The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 134 - Artet: Rise of the Cannabis Aperitif Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

Xander Shepherd and Zach Spohler are two of the three founders of Artet, a groundbreaking cannabis aperitif that's making waves in the cocktail space.

In this interview, we discuss:

How these two New York natives took the leap into the world of entrepreneurship to pursue a dream that merged their passions for art, hospitality, and cannabis.
What an aperitif is, and how Artet stays true to the history of the drink, but also extends the conversation about where Cannabis fits into the cocktail space.
Where the name "Artet" and the abstract artwork on the bottle come from.
We also do a quick contemporary state of the union regarding cannabis laws and regulations in different parts of the US.
We sample Artet, giving you in-depth tasting notes and cocktail ideas
And along the way, we dig into the problem with pebble ice, what to drink on Richard Branson's private island, and why it's okay to eat your cocktail garnishes.

Episode 133 - The Death of Smooth Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

The object of our investigation this episode is the word, "smooth." We hear used all the time to describe drinks, and yet, most of us would have a hard time pinning down exactly what it means. Some of the topics we'll cover in this hit piece against the word "smooth" include:

How and why Eric became suspicious of this word as a descriptor in the spirits and cocktail world
A brief history of the smooth vs. rough liquor trope since the mid 20th century
The difference between accuracy and precision in language, and why "smooth" can sometimes be accurate, but never precise.
A troubling parable involving a major international distilling operation and their recent ad campaign
Some thoughts on the truth from a major player in the literature and culture space
And much, much more.

Episode 132 - Part II: Bar Room Blitz Jan 23, 2020

Show notes

During this episode, you'll hear stories and flavor advice from the five bartenders who competed in this battle to raise money for their respective charities and nonprofits. And then at the end, we'll give you a quick rundown of everything we've learned by observing, organizing, and even emceeing several cocktail competitions in the past few months.

Episode 131 - Part I: Battle of the Bartenders Jan 16, 2020

Show notes

This episode is part 1 of two part story about cocktail competitions. In this edition, we'll head to Loudoun County, Virginia, where our friends at Catoctin Creek Distilling hosted their second annual Battle of the Bartenders.

We hear the origins stories and strategies of six bartenders from Northern Virginia as they prepare to face one another in a cocktail competition featuring three rounds of secret ingredients.

Episode 130 - Thoughts on Dry January Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

In this Dry January conversation with Modern Bar Cart Co-Founder Ethan Hall, some of the topics we discuss include:

What we're excited about for 2020, and what Ethan is excited about being based out of DC for the first time in several years
DC bar trends, as well as noteworthy closings and areas of the city we're excited to explore again
Nerdy cocktail and cooking toys we've picked up over the past month and how we're planning to use them in the new year
Ethan's Cayenne-Hibiscus Kombucha recipe, which happens to be an excellent, low-sugar alcohol substitute that you can replicate at home
Eric's dry January rules and regimens, as well as his thoughts on the term, "Sober-curious"
Ethan's answers to our new set of lightning round questions
And much, much more

Episode 129 - Drinking in a New Decade Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

Before our annual holiday break, we share with you some of the highlights of this year in the form of stats, important current events,and emerging trends. Then, we unveil a few new lightning round questions that we're going to be working into the mix in 2020.

Episode 128 - Uncapped Dec 12, 2019

Show notes

In this crossover interview with Chris Sands of the Uncapped Podcast and Braeden Bumpers of McClintock Distilling, some of the things we discuss include:

A little Modern Bar Cart company history, including how our bitters are made and why we're still cranking out podcasts after two and a half years.
A discussion of whiskey tasting notes, and the strange world of online spirits reviews
How Braeden and I set up our upcoming Bar Room Blitz event, which will take place on Friday, December 13, the day after this episode airs. There may be a few extra tickets released the day of the event, so feel free to check out the show notes page for a link to Eventbrite.
We also conduct a tasting of three special McClintock Distilling innovation series releases, including a wheat whiskey, a gin collaboration, and a hop infused American Single malt created in collaboration with the Uncapped Podcast.

Episode 127 - Modern and Vintage Glassware Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

Some of the topics we discuss with Victoria Vergason of The Hour during this interview include:

How Victoria used her globe-trotting career in international finance to build a colorful and diverse collection of vintage glassware and bar tools.
The various changes in glassware size and shape as we moved from the golden age of the cocktail, to prohibition, and beyond.
Why cocktail pitchers and rooster motifs really need to make a comeback.
How history and culture had a direct effect on the design and materials used to make different glasses and tools, including camouflaged cocktail shakers, gun trigger mechanisms on jiggers and, even hand-painted cocktail glasses.
The origins and implications of the "Three Martini Lunch"
Why Victoria is branching out to create her own line of glassware and bar tools called "The Modern Home Bar."
Which famous artists and thinkers she would invite to her ultimate historical cocktail hour
And much, much more

Episode 126 - Minimalist Tiki Nov 28, 2019

Show notes

Some of the topics we discuss with Minimalist Tiki Author and rum ambassador Matt Pietrek Include:

How Matt tended a rum hobby while working as a software engineer, and then blew that spark of interest into a full-fledged career as a rum author, historian, and consultant.
Why intellectual honesty and a thirst for verification set great cocktail writing and scholarship apart from the merely good stuff.
What "minimalist tiki" means - because let's face it, when you're looking at a recipe that calls for 8 or more ingredients, there's not a whole lot of minimalism going on.
Why the fates and fortunes of rum and tiki are so interconnected in the bar world.
How Matt used a quantitative approach to laying out the most important tiki ingredients to have at your home bar. (Total software engineer move, by the way…)
The four levels of improvisation in tiki
What it's like to self-publish a book in the age of Amazon and big publisher dominance.
What to drink when discussing calculus with Sir Isaac Newton.
And much, much more.

Episode 125 - Natural Wine (Part II) Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

In this part two of this natural wine crash course with certified sommelier Joey Fox, some of the topics we discuss include:

Why the term "natural" in natural wine encounters some of the same definitions issues as many products in the spirits world. Think "craft" or "small batch" - terms that are ambiguous and somewhat relative.
Which multi-thousand dollar bottle of wine has been quietly produced as a natural wine without really any public knowledge.
How Joey and other winemakers make progress on their craft and share ideas to advance natural wine in the public view.
What the term "biodynamic farming" means, and what it holds for the future of both sustainability and flavor.
How Old Westminster winery is undertaking a cool new project with hybrid grapes that could revolutionize the way we think about winemaking in America - a place where controlled denominations of origin aren't held in as high regard compared to elsewhere in the world.
What to drink while eating street food in Japan with Anthony Bourdain
And much, much more.

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