Always Parched

How far can you bend on drink ingredients before you completely break a recipe? Back in the summer of 2019 we took a crowd favorite cocktail, the Fiery Mandarin, and incrementally swapped out quality ingredients for a bunch of random stuff we happened to have on hand. The results were fine... until they weren't. In this episode we ruin a perfectly good drink, talk about Michael Keaton, continue talking about Michael Keaton, consume four cocktails, make an excellent Multiplicity reference, and discuss the keys to crafting a quality Fiery Mandarin - PLUS - a valuable lesson about true love!

All three Always Parched hosts are back to recapture that fickle podcast magic. Did you know we were a sponsor at a golf tournament? Probably not because Micah didn't either - so let's chat about it! In this episode we talk about standard golf course drinks, ways to improve them, drink koozies, Always Parched canned cocktails, holiday batched cocktails, and more season three previews - PLUS - puns for days.

How about we fire up the podcast machine and talk about drinks and such? Better late than never. In this episode we talk about cocktail photography, a Campari substitute that will forever change your Jungle Bird recipe, tepache, timely references, original drink ideas, umeboshi, triple filtered citrus, and we shake off some conversational rust - PLUS - we're back!

Today we put together a three-course meal and cocktail pairing! Normally a menu would be meticulously planned and organized so the entire meal/drink pairing matched and flowed perfectly... your Always Parched hosts did none of that. In this episode we present three terrible food combinations, three terrific cocktail recommendations, two booze bottle gifts, and one baseball metaphor - PLUS - effervescence!

Who knew tea could both elevate a cocktail and ruin your stack of Oreo Cookies? Want to find out how - listen to this mostly pun-free episode of Always Parched! Our tea-centric conversation examines spirit infusions, simple syrups, cocktail ingredients, drink pairings, and super sciency stuff - PLUS - there’s a professor in the house!

It’s an Always Parched first… we forgot to hit the record button. So - here we are again - talking about the magic of mint for the second time in two weeks. But it’s all good because sequels are always better than the original, right? Today we discuss mint as a boss move, mint in syrups, mint as a garnish, and mint gin - PLUS - the flavor profile of mint is… mint!

Having a tough time finding that special bottle of bourbon? Same here - but why is that? Today we welcome special guest, Kyle Delly (The Hudson Eatery and Bar), to talk about all things whiskey - but more specifically - how the bourbon boom has affected the spirits market. In this episode we give a quick run down of bourbon categories, discuss the difficulties and ethics of engaging in the secondary market, and praise the process of finding the bourbon that is right for you (not necessarily the bottle that is most coveted) - PLUS - the future of bourbon and a pirate joke… if you’re patient.

Our friends, Ivan Carreño and Abel Arriaga, from Mezcal Carreño join the podcast to share lots of exciting news and updates from the world of agave spirits! Grown from humble beginnings, rooted in family, fueled by friendship - Mezcal Carreño went from entering the Arizona market to winning Best Mezcal by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in a very short amount of time. We also talk about new varietal offerings, surviving and thriving during difficult times, cocktail collaborations, elevator pitches, and Tucson trips - PLUS - everything tastes better with your compas!

So just how many hiatus restarts can one podcast do? Only time will tell - but we’re back and ready to get things going again! In this episode we catch up on what’s going on in life, zip through some 2020 complaints, and then take a not-so-quick quick tangent. And during our tangent we will discuss some great new offerings from Heirloom Liqueurs: Micah announces his love for Pineapple Amaro, Dinger praises an incredible Genepy, and Wo experiments with Alchermes Liqueur - PLUS - the Always Parched hosts make a bunch of promises that they may or may not be able to keep!

Wo, Dinger, and Micah field some great home bartender questions, dive deep on margarita riffs, push through some technical difficulties, peruse the Cocktail Codex, discuss the value of bitters in your drink, assess the landscape, and lament the complete lack of podcast hugs - PLUS - the defense of aromatic bitters.

The long awaited, frequently procrastinated, and finally recorded… the manhattan episode! Your home bartender friends jump on the mics to cover an all-time classic. In this episode Wo and Micah discuss microwaved manhattans, bagged manhattans, qualities that make for a memorable manhattan, bar ratings, who got it right, two establishments that got it very wrong, ideal manhattan recipes, garniture, positive takeaways, and nerf basketball hoops (obviously) - PLUS - why is Micah undermining aromatic bitters?!

Dinger is back on the mic with Wo and Micah to drink, catch up, and give us his first-hand experiences as to how the service industry is handling the pandemic. But stick with us - this episode isn’t all doom and gloom - we have lots of great suggestions on ways you can both help your favorite local establishments and get a great dining experience from the safety and comfort of your own home. In this episode we also cover what we are drinking to pass the time, bottle hubris, boozeless booze, and great cocktail books to put on your shelf - PLUS - wash your hands!

Social distancing can’t keep these two friends from enjoying a drink and talking cocktails. In this episode Wo and Micah (Dinger is out doing real work) get together online to catch up on life, share stories from an eventful week, and ask the big questions like - whatcha drinking, buddy? Our late night recording features home bar bottle strategies (both the adding to and eliminating of booze), multiple shout-outs to Hangar One vodka, helping your favorite local establishments, tackling super challenging recipes from the Aviary, a dad hack, and growing old - PLUS - should you order a manhattan at every bar you go to… we’ve got the answer!

In this episode we are joined by two amazing guests, Jos Zonneveld (By the Dutch) and Nikki Preiss (Preiss Imports), to talk about how the Netherlands have always played a leading role in the world of fine spirits. This is one of the most comprehensive and informative Always Parched episodes to date - so pour yourself a Dutch inspired cocktail and get ready to broaden your booze knowledge! Today we learn even more about gin, genever, batavia arrack, egg liqueur, Dutch drinking culture, and weekend lattes - PLUS - one of the AP hosts seems particularly interested in how a person goes from practicing law to owning a spirits company.

Today we have 2 special guests… Joshua James (Clever Koi, Across the Pond, Fellow Osteria) and By the Dutch spirits! Both Joshua and Dinger are actively participating in events during AZCW - so why not hand over the mics and find out what they have planned for this year’s festivities?! In this timely episode we sample the full line-up of By the Dutch, explore tasting notes, discuss the origins of genever, learn some stuff about Batavia Arrack, and get a full preview of what you need to do and where you need to be this month - PLUS - the compelling oddity that is shelf-stable egg liqueur!

Welcome to the first ever Always Parched punch bowl themed episode! Traditional punch recipes call for 4-5 ingredients and in this episode we’ll cover five booze-related topics! Listen in on the conversation as we praise the glorious mouthfeel that is clarified milk punch, lament our lack of perfectly clear ice, breeze past prohibition, reveal our favorite boozes of 2019, and fess up to the biggest cocktail misses of the year - PLUS - we give a handful of shoutouts to some of our favorite things, places, and people.

After a long hiatus - Wo, Dinger, and Micah are back on the mics and ready for a new year of Always Parched. In this quick episode the guys shake off the podcasting rust and talk about what they’ve been up to for the last 6 months… SPOILER: it’s mostly parenting and learning new kids songs. Find out which host visited the ER trying to batch some cocktails, who’s got a fantasy football addiction, and which home bartender had his margarita featured on a local Phoenix restaurant menu - PLUS - Wo gets his time to shine at the liquor store.

Too tired to put together a proper cocktail but you could really use a drink? Canned cocktails got your back… and your front! In this episode we leave our strainers and shaker tins on the shelf and crack open some cans of ready to drink Caipirinhas. The good people over at Novo Fogo added two new flavors to their Sparkling Caipirinha line - and they sent us some to try… our first booze mail! So how does one pronounce Caipirinha? Great question. We’ll help you out with the correct pronunciation, explain the difference between cachaca and rum, describe what makes for a quality canned cocktail - PLUS - Wo, Dinger, and Micah disagree on a pivotal pop-culture reference.

The Always Parched hosts sample four wild agave varietals (and learn why mezcal is the wine of spirits), drink from handmade copitas, eat insects, pick favorites, and discuss the challenges of introducing a mostly misunderstood spirit into a new market. Allow yourself to be biased by story and community as we sit down with Abel Arriaga from Mezcal Carreño. This episode is jam-packed with everything you need to know to better approach, understand, and embrace the terroir driven spirit that is mezcal - PLUS - after hitting the cutting room floor 3 times, we present to you… Dinger’s cheese story.

It’s that special time of year again… so join us for a few drinks as we discuss the classic, the always delightful and never overrated… the negroni. What more can be said about such an iconic drink? Probably not that much - but we’re going to give it a go anyways! In this episode, we take a look at the brief history of Negroni Week, who started it, who benefits from it, and why you should go out and support your local participating bars - PLUS - when does a negroni riff become a negroni inspired cocktail?

He’s all growns up! Our home bartender co-host, Wo (Mike Mainwold), competed with local professionals in the Campari Loves Gin Competition. Listen in as we talk about what it’s like going behind the bar for the very first time, finding inspiration from the culinary world, avoiding amateur mistakes, and making your friends proud(ish) - PLUS - we let the bitterness shine with the real star of this episode… Bitter Island.

In this episode, the Always Parched hosts are joined by special guest barologist - and winner of the 2019 Last Slinger Standing competition - Chanel Godwin-McMaken from Little Rituals (Phoenix, AZ). We talk about humbling experiences, not overthinking situations, staying in the moment, green chartreuse, courageous cocktails, and how winning is done! - PLUS - what is the prefered nomenclature: bartender vs mixologist vs vodka-soda slinger vs barologist.

We try them all so you don’t have to! Okay - so we didn’t try every obnoxiously colored little bottle of flavored misadventure, but we did try WAY too many of them. In this semi-regrettable episode Wo, Dinger, and Micah start off with a mixed bag of questionable vodkas and then finish strong with some quality, well comprised examples of goodness. Find out if the Always Parched crew successfully traversed Micah’s gauntlet of disaster - PLUS - did you know your flavored vodka is probably just spirit and perfume… want to know more… take a listen!

The results are in! And - more importantly - Dinger is back to impart valuable wisdom and insight to his home bartender co-hosts. Listen in on the conversation as Wo and Micah make their drinks, plead their cases, and assert a variety of excuses as to why they didn’t win the Four Roses cocktail competition - PLUS - our resident expert described one recipe as gross… so find out if friendships are lost in this episode of Always Parched.

It’s amateur hour! Four Roses invited home bartenders (sorry, Dinger, no professionals allowed) from around the country to create the official 130th Anniversary Cocktail. In this episode, Always Parched hosts, Wo and Micah document the meticulous process of creating a signature recipe for their very first cocktail competition - PLUS - brown butter fat-washed bourbon is a thing and you need to try it right now!

Our first guest! In this episode Dinger, Wo, and Micah talk mai tai(s), rum, and tiki culture with local expert and bartender extraordinaire, Libby Lingua from UnderTow (Phoenix, AZ) - PLUS - we find out just how much effort, planning, and attention-to-detail goes into delivering a totally immersive tiki experience.

Adult drinks call for adult cherries! The maraschino cherries (aka red abominations) you took down by the handful as a kid are no longer welcome at the bar and Always Parched is here to help you make the switch. In this episode Dinger, Wo, and Micah sample some of the best cocktails cherries this world has to offer - PLUS - we have homemade brandied cherries you may want to make for yourself.

Why is your favorite bartender pilfering from your cocktail? Is your cocktail doomed if they don’t like what they sampled? Are you looking for insight as to when it's appropriate to double strain your mojito? On this episode of Always Parched we answer some of those questions and maybe a few more! Listen in as we cover all sorts of cocktail miscellany - PLUS - helpful suggestions on tools and trends that will boost your home bartending game.

What better way to start this podcast adventure than with an episode dedicated to the home bartender? We discuss the twelve bottles that are crucial to every new home bar setup - PLUS - your hosts Dinger, Wo, and Micah debate which bottles are most important to their own personal home bar. Which bottle made the cut on all three of our lists? Listen to find out!

Get to know the Always Parched hosts Michael Allmandinger (Dinger), Mike Mainwold (Wo), and Micah Zahler - PLUS - find out why you (yes, you!) should be listening. We drink things and then we talk about them. Sometimes it’s cocktails and other times it’s not, but it’s Always Parched.