The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

In this episode, we chat with illustrator and architect Melissa Wood about her iconic recipe book, The Architecture of the Cocktail.

In this episode, we chat with cocktail author and beertail expert Jon Yeager, who runs a Nashville-based beverage consulting company alongside his wife Lindsay. The two have co-authored the upcoming book, The Ultimate Guide to Beer Cocktails, forthcoming from Skyhorse Publishing. In this episode, we discuss: The vast sweep of beer history, zooming in and out to identify key moments in the development of the beer cocktail. Where and how these concoctions came about, with special focus on Great Britain and the United States. The use of herbs, spices, and bittering agents like wormwood to create proto-cocktails with strange names like gruit, purl, wassail, and posset. Classic and contemporary beertails ranging from Jerry Thomas’s Porter Punch to the Michelada. The answer to the ever-pressing question: What would Jesus Drink? And much, much more.

In this episode, we cover the most essential elements of good tasting notes, including how to do a wine, beer, or spirits tasting in the first place, as well as how to articulate your thoughts in a way that advances conversations and adds value.

In this episode, garden designer and cocktail architect Leeann Lavin pulls up a mic to talk garnishes. We give you the low-down on so many different types of garnishes, as well as how to improve your garnish game at home. And of course, we talk about her upcoming book, Finishing Touches: The Art of Garnishing the Cocktail.

In this episode, we hang out with Ben Wiley, ower-operator of Archipelago here in Washington, DC. It's a great Tiki bar with a lot of personality, and Ben takes us through some of the essentials that every Tiki enthusiast needs to know.    

In this Bar Cart Foundations episode, we walk you through the traits and habits of cocktail snobs and cocktail slobs, and then we present some useful tips for how not to be either one!  

In this episode, we chat with Robin Miller of Espita Mezcaleria. He gives us a crash course on agave spirits like tequila, mezcal, sotol, and bacanora.

Kat Hamidi, co-founder of Capitoline Vermouth, dives into the fascinating world of this essential cocktail ingredient. She discusses vermouth's evolution from an overlooked component to a cocktail staple, sharing insights on production methods and flavor profiles. Kat highlights innovative techniques for crafting unique vermouth and aperitifs, emphasizing quality ingredients. Listeners gain practical tips for mixing cocktails, including the classic gin and vermouth combo, and are encouraged to explore the rich history and versatility of this complex spirit.

In this episode, we chat with cocktail writer Maggie Hoffman, author of The One-Bottle Cocktail. Some of the topics we cover in this episode include: How Maggie came up with the concept for the One-Bottle Cocktail, and who she wrote it for The essential bottles to have on your bar if you’re looking to make a one-bottle drink. Which fresh ingredients to have on hand if you want to up your home bartending game Thoughts on simplicity and complexity in cocktails And much, much more.  

In this episode, we talk about barrels, which are one of the most important parts of the distilling, aging, and blending process. No barrels, no brown spirits. Let that sink in for a minute. Our guest is Alice Blayne Allard from Free State Cooperage, which is a company that handcrafts locally-sourced barrels right here in the Mid-Atlantic, working with distillers who care deeply about the quality of the barrels they use to age their products. Some of the topics we discuss include: The life cycle of a barrel, from tree, to stave, to whiskey vessel, and beyond. The physics of aged spirits, and how barrel size, temperature, humidity, and char level all affect the process Meditations on the terroir of aged spirits, and how local wood has local flavor Some thoughts on barrel aged cocktails The not-so-subtle irony of George Washington’s role in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion And much, much more Alice and Free State Cooperage are putting the finishing touches on their facility, and will be offering tours and tastings hopefully sometime in the near future. So definitely hit them up at freestatecooperage.com, or follow them on Facebook to stay abreast of those updates.