Best Great American Cocktail Podcasts (2024)

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Getting Serious About Rosé #1: Pinot Noir Rosé (Choose a Rosé based on the red wines you like!) 37:59

3d ago37:59

37:59

We admit it, we have not always been fair to Rosé, but starting today, we are going to set the record straight! If you think you don’t like Rosé, it may be because you have not yet met a Rosé you like. And the key to finding a Rosé you like is to start with a red wine you like and then finding a Rosé made from that wine. Because, afterall, Rosé is …

1
Episode 285 - Letters from Flavor Camp with Reece Sims 1:10:56

5d ago1:10:56

1:10:56

In this campy conversation with Reece Sims (@reecesims), creator of Flavor Camp, some of the topics we discuss include: How camps - like bars - act as intense and intimate “third places,” where people with shared interests or commonalities can gather and thrive. What Reece does to shake up the traditional ruts we fall into when tasting spirits--fro…

1
Italian Wine Adventure #12: Dolcetto! (Similar to Gamay, the Sommelier’s secret weapon) 46:05

10d ago46:05

46:05

From the great wine region of Piedmont, Italy comes the red wine called Dolcetto, which means “little sweet one” - but don’t be fooled, this is not a sweet wine, although it is a red wine with flavors and aromas of crunchy red fruit. In our latest Italian Wine Adventure, we travel back to one of our favorite wine areas to see if Dolcetto should be …

1
Malbec: The Ultimate Summer Cookout Wine! (A lush, fruity, inexpensive crowd-pleaser) 40:58

17d ago40:58

40:58

Summer is here, and that means cookouts with family and friends! If you are wondering what kind of wine would be a crowd-pleaser and pair well with food and fun, we have the perfect answer: Malbec! This juicy, well-balanced wine from Argentina is an inexpensive wine that doesn’t taste or drink like it's inexpensive. You may ask why would a wine fro…

1
2024 Second Half Preview 12:53

21d ago12:53

12:53

Eric shares some exciting previews of the episodes to come in the second half of 2024, including sneak previews of "Cocktail Futurism" interviews with Rob Nester (Drinking with Robots) and Jayme Blaschke (Lagoon of Mystery).

1
Minisode #13: Help! I Don’t Know How to Love White Wine! (Use the B-FAST method to learn to love White Wine) 17:58

24d ago17:58

17:58

We introduce you to the B-FAST method in this minisode so you can become a white wine lover. What’s that you say, you’ve never heard of the B-FAST method? Well, that’s because it is a Wine Pair Podcast original! To love a thing, you have to learn about a thing, and you have to spend time with a thing. You can’t just go with your first impression! Y…

1
Minisode #12: What Are the Noble Grapes? (And Why Should You Care?) 14:17

1M ago14:17

14:17

When it comes to wine grapes, it’s ok to play the field, but it is a good idea to get to know the Noble Grapes. And the good news is - you may already be really familiar with them. That’s because many of the most popular wines and wine blends, both red and white, are often made of these grapes. But what makes them Noble? We’ll tell you! And does th…

1
Episode 284 - Foraged Spirits with Tony Gugino 1:06:56

1M ago1:06:56

1:06:56

In this down-to-earth conversation with distiller and outdoorsman Tony Gugino of Eighth District Distilling Co., some of the topics we discuss include: How Tony’s childhood exploring and fishing in Upstate New York inform the way he moves through the natural world and experiments with botanicals in his spirits. The attributes and attentional facult…

1
Special Episode! Meet the (Wine) Makers #8: Jennie Murphy of Oxlee Graham Wines! (From forensics to wine making, being a woman in the wine industry 41:57

1M ago41:57

41:57

Jennie Murphy is, like her grandmothers who she named her winery after, a tough, resilient, and determined woman. After losing her home in the 2017 wine country fires, she started to seriously think about starting her own winery. We learned a ton about the winemaking world in our conversation with her - things that the average wine drinker never th…

1
049 - Race to the Future with Kassia St. Clair 55:57

1M ago55:57

55:57

Kassia St. Clair, author of the 2017 best-seller The Secret Lives of Color and the Sunday Times Book of the Year follow-up The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History (2019) joins me to talk about her new book, Race to the Future: The Adventure that Accelerated the 20th Century. It's the story of the utterly bonkers 1907 auto race from Peking to …

1
WTF is White Grenache? (AKA Garnatxa Blanca and Grenache Blanc, an underrated white wine, an alternative for Chardonnay lovers, a good summer wine) 38:48

2M ago38:48

38:48

Yes, it’s true, they make Grenache is white as well as red! And it’s a great summer wine! Popular in the Catalonia area of Spain where it is known as Garnatxa Blanca, and in the Rhône area of France where it is often used as a blending grape and known as Grenache Blanc, White Grenache is a tasty, complex, and food friendly white wine that deserves …

1
Episode 283 - Spilling the Tea on American Single Malt 1:23:50

2M ago1:23:50

1:23:50

In this American, singular, and distinctly malty conversation with Tyler Pederson (@cerealdistiller), master distiller at Westland Distillery, some of the topics we discuss include: How Tyler came to be an American Single Malt distiller and what it’s like to develop a resilient supply chain of farmers and malt houses that can sustain itself year af…

1
Spain’s Answer to Champagne: Cava! (A step up from Prosecco at a similar price) 42:17

2M ago42:17

42:17

A 10 point wine in this episode! If you want a higher-class alternative to Prosecco at the same price point, then Cava is your wine. Cava is an underrated sparkling wine from Spain that is made in the same way as Champagne, but at a fraction of the cost. Cava is unique among sparkling wines - it is made with native Spanish grapes like Macabeo, Xare…

1
WTF is Txakoli? (Fizzy, fruity, and fun dry white wine from Spain, aka Txakolina) 43:17

2M ago43:17

43:17

It may be hard to pronounce and spell, but is it ever easy to drink! In this episode, we introduce you to a fun, quaffable, and not so serious wine called Txakoli which hails from the Basque region of Spain. Sometimes also called Txakolina, this slightly fizzy white wine is a perfect summer sipper. While tasting it, we had visions of sitting by the…

1
Episode 282 - RTD Redux 1:05:31

2M ago1:05:31

1:05:31

In this RTD redux with Keli Rivers, David T. Smith, and Joe Barber, some of the topics we discuss include: Emerging trends in the post-pandemic RTD (ready to drink) and RTS (ready to serve) cocktail space, including more bottled RTS SKUS, continued innovation by small producers, and marked improvements across the board in stability and flavor. Thou…

1
Costco Kirkland Signature 2019 Rioja Reserva Challenge! (A punch-you-in-the-face wine, perfect base for Sangria, for Cab Sauv lovers) 43:22

2M ago43:22

43:22

Rioja is the big dog of Spanish wines, but the question on everyone’s lips is - how does the Costco Kirkland Signature Rioja Reserva stack up to other Riojas? Amiright?!? Well, without giving it away, we’re here to tell you that the Kirkland Signature Rioja is a worthy contender! But did it win in a knockout, or was it a draw? You’ll have to listen…

1
Spain’s Hidden Gem: Priorat! (One of the great wines of Spain, Grenache-based red wine) 38:16

2M ago38:16

38:16

When we say hidden gem, we are not kidding! When people think of Spanish red wines, they immediately think of Rioja, but don’t sleep on Priorat. Hailing from the Catalonia area of Spain, Priorat is a Grenache-based red wine blend that completely blew away our expectations! Rich, complex, and oh so drinkable, this is a wine that deserves a lot more …

1
Minicast G2: Dundee United 8:25

3M ago8:25

8:25

In 1972 a middling team from the Scottish Premier League played four exhibition matches in Nigeria and distinguished itself so profoundly with its pitiful play (and boorish attitude) that its name became a synonym for stupidity. Grousing about how much your host country sucks while losing 4-1 to a team of amateurs called "Stationery Stores FC" leav…

1
Episode 281 - A Few Last Words with Paul Clarke 40:18

3M ago40:18

40:18

In this Seattle cocktail retrospective with Paul Clarke, Editor in Chief of Imbibe Magazine, some of the topics we discuss include: How Paul began his drinks journey in the early days of the cocktail renaissance and became a regular at the ZigZag Cafe, a Seattle cocktail den that rose to prominence thanks, in large part, to a bartender named Murray…

1
High QPR Pinot Noir #4! (How the American wine palate has been programmed by big wine, Pinot is a polarizing wine) 43:30

3M ago43:30

43:30

Pinot Noir can be a polarizing wine - some people love it, and some people just don’t get it. We think that happens for a few reasons. First, most wine drinkers have been trained to think that wines are supposed to taste like Cabernet Sauvignon - big, fruit forward, high in alcohol, and very tannic. Which is just not what a great Pinot tastes like.…

1
Wallet-Friendly Wine Reviews: Two Buck Chuck and More! (Reviewing wines under $5, cheap Cabernet Sauvignon, some pleasant and unpleasant surprises) 43:35

3M ago43:35

43:35

Believe it or not, 73% of the wine purchased in the United States is sold for less than $8. So, there are a LOT of people drinking those wines! But they don’t often get reviews, and so we thought we would take some time to taste and review some value wines to see just how different they are from slightly more expensive wines. The results: one of th…

1
Bordeaux Bargains #1! (Haut-Médoc and Graves, Left Bank, why Bordeaux wines are so tricky to understand) 48:30

3M ago48:30

48:30

Bordeaux is home to some of the most famous - and most expensive - wines in the world. But can you find a great wine at a great price?!? You can!!! There is no reason to spend more than $20 a bottle to find highly rated and very enjoyable wines from this classic region. In this episode, we focus on Left Bank wines, and we bring that up because Bord…

1
Minicast G1: The Flying Boy trick 33:56

3M ago33:56

33:56

Question Kyle and Question Jennie join me as we discuss the 18th century fad of using the emerging understanding of the phenomenon of electricity to entertain. Men who considered themselves worldly natural philosophers and amateur scientists found it relatively easy to blow the minds of party guests by demonstrating some basic concepts that we're t…

1
Episode 280 - Cocktail Futurism 34:45

3M ago34:45

34:45

What will cocktails and bars look like in 100 years? 200 years? What about 500? In this introductory survey episode, Eric explores what "cocktail futurism" might look like and how we can start thinking NOW about how our drinks will evolve in the future. This isn't about projecting what cocktail will become "cool again" next year -- it's about under…

1
WTF is Muscadet? (Melon de Bourgogne, the Sur Lie method, batonnage, the ultimate fish wine, the best French white wine under $20?) 41:50

3M ago41:50

41:50

If you’re like us, French wines can feel so confusing - and that’s exactly why we do these WTF episodes! This week, we dive into a great French white wine called Muscadet, which is not to be confused with Muscat or Moscato (which are, by the way, the same thing). Muscadet is a wine made in the Loire Valley from the grape Melon de Bourgogne - and th…

1
Italian Wine Adventure #11: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo! (An underrated and underappreciated Italian beauty, the ultimate cookout wine) 43:04

4M ago43:04

43:04

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is an easy wine to overlook. It is inexpensive, easy to find, and does not have the cachet that a Chianti or Barolo or Amarone has. But we are here to tell you that you should take a second look at this underappreciated and underrated Italian wine! In this episode, we tasted and reviewed three easy to find and reasonably pri…

1
How Good Are Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Wines? (TJ’s is a great, inexpensive place to expand your wine horizons, is high-end cheap worth the price?) 48:29

4M ago48:29

48:29

Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve wines are meant to compare with wines twice their price, and are said to be top wines from top winemakers in some of the most prestigious wine-growing regions, but just how good are they really? We seek to answer that question to save you time and money. In this episode, we try three different Platinum Reserve wines fr…

1
Episode 279 - American Agave with Gian Nelson of Jano Spirits 1:11:30

4M ago1:11:30

1:11:30

In this groundbreaking, down and dirty conversation with Gian Nelson of Jano Spirits, some of the topics we discuss include: How Gian found his home in the creative and multidisciplinary workspace of the wine and spirits industry and why he’s selected Agave Americana as the canvas on which he expresses his passion. An overview of the different type…

1
WTF is Pinotage? (And WTF is Coffee Pinotage? South Africa’s signature wine) 44:59

4M ago44:59

44:59

Ok, let’s be honest. Pinotage is a TRIP. It is like no other wine we have ever had before, and is flat out an experience that you have to try. You may not love it, or even like it, but you have to try it. Especially the Coffee Pinotage which in and of itself is an adventure (and is really a thing)! Pinotage is a wine that was invented in South Afri…

1
Costco Kirkland Signature Pinot Noir Challenge! (The pros and cons of Costco’s wine selection, why few experts review Costco wines, Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir review) 44:59

4M ago44:59

44:59

Costco sells a TON of wine, but finding expert reviews of their Kirkland Signature wines can be very tricky. We are happy to help fill that void! Find out why few wine reviewers bother to review Costco Kirkland Signature wines, and where you can find some pretty reliable reviews for those wines. But, most importantly, find out what we think of the …

1
Episode 278 - Dusty Booze with Aaron Goldfarb 1:08:21

4M ago1:08:21

1:08:21

In this fascinating deep dive with Aaron Goldfarb (@aarongoldfarb), author of Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits, some of the topics we discuss include: What constitutes a “dusty” or vintage bottle and some of the historical forces that created the trend of hunting for them, especially in the Bourbon world. Some tentative answers to the ques…

1
Josh Wines Are . . . Meh. (The truth behind the hype. BTW, we did not give this episode a title until after we tasted the wines in our recording!) 45:59

5M ago45:59

45:59

Josh Cellars wine has been all over social media recently, but the real question is - is it worthy of the hype?!? We gave Josh Cellars an honest-to-goodness opportunity to impress us. We tasted and reviewed three different Josh Cellar wines just to make sure that we were getting a proper sense of the breadth of their products, and the results were …

1
Sweet Dessert Wines for Your Sweetheart! (Wines for Valentine’s Day, Savoring a meal and time with family and friends, WTF is fortified wine) 49:51

5M ago49:51

49:51

If you think you are not a fan of dessert wines, we believe we can change your mind - because we changed our own minds in this episode! Dessert wines are perfect for romantic evenings, but also a great excuse to slow down and extend a meal with family, friends, and loved ones. If you are looking for something special to do this Valentine’s Day, ser…

1
Episode 277 - Nomadic Distilling with Devon Trevathan of Liba Spirits 1:22:24

5M ago1:22:24

1:22:24

In this roving, wanderlustrious conversation with Devon Trevathan of Liba Spirits, some of the topics we discuss include: Why Devon has chosen to cultivate a welcoming and mindful relationship with discomfort while traveling, and how this has allowed her to become a sponge for the sights, flavors, and sensations that make different cultures and des…

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Great American Cocktail Podcasts

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