If we had a contest for Oklahoma City’s favorite Brit, Ian Clarke would certainly be a finalist, especially among hospitality professionals. Clarke is currently a sales rep for Syndicat and Revolution Wholesale, and that’s a function of his expertise in wine and his phenomenal palate. Saying he’s a sales rep feels a bit reductive when Clarke, a certified sommelier, has for 20 years been one of the the pros shaping OKC’s wine culture, and he’s been a cheerleader-esque champion of French wines in particular. As one of the few reps in the state who handle the Kermit Lynch portfolio, he’s also fortunate enough to get to sell French wines from one of the nation’s premiere importers. He’s worked at multiple concepts, but most of his restaurant experience prior to entering sales was for A Good Egg, particularly Cheever’s and Red PrimeSteak, where he worked as a sommelier, and where we first met.

Beyond his professional credentials, Clarke is simply one of the most interesting people in the metro, having worked in radio, television, theatre, and hospitality. There is a brief excursus into how hospitality — honestly, any profession — flattens our identities to be the thing we are to that specific community, when many are so much more than this one aspect of their career. Clarke exemplifies this reality. We decided years ago to forgive his love for Alabama football, and happily learned that he graduated from UCO, not that place in Tuscaloosa. In the episode we dive into his background — “You wanted to be a spy?!” “Your family pretended to be witches?!” — his roots in England and the U.S., the ways he’s shaped our wine culture, where he sees booze trends headed, and his favorite spots around the city.