In this LIVE Seminar recording, Eric identifies two key strains of B.S. that run through contemporary tasting notes. Then, using a concept he refers to as "locating the 'heart' of a spirit," he explores how to generate tasting notes that say accurate things about flavor while also allowing people to connect with the liquid in a glass or a bottle.

In this, sweet, funky, and occasionally grassy conversation with Ian Burrell (@therumambassador), author of Rum A Tasting Course, some of the topics we discuss include:

• Why Ian takes a "flavor-first" approach to rum (in general, but especially in this book), and how these flavors are gateways to history, geography, culture, and conversation.

• The different ways that rum can be categorized, and why these categories are a gateway to all the delightful exceptions that will bamboozle and delight your palate and your brain.

• We also discuss the three primary types of rum drinkers and the ways these different mindsets and preferences weave through the contemporary story of rum as we experience it at our favorite bars and distilleries.

• Ian offers a glimpse into some of the completely unique features of RUM: A Tasting Course, including how to make a DIY aroma kit to practice your nosing skills, how he learned about some of the more "illicit" styles of cane spirits being produced around the globe, and how to read a rum label in a way that gives you clues as to what's in the bottle.

• We also explore how rum is the most global spirits category of all and why it can benefit from a "complex-systems" approach that introduces people to many different levels of description on their journey to understand and enjoy the bounty of world cane spirits.

• Along the way, we riff on why it's awesome to know the shoe size of your favorite rum blender, the elaborate heist that Ian has planned in order to secure a barrel or two from Foursquare Distillery, which sex act is most comparable to the experience of drinking Campari, and much, much more.

Every conversation with Ian is both a joy and a complete reinforcement of WHY he is truly THE Global Rum Ambassador. I hope you'll take the opportunity to give him a follow on social media and look into preordering his new book, Rum A Tasting Course, which will be available in the US about a month after this podcast goes live.

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 types of agave spirits currently being produced here in the US, specifically: the differences between using imported agave syrup vs. actual farmed or wild agaves.

• Why Mexico is becoming the "Old World" of Agave spirits production, and how American and other international producers are responding to a lack of shared knowledge across borders with characteristic punk rock innovation.

• What it would mean for a bartender or beverage program in Mexico to import American Agave spirits specifically to feature on their sipping or cocktail menu.

• And How many thousands of pounds of pinas it takes to make just ten cases of agave spirits.

• Along the way, we meditate on the mystical nature of inulin conversion, celebrate the influence of Chicano flavors and cultures, learn how to get your neighbor to let you dig up their agave plants, and much, much more.

Featured Cocktail: The Batanga

This episode's featured cocktail is the Batanga. To make it, you'll need:

• 2 ounces tequila (generally, a silver tequila is utilized, but you can feel free to substitute with any agave spirit of your choosing)

• 1/2 ounce lime juice

• 3 ounces Cola

• Salt for rimming the glass.

Begin by slicing a fresh lime, squeezing it for juice, and rubbing a spent half around the rim of a highball glass. Next, rim the glass with salt and fill it with ice. Since this is a built drink in the style of a Cuba Libre, all you need to do is add your agave spirit, lime juice, and cola to top (in that order), and, important to the ritual of this drink, stir it with the knife you used to cut the lime. Garnish simply with a lime wheel or a nice lime twist and enjoy.

In this tropical deep dive with home bar architect and Tiki expert Jayme Blaschke, creator of The Lagoon of Mystery and host of A Moment of Tiki, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How a brush with homelessness and an off-hand comment made while floating in a pool spawned a passion for tiki and led Jayme to build and cultivate his beautiful home tiki bar, The Lagoon of Mystery.
• A virtual walk-through of some of the building materials, design choices, and escapist landscaping that morphed Jayme's Texas poolside patio into a transportive oasis that plays "Dive In" movies during the summer.
• Some thoughts on how to relate to Tiki culture as a white guy - which Jayme and I both are. We offer perspectives and concrete resources that will help you learn about colonialism, appropriation, and how to celebrate Tiki tastefully in the 21st century.
• A fun romp through the many genres of island-appropriate music that you can use to flesh-out your Tiki playlist - including exotica, calypso, bossa nova, and modern indigenous compositions that will whisk you away to a tropical landscape.
• Along the way, we discuss what kind of Tiki bar could boast a mechanical bull, how to avoid weevils in your bamboo, why NOT to drink green beer with J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis, and much much more.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this fascinating deep dive on Japanese Whisky, past and present, some of the topics I discuss with Nicholas Pollacchi of Shibui Whisky include:

• The complicated history of Japanese whisky making, including the sharp left turn that makes this tradition diverge (and reconnect) surprisingly with other world whisky traditions.
• How Shibui is looking to help Japanese distillers and master blenders embrace a new, more collaborative mindset and source more compelling cooperage.
• Then, we embark upon an ambitious, 7-spirit tasting that spans Shibui's Niigata and Okinawa collections, showcasing wheat, malt, and rice whiskies from some of Japan's best artisan distillers.
• During this tasting, we cover the nuances of different grain bases and barrel finishes (including the legendary mizunara oak grown in Japan), as well as different ways to think about Japanese whisky in the greater world whisky landscape.
• Along the way, we discuss the difference between whisky and Okinowan Awamori, the effects of colonialism on the Japanese approach to distilled spirits, what to drink with legendary Scotch distiller William Grant, and much, much more.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Eric examines the ways in which spirits can be identified as either "flawed" or "faulty." Some of the topics covered in this Bar Cart Foundations Episode include:

• The similarities and differences between spirits judging and other judged events (like dog shows)
• Why it helps to compare spirits by category and style in order to really amplify the good and bad attributes
• How to identify potentially dangerous faults in spirits that may be caused by ingredient sourcing, sanitation, or barrel contamination issues.
• How to spot less harmful (but still sub-optimal) spirits flaws and trace them back to a particular moment in the manufacturing process
• Why craft distillers are the most susceptible to producing flawed spirits,
• And much, much more

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Eric gives you a few things to look out for during the second half of 2021, including Japanese spirits and cocktails, orchard-to-table drinks and garnishes, and a few surprises and teasers along the way.

In this eye-opening conversation and rum tasting with Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Ian entered the rum world as a bartender, which led to several career transformations as a brand and category ambassador, then the creator of UK Rumfest, and now as one of the cofounders of a blossoming rum brand.
• The fascinating life of Olaudah Equiano, slave-turned-entrepreneur-turned-freedom-fighter-and-philanthropist. He, of course, is the namesake of Equiano rum and the inspiration for both its products and its philanthropic mission.
• How rum from the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean is blended with meticulously distilled and aged spirits from Barbados to create the unique flavor profile and multicultural DNA of Equiano's flagship product and its brand new light rum, which I had the privilege of tasting before it even hit shelves here in the US.
• We discuss the impact of colonialism and geographic indications on today's rum landscape
• We explore the exciting emergence of multi-style or multi-island rum blends, the difference between "nursing" and "doctoring" a drink, how Ian plans to convert Barack Obama into a rum drinker, and much, much more.

In this wide-ranging conversation with entrepreneur and ginger beer philosopher Kenny Richards, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Kenny left behind a career in academia to resurrect one of America's most beloved, and yet also most forgotten drinks categories.
• What it's like to scale a brewery from a few barrels to a much more ambitious craft operation, and what implications that has on ingredients, people, and process.
• We taste through 4 popular (and very different) expressions of Halyard's ginger beers, beginning with Nicole's Extra, followed by Volcano Juice, The Breeze, and Mountain Aid.
• We talk about the best ways to use alcoholic ginger beer in cocktails, and especially the numerous opportunities there are to innovate within the buck/mule category.
• We discuss what it means to become, be, and remain authentic in the age of peak Hazy IPAs, glitter beer, and hard seltzer.
• We cover why Vermonters are constantly stuffing beers in their pockets, the aesthetics of a perfect moonrise, what to drink with Enlightenment philosopher Baruch Spinoza,
• And much, much more.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this fascinating conversation with author and historian Cecelia Tichi, some of the topics we discuss include:

• What the Gilded Age is, and why this time period was so important, not only for cocktail culture, but also in laying the groundwork for the seismic events that would follow in the early 20th century
• How Gilded Age Cocktails was conceived - and (spoiler alert), it may have happened over the course of a few drinks.
• We talk about the equine origins of the word "cocktail" and its interesting ties to concepts like genetic pedigree and mongrel or mixed components.
• We consider the influence of universities, private clubs, and trans-Atlantic travel on the spread and cross-pollination of cocktail styles and recipes across continents.
• We explore what the Gilded Age has in common with today's world of social media and rapid tech innovation,
• We admire the wardrobe and style of the original cocktail influencer, Jerry Thomas
• And much, much more

This episode is also brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this eye-opening conversation and rum tasting with Kō Hana Rum General Manager Kyle Reutner, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Kō Hana Rum started as a passion project dedicated to Hawaiian heirloom cane varietals, spreading from a small lot to several hundred acres of cane farmed at several locations on Oahu.
• What heirloom cane even means - from its pivotal role in the polynesian diaspora to the advent of commodity sugar farming, to recent efforts to resurrect a nearly lost cultural staple crop.
• Then we get into the tasting. Boy do we taste. We sample four white (i.e un-aged) agricole-style rums from Kō Hana, all with different flavor qualities and origin stories.
• Along the way, we talk about Hawaiian terroir, the primacy of plants in the species-naming agenda of native polynesians, how Kō Hana has diversified its offerings using the only cacao grown in the United States, and much, much more.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Eric is joined by co-producer and travel correspondent, Adam Bauer to discuss the many signature Bloody Mary cocktails served at St. Regis Hotels all around the world. The drinks featured include:

• The 7452 Mary (St. Regis, Deer Park)
• The Downhill Snapper (St. Regis, Aspen)
• The Capitol Mary (St. Regis, Washington, DC)

This episode also touches on a few key tensions within the Bloody Mary world. For example: the tension between ritual and innovation and the impulse to reach for familiar flavors when you're traveling away from home.

****

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this stimulating still dialogue with Dr. Eric Stroud of Mohawk Spirits Distillery, some of the topics we discuss include:

• The differences between traditional and vacuum distillation - that is, distillation that takes place in the presence of high heat vs. distillation that takes place at room temperature but under high pressure.
• How Dr. Stroud secured a grant from the American Distilling Institute that allowed him to fabricate and test ancient still designs found in alchemical and medical texts from the Renaissance and Enlightenment.
• What it's like to test glass stills with zig-zags and coils and chambers that seem to be in all the wrong places.
• The implications of Dr. Stroud's compelling test results for the craft distilling community, as well as what new experiments are on the horizon.
• The virtues of working with native North American fruits and berries,
• What to drink with a late Renaissance alchemist,
• And much, much more.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

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 question, "Did it really Use to Taste Better?," featuring oak tree rings, barrel entry proof, and cedar fermentation tanks.

• How dusty hunters use label cues like importers, tax stamps, DSP numbers, and Julian dating to determine the true age and origin of the bottles they encounter.

• A romp through some of the packaging gimmicks that dominated the Bourbon world in the second half of the 20th century.

• And a look at today's secondary market for spirits with respect to how it started and where it might be headed.

• Along the way, we consider the historical impact of Howard Hughes' liquor collection, salute the unwavering faith and confidence of bourbon distillers, get Aaron into bed with a sultry bottle of pre-phylloxera Cognac, and much, much more.

Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits will drop in about a month, so be sure to pre-order your copy if you've got some time on your hands and think you could uncover the next outrageously valuable bottle hiding in a storage unit or estate sale.

Some of the topics we cover in this wide-ranging conversation with spirits writer, educator, and judge Billy Abbott include:

• How Billy took the leap from a career in computing and database management to pursue his passion for whisky, and what the past decade has looked like for him following that drastic vocational shift.
• What it means to be a generalist in a world teeming with whisky specialists, and why it pays to take a curious, humble, and omnivorous approach to learning and teaching about spirits.
• Then we take a slight left turn and talk about Asian spirits, including how Billy became one of the first Awamori Jinbners, his thoughts on Shochu and Bajui, and the tricky business of introducing large markets to spirits they know nothing about.
• But that's not all. We give you the inside scoop on BIlly's new book, we cover some exciting new spirits producers and trends in Europe and the UK, and we even wax poetic on the importance of sandwich ergonomics in the age of COVID.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Eric walks through his method for cutting back on drinking using a simple tool he calls a "daily accountability journal." This method stands in stark contrast to "booze cleanse" months like "Sober October" and "Dry January."

Along the way, he discusses the difference between "dry" and "wet" societies, why we tend to set ourselves up for failure during the holidays, and how you can use the daily accountability journal to really earn a drink or two at the end of the day.

This episode is also brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this Bar Cart Foundations episode, we trace the history of the mint julep and describe some important points regarding its craft.

• We begin by trying to define what a julep is, where it comes from, and where mint enters into the equation.
• Next, we place its formulation in contrast to other drinks that were popular during its heyday - that time being the late 1700s to mid-1800s.
• After that, we talk about its connection with the Kentucky Derby, which leads to a few fun equestrian mixological digressions.
• And we wrap with some tips for preparing mint Juleps in the year 2021 in time for the Kentucky Derby or whatever other excuse you might have for making them.

In this barrel-aged deep dive with spirits writer Brent Joseph, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Brent came to love Bourbon and used his passion to propel himself into a senior contributor role at Bourbon & Banter.
• The recent retail experiences that led him to pose the titular question of his four-part article series: "Is Bourbon Broken?"
• The economic and market forces that have led to massive demand for particular brands and bottles (and the subsequent perverse incentive to flip them for outrageous prices on the secondary market).
• What it means for a bottle to be "allocated"
• The role that social media has played in the fetishization of certain bottles and purchasing habits
• How to be a smarter Bourbon shopper and better citizen of the Bourbon community
• And much, much more.

• This episode is also brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

  Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Sother Teague is the barman behind the hit NYC bar, Amor y Amargo (Trans: "Love and Bitters"). He is also the authors of the books, I'm Just Here for the Drinks and Let's Get Blitzen.

Some of the topics covered in this wide-ranging conversation with Sother Teague include:

• The origin story of Sother Teague. From a biker bar in Panama City Florida, to the New England Culinary Institute, to tending bar in New York City.
• Why Amor Y Amargo is a bumble bee, and how it transformed from a trendy pop-up to an acclaimed East Village destination.
• The bizarre, seductive energy that characterized a pre-pandemic visit to Sother's Bar, and what can it teach us about the meaning of being together and sharing a drink.
• How Sother has become the reluctant master of the pivot, and what changes are in store for guests at his new concept: Reserve by Amor y Amargo.
• Some thoughts on the daunting task of pairing food with boozy, stirred cocktails
• My first Underberg Bitters drinking contest (you'll never guess who won)
• Details about what's on the horizon for Sother (including several trash bags of bottle caps and a new Sunday Dinner ritual)
• And much, much more

This episode is also brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this passionate conversation with spirits entrepreneur Mary Sadlier, creator of Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur, some of the topics we discuss include:

-How Mary spun a career in accounting and finance into a crusade with her dairy farmer husband to revolutionize the Irish Cream liqueur category.

-The story behind the Coole Swan brand name, which involves a uniquely Irish geological feature, a famous poet, and a flock of...you guessed it, Swans.

-Why the assimilative properties of cream make it an excellent canvas for conveying other flavors

-How Mary manages to keep her ingredient list smaller and more natural than her competitors.

-Ideas for using Coole Swan on your bar menu or in your next at-home cocktail adventure

-What to drink when you're hanging out with Clint Eastwood

-And much, much more

In this bitter and botanical deep dive with Keli Rivers and David T. Smith, we preview their new book, Negroni, and discuss the ins and outs of this classic equal-parts cocktail.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

• The various origin stories of the Negroni - both the conventional story about count Camillo Negroni, and also some stunningly international accounts that cast doubt on when and where this cocktail was truly invented, and by whom.
• What it's like to assemble a cocktail book during a pandemic, and why Negroni turned out to be a timely tool for home bartenders affected by lockdowns and a lack of bars.
• The three primary buckets that all negronis can fall into: perfect ratio through formulation, perfect ratio through balance, and perfect ratio out the window.
• Some of the more exotic or avant-garde Negroni recipes in the book, including tiki negronis, creamy negronis, and even a negroni served hot.
• We learn the story behind Keli's tattoo, the importance of having a bottled negroni in the fridge at all times, the virtues of gin and cola, and much, much more.

Welcome to another episode of Modern Bar Cart LIVE!

This time around, we were lucky enough to have special guest Erin Petrey of Bourbon & Banter join us in person for a tasting of four different bourbons. The goal here was to see how different styles and mash bills affect the flavor profiles of America's spirit and learn to appreciate how different flavors can be mapped onto decisions made during the distilling and barrel aging process.

The bottles we taste in this stream are as follows (in case you want to taste along with us):

• Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Elijah Craig Small Batch
• Four Roses Single Barrel
• Wild Turkey 17 year Bottled in Bond

Quick little bio for Erin:

Born and raised in the Bluegrass, Erin has always held an affinity for her home state's signature spirit. Throughout her world travels (35 countries and counting!), Erin delights in spreading the gospel of bourbon across the globe, from Spain to Korea, and especially in her now home of Washington, DC. Erin spent her formative years studying international relations and finding the best libations the Nation's Capital has to offer. Though a high rye bourbon will always be her favorite, she can never say no to a pretty bottle. Always up for an adventure, Erin also enjoys kayaking, science fiction, exceptional cocktails, and travelling everywhere possible.

This episode was brought to you by Near Country Provisions.

Shop their selection of locally sourced pork, beef, seafood, and (soon) chicken, and get your farm fresh meat delivered to your door every month. 

Enter the code BARCART at checkout to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef with your first order.

In this continuation of our two-part exploration of spice in the Bloody Mary cocktail, Eric chats with food scientist Sarah Kolk of Silver Spring Foods about the chemistry and sensory biology responsible for our experience of spicy horseradish.

Then, after a super spicy horseradish tasting, we synthesize some of the things we've learned about chemesthesis, benign masochism, and how spice operates like the "motor" of the Bloody Mary cocktail, helping to propel you out of your hangover.

Welcome to the latest installment of our Breaking Bloody series, where we systematically break down the Bloody Mary cocktail to investigate what each of its myriad ingredients bring to the table.

This time around, we're getting saucy, maybe a little zesty, and perhaps un poco picante. That's right, we're talking about spice, that flavor that puts some pep in your step and some fire in your belly. This episode goes out to all you pepper-heads out there who enjoy some sweat on your brow and some zing in your chow, you hard-charging capsaicin crusaders, Sriracha muchachas, and Cholula chieftains. To be Frank, it's gonna be a red-hot ride, so hold on to your scovilles, pour yourself a glass of milk, and for the love of God, keep your hands away from your eyes (and other sundry mucous membranes).

Our expert guests include:

• Dr. Alissa Nolden (Flavor researcher, University of Massachusetts)
• John Shope (Pepper Head and Brand Ambassador, Catoctin Creek Distilling Co.)
• Sarah Kolk (Research Scientist, Silver Spring Foods)
• Dr. Dan McCall (Gettysburg Odor and Flavor Lab)

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 destinations unique.

• A working definition of "Nomadic Distilling," which forgoes stability and a permanent facility in favor of flexibility and the ability to sample widely from multiple ingredient streams and spirits categories.

• Devon's thoughts on the notion of Terroir (spoiler: she don't like it) and the ability to celebrate and mash-up different spirits traditions from around the world by embracing the role of the guest or outsider.

• Then, of course, we explore the Liba Spirits portfolio, including a Tyrolean gin from the Dolomites, a botanical rum from New Orleans, and a first-of-its-kind American aperitivo made with a bourbon base.

• Along the way, we explore the perplexingly cozy lunch habits of Austrians, wax poetic on the flavor of green ants, explain why cold brew deserves a place in your next Americano spritz, and much, much more.

Featured Cocktail: Jägertee

Inspired by Devon's travels in Europe, this episode's featured cocktail is Jägertee, which is an Austrian winter warmer cocktail. Is it 70 degrees here in Washington, DC as I write this? Yes. But we'll just pretend that we're having normal January weather and that the planet isn't trying to kill us. To make a batch of Jägertee you'll need:

• 250 ml / 1 cup tea (your choice, but I'd recommend black tea here)

• 250 ml / 1 cup spiced rum (Austrian Strohrum is traditional, but any will do)

• 250 ml / 1 cup red wine

• 250 ml / 1 cup plum brandy, schnaps, or any other liqueur to hand

• 250 ml / 1 cup orange juice

• 2 to 3 whole cloves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 lemon slices

• Sugar to taste (depends on how sweet your other ingredients are)

Combine all these ingredients in a medium saucepan over low-to-medium heat, warm the mixture gradually until it just begins to simmer, then cut the heat, strain out the solids (or don't…you do you), and enjoy!

Jägertee means, essentially, "Hunter's tea" in Austrian. Presumably, this is because, after a long, harrowing hunt, it's pleasant to warm up with a comforting, spicy, winey brew, and NOT because the Austrains endorse consuming uppers and downers before brandishing firearms.

One interesting thread to follow here is that rum is extremely popular in the German-speaking world. If you go back to my interview with Brett Steigerwaldt, you'll learn about the importance of Rum verschnitt in the early parts of the 20th century, so it's not a complete surprise to me to see a spiced or flavored rum product popping up in a traditional Austrian drink.

In this fruity, fermented conversation with Crag Cavallo and Dan Pucci, authors of American Cider, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How each of these gentlemen fell in love with apples and cider through their shared experiences in the New York hospitality scene and their happy proximity to the Hudson Valley - one of our nation's most prolific apple hubs
• Why cider developed differently in America than it did in Europe, and how different geographic, cultural, and economic factors contributed to various dark ages and revivals in the apple world.
• Of course, we talk about different exciting apple varietals with cool names like "Northern Spy" and "Black Twig," as well as the four different categories that all cider apples can be placed into.
• We explain the different decisions that cider makers encounter on their way to delicious ferments, including yeast, terroir, and naming conventions.
• We offer tips for sourcing excellent cider for your home bar and even how to start experimenting with making your own cider,
• And much, much more.

In this interview with Professor Brian Connors of Florida International University, some of the topics we discuss include:

• His travels through the world of hospitality and education, including stints at Cornell, and Johnson & Wales, time spent in Ireland and at Michelin star restaurants in France, and even a little bit of chef work on private yachts.
• How Brian thinks about generalists and specialists in the hospitality space and what you can do to apply your unique skill set to a bar or restaurant career.
• What Florida International University and Bacardi are doing to explore the new face of hospitality during a pandemic and prepare the next generation of chefs, bartenders, and managers for the challenges they'll face moving forward.
• Why Bar Project 2021 took a page out of the tech industry's playbook by incorporating a sort of hospitality hackathon into their program.
• Where Brian and I think the industry is headed as we continue our march into 2021 and beyond.
• How to survive a drunken trip to Oaxaca with Hunter S. Thompson,
• And much, much more

In this mailbag episode, Eric answers questions from listeners concerning many bar-related topics, including:

• At-home, DIY bar cart builds
• The history of crystal spirits decanters and the woes of sourcing them affordably
• How to play around with smoked cocktails without a fancy smoking gun
• And much, much more.

In this Aquavit-driven conversation with Christian Krogstad, creator of Krogstad Aquavit, some of the topics we discuss include:

• What differentiates Aquavit from other botanical spirits like gin and genever
• How Christian noticed an impending gap in Aquavit imports and used it as an opportunity to develop and launch his own brand.
• The place that this Nordic spirit holds in Scandinavian cuisine and culture, including which foods to pair it with.
• A few cocktails to play around with as you begin to build out your Aquavit collection at home,
• What to drink with a college-age Stephen Hawking,
• And much, much more

In this Bar Cart Foundations Episode, we take a deep dive into Geographical Indications - you know - those things that verify where your booze comes from. Some of the guests who share their wisdom in this compilation format include:

• Melanie Asher, founder of Macchu Pisco
• Effie Panagopoulous, founder of KLEOS Mastiha
• RB Wolfensberger, distiller of Grey Wolf Spirits
• Matt Pietrek, Rum Wonk
• Lou Bank & Chava Periban, Hosts of the Agave Road Trip Podcast
• Lance Winters, Master Distiller at St. George Spirits

The material we cover here is meant to be a crash course of sorts. There are many levels of nuance that we do not cover. However, if you're looking to understand the large-scale forces that affect the legal production and distribution of the spirits you drink, this is a great place to start.

In this first themed bottle tasting of 2021, we focus on Jamaican style rum, with two mass market bottles and two very special limited releases.

The bottles we taste, in order, are:

• Appleton Estate 8 Reserve
• Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum
• Forsyth's WP Single Jamaican Rum 2005 (Barrel Aged for 10 years)
• Forsyth's WP 502 Single Jamaican White Rum from 2015

In this year-in-review episode, we put the final nail in the coffin of 2020 so that hopefully it doesn't rise from the dead to haunt us. Some of the topics we covered include:

• A bitter featured cocktail ("Eeyore's Requiem")
• Podcast downloads and milestones by the numbers
• Top trends and new legislation in 2020
• What to look forward to in 2021
• A holiday message from Eric

Eric is joined for this Modern Bar Cart LIVE episode by co-founder Ethan Hall to discuss the best gifts to give (or request) for home bartenders and mixology fans. Some of the gifts they discuss include:

• Boozy advent calendars
• Engraved and local spirits
• Cocktail mixer gift sets and variety packs
• New and holiday-themed cocktail mixers
• Clear ice solutions
• Cocktail smoking devices
• Fun and fancy glassware
• Small format spirit and cocktail aging barrels
• And much, much more

This is a super fun and informative chat for anyone who's wracking their brain trying to find the perfect holiday gift for themselves or for a loved one who enjoys cocktails and home bartending.

In this inaugural bottle review episode of Modern Bar Cart LIVE, Eric, Ethan, and Russell review four bottles from two craft brands. In order, they are:

• Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka (40% ABV)
• Humboldt's Finest Hemp Infused Spirit (40% ABV)
• Ten to One White Rum (45% ABV)
• Ten to One Dark Rum (40% ABV)

Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @modernbarcart for full reviews and bottle shots.

In this delicious interview and spirits tasting with Bertha González Nieves of Casa Dragones Tequila, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Bertha came to small batch Tequila by way of a company we've all heard of: Groupo Jose Cuervo. She talks about her time working with the one of the world's largest purveyors of agave spirits and how it launched her into her current venture.
• What it means to be certified as a "Maestra Tequilera," and why this trade certification is particularly special in Bertha's case.
• Then, to my great delight, we jump right into the Casa Dragones portfolio. The marks that we taste through, in order, are their Blanco Tequila, their innovative Joven expression, and then finally their Barrel Blend. Of course, I provide nosing and tasting notes, but we also get pretty granular speaking about each spirit.
• We cover the mineral profile of the Mexican Trans-Volcanic Belt, the process of blending aged and un-aged agave distillates to create a new product altogether, and even the art of selecting barrels using Sessile oak (which is different from traditional Limousin French oak).
• And much, much more.

In this heady, fragrant chat with Dr. Kevin Peterson, author of Cocktail Theory: A Sensory Approach to Transcendent Drinks, some of the topics we discuss include:

• Why his time testing combustion engines in a laboratory made Kevin the perfect person to analyze the classic cocktail families for their ideal dilution, temperature, and ingredient ratios

• How bartenders can use the notion of "olfactory motifs" rooted in memory, nature, and music to design cocktails that thrill at a more three dimensional level--not just on the taste buds.

• What tips and tricks Kevin has drawn from the perfumery world to punch up the impact and blast radius of his drinks, including atomized spritzes, scent strips, and even service temperature manipulation.

• The sense in which bartenders are like magicians, constantly manipulating attention and generating novelty, and how you can apply these principles to both cocktail construction and service.

• And why, at the end of the day, cocktail service and consumption involves a whole bunch of complex systems that are constantly colliding, leaking information, and changing the way we play the game.

• Along the way, we provide tips and tricks to make your friends and bar guests say "I can't UNsmell that," probe the koji-fermented link between pineapple, aged cheese, and sharpies, uncover why Kevin doesn't want to be known as "the cricket guy." And much, much more.

Featured Cocktail: The Everlasting Daiquiri

To make it, you'll need:

• 2 oz rum (Kevin recommends Gosling's Black Seal)

• ½ oz Fresh Lime juice

• ½ oz turbinado simple syrup

Prior to construction, you're gonna want to chill down your rum AND a champagne flute in the freezer. Both need to be ice cold.

Then, add your liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker with 3 large ice cubes, shake for (according to Kevin) 12 seconds, then strain into your Champage flute over a smaller ice cube. So if you're using large, 2" cubes in the shaker, plop a smaller one from a standard ice tray or ice maker into the flute before you strain.

In this convivial and wide-ranging chat with drinks writer Aaron Goldfarb, author of Gather Around Cocktails, some of the topics we discuss include:

• Aaron's experience writing for major publications in the drinks space beginning in the early 2000s straight through the cocktail renaissance to today, including his recent Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for "Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing."
• The story of Gather Around Cocktails, which started with an Eggnog obsession, and grew into a book that's on a mission to make parties more fun and less lame.
• Of course, we do dig into eggnog a bit - talking about the most important tools and techniques for batching this rich, creamy drink and even some of the surprising ingredients you can use as dietary substitutes (lookin' at you, avocado). 
• Then we take a trip around the calendar year, dipping in and out of seasons and occasions for drinking and learning about the little things you can do to crank your most festive occasions to 11.
• We talk about everything from Eric's yearly tradition of wearing tricorn hats and drinking colonial era punch while watching The Patriot every 4th of July to the innovative cocktails that Aaron and others have designed to complement traditional Jewish holidays, which can sometimes be solemn occasions.
• Along the way, we cover why the gimlet is the perfect quarantine drink, how to order a frozen daiquiri in the style of Hunter S. Thompson, and much, much more.

In this inaugural Modern Bar Cart LIVE episode, Eric teams up with Modern Bar Cart Co-Founder Ethan Hall and live stream producer Eric Holtzman to bring you a comparative tasting of rare Chartreuse!

Some of the topics we discuss include:

• The history of Chartreuse, including its origins as a medicinal elixir, its ties to the Phyloxera plague that killed all the grapes in France, and its rise to notoriety.
• What distinguishes Yellow and Green Chartreuse from one another flavor-wise, even though the recipes are known only to two people ON THE PLANET, and how their different distillate bases tell stories that extend far beyond their alpine cloister.
• What types of ingredients and flavors you'll typically find in Genepies and alpine liqueurs across the board, and how Chartreuse fits into that category while also playing with a great deal of exotic spices and botanicals.
• Then we taste our rare bottle: The 9th Centenary Liqueur produced to honor the 900th anniversary of the Carthusian order who are responsible for producing Chartreuse. We talk about how we sourced this bottle, what makes it special, and how it adds to the flavor story of the Chartreuse lineup.

In this third installment of the "Breaking Bloody" series, we investigate the fifth flavor, umami by way of a hard-to-pronounce Bloody Mary ingredient: Worcestershire sauce.

Guests include:

• Brinda Ayer, the editorial lead at Food52, a digital publication and community platform designed to bring cooks together from all over to exchange recipes and to support each other in the kitchen.
• Kate Quartaro. the founder of Colonel Pabst Worcestershire Sauce, which is a Wisconsin-based company that uses a formula designed by Kate's great grandfather, Gustave Pabst, the son of Pabst brewery founder Frederick Pabst.
• Cookbook author, food podcaster, and Italofile Katie Parla. She's here for her expertise in the umami-laden realm of anchovies and fermented fish sauces.
• The talented producer of the "Breaking Bloody" series, Cera Baker

Along the way, we talk about the glutamate molecule, the miracle of fermentation, a fishy conspiracy about the origins story of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, and much, much more.

In this audio essay, Modern Bar Cart CEO Eric Kozlik walks you through the recent outrage in the spirits industry regarding sexist language in whisky expert Jim Murray's spirit reviews.

This is a serious problem for people in all segments of the spirits and cocktail world - from producers to consumers - and it's important to come together and acknowledge the transgression this behavior represents and the ways we can work together to prevent this type of behavior from holding back our industry moving forward.

In this fascinating conversation and tasting with Melanie Asher of Macchu Pisco, some of the topics we discuss include:

• Melanie's journey as an entrepreneur - from hustling flowers in Peru at the age of 6, to mergers and acquisitions for international spirits companies, to founding her own Pisco brand.
• How Pisco is unique from other un-aged fruit brandies from around the world, including which grapes can be used to make it and what other production considerations are required by the category's geographical denomination of origin.
• Then we get into the tasting, where we sample Macchu Pisco's premium base expression, as well as 3 different varieties from the "La Diablada" collection, a custom blend made for the Founding Farmers restaurant group, and wrapping up with a pour of Ñusta - an ultra premium bottling that only gets produced in the order of about 100 bottles per year.
• Along the way, we talk about what it takes to run a spirits brand, how Melanie thinks about blending in the un-aged spirits space, what to drink with Keanu Reeves, and much, much more.

In this wide-ranging and incredibly revelatory interview with Jarrett Dieterle, booze policy wonk and author of Give Me Liberty and Give me a Drink, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Jarrett fused his career in alcohol policy with his passion for great drinks to generate a text that questions the inconsistencies of our fragmented nation's alcohol purchasing and consumption policies.
• Why Eric thinks it's important to frame most of these legislative questions in terms of a "freedom vs. security" stance, otherwise figured as a "conservation vs. risk" query. Jarrett does a great job of re-framing this stance by demonstrating how most of our nation's alcohol regulations do a poor job of optimizing for both freedom AND security.
• We also talk about Blue Laws, alcohol control states, and the bizarre battles that poor lawmaking can create between industries that would otherwise coexist peacefully - such as bars and restaurants and the alcohol producers who support them.
• But, we're not just here to complain. We really dig into some of these laws, identify some of the faulty reasoning behind them, and really lay bare some of the iniquities behind them that we, as US citizens, have the capacity to change.
• Finally, we conclude this episode by considering the contemporary legislative changes that have been rapidly changing in the wake of the COVID-19 Coronavirus and what these might mean for the future of Alcohol legislation in the United States.

In this bloody interesting conversation with author, bartender, and bar owner Brian Bartels, some of the topics we discuss include:

• A little briefing on the state of the industry from Brian's viewpoint, having launched his bar and eatery, Settle Down Madison in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The history of the Bloody Mary Cocktail - including a lengthy discussion of the two key players in its origin story: bartender Ferdinand "Pete" Petiot and vaudevillian George Jessel.
• How the Bloody Mary spawned various riffs and spinoffs, including the Red Snapper, the Michelada, the Bloody Caesar, and of course, the Red Eye.
• Why Brian considers the Bloody Mary as a bit of a "moving target" in terms of its formulation - in essence, why it's such a slippery, variable drink, and yet nobody seems to have any problems with the inconsistency of recipes out there.
• Some thoughts on brunch, and why Brian falls out of step with many professional bartenders by defending it as a bastion of conviviality in today's world.
• Some pointed and surprisingly optimistic projections on the future of the Bloody Mary,
• A preview of Brian's newest book project, The United States of Cocktails,
• And much, much more.

Some of the topics we discuss in this lively conversation with bartender-turned-entrepreneur Effie Panagopoulos include:

• How Effie's career took her from being an east coast bartender to a west-coast spirits rep for some of the biggest brands in the world and what she learned by watching the cocktail renaissance unfold in San Francisco.
• The way a chance bar visit in Greece transported her back to the flavors of her childhood, reigniting her passion for Mastiha and inspiring her to launch her own brand.
• Some of the ins and outs of designing a formula, including debates about distillate bases, cleaning sticky stills, and navigating the Greek distilling industry.
• Why Mastiha has its own protected geographic designation – which takes us into some interesting geographical and geological rabbit holes pertaining to the isle of Chios, where Mastic resin is harvested.
• How the unique properties of this flavoring agent can also pull double duty in the health and wellness realm.
• Why KLEOS has come to be called "bartender's olive oil"
• And much, much more

In this Bar Cart Foundations Episode, we go well off the beaten path to learn about a few cocktail ingredients that you've probably never heard of. These include:

• Fassionola
• POG Juice
• Ambergris
• Lambanog
• Pandan
• Acid Phosphate
• Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia
• And Mummified Human Remains

In this flavorful conversation with Ivy Mix, author of Spirits of Latin America, some of the topics we discuss include:

• Ivy's background in the bar world, including her philanthropic work as a co-founder of Speed Rack.
• How Spirits of Latin America is tied intimately to Leyenda - a pan-Latin bar that Ivy designed in partnership with Julie Reiner of Clover Club.
• Why this book is as much a travelogue as it is a cocktail book. Yes - there are recipes, and yes - there is information on different spirits. But the soul of this book is also rooted in people and place. We dig into all this at great length.
• An interesting perspective shift in the form of a case study on the Havana, Cuba bartending scene, where bartenders tend to have more advanced degrees than their clients.
• We also dig really deep into Ivy's cocktail workshopping practices at Leyenda - which generated a number of cocktails in her book. It's almost impossible to summarize, except to say that she incorporates spreadsheets, improv, mad libs, and formal art crits. It sounds insane, but it's completely interesting and compelling.
• To cap it all off, we talk about bar hacks for getting esoteric booze in the quarantine era, the romance of split base cocktails, the problem with everyone wanting to be a National Geographic photographer, what to drink with Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• And much, much more

In this "Year in Review" / 2024 Preview episode, Eric covers 2023 by the numbers, including highlights and growth figures.

Then: some quick previews of what this year has in store, and one big announcement that has been several months in the making.

In this timely conversation with Caroline Rosen, executive director of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, some of the topics we discuss include:

• The history of Tales of the Cocktail - from its humble origins as a walking tour soaked in history and booze, to its current status at the cutting edge of international spirits and cocktail conferences.
• How Tales of the Cocktail actually operates - and it's complicated. There's educational seminars, pop-up events, bar takeovers, second line parades, chance celebrity encounters in hotel lobbies, and a whole lot more besides.
• What the Tales of the Cocktail has done to pivot in the wake of the COVID-19 Coronavirus - including all the details about their FREE digital education and networking opportunities that will be announced on August 31st.
• We also cover a bunch of other topics, including the yearly Oscars of the cocktail world - AKA the Spirited Awards, the uncommon economic impact the event has on the service industry sector of the Big Easy, the legendary mid-July aroma of Bourbon St.
• And much, much more

Eric interviews Ricky Miller, founder of the House of Carbonadi (makers of Carbonadi Vodka). Some of the topics we discuss include:

• Ricky's journey through the entrepreneurial landscape, beginning in the supplement space, and then evolving into a passion for beverages and the liquid medium.
• Why he chose the premium spirits space as his business arena and how Ricky thinks about the differences between the terms "premium" and "craft."
• What Italian wheat and black carbonado diamonds have to do with creating a velvety, sippable vodka with impeccable character
• How the Carbonadi team utilizes a wine processing technique called microoxygenation as a signature finishing move for their spirit
• Which changes in the TTB's definition of vodka have both Ricky and I excitedAnd much, much more

Eric chats with spirits expert and Copalli Rum Global Brand Ambassador Elayne Duff about a new Belizian cane spirit she's helping to bring to the US spirits and cocktail scene. Some of the topics we discuss include:

• The story of Copalli Rum as a philanthropic project by marine conservationist Todd Robinson - and how he teamed up with Chef Anya Fernald to create Copal Tree Lodge.
• How Elayne and her fellow Global Brand Ambassador Julie Reiner are educating bartenders and home consumers about the magic of Copalli rum here in the US.
• Which cane varietals, fermentation decisions, and sustainable distilling practices influence the flavor of Copalli rum.
• Some thoughts on the perfect Daiquiri - and how you can modulate the booze and sugar in the drink to achieve the ideal wash line and flavor profile for you.
• A cautionary tale about the utter folly of comparing spirits aged in different climates
• Why Eric thinks we need to coin the term "monkey's share."
• And much, much more