CRAFTED

Craft N/A Cocktails are on the rise, but there is still much that needs to change in this space — fundamental things like what we should and shouldn’t be calling this whole category, and why that matters. Today, Jonathan Ellsworth discusses these things with our CRAFTED co-host and professional mixologist Eli Brown, who sees the real-world importance of these things every day. You’ll hear about the project Eli’s working on to create change, and you’ll learn why one of the fastest-growing whiskey companies in the world, Uncle Nearest, is so interested in the N/A space.

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Raise the Bar program

CRAFTED ep 66: Eli w/ Bar 5

TOPICS & TIMES:

Eli’s ‘Raise The Bar’ Project (1:46)

Zebra Striping & Other Consumer Behavior (7:51)

Current Stats in N/A (12:09)

Defining a Category By What it Isn't (16:24)

Ice Cream Analogy (21:05)

Inclusivity (36:37)

More on Conventions & Terminology (40:03)

Cocktail Creation (45:42)

Uncle Nearest & Historical N/A Ties (49:51) 

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Madness. That’s what you call it when a former sponsored skateboarder gets a Ph.D. in fermentation, then starts brewing super-premium beer in Napa Valley. In this conversation, Eli Brown talks with Nile Zacherle, the founder & master brewer of Mad Fritz.

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Mad Fritz Brewing

Mad Fritz Membership

Winemaker’s Review (Nile’s Podcast)

TOPICS & TIMES:

Origins of Mad Fritz (5:31)

Nile’s Background (10:08)

Hawaiian Beer: Culture & Challenges (16:07)

Skateboarding (25:08)

Winemaking (27:27)

Transition Back to Brewing (35:34)

Diving into Mad Fritz (42:00)

Jupiter & Camel (44:41)

Brewing System (47:13)

Barrel Aging (1:03:32)

Where to Find the Beer (1:11:09)

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Steve Matthiasson is one of the most respected winemakers in Napa Valley, and together with his wife Jill, they make wines under the label of Matthiasson Wines that buck some of the most fashionable trends in Napa wine. Steve is also a passionate mountain biker and snowboarder, a teacher, and a wine consultant; today, we dive into all of these aspects.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Sherry (1:58)

Orange Wine & White Grapes (4:17)

Tannins (15:53)

Complexity & Punk Rock (22:28)

Principles of Matthiasson Wines (29:47)

Trademark Wine & Proof of Concept for Wine World (39:55)

Alcohol Content in Wine (46:23)

Why Steve Got a New Bike (50:36)

Small Wine Producer, Large Wine Programs (56:18)

Natural Wines (58:54)

Being an Outlier in Napa? (1:04:42)

Wine Consulting & Sustainability (1:09:31)

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Brandy doesn’t get the love that it deserves, especially given that it was America’s founding spirit, and no category has a bigger folk hero tied to it (Johnny Appleseed, anyone?). At its core, it’s distilled fruit—wine’s fiery cousin—born from orchards and alchemy, and few do it better than Clear Creek Distillery.

In this episode, we dig into what brandy really is, why it nearly vanished from American drinking culture, and how Clear Creek is helping it make a long-overdue comeback. We also cover pears, patience, and how to make brandy that doesn’t just sip smooth, it sings.

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Clear Creek Distillery

TOPICS & TIMES:

What is Brandy? (3:26)

Johnny Appleseed (8:58)

History of Clear Creek (9:55)

Everett’s Background (14:31)

The USA & Brandy (17:47)

Rise & Fall of Popularity (24:29)

Why Distillers Like Brandy (30:25)

Provenance of Brandy (34:15)

Distillation Process (38:20)

Fir Brandy (45:17) 

Checking the Stills & Types of Pears (54:50)

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Today on CRAFTED, Eli is joined by fellow Blister contributor Zack Henderson to talk all things paella. What started as a casual interest has turned into a full-blown culinary rabbit hole — and we dig into everything from technique to tradition, with some very unconventional twists.

We also dive into the mysteries of the socarrat; explore a Pacific Northwest take on the dish; and brainstorm potential flavor combinations (some more plausible than others). Along the way, we talk table beer, saffron, Fernet, and confront Eli’s long-running rice curse.

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TOPICS & TIMES: 

Bike Season (1:11)

Why Paella? (3:26)

What is Paella? (7:40)

The Process (10:20)

Best Potential Flavor Combinations (16:15)

The Fernet and Saffron Diatribe (24:35)

Potential Beverage Pairings (34:10)

Paella Mixing and Pan Bottom (41:31)

Serving (43:13)

Paella Rules (46:02)

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Today Jonathan talks about books, book recommendations, the state of independent bookstores, the art of reading, and the craft of writing — and our guest is the perfect person to talk about it all. Arvin Ram is a writer, an avid reader, and the co-owner (along with his wife Danica) of the independent bookstore, Townie Books. Arvin is also the director of the Mountain Words Festival here in Crested Butte, and we also discuss the mix of mountain culture and book culture.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

News: Mountain Words Festival (00:47)

We Finally Get Arvin to Blister HQ (2:10)

Arvin's Background (3:50)

Running an Independent Bookstore Today (7:06)

Arvin’s Path to Opening a Bookstore (18:40)

Coffee, Tea, & Bookstores (26:55)

The War for Our Minds (32:55)

Fiction vs Nonfiction Sales Today? (40:11)

Favorite Authors? (41:44)

Arvin’s Own Writing (50:52)

Mountain Words Festival (58:42)

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CRAFTED co-hosts Simon Stewart and Eli Brown talk with Troy Rarick, the founder of Over the Edge bike shops and the person who first got Simon into tequila, about why tequila might be the quintessential craft spirit; they discuss a fun history of tequila; the different variations of it; and Troy reminisces about filming a Tequila Talk Show. They share some current favorite tequilas; plus advice on how to choose a good bottle; and more.

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Over the Edge

TOPICS & TIMES:

Troy & Simon’s First Tequila Tasting (2:05)

Why Troy Loves Tequila (2:22)

Troy’s “Tequila Talk” TV Show (4:43)

Eli on Mescal vs Tequila (7:51)

The Dusty Bottle on the Shelf (11:04)

Meeting Juan Carlos (12:23)

The Town of Tequila in Jalisco (14:14)

The Different Types of Tequilas (21:45)

Tequila Tasting Glassware (27:47)

A Drop of Water — Or Not (32:09)

The Legend of Casta Weber (37:41)

Tariffs’ Effect on Tequila (46:59)

High-End Tequila in Cocktails (1:00:25)

How Much Should You Spend on Tequila? (1:03:09)

Top Tequila Picks (1:04:15)

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Andrew Jones didn’t set out to make wine. Instead, he spent decades planting vines for other people — some of the biggest names in California (e.g., Beckstoffer). But along the way, Andrew started stockpiling stories — and grapes — and what began as a side project turned into Field Recordings, a brand known for bending rules and bottling attitude. The brand has since been featured in Wine Enthusiast, on Vinepair, and in the New York Times, growing into one of the most talked-about labels in the country. In this episode, Andrew talks with Eli Brown and Jonathan Ellsworth about nursery hustle, breaking the rules, and why wine should be fun, not fussy. We also talk about boxed wine, baseball card philosophy, and Andrew fires off some of the sharpest wine one-liners we’ve ever heard.

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Field Recordings Winery

Field Recordings Instagram

TOPICS & TIMES:

Intro to California Winemaking (2:26)

From Football to Farming (4:44)

Transition from Nursery to Winemaking (6:22)

The Birth of Field Recordings (12:50)

Terroir & Storytelling (14:12)

Nurseries & Vines (22:21)

Economics of Wine Pricing (26:07)

Field Recordings: Quality & Accessibility (27:24)

Finding Unique Properties for Winemaking (29:44)

Making Wine Enjoyable for Everyone (42:12)

Understanding Wine Pricing (47:31)

Navigating the Wine Aisle: Tips for Beginners (48:11)

Quality Control, Ingredients, & Additives (51:45)

The Natural Wine Movement (58:27)

Future Trends? (58:32)

Andrew’s Recommendations: New Varietals (1:04:35)

“Topped-Up” Wines (1:14:31)

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Jonathan talks with Blister reviewer & Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, about her lifelong love of ice cream; what we should know about making ice cream at home; and why she always hunts for small-batch ice cream when she’s traveling.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

How Kristin’s ice Cream Habit Started (2:36)

Being Picky about Food (8:36)

Getting into Making Ice Cream (14:45)

Ice Cream vs Coffee (18:42)

Cookbooks for Ice Cream (22:23)

Eggs vs no Eggs (23:27)

Linden’s Ice Cream Reviews (26:14)

Ice Cream vs Gelato (28:54)

Kristin’s Current Practices (31:28)

Coffee vs Ice Cream Equipment (37:05)

Pro Tips (42:08)

Affogatos (47:29)

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We’re all familiar with ‘Top Gun’ — a school that separates the best of the best. But what if we told you there is an elite certification program designed to test the best bartenders in the business? Today, we’re discussing that program — Bar 5 Day — with Steve Olson and Doug Frost.

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BAR 5 Day

BAR Documentary

TOPICS & TIMES:

Their Background (2:27)

Bar 5 Origin Story (5:47)

Mentorship (21:34)

Mescal and Decision Points for Bar 5 (33:05)

How They Choose Educators (45:11)

Certifications and Film Tour (1:00:22)

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