CRAFTED

Latest Episodes:

Hi-Fi Audio: Capturing the Heart & Soul of Music with Heaven 11's Itai Azerad Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

There are more ways to listen to music than ever these days, and cheap Bluetooth speakers are everywhere: hanging in your shower, sitting on your kitchen counter, and on tailgates at football games. Unfortunately, these kinds of speakers often cultivate an experience where the music very much takes a backseat to whatever else we're doing.

In today's conversation, Heaven 11 Audio’s Itai Azerad offers a different perspective, one that puts a premium on really listening to music and feeling an emotional connection to it — and his company Heaven 11 Audio produces amplifiers to do exactly that. Their Billie amp blends old-school vacuum tubes with cutting-edge class D amplifier technology to capture the heart and soul of music, and with a stunning industrial design, it invites you to just listen to the music, and nothing else. Itai also talks about his inspiration to start an audio company, his unconventional path in industrial design, vacuum tubes, circuit boards, wooden knobs, and a whole lot more.

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Heaven 11 Audio

TOPICS & TIMES:

Bauhaus (2:45)

Itai’s Audio Journey (5:22)

Music is a Ritual & the Stereo is the Shrine (8:38)

Starting a HiFi Company (10:22)

The Billie Amp (12:34)

Why use Vacuum Tubes (14:04)

Why use a Class D Amplifier (16:55)

Chasing Perfect (31:38)

Beautiful Design is as Important as Sound (38:12)

The New MK3 Billie Amp (40:47)

Music Matters (43:00)

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Lo-Fi Wine Making with Uffe Deichmann, Poppelvej Wines Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Today’s guest is a sort of pioneer in Australian winemaking; his focus on 'lo-fi' production methods and non-traditional flavors has helped redefine what consumers expect from the land down under. Uffe Deichmann is a Dutch-born winemaker who found love at a music festival in Australia and never looked back — his winery, Poppelvej wines, now produces bottlings that are standard on some of the more groundbreaking menus across the U.S. In this episode we dive deep into the history of the winery, Uffe’s own journey through winemaking, the philosophy that underlies the incredible wine they are producing, and even touch on the topic of native bird species. From underground bunkers to stolen street signs, this conversation has it all.

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Poppelvej Winery

Poppelvej Instagram

https://vsimports.com/australia/poppelvej/

TOPICS & TIMES:

Current Wine Making (2:33)

Origins of Poppelvej (5:49)

Finding Australia (15:04)

Fruit Selection / Picking Process (21:01)

Lo-Fi Wine (23:49)

Music’s Influence on Poppelvej (31:44)

Poppelvej's Growth & Expansion (35:19)

The Wine Making Process (41:36)

Australian Terrior (52:39)

Wine’s Generational Crises (58:30)

Flavor Exploration (1:04:06)

The Hand Painted Sign (1:07:56)

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Eli Brown & Jonathan Ellsworth: Can We Change a White-Wine Hater’s Mind? Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan Ellsworth’s preferences for red wines over white wines are well established. But in this conversation and wine tasting, we’re going to see if Eli can change Jonathan’s mind.

This past weekend, Jonathan and Eli opened four bottles of white wines and hit the record button. We tried a few different white varietals and blends that Eli believes may appeal to those staunchly in the red-wine camp to see if we can get Jonathan more interested in what certain white wines have to offer.

We’ve also included links to the four wines we tasted if you’d like to try any of these for yourself.

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The Wines We’re Tasting:

Poet’s Leap Riesling

K Vintners Viognier

Kiki and Juan Orange Wine

Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis

TOPICS & TIMES:

The White Wine Experience (3:36)

JE''s Bottle of White He Likes? (3:36)

What Reds Does JE Like? (7:07)

Sweet Wines (11:35)

White Burgundy Flavor (13:01)

Riesling (14:27)

Scotch (17:57)

Red vs White: the Simple Differences (21:30)

Champagne (26:10)

Aeration (38:52)

Wine Anchoring Memories (44:32)

Wine with or w/o Food (47:48)

Orange Wine (51:34)

Jonathan’s Final Thoughts (1:13:09)

Eli's Final Thoughts (1:20:10)

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Gold Medal Gastronomy: Inside the High-Stakes World of the Culinary Olympics Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

Our guest today is Chef Paul Jensen, who is the executive chef of fine dining at Big Sky Resort, a former restaurant owner, seasoned culinary competitor, and a newly named member of the 2028 U.S. Culinary Olympic team.

With over 30 years of competition experience, Paul has represented the U.S. on the global stage, honing his craft through more than 100 contests. His dedication to food, mentorship, and the art of receiving feedback has shaped his journey, culminating in his spot on the Olympic team. In this conversation, we explore his background, the unique world of culinary competition, and what it means to represent the U.S. in one of the most prestigious food contests on earth.

RELATED LINKS:

Culinary Team USA

Learn More: Culinary Olympics

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

TOPICS & TIMES:

Apprenticeship & Student Chef Competitions (5:38)

Classic Culinary Arts (10:25)

Competition History (and squid tubes) (18:19)

“Everyone Has a Plan Til You Get Punched in the Face” (22:54)

Culinary Olympics (29:14)

Influence of Olympics on Cuisine (33:23)

Trying Out For the Team (44:30)

Training Sessions (48:59)

Which Countries Dominate? (54:03)

Recipe Development (58:00)

Why Farm-to-Table Should Not Be a Movement (1:00:49)

Follow the Culinary Olympics (1:02:02)

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Amateur Hour: Blister reviewer, Kara Williard, on Garlic, Growing Garlic, & Vampires Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan talks with Kara Williard and Eli Brown about one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world: garlic. We discuss hardneck garlic vs softneck garlic; how to grow garlic; its medicinal properties; black garlic; garlic honey; and yes … vampires.

RELATED LINKS

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Become a BLISTER+ Member

TOPICS & TIMES:

Kara's Farming Background (4:34)

Sunny Sage Farm (6:53)

Eli's Love of Garlic (9:20)

Medicinal Value of Garlic (11:37)

Types of Garlic (15:45)

Egyptian Gold? (22:44)

Elephant Garlic (24:00)

4 of the 400 varieties (24:31)

Black Garlic (31:11)

Favorite Dishes with Garlic (33:21)

Vampires (43:28)

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The Current State of Alcohol, with Eli Brown & Jonathan Ellsworth Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan Ellsworth talks about this very big topic with someone who is in quite a unique position to have this conversation with: Eli Brown, a 26-year-old sommelier who is also certified in mixology and distilled spirits, he has been named a Top 100 Bartender in the U.S., and he is currently working on a project involving N/A and low ABV beer and spirits and wine.

Jonathan Ellsworth and Eli Brown delve into the changing landscape of alcohol consumption among younger generations; the trends — and hurdles — of non-alcoholic (NA) and low ABV cocktails; the complexities of wine and the practices of the wine industry that may be acting as a deterrence; the implications of the US Surgeon General's recommendations on alcohol consumption; and predictions for future trends in the craft beverage industry.

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Craft Collective

TOPICS & TIMES:

Eli’s Background & Credentials (1:34)

The Current State of Alcohol (10:10)

US Surgeon General’s Warning (40:16)

Blister Craft collective (53:49)

White Wines (1:01:55)

Predictions: Which Spirits Will Rise & Fall? (1:04:48)

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The Art & Ethics of Eating Well, with Matthew Halteman Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

Today, you are going to hear what is essentially an ongoing conversation that Jonathan has been having for about 30 years now with one of his best friends, Matthew Halteman, about food, food systems, sustainability, fine dining, and the ethics of what we eat.

Matt is a foodie, a father, a fellow in the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and a philosophy professor at Calvin University (he received his PhD in philosophy at Notre Dame). Matt is also a brilliant writer, and among other things we’re talking about today is his new book, Hungry, Beautiful Animals.

Eating food is, of course, one of the most fundamental activities of human experience, yet many of us could probably stand to further examine our own principles and practices when it comes to food systems, what we eat, and the significance, ethics, and aesthetics of eating. So that is a bit of what Jonathan and Matt are going to be diving into here.

RELATED LINKS:

Read Hungry, Beautiful Animals

Listen to Hungry, Beautiful Animals on Spotify

For More re: Nutrition: nutritionfacts.org

TOPICS & TIMES:

What We’re Talking about Today & Why (0:00)

Food & Current Food Production (4:11)

Matt’s Background in Food Systems (12:41)

How Transformation Actually Happens (24:41)

Vegan Fine Dining? (41:28)

Excellence & Accessibility (51:47)

Jonathan’s Mom's Question about Nutrition (59:48)

Filtering Information & Disinformation (1:06:37)

Hungry Beautiful Animals (1:09:53)

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Our Reviewers' 2024 Craft Obsessions & 2025 Curiosities Jan 01, 2025

Show notes

Happy New Year! Today, we are sharing the craft categories that most captivated some of our Blister reviewers in 2024, and revealing some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2025.

And over on our Blister Podcast, you’ll also get to hear our team talk about the highs, the lows, and the lessons learned in 2024, plus their resolutions for 2025.

RELATED LINKS

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

TOPICS & TIMES:

Luke Koppa (1:21)

Kristin Sinnott (16:08)

Simon Stewart (24:57)

Kara Husted (39:29)

Zach Henderson (49:28)

Justin Bobb & Jonathan Ellsworth (58:26)

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Scott Rao on Quality, Q Ratings, & Coffee Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

Scott Rao is one of the most influential people in the world of coffee, coffee roasting, and coffee brewing. Scott is also the owner of Prodigal Coffee (located in Boulder, Colorado), and in this conversation, we dive deep into specific coffee topics and discuss the pursuit of quality in general.

We Want to Hear from You!

Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us here to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.

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Prodigal Coffee

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Scott’s Entry into Coffee (2:43)

Quality (8:30)

Coffee, Wine, & Tea (16:42)

Rating Systems (21:26)

How to Store Coffee (26:19)

Should You Freeze Beans? (31:37)

Light Roasts (34:32)

Dark Roasts (37:33)

Complexity (39:35)

Conscientious Consumerism & Coffee (42:46)

Espresso, Whiskey, & Fine Tuning (45:58)

Prodigal’s Approach to Quality (52:06)

Politics, Coffee, & Quality (58:40)

Scott’s Current Coffee Interests (1:06:28)

Quality and Perfection (1:08:35)

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Studio Shed w/ Mike Koenig Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

Studio Shed was started in the Boulder, Colorado backyard of their co-founder Jeremy Nova, a pro mountain biker and Olympian. Jeremy needed a place to store all his bikes and was uninspired by what was available, so he built his own. Today, Studio Sheds are still built in Colorado, and their portfolio now includes studios, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and commercial spaces. Jeremy built that first shed back in 2008, yet today, many of Studio Shed’s designs still look just like the original.

Sheds and ADUs are a great way to provide extra room for outdoor gear, remote work offices, or additional living spaces. In today’s conversation, we sit down with Studio Shed’s co-founder Mike Koenig to discuss their unique approach to designing and building prefabricated backyard structures that are well-built, eco-friendly, and stylish.

RELATED LINKS:

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

Studio Shed website: https://www.studio-shed.com/

TOPICS & TIMES:

Riding Bikes and Founding a Company (0:46)

Tokyo Joe's MTB Team (3:51)

Jeremy’s Homemade Shed (6:24)

Panelized Construction (10:25)

The Studio Shed Design Process & Steps to Purchasing a Studio Shed (21:58)

How to DIY Build a Studio Shed (29:40)

Eco-friendly Designs (36:20)