The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

Eric is joined by co-producer and travel correspondent, Adam Bauer to discuss the many signature Bloody Mary cocktails served at St. Regis Hotels all around the world. The drinks featured include: The 7452 Mary (St. Regis, Deer Park) The Downhill Snapper (St. Regis, Aspen) The Capitol Mary (St. Regis, Washington, DC) This episode also touches on a few key tensions within the Bloody Mary world. For example: the tension between ritual and innovation and the impulse to reach for familiar flavors when you're traveling away from home. **** This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life. Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this stimulating still dialogue with Dr. Eric Stroud of Mohawk Spirits Distillery, some of the topics we discuss include: The differences between traditional and vacuum distillation - that is, distillation that takes place in the presence of high heat vs. distillation that takes place at room temperature but under high pressure. How Dr. Stroud secured a grant from the American Distilling Institute that allowed him to fabricate and test ancient still designs found in alchemical and medical texts from the Renaissance and Enlightenment. What it's like to test glass stills with zig-zags and coils and chambers that seem to be in all the wrong places. The implications of Dr. Stroud's compelling test results for the craft distilling community, as well as what new experiments are on the horizon. The virtues of working with native North American fruits and berries, What to drink with a late Renaissance alchemist, And much, much more. This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life. Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Some of the topics we cover in this wide-ranging conversation with spirits writer, educator, and judge Billy Abbott include: How Billy took the leap from a career in computing and database management to pursue his passion for whisky, and what the past decade has looked like for him following that drastic vocational shift. What it means to be a generalist in a world teeming with whisky specialists, and why it pays to take a curious, humble, and omnivorous approach to learning and teaching about spirits. Then we take a slight left turn and talk about Asian spirits, including how Billy became one of the first Awamori Jinbners, his thoughts on Shochu and Bajui, and the tricky business of introducing large markets to spirits they know nothing about. But that's not all. We give you the inside scoop on BIlly's new book, we cover some exciting new spirits producers and trends in Europe and the UK, and we even wax poetic on the importance of sandwich ergonomics in the age of COVID. This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life. Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Eric walks through his method for cutting back on drinking using a simple tool he calls a "daily accountability journal." This method stands in stark contrast to "booze cleanse" months like "Sober October" and "Dry January." Along the way, he discusses the difference between "dry" and "wet" societies, why we tend to set ourselves up for failure during the holidays, and how you can use the daily accountability journal to really earn a drink or two at the end of the day. This episode is also brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life. Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this Bar Cart Foundations episode, we trace the history of the mint julep and describe some important points regarding its craft. We begin by trying to define what a julep is, where it comes from, and where mint enters into the equation. Next, we place its formulation in contrast to other drinks that were popular during its heyday - that time being the late 1700s to mid-1800s. After that, we talk about its connection with the Kentucky Derby, which leads to a few fun equestrian mixological digressions. And we wrap with some tips for preparing mint Juleps in the year 2021 in time for the Kentucky Derby or whatever other excuse you might have for making them.

In this barrel-aged deep dive with spirits writer Brent Joseph, some of the topics we discuss include: How Brent came to love Bourbon and used his passion to propel himself into a senior contributor role at Bourbon & Banter. The recent retail experiences that led him to pose the titular question of his four-part article series: "Is Bourbon Broken?" The economic and market forces that have led to massive demand for particular brands and bottles (and the subsequent perverse incentive to flip them for outrageous prices on the secondary market). What it means for a bottle to be "allocated" The role that social media has played in the fetishization of certain bottles and purchasing habits How to be a smarter Bourbon shopper and better citizen of the Bourbon community And much, much more. This episode is also brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life. Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

Sother Teague is the barman behind the hit NYC bar, Amor y Amargo (Trans: "Love and Bitters"). He is also the authors of the books, I'm Just Here for the Drinks and Let's Get Blitzen. Some of the topics covered in this wide-ranging conversation with Sother Teague include: The origin story of Sother Teague. From a biker bar in Panama City Florida, to the New England Culinary Institute, to tending bar in New York City. Why Amor Y Amargo is a bumble bee, and how it transformed from a trendy pop-up to an acclaimed East Village destination. The bizarre, seductive energy that characterized a pre-pandemic visit to Sother's Bar, and what can it teach us about the meaning of being together and sharing a drink. How Sother has become the reluctant master of the pivot, and what changes are in store for guests at his new concept: Reserve by Amor y Amargo. Some thoughts on the daunting task of pairing food with boozy, stirred cocktails My first Underberg Bitters drinking contest (you'll never guess who won) Details about what's on the horizon for Sother (including several trash bags of bottle caps and a new Sunday Dinner ritual) And much, much more This episode is also brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life. Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.

In this passionate conversation with spirits entrepreneur Mary Sadlier, creator of Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur, some of the topics we discuss include: -How Mary spun a career in accounting and finance into a crusade with her dairy farmer husband to revolutionize the Irish Cream liqueur category. -The story behind the Coole Swan brand name, which involves a uniquely Irish geological feature, a famous poet, and a flock of...you guessed it, Swans. -Why the assimilative properties of cream make it an excellent canvas for conveying other flavors -How Mary manages to keep her ingredient list smaller and more natural than her competitors. -Ideas for using Coole Swan on your bar menu or in your next at-home cocktail adventure -What to drink when you're hanging out with Clint Eastwood -And much, much more

In this bitter and botanical deep dive with Keli Rivers and David T. Smith, we preview their new book, Negroni, and discuss the ins and outs of this classic equal-parts cocktail. Some of the topics we discuss include: The various origin stories of the Negroni - both the conventional story about count Camillo Negroni, and also some stunningly international accounts that cast doubt on when and where this cocktail was truly invented, and by whom. What it's like to assemble a cocktail book during a pandemic, and why Negroni turned out to be a timely tool for home bartenders affected by lockdowns and a lack of bars. The three primary buckets that all negronis can fall into: perfect ratio through formulation, perfect ratio through balance, and perfect ratio out the window. Some of the more exotic or avant-garde Negroni recipes in the book, including tiki negronis, creamy negronis, and even a negroni served hot. We learn the story behind Keli's tattoo, the importance of having a bottled negroni in the fridge at all times, the virtues of gin and cola, and much, much more.

Welcome to another episode of Modern Bar Cart LIVE! This time around, we were lucky enough to have special guest Erin Petrey of Bourbon & Banter join us in person for a tasting of four different bourbons. The goal here was to see how different styles and mash bills affect the flavor profiles of America's spirit and learn to appreciate how different flavors can be mapped onto decisions made during the distilling and barrel aging process. The bottles we taste in this stream are as follows (in case you want to taste along with us): Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Elijah Craig Small Batch Four Roses Single Barrel Wild Turkey 17 year Bottled in Bond Quick little bio for Erin: Born and raised in the Bluegrass, Erin has always held an affinity for her home state's signature spirit. Throughout her world travels (35 countries and counting!), Erin delights in spreading the gospel of bourbon across the globe, from Spain to Korea, and especially in her now home of Washington, DC. Erin spent her formative years studying international relations and finding the best libations the Nation's Capital has to offer. Though a high rye bourbon will always be her favorite, she can never say no to a pretty bottle. Always up for an adventure, Erin also enjoys kayaking, science fiction, exceptional cocktails, and travelling everywhere possible. This episode was brought to you by Near Country Provisions. Shop their selection of locally sourced pork, beef, seafood, and (soon) chicken, and get your farm fresh meat delivered to your door every month. Enter the code BARCART at checkout to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef with your first order.