Double Bitter

What does it take to go from a 4-H competitor in Nova Scotia to representing Canada on the world stage?

In this episode of Double Bitter, Kim and Ryan sit down with third-generation dairy farmer and STIHL TIMBERSPORTS athlete Connor Morse.

Connor shares how he progressed from youth competitions to the collegiate woodsmen circuit, won the 2018 Canadian Rookie Championship and joined Team Canada at the World Championships in Liverpool. He also opens up about managing nerves, learning from some of Canada's greatest competitors and developing the technique required to compete against much larger athletes.

The conversation goes deep into the side of TIMBERSPORTS most fans never see: the thousands of dollars invested in specialized equipment, the challenge of training through a Nova Scotia winter, the enormous impact of wood selection and why the current elimination format doesn't always reward the most complete athlete.

The recipe you've been waiting for: "

The Bull of the Woods"

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Canadian whiskey

1 oz Rum Cream

1 oz flavoured coffee creamer for added sweetness - salted caramel is our fave

Ice cubes

Instructions:

Combine: Fill a rocks glass halfway with fresh ice.

Pour: Add the whiskey, rum cream, and heavy cream directly into the glass.

Stir: Gently stir for about 10 seconds until the outside of the glass feels chilled

What does it really take to compete in professional timber sports?

In this episode of Double Bitter, Geoff Larkin and Marie Durieu join Ryan and Kim to talk about representing Canada internationally, managing pressure on competition day and balancing elite-level training with farming, veterinary school and everyday life.

Geoff shares what it was like competing at his third consecutive World Trophy, how he prepares for one of the sport's most demanding formats and why finding the right equipment can make all the difference at the highest level.

Marie reflects on competing internationally, the rapid growth of women's timber sports and the challenges female athletes have faced finding equipment actually designed for them.

They also get into drinking maple syrup between runs, pre-competition breakdowns, the difference between a farm and a ranch and the staggering amount of work required simply to train for the original extreme sport.

The recipe you've been waiting for:

The 'Ranchers' Old Fashioned

- 2 ounces bourbon or rye

- 2 dashes of angostura bitters

- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

- orange peel

- ice

(optional): 1 bourbon soaked cherry

Add all ingredients to a glass over ice. Gently stir, and add hickory smoke chips to your cocktail smoker. Torch, let dissipate for 25 - 30 seconds, and enjoy responsibly

What does it take to become the voice of one of the most exciting and physically demanding sports in the world?

On today's episode of Double Bitter, Ryan and Kim are joined virtually by Troy Manering, the Canadian broadcaster who has become one of the defining voices of STIHL TIMBERSPORTS across Europe.

Originally from Vancouver and now based in Munich, Troy's path into broadcasting was anything but conventional. From recreation facility management and stunt skating to snowboarding events, extreme sports and eventually the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Championships, Troy shares how an unexpected opportunity grew into more than a decade behind the microphone.

Over a virtual Kentucky Mule, Troy takes us behind the scenes of live sports broadcasting, explains how he stays composed when productions go sideways and reflects on some of the loudest and most memorable TIMBERSPORTS events he has ever called.

The conversation also explores the evolution of the sport, the rise of a new generation of athletic competitors, the first Women's World Championship, Andrea Hand's remarkable victory and what fans can expect from STIHL's 100th-anniversary World Championships in Stuttgart.

The recipe you've been waiting for:

The Kentucky Mule:

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon (your favourite Kentucky bourbon) • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice • 4 oz cold ginger beer • Ice (cubed or crushed) • Lemon wheel or fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Instructions

- Fill a copper mug or highball glass with ice. - Pour in the bourbon and fresh lemon juice. - Top with the cold ginger beer. - Stir gently to combine. - Garnish with a lemon wheel or a sprig of fresh mint. - Serve immediately and enjoy.

Double Bitter is back for Season 2 and we're kicking things off with our first-ever double feature!

Ryan and Kim are joined by competitive axe throwers Brad Goodsell and Jess Goodland to explore the growing world of double-bit axe throwing.

Brad and Jess share how they discovered the sport, what brought them back after stepping away and how axe throwing has taken them to competitions across Canada, the United States and Europe.

They also get into the mental side of competing, learning to recover from failure, controlling nerves in front of a crowd and the tiny adjustments that can determine whether an axe lands exactly where it should.

Welcome back to Double Bitter!

Show notes:

00:00 - Double Bitter Returns for Season 2

02:27 - Kim's Encounter with Annabelle

04:35 - Meet Brad Goodsell and Jess Goodland

07:44 - Kim's Smoked Rhubarb Bourbon Cocktail

09:00 - Nearly Dying on a Scottish Road Trip

11:52 - Competing Around the World

14:41 - Axe-Throwing Destinations on the Bucket List

18:28 - Canada's Rise in Competitive Axe Throwing

20:28 - How Brad and Jess Discovered the Sport

23:00 - Burning Man or the World Championships?

25:39 - Handling Pressure, Failure and Competition

30:00 - Brad's Surgical Throwing Process

35:23 - What's Inside Jess's Competition Fanny Pack?

38:00 - Working and Travelling Together

41:18 - The Castle-and-Brewery Travel Rule

43:32 - Black Dot Axe Club and Final Thoughts

The recipe you've been waiting for:

Rose Rhubarb Ginger Gin Build

1 oz bourbon

1 oz Bohemian Spirit's rose rhubarb ginger gin liqueur

0.5 oz lemon juice

0.25 oz honey syrup

Shake lightly and strain over a large cube.

Finish Torch a cedar briefly and smoke the glass.

Garnish With rhubarb compote

In this special Double Bitter Winter Warmer Special, Ryan and Kim head to Moncton, New Brunswick to sit down with four-time STILHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Champion Marcel Dupuis inside the Timber Lounge.

Marcel opens up about what it takes to stay at the top for nearly a decade, how consistency has defined his career, and the mindset required to compete at the highest level in Canada and on the world stage. From hot saw mastery and springboard training to the pressure of national championships and representing Team Canada, this is a deep dive into the sport, the preparation, and the person behind the axe.

The conversation also goes beyond competition. Marcel reflects on his Acadian roots, his work as a firefighter, the importance of hard work, and what it meant to share more of his personal life in the Beyond the Cut series. Add in a pair of winter-ready cocktails from Kim, and this one is the perfect bonus episode to warm up the gap between Seasons 1 and 2.

1st Recipe: Smokin' Old Fashioned:

• 1/4 oz Apple Bohemian Spirits Brandy
• 1 + 3/4 oz of American Rye
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 dashes toasted almond bitters
• Oak wood chips to smoke Cocktail smoker

Instructions: Add the honey and bitters to a low ball glass and add a large ice cube. Pour the rye and brandy over ice. Stir well to combine and chill. Fire up your cocktail smoker and smoke the wood chips. Let smoke linger for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a cocktail pick, garnish with an apple slice, dried orange slice and mulling spiced cocktail cherry (Whiskey Cherries from Soberish Mocktail Shoppe)

2nd Recipe: Paper Chopper (our rendition of a Paper Plane)

• 3/4 oz American Rye
• 3/4 oz Aperol
• 3/4 oz Amero Montenegro
• 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 tsp honey

Instructions: Squeeze 1 lemon into a small glass and set aside. Then add all ingredients (including 3/4 oz of lemon juice) to a shaker with ice. Shake for 15 seconds and pour into a chilled coupe glass. Add a lemon peel twist to the side of the glass after wiping the rim of the glass with it.

Enjoy responsibly!

It's the Double Bitter Season 1 Finale — and co-hosts Ryan and Kim are going out in style.

Broadcasting from Ironworks Distillery on the historic Lunenburg waterfront, the duo dives into a full whiskey-tasting experience with Brad from Ironworks, exploring the craft behind their signature Blacksmith Whiskey, the history of the 111-year-old blacksmith shop turned distillery, and the art of single-malt production in Nova Scotia.

But it wouldn't be Double Bitter without a little friendly chaos — Kim recaps her trip to Iceland, Ryan quizzes her on timber-sports trivia, and the two debate the eternal question: Would you rather use a dull axe or drink cheap whiskey forever?

From Bigfoot theories to whiskey science, this finale captures everything we've loved about Season 1 — storytelling, craftsmanship, laughter, and a healthy pour of Nova Scotian pride.

On today's episode, Ryan & Kim sit down with Stirling Hart — world-champion timber athlete, springboard chop world-record holder, and all-around legend from Squamish, BC — for one of the most entertaining, insightful, and downright hilarious episodes yet.

From dominating the STIHL Timber Sports Series to wild stories of competing on the world stage , Stirling opens up about his journey in lumberjack sports — the work ethic he inherited from his father, the mindset that made him a world champion, and why preparation and precision matter more than brute strength.

The recipe you've been waiting for:

"FOUR HIT POCKET"

2 ounces of Bohemian Spirits Whiskey

1/4 oz of simple syrup

4 dashes of Bohemian Spirits White Pine Bark Bitters

Dried orange

One maraschino cherry 🍒

Shaved Douglas fir for smoking

Over ice, Add all liquid ingredients into a lowball glass. Using a smoking kit, add your wood chips and torch them! Add cherry to a cocktail pick, eat one, replace one to the cocktail pick, place in glass. Let the smoke dissipate, rest and enjoy!

In this episode of Double Bitter, we sit down with none other than Ceola McGowan, two-time world champion and reigning Canadian champion in double bit axe throwing. Fresh off her victory at the Canadian Championships in Barrington, Ceola joins us with her trophy in hand to share the thrill of competition, the mental toughness it takes to perform under pressure, and the unique training routines that have made her one of the sport's most dominant throwers.

From battling the wind with her lighter axe to pushing her limits through unconventional training methods, Ceola gives us a rare look into what it takes to compete—and win—on the world stage. But there's more to her story than axes. We explore her passion for pole dancing and how it complements her athletic mindset, her musical roots and love for open mic nights.

All the way from Ireland, please welcome Ceola!

The recipe you've been waiting for:

LADY OF THE GLEN:

2 oz Glendaloch whiskey

3 dashes of Fee Brothers Turkish Tobacco Bitters

1/4 oz simple syrup

2 Maraschino cherries for garnish

Sitka Spruce wood shavings (for smoke)

Add all liquid ingredients into a lowball glass with ice. Using a smoking kit, add your wood chips and torch them! Add cherries to a cocktail pick. Let the smoke dissipate, and enjoy! Drop in the cherry pick and save the snack for later!

Get ready to meet Suzy Atwood, the powerhouse axe thrower, community leader, and president of the Nova Lumberjack Society. In this episode, Suzy shares her journey from picking up her first axe to winning multiple podiums at the World Championships and the Swiss Open.

She also dives into her passion for bringing the Canadian Axe Throwing Championships to Barrington, Nova Scotia, and how her initiatives like Wild Axe Women are empowering women and growing the sport.

Show notes:

00:00 - Introduction

3:00 - Please welcome Suzy

5:45 - Preparing for the world championships in Barrington, NS

7:55 - Today's whiskey of choice

12:10 - Suzy's journey as an axe thrower

21:20 - Suzy on Wild Axe Women

27:00 - Suzy on competing in axe throwing competitions

The recipe you've been waiting for:

THE HEART OF BARRINGTON:

2 oz Ironworks Heart Iron Whisky

3 dashes of spruce bitters Dried Orange Slice

1/4 oz of maraschino cherry syrup Maraschino cherry for garnish

Maple & Oak wood chips (for smoke)

Add all liquid ingredients into a lowball glass with ice. Drop in dried orange. Using a smoking kit, add your wood chips and torch them! Add cherries to a cocktail pick. Let the smoke dissipate, and enjoy!

This week on Double Bitter, Ryan and Kim sit down with Darren Hudson. Darren isn't just any guest—he's the owner of Timber Lounge Axe Throwing (Dartmouth & Moncton), the founder of Wild Axe Productions, and the visionary behind the Wild Axe Championships TV series on TSN.

But beyond that, he's a 7-time world champion log roller, a Nova Scotia legend, and someone whose family heritage is deeply rooted in the forestry and lumberjack tradition. In this episode, we go everywhere—from epic global adventures to log rolling on the set of Cheaper by the Dozen, whiskey tasting, and stories from Darren's unbelievable life.

Be sure to check out other episodes of Season 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLozfmcWylWNetuQdQZGfvJl1FvLOFx8On

What you'll hear in part 2:

Darren's incredible appearance on the David Letterman show which included meeting Will Ferrell!

Darren speaks on the Wild Axe Park, youth camps, and the Timber Lounge to keep the tradition alive

Darren stepping in last-minute to save the 2016 Nova Scotia Lumberjack Championships and where he sees the future of the sport going!

The recipe you've been waiting for:

"Log Driver's Waltz"

2 oz Glynnevan Triple Barrel Rye Whisky

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

1/4 oz of simple syrup

1/8 tsp squeeze of fresh orange

2 maraschino cherry

Hickory wood chips (for smoke)

Add all liquid ingredients into a lowball glass with ice. Squeeze in fresh orange. Using a smoking kit, add your wood chips and torch them! Add 2 cherries to a cocktail pick. Let the smoke dissipate, and enjoy!