Three Questions, Three Drinks with Chris Mikolay

SPECIAL HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR! 3Q3D returns to its classic format in this Halloween themed episode as OG contributors Amanda Adams, Matt Jordan and Chris Mikolay conjure up 3 seasonal elixirs sure to please even the prickliest vampire. Contemplating their own mortality with questions about Death, Dying and Halloween, Matt makes creative use of candy corn, Chris sets up a chemistry lab and makes a drink that threatens the lives of all who dare drink it, and Amanda – with blood on her hands and in need of an alibi – may or may not have committed a capital crime. Trick-or-treat!

Drinks in this Episode:


Candy Corn Old Fashioned >> 2 oz bourbon, 2 oz candy corn “slurry”, 3 dashes angostura bitters, orange twist. In a mixing glass full of ice, stir and strain into a chilled glass over a large cube of ice. Twist a long zest of orange over the drink to release the oils, then drop it into glass. To make the candy corn slurry, mix 10 oz of candy corn with 5 oz of water in a pan of gently simmering hot water. Stir the candy corn until it dissolves into a paste-like mixture and you’ve lost all respect for yourself, because you’re about to ruin an otherwise fine Old Fashioned by dumping liquefied candy corn into it.


Dracula’s Kiss Cocktail (Amanda Adams style) >> 2 oz vodka, 2 oz pink cranberry juice, 1 oz black cherry juice, 1 oz grenadine, 1 tablespoon lime juice, candied blood (for rim), vampire teeth (real or store-bought). To make the candied blood droplet rim: in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add light corn syrup and black cherry juice. Stir to mix, bring to a boil (about 5 minutes) and then reduce contents to a simmer. Allow to cool to room temperature. Add red food coloring and stir to combine. The “blood” will be highly viscous, allowing it to stay in droplets on or near the rim of the glass for extended periods of time. To make the Dracula’s Kiss cocktail: using a spoon, scoop out a small amount of the candied blood and transfer to the rim of the glass until it looks like a crime scene. Add ice, vodka, pink cranberry juice, black cherry juice, grenadine and lime juice to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into the blood rimmed cocktail glass, garnish with Vampire teeth and serve to your next victim.


Vampire’s Kiss Cocktail (Chris Mikolay edition) >> 2 oz vodka, 2 oz Chambord, 2 oz unsweetened Cranberry juice, 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice; combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into a coupe. For spookiest results, add a chunk of dry ice to the cocktail. DO NOT touch dry ice and DO NOT DRINK dry ice. With goggles and gloves, break the block of dry ice into small chunks with a screwdriver or ice pick. The ideal size is 1/2-inch to 1-inch chunks – heavy enough to sink in the drink but small enough to disappear after a few minutes. You can technically take sips of the drink since the dry ice is in the bottom, but just make sure not to let it slide to the top of the glass. For best results, drink after midnight during a full moon.


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In an episode as unusual as it is powerful, Chris sets out on a 600 mile road trip in a bright yellow 1973 Volkswagen Beetle with a man he hasn’t seen in 27 years named Jerry Dorneker. Departing before sunrise from Jerry’s home in Columbia, South Carolina, Chris and Jerry hope the Beetle’s 60 horsepower engine can power them through the West Virginia mountains and ultimately, to the town in Ohio where they both grew up. As the journey unfolds, Jerry shares a deeply personal account of how he has dealt with the passing of his daughter, Morgan, who took her own life 2 ½ years ago at just 12 years old. Raw, honest and incredibly brave, this episode will leave you inspired by Jerry’s message of love and hope, moved by Morgan’s radiant soul, and ultimately, grateful you went along for the ride.

EPISODE GUIDE

(0:00) Introduction

(7:28) Jerry Arrives in the ’73 Beetle

(9:19) History of the Volkswagen Beetle

(16:13) Jerry’s Background | Becoming a Coach

(23:19) Chris Cornell | Fit People Go to the Gym | Jerry’s Experience with Professional Therapy

(29:43) God is Okay With Me Being Mad at Him

(36:44) Everybody Has Mental Health | Trying to Understand Why

(38:29) Jumpers at the Golden Gate Bridge (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/10/13/jumpers) | There is Another Way

(41:17) What Would You Tell Someone Having Suicidal Thoughts? | Warning Signs

(48:46) 988 Mental Health Hotline | The Difference Between Knowing & Understanding

(57:45) The Perfect Fountain Coke | Understanding Jerry’s Grief

(1:07.06) It’s Who I Am | The Two Greatest Things You Can Be Called in the World

(1:11.01) The Car Mirrored Our Experience | Morgan Was Always the Love in the Room

(1:18.03) Butterflies & God Giving Comfort | Seeing Morgan Again | Finding Purpose in the Pain

(1:25.29) What I Wish I Could Tell Morgan | Being Brave Like Jerry

(1:35.02) Moments of Happiness | It’s Times Like These We Learn to Live Again

If you know someone in crisis, or if you need help: Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by simply dialing 988. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services provide 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. There is help, there is hope.

If you’ve been enjoying the 3Q3D podcast, please subscribe and consider giving us a rating, a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. Follow our social sites here:

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FATHERHOOD & MODERN MASCULINITY. Having sired 13(!) children between them, Chris Mikolay, Matt Jordan and 3Q3D newcomer Ed Fink discuss how their concept of masculinity has changed as they reach middle age, the most difficult challenges they’ve faced as fathers, and the wisdom they hope to pass on to their kids. Like a well-made cocktail, this episode balances disparate ingredients to create something truly sublime as the longtime friends veer from flippant jocularity to intense vulnerability – and everywhere in between . It turns out even the toughest guys can be *gulp* tender.

Support families battling pediatric cancer and learn more about the Fearless Fighters Foundation: https://fearless-fighters.org/

The inaugural Fearless Fighters Foundation Survivor 5K Run takes place on Sunday, September 25th, 2022 at Stow High School in Stow, Ohio. Check-in begins at 7:30 am, the 1 Mile Fun Run starts at 9 am and the 5k race begins at 9:30 am.


Drinks in this Episode:

Elderflower Gin & Tonic Cocktail >> 3 oz Hendricks gin, ½ oz St. Germain, 6.8 oz bottle of Fever Tree tonic water, basil leaf. In a rocks glass, muddle the basil leaf and St. Germain, then add ice, gin and tonic water. Garnish with a lime and tip your cap to the World’s Best Dads.



The Last Word Cocktail >> ¾ oz Monkey 47 gin, ¾ oz Green Chartreuse, ¾ oz Luxardo and ¾ oz freshly squeezed lime juice. Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry and go play catch in the front yard with your son.



George T. Stagg Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof 2019 >> At $1300 a bottle, you better be judicious with your pour and with whom you share this special brown water. Pour this 117 proof bourbon over one large ice ball (preferably from a Wintersmith’s clear icemaker) or neat into a whiskey glass. Toast to great friends and the blessings in your life.



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STRENGTH, COURAGE & RESILIENCE. On today’s episode of 3Q3D I’m joined by two remarkable women who prove that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. MaryJo Rischitelli-Clark and Jen Yozwiak are the founders of 100 Women Strong Ohio, a growing community of women committed to improving the lives of people in need in Northeast Ohio. As they answer questions about strength, courage and resilience, and over a few memorable cocktails (including the aptly named “Hot Mess Express”), MaryJo and Jen share personal stories that prove you never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.

Learn more about 100 Women Strong: https://www.100womenstrongohio.org/

Drinks in this Episode:

Salty Dog cocktail >> 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 1 oz St. Germain, 3 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed. Wet the rim of a cocktail glass and dip it in coarse salt. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the vodka, St. Germain and grapefruit juice and shake until chilled. Strain into the salt-rimmed glass and garnish with a grapefruit slice and rosemary sprig.

“The Hot Mess Express” cocktail aka The Jen Yozwiak >> Procure the largest bottle of Prosecco available, open that bad boy up and dump it into any glass you can find. Add a few raspberries (mulled or muddled, preferably) and throw a rosemary sprig in for good measure.

Corpse Reviver #2 cocktail >> Absinthe, to rinse; 3/4 ounce London dry gin; 3/4 ounce Lillet blanc; 3/4 ounce orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or Triple Sec); 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed. Rinse the inside of a chilled coupe or cocktail glass with absinthe, discard the excess and set the glass aside. Add the gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into the prepared glass.

If you’ve been enjoying the 3Q3D podcast, please subscribe and consider giving us a rating, a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. You can also follow our social sites here:

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SPEECHWRITING, SUBMARINES & TOP SECRET CLEARANCE. Today’s guest has not only led an utterly fascinating life, but he’s also my younger brother, Justin Mikolay. As a speechwriter, Justin spent years joined at the hip with several of the most powerful men on the planet, including four-star General David Petraeus, Secretary of Defense and four-star General James Mattis (twice), and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Prior to his adventures globetrotting with the Generals, Justin spent several years aboard a fast attack nuclear submarine, the USS San Juan. Over drinks any sailor would love, Justin shares what it’s like to both witness and help write history, including why the week leading up to the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden was extra weird, what it’s like to fly for 18 straight hours on a plane that is refueled in mid-air three times, and how to operate a pressurized, mobile, underwater nuclear reactor that DRIVES INTO HARMS WAY. You’ll also learn the difference between a “Secret Tent” and a “Top Secret Tent”, how great speechwriting is like painting, and whether you can smoke on a submarine (spoiler alert: you can totally fire up a cig on a submarine).



Drinks in this Episode:

Navy Fizz cocktail >> 1/2 ripe nectarine, sliced; 3/4 oz simple syrup; 1 two-inch Rosemary sprig, plus additional for garnish; 1 1/2 ounces London Dry Gin; 3/4 ounce Campari; 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice; club soda. In a cocktail shaker, muddle nectarine, simple syrup, and rosemary sprig. Add gin, Campari, and lemon juice, fill shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled (about 15 seconds.) Fill highball glass with ice. Fine-strain cocktail into serving glass. Top with soda, garnish with additional rosemary sprig and toast to fair winds and following seas.



Annapolis Orange Crush cocktail >> 1 cup fresh orange juice; 4 oz orange-flavored vodka; 2 oz. triple sec; Lemon-lime soda; Orange slices, for garnish. Add cubed or crushed ice to 2 pint glasses. Divide the vodka, triple sec, and orange juice evenly between the glasses. Top each drink with a splash of lemon-lime soda. Tuck an orange slice into each glass for garnish and you are now ready to hunt for the Red October.



Pegu Club cocktail >> 2 oz gin; 3/4 oz orange Curaçao; 1/2 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed; 1 dash Angostura bitters; 1 dash orange bitters. Add the gin, orange Curaçao, lime juice, Angostura bitters and orange bitters into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass and salute the star spangled banner.



If you’ve been enjoying the 3Q3D podcast, please subscribe and consider giving us a rating, a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. Follow our social sites here:

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COCKTAIL PARTY CONVERSATION STARTERS! Friends of the 3 Questions, 3 Drinks podcast, now you, too, can hold your very own 3Q3D-esque cocktail party – simply invite over a few fun friends, mix up several boozy drinks, and use the questions from this episode to create a conversation that will surely get more interesting with every sip. You’ll quickly learn just how shallow your friends really are (see: the Wizard question from the first drink segment), how many of your friends use weird logic if forced to choose between two beds to sleep in (see: the hotel double bed conundrum), and how many like to push the envelope when setting the cruise control (I, too, like to live dangerously).



Drinks in this Episode:

Long Island Iced Tea >> 3/4 oz vodka, 3/4 oz white rum, 3/4 oz silver tequila, 3/4 oz gin, 3/4 oz triple sec, 3/4 oz simple syrup, 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice. Combine ingredients in a glass filled with ice. Top with Coca-Cola, garnish with a lemon wedge and party like it’s 1999.



Classic Gin Martini >> 2 ½ oz gin, splash of Dry Vermouth. In a mixing glass filled with ice cubes, combine the gin and vermouth, stir for 30 seconds, and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and thank the Lord you’re not drinking another Long Island Iced Tea.



Peach Bellini >> 1 ripe peach peeled and diced; 8 fresh raspberries; ½ cup water; 1 bottle chilled Prosecco. Make the peach/raspberry puree first: combine diced and peeled raw peaches with fresh raspberries and water in a blender pitcher; Blend until smooth. Strain puree through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Pour 2 oz peach and raspberry puree into a flute glass and top with a little Prosecco. Stir gently. Top off with more Prosecco, drop a few raspberries into the Bellini, and cheers to your sophistication! (Special note: Foam can be an issue when making these Bellini. Starting with cold ingredients is helpful. If possible, make your fruit puree and chill for hour or more before making cocktails. Opening your Prosecco (but keeping it in the refrigerator) 10 to 15 minutes beforehand also reduces foam.).



If you’ve been enjoying the 3Q3D podcast, please subscribe and consider giving us a rating, a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. Give us a follow on our social sites here:

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What would compel someone, particularly a middle aged, suburban Dad who had never before climbed a mountain, to fly to Kathmandu and hike 85 miles to Mt. Everest Base Camp, at an altitude of nearly 20,000 feet? This episode of 3Q3D is told in two distinct parts: before leaving for Everest, and the lessons learned after setting foot on the world’s tallest mountain. You’ll get to know Jeremy Starcher – an ordinary guy who decided to do something extraordinary – and along the way you’ll learn why Sherpa’s are some of the world’s best leaders, what it’s like to fly into the world’s most dangerous airport, what the locals drink in Nepal, and why it’s never too late to do something amazing.

Drinks in this Episode:
Hopes IPA, North High Brewing Company, Columbus, OH. >> A west coast IPA with bright tropical citrus fruit aroma followed by a pine and grapefruit taste with a pleasant bitterness to wash it down. 6.8% ABV. IBU: 57

Himalayan Punch >> 2 oz Khukri rum, 1 oz honey, ½ oz lemon juice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, lemon slices. Combine honey, lemon juice and Khukri rum in a glass mug. Top with 5 oz hot water and add ground cinnamon and lemon slices. Stir together and then toast to your high-altitude adventures!

Gurkhas & Guns Blended Scotch Whiskey >> Crafted in Scotland, celebrated in Nepal, and blended with a rare 10-year-old Speyside Single Malt, Gurkhas & Guns is finished in Sherry Casks for added complexity and depths of flavor. Pour neat or over ice and tip your cap to Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Learn more about Compassion International >> https://www.compassion.com/

Learn more about Stadia >> https://stadiachurchplanting.org/

If you’ve been enjoying the 3Q3D podcast, please subscribe and consider giving us a rating, a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. Give us a follow on our social sites here:

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Oftentimes what we don’t understand, we fear. What we fear, we sometimes judge as evil. Wouldn’t we all be better off if we sought first to understand, before being understood? Proving this episode of 3Q3D is no joke, Chris sits down for a wide-ranging and uplifting conversation with 3 very wise men. Representing Judaism, Christianity and Islam respectively, Rabbi Michael Ross (Rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in Hudson, OH), Father Patrick Schultz (Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Wadsworth, OH), and Masroor Malik (Khatib at the Chagrin Valley Islamic Center in Solon, OH) share their perspective on how their faiths are similar, how they differ (and perhaps differ greatly), and what they believe some misperceive about their chosen religion. And proving the world needs more conversations like this one, prepare to be inspired by each man's answer to the question, “what do you love most about your faith?”

Drinks in this Episode:

Masala Chai (Traditional Indian/Pakistani Spice Tea) >> Black Tea, cardamom, cinnamon, milk and sugar. Best served warm from a beautiful Pakistani silver teapot. As-Salamu Alaikum!

Prigat Mango Juice >> shake well and serve chilled. Shalom!

Jameson with a lemon twist >> Pour Jameson neat into a rocks glass with a twist of lemon. Allelujah!

If you’ve been enjoying the 3Q3D podcast, please subscribe and consider giving us a rating, a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. Give us a follow on our social sites here:

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DISTRACTION! 3Q3D returns at long last from a hiatus fueled as much by Chris’ inability to focus as his need for a break. Over several drinks worth sipping slowly, Amanda, Chris and Matt discuss the many ways in which society has stolen our focus while examining the antidotes to inattention. Questioning whether he’s the only one who can’t focus anymore, Chris turns to sloe gin and a classic cocktail to calm his frazzled nerves; Matt then mixes up one of the more interesting cocktails in 3Q3D history, and after declaring he’s “not a bear”, decides to live like a lion; and finally, Amanda’s mojito makes minds meaningfully meander.

Links to books/articles/products discussed in this episode:

Stolen Focus, by Johann Hari

K Safe – The Time Locking Container

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr

“Why the Past 10 Years Of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid,”by Jonathan Haidt

Drinks in this Episode:

Charlie Chaplin cocktail>> 1 ½ parts sloe gin, 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice, ¾ parts apricot brandy, ½ part simple syrup; combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe, garnish with a luxardo cherry, put down your phone and let your mind wander back to a simpler time.

“I’m Not a Bear” cocktail >> Pour equal parts Godiva chocolate liquor, vanilla flavored vodka, Chambord and heavy cream into a cocktail shaker. After shaking vigorously, pour into a glass over ice and drizzle Luxardo cherry juice over top. Finally, raise your glass to your compatriots and assure them you are not a bear by announcing, “I Am Not a Bear”.*

*If you ARE a grizzly bear, you can skip this step and simply devour your friends after finishing this delightful cocktail.

Mojito cocktail >> Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz White rum, 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, 6 leaves of mint, soda water. In a glass, muddle mint sprigs with sugar and lime juice. Add Rum and then pour over ice, top with soda and garnish with sprig of mint leaves.

Chris shows up at the home of 2003 British Open Champion and former PGA Tour star Ben Curtis to tee up a few of the best cocktails in golf. Ben shares his tips for mental toughness, why he knew he could beat Tiger Wood in his prime, and what it’s like inside the locker room of a winning Ryder Cup team (and who showed up to the afterparty). Chris, on the other hand, proceeds to tell a rambling and nearly incoherent story about his experience as a Masters spectator.

Special thanks to Ben Curtis and everyone who participates in the “M4Max Challenge” in support of Camp Ho Mita Koda, a life changing summer camp for kids with Type 1 Diabetes.


Drinks in this Episode:

Transfusion cocktail >> 2 oz Tito’s vodka, 1 ½ oz Concord Grape juice; pour ingredients in a glass over ice and top off with ginger ale. Garnish with a lime and 2 concord grapes on a toothpick. Proceed to cold top it off the first tee and take a mulligan.

Azalea cocktail >> 2 oz Tito’s vodka, 1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 oz fresh squeezed pineapple, ¼ oz Grenadine; place ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a coupe. Don your green jacket and serve to fellow members of Augusta National.

Fairway and Vines 2016 Cuvée, Mendocino, Ben Curtis Private Label >> Fill up a wine glass with a healthy pour while admiring your name on the Claret Jug

Learn more about Camp Ho Mita Koda, the nation’s first, oldest and premier summer camp for kids with Type 1 Diabetes.

Enter the 2022 M4Max Challenge before April 7th at https://camphomitakoda.org/masters-for-max/

Support the Ben Curtis Family Foundation to help kids with food insecurity.

If you’ve been enjoying the 3Q3D podcast, please subscribe and consider giving us a rating, a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. Give us a follow on our social sites here:

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