Beards, Books, and Bourbon Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mark Harms and Stephen Mack
Mark and Stephen share their love of books, and bourbon...and happen to have beards that their wives love. Join these two friends as they explore some of their favorite genres of books: mystery, thriller, Sci-Fi, fantasy, horror, metaphysical, and all things unknown while sipping on a different bourbon each episode.
Honestly, this book was so good we probably could have just done an entire second episode about it. As we take a second look at Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, we also revisit one of our favorite picks so far in 2025, Moonlight Mayhem from Filmland Spirits.
Stephen Graham Jones | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
Filmland Spirits
In this episode, Stephen and Mark explore the layered, intelligent, and gut wrenching horror novel, "Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones. A Native American revenge story with a supernatural twist, Buffalo Hunter Hunter is as deep and thought provoking as it is horrific, disgusting, and occasionally hilarious in the most awkward ways. A thought provoking story needs a thought provoking whiskey. To pair with Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Stephen and Mark will be sampling In Lieu of Flowers whiskey by Dancing Goat Distillery.
Stephen Graham Jones | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
Dancing Goat Distillery
It's the final chapter of our deep dive into the Kingdom of Blunder with the oopsiside for Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig, where we talk about what we forgot to talk about. To go along with this episide, we're re-sampling Elijah Craig Rye. We don't sample nearly enough rye.
Rachel Gillig, Author
Elijah Craig | Home Page
Stephen and Mark dive back into the Kingdom of Blunder for the second installment of the Shepherd King duology by Rachel Gillig. In this installment, all stories will be concluded. The mystery of the poem revealed, and a world will be changed for good or ill.
We loved this series, and it's only appropriate that we try a bottle from a label we have nothing but love for as well. In this episode we sample The Kiawah Blend from 2XO by Dixon Dedman.
Rachel Gillig, Author
Limited Edition Whiskey Blends | 2XO Whiskey
Tonight it's all about gothic poetry, horrific encounters, and the genius of Australian whiskey.
USA | Starward Australian Whisky
Rachel Gillig, Author
Tonight's episode brings us back to fantasy of the gothic kind. Blunder is a cursed kingdom, surrounded by a mist that snatches people into the wood, never to be seen again. All the families of the kingdom are named after trees, and the currency of power comes in the form of a deck of magical playing cards. These cards were made by a long dead king at the price of destroying himself to do it one piece at a time. Tonight we discuss ONE DARK WINDOW by Rachel Gillig.
So, that's not morbid or anything. A dark and supernatural take requires a bourbon whiskey just as dark and mythical to pair with it. Tonight's bourbon is MOONLIGHT MAYHEM.
Oh, right. It's a dystopian YA novel involving students and probably organized by either Jigsaw or the guy from Seven. Tell the kids what they've won, Bob! They've won DEATH! We're going to need a stiff drink, and we get one with Barmen 1873.
Welcome to dystopian world of the early 20th Century where dragons live alongside humans, everyone is at the brink of war, and the fate of the world is in the hands of a bunch of misfit students being blackmailed into building what might be a doomsday weapon in the novel "A Language of Dragons". So...Tuesday. As our bourbon, Stephen and Mark will be embibing a little alchemy of their own with Dark Arts.
As the boys talk about some old priests, they revisit a really old friend. A less than half full bottle of Willett that's been sitting in the garage for 5 years is finally getting cracked open to see what demons lurk inside.
Stephen and Mark delve into the world of extraordinary circumstances and people. Our book for this episode is Conclave by Robert Harris, the novel which is the basis for the Academy Award Nominated movie. A story about extraordinary circumstances and the decisions that must be made.
The bourbon tonight is not a bourbon at all, but a Canadian Whisky brought to us the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky.
IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC!
Stephen and Mark discuss the magical systems in Onyx Storm, and cast spells on themselves with Knob Creek.
Well, we made it. The end of the third book. There's a lot of twists, turns, love and rage that look eerily similar, the defilement of a throne, broken furniture, broken promises, betrayals in the name of love, and angst angst angst. But now it's over. We can finally relax. We....WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE TWO MORE BOOKS??? Pass the Ransom Bourbon, please.
There's a moment when you realize that there's something you need to talk about. There's another moment when you realize there just isn't enough time to really talk about it. This is one of those times as we discuss DRAGONS in Iron Flame by Rececca Yarros. Tonight we revisit our old friend, Smoke Wagon Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Once more, Stephen and Mark will dare to enter the Fourth Wing universe, written by Rebecca Yarros. This is book 2 of the series, and if you thought things were wild before, what with all the lightning and exploding bedroom furniture, you're in for another amazing ride.
Besgiath War College (not to mention everywhere else) is a dangerous place, and so the guys will need to have some luck on their side on this journey. That's why they're bringing Lucky Seven bourbon with them.
How could they forget to talk about Merlin?? Well, they didn't really. They were just saving the nastiest for last. Luckily Stephen and Mark will balance things out with the smooth, fruity, smoky, loveliness of Blade & Bow Bourbon.
In this episode, Stephen and Mark visit "The Bright Sword" by Lev Grossman. One of our favorite authors, we are so excited to read his latest novel about Camelot after Arthur's final battle and all that was left undone and unfinished. For such a story, it's only appropriate that the boys continue their journey of the 2XO Bourbon label with the French Oak expression.
The guys have never made it a secret about how much they love books written by Blake Crouch. In today's episode, they talk about Crouch's first commercially successful novel, not previously released in the United States. What if, in a single night, half of everyone you knew and loved suddenly no longer saw you as a friend, a lover, a family member? What if they were trying to murder you because they were convinced that you were no longer one of them?
A high octane book like this needs something to smooth to mellow the evening out. To help them keep pace, Stephen and Mark will sample Green River Wheated Bourbon.
Stephen and Mark dive into one of their favorite bourbons from 2024, the unforgettable 2XO American Oak as they take a few minutes to talk about one of the most unforgettable characters from The Living Dead. Join them, as they talk and laugh about The Face.
Everything old is new again in the Season 5 opening episode! This episode, Stephen and Mark explore a novel by the late, great George A. Romero and Daniel Krause. A new and expanded version of the story Mr. Romero set into motion decades ago. Keeping in theme with the story, Stephen and Mark will revisit an old friend with a new twist, Four Roses Bourbon. This time, they will be exploring the depths and complexities of the Single Barrel offering of the iconic label.
In the final FINAL episode of Season 4, Stephen and Mark become so enamored with 2XO Bourbon from the last episode, they decide to make Old Fashioneds with it and completely forget to talk about what they forgot to talk about in "The Halloween Tree" by Ray Bradbury. Witness the chaos as the boys fall down the cocktail rabbit hole as they decide to try to invent their own cocktails. Maybe they're just tired. Maybe it's been a long season. Maybe the 2XO is just that good.
For the Season Four Finale, Stephen and Mark turn to a classic tale from a hometown author close to their hearts, The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. Listen as Mark loses his mind a little and goes on about the sinister side of the story. Meanwhile, Stephen will won't do a darned thing to keep Mark from spiraling. Thanks, Stephen! Good thing they have a fantastic new beverage to sample and distract everyone from the Halloween hysterics.
For such a short book, there's just a whole lot to cover in the deceptively complex tale by Becky Chambers. Equally deep and complex is the Five Trail Bourbon.
In the countdown to the season finale, Stephen and Mark stray from the path of horror into a subtle and delighfully complex scifi story about a monk, a robot, and the questions perhaps everyone should be asking of themselves and each other.
A subtle and complex tale deserves a subtle and complex bourbon paired with it, and this episode is no exception as our co-hosts sample Blade & Bow for the first time.
NOTE: In this episode, Stephen and Mark both struggle with pronoun usage for the characters. We decided to leave this in rather than edit and re-record. We felt the struggle to get it right and failing (multiple times) without giving up was all too appropriate for the messages and themes of the story. No one can ever be perfect, but the pursuit of being better and kinder to each other and ourselves is worth the awkwardness of the journey.
At the end of Season 2, Stephen and Mark talked about the theme of horror, and what it meant to them. Well, they're back on the topic, two years wiser (allegedly), and ready to dive into new directions. On this journey, they will take with them the ever reliable torch in the darkness of Basil Hayden, this time trying out their Subtle Smoke expression.
In tonight's oopsisode, Stephen and Mark talk about the role of the military in Stephen King's "The Mist". They will also revisit Chattanooga Whiskey, first sampled from the "STOMP STOMP BOOM" episode which dropped on April 15, 2022.
As we begin the countdown to Halloween and our season finale, we start with "The Mist" by Stephen King. A dark and complex tale based off a simple premise, the boys are pairing it up with The Jury by High 'n Wicked.
Instead of the usual oopsisode, because the last book is still so new, the boys opted to spend their time extolling the virtues of Uncle Nearest Bourbon Whiskey. Enjoy!
This week, Stephen and Mark spend a little time talking about the most recent story from author Paul Tremblay, "Horror Movie". They will talk about the twists, spirals, and rabbit holes truly good authors like Trembay can create. Horror Movie is a escheresque, gravity defying maze of mirrors. A sophisticated story needs an equally sophisticated bourbon paired with it. Tonight, the boys will sample Thomas S. Moore Cognac Cask bourbon.
Green towns, volcanos, and Sasquatch, OH MY! In tonight's episode, we look at "Devolution" by Max Brooks. It's a wild ride, made all the more terrifying by the hauntingly plausible documentary style of the book. To keep their heads, the boys will sample some George Dickel bourbon.
Oh my. Author, Zee Lacson, sticks around after the initial recording to do the oopsisode with Stephen and Mark. How many bourbons can one author take? All of them. Especially when we're talking about allies. Spend another 12 minutes with Zee Lacson and the boys as they talk about allies in the book "Twice Removed."
Zee Lacson has had practice in different professions. Engineer. Teacher. Photographer. Visual artist. Writer. But throughout her life, she has always been a Dreamer. The Woolgathering Trilogy is her dream come true. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, with her grandparents, father, and twin brothers, she currently lives the dream in the northern suburbs of Chicagoland with her husband and twin sons. She enjoys good coffee. And sushi. And wine. And ice cream. And cake … though not necessarily together. Or in that order. Reverie was her first published work of fiction. It was a finalist at the 2021 Illinois Author Project. Revenant, the sequel to Reverie, was released in 2021. Réveil, the final in the series, was released May 2023. Twice Removed is her latest book, and will be released in 2024. Website: ZeeLacson.com FB: facebook.com/ReverieTheBook IG: @ZeeLacson TikTok: @ZeeLacson Linktree: linktr.ee/zeelacson Twice Removed is in stores: This Old Book (Grayslake, IL) Barnes & Noble (Northbrook, IL) Studio Moonfall (Kenosha, WI) or sold online wherever books are sold.
On this episode, Stephen and Mark interview YA author, Zee Lacson. She and her husband have stopped by to talk about her new book, "Twice Removed". For the bourbon tonight, the four of them will try out Lux Row, a complex and delightful bourbon to match the book and the company! For more about Zee, see below.
Zee Lacson has had practice in different professions. Engineer. Teacher. Photographer. Visual artist. Writer. But throughout her life, she has always been a Dreamer. The Woolgathering Trilogy is her dream come true. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, with her grandparents, father, and twin brothers, she currently lives the dream in the northern suburbs of Chicagoland with her husband and twin sons. She enjoys good coffee. And sushi. And wine. And ice cream. And cake … though not necessarily together. Or in that order. Reverie was her first published work of fiction. It was a finalist at the 2021 Illinois Author Project. Revenant, the sequel to Reverie, was released in 2021. Réveil, the final in the series, was released May 2023. Twice Removed is her latest book, and will be released in 2024. Website: ZeeLacson.com FB: facebook.com/ReverieTheBook IG: @ZeeLacson TikTok: @ZeeLacson Linktree: linktr.ee/zeelacson Twice Removed is in stores: This Old Book (Grayslake, IL) Barnes & Noble (Northbrook, IL) Studio Moonfall (Kenosha, WI) or sold online wherever books are sold.
WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL RONALD MALFI LOVE FEST. Seriously, it's kind of sick how much we love this guy's writing. We have a problem. We need counseling, or perhaps we just need some Copper & Cask Bourbon to pair with writing.
On today's episode, we take a look at five novellas from one of our favorite authors, Ronald Malfi, in his new book, "They Lurk". Malfi's writing is always complex and thought provoking while it mercilessly scares the ever living poop out of you. Tonight we are pairing the book with Belfour Texas Pecan Wood Finished Bourbon Whiskey. It's another deep and complex offering, and we can't wait to tell you more about it.
As we often do, there's the thing we want to talk about in the book that we didn't get to talk about before. And then, we spend some time on this particular bourbon, but oooooh my, it's delicious.
It's been a minute since we did a time travel story, and so we're heading back in time, and forward, and back again in this smart, funny, lovely, and tragic tale by Kalianne Bradley. How would it feel if you were suddenly plucked out of your own time and sent 200, 300, or even 5 hundred years into the future? Would you be able to fit in, or would you slowly slide back to where you started one piece at a time? To help us answer this question, we're going to need the complex comfort of Belle Meade Bourbon Whiskey.
On tonight's episode, we have the special privilege of interviewing Author, Thomas J. Miller about his book, "An Oktoberfest Death". To pair with this book about murder and beer, we're going to be sampling three styles of Dragon Milk Bourbon Barrel Aged beers from New Holland Brewing.
Please follow Thomas at these links, and support our authors and their work!
Thomas J. Miller Website Shop. I am offering multi-book bundles. Books ordered here will be signed and shipped: https://www.thomasjmillerauthor.com/shop Link to Amazon Audible page for An Oktoberfest Death: https://a.co/d/0gXgBmrV Link to Thomas J. Miller Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B086XGLDSM/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=583db72f-38d8-4582-bf1c-6923bfc6ef08&ref_=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2
Wait? We forgot something about quantum loop gravity and the nature of energy as information? Naaaaah! Good thing we're returning to our good friend, Glynnevan Maple Whisky.
Hello all you loyal listeners! We had a minor technical catastrophe when our recording platform became sentient, attemtpted to take over the world, and corrupted several episodes of the show in the process. We have a new recording platform, for our inaugural voyage, we are returning to our favorite popular scientist, Carlo Rovelli to talk about what's on the other end of a black hole. For our sampling tonight, we are trying Keeper's Heart Irish Bourbon Whisky.
We couldn't say enough about the Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. Well, if you think about it, we really had too much to say. After all, here we are with more to say! Tonight the boys are also going to check in with their specially ordered bottle of Oak & Eden customized with 4 grain bourbon whiskey, a French oak stave, and orange essence.
In this week's episode, Stephen and Mark dive into a story about familes. The families you are born into, the familes you make, and the worlds you create together. Come explore with them as they find brave new worlds in Peng Shepherd's masterful novel, "The Cartographers". It's a long road, and the path is unclear, and so they will pair the book with Five Trail Whiskey.
How does a story drive forward? How do the connections between the characters, the setting, the author, and the reader all work in concert to weave a tale that people want to read or tell or listen? We're waxing philosophical on tonight's episode, and appropriately enough, we're sampling some West Cork Irish Whiskey to put us in the right mood.
It's another 15 minute dumpster fire, brought to you by Stephen and Mark and Starward Two Fold.
Stephen and Mark spend some time stranded on Mars with "The Martian" by Andy Weir. Surviving on a planet that is literally trying to kill you at every moment of the day can be stressful. Good thing they have their custom made bottle of Oak & Eden to help take off the edge.
As Stephen and Mark lose their minds over whales, they will spend some time sipping on St. George Absinte and Basil Hayden Toast!
What if you could live 10,000 lifetimes, and the only requirement would be to find perfection before using them all up. Do you think you could do it? Stephen and Mark are pretty sure they wouldn't make it, getting distracted by loud thoughts, like Stephen's gout toe, or France. This is the simple premise of a deceptively complex book about life, love, the self, and reaching for something perfect in "Reincarnation Blues" by Michael Poore. But one thing that is close to perfection, is a bottle of Widow Jane 10 Year Bourbon.
Tonight as the guys talk about what they forgot from All Systems Red by Martha Wells, they return to a previous bottle, Legent. This time they try it as a cocktail with an experimental mixer purchased for a magical place called the internet.
On this episode, the guys discuss the starting tale of a Scifi series with an interesting twist and viewpoint. Speaking of interesting twists, they will be sampling Jack Daniels Triple Mash.
Join us for another 15 minutes...or less...of the boys talking about what they forgot to talk about in Valley of Shadows by Rudy Ruiz.
This week, "Valley of Shadows" by Rudy Ruiz. The guys explore a new twist (for them) on an old genre. A Western from a different perspective, both culturally and geographically. This haunting and action packed western tale takes them on a journey through a world that seems both familiar and unexplored. Bad guys. A lone sheriff. A serial killing cult. Magic, curses, and a sense of justice that will stop at nothing to win the day, even if it costs everything to do it. To keep the curses at bay, the guys will revisit Willett Kentucky Bourbon, a bottle they haven't tasted since season 1.
Villainy is not what it once was, or maybe it's just never been what we thought. Stephen and Mark explore the state of villainy in Starter Villain by John Scalzi. As they learn the dark nature of subscription services, they will fortify themselves with something equally as dark. Jim Beam Black Extra Aged.
Just who was that old man, anyway, and how old was he when he died?? There's weird stuff in A House with Good Bones, but Copper & Cask will keep them save with its depth of flavor and spice.
The boys are back with another T. Kingfisher novel. This one is Southern Gothic meets Lovecraftian Horror. To try to keep things nice and normal, they will be sampling Jefferson's Bourbon Whiskey.
The guys kick back with some Knob Creek while they talk about what they forgot about Starling House.
In this episode, Stephen and Mark spend some time talking about one of their favorite authors, Alix E Harrow, and her new novel "Starling House." This one is a modern day dark fantasy with bloodline curses, dark dreams come to life, and Lovecraftian nightmares lurking just inside the evening mist. To fortify themselves, they will partake of a gift from one of Stephen's friends, a bottle of Driftless Glen Bourbon Whiskey.
Welcome back! Stephen and Mark begin their fourth season of the show with "The Hurricane Wars", a new fantasy tale by author, Thea Guonzan. Their first bourbon of the season will be from a local brewer turned distiller, Two Brothers Bourbon Whiskey. And so Season 4 begins!
On this Halloween Season 3 finale, Stephen and Mark will sample some different old fashioneds while discussing the Henry James classic, "Turn of the Screw". The bourbons they will try tonight are Makers Mark French Oaked, Castle & Key, and Elijah Craig Small Batch.
The boys jump into the world of fantasy YA/New Adult fiction, and they are not ready for what they find in "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros . They're also not ready for The Judge Bourbon Whiskey from High 'n Wicked which seems to keep changing its flavor profile with every sip.
If the technology were possible, would you be willing to trade in your human body to be the brain of starship? How far would you be willing to go to go into the blackest unknown? Stephen & Mark will never get there, but they'll talk about the concept of shipminds from "To Sleep In A Sea of Stars" by Christopher Paolini. To help them muse over the possibilities, they will revisit an old friend, Oak & Eden 4 Grain & Spire.
After a brief hiatus, Stephen and Mark dive deep into the future and into space for a smart and different kind of science fiction novel that is both grandly epic and deeply personal. Oh, and madness. SO MUCH MADNESS. Come and listen as the boys talk about "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" by Christopher Paolini as they also explore the depts of Breckenridge Madeira Finished Bourbon Whiskey.
Stephen and Mark go back to visit with the Ferryman, and revisit Starward Two Fold Australian whiskey.
Justin Cronin is back with another apocalyptic tale of adventure, woe, madness, and a crap ton of serious character development across a fantastical backdrop in the way that can only be done by Justin Cronin. As the cast of "The Ferryman" go forth on their own journeys, Stephen and Mark will take a detour up to Canada as they sample Glynnevan Maple Whiskey.
What did we forget to talk about in the book "Edge of Sleep"? Honestly, we're not even sure. It was a tough week for Stephen and Mark. Shenanigans take place in this episode, and be sure to listen all the way to the end for the podcast version of a bonus scene.
Have you ever had that moment where you just doze off for just a moment? Just for a second, but in that second it felt like you were gone for an hour? What about when you feel like you've just closed your eyes, but suddenly hours have passed by? Now, how would that make you feel if you also knew that sleep, possibly any amount of it, also meant your death? Stephen and Mark explore a trippy and riveting story about a global pandemic where sleep, the thing you need to live, might also kill you. To keep themselves focused on the task, they will fortify their convictions with a sampling of KOVAL Single Barrel Bourbon, made right here in Chicago, Illinois.
There's a reason why Cormac McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize. In The Road, his mastery of literature is seen in the way he uses setting and description in contrast to sparce dialog. We forgot to talk about it. As a change of pace, we're trying a different beverage this time around. Maytag Mead.
Tonight's episode is all about excellence. Excellence in literature as Stephen and Mark walk down The Road with the legendary Cormac McCarthy and pairing it with the fruit of two legendary craftsmen's labor, Legent. Come and join us on this fantastically bleak and flavorful journey into the future.
Murder and knitting analogies and apocalypse, oh my! Good thing we're drinking this tasty dark rye. Come find out what we forgot to talk about in "Wool" by Hugh Howey as we revisit Basil Hayden Dark Rye.
In this fantastic dystopian nightmare of a novel by Hugh Howey, Stephen and Mark get to explore what it feels like to exist within a perfect society and ecology all underground inside the world's largest and most depressing mall. The Silo. Adapted for TV on AppleTV+, this story goes to show how even in a perfectly controlled environment, chaos will always find a way to reign.
Keeping their spirits up with some fine spirits, Stephen and Mark will sample Pinhook Bourbon.
What can you possibly forget about the end of the world?!?!? We'll find out with Copper & Cask!
This is the way the world ends. This is ALL the ways the world ends! Pour a glass of Castle and Key, build your bunker and hold onto your butts, because it's game over, man. Game over.
It's not out fault! Cosmic horror causes madness, and we were bound to forget something. But the Uncle Nearest should help jog our memories.
It's cosmic horror and madness as Stephen and Mark explore "By The Light of Dead Stars" by Andrew Van Wey. As they lose their marbles and their souls, they'll try their luck with Puncher's Chance Bourbon.
Have we ever done an oopsisode on a theme show? We can't remember, but it's sure to haunt us later on down the road.
On tonight's episode, Stephen and Mark will discuss ghosts in the stories and movies they have seen. To keep them from dying of fright, they will amor up with Buffalo Trace.
Our theme show where we discuss the use of shadows in story and movies and we drink some Piggyback Rye to make ourselves less afraid of the dark!
Oh look! The oopsisode where we talk about the stuff we forgot about in the book about forgetting. Irony?? I can't remember.
Stephen and Mark are going on a wild ride through a smart, thoughtful, action filled apocalyptic adventure. One where the world isn't coming to an end from a virus or nuclear war, but because everyone is simply forgetting. Everything. Everyone. Themselves.
Worse, with each forgotten memory, they get a wish. A piece of magic. The power to change reality according to their imaginations.
Before we forget just how amazing it is, Stephen and Mark will pair this story with the unforgettable E.H. Taylor Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey.
ABANDON ALL HOPE, ALL YE WHO UNDER ESTIMATE THE DOUBLE OAK.
It's a wild 15 minutes this time around. Enjoy.
Stephen and Mark are back with another amazing book from author, Blake Crouch. Abandon is a town where things never seem to go well for people. Not a hundred years ago, and not now. Possibly not ever. Is it haunted? Is it cursed? Stephen and Mark explore a deserted town called Abandon. During their stay, they will sample Starward Two-Fold Whiskey.
It's easy to forget things when you're scared out of your mind, and in our latest book, Stephen and Mark forgot to talk about The Cunning Man. To keep their sanity, they will revisit an old favorite from a while back, Chattanooga Whiskey.
Remember all of those scary movies from the 80's that centered around Halloween or the legends of Halloween? Yeah, Christopher Golden does too, but when he takes that concept and runs it through his own brand of nightmare fuel, the product that you get isn't cheesy camp. This is 80's horror with a twist and a stake through its heart to amp up the terror.
It's a good thing then that Stephen and Mark are sampling Oak & Eden Finished Whiskey 4 Grain & Spire. The only whiskey with a literal stake through its own heart to add more flavor and complexity to the expression.
What happens when you mix two guys, a bottle of bourbon, and an army of gore fiend automatons? Either nothing good, or something funny. Maybe both.
Once again we go downt he rabbit hole with T Kingfisher as we get sucked into her novel "The Twisted Ones". We love Kingfisher's style of writing, her protagonists, and the masterful way she laces cosmic horror into everyday life and the banal challenges we all have to face. But banality slips quickly into horror and madness. To keep us safe, we're going to need the Duke himself, or at least the bourbon named after him. On tonight's episode, we sample Duke Kentucky Bourbon.
With special guest star Basil Hayden Burnt TOAST. Because that word should always be in all caps. Like this. TOAST.
This week Stephen and Mark explore the slopes of Mount Ararat where, according to lore, Noah's Ark came to rest after the great flood of the world. Their guide will be author, Christopher Golden, who delights in bringing people to some the oldest and most terrifying places. It's said that Noah brought at least two of every creature upon the Earth. What might tourists to the long forgotten Ark find there? What might still be living?
To help them through their journey, they will be sampling Middle West Bourbon, made from the red winter wheat of Ohio.
We all have our favorites, don't we? In this episode, we try some Doc Swinson bourbon while chatting about some of our favorite characters from the show and beyond.
In this episode we explore the world of shadow magic, secrety societies, and of course...murder. Pairing this wonderful book by Holly Black with something appropriately magical in a dark sort of manner, we will be sampling Jim Beam Double Oaked.
What do you do when you learn that you can't do everything with the time you've got? Well, we don't know what you would do, but you can find out what we would do with Piggyback Rye.
How manage our time isn't about adopting the habits of the most effectively productive people, or working the 20 hour work week, or even finding that perfect spreadsheet to spread your data in all the best ways. NO! In 4,000 Weeks, we learn that managing our time is all about managing ourselves, our priorities, and our expectations.
It's a deep topic this week, and we're going to need a really smooth sipping bourbon to help the medicine go down, like a drunken Mary Poppins who may or may not have a problem. That's why we'll be sampling Michters Small Batch Bourbon.
Holy villainy, Batman! We forgot to talk about the antagonists in "Fairy Tale" by Stephen King. Tonight, we pair the book with with my Christmas present. Noble Oak Double Oaked Bourbon.
Come on, all you Gen Xers out there. It's time to get your literary D&D hats on. Pick up your Zork lanterns at the bottom of the winding stair or else you might be eaten by a grue as we take on a classic trope by one of our favorite authors. In tonight's episode we talk about "Fairy Tale" by Stephen King, and his take on the classic modern version of this genre. Paired with it, we will taste Copper & Cask. Like this book, we felt this bourbon was a modern classic with a twist.
In this oopsisode, we discuss something we didn't get the chance to talk about during the main show. Two words.
GHOST. BABY.
Really, after something like that the only thing we can do to recover from this is to revisit our old friend, Smoke Wagon Bourbon.
It's Season 3, and it's time to get weird! We start the season off with a book where ghosts are a drug, and seeing your loved ones again is an addiction. Do you want to get haunted? You will in "Ghost Eaters" by Clay McLeod Chapman. We'll get even stranger with our tasting of Redwood Empire bourbon. An amazing bourbon with a deceptively creepy illustration on the bottle.
In the finale of Season 2, Stephen and Mark talk about what horror really is. It's a dark conversation, and they lighten the load by engaging in the much talked about Old Fashioned Challenge with three bourbons in three cocktails for two idiots.
Thanks for a great season, and we will see you again in January!
What's a good ghost story without ghosts?? Stephen and Mark discuss the supernatural elements of both "Just Like Home" by Sarah Gailey and Piggyback Rye by Whistlepig.
In this week's episode, Stephen and Mark go back home to a happy nest of murder and disfunction in the novel "Just Like Home" by Sarah Gailey. As they polish the silver with the blood of their enemies, they will sample the dazzlingly good Uncle Nearest Tennessee Whiskey.
Stephen and Mark are getting ready for the big season 2 finale. Also...they have high schoolers. High school activities in the Fall are BRUUUUUUTAL. As before, we've added on a little bit, but it's really interested to hear just how far we've come from when we got started. ENJOY.
What would a Russian fairytale as dark as rancid tree sap be without an old shaman woman conjuring the ghosts of dead prisoners and laying them to rest on the Road of Bones?? Right, and yet we forgot to talk about her. OOPS. Pairing up with this, we explore New Riff once more.
With it being such a master class in fast paced cosmic horror fiction, it might be better to call it what we wished we could forget. Some of those images are never coming out of our brains, but we loved it. In the epsiode we will be drinking to it!
Khan once said that it is very cold in space, but he'd never been on the Road of Bones in Siberia! In this novel by Christopher Golden, we will explore the bleakness of the coldest inhabited place on Earth, and the folklore that resides there with the people in this fast paced, hard hitting, unapologetically terrifying book! To keep our spirits warm, we will be sampling Barrel Armida Bourbon once again. We tried this over a year ago, and we're going to see if we taste something different this time.
Stephen and Mark travel to different worlds were tentacles are replaced wtih roots...and organs. Come take a wild backwater cosmic horror ride in T. Kingfisher's "The Hollow Places". They will explore something else wild and complex with Piggyback 100% Rye.
Stephen and Mark talk about how sometimes people just want to be seen. They want to be acknowledged. They want to be let back into the room. For this heady talk, we take a little time to revisit an old friend. Basil Hayden Dark Rye.
Stephen and Mark explore a short but compelling story about a troubled boy who calls for a monster in the dark. This is a bittersweet and complex tale. Nothing goes better with it than Basil Hayden's Toast bourbon.
What could we possibly forget about Bag of Bones? Well, since it's a Stephen King book and we can't manage to even get through half of it in the main episode? Yeah, it feels better to just say, pretty much most of it. But in this oopsisode, we focus on just one thing (out of the 500) that we didn't get to discuss.
Once again, Stephen and Mark return to the universe of Stephen King in this massively surprising and haunting tale of ghosts, racism, and the sins of the father. They'll need something to offer the spirits to keep the nightmares away, and only a very special bottom of Evan Williams will do the job.
They always forget something! Listen as Stephen and Mark talk about what they forgot to talk about in "The Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel. In this oopsisode, they will revisit Chatinooga Whiskey.
Stephen and Mark take a romp through time and space, through relationships lost and found, through paradoxes and moral dilemmas. Cosmic anamolies and personal inevitabilities abound in the wonderfully haunting and lyrical story by Emily St. John Mandel. "Sea of Tranquility" is anything but, and we'll need the help of none other than Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls (or at least his bourbon) to get us through it all.
We cannot say "what we forgot" in this oopsisode, because it is too easy to forget, if you believe in the curse. So, Stephen and Mark will discuss what they remember of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Stephen and Mark will contemplate what it might be like if they never had an impact on anything or anyone (kind of like their podcast) as they discuss "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab. They will also plant some ideas about a delicious new find. Isaac Bowman portwine barrel finished bourbon.
It's like Alma Katsu Month in the House of Stephen and Mark! Because we have enjoyed it so much (and it's fun to go back to episode 4). Keep in mind that we did this episode in November of 2020, in the midst of lockdown time in Illinois. Take a re-listen with the beauty of hindsight.
What do you do when you can't talk about what you forgot to talk about because it might be too spoilery? You spend 10 minutes talking about a bourbon instead!
Stephen and Mark dive deep into a story about spirits, balloons, spiders, and Japanese American internment camps in "The Fervor" by Alma Katsu. This is another genius work, incredibly uncomfortable in all the right ways, and deeply thought provoking. To lighten the mood, they will sample Coppercraft Bourbon.
In which we learn what it means to be terribly British while we revisit one of our favorites in the rye family.
Stephen and Mark talk about things they forgot to talk about while revisiting Old Elk bourbon.
Stephen and Mark discuss the long awaited "Recursion" by Blake Crouch. This one was both deep and brutal. Time travel and hard choices are bouyed up with the sweet and complex taste of Journeyman Distillery's Featherbone Bourbon Wiskey.
Stephen and Mark delve deep into the origin of species (AND THE MULTIVERSE) in this amazing tale by Adrian Tchaikovsky. They'll seek to soften the bite of truth with the smooth taste of Knob Creek Straight Kentucky Bourbon.
Stephen and Mark spend a little time revisiting Relics as well as Dexter 3 Wood Bourbon!
In this mad and gory tale about exotic species hunting taken to a whole new level, Stephen and Mark will discuss "Relics", complete with a scene inlvolving eating roast faerie, and inappropriately pairing it with Smoke Wagon bourbon.
If it weren't for this week's guest host, Michael Wagner, we'd call this episiode Artificial Idiocy. In this theme episode, we talk about A.I. in sci-fi with a real subject matter expert in the field of A.I. in the real world. It's a pleasure to have our good friend back on the show, and we share with him a bottle of Dexter 3 Wood Bourbon as we try to keep up with Mike.
Wait. Didn't we read The Kaiju Preservation Society?? Why, yes. Yes, we did. Aren't we talking about it?? Why, yes. Yes, we are. But there are other things to talk about too. Like MOOOOONSHIIIIIIIINE.
Do you like fun? Do you like alternate dimensions? Do you like 50 story tall monsters? Do you like irresponsible corporate execs getting what they deserve? DO YOU LIKE WHISKEY FROM TENNESSEE???
Then, have we got a show for you tonight! Join Stephen and Mark on a wild romp that's a cross between Godzilla, the Land Before Time, Look Up, and....and...uh...well, I don't know, but you're going to love it!
Stephen and Mark take a step never taken before. They try White Dog and forget what they forgot to talk about. But we know that they're talking about what they forgot about The Paradox Hotel.
Stephen and Mark go on a wild ride of murder, mayhem, time travel, paradox, and regret. This one was wild and fun and heavy. So complex, in fact, we needed a bourbon to go along with it. Which is why we select Barrell Armida with all its own hidden mystery in its flavor as tonight's bourbon.
Apparently, the entire universe has an inferiority complex. Kind of like Mark when he's looking upon the perfection that is Stephen.
Stephen and Mark cut across unspace in their quest to discover what can be found among the "Shards of the Earth" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Fueling their spacecraft this week will be Journeyman Distillery's Buggy Whip Wheat Whiskey.
TO BOLDLY GO WHERE STEPHEN AND MARK HAVE NEVER GONE BEFORE! We sit down for a completely unscripted theme show, the blow of which is softened by the exquisite taste of Yellowstone Single Barrel Bourbon.
Come join us as we talk about an overlooked character, and complete botch Eric Maikranz's name AGAIN. Sorry, Eric.
What if you knew there was no Heaven or Hell? What if you knew, no matter what you did, the only judgment ahead of you was a new life in a new body? How would you live? We find out in "The Reincarnationist Papers" by D. Eric Maikranz. We wash down the karmic wheel with Clark & Sheffield straight Kentucky Bourbon.
In 15 minutes or less, we talk about the things we forgot to talk about, and do it while drinking Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon.
Stephen and Mark step into the world of occult mysticism and supernatural murder in The Diviners by Libba Bray. Port Cask Thomas S. Moore Bourbon helps to keep them warm as they record on a cold January night.
Poor Burke! The underappreciated alcoholic who was trying to do a little babysitting. We chat about him!
In our Season 2 opener, Stephen and Mark talk about the William Peter Blatty classic, The Exorcist. While discussing the virtues and drawbacks of demonic possession, they're fortify their souls with Sonoma County Cherrywood Smoked Bourbon.
LOOK WHO'S COME TO JOIN THE PARTY, KIDDIES. BASIL HAYDEN, AND HE'S BROUGHT HIS DARKEST RYE. IT'S SO DARK, IT PRACTICALLY GLOWS. LIKE MY LIGHTS. MY DEAD LIGHTS.
STEPHEN AND MARK CAN'T COME TO THE SHOW RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THEY'VE FALLEN INTO MY LIGHTS. MY DEADLIGHTS.
THEY FLOAT DOWN HERE WITH ME NOW, AND YOU'LL FLOAT TOO.
(and try some EH Taylor Bourbon. It's yummy.)
HOW ABOUT A LITTLE MAGIC, QUENTIN!
Here we are, folks! The final episode before the beginning of the season finale! We hope you've had a fun time with us, because it's been a delight spending time with all of you! Enjoy the show, and then buckle up for next week!
In this episode, we discuss the theme of the setting as a character. What would a haunted house story be without the house??
What would DUNE be without Arrakis?
What would our show be without BOURBON?? Okay, so that's not really a setting, but...it's still bourbon.
Stephen and Mark spend a few minutes to talk about the caretakers of modern America's grand daddy of haunted houses. Hugh Crane might've built it, but it was the Dudley's that kept it from falling apart. ALSO, we try out a 30 year old bottle of Wild Turkey Stephen's father found sitting forgotten in a liquor cabinet.
WALKED ALONE.
We spend some time wandering the halls of one of the greatest haunted house books of all time. "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson. Iconic. Classic. Ground breaking. To celebrate, Stephen and Mark will crack open and revel of the flavors of Old Elk bourbon.
"Spin" by Robert Charles Wilson, is an epic tale. So, yeah. There's a boat load of stuff we didn't get to talk about.
In this week's episode, we look at the immensity of the history of the universe, and all the things living there, in comparison with the eyeblink time scale of the human race as we come face to face with our much older and more powerful neighbors in Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. When coming to terms with our fate gets too much, we hide inside Rabbit Hole Cavehill Bourbon.
We've discussed a lot of books that talk about the experience and imagery of doors. Physical doors. Doors in time. Doors in reality. Doors as a metaphor. In this episode, we make like cosmic lizards, break on through to the other side, and get into the Twilight Zone-esque twists of doors. Along for the ride is Long Branch Straight Kentucky Bourbon, a collaboration between Wild Turkey and Mister Alright Alright Alright himself, Matthew McConaughey.
MRS. KNIGHT?!?!?!?
Let's dive once more into The Fold by Peter Clines as we talk aout the things we forgot to talk about.
We explore the multiverse in "The Fold" by Peter Clines, bringing with us one of the smoothest bottles of bourbon we've had yet, Jefferson's Bourbon.
What does it mean to be good? It's something explored in our book of the week, "The Ten Thousand Doors of January". It's also explored in the complex depth of our whiskey of choice to revisit. Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey.
This week, Stephen and Mark are faced with a universe of choices in "The Ten Thousand Doors of January" by Alix E. Harrow. In it, we learn that stories, doors, choices, and destiny are never exactly what you think they might be.
Their guide and solace on this rollercoaster of a novel will be Journeyman Distillery's Corsets, Whips, & Whiskey wheated whiskey.
Stephen and Mark loved talking to Ronald Malfi so much, they had to continue the conversation in our 11th Oopsisode of season 1. If you heard our episode, "Come With Me", you've had a little foreshadowing about the topic of this Oopsisode. If you haven't, well, you really should, but did you know Ronald is in a band??
Also continuing from last week, Stephen and Mark continue on their exploration of the wilderness trail...Wilderness Trail Bourbon, that is.
In our second Interview Episode, we sit down with award winning author, Ronald Malfi, to discuss the release of his latest book, "Come With Me", premiering on July 20. We've talked about Ronald's work before with "The Night Parade" in Season 1, Episode 10, and we take a little time to revisit that as well to have the bigger discussion about time lapses, unreliable narrators, and why Dewar's Whiskey is a household staple in American homes.
In discussing "Come With Me", we watch Aaron Decker follow a trail of breadcrumbs left by his dead wife. Meanwhile, Stephen and Mark follow Wilderness Trail Bourbon to a great conclusion on a summer night by the firepit while Ronald partakes of his own beverage over the internet.
Stephen and Mark try to remember all the stuff they forgot about the novel, "14" by Peter Clines.
Exactly how much horror can one find inside a low rent apartment building in L.A.? Stephen and Mark dive into the Lovecraftian steampunk modern day thrill ride of "14" by Peter Clines while drinking the dark and complex bonfire that is The Burning Chair Bourbon.
What did Stephen and Mark forget about the theory of Quantum Loop Gravity? Yeah, well, pretty much all of it. We're just not that smart. Come take a listen!
Stephen and Mark attempt to tackle quantum loop gravity, and get sucked into a black hole of understanding as they discuss "The Order of Time" by Carlo Rovelli.
As their brains overheat, the guys attempt to cool things down with the smooth, rich flavor of 1792 Bourbon.
Stephen and Mark's memories sometimes vanish just like the birds. Good thing they've got a revisit from Redemption Bourbon to help them remember.
Humanity has left the Earth and taken to the cosmos in "The Vanished Birds" by Simon Jimenez. To fuel their flight, Stephen and Mark will try a store pick of Elijah Craig Straight Kentucky Bourbon.
Stephen and Mark spend a little time discussing the theme of magic from the perspective of books by Jonathan L. Howard, Lev Grossman, and Erin Morgenstern. But magic so often requires a payment or a catalyst to get it going. In this episode, the guys offer up Redemption Bourbon to get the magic flowing properly.
Stephen and Mark redeem their tickets to The Circus of Dreams. A place of light and shadow, enchantment and illusion, they discover a winding tale of wishes, mysteries, and danger. Welcome to "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern.
Along the way, they tempt fate and destiny with Wigle Bourbon, aged in the Laphroaig scotch casks, brought to them by a special guest host.
In this episode, Stephen and Mark learn that magic is real...as long as you're the best of the best. Hogwarts meets Top Gun with a dash of Less Than Zero and a jigger of elitism in "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman. Can they learn the correct hand positions for casting Magic Missile before the ennui of having phenomenal cosmic powers gives them the WORST PERIOD DAY PERIOD EVER PERIOD??
In trying to stave off the meaninglessness of it all, they will sample something from outside the United States, Peak Whisky from Japan.
Stephen and Mark explore what happens when you mix hard crime noir with Lovecraftian horror in the novel "Carter & Lovecraft" by Jonathan L. Howard. Add in a dash of ironic wit, a pinch of traditional homage turned on its side, and a delicious vocabulary to create the perfect recipe for fun.
The perfect pairing for this story of unnatural monsters and firearms in action for our co-hosts is Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey.
In this theme episode, Stephen and Mark talk about the viral apocalypse in stories. The tropes, the narratives, and the parallels with reality.
To lighten the mood, they will be sampling an American tradition, Old Forester Straight Kentucky Bourbon.
The end is coming in the form of a viral apocalypse, the virus of vampirism. Join Stephen and Mark as they witness the end of the world and the birth of a new one in this reinvention of the old tale of vampires in "The Passage" by Justin Cronin.
As another reinvention, Stephen and Mark will try High West Double Rye Bourbon, distilled in Park City, UT rather than Kentucky.
We come out with a new episode every two weeks, and in between, we talk about the stuff we forgot in the previous episodes. Welcome to our new series of Oopsisodes, short shows to fill in the gaps. Our next full episode will be next week. In the meantime, enjoy!
Stephen and Mark are on a mad dash, midnight flight from the inevitable, and a virus known as Wanderer's Folly in "The Night Parade" by Ronald Malfi. They will drift in an out of quarantine zones, consciousness, and moral ambiguities as they raise up this tale of a viral apocalypse in progress.
To ease the pain, they will sample Yellowstone Straight Kentucky Bourbon. They'll also have something NEW to discuss for all the Vikings out there.
In this special themed episode, Stephen and Mark explore the theme of FEAR in the books they've discussed thus far in Season One.
To boost their courage, they will be fortifying themselves with the mysterious blend of A Fistful Of Bourbons.
Madness and eldritch horror abound in this episode as Stephen and Mark explore the depths of their own sanity when discussing "The Book of Cthulhu". They will try to hold back the ancient horrors with the power of Very Old Barton bourbon whiskey.
Stephen and Mark step into the mysteries of the Ancient Eight of Yale in "Ninth House" by Leigh Bardugo. Later, they engage in a ritual of their own as they sample Four Roses.
Welcome to 2021, and the beginning of the end. Stephen and Mark discover the rising evil waiting in Pine Deep, PA in "Ghost Road Blues" by Jonathan Maberry. Their only salvation as they discuss this terrifying story might just be Willett Straight Kentucky Bourbon. That is, of course, assuming an enraged Jimmy Stewart doesn't take his revenge against our co-hosts first.
In their first ever Holiday Special, Stephen and Mark explore the most famous holiday ghost story of all time, "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Like a pair of drunken chimney sweeps, covered in dust and suffering from black lung, they crawl through the sooty history and lessons of this timeless classic. They sweeten it, not with just Tiny Tim's sunny disposition, but also with the rich, double oaked goodness of Woodford Reserve.
Stephen and Mark learn the meaning of desperation and fear as they discuss the horror of the novel, The Hunger by Alma Katsu. To slake their thirst for blood BOURBON, our ravenously intrepid hosts will sample and discuss Knob Creek.
Stephen and Mark polish their icons and stock up on the holy water as the delve into lives and careers of the famous Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Demonologist by Gerald Brittle. At the same time, they will sing the praises of the Bob Dylan inspired bourbon, Heaven's Door.
Stephen and Mark continue their journey down the rabbit hole by discussing the sequel of the nightmare fuel that is The Shining, the equally terrifying Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. As they do, they will also explore the deep, amber depths of Rowan's Creek bourbon.
In their inaugural podcast, Mark and Stephen begin an exploration of their favorite spooky titles with a conversation on the classic and incomparable masterpiece ¨The Shining¨ by Stephen King.
Coupled with their literary loquaciousness, your two hosts imbibe a different bourbon each episode, traversing the wonderful world of that magnificent amber spirit.
And, they both sport striking beards that their wives love, so...there´s that.
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