Rogues On The Road

Kyrö may be the first stop on our European tour! We love theses guys and their rye-based spirits. Kyrö produces gin, whiskey, bitters & a cream liquer. In America Rye is usually associated with aged whiskey. Bold flavors followed by a spicy somewhat medicinal finish. Finland's terroir plays an important role and the Rye grown, harvested and processed in Finland is full of flavor, very approachable and lacks the medicinal burn found in many American rye whiskeys. Don't misunderstand us we DO love American rye just not in this context. As a result, Kyrö's un-aged spirits are incredibly diverse when it comes to imbibing neat or crafting cocktails. KYRO YOUTUBE LINK

"The obvious question on everybody’s lips was why hasn’t anybody made a Finnish rye whisky, especially given the fact that Finns consume six times more rye than the world average and rye bread is the official national dish! From there the idea grew and before long, our distillery found a perfect home in an old dairy in the Finnish village of Isokyrö. After some gentle renovations, stills were first heated up in 2014 and from there the distillery has gone to win several international prizes and we now sell our products in dozens of countries around the world. We are proud to be the world’s northern most gin and whisky distillery producing the finest single malt rye whisky and rye gin."

"Napue gin was voted as “The World’s Best Gin for Gin & Tonic” by the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in 2015 and in 2016 Napue won the gold medal in the San Francisco World Spirit Competition premium gin-series."

"Enjoy your Napue Gin & Tonic with plenty of ice, a twig of rosemary, a few cranberries and your favourite tonic water." We love Fever Tree!

BCB SPIRIT SERIES #1: In RYE we trust: Finnish craft distillery, Kyrö is the result of an idea conceived in a traditional sauna!

We're back recording at one of our favorite spots, Ibizia Kitchen in Chappaqua, NY. Joining us is special guest AND friend, Phoenix-Kelly Rappa. Phoenix is co-owner of Cuca Fresca cachaça who gave us a bit of an education on Brazils national spirit. Included in this lesson, our teacher crafted a perfect passion fruit Caipirinha topped with Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur. We then proceeded to "nosh" on slow-cooked, beef cheek tapas, imbibe and chat...

THE STORY Created by a fourth-generation cachaça-making family, Cuca Fresca is made using age-old methods passed down for almost a century. The entire process is done at our distillery located in the heart of Minas Gerais, the world’s most famous cachaça-producing region. “Cuca Fresca”, which literally translates to “cool head” and is a Brazilian expression meaning “to be cool” or “have a chill vibe.”

THEY HAVE A "GREEN" THUMB Master distillers know that to make the world’s best cachaça, you must begin with superior quality cane. At the distillery, the soil and weather combine to create the ideal growing conditions for cane. All of the sugarcane is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, which have a serious long-term impact on the environment. Our fermentation and distillation process is also completely natural and Cuca Fresca Cachaça is USDA-certified organic.

THEY USE ONLY THE BEST INGREDIENTS All of their sugarcane is closely monitored and harvested at its peak, using the traditional methods of cutting-by-hand, and never burnt during harvests. While this is a more time-consuming method of harvesting, it is essential to maintain the delicate balance and sweetness of the cane.

ARTISANAL PROCESS After fermentation, each batch of Cuca Fresca is double-distilled in traditional copper alambique stills. These small-batch artisanal methods of distillation produce a spirit that is smoother and more refined than other cachaças, which are typically mass produced using a column distillation process.

AGED TO PERFECTION After each batch of Cuca Fresca is double-distilled, it is put in barrels to age. This aging process makes the cachaça even smoother and adds complexity. Our Cuca Fresca Prata is aged for one year in oak, resulting in a premium silver cachaça that has been called the “ideal slate for cocktail creativity.” Our Cuca Fresca Ouro is aged for four years in Jequitiba, a native Brazilian wood, resulting in a gold cachaça that is perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks, as well as in ultra-premium cocktails.

The Perfect Passion Fruit Caipirinha

• 1/2 Lime
• 2 tsp Sugar
• .5 oz Fresh Lime
• .5 Simple Syrup
• 2 oz Cuca Fresca Cachaca
• .75 oz Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur

Instructions

Cut lime in half lengthwise. Carefully cut out white-pith centerline and transfer to a cocktail shaker. Add sugar and muddle hard to release the lime's juice and essential oils. Add Cuca Fresca cachaça and 4–5 ice cubes. Cover cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour into a glass (preferably a tumbler or an old-fashioned or rocks glass), garnish with fresh basil and chili pepper, top with Chinola and serve. Imbibe.

This podcast was recorded live at Ibizia Kitchen in Chappaqua, NY. It marks our first official interview with chef/owner Ignaciao Blanco. We're big fans of Ignacio and his Galician style Tapas and have been customers of his Ibizia restaurant in Danbury, CT from the beginning. Ignacio got his start opening in Manhattan and then moved to Norwalk and New Haven, CT. He then opened in Danbury, CT where we met him. His most recent venture is in Chappaqua, NY where him and his partner Ben Wallace of Cellar Raiders opened in November 2018. What is Galacian style tapas? Galicia is on the coastal Northwest region of Spain and has an abundance of rich seafood. Ignacio utilizes a lot of seafood acquiring the freshest ingredients and letting them speak for themselves. Although this may appear simple, Ignacio is incredibly inventive with his cuisine including the incorporation of molecular gastronomy. He changes his menu frequently to accommodate what's in season. In addition to their innovative fare, Laura Arias is in constant development of the cocktail menu and as a result has brought a bit of of fusion between Colombia & Spain. Bring all these elements together and eating at Ibizia is truly an experience. We are often there for 3-4 hours at a time eating, socializing and consuming Spanish wines. The experience also includes impromptu meet-up's with food critics like Bryan Miller and Spanish wine enthusiast, Gerry Dawes. You never know who will walk into one of Ignacio's establishments. All of THIS is why we love the The Ibizia experience.

We were a bit thirsty so we packed up our gear and travelled a short distance to a boutique distillery, Still The One in Port Chester, NY. The business is predominantly a three man operation: Owner, Albert Savarese, head distiller Tyler LaCorata & assistant distiller Ryan Sadis. The trio have it dialed in and are producing some unique and amazing expressions. Albert believes in letting his team express themselves. As a result, there's a small testing still ready to create strange and awesome experiment. We got a definite Charlie & the Chocolate factory feel when we walked in. Small bottled "experiments' are scattered throughout including a mint-chocolate absinthe that came to Tyler in a dream. Yes, he keeps a dream book. Still The One began in 2009 producing vodka and then Gin. Whiskeys came later and they've definitely carved out a delicious niche for themselves. Nothing is mass-produced and almost every expression is a single barrel. We sipped a beautiful wheat whiskey #3 that was incredibly soft, flavorful and had that signature touch of sweetness that was expected. The distilled single malts are the results of beer mash they acquire from local breweries. The mash is brought to the distillery in 270 gallon totes and then pot distilled. Their pot still is perfect for capturing just the right amount of beer characteristics. We've had a few whiskeys derived from beer mash at other distilleries and Still The One is "one" of the best!

Still The One is open to the public

Friday 4pm-11pm

Saturday 1pm-11pm

Sunday 1pm-5pm 

They will host your Saturday afternoon with a Craft Spirits Tasting! No reservations are needed. Tastings are $10 and include a flight of four samples of customer’s choice of spirits. 

They offer distillery tours by appointment only. They conduct tours on Saturdays between hours of 1pm – 7pm; last tour available at 6pm. Tours are $10 and last up to 30 minutes.

A few boundaries have been broken with this special podcast interview. Three separate podcasts partnered to bring you an evening with philanthropist, Harris Rosen. The Hangover Takeover , The Fork On The Road and Rogues on The Road spent an amazing two hours at Jacks Place restaurant in Orlando Florida conversing with Harris about life, food and the amazing caricatures his father, Hy Rosen drew while working at the Waldorf Astoria, in New York City. Perfectly executed dishes were prepared by Executive Chef, Michael McMullen and his creative team. They had us from the start! We ate, drank, laughed, lamented and even shed a few tears along the way. What an evening! We were truly humbled and honored that Harris shared his story with us. We're looking forward to our return AND a possible skydive experience with him in the near future. We hope you enjoy this rare podcast as much as we did. We would like to dedicate this podcast to Harris Rosen's son, Adam.

Rocio is a certified special education teacher, shaman, minister and single mom! She is good friend of Matt & the Rogues and we've all had the honor of experiencing a traditional Cacao Ceremony with her. This ceremony is just one of many, Rocio conducts with clients.

Rocio was born in New York and began her spiritual work publicly in 2007 after years of serious illness. Part of her spiritual initiation, was being diagnosed with many things such as Cancer, Lupus and Fibromyalgia, which brought her to reawaken her lineage into healing for herself and others. It was a visitation of light one evening that brought her to return to her roots and seek what true happiness really was.

Respecting all religions and traditions, Rocio’s unique work allows her to balance the physical and spirit, providing clarity and insight as well as healing to her clients. This work is deeply guided from her family’s Peruvian lineage of Curanderos, where even at the age of five, she was aware of her gifts. Incorporating different traditions and techniques Rocio teaches other to empower themselves, to remember their own divinity.

Rocio is available to clients via appointment. Rocio La Rosa - Medicine Woman/Curandera

2125 Albany Post Road, Ste. 303, Montrose NY 10548, U.S. Email: [email protected]

This episode opened with a brand new voice over intro from across the pond. Following the new intro, we jumped right in to the growing world of food allergies.

Asha LeRay, this weeks guest owns Food Allergy Unboxed. A parent of a child with severe food allergies Asha's company provides a combination of food allergy training, as well as allergy-sensitive recipes & recipe boxes.

According to Food Allergy Research and Resource Program: "A group of the eight major allergenic foods is often referred to as the Big-81 and comprises milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean. These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States and must be declared on any processed food according to the USA food allergen labeling act (FALCPA)1. In addition labeling of the Big-8 is mandatory according to EU, Canadian, Japanese and Australian / New Zealand regulations, all of which follow Codex Alimentarius recommendations.

Asha, "We look at daily life routines and unbox them finding the important details while simplifying complexities of the process. We also take a look inside at emotions that we encounter as caregivers and how to keep balance through self care as part of our routines. In short...Asha helps families learn to live with food allergies so that they can focus on the joys of life!

This weeks podcast highlights Rogue fan, cook and neighbor, Linda Morganti. She has been cooking her whole life and is also a master at making the perfect "neighborhood" Martini.

Linda has very few recipes written, most have been handed down through oral tradition. As a business owner of The Barbers Daughter and single mom she always finds the time to cook amazing dishes! She says cooking is her therapy and therefore cooks on a daily basis. The Tonetta Lake community in Brewster, NY where Linda resides is a tight-knit community which gets together often for dinners and events. Many on the block cook for these potlucks including Linda's sister-in-law, Cathy Murphy. It's almost always guaranteed that Linda will have prepared not one but multiple dishes for such events. Many dishes are Italian in origin and all are guaranteed to be amazing!

There's one particular recipe called "Recipe" that Linda prepares often. Follow if you can. Origin of the name comes from Linda's Nephew, Josh "Styles" Murphy, member of the band "Daddy Long Legs". According to legend, when Josh was young he always asks for Linda to make the "Recipe". Hence, the "Recipe", follow? It's one the best Italian Comfort dishes we've tasted. It's simple to make but surprisingly difficult to master. "Recipe" was handed down to Linda via her grandparents. It was most likely created around post World War 2 era where somewhat hard times forced people to be creative by not waisting ingredients. This included the leftover breadcrumbs and egg mixture from fried chicken cutlets. "Recipe" is a mix of these leftover ingredients along with some added onion and cheese. The few we've spoken to about "Recipe" have noted that it's very challenging getting the proportions correct.

The show closes with a comedic discussion on sauce vs. gravy and a nosh of Lindas famous meatballs. Secret: Don't overwork the mixture, flash fry and immediately drop them into the sauce.

This episode begins with a bit of bad news. Rich & Matt recently auditioned for a nation-wide Dell computer commercial. They were in the running but at the last minute they were turned down because they were too straight! Cant make this up, folks.

From here, the Rogues move into a new wine label APP, Living Wine Labels. Interesting but gimmicky & the APP needs to have better "juice" behind it. Perhaps some craft spirits?

Main focus of this weeks podcast celebrates chefs José Andrés & Albert Adria's new Mercado, Little Spain. We arrived as guests of wine importer, writer and Spanish culinary expert, Gerry Dawes. Eater New York "The result is a 35,000-square-foot food hall with three full-service restaurants; tapas, wine, and cocktail bars; a coffee shop; nearly a dozen food stalls; and three shops selling flowers, dry goods, and souvenirs. Most products ranging from the cured Ibérico hams to the flour used to make churros will be directly imported from Spain, Lopez stresses. And they include ingredients from all corners of Spanish cuisine, not one region neglected." This concept is absolutely amazing and definitely hits all the senses! A must visit in NYC.

We close with another trend building momentum in the US. Tinned seafood. Although this is popular in many countries, including Spain. It's relatively new to the US. We visited three establishments highlighting "tins". Began with a visit to Angelicas in Buffalo, NY Haley Henry wine bar, Boston. Mercado Little Spain is also on board with Tins. Jose Andres imports his own & sells a variety at the the market place.

This episode begins with a trip to Newburgh Brewing company where they partnered with River Keeper to screen two new films about the Hudson River. River Keeper began in 1966 by a group of concerned fisherman. Together, they defend the Hudson River, its tributaries and help to protect the drinking water supply of 9 million New Yorkers. Volunteer opportunities. This includes the discovery of an incredibly rare and old sturgeon caught on side-scan radar just off the coast of Hyde Park, NY. At one point sturgeon ran so strong in the Hudson they fish showed up on many menus up and down the Hudson Valley. By the end of the 19th century it was commonly known as "Albany Beef". Hudson River sturgeon are currently on the federal endangered list.

We quickly transition from the Hudson to opening a forty year-old can of JR Ewing Beer. Cans can still be found on the secondary market for purchase. The beer was brewed in 1980 by Pabst Blue Ribbon and is described as an American pale ale. It tasted like it was brewed on a hot summer day in dry Texas.

Our Beer paired well with the discussion and tasting our core topic, comfort food. "CF provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any food with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking." Add nostalgia as well as high fat & high caloric to the definition. Every culture has a list/s.

Matt’s list: Egg-foo-young, chocolate pudding & cinnamon rolls, Captain Crunch & Chicken, Pizza w/cold cheese, Italian combo, disco fries, gyro, Irish breakfast, wings, loaded tater totes Recipe: Lobster mac & cheese

Rich’s List: Ploughman’s, prawn cocktail, curry, Cadbury mini eggs, hot sausage roll, bacon sandwich, scampi and chips, walker, marmite, Toad in the hole, English Fry-up. Recipes to taste: English cheese biscuits w/Branston, Shepherds pie, pavlova.

Gypsy: Ritz crackers with cheese and smoked oysters. Delicious!