CRAFTED

Happy New Year! Today, we are sharing the craft categories that most captivated some of our Blister reviewers in 2024, and revealing some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2025.

And over on our Blister Podcast, you’ll also get to hear our team talk about the highs, the lows, and the lessons learned in 2024, plus their resolutions for 2025.

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Check out the Blister Craft Collective

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Luke Koppa (1:21)

Kristin Sinnott (16:08)

Simon Stewart (24:57)

Kara Husted (39:29)

Zach Henderson (49:28)

Justin Bobb & Jonathan Ellsworth (58:26)

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Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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Scott Rao is one of the most influential people in the world of coffee, coffee roasting, and coffee brewing. Scott is also the owner of Prodigal Coffee (located in Boulder, Colorado), and in this conversation, we dive deep into specific coffee topics and discuss the pursuit of quality in general.

We Want to Hear from You!

Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us here to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.

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Prodigal Coffee

Become a BLISTER+ Member

TOPICS & TIMES:

Scott’s Entry into Coffee (2:43)

Quality (8:30)

Coffee, Wine, & Tea (16:42)

Rating Systems (21:26)

How to Store Coffee (26:19)

Should You Freeze Beans? (31:37)

Light Roasts (34:32)

Dark Roasts (37:33)

Complexity (39:35)

Conscientious Consumerism & Coffee (42:46)

Espresso, Whiskey, & Fine Tuning (45:58)

Prodigal’s Approach to Quality (52:06)

Politics, Coffee, & Quality (58:40)

Scott’s Current Coffee Interests (1:06:28)

Quality and Perfection (1:08:35)

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Studio Shed was started in the Boulder, Colorado backyard of their co-founder Jeremy Nova, a pro mountain biker and Olympian. Jeremy needed a place to store all his bikes and was uninspired by what was available, so he built his own. Today, Studio Sheds are still built in Colorado, and their portfolio now includes studios, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and commercial spaces. Jeremy built that first shed back in 2008, yet today, many of Studio Shed’s designs still look just like the original. 

Sheds and ADUs are a great way to provide extra room for outdoor gear, remote work offices, or additional living spaces. In today’s conversation, we sit down with Studio Shed’s co-founder Mike Koenig to discuss their unique approach to designing and building prefabricated backyard structures that are well-built, eco-friendly, and stylish.

RELATED LINKS:

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

Studio Shed website: https://www.studio-shed.com/

TOPICS & TIMES:

Riding Bikes and Founding a Company (0:46)

Tokyo Joe's MTB Team (3:51)

Jeremy’s Homemade Shed (6:24)

Panelized Construction (10:25)

The Studio Shed Design Process & Steps to Purchasing a Studio Shed (21:58)

How to DIY Build a Studio Shed (29:40)

Eco-friendly Designs (36:20)

Mike’s Bike (51:46)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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What are two of the best things in the world? Deep powder skiing and a great food truck. And today, we’re talking about both with professional skier, Yu Sasaki. We also talk about Yu’s beautiful short film, Home From Home; moving from Hokkaido, Japan, to Revelstoke; the ins-and-outs of running a food truck; and more.

RELATED LINKS:

Watch Yu’s Film: Home From Home

Become a BLISTER+ Member

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

TOPICS & TIMES:

New Film (2:52)

Japan Origins (5:49)

Food and Canada (7:59)

Food Truck (10:21)

Planning His Menu (15:08)

2 Food Trucks and Ramen (16:27)

Logistics (19:41)

He Skis in the Winter, Staff Runs the Trucks (22:19)

How to Identify Good Food Trucks (25:24)

Ten Minute Timeline (29:23)

Favorite Food Trucks (31:00)

Craft Obsessions and Freeride Coaching (33:05)

Upcoming Ski Season (36:03)

Closing (38:21)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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Last year, we talked with Alex LeBlanc about starting Calibration Coffee Lab in Greenville, South Carolina (CRAFTED ep #26). Today, Alex is back to update us on how it’s going, what he’s been learning, how his thinking about coffee has evolved, and how he’s going about trying to build a brand that people will love.

And if you’d like to check out Alex’s coffee, CRAFTED listeners can get 15% off by using the code BLISTER at calibrationcoffeelab.com

RELATED LINKS:

Become a BLISTER+ Member

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

CRAFTED ep #26: Calibration Coffee Lab

TOPICS & TIMES:

Backstory of Calibration Coffee Lab (2:53)

3rd Wave Coffee (9:32)

1st & 2nd Crack (14:18)

Alex’s Philosophy of Roasting (16:46)

Espresso (19:30)

Roasting Temperature & Airflow (25:47)

Catering to Customers’ Tastes (27:06)

Coffee, Wine, & Beer Comparisons (33:08)

‘Single Origin’ Coffees vs Blends (35:10)

How Long to “Rest” after Roasting (36:53)

Natural vs Washed (45:48)

Brand Building (51:03)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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Camper vans seem to be everywhere these days, and for good reason — the level of versatility and convenience they offer is hard to ignore. But starting down the road of ownership can be extremely overwhelming, so in today’s conversation, we sit down with Wayfarer Van’s Andy Mullins to answer some of the common questions people have, and to get an inside look at Wayfarer Van’s unique approach to building camper vans.

RELATED LINKS:

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

Wayfarer Vans website: https://wayfarervans.com/blisterreview

Wayfarer Vans Fans Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/364625700977150

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/wayfarervans

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfarervans

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wayfarervans

TOPICS & TIMES:

How Wayfarer Got Started (3:03)

Wayfarer Founder is Good at Bikes (4:14)

Why Modular? (5:33)

Fast Turnarounds (11:09)

Good Wood (13:12)

Ford vs Ram (18:09)

Low Roof or High Roof (22:47)

First Steps to First Van (27:23)

How Wayfarer KeepsThem Affordable (29:34)

To DIY or NOT (34:15)

Let’s go Camping (41:31)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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Mark Connell is the executive chef at PARC Aspen, and he’s back to talk about fine dining and the importance of tasting menus; what he learned at Alinea; the specific tasting menu Jonathan recently had at PARC Aspen (including what Mark put on the plate & why); the difference between striving for consistency vs. striving to be consistently good; and more.

RELATED LINKS

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

TOPICS & TIMES:

Fine Dining & Tasting Menus (1:58)

Alinea: what Mark Learned There (9:46) 

PARC Aspen (16:42)

Tasting Menu: what Jonathan had at PARC Aspen (23:59)

Goat Cheese Sorbet & Olive Oil Candy (31:26)

Consistency vs Being Consistently Good (47:46)

Craft & Trust (56:17)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

Off The Couch

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“My whole goal in life was to be a ski bum and a chef.” For Mark Connell, the executive chef at PARC Aspen, we can definitely say: mission accomplished. Mark is a passionate skier and a culinary genius, and we discuss how Mark & Jonathan first met; Mark’s background and his time working at The French Laundry; what punk rock has to do with high-end cuisine; frozen pizza; white wine; celebrity chefs; & more.

RELATED LINKS

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

TOPICS & TIMES:

How Mark & Jonathan Met (3:53)

Mark’s Background (9:33)

Punk Rock & High-End Cuisine? (22:08)

The French Laundry (37:50)

Italy (40:43)

Celebrity Chefs (46:04)

Palettes (53:25)

Frozen Pizza (1:06:20)

Wine (1:11:38)

Junk Food & Topics for ‘Part 2’ (1:21:37)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

Off The Couch

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These days, owning a beautiful home is often prohibitively expensive, while “affordable” housing too often fails to include quality craftsmanship. But there is a solution, and today, Zack Giffin reminds us of this fact and discusses the craft of designing smaller structures that address our true needs. This is a conversation where design and philosophy come together in a big way, as does the art of fostering real communities and constructing vibrant towns.

RELATED LINKS

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

Blister Podcast Ep.275: Zack Giffin

TOPICS & TIMES:

Zack’s background (3:48)

Why are smaller houses controversial? (9:05)

Construction & Craft (21:20)

Renting vs Owning + Rules of the Road (32:36)

Designing a Tiny Home for Jonathan (37:17)

Strangest Build Request? (58:40)

Where Should People Find Out More? (1:00:21)

Current State of Prohibitions (1:04:18)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

Off The Couch

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In this episode, we get a crash course on the vinyl revival and why spinning records on a turntable is a more engaging way of listening to music. Our guest, Michael Fremer, is regarded as one of the premier experts in the audio field, and he's extremely passionate about it. Michael and Simon get into how Led Zeppelin II was made, why Howard Stern hates vinyl, how to go about buying your first turntable, the travesty of “smashed” music, turntables that cost as much as a house, and tons more.

RELATED LINKS

Check out the Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

TOPICS & TIMES:

Records Just Sound Better (3:11)

The Vinyl Revival (7:16)

Michael’s Today Show appearance (8:08)

What’s A Pressing? (11:11)

Record Store Days (14:22)

Turntables (21:11)

Michael’s First Turntable (24:34)

A Turntable As Expensive As A House (25:46)

Quincy jones and Michael Jackson (27:34)

Turntables Are Vibrations Measuring Devices (30:16)

Phono Preamps (33:41)

Choosing Records (40:57)

“Smashing” Ruins Good Recordings (43:04)

Bob Ludwig’s Cut Of Led Zeppelin II (46:52)

How To Really Listen To Music (54:04)

Current Vinyl Sales (1:06:46)

Michael’s Two Records (1:08:09)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

Off The Couch

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