Tune in to enjoy a fun Friday night following the extended Welsh lockdown and 6pm curfew that came into effect on Friday
Noticing a gap in the market, the lockdown inspired podcast The Friday Night Handover has just released its third episode. The podcast is run by three bartenders who work at the infamous Lab 22 cocktail bar in Cardiff, the forefront of cocktail innovation since the bar opened in 2012.
Matthew Jones, Alex Mills and Max Hayward are the three 20 to 30-year-old, Cardiff based bartenders behind the new podcast that discusses all things alcohol and the industry.
Aiming to appeal to a wider audience, Matthew also known as Welly said, anyone from experienced bartenders to those who like a “lime in their G&T” are able to tune in to the weekly podcast, that was initially created during lockdown as “a bit of fun.”
In episode one, Max described the podcast as a “behind the scenes chat” that the three charismatic cocktail makers would have, at Lab 22 on a late Friday night.
Three bartenders and a microphone
The Friday Night Handover is a universal saying for bartenders before closing for the night, explained Matthew. “It’s the last communication between the team, who prepare stock on a Friday night before Saturday service.”
The un-scripted podcast begins by researching prior to the show what is new in the drinks industry before a discussion and finishing with an alcohol tasting session that the three have called, ‘What the fuck are we drinking?!’
Tipsy Friday night talks
Admitting alcohol consumption on the podcast can get out of control, Matthew complimented Max’s ability to keep the three on track, as “[Alex] Mills goes off on a tangent.”
The alcohol we try on the show is the type you’d find in the back of your nan’s cupboard
Matthew Jones, Lab 22 bartender and one of the three hosts behind The Friday Night Handover podcast
Rhiannon Ware, an experienced bartender in Cardiff who tuned in to the podcast said she is “instantly a fan!”
It’s certainly a podcast I would enjoy on a Friday night at home, now that the 6pm curfew has closed bars in Cardiff
Rhiannon Ware, an experienced bartender and listener of The Friday Night Handover
Matthew announced a Christmas special show featuring guests that will feature on the 25 December on Spotify. What was once an “experiment”, now is an ongoing podcast with season two planned!
The hand-up technique
One difficulty faced during the recording of the podcast by the bartenders was talking over one another.
After realising they were not visually recorded, the trio found a new technique to resolve the problem. The hand-up technique is used by putting their hands in the air and pointing to one another when they wanted the next person to talk.
The hand-up technique is a skill that can be stolen by anyone who aims to get creative and launch their very own group podcast.