The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

This podcast has been on the air for a very brief 3 months at this point. That's a quarter of a year. A full summer. 90 days. However you want to think about it. To me, that feels like a very short time, but then I pull up the Modern Bar Cart inbox, and I see all the listener-generated questions that have piled up during those three months. So, this episode is all about you folks--the listeners who make this podcast exciting by sending along your questions and comments. We're gonna take a virtual field trip through the Modern Bar Cart mailbag today, and we'll see if I can't shed some light on some of the most pressing cocktail dilemmas our fans are facing.

Welcome back to another episode of the Modern Bar Cart Podcast. I'm your host, Eric Kozlik, and today, we've got a really excellent and timely episode for your listening enjoyment. This is airing on August 24, 2017, and we are in the midst of Amaro Week. As some of you may know, an Amaro is a bitter, Italian-style liqueur, and this particular category has really been taking off in the last few years. Thankfully, I've been able to enjoy this resurgence with the help of a really strong, local amaro company here in Washington, D.C. called Don Ciccio e Figli. They've got a really fantastic product line, and in this episode, I sit down with portfolio manager Jonathan Fasano, who schools me in the nuances of amari, aperitivi, and cordials. Some of the topics we cover in this episode include: The difference between Amari, Aperitivi, and Cordials The history of herbs and spices in the Mediterranean How an earthquake in Italy eventually led to an American amaro company The best cocktails to make with your favorite bitter liqueurs And much, much more I had a great time talking with Jonathan, who happens to be a good friend of mine, and I know you're eager to listen and learn, so I'm gonna get out of the way here and let you enjoy this fascinating discussion with Jonathan Fasano of Don Ciccio e Figli.

Welcome back to the Modern Bar Cart Podcast. I'm your host, Eric Kozlik, and today I'm comin atcha with another bar cart foundations episode, where we examine one of the most essential components of home bartending and look at it from a bunch of different angles, offering tips and bar hacks along the way. Today, we're featuring a substance that needs no introduction, that cool operator, that namesake of cubes, teas, and creams, the notorious H-2-O...that's right. Today, we're taking a look at ICE. This is a great episode for new home bartenders, and I hope you'll check out the show notes on modernbarcart.com.

This episode is an interview with Aviva Goldfarb, who is an extremely accomplished cookbook author and meal planning guru who also happens to be a really talented and inspired home bartender. One of my favorite things about talking with Aviva is the passion she has for flavor--her voice and facial expressions just light up when she talks about the joy of food and drink. In this wide-ranging discussion, we cover a number of cocktail-related topics, including: Homemade infused spirits and syrups Aviva's go-to cocktail accent flavors Creating a family-friendly cocktail culture The key to fun, but effective recipe development And much, much more. Aviva is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cocktails and home entertainment, so I hope you'll take some time to visit the show notes and check out her latest recipes and projects.

What's up cocktail fans. I'm coming at you today with a great summer cocktail. And maybe I shouldn't be saying A cocktail...but rather THE cocktail. Even if you're just getting into cocktails, if you haven't heard of this drink, I'm a bit worried about where you've been for the past century. That's right, this episode is all about the legendary Martini. And I want to give you a chance to make yourself one before we jump into this interview with Embitterment Bitters and Modern Bar Cart co-founder Ethan Hall (@ethanjhall). So, if you want to do that, you're gonna want to put two ounces of gin in a stirring pint with ice, as well as a half-an-ounce to an ounce of dry vermouth (based on your flavor preference), and some orange or citrus bitters. Stir that all up (or shake it if you're in a James Bond mood), and then strain it into a chilled cocktail glass. Last but not least, you'll want to express a lemon peel garnish over the top, and either leave that bad boy in the glass or discard it--again, your preference. Ethan and I grew up in the cocktail space practicing our drinks on one another. I think he makes a solid, SOLID Martini, and I know you'll enjoy our banter and his insights. Not only do we cover the recipe nuances and variations on the martini, but we also delve into some of the historical and cultural forces that have cemented this cocktail as one of the crown jewels of the mixed drinks world. So, settle in. Get those earbuds locked in their full upright position, and enjoy this boozy interview with my friend and yours, Ethan Hall.

In this episode, I chat with Charlie Berkinshaw, the founder of Element [Shrub], and we get into all the fascinating details of that product. Charlie's a good friend of mine. His photography and instagram skills are ON POINT, and I know you're gonna enjoy this interview. Find Element [Shrub] on Instagram (@elementshrub), Twitter (@elementshrub), and Facebook. You can also visit their website (elementshrub.com), and if you'd like to send Charlie an email, hit him up at charlie@elementshrub.com. SHOW NOTES What is a shrub? According to Charlie, it's a colonial way of preserving fruit using vinegar (and sugar). The nice thing about shrubs is that they provide two taste components found in many cocktails: sweetness and sourness (or acidity). Not only that, but they also yield the flavor of the fruits and spices found in the shrub. Element [Shrub] Flavors -Lemon Mint -Chai Pear -Honeydew Jalapeno -Blueberry Rosemary -Pineapple Turmeric -Grapefruit Vanilla -Blood Orange Saffron -Cranberry Hibiscus LIGHTNING ROUND QUESTIONS What is Your Favorite Cocktail? The Corpse Reviver #2 What is your Favorite Spirit? Gin, even though I used to stay away from it. I like it because it's sort of an open book. Books The Flavor Thesaurus The Flavor Bible What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out as a home bartender? Don't be afraid of shrubs. People are scared of adding vinegar to their cocktails because they're afraid it's going to taste like salad dressing. But if you back up and think about what a shrub is, you realize that it's just sweet and tangy, and those are two taste elements you're going to be adding to most cocktails anyway. So don't be afraid of Shrubs, and don't be afraid to experiment.

My guest this episode is Josh Wulf of the Wulf Cocktail Den. He's a great guy who's really passionate about making delicious cocktails and connecting with other people over a well-made drink. The goal of this episode is to give you a high level overview of the unsung heroes of the cocktail ingredient world: bitters, vermouths, and liqueurs. But in addition to a lot of great knowledge about those, we also hit a lot of other topics, including: The similarities and differences between bitters, vermouths, and liqueurs Historical oddities and word origins The bitters, vermouths and liqueurs that you should have on your bar cart How James Bond "disrupted" the Martini The value of drinking with your grandfather And much, much more.

In this episode, I drop by Gettysburg College, my undergraduate Alma Mater, to catch up with Professor Dan McCall of the Gettysburg Odor and Flavor Lab, who's doing really interesting research in the field of taste and smell perception. As you'd imagine, he's got a lot of really cool insights into exactly what happens when you take that first sip of your favorite cocktail. Some of the topics we discuss include: The evolutionary bases for smell and taste The brain structures and psychological mechanisms responsible for flavor perception Cocktails as a psychological playground for flavor decision making Cultural flavor preferences in France and the U.S. The magic of blackcurrants And Much, Much More If you liked my interview with Colleen O'Bryant, where we talked about herbs and seasonal flavors, then I have a feeling that this episode is also going to be in your wheelhouse. And while you're listening, don't get intimidated if you hear a few psychological terms--Dan always does a good job of breaking down complex things like brain structures and sensory pathways into their most basic, easy-to-understand form. This conversation is a true treat for your brain, so settle in and enjoy my conversation with Professor Dan McCall. Want to get in touch? Email him at dmccall@gettysburg.edu

In this episode, we'll acquaint ourselves with the magical world of citrus in all its tart, tangy glory. Most people are familiar with the use of citrus in their favorite cocktails, whether that's the orange peel garnish in your Old Fashioned, the squeeze of lime in your Mojito, or the pucker of lemon in a classic whiskey sour. But have you ever stopped to think about why we put citrus in our drinks? What role does it play? What would cocktails taste like without it? I'm gonna begin today by taking you through the history and science of citrus, and then give you some excellent bar hacks to help you bring your citrus game to the next level. Specifically, we'll talk seasonality, how to select your citrus, and best practices for peeling and juicing. For a complete transcript of this episode, visit modernbarcart.com/podcast.

Disclaimer: None of the audio or written content hosted here or elsewhere is intended as medical advice. You should always drink in moderation, and always consult a licensed physician before consuming ingredients or substances that are new or unknown to you. I see the red clover, I see the black locust flowers...I see things, and I want to put them into my body. - Colleen O'Bryant Hey Everybody, As you may have guessed from the little disclaimer before the intro sequence, this episode involves cocktails and your health. Now, I may not be chatting with a licensed medical physician, but my guest, Colleen O'Bryant of Wild Roots Apothecary, has a ton of awesome insights on how we can build a healthier relationship with cocktails and alcohol in general. She's also an expert herbalist, and this episode is filled with super-fun ways to incorporate herbs into your cocktail creations. Some of the things we cover in our discussion include: Colleen's journey from office management to spirited herbalist Her fairy cocktail hour The regenerative properties of skunk cabbage, dandelions, and other herbs The arts of scouting and foraging DIY bitters and infused spirits Our favorite herbal liqueurs And much, much more. I have a feeling that this is going to be one of the most popular episodes of this podcast, so I hope you enjoy my interview with Colleen O'Bryant.