Life Behind Bars with Noah Rothbaum & David Wondrich

Latest Episodes:

Bourbon’s Newfound Star Power: Andy Roddick and Peyton Manning - Life Behind Bars Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

Forget wine. Forget vodka. Forget tequila. Celebrities are starting American whiskey brands.

Over the last few years, quite a few professional athletes, actors and musicians began selling bourbon or rye. Is a whiskey brand the new ultimate celebrity status symbol?

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by retired tennis champion Andy Roddick and master blender Marianne Eaves from Sweetens Cove Tennessee Bourbon. The brand, which is named for a public golf course in Tennessee that has a cult following, was started by an all-star group that includes NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. So far, Eaves has blended barrels of whiskey to create two batches of Sweetens Cove. Roddick and Eaves talk about the challenges of sourcing high-quality whiskey and their plans for the brand.

So pour yourself a whiskey and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Life Behind Bars features Half Full’s editor Noah Rothbaum and its Senior Drinks Columnist David Wondrich as they discuss the greatest bartenders and greatest cocktails of all time. It won the 2018 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for the world’s best drinks podcast.

Edited by Alex Skjong

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The Good, the Bad & the Ugly—The Long Island Iced Tea - Life Behind Bars Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

Whether you love it or hate it, it’s hard to escape the Long Island Iced Tea.

The enduringly popular guilty pleasure—which calls for a potent combination of white spirits, triple sec, sweet and sour mix, and cola—was invented in a bar on New York’s Long Island for a cocktail competition. It first became a sensation in clubs and bars around the area and then across the country. Ultimately, it become one of the signature drinks of the 1970s

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum delve into the history and pitfalls of this drink, as well as what the original recipe actually called for.

So fix yourself a Long Island Iced Tea (if you dare) and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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The Search for the World’s Fastest Bartender - Life Behind Bars Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

It’s hard enough to make a round of four delicious classic cocktails on a slow night for a couple of regulars. Now imagine trying to make them on stage in front of a screaming crowd for a group of prestigious judges prepared to critique them—out loud.

This scenario, which is the stuff of nightmares for many, describes the global and charitable all-female cocktail competition Speed Rack. It’s not all about creating perfectly crafted cocktails in record time: The efforts of the bartenders competing in this ultra-challenging test of speed and accuracy help raise funds for breast cancer research. It has raised more than a million dollars in its ten years.

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, Speed Rack co-founders Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero join co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum to look back on the competition’s first decade, how it has evolved and what its future holds. (Mix’s twin sister Tess Mix works for the Daily Beast.)

So fix yourself a cocktail and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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Nick Offerman is Living his Best Scotch Life - Life Behind Bars Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

Nick Offerman should not be confused with Ron Swanson, the character he played on the hit show Parks and Recreation. But the two share at least one thing in common: A love for Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, Offerman joins co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum to talk about the latest Offerman Edition of Lagavulin, the possibility of a whiskey barrel project on his crafting show Making It and how he has Chris Pratt to thank for his first trip to Islay, Scotland.

So fix yourself a Scotch and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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What Do Bars Do Now? - Life Behind Bars Jul 08, 2021

Show notes

It’s been one hell of a year for bartenders and bar owners.

Now that America is starting to reopen, bars are trying to navigate this new post-COVID world while dealing with industry burn-out, labor shortages, evolving business plans and changing drink trends.

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the changing landscape for the bar industry with Robin Nance, portfolio trade engagement manager for Beam Suntory, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler, award-winning bartender, Half Full columnist and author of The Bar Book and Drinking Distilled.

So fix yourself a cocktail and listen to this important episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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The Future of Craft Whiskey is Hyper-Local Ingredients - Life Behind Bars Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

Can the flavor of a whiskey reflect the place where it’s made? How about the people who produced it?

Distillers around the globe are exploring the idea of terroir, experimenting with locally grown heirloom grains, and making barrels from regional species of oak. On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss this movement and its feasibility with Half Full columnist Lew Bryson and Westland Whiskey’s co-founder and master distiller Matt Hofmann.

So pour yourself a glass of craft whiskey and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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Does the Type of Cocktail Glass You Use Really Matter? - Life Behind Bars Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

The Martini is the most famous drink. Its signature glass is equally iconic and perhaps even more ubiquitous.

But the world of cocktail glassware is vast and there are all kinds of supposed rules for using each style and type. So where did all of these traditions and customs come from? And does it actually matter if you use an elegant coupe or a jam jar for your Daiquiri?

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum talk about the history of cocktail glasses and their evolution. They also weigh in on the veracity of some of the strictest rules drinkers and bartenders have invented about glassware.

So pour yourself a cocktail and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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Mission Impossible: Reinventing the Piña Colada - Life Behind Bars Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Love it or hate it, the Piña Colada is one of the most popular cocktails in the world. But it’s been largely forgotten by craft bartenders.

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by tropical drinks expert Jeff “Beachbum” Berry from acclaimed New Orleans bar Latitude 29. The three talk about the history of the Piña Colada, its rise in popularity and Berry’s recipe for it.

So fix yourself a cocktail and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars now. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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Christopher Kimball & the Grateful Dead School of Bartending - Life Behind Bars May 20, 2021

Show notes

Nobody has ever accused Milk Street founder Christopher Kimball of being indifferent.

Viewers of his acclaimed PBS television show and readers of his newsletter and books are accustomed to his strong opinions on cooking and ingredients, as well as his fascinating stories of eating and drinking around the world.

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, Kimball joins co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum to give his pointed takes on his favorite drink the Old-Fashioned and the benefits of sticking with just one cocktail, along with where he’ll be traveling this summer.

So fix yourself an Old-Fashioned and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars now. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

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The Secret History of Bourbon - Life Behind Bars May 05, 2021

Show notes

From important still designs to the real reason why distillers began charring barrels, many important details of bourbon history are often missing from modern accounts of the spirit.

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum talk about some of the most interesting American whiskey discoveries they have made over the years—including six varieties of so-called “Kentucky whiskey” made back in 1870 that are no longer available today—and how those findings have changed their view of spirits history.

So pour yourself a glass of bourbon and listen to this episode of Life Behind Bars. Cheers!

Edited by Alex Skjong

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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