We spoke with Dave Arnold, Owner of Booker & Dax and HRN’s host of Cooking Issues, about his concern for elderly neighbors in his neighborhood as well as the communication challenges following Hurricane Sandy.

"Even people in lower Manhattan, you would never expect that many people would be that heavily impacted."--Dave Arnold

Booker & Dax is like a mad scientists lab... just with more booze. On today's episode of The Speakeasy, hang out with Damon Boelte as he chats with bartender at Booker & Dax, Tristan Willey. Hear how he got into this scientific style of bartending and why the tools used at Booker & Dax are not at all for show. Hot drinks, savory cocktails and crazy infusions are all part of the formula at Booker & Dax - and if you weren't craving a cocktail before this show, you will be by the end of it. Tune in and get the low down on the trendsetting and high quality ways of Booker & Dax. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Music provided courtesy of Knifeshow.

"The ideas of tools we use [at Booker & Dax] are basic - though the equipment is complicated can cause advanced issues. The way we view it as as simple as can be - we're not pulling anything that's exotic or foreign - it's just a cleaner way to get to an end result." [05:00]

"I would never make a daiquiri with clarified lime juice. There's a time and place for clarifications." [13:00]

--Tristan Willey of Booker & Dax on The Speakeasy

We're talking science and booze on this week's episode of U Look Hungry. Helen Hollyman is joined by Tristan Willey, the bar manager of Booker and Dax in the Momofuku Ssam Bar. Tune in to learn why Tristan initially moved to New York City, and why he was called back to the food service industry. Hear about some of the techniques and technologies that Tristan uses at Booker and Dax to create a unique brand of cocktails. Learn about Tristan's introduction to the world of spirits with Kings County distillery, and his opinions about coopers. Hear about the state of the cocktail scene in New York City, and hear as Helen and Tristan taste bourbon and moonshine on air! Today's episode has been brought to you by Tekserve.

"We're trying to identify where we can make the process easier, better, more efficient, create better ingredients... rather than re-invent the wheel of cocktails."

"There's a terroir to spirits, which has been wildly debated before because you're not talking earth tones and grapes. But considering how much the process of aging spirits flavors them- we're talking 80 to 90% of the flavor coming from the barrel and how everything sits it- environment plays a big role."

-- Tristan Willey on U Look Hungry