Lamp leg in the 500 Club in San Francisco

BoozeNation The Podcast

In March 2020, as Covid-19 spread worldwide, a shelter-in-place was mandated in the Bay Area to stop the spread of the virus. As a result, bars, restaurants, and eateries went black.

As a bartender in San Francisco, I was unemployed like the rest of the country. I was consumed by stress, worry, and fear as I witnessed this country fall into mayhem. I heard about one bar or restaurant closing permanently after another. Usually, the owner couldn't afford the rent still bestowed upon them.

I watched in disbelief as my community – the bar industry - got kicked to the curb; no one at the federal level cared or was helping. (I know many industries got kicked to the curb during the pandemic). This lack of concern for our livelihood bothered me greatly. And honestly, things about the bar industry have bothered me since 2016 – the beginning of the Trump era. But, what bothered me was the heightened hostility towards me and my fellow bartenders, especially women, BIPOC, and LBGTQ peeps.

I started this podcast to hear from my colleagues about what happened to their jobs, their lives, and what they're doing now. And how the past six years behind the stick affected them.

BoozeNation The Podcast can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.

What People Are Saying About BoozeNation The Podcast

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“Love listening to this podcast. It feels like hanging with friends and having a lot of laughs.”

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Bars That Made It

  • Lamp Leg in the 500 Club in San Francisco

    500 Club - Mission

  • Lipo Lounge - Chinatown

  • Little Shamrock Bar in San Francisco

    Little Shamrock - Inner Sunset

  • Red's Java House in San Francisco

    Red's Java House - Embarcadero

  • 540 Rogues bar in San Francisco

    540 Rogues - Inner Richmond

  • Doc's Clock bar in San Francisco

    Doc's Clock - Mission

  • Mucky Duck bar in San Francisco

    Mucky Duck - Inner Sunset

  • Pittsburg Pub in San Francisco

    Pittsburg Pub - Outer Sunset

  • Il Pirata bar in San Francisco

    Il Pirata - Potrero Hill

  • Silver Spur bar in San Francisco

    Silver Spur - Sunset

  • 111 Minna Art Gallery and bar in San Francisco

    111 Minna - Downtown

  • Delirium Bar in San Francisco

    Delirium - Mission

  • Standard Deviant bar in San Francisco

    Standard Deviant - Mission

  • Abbey Tavern in San Francisco

    Abbey Tavern - Inner Richmond

  • The Cinch Saloon in San Francisco

    The Cinch Saloon - Polk St.

  • the Mauna Loa bar in San Francisco

    Mauna Loa - Marina

  • Dalva bar in San Francisco

    Dalva - Mission

  • Mini Bar in San Francisco

    Mini Bar - Western Addition

  • Colibri bar in San Francisco in the presdio

    Colibri - Presidio

  • Martuni's - Mid Market

  • Curio bar in San Francisco

    Curio - Mission

  • ABV bar in San Francisco

    ABV - Mission

  • Parkside bar in San Francisco

    Parkside - Potrero Hill

  • Homestead bar in San Francisco

    Homestead - Mission

  • Sycamore bar in San Francisco

    The Sycamore - Mission

  • Buddha Bar - Chinatown

  • The Mint - Mid Market

  • Mission Bowling Club - Mission

  • Casements - Mission

  • Flanahan's - Outer Sunset

  • Shanghai Kelly's - Polk St

  • Black and white photo of Joe's of Westlake

    Joe's of Westlake - Daly City

  • the knockout bar in the mission

    The Knockout - Mission

  • Sign of Louie's bar

    Louie's - Downtown

  • Window of The Social Study

    The Social Study - Western Addition

Traci Ramos Traci Ramos

Will Morgan - Smoking Inside, N. Carolina Style

Happy Pride!!!!

Happy Pride!!!! My guest is Will Morgan!!! This San Franciscan bartender is originally from North Carolina. We talk about growing up as a 90s kid in the South and being bullied in kindergarten for being gay. The many issues were communicated to the owners of Jolene’s bar but not addressed. And Will’s new outlook towards life as a masseur and bartending.

So Will was very new to San Francisco when we met, and he would come and visit me at a bar I was working in, in the mission on Sunday nights. And Will would tell me all the things that he was doing in San Francisco and experiencing. It was so sweet, and I enjoyed Will's energy and expressions and his lens of San Francisco and being new to The City.

This interview occurs when Will is actually in Mexico City, so I appreciate him taking time away from eating delicious Mexican food to talk to me. So thank you, Will! Happy Pride!!!

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