The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

In this mini episode, we give you a preview of some of the awesome stuff we have planned for you in the second half of 2020.

In this really informative chat with Jake Parrott, National Sales Representative for spirits importer Haus Alpenz, some of the topics we cover include: How Jake took a hobbyist interest in spirits and turned it into a profession - in essence, the sort of story that a lot of our listeners might find inspiring. How Haus Alpenz grew to become one of the foremost champions of spirits and fortified wines that don't often make it to the US. The story of Dolin Vermouth and how it changed the face of the mixed drinks scene at a key moment in the cocktail renaissance. Then, we conduct a two-bottle tasting of Haus Alpenz spirits, including Pasubio Vino Amaro and Dolin Genepy. We also cover a lot of the ins and outs of the spirits importation and distribution game - including how bottles make their way to the US from abroad and how various regulatory and logistical hurdles are cleared. We also talk about the fascinating oxidized and rancio wines from Spain and the south of France, what indispensable tool Jake carries on him at all times when doing demos, and much, much more.

In this eye opening conversation with Baijiu expert Derek Sandhaus, some of the topics we discuss include: What Baijiu is - which might seem like a simple definitions game, but it's way more interesting than that. How Derek came to spend years in China studying the culture and learning as much as possible about Baijiu and the people who make and enjoy it. What sort of microbial magic needs to happen in order to produce liquid alcohol from a solid fermentable mash - and to that end, what Baijiu shares in common with other spirits like open fermented Mezcal and dunder-fortified Jamaican rum. We talk about two of Derek's books, Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits and Drunk in China, the most recent of the two. We give you a crash course in the most popular styles of Baijiu and the regional cuisines they evolved to complement and then talk about where Baijiu might be heading in the coming years and decades. We imagine what it would be like to share a bottle of Baijiu with legendary 8th Chinese drinker and poet Li Bai. And much, much more. Derek is a fascinating guy to interview, and the amount of time he's spent researching and immersing himself in Chinese culture is a huge asset because the things he shares don't feel purely academic. They're based on real things he's tasted, real places he's visited, and real people whom he's learned from.

In this conversation with designer and cocktail author Nick Barclay, some of the topics we discuss include: How Nick made his way to Australia by way of the UK, and how the Land Down Under's flourishing cocktail culture inspired him to start designing for the liquid medium. What Nick means when he aims for "simplicity" of design, either in a print, in his book, Measurements: A Proportional Cocktail Guide, or in an actual cocktail. Some of the challenges behind creating 2-dimensional visual representations of 3-dimensional objects like cocktail glasses and garnishes. How color became an important consideration when representing the proportional relationships between different ingredients in drinks. A few thoughts on the wine culture in Australia as compared to consumer tastes in Canada and the US. The trials and tribulations of a cocktail lover who doesn't enjoy the taste of whiskey And much, much more.

Some of the things we discuss in this wide-ranging conversation with bartender, author, and podcaster Shawn Soole of Soole Hospitality Concepts include: How Shawn made his way to Victoria, British Columbia by way of Australia, and how he explains his city's disproportionate influence on the cocktail world, relative to its size. Why he and his team at Clive's Cocktail Lounge in Victoria decided to embark on the ambitious project (called Homage Cocktail Fridays) of re-creating almost 100 famous cocktail menus from cocktail bars around the world. The way Shawn was able to hustle - literally hustle - for the opportunity to work with some of the world's most influential cocktail ambassadors, like Jeffrey Morganthaler and Philip Duff. What Canada has to offer on the cocktail front - highlighting some of the people, places, and flavors featured in Great Northern Cocktails to show all of us quarantined Americans what we're missing out on north of the border. How to plan your next vacation to the great white north so that you're certain to strategically hit the best food and drink venues that each city has to offer. What Shawn talks about on his own awesome podcast, The Post Shift Podcast. And much, much more.

In this conversation with Distilled Spirits Council President and CEO Chris Swonger, some of the topics we discuss include: What DISCUS does as a lobbying organization and why storytelling is so important when it comes to capturing the attention of policymakers. How seemingly unrelated forces like steel imports, fighter jets, and trade wars have a direct impact on the sticker price of our favorite Scotches and Liqueurs and how much bourbon leaves the United States. What distillers and bartenders have been doing on the front lines to keep people safe and well stocked during the COVID-19 shelter in place crisis and how the 3 tier system is adapting to the new constraints imposed by the pandemic. Some of the great strides being made by Spirits United - a platform where home enthusiasts and industry professionals can all come together to support their favorite beverages and the people who make them. Which emerging trends to keep your eye on as the booze market recovers from the Coronavirus with extreme innovation. What to drink with Winston Churchill and MMatthew McConaughey And much, much more

This is Earth No Patio (Episode 9), where Eric provided some voice-over work as inspiration for Ben Turner, who produced this strange and amazing piece of audio art in return.

Some of the topics we discuss with Ben Turner, creator of Earth No Patio include: How Ben's experiences in the art and culinary world led him to this structured, yet highly associative experiment of pairing recipes with soundscapes. Why some of the best (or most efficient) recipes can seem almost boring or banal, but tend to be extremely thoughtful in their structure and sequence. The intuitive process by which Ben selects the recipes he features on Earth No Patio - from bland, unassuming Italian eggplant recipes, to Ayurvedic dishes that comment on bile color and bodily excrement. Why Ben views cocktail recipes as punctuation in his podcast, as well as a few thoughts on the wild and funky barscapes he's been playing with in recent episodes. What to drink while chatting with Avante Garde composer and artist John Cage, And much, much more.

In this episode, Eric catches up with Chris Kiertz (@cocktail_chris) about his pet project, The Home Bar Awards - an inclusive monthly cocktail competition hosted on Instagram designed specifically for home bartenders. Some of the topics we discuss include: How Chris fell back in love with the spirits and cocktail industry and fused it with his love of marketing to build a number of extremely popular cocktail instagram accounts. What The Home Bar Awards are all about, including how to participate in this wide open competition and what some of the monthly challenges have entailed to-date. The way that Chris went about creating connections in the service industry and how his dedication and hard work resulted in collaborations with some of the top bartenders in the world. His latest project, a cocktail rating app called "Sidecar" (see, I told you we'd come back to it) - and how this foray into the tech space can help people evaluate drinks at their favorite bars. Advice for taking beautiful pictures of the cocktails you make at home What New Jersey cocktail to drink with legendary entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk And much, much more

In this second installment of our three-part series on the art of the recipe, we emerge from the depths of ancient history and trace the recipe from its early modern origins to its current manifestation. Some of the texts and topics we cover include: The Physiology of Taste or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy by Jean-Enthelme Brillat Savarin (as translated and annotated by M.F.K. Fisher) Modern Cookery by Eliza Acton Advances in weights and measures standardization in Europe and North America Modern research on 19th century drinks by David Wondrich Contemporary recipe narratives in popular culture Advice for constructing excellent recipes in the food and cocktail space And much, much more