It took a bit longer than anticipated, but we are back for Season 3!!  And I am joined by two guests to kick off the new season - Andy and Adam Jester have returned.  In the kickoff to this season, we try a couple of gins from South Carolina and chat about their trip to England over 20 years ago and their potential banishment from the country, their upcoming trip to Ireland, the French 75 cocktail, Adam’s hockey career and we end the episode with not one, not two, but three Off the Beaten Path selections.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear Adam actually sneak in multiple choices for his topic 🎙️

Cheers!!

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

Wake the kids, call the neighbors - Toe Squished Grapes is back to cap our 2024 season with a special holiday episode.  However, instead of wine this year, they are exploring non-alcohol options for the holidays, with not one, not two, but three beverages for us try.  In this jam packed episode we cover the new drink concocted by Molly - the Lemon Drip, sneak in a little football talk, try to figure out if it is an adaptogen or adopt a gin, discuss gift ideas for kids, tackle some Christmas movie trivia, and share three special Off The Beaten Path topics.  They packed a ton into this episode.

Come for the non-alcohol options, and stick around to hear us debate an issue that continues to divide our country - is Die Hard a Christmas movie or not?  Oh, and we even sneak in a little show and tell 🎙

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

In our second to the last episode of the season, our fan favorite Brian Place joins us for a third time to enjoy two amazing gins from Spain.  As we savor the flavor of our beverages we chat about his trip to Spain from a few years ago, including the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, discuss exactly what paella is, and share two great Off The Beaten Path topics.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear about Brian met someone directly linked to one of our OTBP topics 🎙

Cheers!!

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

As we approach the end of 2024 and look to wrap up season 2, we have three more episodes to release, starting with my buddy Steve joining me for episode 9.  In this episode we try a couple of Navy Strength gins.  While enjoying these high octane drinks, we discuss how the term Navy Strength came about, Steve’s trip to Krakow, Poland, and my adventure in picking up his kids in the school pick-up line.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear about Steve’s love of a good Old Fashion and a Voocaray, and how we question how single CD's never really caught on. 🎙

Cheers!!

This episode can be found at: https://botanicaltrails.buzzsprout.com, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and other platforms.

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

My guest for our latest episode has had quite a hand in shaping the selection of gins that we have tasted on the show.   Rishi, from Rishi’s International Beverage in Grand Rapids, is our guest for this episode. And while enjoying two tasty gins from the UK, we discuss his journey of starting his own bottle shop and how tastes have impacted the growth of his business over the years.  We also talk about how his customers are now searching more for quality over quantity, and his enjoyment of being able to influence the palates of his customers.  And he has certainly influenced mine, with this episode marking 7 different gin recommendations being featured on the podcast.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear Rishi’s very unique Off The Beaten Path topic 🎙

Cheers!!

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

In our latest episode, my cousin Marc joins us as we enjoy two delicious gins from Scotland.  Throughout the episode, we learn about some of the very cool places that Marc has had a chance to visit - including Wales, England, Cuba and New Zealand.  And in Off The Beaten Path, Marc adds a new category to my favorite segment.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear about Marc filming a documentary in Cuba 🎙

Cheers!!

This episode can be found at: https://botanicaltrails.buzzsprout.com, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and other platforms.

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

For our latest episode, my guests are affectionately known as “The Outlaws” - Beth Jester, Andy King and Alyssa Jester.  They are also my cousin-in-laws.  And in this episode, we try a couple of gins that I picked up while visiting my cousins in South Carolina.  And as we try these new gins, we talk about the annual documentation of showing who married up, nicknames that we might be able to use for Alyssa, how to avoid conversations at work, and drugs we never tried.

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

My cousin Todd joins us as we try two gins from Detroit, the Arsenal of Democracy as it was known during the Second World War.  While sipping the gins, we talk about the Detroit Lions and their new uniforms, how Todd is related to those who resemble Aaron Rodgers and John Elway, his podcast - “Saturday at Seven”, and we go through our final rounds of gin trivia.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear how Todd teaches us how to make smoked ice 🎙

Cheers!!

This episode can be found at: https://botanicaltrails.buzzsprout.com, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and other platforms.

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

My cousin-in-law Adam joins us as we try two gins from far away places.  During our enjoyment of the gins, we chat about Adam’s love of Disney, whether or not Goofy is a dog, my first exposure to Mr. Bill on Saturday Night Live, a trip to Alaska, and Adam’s experience of being a pilot.  We also follow up on a question about Daffy, the Goddess of Gin.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear how Adam subtly sneaks in two topics for Off The Beaten Path 🎙

Cheers!!

This episode can be found at: https://botanicaltrails.buzzsprout.com, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and other platforms.

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

Drew joins us again to try two French gins as we conclude the Rhine River Chronicles.  While enjoying these gins and putting a wrap on this three-part series, Drew and I discuss if I can actually taste lavender, how he went to Euro Disney at perhaps not the greatest time, why there are pumpkins in Slovenia, his fear and basic avoidance of deep water and nostalgia for some of our favorite comedy movies.

Come for the gin, and stick around to hear his interesting Off The Beaten Path topic 🎙️

Cheers!!

This episode can be found at: https://botanicaltrails.buzzsprout.com, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and other platforms.

My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.

For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails