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 know 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.