Sports and Spirits

New Orleans' first ever Bourbon Festival is coming up this weekend! Most of the events will be on Friday and Saturday March 24th and 25th. Each day will culminate with a grand tasting featuring close to 90 different offerings from the top names in whiskey. Saturday will feature seminars from the top names in the industry discussing all sorts of topics. 

There will also be dinners sponsored by these companies at various restaurants around the city on Thursday night. And the weekend concludes with an awards brunch on Sunday. For all the information on the festival check out http://www.neworleansbourbonfestival.com/main.html

And for a list of bourbons in the tastings go to http://www.neworleansbourbonfestival.com/bourbonlist.html

Plus check out our interview with the founder of New Orleans Bourbon Festival Tracy Napolitano! 

All three guys are on the show this week to break down the NCAA men's tournament. March Madness is in full swing and that will be the topic for most of the show. Matt East and Hank Allen are joined by Nathan Moore as the guys make their picks starting with the Sweet 16 in each region. 

We've got some upsets for you along with our Final Four and Championship Picks.

Before that Raphael Esparza joins us to give analysis and insight to the bracket from a Vegas point of view. Esparza works with numerous sports books in the U.S. and abroad.

We'll wrap up the show talking about the first ever New Orleans Bourbon Festival. If you're a bourbon fan you need to be there! 

Our interviews this week are:

Raphael Esparza
Doc's Sports Vegas Insider 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VSIdocsports 

Tracy Napolitano
Founder - New Orleans Bourbon Fest
www.nobourbonfest.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NOBourbonFest  

Hosts Matt East and Hank Allen talk about the latest news in the world of sports, including thoughts NCAA basketball as power conference tourneys come to a completion this week, NBA thoughts regarding the MVP race, Bogut injury and more, your NASCAR update, and some NFL thoughts as free agency season heats up.

We also play another round of 'Jump Ball' and debate the landing spot for Tony Romo, discuss whether or not the Warriors are still the favorite following the Durant injury, and who we think is leading the NBA MVP race at this point in the year. 

We also have two fantastic interviews for you this week.

Nate Scott
Deputy Director FoxSports.com
@aNateScott

Steve Wilshire
Louisiana Sales Manager
Heaven Hill Brands
https://www.heavenhill.com/

This week's exit music is 'Where is my Mind' by the Pixies. It is the seventh track on their 1988 debut album Surfer Rosa.

http://www.pixiesmusic.com/

The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey pair of the blended expression as well as the 8 year old single malt come from the Ireland town of Derry. Known for a rather sordid and at times violent history, the town now boasts the first whiskey there in more than 100 years. Quiet Man is currently in the process of building their own distillery in the town as well. 

We enjoyed both of these pours. As you might expect, the blend is mild and smooth and while good, does not possess a ton of depth on the palate. 

The 8 year on the other hand is complex enough to make you feel the age behind it, but still smooth enough to not be turned away. Really nice single malt flavor, with hints of fruit midway through and then a fading spice at the end. 

Overall these are two really nice expressions for anybody wanting to venture into the Irish Whiskey realm that may not have much experience. Our official rating is:

Quiet Man Blend - 7.5/10

Quiet Man 8 Year Single Malt - 8/10

Check out our entertaining interview with Master Distiller Ciaran Mulgrew. 

Hosts Matt East and Hank Allen talk about the latest news in the world of sports, including thoughts on some big cuts and usage of the franchise tag in the NFL, Kevin Durant's injury, Cleveland's renewed Eastern Conference Outlook, some huge NCAA basketball games as we approach tourney time, and NASCAR Daytona 500 wrap-up and thoughts on the new system.

We also play another round of 'Jump Ball' and discuss the Redskins' use of the franchise tag for Kirk Cousins, Jamaal Charles vs Adrian Peterson, and is Kansas basketball underrated? 

We also have an awesome interview for you this week.

Scott Maitland
Owner and Founder, Top of the Hill Restaurant, Brewery, and Distillery
Chapel Hill, NC
http://www.thetopofthehill.com/ 

This week's exit music is 'Where is my Mind' by the Pixies. It is the seventh track on their 1988 debut album Surfer Rosa.

http://www.pixiesmusic.com/

Read more at http://sportspiritshow.com/#A8bqLSKQ6A76Oi53.99

Hosts Matt East and Hank Allen talk about the latest news in the world of sports, including an in-depth look at the Daytona 500 and the huge changes the sport has undertaken for the 2017 season. We also discuss Magic Johnson joining the Los Angeles Lakers as the President of Basketball Operations and have lots of college basketball talk as we inch closer to the NCAA Tournament.

We also play another round of 'Jump Ball' and discuss the Chicago Bears' shopping of Jay Cutler, the hiring of Brian Daboll as the Alabama Offensive Coordinator, and the big NBA trade that resulted in Demarcus Cousins playing alongside Anthony Davis for the New Orleans Pelicans. 

We also have a 3 awesome interviews for you this week.

Chase Wilhelm
Reporter/Digital Editor 
@NascaronFox http://Foxsports.com/NASCAR

This week's exit music is 'Where is my Mind' by the Pixies. It is the seventh track on their 1988 debut album Surfer Rosa.

http://www.pixiesmusic.com/

Hosts Matt East and Hank Allen talk about the latest news in the world of sports, including some in-depth discussion about college basketball and the initial seedings released by the NCAA Tournament Committee and the UConn women's team winning 100 consecutive games.

We also play another round of 'Jump Ball' and cover the Cleveland Cavs chances of finishing the regular season as the #1 seed in the East, debate experimental rule changes for the NIT this year, and debate the merits of an overall #1 seed for Gonzaga should they finish the regular season undefeated. 

We also have a fantastic interview for you this week with Jane Maher, Brand Ambassador for Tullamore D.E.W. She discusses the extremely neat D.E.W. and a Brew Tour that is ongoing across the country.

www.dewandabrew.com  

This week's exit music is 'Where is my Mind' by the Pixies. It is the seventh track on their 1988 debut album Surfer Rosa.

http://www.pixiesmusic.com/

The full crew is here for our Super Bowl recap. Hank Allen, Matthew East, and Nathan Moore break down the game and how Houston did as a host city. Plus we look ahead to next season, who is more likely to get back to the big game? 

We also have a great interview with A. Smith Bowman distillery talking whiskey and craft spirits in Virginia. 

Then in our Jump Ball segment, a look at the Falcons new OC, 49ers head coach, and a potential rule change for MLB. 

We'll wrap things up with a look ahead to this weekend in college basketball and the PGA tour. 

Brian Prewitt

Master Distiller - A. Smith Bowman Distillery

http://www.asmithbowman.com/

We talk with CFO Austin Webber about the beer and what they are doing at the brewery. 

http://www.saloondoorbrewing.com/

Hosts Matt East and Hank Allen get you ready for Super Bowl weekend with a full preview and prediction for the big game. We also touch on some of the other big stories in sports, including the PGA Tour, Australian Open, and college basketball. 

Two great interviews for you this week. We speak with Hasting Stewart, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee for a look at what is involved in bringing the Super Bowl to a city as well as actually hosting the international stage that surrounds the game.

We also take you into the Houston area for a fantastic interview with Austin Webber, CFO of Saloon Door Brewing. Great interview....we think you will enjoy it. 
   - http://www.saloondoorbrewing.com/

This week's exit music is 'Where is my Mind' by the Pixies. It is the seventh track on their 1988 debut album Surfer Rosa.

http://www.pixiesmusic.com/