CRAFTED

Jonathan started falling down the rabbit hole of hi-fi audio gear, and he says it’s all Simon’s fault. So in this conversation, Simon talks to Jonathan about his audio journey; why he’s singled out the world of hi-fi headphones as a place to begin; why he’s become a believer in “EQ”; and why it feels almost inevitable that he’ll end up exploring the world of loudspeakers, too.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Craft Collective (1:18)

Why Headphones Make Sense (5:53)

Is Beethoven the Original Heavy Metal? (12:25)

Headphones vs Speakers (15:57)

Jonathan’s First Hi-Fi Headphones (29:19)

Why You Should ‘EQ’ (35:07)

The Qudelix-5k DAC/AMP + Equalizer (36:20)

Dedicated Headphone Amp vs Integrated Amp (40:49)

The JDS Labs Headphone AMP+DAC (44:10)

Active vs Passive Speakers (1:01:18)

Where To Go From Here? (1:06:35)

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Located at the base of Palisades Tahoe, Wildflour Baking Company is probably the most beloved bakery in skiing, and it definitely has the most accomplished customer base in the ski world. So Jonathan sat down with Wildflour owner, Susan Lopez, to talk about it all, and learn some of the secrets to Wildflour’s success.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Susan's Background & Cookie Monster Suits (2:20)

Establishing Wildflour in 1983 (6:25)

Changes in the Palisades Community (9:12)

Wildflour’s Offerings & Em Bombs (11:33)

Taking Care of People (13:17)

Wildflour’s Ski Royalty Fan Base (17:12)

Aimie Engerbretsen (21:44)

Cody Townsend (24:09)

Shane Mcconkey (27:45)

Noah Gaffney & Connery Lundin (29:47)

Life-Time Cookie Pass (33:28)

New vs Staple Offerings (36:56)

Susan’s Off-Season Hobbies (39:37)

Susan’s Rule re: Chocolate on Faces (41:47)

What's the Best Question I Haven't Asked You? (43:53)

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What if everything you thought you knew about taste was wrong? Although we like to think flavor lives on the tongue, the truth is far more interesting; more than 80 percent of what we taste is actually smell. 

That revelation sits at the heart of Dr. Kevin Peterson’s groundbreaking book, Cocktail Theory, which is transforming the way bartenders, chefs, and curious drinkers think about their craft. In Part 1 of this series, we explored the foundations of his thinking, but we also left plenty of questions on the table. In this conversation, Kevin is back to tie up those loose ends. 

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Closing Castalia (2:01)

Upcoming Projects (9:19)

Cocktail Families (18:02)

The Bloody Mary (23:20)

Pre-Batching (27:59)

Scent as Music (35:49)

Algorithmic Recommendations (47:21)

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How do you grow a national beverage brand without investors, trend-chasing, or artificial ingredients? Dram began as an all natural cocktail bitters producer, and (unintentionally) went on to become the leader in the ‘functional beverage’ space.

Today, Eli talks with Dram founder, Shae Whitney, about Dram’s unlikely origin story; what led her to start making bitters with real botanicals; building a business in a Colorado ghost town; the strange history of their original production space; and how Dram navigated the rise of functional beverages without chasing trends.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

What is Dram (2:16)

First Flavor Profiles (5:05)

Crafting Bitters (7:06)

Production in Silver Plume (10:56)

Moving to Salida (27:20)

Botanical Seltzers (33:20)

Most Popular Expressions (37:15)

N/A Bitters (38:48)

The Functional Beverage Category (39:48)

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Mads Buchardt founded Buchardt Audio with a vision of offering high-end sound and Scandinavian design at the best possible price. Known for “big sound in compact designs,” many of Buchardt’s speakers are handcrafted in their woodshop in Denmark using the finest Danish oak, and their loudspeakers exemplify the minimalist aesthetic that is a hallmark of Scandinavian design. Simon talks with Mads about how Buchardt Audio is delivering on its vision by offering speakers that sound incredible, are visually stunning, and a great value.

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Buchardt Audio

TOPICS & TIMES:

Growing up with Music (6:03)

Getting into Hi-Fi (8:04)

Founding Buchardt Audio (9:42)

Mads’ First Speakers (12:08)

What are Passive Radiators? (12:55)

Staying Small & Running Lean (16:53)

Early Challenges (18:53)

Big Sound in a Compact Design (22:22)

Manufacturing in Silkeborg (25:30)

Buchardt’s Masterpiece: the E50 (27:14)

Active Speakers (43:57)

What's Next for Buchardt Audio (55:36)

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For years, the “Mr. Potato Head” theory of drinks was accepted by bartenders to create new cocktails and memorize recipes. But until the release of Cocktail Theory, by Dr. Kevin Petersen, no one had taken the time to prove it, and now, Cocktail Theory is reshaping how bartenders are designing drinks. Today, Eli talks with Kevin about his diverse background and how it informs cocktail creation; the Mr. Potato Head theory of cocktails; the core concepts of the book; and much more.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Kevin’s Background in Food (3:39)

Kevin’s Introduction to Cocktails (9:48)

Pairing Food, Scents, & Cocktails (11:40)

Opening a Bar vs. a Restaurant (17:33)

Cocktail Families (26:06)

Pitch for Cocktail Theory (29:43)

Alternate Theories for Cocktail Creation (32:02)

The Engineer’s Perspective (34:05)

Scent & Taste Cohesion (44:03)

Turning Theory Into Practice (50:10)

A Sensory Approach to Drinks (54:52)

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Zerno is one of the hottest brands in the world of specialty coffee, and for good reasons. So Jonathan recently met up with Zerno’s founder, Vel Genov, at their brand-new manufacturing center in Chicago, and today, you’ll get to hear their follow-up conversation, where they discuss what led Vel to design & manufacture coffee grinders in Chicago; Vel’s obsession with quality, functionality, and aesthetics (rather than price); burr sizes and why they matter; product design, iteration, and manufacturing; comparisons between the Zerno Z1 and the new Z2; and more.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Craft Collective (2:22)

Intro / What Vel Drank this Morning (3:10)

How Fast is Fast for Pulling Shots? (8:00)

How Did He Start Making Coffee Grinders (10:15)

Aesthetics & Machining (21:31)

Value of Building Products that Last (29:13)

History of Making the Grinders: Trial & Concept (35:43)

Burr Size & Why It Matters for Clarity (44:04)

Listening to Customers & Users (1:03:15)

Z2 Update & High-Tolerance Manufacturing (1:04:05)

Made in Chicago (1:10:34)

Future of Zerno (1:17:03)

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While the overall category of craft beer is currently experiencing a decline, the Burlington, Vermont craft beer maker, Zero Gravity Beer, is thriving. How? To find out, Eli talked with Zero Gravity’s Christopher Costello about the keys to Zero Gravity Beers’ success; what has evolved and what’s stayed the same for them over these 20 years; the current state of New England brewing; and more.

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Zero Gravity Beer

Zero Gravity Community

TOPICS & TIMES:

Zero Gravity Background (1:50)

Farm House Model (11:52)

Production Facility (14:22)

Adapting to High Growth (19:26)

State of the Union: East Coast Beer (25:04)

Terroir & Beer (30:34)

3rd Place Space & Community (34:44)

The Hummingbird Logo & ‘Listers’ (38:33)

Caribbean Beer Dinner (41:06)

The N/A Category (44:12)

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Few craft categories have experienced the meteoric rise of ‘functional beverages,’ and specifically, THC-infused drinks. But despite their popularity, what goes into making these drinks remains a secret, and not all THC-beverages are created equal. 

So today, Eli talks with Fabric founder, Tom Eddleston, about what goes into crafting functional beverages with real intention. From cannabinoids to flavor-profile development, this conversation demystifies a category that is shrouded in misinformation. 

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Fabric

Fabric Blog

Fabric x POW

Farm Bill Brief

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TOPICS & TIMES:

An Introduction To Colorado Sober (2:17)

History of Fabric (6:43)

Definitions and Offerings (11:30)

Ingredients (24:53)

The Importance of Education First (32:02)

Mental Health Advocacy (37:48)

Mental Health & the Outdoors (42:38)

Market Viability and Restrictions (45:36)

Lobbying Efforts for Regulation (54:31)

Cultural Significance of Inebriation (58:42)

Zebra Striping (1:02:49)

Distribution (1:05:40)

Get Involved (1:10:03)

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Jonathan talks with Blister managing editor Luke Koppa, reviewer Paul Forward, and our bike editor, David Golay, about the craft categories that most captivated them this past year, and some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2026.

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Heaven 11

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Luke Koppa (3:40)

Paul Forward (18:45)

David Golay (45:17)

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