Batch cocktails are always a good idea, even if this year's holiday season features much smaller gatherings. That also means this is a great year to experiment with some recipes and methods you've never tried before. Pat, Roger, Alicia and Chris have you covered with tips and tricks to take your cocktail game to the next level. Check out all the cocktail recipes on our blog .
Roger was recently asked about his "Aha Moment" in beer; that one drink that makes you realize what beer (or wine, or spirits) is capable of. For him, it was tripels. The beer scene is dominated by bold flavors, and tripels are not lacking in that department. Bold, complex and very easy to pair with food. Take a trip from the Trappist breweries of Belgium to a walled city in Canada, to America's best takes on the style. Drink along at home with following beers: Westmalle Trappist Tripel Tripel K...
Add another country to the ever-growing whisky/whiskey producers available to Binny's customers: Australia. David Vitale, founder of Starward Whisky, joins Pat and Greg to talk about defining Australian whisky. Also a preview of the upcoming Starward Single Cask Handpicked. Drink along at home with following spirits: Starward Two Fold Double Grain Australian Whisky Starward Nova Single Malt Australian Whisky Starward Solera Single Malt Australian Whisky...
The weather is turning colder, so it's time to move away from negronis and tiki drinks to something that warms you up. And no, we're not talking about pumpkin cocktails. From Colonial classics to modern favorites, there's something for every palate and every level of home mixologist.
In this very special bonus episode of Barrel to Bottle, the team shares a sneak peek at Goose Island's 2020 Bourbon County lineup. From the special barrel finishes of the highly limited Birthday and Anniversary variants, to the caramel apple wheatwine Caramella, and the artfully flavored Kentucky Fog, Proprietor's and Special #4, there's a lot to love in this year's variant lineup. And don't sleep on the OG BCBS, it's a classic. For more info on this year's socially distanced drawing head to our...
Seipp Brewing Co. was known as the Beer that Built Chicago, and at one time it was the best selling beer in America. It survived the Chicago Fire, but like many other Chicago breweries, couldn't survive Prohibition. Laurin Mack, Conrad Seipp's great great great granddaughter joins the Barrel to Bottle Crew to talk about reviving her family's brewery.
Fever Tree is a favorite of the Barrel to Bottle Crew. Pat samples a lot of mixers so he would know. But we want to know, why does Fever Tree have so many varieties? Alex Brick is here to answer that question, and mix up a range of cocktails from the traditional to the unique.
Chardonnay is a versatile grape that can be grown almost anywhere by almost anyone. That means you can coax a wide variety flavors out of the grape. Many listeners might know Chardonnay for being buttery and heavily oaked, but the Barrel to Bottle crew is here with some more subtle expressions. Plus a listenera Q&A about identifying corked wine. Drink along at home with the following wines: Domaine Servin Chablis Vaillons 2018 Evening Land Chardonnay Seven Springs Eola Amity Hills 2017 Hamil...
Tiki cocktails are one of Roger's passions. But some members of the Barrel to Bottle Crew don't want to go through the hassle of mixing a 15-ingredient cocktail. Maybe you're the same way? If you don't want to stock up on multiple fruit juices, syrups, liqueurs and types of rum, this is the perfect episode for you. Check out our blog post for all the Quarantiki recipes featured in today's episode.
Canadian Whisky is still a bit of a mystery to many drinkers, including some Barrel to Bottle hosts. The Whiskey Hotline is here to help, blind tasting six bottles from the Great White North, to prove that Canadian Whisky is more than just big plastic bottles you find in your grandparent's liquor cabinet. Plus an in-house Q&A about barrel charring. Drink along at home with the following whisky: J.P. Wiser's Triple Barrel Rye Canadian LTD Signal Hill Canadian Whisky Lot 40 12 Year Old Cask St...
We asked Lincoln Park wine manager Gabe what topic he could talk about for a half an hour. Besides video games, Gabe's passion is Bordeaux. Not only does he love Bordeaux, but he's been there for En Primeur. Gabe takes the B2B through some of his favorite Bordeaux selections and gives a behind the scenes look at En Primeur. Drink along at home with the following wines: Chapelle de Potensac Medoc 2016 Chateau Pedesclaux Pauillac 2016 Chateau Lagrange Saint Julien 2016 Chateau Ferriere Margaux 201...
You might think that all Oktoberfest beers are the same, but Roger is here to show you that's not the case. The Barrel to Bottle Crew will help you clear up some of the confusing aspects of Oktoberfest, starting with why it's in September. They'll run through a sampling of German and American offerings, as well as give you some great food pairings. Plus, in a very convenient Q&A session, a listener wants to know the best glass for serving Oktoberfest and Festbiers. Prosit! Dink along at home...
Resident wine guy Chris takes the Barrel to Bottle Crew through some of the lesser known appellations of the Rhone Valley. The Rhone Valley offers wines that are easily accessible or very complex, so it's the perfect region to start your wine journey. Dink along at home with the following wines: Domaine Vincent Paris Crozes Hermitage 2018 Jean Louis Chave Selection Saint Joseph Offerus 2017 Xavier Vignon Vacqueyras 2015 Domaine de Piaugier Gigondas 2017...
Stanley Tucci has a lot to learn about making a Negroni. The question is, does he hunger for knowledge on this classic cocktail, or does he just want to play games? As Roger runs through all the ways in which The Tooch screwed up this cocktail, the Barrel to Bottle spends their big night screwing up this cocktail. But the great thing about a Negroni is you can transform it into almost anything. Mix up some Negronis at home by visiting our blog for all the recipes featured in this episode....
At this point it's pretty obvious that hard seltzers are more than just a passing fad. One of the biggest questions we get at Binny's is "what are these things exactly?" Hard Seltzers can be made many different ways , as Odd Side Ales' plant manager Joel Brower explains to the Barrel to Bottle crew. After the interview, Roger, Pat and Chris sample through different brands and flavors of hard seltzer. Drink along at home with these hard seltzers: Odd Side POG Hard Seltzer White Claw Black Cherry ...
It's hard to believe Half Acre Brewing Co. is now considered a veteran of the Chicago craft beer scene. But 14 years will change a lot of things. Co-founder Gabriel Magliaro sits down with the Barrel to Bottle crew to discuss the history of the brewery and the challenges they've faced over the last decade plus. Drink along at home with these beers: Half Acre Bodem Half Acre Tome Half Acre Fully Saturated Double Daisy Cutter Half Acre Lagertown Half Acre Logue...
We couldn't fit all our time with Geoff and Marcy Larson into our weekly episode, so we're sliding into your feed with a bonus ep. Hear about some of the other creative ways Alaskan Brewing has survived and thrived in the Last Frontier.
Geoff and Marcy Larson have faced many unique challenges brewing beer in landlocked Juneau, Alaska. In addition to a stable of core beers, they've branched out and kept up with the latest trends in craft beer. Drink along at home with these beers: Alaskan Amber Alaskan Smoked Porter
The Barrel to Bottle Crew is looooooooong overdue for this episode. Luckily, we've got someone to guide us through this unexplored category; Binny's Buyer Jack Spethman. Jack takes us through the basics, including some tips for cutting and smoking. Then Pat and Roger run through a few sticks that Jack gave them to sample. Also, a listener Q&A about how to pair with spirits.
It's You Don't Know Jackfruit, the Barrel to Bottle game show. Your contestants this week are Pat, Chris and Greg, who go head to head taking on the hardest fruit questions presented by your host, Roger. Fruit notes are frequent descriptors in the world of wine, spirits and beer. But why do your favorite beverages have these tasting notes? Play along and see how you stack up against the Barrel to Bottle team.
Is this the Summer of Rosé pt. Deux or should it be Rosé All Year? Alicia and Chris take us on a journey around the world of Rosé. From California to France and back again, these refreshing wines (porch pounders, really) are great in the warm weather, but they're excellent to drink year-round as well. Drink along at home with the following rosés, all day or all year. Tables Creek Patelin de Tables Rosé 2019 Blackbird Vineyards Arriveste Rosé 2019 Belle de Provence Rosé Coteaux Varois en P...
The Highball is the ultimate lazy cocktail. By definition, it should only be two ingredients. Pat's not even sure it deserves its own episode. But-not ones to leave well enough alone-Roger and Chris are here to prove that you can get a little fancy with a Highball, elevating it from a two-ingredient cocktail to something a little more complex. Mix along at home with the following cocktail ingredients: Akashi Ume Plum Flavored Whisky Fever Tree Club Soda Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Year Old Ra...
The beer scene is dominated by flavor-blasted IPAs and stouts, but the German Helles style has been making a quiet comeback. Roger and Chris, the masters of nuance, are here to show you that subtle does not equal boring. The Barrel to Bottle crew has 5 refreshing beers that are perfect for the hottest summer days. In the listener Q&A, the Barrel to Bottle crew tackles the loaded question of beer expiriation/born-on dates. Drink along at home with the following light and crispy boys that aren...
OK, so maybe you aren't going to brunch very often right now. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy these cocktails on your own, whatever time of day, wherever you are. Greg, Roger, Alicia and Chris take you from the basics to the more advanced. As always, the Barrel to Bottle crew is more than willing to offer up a few variations to suit your ingredient list. Drink along at home with the following brunch cocktail ingredients Maplewood Spruce Gin Baron Fuente Grande Reserve Brut Segura Viudas Br...
It doesn't get any cheddar than this. It's unbrielievable that it took this long, really. The Barrel to Bottle Crew is finally doing cheese pairings. Chris has some bonafides in this department, so he'll be leading us through a selection of wine and cheese pairings. Roger isn't forgetting about the beer-loving curd nerds either, he's got some great IPA, Belgian, sour and cider pairings. We promise you'll have a gouda time listening to this episode.
The Quarantini series rolls on with a twofer: The Gold Rush and the Margarita. While Greg and Pat stick with the basics, Roger and Chris get very fancy with several variations. It wouldn't be a cocktail episode without The Fruit King making an appearance to Tiki things up. Then, a listener wants to know the Barrel to Bottle Crew's favorite champage cocktails. Mix along at home with the following cocktails: Pat's Gold Rush INGREDIENTS: 2 oz bourbon or rye 3/4 oz lemon juice 3/4 oz honey simple sy...
The Lange Family are pioneers of Oregon and Willamette Valley wines, an aisle that continues to grow in our stores. Jesse is the winemaker and general manager at Lange, taking over from his father, and the founder of Lange Family Vineyards, Don Lange. Stick around for a listener Q&A about the conundrum of White Zinfandel. Drink along at home with the following wines: Lange Pinot Gris 2019 Lange Chardonnay 2019 Lange Pinot Noir 2017 Lange Pinot Noir 2018...
We're all kind of on our own desert islands right now, so it's a great time to run through the Barrel to Bottle crew's desert island beers. These cans and bottles have stood the test of time, be they tall cripsy boys from the land of sky blue waters, or malty and spicy Belgian classics. These are the beers that mean something, the ones that we'd want to be stranded with. During Q&A, a listener wants to know what the Barrel to Bottle crew looks for when cellaring beer. Presented in no particu...
Barrel to Bottle is dropping into your feed with another bonus episode. We had a little extra time with Mr. Black co-founder Tom Baker, so Roger wanted to play "Ask an Australian".
Mr. Black is the best coffee liqueur the Barrel to Bottle Crew has ever tasted. So it was a no-brainer to have Tom Baker, co-founder of Mr. Black, on the podcast. This is our first international and intercontinental episode of Barrel to Bottle as Tom is dialing in all the way from Australia. The crew will also be making cocktails using Mr. Black. Plus a listener Q&A about what makes whiskey so special. Mix along at home with the Coffee Negroni 1 part Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur 1 part your favo...
