Acquired Tastings: Recent Episodes
Josh Mills and John Mills
One of Dad's favorites from the Archives "Smoke in a Glass".
Josh and John capture smoke in their glasses and taste a Mezcal and an Islay scotch. Josh brings the Del Maguey Vida Mezcal. He pairs a brisket taco with goat cheese and sweet palmiers with a cherry sauce. John stays in Scotland and travel to the island of Islay and brings Laphroaig 10 year old single malt scotch. To taste along side of this scotch he has smoked salmon, seared lamb and dark chocolate truffles. Grab a glass and come along.
Marie brings Ports to Arkansas so Dad and she can enjoy a tasting and food pairing with them! She does the Churchill dry white Port. She brings some Portuguese sardine pate, fig sausage, and an herb goat cheese. Dad does the Churchill Reserve Port. He brings stinky cheese to the table. He brings Humboldt fog and blue Stilton. The house provides chocolate brownies. Marie and Dad have a great time sipping and tasting. Marie tells about her adventures in Portugal. Marie also gives advice for travelers going to Portugal and Spain. They also explain the difference between wine, fortified wines and Ports.
Cheers!
Dad pulls out an AT Episode from the archives. It's a beer week, specifically when Josh becomes a BeerVenger. The BeerVenger podcast is one of our favorites and a sister to us. We provided them some Lost Forty Nighty Night for their podcast enjoyment. They in turn invited Josh to be on their podcast. Josh tells his Origin story and tells about his special tasting abilities. As a BeerVenger you receive a super hero name. He wasn't named in this episode but was later named Dos Uber Taster!
Cheers! I hope you enjoy this AT Episode. Please stay tuned!
Josh is settling in his new home in Montana and Dad is recuperating from his knee surgery. It's officially summer 2023 so let's get to grilling. For this AT episode Dad pulls the previous recorded episode "Beers for Grilling".
I hope you enjoy!
Dad and Josh have cocktails for Thanksgiving or Fall. Dad does an Apple Cider Old Fashioned. It is served on ice with a cinnamon stick. He brings some snacks to munch on. He brings Deviled eggs, a bacon cheese ball and bacon wrapped dates. Josh brings a cocktail that needs a name. It uses Hamilton pot stilled Jamaican Rum, with sweet vermouth, a mulled simple syrup with fall spices and Calvados. It's served up so it's up for a name. Help! This cocktail needs a name! It's up to you, the listeners to name this cocktail. Cheers!
Dad and Josh drink after Thanksgiving Liquors. Dad is back in the house just in time for after thanksgiving drinks. He brings Pierre Ferrand 1840 1er Cru De Cognac. For his after dinner snacks he brought three different type of cheese cakes; they are Chocolate Marble, Strawberry swirl, and Brownie cheese cake. Josh brings Henriques & Henriques Madeira cooked fortified wine from Madeira Islands, Portugal off the west coast of Africa. For his snacks he brings traditional apple pie, a brownie M&M cookie, a chocolate caramel biscuit called a Tim Tam, and a Strawberry icing layered white cake. There was an epiphany moment for Dad tasting the Madeira! Both enjoyed this podcast and the epiphany moment.
Jords is back with an amazing idea for our podcast. We happen to have a four year vertical of nighty night imperial Stout. They enjoy this amazing experience trying these aged beers and getting a bit nerdy. The also have short ribs and French onion soup.
Dad shares Domaine Durban Beaumes de Venise
Marie shares Natura Pinot Noir
Josh pours Bianca Vigna Prosecco, Selbach Incline Riesling, Granbazan Albarino, Darting Pinot Meunier, and Guy Burton Cote du Brouilly
Dad brings the Haunted Graveyard Cocktail using Kings Distillery's Chocolate whiskey. Josh brings his original Misfits S'more using the Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey. Dad brings a few Halloween snacks. He brings, Severed Toes in Bandages, Cheese-Stuffed Mummy peppers, Pigs in a blanket (that lost their ears in the oven) and Reese's Cups. Josh uses coffee cups with faces made by Dad's brother at the Hot Springy Dingy located at 409 Park Avenue, Hot Springs, AR. Josh and Dad have a great time snacking and sipping on their delicious cocktails. Dad and Josh tell some Arkansas Ghost Stories. Dad throws in one from New Zealand.
Dad brings the chocolate flavored whiskey from Kings Distillery in Brooklyn New York. His parings are a waffle with maple syrup, mole pollo and chocolate cake. Josh brings screwball peanut butter whiskey. He brings beef teriyaki, chocolate fudge and a Carmel covered rice crispy treat. Josh and Dad enjoy these two whiskeys with their pairings. Screwball is extremely popular. Kings chocolate whiskey has a high bitter cacao taste. if you like a high cacao chocolate bar this is the whiskey for you! All of the pairing when very well with these flavored whiskeys. Join us next week to hear about these flavored whiskeys used in Halloween cocktails.
Dad brings Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues Brewing, Lyons Colorado to drink. Dad's pairings are Scotch eggs, Beer Potato Cheese soup and Beef pot pies. Josh brings Long Pool Pale Ale from Point Remove Brewing in Morrilton, Arkansas to drink. His pairings are sweet potato fries, peperoni pizza and a cheddar burger with onion straws. Dad and Josh have a great time enjoying these pale ales and the food pairings.
Ah! The temperature is dropping its time to think about what wines work for this season. Wine writer Seth Barlow joins Josh for this episode. Seth brings the Waits-Mast Mariah Vineyard 2014 Pinot Noir. With this he pairs, truffle deviled eggs, bacon wrapped dates, lomo, coppa, and duck ham. Josh pours the silver label monastrell (mouvedere) from Juan Gil. His pairings are, birria tacos with cheese and without cheese, and humbolt fog. They have a wonderful time with the wines and the fall time.
Josh is once again joined by Jords, Will and Bryan to talk about their favorite sippers. Josh choses sour mash bourbon and pours the Belle Meade Bourbon and pairs pork belly barbacoa tacos and black bottom creme brûlée. Jords shares Chairmans Reserve Spiced rum and has lamb crostini and salted chocolate oatmeal cookies. Will brings interesting pairing of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram and jerk chicken, defiantly give this one a try. Brian rounds out the tasting with some Rock Town Bourbon cream and phyllo cups filled with baked brie and blueberry preserves. They have a great time with these pairing and talk about their memories.
While Dad is off traveling Josh invited some friends for an Oktoberfest party. He invites friends Jords, Will, Bryan, and Denise. Will brings the Oktoberfest from Great Raft Brewing, deviled eggs, brats, and apple strudel. Denise brings Aynger's oktoberfest with some pretzels with German mustard and cheese sauce. Jords shares Left Hand Brewing's Oktoberfest with cheddar brats and Dubliner cheddar with Irish Stout. Josh opens Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest with rosemary steak. They have a great time enjoying the beers and each other's company.
For Dad's Washington wine he brings the Horse Heaven Hills AVA wine. For his snacks he Brings the Philly cheese Steak sandwich from Brood and Barley. Dad couldn't decide which cheese would go best so he brought two; Humboldt Fog and Steelton. He also brought apples and Carmel dipping sauce. Josh brought the Velvet Devil Merlot for his wine. For his snacks he brought Toulouse sausage with caramelized onions., duck prosciutto, bresaola air dried beef, and an oatmeal and cranberry cookie. They have a great time eating and drinking these really overlooked Washington State wines.
For Marie's Big Birthday she planed a Bourbon Trail Adventure for her friends and family. She scheduled Mint Julep tours to safely take us all to three of the bourbon Distilleries. Her family and friends traveled from all over the US to stay in Louisville KY. Mint Julep tours took us to Bulleit Distillery, Buffalo Trace and Castle & Keys. In this special podcast Dos and Don't are discussed along with special thoughts about things to not miss. Special thanks to Jamie and Nicole two of Marie's friends for joining us on the Podcast. Special Shout out to out Mint Julep driver Derrick and to Steve-O Shephard our mixologist at Prohibition Crafts Spirits. Hope you enjoy this one.
Cheers!
In preparation of our trip to the Kentucky Bourbon trail Josh and Dad do Bottled in Bond Bourbons. Dad brings the Evan Williams Bottled in Bond Bourbon. His snacks are his famous ribs, rare steak and grilled Salmon. Josh brings the Kirkland Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Josh brings a homemade cheese steak sandwich, homemade potato Gnocchi with Marana sauce, and molasse cookies. Josh and Dad have a great time talking about these high ABV bourbons. They explain the 1897 law and talk about their upcoming trip to Kentucky. There were some interesting tastes encountered.
Dad brings the Rogue Honey Kolsch (Style) beer. His parings are Ahi Tuna Taco, Tamales and Black beans and Rice. Josh has the Gaffel Kolsch from Cologne Germany. His sides are the same wild boar sausage as last week, coppa, Genoa salami, brie cheese and Comte cheese. Josh and John have a great time trying these new beers to the podcast. They were the same style but very different. Josh's beer was the official Kolsch since it is from Cologne, Germany. The Rogue Kolsch style beer is a very good craft style Kolsch beer. Enjoy!
In this German wine week episode Dad does Pinot Meunier, a red wine. His snacks are Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad and, Rouladen with red cabbage. Josh does Thomas Smith Estate Bottled Riesling. His snacks are Asian style BBQ sous vide pork Belly, Jalapeno pepper cheddar cheese wild boar sausage and strawberry palmiers. Josh and Dad have a great time sipping these German wines with their snacks.
JOSH AND JOHN THANKED ALL LISTENERS SO THAT ACQUIRED TASTINGS PODCAST COULD ACHIEVE 10,000 DOWNLOADS! CHEERS!
While Dad is unavailable, Josh asks Jordan to join him on the show again. The soccer weekend was too packed with fun to allow for a podcast. Jordan broke into her box and pulled out Blanton's and a bottle of Caribou Crossing to sip on and do a one on one comparison. They bring a huge board of meats and cheeses to munch on from their EPL Soccer week-end as they sip. Both have tried Blanton's a number of times but Caribou is new to Jordan's liquor cabinet. They discuss the similarities and the differences. Each of them talk about their favorite but could not say which is the best whiskey.
Josh says thanks to all of you that have downloaded Acquired Tastings podcast. There have been downloads on six of the Earth's seven continents! There has been over 10,000 downloads as well! It is again time to Party!
While dad is off Jordan joins Josh for pilsner beers. They drink the Bitburger pilsner and the Tiny Bomb from Wiseacre brewing. Their snacks include cheddar cheese with caramelized onions, gyro lamb with goat cheese, mini chicken tacos. Jordan also has grilled artichokes and two different types of olives. They have a great time drinking these beers and having some great food.
Cheers! Acquired Tastings Second Birthday episode! Dad brings Chateauneuf-du-Pape as his Birthday wine. His pairings are Simple Salmon Gorgonzola blue cheese, Lamb ragu with pappardelle egg noodles. Dad also brought a Strawberry Birthday cake in celebration of Acquired Tastings! Josh brought Chateau Belles-Graves as his wine. For Josh's sides he has Bellaventano cheese, cheese brats with sautéed onions, and steak frets.
Josh and John have a great celebration! Thanks to The Beervengers, Becky Tate, Nate Tate, and Marie Mills for providing their birthday wishes! Thanks to everyone that joined us live on Instagram! Thanks for you best wishes. Special thanks to JoAnne Mills for joining Josh and John with her best wishes live on Instagram!
Josh is back in the house! Josh and Dad enjoy the Wimbledon and the US open tennis signature cocktails. Josh brought his version of the Honey Deuce (without the honeydew melon balls) and called it the Love Deuce! Instead of using Grey Goose Vodka, Josh premiers Delta Dirt Distillery Sweet Blend Vodka. It is a Black owned sweet potato vodka with deep roots from Helena Arkansas. Dad brings the Pimm's Cup; the Wimbledon signature cocktail. He has a good friend that turned him on to the Pimm's Cup. His friend Nancy Keith allowed him to tell her first experience of the Pimm's Cup. Her husband was an Ensign on the USS Stickell, DD888. There was a lawn party in Thurso, Scotland that served Pimm's Cup and Date nut cream sandwiches. Thanks to Nancy, John had Date nut cream sandwiches and Cucumber sandwiches to share. He also had strawberries with whipped cream just like at Wimbledon.
JOIN US BACK STAGE LIVE SUNDAY JULY 24 AT 2:30 CDT ON INSTAGRAM TO HELP US CELEBRATE TWO YEARS OF BRINGING YOU THIS INFORMATIVE PODCAST!
While Josh is still on assignment David Timberlake joins Dad for Cordial tastings. Dad brings Frangelico for his Cordial. For his snacks he brings Maytag blue cheese, gorgonzola blue cheese and chocolate chunk pecan cookies. David brought Licor 43 Cuareneta tree liqueur and Becherovka liqueur from the Chez Republic. David brought a fantastic charcuterie board from the Pantry Restaurant! To name just a few of the items on the charcuterie board there was bratwurst, Hungarian sausage, pate', goat cheese, terrine, smoked turkey and an assortment of pickled vegetables. John and David have a great time tasting and comparing bar tending notes. When David is off the clock he takes some interesting bartending short cuts, that he described for your use after a long day of work.
KEEP LISTENING SINCE THE TWO YEAR CELEBRATION EPISODE IS VERY SOON. CHEERS!
While Josh continues to be on assignment "John the Beer Snob" joins Dad to do big ABV beers. Dad does the Nine Killer Imperial IPA. This Flyway brewery beer clocks in at 9.9% ABV. His food is his famous BBQ ribs, Street corn and Vanilla bean ice cream with hot fudge sauce. "John the Beer Snob" brings Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot barley wine style beer. Bigfoot clocks in at 9.6% ABV. The snacks to go with the Bigfoot beer are blue cheese, gorgonzola blue cheese and Khalil's famous raspberry chocolate cake. The boys whip up a raspberry reduction sauce using Grand Marnier liqueur to pour over the chocolate cake. The boys trade beer making and tasting stories based on their vast experience. Dad even tricked "John the Beer Snob" into blinding a beer!
While Josh is on assignment, JoAnne and John enjoy French rose' wine with guest Maggie Snider. John provides Commanderie De La Bargemone French rose' wine from Provence. His wine is a 2020 salmon colored rose' wine. His sides are a cheese and onion quiche, shrimp cocktail and amaretto brie. Maggie brings Chinon 2020 rose' wine from the Val de Loire region of France. It is a beautiful strawberry pink wine. Her sides are Camp taco bean dip and three sausages that she made. The sausages are Toulouse, smoked and Kielbasa. John, JoAnne and Maggie have a great time catching up and talking about French rose' wines.
While Josh is on assignment, JoAnne and John enjoy French and Italian spritz. JoAnne does the Chandon Garden Spritz. John does the Campari Spritz. They combine to make a big board of snacks for these drinks. John brings kettle fried potato chips, salami with two different cheeses, and Green Calabreese olives, from Italy. JoAnne adds to the board with Hotdogs with French poupon mustard, shrimp cocktail, and chocolate cake. They have a fun time sipping and reminiscing about Italy and JoAnne's recent trip to France where she discovered the Chandon Garden spritz.
Dad brings Di Amore Amaretto as his night cap. He brings walnuts, an amaretto almond brie and apricot, raspberry cookies to snack on. Josh has Bonal French quinine liqueur for his nightcap. Josh did a desert cheese board consisting of consulado robusto cheese, goat cheese, Humboldt fog ash aged goat cheese, bosc pear, peaches, chocolate with honey comb and a special honey he got from some friends. Josh and Dad have a great time sipping and snacking. Both of these drinks are technically aperitifs but both work as a digestif. They have some really fun amazing pairings. Some really neat things happen. They even make an interesting discovery about apricot pits. Join us for this fun episode.
It's getting hot out, and it's time for those after work beers to cool you off. Aka lawn mowing beers. Dad brings Miller High Life and Miller Genuine Draft beer to taste test. To pair with the beers he brought in a Hungry Man Chicken fried Chicken Dinner. The dinner had green beans, mashed potatoes, white gravy and an apple dessert. Josh brings the Montucky cold snack from Montana and some of this favorite snacks. His snacks are Korean BBQ Pork Jerky (Crack), Ranch Parmesan nut snack mix and his take on ramen noodles. They have an interesting discussion of lawn mowing beers. Dad even tells a story of his special Lawn Mowing homebrew Beer.
Dad does his special Hurricane for his celebration drink! His snacks are red beans and rice, jambalaya, and rum balls; to go with that rum theme. Josh does Geoffroy Rose' de Saignee' Brut Champagne for his celebration drink. For his celebration food he has brazed short ribs, a porchetta and a myriad of macaroons. Josh and Dad have a great time eating and sipping on their celebration food and drinks. Dad explains his celebration choice since it wasn't what Josh thought his celebration drink would be. They talk about their favorite episodes, things they learned and possible future guests. The listeners can review and go listen to their favorites again and even listen to new choices. Listeners are encouraged to provide Acquired Tastings with ideas for future episodes and possible guests. Send your thoughts to Acquiredtastings@gmail.com
Josh does the Raspberry Mushroom Riesling. His pairings are a cheddar cheese and bacon Brat, barbacoa tacos and chicken roaster garlic tortellini toasted in a brown butter and sage sauce. Dad's wine is the Kirkland 2021 New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. He pairs a ham and cheese quiche, tuna tartar, and key lime pie. They have a great time sipping and eating some fantastic paired bites.
GET OUT YOUR CELEBRATION DRINK AND CELEBRATE 100 EPISODES NEXT WEEK!!
Dad and Josh sip on some brunch friendly cocktails. First Dad creates a board with some brunch foods and garnishes for his cocktail. Speaking of his cocktail he makes a Bloody Mary with Tito's vodka. He has a fun time with creating his garnish. Josh uses the Appalachian Sipping cream to make a strawberry milk punch. They enjoy sipping and enjoying the brunch snacks.
Dad is back! He and Josh sit down for a podcast on liqueurs. Josh pours the Appalachian Strawberry Sipping Cream and pairs fresh strawberries, smoked cheddar, and barbecue ribs. Dad shares Chambord and pairs, roasted potatoes, grilled steak with raspberry sauce, and intense dark chocolate. Its great to have Dad back on the show and to share a glass with him.
Its starting to warm up out there we thought it would be a good time to crack open some seltzers. First up the open the Fruit Smash Pink Lemonade seltzer from New Belgium. Secondly they crack the Strawberry Guava Topo Chico hard seltzer. They snack on steamed shrimp, teriyaki wings, Comte, speck, coppa, and cheddar. They enjoy getting into these summer drinks.
The weather is warming up. COVID seems to waining and wine, beer and cocktail events are coming back. On the eve of Wild Wine at the Zoo Jords joins Josh to talk about their tips for these events. While they are having this conversation they sip on a bubble, which most events start with, and a hidden gem. The bubble is the Kirkland Signature Champagne and the hidden gem is the Chateau Beau Soleil Pomerol. They pair Chicken Parmigiana Sliders from Flyway and they make a big board of speck, prosciutto, Barolo salumi, soppressata, coppa, Comte cheese, cheddar, goat cheese, gouda, and mozzarella on it. It a great time!
While dad is off adventuring again, Marie joins Josh for a virtual recording where they both go to Costco to get some of their in-house brand, Kirkland Signature, liquors. They both were able to get the 7 year old Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey. As a second pour, Josh gets their anejo tequila which was very surprising. Marie was unable to get the tequila so she bought their Spiced Rum. They have a great time chatting about trying theses liquors and see where Kirkland could have a place in your home bar.
The week we talk time to share with you my adventure with the Beervengers. The Beervengers are our friends and a great beer podcast. I have a great time talking with them, sharing my origin story when it comes to beer and they ask Josh to join their ranks and come up with his Beervenger name. They are a great podcast and we highly suggest you check them out. Hope you enjoy! Cheers!
Class is in session with Josh as he discusses and pairs wine with food for Passover and Easter meals. He has the Chateau D'Aqueria Tavel rose with some traditional Easter food, ham, and four cheese scallop potatoes. For the Passover meal wine he serves the Kosher Barkan classic Cabernet sauvignon from Israel with kosher braised brisket, and latkes. He was able to find a kosher chocolate lava cake to try with both wines. There will be a video coming out along with this soon. Watch our social media pages for more details.
Josh is on his own this week and he makes up 2 of his favorite spring cocktails, but he put his spin on them. The two cocktails are a Margarita and a Sazarac. This week he walks you through making these cocktail during the episode while also tasting and talking about them.
Jords is back! She and Josh have a great chat about rye whiskey and crazy weather times. While they are chatting they sip on some great whiskeys. First up is the Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. They follow it up with the Whistlepig Piggyback Rye. These are both enticing entrances into the wonderful world of rye whiskey. We hope you enjoy the stories and the drams.
We continue the the Irish green theme and talk about natural wine. Josh is joined by wine writer and friend Seth Barlow for this discussion. Seth brings the Walter Scott Juicy Lucy chardonnay and apple wine. For his pairings he has double cream brie, speck, and French fries with 2 different Fly By Jing sauces, Sichuan chili crisp and Zhong Sauce. Josh pours the Etheric Wine Workshop Skin Contact Pinot Gris from Grochau Cellars. He get all his food from Flyway brewing which are fried duck dumplings, venison & goat cheese sliders, and pork belly poutine. They have a great time discussing natural wines.
In this episode, Rum Guy Dave joins Josh for Irish beers which are not Guinness. Josh pours the O'hara'a Irish Stout from the nitro can and had a beer, cheese and leek soup. Dave opens the and has Wexford Irish Style Cream Ale from a nitro can with a Sheppards pie. These beers go really well with the conversation they have about pairings. I hope you enjoy.
Jords joins Josh for another cocktail episode where they focus on cocktails from Ireland. Jords opens up strong with an Irish coffee. Josh pours up the classic Tipperary cocktail. They have a great time drinking these and chatting about them and St. Patty's day.
Dad and Josh go down memory lane with their liquor choices this week. Dad cracks open 12 Ouzo and has a Greek fest pairings of dolmas(stuffed grape leaves), hummus and pita, and gyros. Josh opens Godiva chocolate liqueur and has a plate of dessert pairings. This consists of gooey butter cookies, peanut butter ice box pie, and caramel petit fours. They have a great time remembering fun times and these liquors.
Kanpai! Josh and Dad open beers from Japan this week. Josh opens the Asahi extra dry and pairs Asian chicken and rice, carnitas street tacos, and peanut butter and chocolate mochi. Dad pours Sapporo Premium and has spicy tuna roll, pork belly steam buns, and pork belly ramen. The have a great time!
Dad and Josh open some delicious white wines from south of the equator. Josh opens the Crios Torrontes from Argentina and has goat cheese, Moroccan lemon chicken, and barbecue ribs. Dad brings The Hermit Crab, Viognier and Marsanne blend, from d'Arenburg Winery. His pairings are shrimp stir fry, fried spring roll, and Fontina cheese. They really enjoy diving into these wines and getting into their respective pairings.
At the start of "Dry February" Dad and Josh decide to do a special cocktail episode. In this episode they both make non-alcoholic cocktails. Dad uses the Ritual 0 Proof Rum Alternative to make a Dark and Stormy. Josh make 2 different cocktails with the Seedlip Grove 42. First he makes a classics egg white sour and then a Seedlip and ginger beer. They really enjoy these NA cocktails. They enjoy cocktail ritual of the making and this NA cocktail show.
Dad and Josh welcome friend and NA drinker Leslie for a show on the world of non-alcoholic liquors. Josh pours the Seedlip Grove 42 and has lamb gyros, fried chicken, and beef stew as his pairings. Dad shares the Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alternative. His pairings are sharp white cheddar, blue cheese stuffed bacon wrapped dates, and Caribbean chicken. Leslie brings a plethora of different non-alcoholic options including the Monday zero proof liquors and the Spiritless Kentucky 47.
For many the beginning of the year is a time to reset and take a month, January or February, to not drink alcohol. Dad and Josh crack open some non-alcoholic beers to give you a couple options. Josh shares the Wellbeing Brewing Intrepid Traveler Coffee Cream Brew. He has French Toast, breakfast sausage, and freeze dried bananas for his pairings. Dad pours the Lagunitas IPNA and has a simple cheese and salami sandwich, bean stew, and chili for his pairings. They both enjoy getting into the world of craft non-alcoholic beers.
Dad and Josh go down under to try some wines from New Zealand. Josh pours the Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. His pairings include goat cheese, chicken and cheese tamales, and Chinese 5 spice braised pork belly ramen. Dad opens up a pinot noir from Roaring Meg in Central Otago. He shares seared salmon, honey baked ham, and double stuffed Oreos. They have a good time enjoying these wines and talking about this nice and changing wine region.
During the holidays while Marie was in town, Josh ropes her in for a cocktail episode. They make fizzy cocktails! Marie makes a Kentucky mule. Josh makes a fizzy tequila drink, but has not named it yet. They have fun drinking these cocktails and reminiscing about travel and the many drinks they have had.
Since it is the Holidays and out of towners are in town, Josh gives Dad the week off and invites his sister Marie on to the show. She brings the light and the dark Ten to One rums to enjoy. Also since Rum Guy Dave is in town, they invite him to join them on the show to drink some of these two special rums.
Its time to pucker up again to the world of sours. This time Josh brings the Wheels Gose Round from Left Hand Brewing and shares fried chicken, brie cheese and mint cheesecakes. Dad opens the Combat Wombat citrus soured IPA from Rogue. On his pairing plate is goat cheese, homemade chili, and orange cranberry scones. For an added treat Dad had blood orange marmalade for the scones. They have a good time getting into these beers and pairings.
After such a wonderful trip dad wanted to relive some of it, so we decided to drink some memories of Chianti. They share a plate of pairings this week of spaghetti ala carbonara, porterhouse steak, and panettone. Josh opens the 2017 Castillo di Monsanto Chianti Classico Reserva. Dad opens the 2017 Lornano Chianti Classico which he brought back from his trip. They have a good time chatting and enjoying these wines.
Dad and Josh get into the holiday spirit with holiday spirits. Josh pours The Grind espresso liqueur and had a breakfast taco, Gardetto's snack mix, and peppermint and cherry cordial ice cream. Dad shares the DeKuyper Peppermint Schnapps. For his pairings he had a Holiday smoky bacon cheese ball, braised lamb in a red wine reduction sauce, and peppermint bark. They enjoy these wintertime liqueurs.
Dad and Josh head into the holiday season with some beers to celebrate. Dad opens the Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA and shares some baked brie with chestnut honey, blueberry coffee compote, green bean bundles, and gingerbread cookies. Josh pours the Delirium Noel from Belgium. His pairings are Murrays Maxx Extra aged cheese, sausage rolls, and braised short ribs. They have a great time getting into the season.
As we head to the best holiday, according to Josh, Dad and Josh give you some new wine pairings for your Thanksgiving holiday. They have a sparkling, a white and a red pairing again this year. The sparkling is Roederer Estate Brut Rose, the white is the Zull Riesling, and the red is Louis Jadot Beaujolais Village.
For this gin cocktail episode Dad does a Gimlet. In true Dad style he uses Hayman's Navy strength gin, clocking in at 114 proof. Actually because the Gimlet is a navy heritage drink it used navel strength gin anyway! JoAnne does a Gin Sidecar cocktail with Empress gin, and Tomiko does a classic Ramos Gin fizz which has an egg white. The ladies are well versed in gin cocktails so Dad let's them take over. This was a lot of fun learning about what makes London dry gin and learning about other gins and gin cocktails.
Dad returns from Italy with some goodies. This week we try some digestiios. He brings a Grappa di Prosesso and Josh pairs it with a dessert tray. On that tray there are cannoli, tiramisu, and pistachio macarons. Dad opens up Benvenuit Nocino. He pairs hazelnuts, chocolate candied hazelnuts, cheese with truffles, sopressata, and pancetta. They enjoy these while talking about dad's recent trip to Italy.
In the final episode while Dad is in Italy, Jords joins Josh to sip on some Belgian strong ale style beers. They first opened the Brother Thelonious from North Coast Brewing and secondly Chimney Grande Reserve from Belgium. They share a single pairing plate this week. It has beef meatballs with garlic mashed potatoes, goat cheese, coastal English cheddar, prosciutto, sopressata, and coffee macarons. They have a great time chatting about a beer they both love and one which they both try for the first time.
Friend of the show, Arkansas Democrat Gazette wine writer, Seth Barlow joins Josh for a wine episode. In this episode Seth attempts to change Josh's mind on Chardonnay. To do this he brings 4 different Chardonnays and blinds Josh on them. Before revealing what they are they talk about the tastes, characteristics, differences, and where (old or new world) they think it's from. Josh supplies the food for this episode. They snack on saffron and parmesan risotto, Toulouse sausages, garlic parmesan chicken, and chocolate crème brûlée. They find some interesting pairings and have a great conversation about this very versatile grape.
You are in for a double episode treat! Josh brings on Jords, Dave, and Steven to talk about basic level vs high end rums and bourbons. For the rums Dave, the rum guy, being Bacardi superior as the basic and the Diplomatico Distillers edition number 3, their pot still edition. For the Bourbon, Steven brings Markers Mark and Jords, graciously, cracks s bottle of Blanton's to share. Since Josh didn't being any liquors he provides the snacks which consisted of grilled steak, Toulouse sausage, bresaola, duck ham, boar salami, gruyere cheese, and Jords made chocolate creme brûlée. It its a long but good episode. Oh and as a treat, Dave and Steven do the blind. You don't want to miss it.
Josh and Jords say Prost to Dad while they drink Oktoberfest. The have one plate consisting of Coastal English cheddar, jagerwurst, and a 4 meat 6 cheese pizza. The drink the Haufbrau Haus Oktoberfest from Germany and a local from Ozark Brewing. They have a wonderful time chatting about their shared love for Oktoberfests and as foodies, they talk a lot about food. Its a great time!
In the final episode before Dad heads off to Italy Josh and he open some Italian favorites. Dad opens a Northern Italian favorite, Produttori del Barbaresco. He has Danish blue cheese, blue cheese stuffed olives, cooked portobello mushrooms, and braised lamb. Josh decants a 2015 Rosso di Montacino from Tenute Silvio Nardi. For his pairings he has bersola, duck ham, cheese bread, and a pizza sausage from a local butcher shop. They have a great tasting enjoying the pairings and the conversation about travels in Italy. Salute!
In their ramp up to Dad leaving for Italy, they mix up some cocktail. Josh stirs up the Venetian special Bellini. Josh made the peach nectar to go with the Italian Procecco. This cocktail was made famous by Harry's bar in Venice. Dad, being true to form, pours the scotch based cocktail called The Godfather. Marion Brando as Vito Carleone enjoyed the Godfather cocktail. They both have a good time sipping these drinks and talking about Italy. Josh tells his favorite Amaretto story.
Cheers!
As John prepares for his trip to Italy, Josh and John try some liquors which come from Italy. John brings the bright and fresh Villa Massa Limoncello. He makes parmesan crisps, gruyere crisps, and has an Italian cream cake. Josh pours the after dinner Amaro Montenegro. His after dinner pairings were homemade lemon, strawberry biscotti, bittersweet chocolate, and apple blossoms. They have a great time drinking these Italian liquors to help get John ready for his Italian adventure.
Prost to hefeweizen! Josh and John drink some great German hefeweizens. Josh opens the Hofbrauhaus and shares some delicious snacks. His plate included Zapps Voodoo chips, burrata with speck, bacon and cheese brats, and tuxedo cake. John pours the Konig Lugwig weissbier and shares some brats with carmalized onions, pad Thai, and a soft pretzel. They enjoy the history and deliciousness of the beers.
Josh and John pour up some wine from Washington. Josh climbs the Red Mountain to pour the Canvasback Cabernet Sauvignon. His plate includes red wine sous vide short ribs, blueberry goat cheese, and an ice cream sandwich. John cracks open the Boom Boom Syrah from Charles Smith. He shares smoked gouda, a 3 meat pizza, and burnt ends. They enjoy exploring these wonderful reds and the pairings they offer. It was a great red wine experience!
Josh has been waiting for this one! The men at Acquired Tastings open up Rye Whiskies. Josh pours his favorite, Michter's Single Barrel Rye Whiskey. With this whiskey he shares English cheddar, sous vide pork belly, and Italian salami. John pours up the Angel's Envy Finished Rye. On his snack plate is jerk chicken, sausage biscuits, and a super brownie dessert. This one offers some interesting pairing experiences and best on plates.
On the opening weekend of the English Premier Soccer League Josh gets together with his friends, David, Steven, and Kevin. They get together to play beer pong to choose Josh's team for the year. This year they also all get behind a mic for a special episode. They all pick a beverage that reminds them of their team. David, who is an Arsenal fan, chooses a Negroni. Kevin, another Arsenal fan, cracks open a Guinness. Steven, who is a Everton fan, chooses the Black Butt Porter. Since Josh gets his beer as a blind, the boys blind him on a beer which is connected to his team. They have a great time chatting and sipping on some drinks and talking about soccer.
It sure is getting hot out there! Josh and John cool off by cracking open some rose' wines. Josh opens the Vin Gris de Cigare from Bonny Soon Vineyard. He pairs a summer picnic basket of cherries, semi-firm gruyere cheese, salami, ham and butter sandwich, and blueberry macarons. John cools off with the Rose' of Pinot Noir from King Estate Vineyards. He pairs some avocado toast with bacon, a chicken, shrimp and chorizo paella, raspberry chocolate, and blood orange chocolate for dessert.
All cocktail episodes are special, but in this one Josh and John welcome family friend and long time listener Becky Tate and her son Nate, creative director of Sunboy, to the show. They all ended up bring cocktails which focus on rum and come from Cuba! Nate also a long time listener, shares one of his companies coconut sparling water spiked cocktails. Josh stirs up the El Presidente, Becky makes her mojito, and dad, in true dad form, the Papa Dople (double) Hemingway special daiquiri. We have a great time trying them, as well as the new tangerine spiked coconut water which Nate brought called Sunboy. It was a great time!
John and John jump back into the fires of Smoky whiskeys. John pours the Ron Swanson favorite, Laugavulin 16, a single malt scotch from Islay. He pairs Gjetost (Norwegian cooked goat cheese), peanut butter, KC style barbecue ribs, and a chocolate brownie cake. Josh stays closer to home with a locally produced whiskey, the Hickory Smoked Whiskey from Rock Town Distillery. The plate this week is a sweet, salty, and funky plate with fresh peaches, bacon, and Humboldt Fog cheese respectively. They, well John especially, have a great time with these liquors.
For this beer podcast John and Josh have beers focused on fruit. Josh pours the Abita Strawberry lager. He pairs lamb gyros, duck ham, and strawberry shortcake ice cream bar. John pops open the Lindeman's Framboise lambic beer, and pairs breakfast with it. He has a mixed fruit cup, eggs Benedict, and crepes filled with goat cheese and raspberries.
Josh and John cool off as they sip on some white wines. Josh opens a bottle of Gruner Veltliner from Schlosskellerei Gobelsburg and shares General Tao's chicken, duck ham, bersola, and mozzarella with balsamic vinegar. John pours the Ecco Domani pinot Grigio from Italy. His pairings are bruschetta, garlic and cheese pasta, and lemon cake.
John and John celebrate one year of the podcast! They pop open some bottles of champagne and snack on a board of food. John opens the Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rose. Josh opens the H. Goutorbe Special Club 2006. During the episode they reminisce over the last year of episodes, and talk about what's to come.
It’s getting hot outside so Josh and John open up their favorite summertime liquors. Josh opened up the Lillet Rose from France. Josh has a trio of light snacks: Summer fruit salad with mint, puff pastry with goat cheese and caramelized onions, and his version of a caprese salad. John pours the Hazelnut Kahlúa liqueur, and snacks on ricotta fritters, Kahlúa grilled chicken, and apple coffee cake, with kahlua glaze. They have a great time cooling down with these sippers.
As the temperature turns up Josh and John try some seltzers to cool off. Josh pops open the local Punchy black cherry Seltzer from Lost 40 Brewing. He has vegetarian plate this week with blueberry goat cheese, grilled nectarines, and grilled corn with chili lime butter. John picks the Mighty Swell peach seltzer. He shares waffles, grilled pork and peach swirl cheesecake. They have a great time talking about these low-carb and low-cal drinks.
Josh and John get sciencey and geeky with local wine director Susie Long as they discuss carbonic maceration. Josh brings a classic, Jean-Paul Thevenet 2016 Morgon. He paired it with 18 month aged Comte, goat brie, and cheddar brats. John pours the Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, and has goat cheese, and Genoa salami. Susie shares an interesting carbonic Tempranillo, Los Conejos Malditos from Spain with some mushroom chips. They have a great time discussing the wines and the process of carbonic maceration
We take a break and mix up some cocktails. John mixes up his Ancient Mariner cocktail, which is a rum based tiki style cocktail. Josh smashes his cocktail by making a peach, blueberry, basil and bourbon smash. They have a good time talking cocktails and sipping on them too. They agree some tweaking will be required to perfect these drinks. Oh Darn! They must continue to taste and iterate these drinks for perfection!
CHEERS!
Josh and John try the world of Japanese Whisky. Josh gets one of the original whisky's from the House of Suntory, Hibiki Japanese Harmony. He pairs ponzu ribs, roasted pistachios, and orange vanilla creme brûlée. John pours the Tenjaku and pairs a spicy tuna roll, baked Camembert, and grilled steak. They both enjoy getting to experience these new whiskies and hear about their histories. Kanpai.
Josh and John are joined be fellow podcaster Captain Porter Brown Stout from the Beervengers podcast to talk about Imperial stouts. Josh cracks open the Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial stout. He pairs dark chocolate and aged English cheddar cheese. John pours the North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial stout. As his pairings he has "HIS" KC style barbecue ribs and grilled s'mores. The Captain has two pours for the show, the first is the Gingerbread Imperial Stout from Evil Twin Brewing and pairs it with a jowl bacon sandwich. His second is Hardywood Brewing Christmas Morning with some chocolate cake. They have a great time chatting about beer, post covid dining. As a special treat the Captain gives Josh his Beervengers name.
Josh and John pop open some delicious Zinfandels. Josh pours an Italian, 2016 Antico Sigillo Primativo Di Manduria and shares Memphis style ribs, a cheeseburger with onion straws on top, and a wood-fired pizza. John open the 2017 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel. His pairings are gjetost (a Norwegian goats cheese), spaghetti with sausage red sauce, and carrot cake. They enjoy a good time seeing the differences between the types of Zinfandel.
In this episode Josh and John dive into their at home bars and talk about their go to orange liqueurs. Josh pours the Solerno Bloof Orange Liqueur. He pairs it with Gus' World Famous Fried Chicken, chocolate crème brulèe, and uses local espresso to make a cafe correcto. John pours Grand Marnier and has chicken and apple pate, French onion soup, and cranberry, walnut and orange muffins as his pairings. This one was interesting for both of then as they drink these straight for the first time.
After John returns from using his passport he decides to do beers which would need a passport to come to the US. Josh brings the Samuel Smith's Organic Strawberry Fruit Ale. To pair he brings sharp white cheddar, pork pot stickers, and palmiers. John pours the Icelandic Einstok Toasted Porter. He pairs Dots pretzels, walnuts, oyster rarebit, and flourless chocolate cake with fresh strawberries. They have a great time exploring beers that travel, and talking about John's trip.
While John is out on the beach, Josh invites his friend and local wine writer Seth Barlow on the podcast. They chat about wines they love for late spring and early summer. Josh pours the Conquilla Brut Cava and shares goat cheese, garlic and cheese polenta, and sous vide brisket. Seth shares a nice Muscat from the Tuetonic Wine Company from Oregon. His pairings are guacamole, crab rangoon, Burgundian brie, and samosa with chickpeas and chutney. They have fun chatting about the wines and what its like being a wine writer.
On this cocktail episode Josh is joined by his friend Jordan to sip on some cocktail. This time we focus less on the cocktails themselves and more on the tools you use to make them. We make a glass built, a shaken, and a stirred cocktail. For the glass built we make the tequila based Paloma highball. Next we make a Hemingway Daiquiri with the Diplomatico rum and a Boston shaker. Finally, they stir up the classic Manhattan in a cocktail glass. They have a good time sipping and chatting.
We welcome back Marie to the podcast and once again she brings gifts. This time it is whiskey from Saint Liberty distillery. Each one of these whiskeys pays homage to the women whiskey distillers of the Prohibition. Each whiskey pays homage to not only the women, but also the location where they distilled. First up Marie talks about the Bertie's Bear Gulch Straight Bourbon. Next, Josh talks about the Josephine's Flat Head River straight rye whiskey. Finally, John shares the Mary's Four Grain straight bourbon whiskey. They all talk about the story of the person to whom the bottle is named after and the whiskey itself. They have a great time chatting about these wonderful whiskeys!
Well, its time for IPA. John excitedly brings the local Two Term Presidential IPA from Diamond Bear Brewing in Little Rock. As his pairings he shares brats cooked in the Two Term IPA beer, pork belly sandwich, and smoked chicken wings. Josh brings the Lagunitas IPA and fried brussel sprouts with crispy bacon and blood orange, grilled New York strip, and Meyer lemon rosemary creme brulee. They have a great time sipping and finding some surprises.
Josh and John say hola to some Spanish wines. Josh starts in the west with the Martin Codex 2019 Albariño from Rias Baixas. Josh shares some fried calamari, burrata, cave aged goat cheese, and for the first time ever successfully creates Persian saffron rice with Tahdig. John goes to the red of Rioja, and shares the Herederos del Marques de Riscal 2015 Reserva. We snack on pan con tomate, tortilla de Espanola kicked up with chorizo, and Flan.
Josh and John crack open some of their favorite non whiskey sippers. Josh opens and shares the Boulard VSOP Calvados. He serves some Camembert cheese and French onion soup, and between the courses a Frose sorbet from Jeni's ice creams as a palate cleanser. John pours the Flor de Cana 12 year old single estate Rum. His snacks are Central American beans and rice, Pork tamales, and sweet fried plantains. Pour a snifter and join us on this episode.
In this episode John and John explore some of the classic Irish beers. Josh cracks open Smithwick's Irish Red and serves up some classics, corned beef, Irish soda bread, and 5 cheese pizza. John pours the Irish favorite Guinness draft from a nito can. He pairs it with fish and chips, and Dubliner Irish cheddar with stout.
Josh and John dip their toes into the vast wines of the Napa Valley. Josh finds some bubbles and shares the Mumm Napa Brut rose. He finally finds duck and has it, as well as herbed brie and fresh mozzarella with cracked black pepper. John hits one of the main grapes of Napa with the Black Stallion Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. He pairs some Gorgonzola, a brisket sandwich from Count Porkula, and some brownie bites. They talk about some of the Napa's history and the Judgement of Paris which helped to make Napa valley a huge success.
On a day when temperatures were spring like, Josh and John sip on some cocktails which remind them of warmer times. Josh shakes up a Kamikaze. He uses Absolut vodka, Solerno blood orange liquor and lime juice. John goes for one of his famous margaritas. This drink packs a punch with Tequila, Damiana, Agavero, and Grand Marnier as well as lime and mixer. They have a good time sipping on these cocktails. Cheers!
Josh and John travel to the Emerald Isle for some water of life. John pours the Powers Gold Label and snacks on Irish Cheddar, shepherds pie, and pecan pie. Josh sips on the Sexton single malt Irish whiskey. His pairings are rare New York Strip steak, 3 meat wood fired pizza, Snickers and Twix. They have fun getting back into whiskey.
Josh and John pucker up and drink some sour beers. John pours the Rogue Marionberry Sour and snacks on hummus with pretzel chips, blackberries, goat cheese, and candied blood oranges. Josh shares the Dogfish Head Sea Quench Ale. His snacks are spaghetti with meatballs, Toulouse sausage, and duck prosciutto.
John and Josh pour out some great American wine from Sonoma California. Josh shared the Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir Rose and some California pairings. His pairing are Humbolt Fog cheese, Tri tip sandwich with speck, and blood orange curd with ginger snap cookies. John finds the Arkansas connection and pours the Cline Pinot Noir. His pairings are bacon wrapped dates, Kansas City style ribs, and chocolate covered strawberries.
Josh and John take their first trip into the world of vodka. John brings Tito's Handmade Vodka. His pairings are smoked salmon, steak, and vegetarian flatbread. Josh has Absolut vodka with goat's cheese, homemade pierogi, and beef arepas. It was a great tasting for them getting into a new world.
Getting another stamp in their passport of glasses, Josh and John head to Belgium beers. John starts us off with one of his all time favorite beers; Orval Trappist ale. He goes classical with his pairings of croquettes, steamed muscles, and Belgian chocolate. Josh follows it up with another great beer, St. Bernardus Abt 12. He sticks pretty classic with his pairings of Roquefort cheese, beef stew and milk chocolate covered caramels with sea salt. Its a great time! Cheers!
Bonjour! Josh and John pour wines from Bordeaux. John pours, from the left bank of Bordeaux, Chateau Greysac. He pairs with a Camembert toasted sandwich, steak au poivre, a chocolate cookie and chocolate brownies. Josh hops the river and shares the Chateau Tournefeuille from Lalande de Pomerol. His pairings are goats cheese, Comte cheese, lamb t-bone's with peppers and onions, and two kinds of macarons. Hope you enjoy.
Josh and John sip on cocktails which both have similar paths, which got them to NOLA and have histories which deal with the time between the World Wars. John shakes up his spin on Paris Between the Wars. Which features smoky Scotch and Campari. Josh sticks with a classic Sidecar cocktail. He touches it up with a quarter ounce of blood orange juice. They have a great time talking about how these cocktails travels have been similar.
This week Josh and John sip on some fine Cognac with some special drink ware as well. They also discuss the grading levels and some of the history of this storied region. John pours the Courvoisier VS cognac and snacks on some smoked Gouda, stuffed mushroom caps, and 86% cacao dark chocolate. He drinks his out of etched glass snifters while Josh drinks out of some Pakistani marble snifters. Josh shares the Martell single distillery VS cognac. His pairings include Dubliner cheese, balsamic, honey, and blood orange pork belly, and graham crackers covered in dark chocolate and sea salt. This tasting and is a very good one.
In this special episode Marie joins Josh and John and shares some beers from Seattle. She brings 3 beers from Fremont Brewing which was near where she lived in Seattle. First Josh pairs with their seasonal Festbier Marzen with large soft pretzels with cheese sauce, seared scallops and cheese brats. Marie pairs with a Northwest special, Field to Ferment, Fremont's fresh hopped beer with hummus, apples, cheddar cheese and pretzel crisps. John pairs with Fremont's Black is Beautiful Imperial Stout with roasted pork tenderloin and a Kentucky hot brown. Its great time to hear about this brewery, tasting these wonderful beers and hearing some great stories as well.
Josh and John travel with their glasses to Germany! Yes there is Riesling. Josh pours the 9 year old Selbach-Oster 2011 Riesling Kabinett. This lovely Riesling is paired with spice this week. First up some beef tamales, lamb vindaloo, and hatch green chili Mac and cheese. John pours a surprising red. He shares the 2015 Von Winning Pinot Noir II. This späteburgunder paired great with, pork schnitzel, twice baked potatoes and apple turnovers. This is a great podcast to finish the year out with. Prost!
Happy Christmas eve! In this holiday special Josh and John share their favorite sippers for the holidays. John sips on the Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog and has a tray of cookies. On this tray are Mississippi cheese cookies, chocolate pecan tassies, and pecan sandies. Josh pours the Five Farms Irish cream. He goes savory and has bresaola, Dubliner cheese, and puff pastry with sautéed leeks, goat cheese, and speck. The speck was made by a local shop here in Little Rock. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday.
Another Holiday Special episode. Josh and John share some great Barrel Aged Stouts. John stays local with the Lost 40 Brewery's Nighty Night triple barrel aged Imperial stout. To snack on, he shares Pimento cheese, Sheppard's pie, and cheese brats cooked in beer with caramelized onions. Josh brings the founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS). While they sip on the KBS, they snack on Porketta, Korean barbecue beef in a salty spicy sauce, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and homemade chocolate caramels. It’s a great time to crack open a beer.
In this episode Josh and John pop open some champagne, getting ready for the holiday season. Josh brings the grower champagne from Pierre Peter Grand Cru blanc de blanc. For his pairings he has buttered and salted popcorn, goat cheese covered in blue berries, lemon. and thyme, and spicy/salty "braised" pork belly. John shares the Moet and Chandon Rose Imperial champagne and pairs it with baked puffed pastry Camembert cheese, oven baked salmon, and red velvet cake. It's a great episode to get you into the celebratory season.
Since the whole family was in town we got a special cocktail hour going after Thanksgiving to share with you all. Josh and John were joined by Anne Marie and JoAnne and they each bring a cocktail. John sips on a Scorpion, JoAnne shares a French 75, Marie thinks of the beach and has a Mai Tai. Josh twists a classic with a Mezcal Rob Roy. They all share stories and have a wonderful time. We hope you enjoy!
We head down Mexico way this week to sip on some Tequila. Josh brings the Espolon blanco Tequila and has steak nachos, kung pow chicken and key lime and salted caramel petit fours. For his tequila John pours the El Jimador reposado and has ceviche, jalapeno cheese dip, and guacamole. Cheers!
Happy Thanksgiving! In this special episode Josh and John pair wines for your Thanksgiving meal. We serve some Thanksgiving staples; turkey breast, dressing and gravy, and homemade pecan pie. First up we have the Lucien Albrecht Rose Cremate d'Alsace. Staying in Alsace the white wine we drink is the 2014 Hugel Classic Gewürztraminer. Finally we have the 2020 Nouveau Beaujolais from George DuBeauf. We talk about other options as well. I hope you enjoy! A votre sante!
It's dark beer season and Josh and John dive into Porters. John brings the Founders Porter and has smoked pork tenderloin, spicy chicken wings and Hershey's chocolate pudding cups. Josh pops open the Bell's Porter. For his parings, he brings spicy, whiskey, maple lacquered bacon, coffee, chili rubbed beef tenderloin, and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Its a fun tasting and great pairings. Hope you enjoy!
It's time for Josh and John to step out of their comfort zone and sip on some gin. Josh brings the Rock Town Distillery, Barrel Aged Gin, and has some interesting snacks. First, Goat Masala, BBQ pork rinds, and Blueberry Stilton cheese. John brings the Botanist Islay Dry Gin from Scotland. He has cucumber sandwiches, cranberry goat cheese, and shrimp toast. Josh and John have an interesting tasting this week and have a special guest blind taster. Hope you give it a listen.
John and Josh enjoy one of their shared favorite types of beers, Milk Stouts. Josh brings the Left Hand Brewing Nitro Milk Stout. For the pairings he has a sous vide "braised" lamb shank with tomato, balsamic reduction, spicy chicken stir fry, and salted chocolate oatmeal cookies. John shares a beer from his travels, the Milk Stout from Duck-Rabbit Brewing. For his parings he has John's Kansas City style ribs, Stout and Steak pie, and Oreo Mega Stuf cookies. They talk about what makes a Milk Stout different as well as the nitro effect. Salute!
Josh & John join Aaron of The Straight Cut podcast. Josh brings a 346 Rum Negroni; 3 parts Campari, 4 parts sweet vermouth, 6 parts Dilopmatico Manuno Rum. John brings a Blood and Sand; 1-1/2 oz Famous Grouse, 3/4 oz Cherry Liquor, 3/4 oz sweet vermouth, and 3/4 orange juice. The Julius Caeser cigar is paired with the cocktails. Listen at The Straight Cut Podcast number 79.
Oregon: America's Burgundy. This week Josh and John drink Oregon wine. Josh brings the Eyire Vineyards 2017 Pinot Gris and has bacon and cheese quiche, Italian dry salami and Char chu pork belly. John brings the Montinore Estate Reserve 2016 Pinot Noir. His snacks are manchago cheese, honey, soy and ginger seared tuna, and Italian sausage bolonagese. Both men talked about Organically and Biodynamically farmed grapes, out of respect of the land. Even though it was a leaf day it was a good time!
John is back! He and Josh sip on some rums this week on the cast. Along with some great stories, John brings Bacardi Gold to sip on and smoked Gouda cheese, jerk chicken, and coconut chocolate chip cookies. Josh introduces John to the Diplomatico Mantano rum from Venezuela. His snacks are fried plantains, beef arepas, and tres leches cake. Salute!
While John is out in the mountains Josh's drinking buddy Jordan stops by to chat and they drink some barrel aged stouts. Jordan brings the Old Rasputin Bourbon Barrel Aged XX from North Coast Brewing. She brings a Stout and Steak Pie, roasted tomato and goat cheese bruschetta, and some tiramisu. Not to be outdone, Josh pours the Mother's Materfamilias the bourbon version. The food he shares is some Brie cheese, hot Italian sausage with sauteed bell pepper, and homemade apple pie filling. Its a great episode!
While John is traveling Josh meets up with travel buddies Jeff Ford and Joe St. Ana at Joe’s bar Crush. They share bottles from their trips while talking about travel and share tips for wine travel. They drink on the Pascal Joivet Sancerre, de Ladoucette Pouilly-Fume, Lipp Leininger Zotzenberg Gran cru Riesling, and the Joseph Faverly Bourgogne rouge.
This week Josh and John capture smoke in their glasses and taste a Mezcal and an Islay scotch. Josh being the Del Maguey Vida Mezcal. He pairs a brisket taco with goat cheese and sweet palmiers with a cherry sauce. John stays in Scotland and travel to the island of Islay and brings Laphroaig 10 year old single malt scotch. To taste along side of this scotch he has smoked salmon, seared lamb and dark chocolate truffles. Grab a glass and come along.
Its Stein time! Josh and John each bring an Oktoberfest beer to share. Josh brings the Ayinger Oktoberfest and pairs it with some Comte cheese, barbecue ribs (dad's of course but any rib will be good) and pork pot stickers. John stays local with the Lost 40 Hunter, their Oktoberfest. He stays traditional with his pairings of potato pancakes, brat and sauerkraut meatballs, and German fritters. Its a great time! Prost!
In this episode Josh and John enjoy a couple sparkling wines. Josh brings the Argyle Vintage Brut and pairs it with butter and salted popcorn, poutine, and sweet palmiers with strawberries. John brings the Gerard Bertrand Thomas Jefferson Brut Rose. His parings are smoked salmon spread, duck confit nachos and chocolate truffles. Its a great pairing which ends with Josh blinding a wine. I hope you enjoy!
In this episode John and Josh start exploring the world of cocktails. Josh starts with an Old Fashioned with the Bulleit bourbon. John shares the scotch based classic a Rusty Nail.
In this second installment of What the Deal with the E, John and Josh discuss the difference between bourbon and scotch. Josh brings the Bullet Kentucky straight bourbon and with some bacon wrapped dates, chocolate covered cranberries and maple syrup. John shares the Lismore non aged designated single malt scotch whisky with bacon, Irish whiskey fudge, deviled eggs and Parmesan crisps.
After his recent trip west John brought back some beer from Montana. Josh pairs the Lewis and Clark huckleberry hefeweizen with some sausages and herb crusted cheeses. John sips on Moose Drool from Big Sky Brewing while snacking on Kansas city style ribs, filet mignon, and cheese pizza. The tasting is fantastic this week!
John's missing out this week while he is out traveling! Josh's friend Maggie Snider stops by and they chat about how they both got into wine. They discuss the their journeys into wine while having the pairings that opened their eyes. Maggie brings the Roumieu-Lacoste sauternes and pairs it with a duck and pork pate, a spicy snack mix, and lemon bars. Josh brings the Nipozzano Chianti Riserva 2013 and pairs it with and Italian board. The board has parmigiano reggiano, prosciutto di parma, strawberries, aged balsamic from Modena, and gnocchi in a tomato sauce. Its a great episode!
In this episode Josh brings Michter's American whiskey and John brings The Glenlivet 15 French oak reserve. They discuss the differences and what's up with the e in the spelling? They snack on salami, smoked salmon, Edam cheese, and other snack. Josh blinds a liquor for the first time ever! Cheers!
In this episode we taste and discuss different types of beers, one ale and one lager. John brings the Diamond Bear Pale Ale and Josh brings the Flyway RNT Amber Lager. They share and discuss the differences in the process and the tastes with snacks consisting of beer cooked brats and cheddar brats, Emmental cheese, and caramelized oinons. John takes on the blind tasting for the first time ever!
During this episode Josh and John explore two exciting wine from the south of France. The Whispering Angel from Provence and the E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone from the Rhone Valley. They taste and talk about their selected snack parings. Josh then does the shows first blind tasting.
In this episode we will introducing ourselves to you. We will also discuss the format of the podcast and what we will be tasting in our first episode.