In this episode we hear the story of how Soup Spoon Cafe began. Owner Nick Gavrilides shares HIS-story. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contemplatingcocktails/message

Did you know that Johnny Appleseed was a drunk? But first Metro Melik goes off on a tangent about a real life Jack Sprat situation. Keith gets things back on track as to why Johnny Appleseed went around the land planting cider apple trees. Let's start in 1698 with William Laird in New Jersey who started making apple whiskey that eventually became a…

Keith considers this mezcal's other half to be tequila. With mezcal and tequila we discuss the circle of life. Tequila comes from blue agave of cactus. Chihuahua Mountains are where blue agave grows. The name threw off Melik and trying to do math shows. The first recorded distillation of tequila happened in 1666. Weird story from Melik talking a li…

What is amaro? But of course there's a Melik sidebar that happens first. He talks about date night that had an enjoyable meal. Amaro has a simple meaning of bitter. It is a bitter liqueur. Grappa based spirit that has herbs, spices, botanicals added to it that is reduced from a 'brandy' to an amaro. This is a followup of "booze can be medicine". A …

In this happy meandering episode: Keith is happy to be a bicycle rider in the middle of the Mitten, Lansing Michigan. The drink is the vehicle for two passionate people to share good stories. This episode will have stories circling around the spirit of moonshine. This moonshine story begins with the Whiskey Rebellion. Think about how different prod…

Warning: Melik curses a few times in this episode. Clear, flavorless spirit distilled from cereal grains and an often misunderstood spirit. Ideally vodka has no flavor. Vodka is the diminutive of voda is "water" in several Slavic languages, similarly to uisquibah which is Gaelic for water of life. There's a lot of misconceptions about the distillat…

A spirit that's origin that dates back to the 14th century is absinthe. It has as storied and colorful history that is connected to people like Hemingway, Voltaire, Rimbaud, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Poe. There are as many misconceptions about absinthe as there are stories. And yes we do have a cocktail for you in this episode. Metro Melik shares his …

Thanks for making it through the gin episode. Here's one about Aqua Vitae which is very similar but different. Keith talks about his Swedish friend that introduced him to the aqua vitae spirit and a Swedish traditional Friday meals. This is a journey of a spirit with the caraway savory flavor. Keith talks a discovery from his grandmother that compl…

[there are some curse words in this episode] Keith and Melik are still formulating the names of the show as we explore the world of gin. They realize that gin is a polarizing spirit but they encourage you to take a listen to this episode. You'll educate yourself on the spirit and may find a way to enjoy it. Keith talks about his bicycle riding jour…

It's a new spirit of the Western World. A Chinese sorghum spirit, baijiu. There's a little bit of storytelling wrapped around this Chinese spirit. Keith spent some time living in China and shares what he learned about the culture of being a host and a guest. Baijiu is a versatile spirit that can replace another spirit in your favorite cocktail. Bai…

Mike Marriott goes into depth of what is the Arts Council of Greater Lansing and what it does to promote in Metro Lansing. It is also an organization that can help you with your artistic goals. We talk about the cool app "517 ARTsearch". We touch on why the campus of Lansing Community College is great for enjoying art. --- Send in a voice message: …

In this episode we discuss brandy and how it's made. Also different versions including Armagnac, cognac, american brandies, and fruit brandies. Keith delves a bit into American brandies. Adding a little pepper to the episode we take a visit the store Wonder Women Estate Sales in Lansing's Old Town. One more thing. Don't sleep on Hennessy. There's a…

An episode about creating art into the art business. Mike Marriott talks about how Arts & Entertainment surrounds us. There's a reference to "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X. And Metro Melik talks about the genre that Johnny Cash should belong. There's a little nod to Varhaus. Mr. Marriott speaks on how business can invest in art as well as artist and …

Rum is the spirit. We talk about how rum began and how it is produced. There's some time spent on discussing different types of rums that have different flavors. More specifically Bacardi, Mount Gay, Dameisolle Rhum, and why there's an 'h' in the word rum. And to round out the show with a Rum Punch recipe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podca…

In this episode Mike Marriott talks about Happendance, which is mid-Michigan's only professional dance company. Each year it presents four major productions: A Dance Concert for Young People (and their grown up friends); a full production winter concert featuring the professional company: "This Is Happendance"; the Happendance School Spring Concert…

In this episode we try to talk about mezcal. Nonetheless, Metro Melik meanders around the life history of Keith Buchele. In this episode we learn about his home and work history that lead him to be the general manager of Soup Spoon Cafe. There are a lot of laughs. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contemplatingcoc…

We FINALLY talk about a spirit and it is mezcal. If you are not familiar with this spirit, and even if you are, you'll be sure to enjoy our discussion about mezcal. We also talk about what foods pair well with it. And Keith has a simple cocktail recipe for you to try. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contemplatin…

Mike Marriott, the Arts Promoter, had a successful stint in New York City. However, his love of art and affordability lead him and his wife to move to Lansing, Michigan. In this episode we explore the cornucopia of fun stuff in Metro Lansing. Arts Council of Greater Lansing's Arts Night Out event, Lansing Art Gallery, Happendance, The Poetry Room, …

This is the first episode of Arts & Entertainment with Mike Marriott & Metro Melik. Mike Marriott is the Arts Promoter. A Lansing resident by way of New York City and Peoria, Illinois. In this episode a little about Mr. Marriott's upbringing. His journey to NYC. And finally how he and his wife fell in love with Michigan and subsequently decided to …