Our third installment of The Masters Series takes us back to 2019, when we sat down for a chat with industry great, Philip Duff. We kick off the conversation with Phil’s bold step into producing, Old Duff Genever. Now the top selling 100% genever globally, Old Duff has provided Phil with an insight into just how far the liquor industry has to go. 

No niche is too small if you own it. Everybody is pulling out all the stops to find their niche… It seems silly to us because our lens is liquor. But the better comparison is craft beer or wine. If there are 1,000 brands in liquor, there are 10,000 in wine and 12,000 in beer and that’s where we’re going.

Philip Duff

The second cocktail revolution

Afterwards, we pick Phil’s brain about the second cocktail revolution. Philip believes that we’re reaching a point of stabilisation in this second wave cocktail revolution. Nodding to a rise in what he calls gastro-pubs, he sees a more relaxed dining and drinking experience as an opportunity to ‘drive the middle’.

We see signs of stabilisation now and that’s the next step, what I call a cocktail gastro pub. Where you go in, have a pint, have a glass of wine, have a cocktail, you don’t need to make a reservation… all that sort of thing. And what that will do is drive the middle. It’ll make the shittier bars better and it permits the amazing top-end bars to be even better, because they don’t need to distance themselves from the middle anymore. They’re actually more closely related to it. 

Philip Duff

Additionally, this interview covers global bartending hotspots to watch and Phil’s tips for young bartenders. Philip Duff knows this industry inside out, so this chat provided us with a wealth of insights.  When it comes to bartending, he truly is a Master. To listen to our original chat with Phil, click here.