On this special episode of The Bourbon Showdown podcast we welcome David Mandell, the festival board chair onto the program to discuss the 30th annual Kentucky Bourbon festival which takes place September 16-19, 2021. We have a great conversation and talk about how he got started in Whiskey, his involvement with the festival and everything this 30th anniversary of the festival is going to have to offer. It's going to be like Lollapalooza for Whiskey and it was awesome to talk to him and learn more about it! The Premium Event tickets will go on sale June 14th to coincide with National Bourbon Day and that link can be found at https://kybourbonfestival.com/events/.

It is the SEASON 2 FINALE of the Bourbon Showdown Podcast and to celebrate we bring you Kait Whitenack with Bulleit Bourbon! It is a great episode where we talk everything whiskey and everything Bulleit! We talk about how the brand got started, how Kait got started in spirits her role with the company and where she sees the company going in 2021. It is a great episode to close out season 2 and we want to thank Kait for being on the show! 

This week we welcome Sean Josephs, the founder and master blender of Pinhook Bourbon. We go everywhere in this marathon conversation, covering it all from his start in NYC to the inception of Pinhook and where he sees the brand going next. We drink whiskey and shoot the shit about sourcing, marketing and the state of bourbon today. 

This week on the Bourbon Showdown Podcast, we welcome Rob Dietrich from BLACKENED Whiskey onto the show, and we have a damn good conversation. If you like Metallica and you like whiskey then this is the episode for you. We go through Metallica's partnership with the legendary Dave Pickerell, to how Rob went from working rock shows to making whiskey. This episode covers two of my favorite things in the world, Metallica and whiskey so I thank Rob for coming on and talking both with me! 

It's a special day on the Bourbon Showdown podcast, because today we are talking to Ron White and Alex Reymundo about... Tequila? That's right! It's tequila day on the Bourbon Showdown and we have Mr. Ron White himself on to talk Number JUAN tequila with his partner Alex Reymundo! The two of them learn us up on how tequila gets made, how its different from other spirits and how Number JUAN is the best damn tequila on the market today! It's a fun episode that we taped between shows at the Hard Rock while they were out on the road spreading laughter and tequila wherever they go, so enjoy Ron, Alex and Number JUAN Tequila on The Bourbon Showdown Podcast!

This week we welcome Chris Morris and Elizabeth McCall the Master Distiller and Assistant Master Distiller of Woodford Reserve onto the show. We talk about the history of Woodford, how Chris came to be their Master Distiller and all of his contributions to the whiskey industry. We also talk about how Elizabeth got into the whiskey game, what she's learned from Chris and what she has in store for the future. It is an amazing episode and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to the masterminds behind one of the most innovative brands in whiskey today.

This week we welcome the dynamic duo of Jeff Duckhorn & Dave Trebilcock, the Master Distiller and head of Marketing for Redwood Empire Whiskey. They share with me the history of the company and how the giant Redwoods they are surrounded by play a role in their mythos and how each expression is inspired by a specific Redwood tree. We discuss their roots in preservation and how John Muir and his philosophy regarding the spiritual union of “man and nature” inspires their distillery in the heart of the Redwood Empire. And of course we taste all of their delicious whiskey. Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant and  Lost Monarch, they walk me through what makes each one special and damn if it isn't some awesome whiskey! 

This week we welcome Spirits of French Lick, with Head Distiller Alan Bishop and Marketing Director Jolee Kasprzak. This conversation was one of the most fun we have had during our time putting this show together. Alan is a mad scientist of whiskey distilling and Spirits of French Lick has continually coming out with some of the most innovative and tasty liquid on the market today! Him and Jolee combined is like a whiskey dream team and we thoroughly enjoyed having them on the show this week. Jesse, Jolee and Alan hit a groove immediately in this episode and the result is a fever dream of whiskey, good people and good conversation... and profanity, a lot of profanity! It's the way all good conversations should go, they all love this industry and it comes through in this conversation, so buckle up and enjoy Spirits of French Lick on The Bourbon Showdown Podcast. 

This week we welcome William Schragis, Chief Sales Officer and Chief Product Innovation Officer at Barrell Bourbon. Will and I discuss everything Barrell Bourbon and have a damn good time doing it. We talk about how the brand got started, how he got started in whiskey and the art of the blend. We go through 3 amazing Barrell Craft Spirits and talk about New York, fine wine and our love of whiskey. It's a great episode and we thank Will for being on the show!

This week we welcome Fawn Weaver to the program. She is the founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest and we dive into not only the history of the Uncle Nearest brand but the history of the man behind this whiskey. She walks me through the contributions that Nathan "Nearest" Green made to the whiskey world, the special relationship he had with Jack Daniel, and how his legacy has been restored thanks in a large part to her efforts to reintroduce this lost icon of whiskey to the American public.