The Mash

If you are like most of us unfortunate bourbon lovers, you only get your allocated bottles at secondary prices. But there's an app called Bourboneur that tracks those prices, and apparently they're dropping right now. I talked to the founder, Nick Owens, who uses his Bourbon Blue Book to track all of the prices of your favorite drink.

Ep 25: From planting, handpicking, and hand shelling corn to barreling and labeling, Old Ozarkian Distillery is a family-run operation. They've been quietly distilling and barrel-aging spirits in the Missouri Ozarks since 2018. Jonathan Downard joins The Mash. Have an idea for the next episode of The Mash? Email Marc.Cox@audacy.com!

Ep. 24: There's a new business in West St. Louis County called Barrel House where you can blend a bottle of great bourbon or whiskey. Marc sits down with owners Stephen and Denise Henschel to find out more about the Barrel House experience. Don't miss The Marc Cox Morning Show Spring Bourbon Fling on Thursday, April 18!

Ep. 23: Marc has the opportunity to travel to Memphis, TN, home of Old Dominick Distillery. He sits down with Master Distiller Alex Castle and Owner Chris Canale to discuss what makes Tennessee whiskey great.

One of the top Bourbon Festivals in the country is about to take place in St. Louis. The St. Louis Bourbon Festival is October 6th, and the Mash has the scoop on which top Master Distillers will be in town, and how to sample hundreds of bourbons all in one place. Charlie Metzner, James Thomas, and Andrew Chostner have the pour!

Alex Castle, the Master Distiller at Old Dominick stops by to discuss the demand for high-quality bourbon, years of planning, volume of production, and the future of the beloved spirit.

Ep. 20: Alpha Brewing is giving us a new take on whiskey - by taking one of their popular beers, and using it as the mash for a unique bottle of whiskey. If you like beer and whiskey, you'll love their "I Do whiskey", made right here in St. Louis. Derrick Langaneckert is their Head Brewer.

Did you know Missouri has a Highlands? It's a rare geographic formation only found in a few places in the world, but it means some of the best limestone filtered water you can find. That's a key ingredient in Stowloch Whiskey, the first offering from the Stone Ledge Spirits Company. Demetrius Cain is the Founder and Head Distiller at Nobleton's Distilling House. He joins us with the story behind Stowloch, and his own Planters Whiskey, along with Stone Ledge CEO Mark Sutherland.

Ep. 18: If you prefer to drink your corn from a jar, this is the podcast you need to hear. Corn matters. Most bourbons use the same old corn, but not Gary Hinegardner from Wood Hat Spirits. He claims to have the smoothest bourbon and whiskey in America.

Ep. 17:  Learn from my recent experience how to score the allocation bottles you're searching for, and how to find a few surprises along the way. 

Ep. 15:  Are you a connoisseur or great bourbon? Let us introduce you to the St. Louis Bourbon Society.

Ep. 16: The St. Louis Bourbon Festival is a highlight for people across the Midwest, and it's coming up in October. We've got all the details, plus advice on planning your trip. And maybe a bourbon or two to review. 

Ep. 15 That's the approach of the wildly successful St. Louis Bourbon Society, which currently bans "meetings" for 11,000 members for that very reason. Have you ever heard of the evolution of bourbon appreciation? We've got it on this episode of The Mash.

Ep. 14 When your favorite proprietor has a "barrel pick", do you appreciate what that means? We compared the barrel picks to what you might find off-the-shelf, and the difference - not the price - was significant. I'm joined by Lit Cigar Lounge owner Bryan Snyder and local distributor Brad Roper. This episode will help you step up your game for some really excellent bourbons.

Ep. 13 StiL 630 is a craft distillery in the heart of St. Louis, with delicious and revolutionary ideas when it comes to whiskey - and some damned good award-winning single barrel bourbon on top of it. And its all done in-house. Lead Distiller David Weglarz is my guest..

Ep. 12 Whiskey Club: If you like different bourbons and scotches but can’t afford to stock them all in your bar, a Whiskey Society might be the answer. Matt Simpson and Joe Hill started the St. Louis Whiskey Society 4 years ago. They are passionate about whiskey and shared secrets on how to start a club, and how to find allocation bottles at a fair price.

Ep. 11 Alex Castle of Old Dominick is one of the few female Master Distillers in the US, but she’d rather just focus on making good whiskey – including their newest brand rolling out in 2022.

Ep. 10 Walking through the bourbon aisle at your local liquor store can be intimidating. But you don’t have to spend a hundred dollars to get good bourbon. Doug Schaeffler gives us his list of the best bourbons under $40.

Ep. 9 A good cigar can be the perfect complement to your favorite pour. But if you’re like me, picking out a cigar is often a shot in the dark. So I invited cigar aficionado Scott Biancardi to The Mash. Scott has been rolling cigars for private events for the past 10 years at stlcigars.com and loves to talk cigars, good bourbon, and the proper way to pick out a stick.

Ep. 8 What’s your favorite bourbon or rye? if you have dreams about it resting for years in that label’s stackhouse in a beautiful barrel, you may be in for a shock. Some of the most popular pours in America are actually sourced from a company called MGP. So while your favorite label may bottle it, they may not make it. Today we’re going to talk to the man who does.

Ep. 7 Did you know you can still buy whiskey from the recipe handwritten by George Washington? Of course, you’ll have to go to Mt. Vernon to find that. But the woman responsible for beefing up production at Mt. Vernon is also now the Head Distiller and President of Widow Jane, one of the fastest-growing craft distilleries in America. In this episode of The Mash, we meet Lisa Wicker, one of a growing number of female Head Distillers. Widow Jane

Ep. 6 Redwood Empire is the first distillery we’ve featured from wine country, in Sonoma Valley, California. Yes, the location makes a difference, but their newest limited offering of bourbon and rye is part of a bourbon standard dating to the late 1800s. Jeff Duckhorn is the Master Distiller.

Ep. 5 Craft distilleries are a huge part of the bourbon market these days but don’t think for a minute that means they are remaking the wheel. New Riff is a distillery in Northern Kentucky, where old school standards are the basis for their outstanding bourbon and ryes. Have questions about good rye? Jay Erisman is your man. He is the New Riff head blender, distiller, and in his words, “fourth-string truck driver.”

Ep. 4 Nick Laracuente is the Bourbon Archeologist for Buffalo Trace Distillery. Laracuente joins The Mash to explain what a Bourbon Archeologist does and discuss the discovery of “Bourbon Pompeii”.

Ep. 3 Love bourbon? The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a must-do trip, but mapping it out can be a job. Adam Johnson has the greatest job in the world – helping people map out visits to the best distilleries in Kentucky. Start your journey here.

Ep. 2 Kentucky bourbon has a long and complex history, with many well-known names working for multiple distilleries over the years. Dan Gardner works for Four Roses…and is a walking historian for Kentucky bourbon.

Ep. 1 Introduction to The Mash with bourbon lover Doug Shaeffler – crime fighter by day, bourbon aficionado the rest of the time. Doug is the guy you want to have a drink with because he understands that cost and quality are not the same. There are some great, moderately priced bourbons out there.