Ep. 54 - Top Secrets of High Stakes Speechwriting

SPEECHWRITING, SUBMARINES & TOP SECRET CLEARANCE. Today’s guest has not only led an utterly fascinating life, but he’s also my younger brother, Justin Mikolay. As a speechwriter, Justin spent years joined at the hip with several of the most powerful men on the planet, including four-star General David Petraeus, Secretary of Defense and four-star General James Mattis (twice), and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Prior to his adventures globetrotting with the Generals, Justin spent several years aboard a fast attack nuclear submarine, the USS San Juan. Over drinks any sailor would love, Justin shares what it’s like to both witness and help write history, including why the week leading up to the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden was extra weird, what it’s like to fly for 18 straight hours on a plane that is refueled in mid-air three times, and how to operate a pressurized, mobile, underwater nuclear reactor that DRIVES INTO HARMS WAY. You’ll also learn the difference between a “Secret Tent” and a “Top Secret Tent”, how great speechwriting is like painting, and whether you can smoke on a submarine (spoiler alert: you can totally fire up a cig on a submarine).



Drinks in this Episode:

Navy Fizz cocktail >> 1/2 ripe nectarine, sliced; 3/4 oz simple syrup; 1 two-inch Rosemary sprig, plus additional for garnish; 1 1/2 ounces London Dry Gin; 3/4 ounce Campari; 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice; club soda. In a cocktail shaker, muddle nectarine, simple syrup, and rosemary sprig. Add gin, Campari, and lemon juice, fill shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled (about 15 seconds.) Fill highball glass with ice. Fine-strain cocktail into serving glass. Top with soda, garnish with additional rosemary sprig and toast to fair winds and following seas.



Annapolis Orange Crush cocktail >> 1 cup fresh orange juice; 4 oz orange-flavored vodka; 2 oz. triple sec; Lemon-lime soda; Orange slices, for garnish. Add cubed or crushed ice to 2 pint glasses. Divide the vodka, triple sec, and orange juice evenly between the glasses. Top each drink with a splash of lemon-lime soda. Tuck an orange slice into each glass for garnish and you are now ready to hunt for the Red October.



Pegu Club cocktail >> 2 oz gin; 3/4 oz orange Curaçao; 1/2 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed; 1 dash Angostura bitters; 1 dash orange bitters. Add the gin, orange Curaçao, lime juice, Angostura bitters and orange bitters into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass and salute the star spangled banner.



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