The Buildout

Taking over a decades-old family restaurant is daunting enough. Turning it into a cocktail bar in Chicago’s Chinatown — a neighborhood without a high-end cocktail destination — raises the stakes even more. But partners Lily Wang and Joe Briglio embraced the challenge, bringing Lily’s family along for the ride. The result is Nine Bar, one of the most exciting new additions to Chicago’s cocktail scene, drawing drinkers to a neighborhood many had never considered for cocktails. On this episode of The Buildout, Lily and Joe join Adam to share how it came together, from navigating family dynamics to honoring the culture of the neighborhood.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastNine Bar: https://www.instagram.com/ninebarchicagoLily Wang: https://www.instagram.com/lw4ngJoe Briglio: https://www.instagram.com/joebrigsVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Opened in 2009, The Keefer Bar quickly became one of Vancouver’s essential cocktail destinations. But what happens when a beloved local institution suddenly finds itself on the national—and international—stage? In 2026, Keefer was named Best Bar in Canada, and a new wave of attention followed. On this episode of The Buildout, we tell the story of The Keefer Bar: how it helped shape Vancouver’s cocktail culture, influenced Canada’s bar scene at large, and is now navigating what comes next after reaching the top.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastThe Keefer Bar: https://www.instagram.com/thekeeferbarKeenan Hood: https://www.instagram.com/keenanhoodAmber Bruce: https://www.instagram.com/amberbruceVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

When Ross Simon left London for the States, he set out to make his mark on the American cocktail scene. What he didn’t know was that mark would be made in Phoenix, Arizona — a city that, at the time, was hardly known for its drinks culture.But maybe that was part of the magic. Ross landed in Phoenix and, a few years later, opened Bitter & Twisted, a cocktail bar that not only helped make his name, but also put the city on the map as a serious cocktail destination.On this episode of The Buildout, Ross joins Adam to tell the story of Bitter & Twisted and how its success helped transform Phoenix into one of America’s most exciting cocktail cities.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastBitter & Twisted: https://www.instagram.com/bitterandtwisted_azVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

From the moment Joseph Leonard opened, it was nearly impossible to get a table. The restaurant had an energy from day one that made diners want to spend their evenings there — even if it meant waiting hours for a seat.Owner Gabe Stulman credits that energy, at Joseph Leonard and across all great restaurants, to the bar. On this episode of The Buildout, Gabe joins Adam to discuss Joseph Leonard, the heartfelt ode to his grandfathers that helped launch his hospitality company, and cement his place as one of New York City’s most influential restaurateurs.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastJoseph Leonard: https://www.instagram.com/josephleonardnyGabe Stulman: https://www.instagram.com/gabestulmanVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

Ask anyone in the cocktail world where the energy is on the West Coast right now, and one name keeps coming up: True Laurel.On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with Nicolas Torres to talk about how the San Francisco bar went from beloved neighborhood spot to one of the most talked-about cocktail destinations in the country. While the techniques Nicolas and his team are using may feel perfectly suited to this current moment in drinks, many have been part of True Laurel’s DNA since it opened in 2017.Nicolas reflects on building the bar before Covid, watching it gain national and international attention after the pandemic, and what it means to receive acclaim without having to become something else.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastTrue Laurel: https://www.instagram.com/truelaurelsfNicolas Torres: https://www.instagram.com/key2_thecityVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor

What does it mean to mourn a bar? When a place becomes more than a business — a home for its staff, a gathering place for its regulars, and a defining chapter in a city’s cocktail culture — how do you come to terms with closing the door for good?On this episode of The Buildout, Adam sits down with Ivy Mix, co-founder of the beloved Brooklyn bar Leyenda, to talk about the full arc of the venue: how it began, what made it matter, and the difficult decision to ultimately close it. Ivy reflects on the grief that comes with ending something so personal, the complicated emotions of letting go, and what it takes for a founder to find the desire — and the courage — to build again.Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcastIvy Mix: https://www.instagram.com/ivymixWhoopsie Daisy: https://www.instagram.com/whoopsiedaisybarFiasco: https://www.instagram.com/fiascobrooklynVinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepairHosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeterProduced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor