Giant Cocktails: A San Francisco Giants Baseball Podcast

We're accentuating the positive! The boys break down the first two games of the Cubs series (before Matthew runs off to Morocco ... or wherever). They ponder the strange offensive outburst in game one followed by the dearth of runs in game two (and game three!). Next Matthew tells Ben all of the reasons he and other Giants fans should still be happy.

By the way, we will not be publishing after the Nationals series. We will return in one week.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Watermelon Basil Margarita while Ben is drinking a Carajillo Puesto. Recipes below.

• 2 oz Blanco Tequila
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1 oz Watermelon Syrup (or 3/4 oz simple syrup and 4-5 watermelon chunks, muddled)
• 1/4 oz Cointreau
• 4-5 Basil Leaves
• Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled. Double strain into a chilled rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a watermelon chunk and/or a basil leaf.

• 2 oz Licor 43
• 2 oz Espresso
• Add Licor 43 and ice to a rocks glass. Layer with espresso.

#doitforwilson

That title is funny, but only if you listen to this episode wherein the brothers discuss the series split against the first place Brewers, the firing of Hector Borg, the dominance of Logan Webb, and the withering bullpen. Also mentioned: Kyle Harrison, Rafael Devers, mental health.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Lavender Fields of North Dakota (Wisconsin?) while Matthew is drinking a Watermelon Sugar. Recipes below.

• 2 oz Empress Gin
• 1 oz Lemon
• 1 oz Lavender Syrup (Regular simple syrup made with lavender extract)
• Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

• 2 oz London Dry Gin
• 3/4 oz Watermelon Syrup
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 4-5 Basil Leaves
• 1 Dash Cherry Bitters
• Shake all ingredients with ice until well-chilled. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a basil leaf.

#doitforwilson

Oops, we forgot to mention Borg being replaced, but we we're trying to adjust to the new reality of the Giants being bad. We cover the player roster changes, the Rockies series, and then ponder what Buster will do with a bad team.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking Jitters while Ben is drinking a Hoboken Sour. Recipes below.

• 3 oz White Rum (Planteray 3 Stars)
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz White Crème de cacao
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• Shake everything with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• 1 oz Simple Syrup
• 1/2 oz Red Wine
• Add bourbon, lime juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rock glass over fresh ice. Carefully

#doitforwilson

It's time to true the books. Our accountants respond to recent listener comments, review the most recent sweep of the Giants by the dbags, and take time to review the team after two full months (i.e. 54 games) of the season. It's not good, you know that. But they try to be funny. Maybe they're make you laugh.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Karl the Fog Negroni while Matthew is drinking a Low Expectations. Recipes below.

• 1 part Smoked Rosemary Gin
• 1 part Vermouth Bianco
• 1 part Bitter Bianco
• Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir for 15-20 seconds, strain into a chilled stemmed cordial or liqueur glass. Garnish with a cucumber round.

• 2 oz Cocchi Americano
• 1 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 3-4 oz Ginger Beer
• 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
• Add all ingredients to a highball with ice. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a lemon twist.

#doitforwilson

Only 7 series away from homeostasis. Our realists react to the series win against the White Sox including presence of Ron Wotus in the coach's box, dugout and clubhouse, the return of Rafael Devers from wherever he's been, and the offense overall. Then they discuss what their still looking forward to from the 2026 season: trades, young players and cocktails.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Lemon Basil Margarita while Ben is drinking a What A Guy. Recipes below.

• 1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 5-6 Basil Leaves
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Double-strain into a chilled rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a basil leaf and/or a lemon slice.

• 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Overproof Rum (Ben used Planteray OFTD)
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
• Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice (or serve it up with a lemon wheel).

#doitforwilson

Matthew has reached rock bottom. The boys react to ugly series sweep at the hands of the DBags. They agree the Giants are bad and then do a review just to confirm. Then they discuss what a shift to a rebuild in 2026 would look like.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Kalimotxo while Matthew is drinking a Call It A Night. Recipes below.

• 1 part red wine
• 1 part Coca-Cola
• 1 oz Bourbon (definitely optional and not traditional)

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry
• 1 tsp Amaro (Averna)
• 1 tsp Absinthe for rinse

#doitforwilson

How steep it is. Our leaders react to the Athletics series and discuss the learning pains of one Tony Vitello. How will the Giants cope with the loss of Heliot Ramos? Is Bader tradable now?! Is Eldridge in the laundry cart? Finally, how good of a student is Tony Vitello? Hopefully better than Matthew and Ben think.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Prospector while Ben is drinking 43 Problems, But Whiskey Ain't One. Recipes below.

• 1 1/2 oz Cognac or Brandy
• 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse (or Luxardo Del Santo)
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz Crème de cacao
• Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until well-chilled (20-30 seconds). Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Express lemon twist over the drink and drop in as a garnish.

• 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Licor 43
• 3/4 oz Lemon juice
• 1/2 oz Simple syrup
• Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake until well chilled and double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel

#doitforwilson

At least they have winning record against the Dodgers. The boys react to the Dodgers series McDonald! Houserdeeznutz! Offense! Ray? Roupp? No offense? Then they pretend that they can figure out how to fix hte 2026 Giants on the fly. Does the roster need to be fixed or does it need to be used better? Yes. Definitely yes.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking an Outfield while Matthew is drinking Nectarine Mint Gimlet. Recipes below.

• 1 1/2 oz congac/brandy
• 1/2 oz apricot liqueur
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a dried lemon wheel or dried apricot.

• 2 oz London dry gin
• 1 oz Lime juice
• 3/4 oz Nectarine simple syrup (make regular simple syrup with a nectarine added, strain after removing from heat)
• 5-6 large mint leaves
• Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lime wheel

#doitforwilson

Was that the most surprising unsurprising trade ever? The brothers react to the Patrick Bailey trade, the Ryan Walker demotion, and oh yeah, the Pirates series. Did they actually win that series? More importantly who will the Giants trade next after Patrick Bailey? Most importantly, are they already sellers?

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking Smoke & Mirrors while Ben is drinking Tequila, I Hardly Know Her. Recipes below.

• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Mezcal
• 1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

• 2 oz Anejo Tequila
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1/4 oz Simple syrup
• Combine tequila, bitters and simple syrup in a mixing glass with ice. Stir to desired dilution. Strain into a rocks glass with a fresh chunk of ice. Garnish with a dried lime wheel.

#doitforwilson

Matthew wrote that title. The brothers react to the Padres series including the stellar outing of Trevor McDonald (EIEIO), the debut of Home Run Jesus [Rodriguez], and what both of their performances mean for the Giants roster. They then ask the question no one wants to hear: Are the 2026 Giants bad? That answer might all hinge on the performance of just a few players.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Whisk(e)y Highball while Matthew is drinking an Essex Street. Recipes below.

• 2 oz Whisk(e)y
• 4 oz Club Soda
• Pour the whisk(e)y into a highball with ice, ideally a single long spear. Top with the club soda and stir once gently with a bar spoon.

• 2 oz Gin
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ½ oz elderflower liqueur (St-Germain)
• 3–4 cucumber slices (muddled)
• Small pinch fresh dill (light muddle or shake-in)
• Tiny pinch sea salt (seriously small—like 1–2 grains worth)
• Lightly muddle cucumber + dill in shaker with elderflower liqueur in a shaker. Add ice and all other ingredients. Shake until well-chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a fresh dill sprig.

#doitforwilson