The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

In this interview with Professor Brian Connors of Florida International University, some of the topics we discuss include: His travels through the world of hospitality and education, including stints at Cornell, and Johnson & Wales, time spent in Ireland and at Michelin star restaurants in France, and even a little bit of chef work on private yachts. How Brian thinks about generalists and specialists in the hospitality space and what you can do to apply your unique skill set to a bar or restaurant career. What Florida International University and Bacardi are doing to explore the new face of hospitality during a pandemic and prepare the next generation of chefs, bartenders, and managers for the challenges they’ll face moving forward. Why Bar Project 2021 took a page out of the tech industry’s playbook by incorporating a sort of hospitality hackathon into their program. Where Brian and I think the industry is headed as we continue our march into 2021 and beyond. How to survive a drunken trip to Oaxaca with Hunter S. Thompson, And much, much more

In this mailbag episode, Eric answers questions from listeners concerning many bar-related topics, including: At-home, DIY bar cart builds The history of crystal spirits decanters and the woes of sourcing them affordably How to play around with smoked cocktails without a fancy smoking gun And much, much more.

In this Aquavit-driven conversation with Christian Krogstad, creator of Krogstad Aquavit, some of the topics we discuss include: What differentiates Aquavit from other botanical spirits like gin and genever How Christian noticed an impending gap in Aquavit imports and used it as an opportunity to develop and launch his own brand. The place that this Nordic spirit holds in Scandinavian cuisine and culture, including which foods to pair it with. A few cocktails to play around with as you begin to build out your Aquavit collection at home, What to drink with a college-age Stephen Hawking, And much, much more

In this Bar Cart Foundations Episode, we take a deep dive into Geographical Indications - you know - those things that verify where your booze comes from. Some of the guests who share their wisdom in this compilation format include: Melanie Asher, founder of Macchu Pisco Effie Panagopoulous, founder of KLEOS Mastiha RB Wolfensberger, distiller of Grey Wolf Spirits Matt Pietrek, Rum Wonk Lou Bank & Chava Periban, Hosts of the Agave Road Trip Podcast Lance Winters, Master Distiller at St. George Spirits The material we cover here is meant to be a crash course of sorts. There are many levels of nuance that we do not cover. However, if you're looking to understand the large-scale forces that affect the legal production and distribution of the spirits you drink, this is a great place to start.

In this first themed bottle tasting of 2021, we focus on Jamaican style rum, with two mass market bottles and two very special limited releases. The bottles we taste, in order, are: Appleton Estate 8 Reserve Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum Forsyth’s WP Single Jamaican Rum 2005 (Barrel Aged for 10 years) Forsyth’s WP 502 Single Jamaican White Rum from 2015

In this year-in-review episode, we put the final nail in the coffin of 2020 so that hopefully it doesn't rise from the dead to haunt us. Some of the topics we covered include: A bitter featured cocktail ("Eeyore's Requiem") Podcast downloads and milestones by the numbers Top trends and new legislation in 2020 What to look forward to in 2021 A holiday message from Eric

Eric is joined for this Modern Bar Cart LIVE episode by co-founder Ethan Hall to discuss the best gifts to give (or request) for home bartenders and mixology fans. Some of the gifts they discuss include: Boozy advent calendars Engraved and local spirits Cocktail mixer gift sets and variety packs New and holiday-themed cocktail mixers Clear ice solutions Cocktail smoking devices Fun and fancy glassware Small format spirit and cocktail aging barrels And much, much more This is a super fun and informative chat for anyone who's wracking their brain trying to find the perfect holiday gift for themselves or for a loved one who enjoys cocktails and home bartending.

In this inaugural bottle review episode of Modern Bar Cart LIVE, Eric, Ethan, and Russell review four bottles from two craft brands. In order, they are: Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka (40% ABV) Humboldt's Finest Hemp Infused Spirit (40% ABV) Ten to One White Rum (45% ABV) Ten to One Dark Rum (40% ABV) Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @modernbarcart for full reviews and bottle shots.

In this delicious interview and spirits tasting with Bertha González Nieves of Casa Dragones Tequila, some of the topics we discuss include:   How Bertha came to small batch Tequila by way of a company we’ve all heard of: Groupo Jose Cuervo. She talks about her time working with the one of the world’s largest purveyors of agave spirits and how it launched her into her current venture. What it means to be certified as a “Maestra Tequilera,” and why this trade certification is particularly special in Bertha’s case. Then, to my great delight, we jump right into the Casa Dragones portfolio. The marks that we taste through, in order, are their Blanco Tequila, their innovative Joven expression, and then finally their Barrel Blend. Of course, I provide nosing and tasting notes, but we also get pretty granular speaking about each spirit. We cover the mineral profile of the Mexican Trans-Volcanic Belt, the process of blending aged and un-aged agave distillates to create a new product altogether, and even the art of selecting barrels using Sessile oak (which is different from traditional Limousin French oak). And much, much more.

In this convivial and wide-ranging chat with drinks writer Aaron Goldfarb, author of Gather Around Cocktails, some of the topics we discuss include: Aaron’s experience writing for major publications in the drinks space beginning in the early 2000s straight through the cocktail renaissance to today, including his recent Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for “Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing.” The story of Gather Around Cocktails, which started with an Eggnog obsession, and grew into a book that’s on a mission to make parties more fun and less lame. Of course, we do dig into eggnog a bit - talking about the most important tools and techniques for batching this rich, creamy drink and even some of the surprising ingredients you can use as dietary substitutes (lookin’ at you, avocado).  Then we take a trip around the calendar year, dipping in and out of seasons and occasions for drinking and learning about the little things you can do to crank your most festive occasions to 11. We talk about everything from Eric's yearly tradition of wearing tricorn hats and drinking colonial era punch while watching The Patriot every 4th of July to the innovative cocktails that Aaron and others have designed to complement traditional Jewish holidays, which can sometimes be solemn occasions. Along the way, we cover why the gimlet is the perfect quarantine drink, how to order a frozen daiquiri in the style of Hunter S. Thompson, and much, much more.