Vortex Radio

Jon Ludwig is the artistic director at Atlanta's own Center for Puppetry Arts. Located in Midtown, not far from The Vortex, The Center has been a unique cultural treasure since it opened in 1978; a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened and entertained. Joining Jon and hosting this episode is fellow puppeteer, Lucky Yates. Some interesting characters stop by as well so listen in! 

This is one peachy episode! We're joined by Yuri Kato, the founder of Fruitland Augusta Vodka. Made from Georgia peaches, her Peach Vodka and Peach Tea Vodka are some of the tastiest spirits we've brought to our lips. Hank, VBC, Matty and Kelsey are also on this one so listen in! 

On this special episode of Vortex Radio, Hank Benoit is the host! Joining him is the ever-faithful Vortex Baby Colin and three of Hank's buds from The Love Truncheon. What's a love truncheon? You'll have to listen to find out. I'll give you a hint though, it involves golf and a lot of booze. 

This week we have the host of the Food Network's Ginormous Food and Stand-Up Comedian, Josh Denny. He's in town filming for the show and was gracious enough to come by and record with us. He has his own podcast as well! Check it out at March of the Pigs. 

Eric Johnson is one of the Co-Founders and the Brewmaster for Wild Heaven Beer, a seven-year-old brewery located in Avondale Estates, Georgia. He's joined by their Director of Sales/ 5 time Vortex Radio guest Sarah Young. Listen in to learn about their latest offerings and Eric's diverse career. Oh Hank is also on this one and the whiskey was flowin’!

Lucky, Michael, Rebecca and VBC dive into some deep conversations on this one folks! You'll hear about Rebecca's exciting past, Lucky Yates' hidden talent for Native American art AND his secret desire to be mayor of the town of Cumming, GA. Listen in! 

Have you seen Adult Swim’s live streams? Every weekday, they are making hilarious content LIVE in their Williams Street studio. Nick Gibbons, the host of the show “As Seen on Adult Swim,” and Sally Skinner, the show’s producer and the host of “Stupid Morning Bullshit,” join Michael, VBC and THE Lucky Yates. If you like the nonsense in this episode, you can catch “As Seen on Adult Swim” on the adultswim.com stream Wednesdays at 8 PM. Sally’s show is on every morning  at 11 AM.   

Southern Sky Brewing Company is a 100% family owned brewery. They have a small team, consisting of Brewmaster, Jon Near, Head Brewer, Josh Ingle, and Brewery Representative, James Robinson. The brewery also receives help from Jon's family and close friends. Listen in to get more information about them and their beers! 

Mark Allen of Lazy Guy Distillery joins us on this episode. The first ever distillery in the city of Kennesaw, he focuses on delicious moonshines and whiskeys with flavors that will surprise even the most experienced whiskey drinker. Give this episode a listen and then go and see him for a tour every Saturday!

Have you been to Lips on Buford Highway? Don't know what it is? It's Atlanta's only true LaCage Drag Show Palace Experience! We're joined by their General Manager, Tyler King, and Atlanta's Bitch of the South and Lips' weekend MC, Mr. Charlie Brown. 

Kristen Benoit is back on the podcast and she's brought two of her Bone Garden employees, Becca and Tricia, to talk about a very exciting Bone Garden exclusive. You'll have to listen in to find out what it is but I'll give you a hint: Tequila. If you want to read more about this exclusive, you can check out their blog at http://bit.ly/2usdRCS but you should listen to the episode first. 

Do you like to walk on Atlanta's ever-popular BeltLine? Do you also enjoy a good IPA? WELL THEN, you better listen to this podcast because we have the three guys in charge of the upcoming New Realm Brewing. With a brewery, restaurant and rooftop beer garden right on the east side trail, these guys are sure to do big things in the ATL. Oh and their Brewmaster is Mitch Steele, the former Brewmaster of Stone Brewing. Yeah, he's on the podcast too. 

ASW is a whiskey focused distillery near Midtown Atlanta, right near the SweetWater Brewery. We haven't had many distillers on so tune in for this unique view into a vital part of the bar business. Hey, we even have a few of their whiskeys at The Vortex!

Back on the podcast for a second time is Mike DiLonardo. Mike is a long time Vortex Radio fan and founder of Atlanta Beer Festivals. He's been putting on hugely successful events like the Great Atlanta Beer Festival, the Atlanta Brunch Festival and the Atlanta Summer Wine festival. Listen in! 

We're joined by local beer blogger, Ale Sharpton. To help with the hosting, we're joined by our friends Hannah and Sarah! Lots of beers are enjoyed, which means the podcast eventually gets ridiculous and loops back to another conversation revolving around Vortex Baby Colin's love life... enjoy! 

Jason Pellett, a trumpet playing extraordinaire turned brewer, is the Co-Founder, President and Brewmaster of the ever-popular Atlanta brewery, Orpheus. With a focus on out of the box sour beers, experimental IPAs and huge barrel aged beers; Orpheus Brewing is committed to creating beers that live up to their motto, “Don’t Look Back." They celebrate their third Anniversary this weekend so listen in as Jason gives us the run down on what owning a brewery for 3 years is like and why you should celebrate with them.

Chris Dauria, current owner of Johnny's Hideaway, is our guest this week. As one of the oldest nightspots in Atlanta, the Hideaway has a little something for everyone. Often described as the "Cheers" of Atlanta, it's a go-to spot for the over-40 crowd and a late-night destination for twenty-and thirty-somethings. If you've been there or not, you'll love this behind the scenes look at this classic Atlanta nightlife spot.

Mike Geier is an Atlanta, Georgia based singer and entertainer. He goes way back with The Vortex and works alongside Puddles the Clown from Puddles Pity Party. Don't know what that is? Listen in to find out! 

We're joined by two employees of the infamous Clermont Lounge, Cassie and the legendary Blondie. The go-to club for celebrities, out of towners and locals a-like, the Clermont Lounge is one of the most well known strip clubs in the city and has been around since 1965. Listen in for the inside scoop on this Atlanta icon! 

Lucky Yates and Amber Nash from Dad's Garage Theater and the voices of Dr. Krieger and Pam Poovey on FXX's archer jump on the podcast this week to talk about archer, Vortex Baby Colin's love life and... pimento cheese?

On April 20, 1992, Michael, Hank and Suzanne Benoit opened the doors to the original Vortex location for the first time. Now, 25 years later, they reflect on the crazy journey The Vortex has taken them on. This very special episode is hosted by Lucky Yates, a long time Vortex patron and the voice of Dr. Krieger on FX's Archer. Don't miss this one!

On this episode, we're joined by a couple of the guys from Arches Brewing. Focusing on the seasonality of beers, their ever-changing offerings never disappoint. Listen in as the gang takes a journey through some of their beers and, consequently, through beer history!

Michael Goot of the popular West Midtown bar, Ormsby's, joins us this week! Listen in! 

Hollis Gillespie is an award-winning humor writer, novelist, travel columnist, NPR commentator, travel expert for NBC’s Today Show, and previous guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She was also at The Vortex in the beginning sipping on cocktails and jotting down stories at the bar. Listen in to some Vortex history from her, Suzanne and Michael! 

Matt Dickason is a man of many hats. One of those hats involves Mechanical Buttholes. What does that mean you ask? Listen to find out!

JP McChesney of Dangerous Color and the Mutiny Artwrx collective joins the Vortex Radio gang this week. Based in the fine city of Atlanta, his badass artwork is right up our alley. His crew joins him for this artistic and rock 'n' roll episode of Vortex Radio. Check it out!

If you don't know already, we love our dogs at The Vortex. We regularly support the local organization, LifeLine Animal Project, through promotions and adoption events. Here to talk more about the project is their Director of Marketing and Communications, Heather Friedman. If you love dogs, are looking for a dog to adopt or just want to hear more about this great organization, listen in! 

You've probably heard of the Atlanta BeltLine but did you know that it was someone's masters thesis at Georgia Tech. Ryan Gravel never thought his project would become a reality, but now, nearly 20 years later, The Atlanta BeltLine is quickly changing the face of Atlanta. Listen in to hear his take on the shape of the city and the BeltLine. 

On tonight's Vortex Radio we have Johnny and Brandon, owners of the famous Joystick Game Bar and the new Georgia Beer Garden. These guys are probably the funniest pair of guests we’ve had. On top of that, it's the 100th episode of Vortex Radio! 

While tomorrow is Valentine's day, today is Galentines Day! And what better way to celebrate it than to hear a bunch of local Atlanta gals talk about guys? So bust out the waffles and mimosas, it's Galentines Day!

Scofflaw Brewing Co. is the brainchild of owner Matt Shirah, who enlisted the help of brewmaster and co-founder Travis Herman. Travis left behind a career in the pharmaceutical development industry to attend brewing school at the University of California and has brewed for some of the country’s best-known craft brewers, including The Lost Abbey and Russian River Brewing Company. Travis is on the podcast this week and is joined by JP Watts who handles sales and marketing for the new brewery. 

Simply Seoul is an Atlanta company specializing in delicious, all natural and vegan kimchi, Korean BBQ steam buns and Korean BBQ sauces. They also have a spot in Ponce City Market's food court. We are joined by the owner of Simply Seoul, Hannah Chung. She tells us all about what goes into making kimchi along with a plethora of other interesting stories. 

On this special episode of Vortex Radio, we talk about The Giving Kitchen. We are joined by the following guests; Staplehouse co-owner and spokesperson Jen Hidinger, The Giving Kitchen Director of Partnership Naomi Green and Sweetwater's Director of Marketing Steve Farace. The Giving Kitchen is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping folks from the hospitality industry who have hit a rough patch or experienced catastrophic emergencies. It's a great cause with an extremely touching backstory. We really hope you enjoy this one.       

Chef Jamie Lynch joins us on this episode of Vortex Radio. He's the executive chef of 5Church, a restaurant with three locations, one of which is in Atlanta. He also appeared as a contestant on the latest season of Top Chef. Listen in to hear about his Midtown restaurant and his time spent on Top Chef! 

This week we have Gunshow's executive chef, Joey Ward on the podcast. This unique restaurant is like nothing you have been to before! Listen in to get the scoop on one of Atlanta's hottest spots. 

Kelsey Daniels of Monday Night Brewing can't get enough of Vortex Radio! She's back for the third time to talk about Monday Night beer, mixed martial arts, and a very exciting new Monday Night project on the BeltLine. Listen in if you know what's good for you! 

Terrapin Beer Company's Co-Owner and Brewmaster, Spike Buckoswki, and Market Representative, Leigh Germy, stop by Vortex Radio to talk terrapin history and all the delicious beer brewed at the Athens brewery. Pour yourself a beer and buckle your seat belt, this is one high gravity podcast. 

The cast and crew of the film American Dirtbags joins us on Vortex Radio this week! It's the story of six lovable degenerates traveling through the Atlanta subculture making one horrible choice after another. The consequences of their sins are always hilarious and sometimes tragic. A truly dark comedy that will have you laughing when you shouldn't and questioning the real definition of "bad people." 

Vortex regular and hair stylist, Zach, joins us on this very special and very ridiculous episode of Vortex Radio. We talk about the many definitions of scissoring, the dangers of cutting hair and Rebecca even gets her hair cut during the podcast! Amazing? Maybe. Hilarious? Definitely.

Sarah Young from Wild Heaven is on the podcast for the third time and this time it's WILD. She dropped some big brewery news and brought in some delicious beers for us to try. Also, Suzanne is back on with even more cocktail and food ideas. Check it out! 

We have the cast and crew of the upcoming horror film The Night Watchmen on this episode of Vortex Radio. Be sure to look out for the film at horror movie festivals near you!

Bob Hatcher, owner of Atlanta restaurant Eats aka "Best Cheap Eats" according to Creative Loafing, has been serving food on Ponce de Leon Ave since 1993. Famous for the cheap and big plate of jerk chicken, he has developed loyal regulars over the years and some interesting stories.  

Alex Brounstein, creator of Atlanta's Grindhouse Killer Burgers took the Atlanta burger scene by storm in 2009. Now he has three locations all around the city and is looking to open a fourth. If you haven't had one of his killer burgers, you're missing out! Listen in to this burger-focused podcast and then run out and grab yourself a killer burger and a shake!

Treehorn Cider, based out of Marietta, Georgia, has blown up on the craft beverage scene recently. Besides being gluten free, locally made and environmentally sustainable, their flagship dry cider is just damn delicious. Treehorn's head of finance, Nicole Wheeler, and head of business operations, Jason Marraccini, hop on Vortex Radio to educate you fine people about cider and why Treehorn is some of the best in the game. 

Casper Kelly and Dave Willis, the minds behind the show Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, join us on this special early edition of Vortex Radio. The show, which focuses on the disgruntled workers of Hell, airs on Adult Swim and is funnier than, well, hell. If you haven't seen the show before, listen to this podcast and you'll hear why they are headed into their third season. Season 3 premiers Sunday, October 23rd at 11:30 p.m. on Adult Swim. 

Colin, Michael and Kristen just go back from an action packed trip to Mexico! Listen in to get the story behind their latest trip. And, of course, Suzanne Benoit, the Food Floozy, is back with some tasty food and drink ideas. 

Casey Teague from Atlanta's Independent Distilling Company stopped by the other week and let us try some of the first spirits distilled in Atlanta since prohibition. It's not an easy task opening a distillery especially in the state of Georgia. Whether you're a bourbon connoisseur or just interested in the process of distilling, this is the episode for you! 

Atlanta's Sweetwater Brewing Company has been pumping out deliciously dank brews for around 30 years now. Minister of Propaganda, Steve Farace, and Talking Head, Tucker Berta Sarkisian, come on the podcast to give us the low down on one of Atlanta's oldest craft breweries. There's a lot more ridiculousness to this one so you're not going to want to miss out!

Shaun Doty has been busy in the city of Atlanta since around 1996. You've probably been to one of his delicious chicken restaurants, Bantam + Biddy, but you might not know all of the other things he's done around the city. Listen in to get the inside scoop on his restaurant past and get a sneak peek on his new Midtown restaurant concept, The Federal, which is scheduled to open soon. 

Sam Kim, the Daytime Manager and Corporate Representative of The Cheetah, joins us on Vortex Radio this week! For those that don't know, Thee Cheetah is the premiere gentleman's club in Atlanta and has been open for almost 40 years. When The Vortex opened up, The Cheetah served as a retreat for the owners after long days of serving the Midtown neighborhood incredible burgers and beer. 

Mike DiLonardo, Director of Operations of Atlanta Beer Festivals, joins Vortex Radio this week to share his tale of how he got into throwing the best beer parties in this fine city. On top of that, Mike is a big Vortex Radio fan and he turns the podcast table and interviews Michael and the gang! This is an episode you do not want to miss.