The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 049 - Cocktail Architecture May 17, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we chat with illustrator and architect Melissa Wood about her iconic recipe book, The Architecture of the Cocktail.

Episode 048 - Beer Cocktails (AKA "Beertails") May 10, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we chat with cocktail author and beertail expert Jon Yeager, who runs a Nashville-based beverage consulting company alongside his wife Lindsay.

The two have co-authored the upcoming book, The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails, forthcoming from Skyhorse Publishing.

In this episode, we discuss:

The vast sweep of beer history, zooming in and out to identify key moments in the development of the beer cocktail.
Where and how these concoctions came about, with special focus on Great Britain and the United States.
The use of herbs, spices, and bittering agents like wormwood to create proto-cocktails with strange names like gruit, purl, wassail, and posset.
Classic and contemporary beertails ranging from Jerry Thomas's Porter Punch to the Michelada.
The answer to the ever-pressing question: What would Jesus Drink?
And much, much more.

Episode 047 - How to Give Tasting Notes May 03, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we cover the most essential elements of good tasting notes, including how to do a wine, beer, or spirits tasting in the first place, as well as how to articulate your thoughts in a way that advances conversations and adds value.

Episode 046 - The Art of the Garnish Apr 26, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, garden designer and cocktail architect Leeann Lavin pulls up a mic to talk garnishes. We give you the low-down on so many different types of garnishes, as well as how to improve your garnish game at home.

And of course, we talk about her upcoming book, Finishing Touches: The Art of Garnishing the Cocktail.

Episode 045 - Intro to Tiki Apr 19, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we hang out with Ben Wiley, ower-operator of Archipelago here in Washington, DC. It's a great Tiki bar with a lot of personality, and Ben takes us through some of the essentials that every Tiki enthusiast needs to know.

Episode 044 - Cocktail Snobs vs. Cocktail Slobs Apr 12, 2018

Show notes

In this Bar Cart Foundations episode, we walk you through the traits and habits of cocktail snobs and cocktail slobs, and then we present some useful tips for how not to be either one!

Episode 043 - The Mezcal Episode Apr 05, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we chat with Robin Miller of Espita Mezcaleria. He gives us a crash course on agave spirits like tequila, mezcal, sotol, and bacanora.

Episode 042 - The Vermouth Episode Mar 29, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we chat with Kat Hamidi of Capitoline Vermouth. She gives us a rundown of this important cocktail ingredient, and we sample some vermouths that she produces to get a sense of what the category can offer.

Episode 041 - One-Bottle Cocktails Mar 22, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we chat with cocktail writer Maggie Hoffman, author of The One-Bottle Cocktail.

Some of the topics we cover in this episode include:

How Maggie came up with the concept for the One-Bottle Cocktail, and who she wrote it for
The essential bottles to have on your bar if you're looking to make a one-bottle drink.
Which fresh ingredients to have on hand if you want to up your home bartending game
Thoughts on simplicity and complexity in cocktails
And much, much more.

Episode 040 - Barrels and Aging Mar 15, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about barrels, which are one of the most important parts of the distilling, aging, and blending process. No barrels, no brown spirits. Let that sink in for a minute.

Our guest is Alice Blayne Allard from Free State Cooperage, which is a company that handcrafts locally-sourced barrels right here in the Mid-Atlantic, working with distillers who care deeply about the quality of the barrels they use to age their products.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

The life cycle of a barrel, from tree, to stave, to whiskey vessel, and beyond.
The physics of aged spirits, and how barrel size, temperature, humidity, and char level all affect the process
Meditations on the terroir of aged spirits, and how local wood has local flavor
Some thoughts on barrel aged cocktails
The not-so-subtle irony of George Washington's role in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion
And much, much more

Alice and Free State Cooperage are putting the finishing touches on their facility, and will be offering tours and tastings hopefully sometime in the near future. So definitely hit them up at freestatecooperage.com, or follow them on Facebook to stay abreast of those updates.

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