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Decoding Riesling with Thomas Haehn Apr 18, 2019

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Riesling is perhaps one of the most misunderstood grapes outside of Germany and Alsace. The labels can offer far too much information, or too little. “Blue bottle” Rieslings that popped up in the 1980’s didn’t do any favors for wine’s reputation, and there is always the “I don’t want anything sweet” argument. So, today, we’re trying to break down some of those barriers with a personal friend of mine, Thomas Haehn. He’s the importer of his brother Konrad’s wine, Von Schleinitz. Together, Konrad and Thomas are working towards demystifying Germany’s noble wine and getting it into the hands and mouths of a new generation. How to read German wine lables, what the ripeness of the grape means, and how dry the wine in the bottle is. We encourage everyone to go out and grab a bottle to sip while listening. Unfortunately, Von Schleinitz is only available in a handful of states, but you’ll be far more confident buying a solid bottle after today. Prost!

Epic Beer Cellars with Dave Delaplaine Apr 03, 2019

Show notes

Just before one last winter snowstorm rolled through Washington D.C. I sat down with Dave Delaplaine, the General Manager and Chief Brew Guru of Roofer’s Union in Adams Morgan (just a block from last week’s guests from The Green Zone). Dave is known for his eccentric beer menu and a prolific list of cellared beer offerings. Cellaring beer is a foreign concept to many people, and not all beer should be aged. Dave walks us through how to determine what beers will benefit from aging, his process when conceiving beer cocktails, and how to choose expensive and/or rare beers that you might not be familiar with. We’re all beer this week, so grab the nearest funky bottle of brew you have and enjoy.

The Green Zone, Middle Eastern Cocktails Served With Protest Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

What happens when you mix Rye, Dates, Arabian Bitters, and “Sharqtreuse”? You get a Saz’Iraq and a cocktail bar that’s breaking all the molds of what we think about cocktail bars should look like. This week, I’m talking with Chris Hassaan-Francke and E Jay Apaga of The Green Zone. When Chris started organizing Middle Eastern cocktail pop-ups in DC while working an office job, he didn’t imagine that the side project would one day turn into one of the most lauded new bars in the District. By using ingredients he grew up with in drinks, he is helping to write the story of Middle Eastern cocktails in the modern age. But The Green Zone is so much more than a cocktail bar. It’s become a safe space for the young Middle Eastern crowd to mingle with open-minded, young imbibers and charismatic bartenders. It’s also become a sort of “bar as protest” against the Trump administration. And Chris has assembled a sleek band of cocktail specialists to run the place. And they’re just getting started.

Richard Seale, Guardian of Rum Mar 06, 2019

Show notes

This week’s special guest, Richard Seale, needs little introduction in rum circles. He’s a fifth-generation rum purveyor, the master distiller and owner of Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados, a champion of transparency in rum production and marketing, and a self-proclaimed Guardian of Rum.

His rums have a rabid following, inspiring rum fans to snatch limited bottlings up the day they hit the shelves. He’s also one of the most accessible distillers in the world, regularly answering questions from consumers and fans directly in The Ministry of Rum and Global Rum Club on Facebook regarding production methods, biochemistry, and special releases.

FAIR WARNING: we get a little geeky right off the bat in this episode. Bear with us and we guarantee you’ll enjoy the ride.

Hampden + La Maison & Velier Roundtable Feb 20, 2019

Show notes

We’ve talked about Hampden Estate and Rum Fire with Nick Feris on a previous show, but today we’ve got a really special roundtable. Join in as Ed welcomes Christelle Harris of Hampden Estate, Kate Perry of La Masion & Velier, and Gui Jaroschy of The Generator MIAMI. We’re chatting about historic Trelawny rum, the genesis of the partnership between Hampden Estate and Velier, and The Five Privileges of Luca Gargano.

Restaurant and Bar Design with Nikki Sutton Feb 06, 2019

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8th Day Distillery with Mason and Matt Lamping Jan 24, 2019

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Matt and Mason Lamping started their distillery just after Indiana opened the doors for craft distilling. While they were both in their 20s, they set about to learn everything they could before getting started with their passion project. 8th Day Distillery got started in 2015 and launched with only one product and one goal – make great booze that represents their city and region. The stills, bottles, equipment, labels, tables, and grains are all sourced in the Midwest (other than the molasses that comes from Louisiana). Now after a few years under their belt, they’re still perfecting their science and still spending time on passion projects rather than trying to stuff the coffers with subpar “white whiskey”. Listen in to hear find out how two young entrepreneurs are breaking into the liquor business.

Economic Development through Food & Beverage Jan 09, 2019

Show notes

Cities often look to entrepreneurs in the food & beverage community when mapping out a plan for economic growth. All factors have to be considered when weighing out the positives and negatives of that growth and how they affect the respective communities. There are few greater minds in this field that Michael Huber, the President and CEO of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that position he served as the Deputy Mayor in charge of Economic Development for the City of Indianapolis. Michael is a brilliant mind and can be hard to keep up with at times. So grab a brew and learn about the importance of bars, restaurants, and “social capital”.

Wines Without Snobbery with Mary Taylor Dec 20, 2018

Show notes

As usual, we’re always thinking about wine during the holidays. This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Mary Taylor of Mary Taylor Wines to discuss her mission of bringing high quality, yet affordable, wines to consumers. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in New York and often travels to Italy and France to search out new growers and vintners to work with.

She’s trying to fill the gap between the “dancing animal” wine labels and high-end bottles on retail shelves. While most wine producers shun supermarket sales, she’s got them in her sights. She does all this while still staying close to the growers and producers to make sure they get the credit due to them. Her labels list the growers and producers and speak to the terroir of the wine inside. Wine doesn’t have to be snobby. And it doesn’t have to be two buck chuck. There is a space in between. And Mary is helping to define it.

Diplomatico with Manny Pena Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

Manny Pena dropped through Indianapolis this week to talk about rum, the political environment in Venezuela, cocktail competitions, and how bartenders are helping to shape the spirits world. Unfortunately, there was a technical difficulty during the recording and we lost a few minutes of audio regarding the inflation rates in Venezuela and also a bit of the history of the stills found at DUSA (Diplomatico). But, rest assured, this is a great episode with one of the industry’s most charismatic personalities.

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