and I having to figure it out together. And there were a few on the team that were a bit more keen when it came to mixology and were thoroughly back to front absorbed into like liquid intelligence and stuff like that. So we were practicing a lot of those techniques and stuff together. So I'm going to say it was just luckily we were all like minded and wanting to execute that. And also because bar chef was huge in Toronto. It was like, can we attempt to be like that? But for me personally, and how I wanted to level up is now a couple of years have passed and I have it semi figured out. Uh, but Caitlin Stewart from BC had one world class and not only being Canadian, but also female. I was like, holy shit. I was like, I can, I can do this. Right. I was like, I didn't, uh, I didn't realize that that's how far you could go with it within the industries. And that's when I started, uh, competing. Kind of the background there on, on how you arrived here as your bartender journey. What prompted you to, uh, launch quick stir? Quick stir was created. The name came from comp competitions that we would host here in Hamilton and spec guides that were given to us that were just a quick stir, just a quick stir. And we thought it was hilarious because I was mentoring a bunch of, uh, the younger bar individuals city at the time. So it was a good laugh that, that we had during, during that time, but the pandemic hit. I'm a hospitality professional. It's the only thing I've ever done, know how to do and or want to do. Uh, so I was feeling pretty, you know, stuck of what's next for me. Uh, and especially how laws were working here at that time is like, sometimes they'd open us for two weeks and then just say, just kidding and close us down. It was just outside. Then it was inside and that it was a mess as it, as it was for everyone. But like they, they messed us about pretty, pretty hard with a lot of back and forth. So I had a lot of downtime. So I was, you know, when I was watching the videos, everyone's doing TikToks and reels and Instagram lives. I dabbled with a tiny bit of that. Uh, but then I was like, well, I'll just have a mobile business. Um, and it kind of kicked off more so of me providing syrups to a bunch of different bars and events that were happening in the city and kind of writing specs for them. So yeah, I was like, I was slinging syrup. From, from slinging juice to slinging syrup. Right. Slinging syrup. Uh, and then, yeah, I took it that bit further and was doing house parties and yeah. Uh, whether it's small scale, large scale, like anything goes within reason. I have all the equipment to, to bring with me, whether it's pop up bar, just my tools and my offering. Yeah. So I've slowly started to build it over time and it's been successful enough to the point that based on, uh, my current venture that I just returned from yesterday, uh, is because I had done, uh, some events for this couple. Yeah. So I, I want to interject here, you know, we are so lucky we, you know, we get to reach out to, uh, you know, amazing bartenders in various places. And, and, you know, it's always a great conversation to be like, Hey, you know, would you like to do the show? And yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. That's great. I've never felt so jealous reaching out to a potential guest as when I got your reply email, which was sorry for the spotty signal, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm in St. Lucia. And I was just like, I am doing something wrong. So you were out there doing like a menu consult. Is that right? I was training and building a cocktail program for a new upcoming luxury, like Airbnb hotel, uh, and, and restaurant. How I got that gig is once again, going back to bartending communication relationships, there was a patron that I had at one of the pubs, uh, who I had connected with. Let's say we're friends, right. A lovely woman was always really well put together and would kind of just sit around the sit around all the other gentlemen and, you know, drink her wine and stuff. And yeah, we, we connected, became friends. I've been out of that, you know, that city in that situation for like 10 years now. Uh, but you know, she follows what, what, what I'm up to and passed on my information to her daughter who doesn't live far from me. And she had connected with me throughout pandemic and stuff and said, Oh, do you mind? I got information from my mother. Would you mind doing this house party for me? Or I did their wedding service. Like I've done at least four events for them here back home. And then out of the blue, like a month or so ago, I'd received another message from her. And she said, would you like to come to St. Lucia? And we're, we're opening this thing and we'd really like your help. Uh, everything will be paid for. Or you just have to come train the team and create our program and wham, bam. So I just arrived back last night. So that's why my eyes are right. But yeah, what, what, what an opportunity and what an experience. And like, and also why I enjoy traveling, uh, anywhere, really just seeing how other people live, seeing how other people do things and, and being able to share, share stories with each other. Right. Speaking of travel, you've been to, I know the Toronto cocktail conference. Um, any other conferences you've been to, I know you helped out with Tiki by the sea in the past. Um, have you been to tails? Mm. So the first like bartending seminar retreat I experienced was Tiki by the sea. And that was 2023, 22 or 23, uh, I believe when you could kind of travel more so. And I'd never experienced something like that before. And I made so many connections and now have friends for life. And to the point that I, uh, attended to, cause they do the alumni groups as well. So I did the original in Wildwood and then did Los Angeles for an alumni. And now I have been on the support team for three other Tiki's two in Wildwood and one of the alumni's that we had this past year in Vegas. So yeah, Tiki, my lovely little family, they're great. What an experience. I was also like privileged enough to get accepted to camp run amok. Ooh. So I did that as well. And it's hard. Like a bunch of my American fries, there's hands full of people that were so mad at me. They're like, mayor, I've applied for years and either to get nothing or get wait listed. Like, who are you? Yeah. Right. So I did that. It was great. That set a bit more like in your face and cause there's that many more people and you have like kind of compound life and out of camp run amok. I was, uh, I went to Portland cocktail week. I did that as well. And also I know they just started this year's session, but I did the, uh, ABCs of Canadian whiskey last year cause figured I should probably have that in my, uh, in my back pocket, which was also great. And then, uh, yeah, Toronto cocktail conference for, for trash Panda. So the past couple of years of being busy with bouncing around and traveling and connecting and networking with people from all over, it's been great. So now, you know, that's traveling for we'll call it work and passion. Uh, but do you get a chance to just travel? Is that a thing you enjoy when you're not actively having to make cocktails or compete? Do you enjoy traveling just kind of for leisure? I do. But unfortunately it's been not unfortunately, like for, I've been super lucky. It's been very work bartender driven over the past couple of years. But prior to a pandemic, I did a European tour by myself for about two and a half months. Yeah. I hit 13 countries in two and a half months. So that said, I guess all like intertwining of, you know, bartending, it's always there, uh, is it was London cocktail week at the time. So I had met a bunch of people and I have a lot of family in London that I was lucky to stay with. So anytime I kind of was coming back and forth from places, I had a mainstay and had luckily met some people at the start of the trip that come the end of the trip. I did, uh, a little, uh, pop up, like guests, not even guest spot. I, they just, they talked to me behind the bar at a London cocktail club, which I've been told, I think none of the LCCs actually exist anymore. But, uh, what if, what a, it was like their happy hour and it was all like free pour throwing at like, just, it was, it was wild. I didn't experience anything like it, but, uh, once again, met a handful of people that I still communicate with till, to this day. That's awesome. Yeah. So you mentioned you have family in London. I'm always curious because, you know, obviously, you know, both Canada and the United States have kind of a shared history of being nations with primarily immigrant population. The majority of us are, you know, our families all came here from somewhere else, similar with Canada. You know, is your family a more recent arrival or, you know, do you have kind of longstanding roots in Canada? Were you classic fur trapper family or, you know, were you more of a more recent arrival? Uh, no, I'm going to say it's a lot of your, my father's side is English and Irish and he was born in the UK and came over when he, he was a child. Uh, that said, he's, he's in his eighties now. Uh, my mother, her family, this is actually, this is funny and kind of hits, hits that on that was, uh, was adopted, was Italian and what she thought to be indigenous, um, of the, of the Mohican tribe, actually. Um, so we, in Canada, we're, you know, we're brought up with, you know, education about that. That's it more so now because they shadowed over a lot of it, you know, and I lost my mom a couple of years ago, but she, um, was trying to get to the, to the root of it all and find out more because I guess her mother had lived on, uh, one of the reserves in Quebec. So I think that's where she had always, you know, gotten that information or thought that was within her bloodline. But then after getting the, the testing and whatnot done, no, her mother was Scottish. My mom, she was devastated. Oh gosh. Yeah. Cause I mean, she'd probably built up this kind of mythos of like who she thought she was, which she was. Yeah. So over the years she was always, yeah, trying to find out who she really was. And I appreciate the education that she shared, uh, with myself and my brothers about, you know, indigenous, um, like land and ceremonies and, you know, recipes and yeah, her just trying to divulge as much as into that culture to make it her own and share it with us. Uh, so yeah, bless her for that. But yeah, she was gutted. She was gutted when she found out that, you know, we're all, yeah, we're all just from the British Isles. Now you had mentioned Canadian whiskey and you had a certification, the ABCs of Canadian whiskey with Dave Mitten and Gina Fawcett. Can you talk a little bit about how that education or how Canadian whiskey as a whole has impacted yourself or Canadian cocktail culture? Because I will say, I think kind of growing up in the United States, there's always been this side eye given towards Canadian whiskey. I think there's been a little bit of, uh, prejudice to it from American drinkers. So what makes it awesome in your book? Right. Uh, Canadian, Canadian whiskey. Yeah, it gets a bad rap. And a lot of people think that it's just filled with like caramel additives and, you know, and this and that, or that everything is just strictly rye, which is not the case. And you actually don't even need like a percentage of rye to be considered a rye. Like there's so many different factors. So like anything that you assume about Canadian whiskey is probably inaccurate. And there's so many different like flavorings from like the barrels we use, which we get from y'all. So that's another thing that's wild to me is, but I love barrel talk. So I just think it's crazy that when it comes to like bourbons and such, and like the one use like barrel thing, and then that's it, that's all. And I guess it's lucky for every, you're providing everyone else, but it's just like, I don't get it. I don't know why you wouldn't use it more. But anyway, you're helping out, you're helping out everyone else. Um, but yeah, Canadian whiskey, there's just like a different like complexity to it. And I guess if we're getting into more rye grain, like a nice spiciness and just based on terroir, right. And because of different, uh, depending where you're based, it's a lot colder here across the span of the whole country. Um, is that going to affect things? Uh, so I've always really enjoyed Manhattan's. That was the first cocktail that I learned how to, how to make correctly, if you will. Um, and I prefer a rye based cocktail that said in conversation, I will ask people, oh, would you want rye or bourbon? And if anyone says bourbon, I roll my eyes. If someone says rye, I give them a high five. Um, but I think it's just the difference in how, yeah, in, in the mash builds, whereas y'all have to use the 51% corn. Uh, whereas we don't, we can have a mishmash of like a different, a different blend. And as I said, our, our temperature, uh, related stuff and being able to play around with like wood and different infusions a lot more. Like I know it's something that happens in the States too, but like y'all are strictly like corn, corn, corn, corn, corn. Yeah, for the bourbon, absolutely. Yeah. That's the, that maintains that hard 51% rule here in the States. Uh, and then for rye, it's a similar thing. It's a 51% and then the rest of that mash bill, you know, you can play around with that. What, what I think is interesting about Canadian whiskey is that all of the grains are distilled and aged separately and then it's blended together after the fact. So you do kind of get more control in the sense you can taste what the barrel is bringing to the table. Cause sometimes you just don't know how a barrel is going to turn out versus another one. Well, I mean, as we know with American distilleries that are producing bourbon, depending on what that barrel tastes like, it gets, oh, that's top end bourbon or that's bottom shelf bourbon. Yeah. And the barrel just tells you. I think that's offering more control to then, yeah, being able to blend and if something needs more time or if it needs less or how you could, yeah. So not only, and also like learned within that course is like, yeah, you have your master distillers, but then you have your master blenders that are then able to like contribute all these different, you know, profiles that can come out of one barrel, but span across a bunch of different product. I feel like that is kind of indicative of Canadian cocktail culture as a whole. You guys have a tighter community and a little bit more control of your cocktail scene. How have you seen the Canadian cocktail scene evolve over the past couple of years? It's grown so much, so, so much. And I would say that has a lot to do with world class and the Canadians that have leveled up and made it through and have won the title. Yeah, roughly four, I think in the past seven years. So that helps. And also with us now being the host for this year, everyone's going to be at our doorstep. So it's going to give us an opportunity to shine. But as we know, there's been a lot of gatekeeping and toxic culture over the years. I think the pandemic, everyone kind of having that downtime, as I said, for me, also kind of fretting and being like, well, what is next for me? Because this is all I've ever had, is luckily coming out of that and having groups and mentors such as Bartender Atlas are bringing people together to offer these educationals. Because also it varies, you know, province to province, city to city. I used to hate going to Toronto because they had their, you know, pretension about them, that they were better than us. We're just a steel town, blah, blah, blah, whatever. So over the past 10 years, I have built up our little city of Hamilton to be on top to the point that we would roll into these competitions by the busload and slay them, right? So we finally started to get recognition, like we might be small, but we're mighty. And yeah, we might be blue collar, steel town, we might have a bit more like, you know, grit and, you know, attitude behind us, but we do have the skill. But I will say since the past couple of years, since after the pandemic, I love going to Toronto now. And also that's the thing that's changed. A lot of toxicity is still there, but I feel like a lot of those rotten apples kind of being pushed out. And now we have these younger generations that want to learn and want to be mentored and have their own just like ideals of how things should work, let alone like non-alcoholic movements, which I'm pretty heavily involved in as well. So I just feel like more people want to share and care. It's been great. So, you know, you mentioned the non-alcoholic movement. Are you seeing that manifests itself primarily in the idea of non-alcoholic cocktails, meaning kind of your classic, I sometimes hate to use this word, but mocktail movement? Is that mainly what you're seeing or because I know one of the big things here in the States, you know, demographic research is showing that, you know, those folks who are freshly 21, there's kind of a reduction in how many of them are going out and drinking alcohol. Are you seeing kind of similar movements in Canada or is it still like, no, we enjoy a good cocktail primarily? It's no, to answer, but it's both. Yeah. I believe it's educating people enough on how to use all these new products that are coming out. It's also trying to educate people on why they cost so much because some of these non-alcoholic spirits cost even more than your basic alcoholic spirit. But imagine that process, not only are you making it like the, you know, with alcohol, then you're removing that. So like, yeah, no wonder it still is the amount of time and care being put into that, if not more so to remove all that and try and get those different like mouthfeels and, you know, illusion or flavoring of alcohol. And there's different ways to think about that. And it depends on the person, but in terms of like statistics and younger generations and your 20 some odds, they don't really go out anymore or they don't, you know, they don't drink. It's not about, you know, binge culture. And it's all about the, you know, like your, your selfie, right? Your, what you're putting out on social media and the look of it. So I think regardless of your drinking or not, and especially for those influencers is that they want to have some sort of creation, whether there's alcohol in it or not, that looks lovely that they can post and still maybe. And I think for people too, that maybe are hiding, not that anyone should hide their sobriety, but maybe it's because they're pregnant or something like that. Or, you know, there should be no question asked when someone asks for non-alcoholic drink, but some people feel like they have to hide things and they'll be like, can I have just like a soda water, but put like in a rocks glass, put a lime on it. So people think I'm drinking type thing. So I think it's also being able to create that like illusion for people as well. But what I love about this movement is the education for it and being able to offer people the same experience, whether it's sensory or flavor and, you know, the imagery of it. You're being able to offer that and make people feel comfortable, respected and accepted in your space. Yeah. It's about the feeling of like still feeling included, right, in the act of being out and being among people and being among community, right? Now, you had previously mentioned Bartenders Atlas. Can you just touch on that a little bit more, kind of explain what that is? Yeah. Bartender Atlas is a couple from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Josh and Jess. Josh is the bartender side of things. And Jess is all things photography and keeping Josh in line. But they're lovely and they have created an atlas of bartenders and bar professionals from around the globe. So you go to the site and in alphabetical order, it has country A to Z. It then breaks it down by region, state, city, this, that and the other thing. And you create your own profile. And that's a way people can connect. So once again, if you are traveling, let's say you're in Singapore and you're at a loss for, oh, where should I go in this and that? You can click Bartender Atlas Singapore and find all these bartenders and potentially you can link up with them. They also host a bunch of different events. They do independent study days. It's always sponsored by a different brand and they have a different speaker pertaining to different topics. I was lucky to speak at one of them last year in regards to the Deanston competition. As much as it's a sustainability competition, it's not necessarily about sustainable ingredients. It's about how to sustain yourself in the industry. And my focus was towards physical and mental well-being within the industry. And it's funny, when I submitted for the Deanston comp, I was at camp and I was humming and hawing about if I should do it. And luckily, my little cabin of girls was like, Mayor, go for it. Like, you do this stuff all the time. Shoot the shot, if you will, right? I actually had a bit of downtime the one day to get my head around it. And, you know, the Kentucky mountains are behind me. And I just filmed this, you know, little bit saying, like, here I am. And it's been a great experience. And I'm getting to meet all these people. And as much as we're cut from a different cloth, we all have kind of the same ideals and things to share. Let's build a quilt. So the drink that I submitted for the competition was called the Caring Quilt. Well, speaking of creating cocktails, let's turn a little bit. Let's talk about part of the reason you're here, which is to see how you're going to fare against our AI competitor. Right. I did not cheat. I did not. I promise. Everyone was like, man, just do it. I was like, no. And I was like, I already know what the bot's going to do. It's either going to do the route I ended up going, stirred, or it's going to do a Caesar because a Caesar is the Canadian cocktail. It is. Just essentially. Right. So I was torn between those two. I had my own inner battle about which way I should go. So, yeah, let's bring it on. Hang on, though. Hang on, though. We're going to do this. So let's get it on tape. What is your prediction for the AI's cocktail? I think they will be similar to my spec and go maple syrup stirred. All right. Well, with that in mind, let's review the prompt. In honor of Canadian Flag Day, your challenge is to craft a cocktail that encapsulates everything that sets the Great White North apart. Since the iconic flag features a maple leaf, you must incorporate maple flavor into your cocktail in some way. Now, we made it specifically maple flavor and not specifically maple syrup. So there was a little bit of flexibility if you wanted to get creative. You try not to stereotype Canadians too badly. All right. Mare, do you want to go over your cocktail for us? Yes, I would love to. So I went with a Manhattan riff. So I said I love Manhattans, especially rye Manhattans. And I called it the Just Giver Bud Manhattan. I used the Lot 40 rye whiskey, which is like ultimate favorite, stands up well. And cocktails, so much complexity and like rye spiciness, but nice different like floral notes and like fig and, you know, your woodiness, you know, a bit of orange. Then I went with the vermouth. I wasn't sure based on what y'all had to hear, but I luckily had a bit of Antica formula that we actually can't get that often. But it's like one of my favorites and I just feel has like such nice notes that would bring out portions of the rye. And then I guess kind of big everywhere but huge like in the Toronto scene is like adding dry sherry to a lot of their stirs and stuff. And I had recently done that for a competition last year that brought us second place. We did a smoked batched Manhattan, we had to keg style them. So we have your Lot 40 rye, Antica formula, sweet vermouth. I went with the Lesta Montiato sherry. Then we have your maple syrup, bit of Angostura bitters, and then walnut bitters, black walnut bitters. Stir that up, serve it over a cube, and garnish it with a piece of maple candied bacon. Delicious. That's most like cheating. Yeah, I love a bacon garnish. Because I did consider, because I was also, I was like, oh, do I fat wash the rye? But the rye is too good that I didn't want to take away from it, right? But that was me going a bit extra. But I was like, I'll let the bot go crazy. Let's hope that I can beat it just by being Canadian clean and classic, if you will. Perfect. All right. Are you ready to hear what the AI cocktail was? Let's see how good your prediction skills are. So the AI created a cocktail that it's calling the Northern Legacy. Okay. This cocktail calls for Lot 40 rye. Stop. Okay. Great. Good choice, bot. Lestao dry Amontiato sherry. Stop. Lemon juice. Okay. Ruined it. Yeah. Pure grade A dark maple syrup. Okay. Angostura bitters. And chilled soda water. Ugh. This cocktail is shaken. Okay. And strained into a Nicanora glass. Garnished with a half rim of maple sugar. Ugh. Okay. No. Right? So, interesting use of similar ingredients, but different cocktails, clearly. Yeah. I think it could have some legs if you didn't throw the soda water in it. Yeah. And or, right, if based on serving it up, but it would be a different build if I guess it was for a Collins. And, okay. Yeah. Interesting. I think mine's better. Well, to that point, you know, it's time to talk about the scores. So, you know, as we discussed, we have three big buckets of points. We have the taste bucket, which is 50 potential points. We have our presentation bucket. That's a potential 30 points. And then we have our originality bucket, which is a potential 20 points. And, you know, originality is an interesting concept. Very rarely do we see, you know, a whole cloth new cocktail come out, but, you know, we do like to see something a little different than what we normally see, or I should say the judge enjoys seeing something a little different than they normally see. Your cocktail. For taste. 43 points. Oh. That's solid. Thank you. Presentation. 23 points. Okay. Solid. Originality. 14 points. Okay. So that's a total of 80 points. That's a solid score. It's a super solid score. The AI. For originality. 14 points. Okay. So you're kind of neck and neck there. Presentation. 27 points. Taste. 45 points. We're so sorry. Stop. But. The AI has defeated. Our Canadian friends. No. I am so sorry. Well, you know, I'm going to just have to make it and try it and then maybe, you know, prop props to the bot. But I stand by, I stand by my spec. We do like to give judges notes. So for your cocktail, the judge said, Manhattan meets old fashioned in this cocktail. It adds some depth and complexity to a basic maple bacon old fashioned, but it was a little on the sweet and a little on the boozy side of things as far as balance goes. She said it was delicious, but it took until about halfway through a drink for it to open up to notice a little bit more of the complexity of the cocktail. OK, that's fair. And on the AI side, they described it as a maple leaf meets a sidecar in what effectively ended up being fairly well balanced. And I think it's because they weren't using a ton of lemon in there. And then the sugar rim kind of helps to balance it out. They said it was very drinkable. They said they weren't really sure the club soda was necessary. I think that's the bot kind of hallucinating a little bit, but because it was only a half ounce and it was added, you know, at the end, it wasn't really enough to detract. No, and it's going to add the ever pheasants to it and whatnot. A little bit of fizzy. Yeah. So bubbles are always fun. Right. So fair. I said, I'm going to try that spec. And then as for as for mine, I get once again is something I don't want. You don't want it to be crushable. You want it to kind of develop over time. So then it would also depend on your said dilution off the hop that I considered kind of like stating, but then everyone's different. Right. Is it based on your proof? Is it just based on your taste? I usually don't like to overdo it off the hop because I'm placing it on the cube. So I know it is going to change over time. So at least it hits the head by the time you get like halfway, I guess. Right. So. Yeah. Yeah. I think that both cocktails sound delicious and I'm sad that I wasn't here for the judging aspect. Yours definitely sounds amazing. I will say I have no involvement with the scoring, but I will say that it was a tasty cocktail. Right. Well, and who doesn't want to finish with a piece of bacon? You get a little snack out of it. Yeah. I did notice the bacon went very quickly for the judge. Well, Mayor, thank you so much for being with us on this episode of the podcast. We really appreciate it. If folks want to keep up with you, what's the best way to do that? Best way to connect would be would be through Instagram. You can follow my main page, which is rip it with Mayor. If you're interested inquiring about bar services because you're, you know, Canadian local, you can hit me up at Quickster Hamilton. And if you're in town and want to visit me at the bar, check out at Handsome Dave's. Well, awesome. We'll make sure and link all of those in the show notes for this episode. And with that, that's us signing off for this episode saying drink well, be well, and just rip it.