Kojin Tashiro, founder of Mugen Spirit, shares his Japanese heritage and American identity in the form of whiskey. Kojin was burnin in Japan but moved to America as a child. He blends both worlds together by sourcing Bourbon and using Japanese history, folklore, and art to tell a story of both countries inside and outside of the bottle.

Guest: Kojin Tashiro

Host: Jake Hukee and John Chesney

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Co-Founder at Clonakilty Distillery, Sean Scully joins us to share his family’s story of transforming their family farm to an Irish Whiskey Distillery. Sean also highlights the vast history of Irish whiskey, and pays homage to the large Irish brands that have established themselves across the world, paving the road for the smaller distilleries that are emerging.

Guest: Sean Scully

Host: Jake Hukee, John Chesney & Brett Bauer

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Chris and Sammy share the truly unique method of blending whisky at Found North. Their independent approach has caught the attention of consumers from across the country in a short time since they opened their doors just five years ago. Found North’s individualistic and eccentric approach to sourcing and blending Canadian whisky is truly the intertwining of art, science and business.

Guests: Sammy Karachi & Chris Riesbeck

Host: Jake Hukee & John Chesney

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Kevin, founder of The Beautiful and The Damned, returns. Kevin provides his industry insights on the financial side of whiskey; the price drop in barrels, the rising amount of inventory in the US, the growing number of US distilleries, etc. These are the factors that equate to the drop in whiskey sales and the plethora of unsold cases we have sitting in the millions waiting to be sold, purchased and consumed.

Host: Jake Hukee

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An East Meets West conversation, translated through our love of whiskey. Ken Matsuyama proprietor of famed Tokyo whiskey bar Ken’s Bar and Kojin Tashiro of Mugen Spirit share their love of spreading bourbon across the world. Kojin explains how his unique background of immigrating from Japan to America’s Bourbon Capital has created his opportunity to bridge bourbon in America and Japan. Ken stands on the other side of said bridge by visiting America, developing a great friendship with Kojin and bringing his bourbon experiences back to Japan.

Guest: Ken Matsuyama and Kojin Tashiro

Host: Jake Hukee and John Chesney

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Kevin, the founder of The Beautiful and The Damned, shares his adventurous decision to start a whiskey brand in 2023. He patiently approached building an American whiskey brand with quality of construction with sourced whiskey from MGP and steadily expanding in various markets across the country. We also discuss the economics of whiskey and the confidence and the intelligence it takes to construct a brand in the current climate of the industry.

Guest: Kevin

Host: Jake Hukee

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After six years between appearances, Jared Savocchi is back. We visit his Logan Square tavern, The Native to converse on a myriad of subjects surrounding bar culture. We hit on running/operating a neighborhood establishment post covid, creating trust with employees, adapting to drinking trends and how relationships are everything in this industry.

Guests: Jared Savocchi, Chris Blatner, Matt Brown & Eric Rosentreter

Host: Jake Hukee

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To celebrate International Whisky Day, we go to a New York with a live studio audience at Martiny’s for the launch of the collaboration between Starward X Lagavulin. Last March, I recorded a conversation with Starward founder David Vitale, Diego Master Blender Stuart Morrison and Whiskey Expert Noah Rothbaum. The three share the story of how this unprecedented collaboration developed over years of exploration to make a very special whisky.

Guests: Noah Rothbaum, David Vitale & Stuart Morrison

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Angela is the director of all things sales and representing her hometown distillery of KOVAL. She entered the industry three years ago, but she holds herself as an industry vet with great charm, personality and a real sense of hospitality. Her background in the theater built a foundation of approaching whiskey as an art, which has allowed her authentic passion for whiskey to shine.

Guest: Angela Salinas

Host: Jake Hukee & Hannah Thomas

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Monica Casillas-Rios runs the bar program at the Michelin Star restaurant Elske. In 2023, she was awarded her own Star by winning the Michelin Guide Chicago, Exceptional Cocktail Award Winner. At her six-seat bar she strives to foster a home-like atmosphere for her guests. She’ll chit-chat about your personal life, guide you through the menu and find the best cocktail/other beverage to pair with your evening.

Guest: Monica Casillas-Rios

Host: Jake Hukee & Hannah Thomas

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Key In The Lake