Beards, Booze, and Bacon

Robin Carnes found her dream job by enjoying Bourbon, which is kind of the dream for all of us. She is the Market Manager for Rossville Union Rye Whiskey, George Remus Bourbon, Till Vodka, and Eight & Sand Whiskey for MPG, out of Cincinnati. Each of those brands have a great story, but how it all gets handled is just as interesting. You'll want a cocktail after listening to this one.

For a cocktail to be great, you need a good mixer, with the right ingredients, to go with the right spirit. Tory Pratt knows all about that, which is why she created Pratt Standard Cocktail Company. Basing her syrups on pre-prohibition recipes, they are part history lesson, and part artisanal master pieces, that can give you the option of 1000s of different outcomes.

From the legendary Dogfish Head Brewery, we are joined by founder and President, Sam Calagione. Sam will tell us about how he got started, the changes he has seen in the craft brewing industry and why they choose such unique ingredients for their beers. He is truly a legend himself and such a great interview!

While the pandemic is on, most of us are not traveling, but it doesn’t mean we don’t need to ‘get away’ both mentally and physically. With his new book Getting Away: 75 Everyday Practices for Finding Balance in Our Always-On World, Jon Staff will help you figure out a way to find balance in the crazy world we’re all living in.

Michael Chernow has been an entrepreneur his whole life, but he struck it big with meatballs. The Meatball Shop was started in 2010 and quickly became a New York favorite, and Michael started appearing on Jimmy Fallon and TV shows making meatballs for everyone. He's got a really interesting story and wait until he tells you about the chimp...  It's a great interview, now order some meatballs!

Nicole Austin started down the path of becoming a distiller after drinking a glass of whisky in a Brooklyn bar and hearing the calling. Since then she quickly turned into an award winning spirits maker, and is now the General Manager and Distiller at the venerated Cascade Hollow, who just happens to be the maker of George Dickel. We'll discuss her rise, the brand and history of George himself and the important aspects of Tennessee Whisky!

If you've been trying to figure out how to take the perfect shot for your Instagram account, you'll want to hear this episode. Our guest is Lucas Gilman who is a Nikon US Ambassador. Lucas talks about his upcoming in the photography world and also walks through some of the challenges he will lay down for himself. He's also got great advice on how to make your pictures, not take your pictures. Plus, we'll discuss the gear options you need to get started.

Colin Hanks is our guest today, yes the Colin Hanks! Colin is on today, to discuss his company Hanks Kerchiefs and what led him down the path of becoming a business owner and a designer. We'll also cover his love of bandanas and the great charities they partner with, like the Parks Project. Along the way, we cover a little it of acting, a little bit of hockey, and a few other things, just because. Colin was a great guest and you won't want to miss this episode!

Collagen is increasingly becoming an important part of daily routines. No, we're not talking about injections, we're talking about a supplement that is helping out a lot of people in myriad ways. Joining us today, we have Jenn Randazzo, MS, RD, CLT, and Director of Education for Vital Proteins. Jenn is not only a pleasure to talk to, she is truly an expert on collagen. Whether it's to help with your hair, to help with your joints, or just to provide a better and healthy feeling, we learn a lot about it in this episode. 

Sarah Bradley joins us today to talk about farm to table food. Along the way, we discuss her second place finish on Top Chef, her Kentucky/Jewish culinary roots, and what its like to run her restaurant, freight house, and some original cocktails. There may be some good 90's puns in this one as well....

Peggy Noe Stevens is not only a Master Bourbon Taster, she's also an author, a trail blazers, and an all around fun person to talk to. She walked us through her career and how she go onto this path. We also discussed how to set up your own bourbon tasting party, what some bourbon trends are, and so much more. Her book is titled 'Which fork do I use with my bourbon?' and you can pick it up where books are sold.

The Grooming Awards are an annual event here at The Manual and this year is bigger than all others. Our own Christian Gollayan joins the show today to talk about what it's like to test 100s of products using his own body as the guinea pig. After weeks of tests and hours of writing, the team whittled down the winners in 19 different categories. Christian walks us through what it's like and what it takes. Check it all out at The Manual.com! 

Rob Dietrich is not only an incredibly talented distiller of whiskey, he's also the man behind the latest batches of Metallica's Blackened Whiskey. On today's episode we talk about his journey from working on motorcycles, to getting into the whiskey business. What's the audition like to work for Metallica? We'll cover that too, also how he made it onto the cover of an album. Rob's awesome, you'll love this episode!

Trevor Schneider of Reyka Vodka joins us today to talk all things Iceland! From how it's made with Icelandic glacier water, filtered through volcanoes and distilled with a unique style, you may feel like you are part Viking by the end of this episode. Trevor is a great guest and he also walks through some perfect cocktail ideas....and some not-so-perfect.

Adam Richman is awesome. Beyond that, he's also a great guy and we got to have a long conversation with him about a myriad of topics. From his really interesting beginning in entertainment, to soccer (futbol) fandom, to interesting food and even more. You do not want to miss this episode. 

Noam Grossman may have randomly found his way into the pizza business, but it turns out to have been the right move. Upside Pizza has not only unique flavors and dough, bringing a different kind of pizza to New York City, but it has a unique style, too. With a 90's theme that seems to already match Sam's book, we cover the inspiration for it and the nostalgia for those old time pizza parties.

Jackie Summers is a saint. He's also a distiller, an educator, an entrepreneur and so much more. Our conversation with him today was one of the most fun and enlightening interviews we've had. His Happy Hours for bartenders during the pandemic have supplied thousands of dollars to those who need it. He also has frank and honest advice regarding the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd and racism in general. Thanks Jackie!

Today is bittersweet in the land of The Manual Podcast. The four of us gather, but one shall be moving on. Just to another company, not anything else. Nicole Raney, our fearless leader is taking another job opportunity, so today Greg, Sam, and Christian, give her a final 'exit interview' and she finally lets loose with her thoughts on all of them....:) Seriously we love Nicole and while it will suck not having her here, we wish her all the luck. As she tells Sam repeatedly, "I'm not dead!"

David Burke is not only a world-renowned French Chef, he's also a bonafide television star. Whether you've seen him on Top Chef Masters, Rachel Ray, NBC's TODAY Show or any number of other media outlets, he clearly has the chops to back up what he's talking about. He's also won the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Diplome d’Honneur (yes Greg attempts to pronounce this) among his many awards. 

For this one, we once again have The Manual staff of Nicole, Sam, Christian and Greg, give an update on where they are at in this new world. What is Sam's new hobby? How many bottles of wine have been consumed? What kind of grooming should we be doing? We cover it all here. Thanks for listening!

Ballast Point is one of the standout and classic microbreweries in the United States, and Yussuf Cherney was an intricate part of it's emergence. Now with Cutwater, they are winning awards left and right for their outstanding spirits. They have a robust line of RTD beverages, that are distributed almost everywhere. Yussuf tells us about the series of seemingly random connections that have happened in his life to lead to where they are today. 

Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon joins this episode to talk about his interesting journey to restaurant stardom. He also discusses his life as someone who is sober. We know that sobriety is hard anytime, let alone during a pandemic. Gabriel has been there and done it all and lived to tell about it, so he provides some great advice on how to find help if you need it.    **EDITORS NOTE: THE ORIGINAL FILE MAY HAVE UPLOADED WRONG, THIS IS THE CORRECT INTERVIEW VERSION**

Luke Holden and Ben Conniff met on Craigslist over 10 years ago and since then have created a lobster empire. From a business standpoint they are incredibly adept, creating a completely vertical operation. When it comes to delicious lobster they are also masters and they give us some great history and details on how to distinguish different North American lobsters. They'll also provide recipes and give information on opportunities to help those on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19.

Kenny Duncan has been around some of the biggest stars in the world, cutting hair, sculpting beards and so much more. He won a competition in 2005 and has not looked back with his career. On top of that, he has some great advice on how you can try to maintain your appearance during quarantine. Whether its the right tools, or the right technique, Kenny is fantastic. Also, you won't want to miss Sam's new 'hobby' reveal.

Chef John Delucie is not only an incredibly successful restaurant owner, he also has his own memoir and....was honored by MTV, which lead to a night of partying with Wiz Khalifa. That's a hell of a way to start, but on top of that we also discuss Italian cooking and what it actually mean. Did you know spaghetti isn't really Italian? He'll talk about that, what you can do to get started and so much more.

We all know about Irish, Scottish, American, and Japanese whiskey, but what about some Australian whiskey? That's what we're discussing today with our guest Dave Vitale from Starward Whisky. While he has moved to Seattle, his company in Melbourne is making some of the finest available worldwide. We'll discuss the differences in whiskys, what makes Starward unique, and how distilleries continue to work during quarantine.

Grooming at home can be challenging for some at any time, but especially during a quarantine. Today we're joined by Kyle Bardouche from Jack Henry to talk all about what we can be doing. Kyle will discuss the beginning of his business and what he wanted to change when it came to men's grooming products. Whether it's your beard, your hair, or even deodorant, there are some great products out there. We also introduce our new The Manual team member, Christian Gollayan!

As everyone adapts to the Quarantine life, it's important to take care of yourself physically and mentally. At The Manual website, we have some great guides on how to do both of those things, but also with the advice to make sure you give yourself a break! It's tough, but we've got some great options for you, plus some of our own perspectives on everything. Also, Sam shames Greg about daiquiris. 

On this episode we are finally all separated by quarantine, but brought together by technology and drinks. Sam takes the challenge of creating drinks based off of what ingredients you may have Nicole and Greg happen to have, we discuss the Tiger King and overall the state of affairs. Send us your suggestions to podcast@themanual.com and stay safe out there!

Let's face it, the world has changed a LOT in the last week since we recorded our episode and with the threat of coronavirus looming, many of us are now working from home. On this episode we discuss where we're at, what advice we can offer, and take a look at some of the great guides that are at The Manual website. We know it can be hard out there right now, but don't worry, we'll still be here bringing you some entertainment to take your mind off of things. Also....we talk about Quarantinis!

Brandon League is a former pitching phenomenon from Hawaii. He spent years in Major League Baseball and was even an All-Star! But after his playing career ended, he turned toward one of his other loves, fashion. With an eye toward combining his childhood in Hawaii and what he had already in his closet, he's created multiple lines of clothing designed for an athletic build. On top of all that, he's a really nice guy.

From creating their own soap, to a virtual online empire, the story of Duke Cannon is fantastic. Sam Swartz is one of the co-founders, and he joined us today to talk about the founding of the company and what inspired them. We also cover some of their amazing partnerships with brands like Budweiser, Deschutes, and Buffalo Trace. It's a lot of fun! Oh also...Nicole curses a lot.

Hawaiian cuisine can mean a lot of different things, depending on you speak to. From poke, to pork, there are a lot of different incredible dishes to choose from. On this episode we spoke with Chung Chow of Noreetuh. Chung walks us through his interesting background from Hawaii, to Japan, to Wine Country, to New York. It's a great look at how incredible Hawaiian food is and you'll be wanting a plate lunch after you're done.

Jeremy Fury joins us today to talk about how his band's tours turned into a love of candles. Fury Bros. was started after Jeremy and his brother started making candles with unique scents, and equally unique designs. You'll learn how they are made, how they choose what works and even a little about what doesn't work. 

Albert Bitton is the co-Founder of a restaurant called Shoo Shoo Nolita. With his incredibly diverse background in food and culture, Albert discusses how the combination led to his views on design and architecture when it comes to his restaurants. It's an interesting look into a world that we haven't covered a lot on this podcast. 

Sam Slaughter heads out on the town in Greenville, SC with his friend and New Anchor, Jamarcus Gaston. They cover all you'll need to know about this incredible place, from the weather, to the outdoors, to the myriad of restaurants and of course...the booze offerings. With great local breweries and distillers, it's a must visit, if you are heading to the South.

Brandon Doughan of Brooklyn Kura discusses all things sake. His journey started in science, but really began after visiting Japan for a wedding. From there he learned how sake was made, what the ingredients were, and that needed to be done to begin brewing the delicious beverage. He'll also cover a preferred way to consume it and will help us learn the differences in the various kinds of sake available.

Jay Weinstein is not only an expert in Ramen, he's also the Chef-Instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. He discusses his interesting and fortuitous journey to where is now, but also gives an incredible history lesson in Ramen. From it's regional roots in Japan after WWII, to the expanded experiments happening now, it's a fascinating and delicious story. He'll also provide advice on what NOT to do when eating Ramen around other people.

On this episode, Greg answers some questions about the Consumer Electronics Show, after returning for another year of broadcasting with Digital Trends. What actually happens at the world's largest technology convention? What tech do we really need to know about? Also, will the robots serve us, then usurp us? We'll tackle a few of those questions and more in today's episode.

Happy New Year! We've got some amazing shows and interviews on the way for 2020, but to start off we though we'd take a little bit of a look back. We decided to re-air an episode that was monumental in not only number, but location, and......number of drinks. This is the 100th Episode, recorded live in Savannah, Georgia. Thanks everyone!

On our special Holiday Episode, Nicole, Sam, and Greg, discuss some of the various traditions and legends surrounding the Christmas holiday. Krampus is certainly well known, but what about.....the Yule Lads? Or a Witch that may eat you? Or a 'log' that delivers presents in a unique way? We'll let you know about all of these, plus you'll find out about 'Florida Water Cologne'.

Jelynn Malone and Mike Arquines have a mission to help decrease poverty, while at the same time roasting some incredible coffee. From a trip to The Philippines, to now celebrating their sixth year of Mostra, they walk us through the process of starting their business, to creating their products. They'll also dispense some great advice about how you can also roast your own coffee at home. 

Oysters have never been more popular and on this episode, we dig into some of the different types/ways we can enjoy them. We're joined by Bryan Rackley of Watchman's in Atlanta. Bryan will fill us in on his background, but also provide a great overview of the varied flavors and styles of eating oysters. Does whiskey pair well with them? We'll cover that and more.

CBD is becoming more predominantly known, but there are still some misunderstandings about what exactly it is. Adam Stites of Mirth Provisions joins the show to talk about the differences between CBD and THC, and some of the great advantages that it can provide. It's a great interview, led by Nicole and Sam. (Greg is out on this one for the first time ever, but he's in Maui so no one feels bad)

Saul Montiel grew up in a family of cooks, which eventually turned into him discovering he wanted to be one too. We discuss his journey from Mexico, to cooking in Italian restaurants in NY, to owning Cantina and being nominated as one of the best in the city. He also talks about the differences between New World and Old World Mexican food and what it's like to take some risks.

Lucas Kwan Peterson has been in L.A. for over a decade and has experienced some of the amazing cuisine that the city has to offer. Combined with being a columnist at the L.A. Times, they have launched a new web series called Off Menu, where explores the diverse food scenes and cultures of Los Angeles. Also...he was on Jeopardy. It's a great discussion!

Sean Umstead of Kingfisher in Durham, North Carolina joins the show today, to talk about his fascinating journey to success in the cocktail game. Sean uses locally-sourced ingredients for a lot of his creations, but isn't afraid to venture into unknown territory. With things like Black Radish and other herbs/spices, Sean has created something amazing. You'll definitely want to try out a cocktail after this show!

The combination of Hemp and Spirits is something very unique and very new in the alcoholic beverage space. Ted Dumbauld is a former nuclear engineer and business expert, who had the know-how and ingenuity to make it happen. We discuss the unique flavors, profiles, and processes that come with the Gin, Vodka, and Whiskeys that Ted and his team have created.

We have an interesting title to this episode in honor of the interesting and incredibly talented Mike Egan, who is our guest today. Mike is an amazing artist, whose work is shown world-wide, including Sam's favorite, Death Rides A Cat. But he also has an interesting start in his career before transitioning to a full-time artist. Mike was a Mortician. We'll discuss his interesting journey and go into details on how he creates his artwork, and where he finds his inspiration.

Hailing from "Hurricane" country in Eastern Carolina, Matthew Register is a self-made BBQ Master. Starting from a grill on the side of the road, to now owning a restaurant and catering business, his journey is fascinating and inspiring. He also really knows BBQ, so we'll discuss his choices for sides, how he experiments and what to expect. Matthew is inspirational and you'll love this episode.

Sam Slaughter and team meticulously labored for a year, to determine the best craft liquor made in America. With 8 different categories ranging from whiskeys, rums, gin, vodka, and liqueurs, this was a monumental task. On this episode we discuss what the process is like, who some of the winners are, and sample of the wares all at the same time.