This week on The Speakeasy, Damon chats with Marshall Altier and Nick Pelis of Denizen Rum. Learn what makes different rums unique and how each acts differently in cocktails and with mixers. White rum is not vodka, and the guys at Denizen are doing everything they can to educate the consumer in that regard. Find out why subsidies have favored quantity over quality and hear why Denizen takes no shortcuts in the quality control of their product. Tune in as the guys make cocktails on-air and whet your appetite for delicious summer rum cocktails. This program was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA.

"Part of the reason why we've lost flavor in the rum categories is because of tax subsidies the US government provided islands like Puerto Rico. The subsidies are tied directly to quantity, not quality."

--Nick Pelis of Denizen Rum on The Speakeasy

"White rum shouldn't be expensive, by virtue of what it is. It's an inexpensive thing to make and doesn't need to cost a lot."

--Marshall Altier of Denizen Rum on The Speakeasy

This week on Straight, No Chaser host Katy Keiffer takes on the crisis of hunger with guest Anthony Butler, Executive Director of St. John's Bread and Life. Learn about how the federal cuts of the Reagan years left many people in a state of food insecurity that still lingers today and how the current Farm Bill is working its way through the Senate and could leave millions of people hungry with looming cuts to the SNAP program. Tune in to find out how, despite these challenges, Anthony and St. John's Bread and Life are helping millions of hungry New Yorkers by integrating technology, such as their innovative digital food pantry, to streamline costs and get more people fed the right food. This program is sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

" What's happening right now to SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] is that the Senate is proposing over 10 years to cut over $4.5 billion dollars in SNAP money. 40% of those who are hungry will be affected by that, that's around 800,000 families who will lose $90 a month on groceries. The biggest people who will be hurt are people who are receiving other federal subsidies, so the biggest people who will be hurt are working families and seniors."

"Food stamps supports farmers-- that's the purpose of it! This money goes back into farms. Food stamps also dramatically support local economies. "

--Anthony Butler of St. John's Bread & Life on Straight, No Chaser

This week on The Main Course, Patrick starts the show by sharing some of Prince Charles's inspired speech about agriculture and food systems, "The Future of Food". Later on, Harris Damashek and Adam Sirois of Underground Eats bring their alternative dining experience work to the surface. Find out how they pull off their larger than life concept dinners and food events. Also, get a special invitation to Underground Eats by clicking this link. This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

"Anything that's not going to a restaurant and ordering off a menu like you have a thousand times before is an alternative dining experience."

--Underground Eats on The Main Course