Beards, Books, and Bourbon Podcast - podcast cover

Beards, Books, and Bourbon Podcast

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.
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Episodes

"Darkness & Light" - The Hurricane Wars with Two Brothers 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!

Feb 02, 202456 minSeason 4Ep. 1

"We're So Screwed" - Turn of the Screw & Old Fashioned Palooza

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.

Oct 31, 202352 minSeason 3Ep. 39

"Leather, Discipline, Dragons?" - Fourth Wing & The Judge Bourbon Whiskey

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.

Oct 18, 202357 minSeason 3Ep. 37

What We Forgot About To Sleep in a Sea of Stars with Oak & Eden 4 Grain & Spire - OOPSISODE

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.

Oct 09, 202313 minSeason 3Ep. 36

"The Widdershin Scream that Cleaves the Night" - To Sleep in A Sea of Stars & Breckenridge Bourbon

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.

Oct 02, 20231 hr 5 minSeason 3Ep. 35

"Come Sail Away...into Chaos!" The Ferryman & Glynnevan Maple 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.

Sep 02, 202355 minSeason 3Ep. 33

"Oops Over Manhattan" - Edge of Sleep Oopsisode with Foundry Manhattan

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.

Aug 26, 202314 minSeason 3Ep. 32

"Stephen, Wake up!" - The Edge of Sleep with KOVAL Single Barrel Bourbon

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...

Aug 19, 202345 minSeason 3Ep. 31

"What We Forgot About The Road" Oopsisode with Maytag Mead

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.

Aug 12, 202316 minSeason 3Ep. 30

"It Can Never Be Unseen" - The Road with Legent

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.

Aug 06, 202358 minSeason 3Ep. 29

"Nothing Is Clean" - Wool with Pinhook Bourbon

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.

Jul 22, 202355 minSeason 3Ep. 27

APOCALYPSE: The Oopsisode Edition

What can you possibly forget about the end of the world?!?!? We'll find out with Copper & Cask!

Jul 15, 202316 minSeason 3Ep. 26

The Apocalypse Theme Show with Castle & Key

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.

Jul 08, 20231 hr 1 minSeason 3Ep. 25

"Spooky!" - Theme show with Buffalo Trace

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.

Jun 10, 20231 hr 4 minSeason 3Ep. 21

"What We Do In The Shadows" - Theme Show

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!

Jun 02, 202343 minSeason 3Ep. 20

"I Don't Want To Forget" - The Book of M with EH Taylor Bourbon Whiskey

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. Taylo...

May 20, 20231 hr 9 minSeason 3Ep. 18

"No Monsters Required" - Abandon with Starward Two-Fold Whiskey

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.

May 05, 202352 minSeason 3Ep. 16

"My 80's Halloween Story" - All Hallows with Oak & Eden Finished 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 ...

Apr 23, 202353 minSeason 3Ep. 14

"Once You Know, You Can't Unknow." The Twisted Ones with Duke Kentucky Bourbon

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.

Apr 10, 20231 hrSeason 3Ep. 12
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