In this podcast we talk about all things surrounding the restaurant and bar industry. Tune in with us every couple of weeks to hear anything from beverage reviews, to stories about customers, and everything in-between. We look forward to sipping on something with you!
In this episode we had the unique opportunity to interview Denny Potter, the master distiller at Makers Mark and Greg Butera, their midwest brand ambassador. We chatted about their new RC6 product, the unique production line at Makers Mark and their commitment to operating as an environmentally sustainable company.
In episode #022, we had the amazing opportunity to sit down with Joe Henry from J. Henry & Sons Bourbon Company. They exploded into the whisky world with their 5 year bourbon in 2015. Over the last 5 years they've won gold and double gold awards at the San Fransisco World Spirits Competition. They are a farm to bottle operation, growing 90% of what goes into the bottle on their family farm in Dane, WI.
In this podcast we talk about Mike and Garrett's trip down to the Bourbon Trail in Louisville Kentucky. They visited the Michter's, Makers Mark and Buffalo Trace distilleries as well as some tasty restaurants in the area. We tasted some award winning beers from Old Irving Brewing & Crystal Lake Brewing. Also, Garrett and Mike brought the Makers Mark RC6 Wood Finishing Series back from their trip to Kentucky for us to review.
In this podcast we had the incredible opportunity to interview Master Distiller Steve Nally from Bardstown Bourbon Company. Steve was on a marketing tour to promote his new line of bourbons, Fusion & Discovery Series along with a Collaboration Series with Copper & Kings, to the Chicagoland area. Listen to a legend talk about the bourbon industry as well as the great new products he’s produced.
In this episode, we take the time to reflect on our experience at FEW Spirits in Evanston, Illinois. It was our first remote podcast and we learned a lot from it. We hope you enjoy this quick recap!
In this episode we focused on FEW ownership and their whiskey portfolio. The sipping social crew went on the the road for their very first remote podcast at the FEW rack house in Evanston, Illinois. The setting was in a massive, yet unassuming, red brick building built in the early 1900's for an ice distrubution company. We recorded with six thousand barrels of aging whiskey surrounding us and the sweet smell of whiskey nectar was in the air.
In this very special two part series, the sipping social crew went on the the road to do their very first remote podcast at the FEW rack house in Evanston, Illinois. The setting was in a massive, yet unassuming, red brick building built in the early 1900's for an ice distrubution company. We recorded with six thousand barrels of aging whiskey surrounding us and the sweet smell of whiskey nectar was in the air. In this episode we focused on operations and FEW Spirits gin portfolio.
In this episode we review four different Oktoberfest beers, almost too much beer for one episode but we got through it. Garrett brings us another great whiskey, the Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year! He also tells us about his greatest customer experience that involves a professional Chicago sports team. We tried to keep this one short as well but ended up having too much fun. Our next episode will be a two part remote podcast at the FEW distillery in Evanston, IL
This week we have the privilege of sipping on some delicious beers with the Production Manager at Solemn Oath, JP Vander Veen. JP has been in the beer business for most of his adult life and we are excited talk shop with him. This week amongst other industry news, we say goodbye to our old stomping ground, Muldoons Irish Pub that lasted in Wheaton, IL. for 17 years. Sit back, listen in and grab something to sip on with us.
We are gearing up for more interviews! So, this episode we kept it short with a tasting of Lunar Form by Half Acre Brewing and delicious rye whiskey from Mammoth Distilling. Next week we interview JP Vander Veen. JP is the head brewer at Solemn Oath in Naperville, IL. We hope you enjoy this quick listen!
This week we chat about another rickhouse that burned down, big news for the Coopers Hawk Winery & Restaurants and local YIEF happenings. We had the privilege to taste some sour beers from the Grist House Craft Brewery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the spirit was Old Bardstown Bourbon Whiskey. Our good and bad customer of the week: those who use the call ahead policy and those that like to order the impossible drink.
Important Links:
Grist House Craft Brewery
Old Bardstown Bourbon Whiskey
No interview for this episode, we are taking the next couple episodes to catch up on some things. This week we respond to listener questions, talk about another rickhouse that burned down and exciting news for Bourbon Belly Hospitality Group. We had the privilege to taste Miskatonic's Apricot Long Tongue Liar kettle sour beer and Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15 yr old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Our customer of the week: channel changers.
Important Links:
Miskatonic Brewing Company
Pappy Van Winkle
Natural Light Naturdays
We’re excited to have Kristin Elftmann on the podcast today. Kristin is the Vice President of EHS Hospitality Group. You'll hear all about the hospitality recruiting business and how Kristin got into that world. We reviewed a couple things today. The beer review is Hop Butcher’s Alemerica The Beautiful, a Mosaic-hopped American pale ale at 6% ABV. For the spirit, Hibiki Suntory Whiskey - Japanese Harmony, it's a tasty one! There's also some new things happening at Heaven Hill and Sazerac Company that you'll want to hear about. Our customers of the week: people who tip on the total after a gift card is run, not good.
Important Links:
EHS Hospitality Group
Hop Butcher Brewery
Hibiki Suntory
We’re excited to have Mike Hoffman and Chris Clabots from Manbot Coffee Roasters on the podcast today. You'll hear about what it is like to start up your own coffee roaster business and the process in which they go about it. The coffee was delicious and was prepared delicately in the Underground Studio right in front of us. We reviewed a couple of coffee style beers on the show today, you definitely want to hear all about those. Our customers of the week: people who verbally tip their wait staff and leave the bare minimum.
Important Links:
We’re are super excited to have Brad Hill on the podcast today from North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, California. Brad brought us some amazing beers from North Coast and to say we enjoyed them would be an understatement. Just listening to Brad explaining the beers will get you all warm inside. We also have a special guest sitting in for Garrett this week, Kait Eliz. She has worked in the restaurant industry for years and is super fun to chat with! Now she's a kick ass nurse. In this podcast we also talk about a new beer tax proposal in Illinois, Sam Adams purchased Dogfish Head to the tune of $300 million and Joe Maddon opening a restaurant in Wrigleyville. Customers of the week are: People who leave idiotic restaurant and beer reviews that ruin the rating system for all.
Important Links:
Credits:
Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com | Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
We’re are super excited to have Joanna Stipanuk on the podcast today. Joanna has been in the business since she was 13! No joke! She is currently bartending and serving at Nobel House in Glen Ellyn which opened up not that long ago, they’re lucky to have her. In this podcast we also share some great stories, talk about the Burger Social in Wheaton making the rank on Chicago Tribune’s Top 20 Fries list, the Kentucky Derby experience and some great booze and beers. Listen in, it's a great episode!
Important Links:
Credits:
Impulse by Electronic Senses | https://soundcloud.com/electronicsenses | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com | Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
We’re excited to have Nick Scofield on the podcast today. Nick is the Sales Director for Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville, IL. You'll hear about what it is like being the Sales Director for one of the most successful breweries in the Chicagoland area. He also brought a huge cooler of Solemn Oath beers for us to try in the Underground Studio. Even though Nick brought like 10 beers for us to try, we only had time to review Lü (Kölsch-Style Ale), Snaggletooth Bandana (American IPA), East Side (Strawberry Berliner-Weiss) and Seventh Whistler (Double NE IPA w/ Lactose). They are delicious! Our customers of the week are: people who talk on their speaker phone at the bar, ridiculous.
Important Links:
Solemn Oath Brewery - Naperville, IL
Credits:
The End Of The World by Tristan Lohengrin | https://www.tristanlohengrin.fr - Music promoted by - https://www.free-stock-music.com - Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
We welcome our very first guest on. We’re super excited to have one of the owners of the Bourbon Belly Hospitality Group, Nick Roberge. Nick and his partner Jack Waters currently own four successful restaurants in Illinois. Barrel+Rye and Burger Local in Geneva, Burger Social in Wheaton and Maize+Mash in Glen Ellyn. This week we also taste Beach Blonde Lager from the Crystal Lake Brewery and sip on a Roknar rye whiskey from Far North Spirits in Minnesota. Our customers of the week are: smokers asking for matching and stanking up the joint.
Important Links:
Credits:
B-Roll - Islandesque by Kevin MacLeod | http://incompetech.com - Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com - Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This week we taste Cumulus IPA from the Hailstorm Brewery in Tinley Park and sip on some Makers Mark Binny’s Private Select. We also discuss Maize + Mash in Glen Ellyn being rated the #13 best Whiskey bar in the country by Yelp, whiskey tasting fests and yearly industry ebb and flow (YIEF). Our customers of the week are: people who don’t want to sit at a community table.
Important Links:
Hailstorm Brewing - Tinley Park, IL
This week we taste Gummy Vortex Northeast IPA from the Noon Whistle Brewing Co. and sip on an MGP product, Rossville Union Straight Rye. We also discuss the big news of Noon Whistle Brewing expanding into Naperville, recent vacation spots for Mike in Milwaukee and an exciting opportunity with Solemn Oath Brewery. Our customers of the week are: "I like to make-out at the bar" and "I ordered the wrong food, take it off my bill".
