This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with David Cramer about MCP—microservices for language models—and why it might be the future of AI tooling. They dig into the state of AI agents, developer efficiency, and why Codegen isn’t killing jobs anytime soon.

In this episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:47) - Whiskey review and rating
• (17:12) - Hot Take: Syntax.fm vs Whiskey Web and Whatnot?
• (18:06) - Hot Take: Rails vs Laravel
• (20:27) - Hot Take: Taco Bell vs Del Taco
• (22:36) - What exactly is "MCP"?
• (29:55) - Can you leverage AI to build SaaS for you?
• (38:21) - React Miami
• (40:27) - Rum and snacks
• (47:12) - Chuck is moving to Italy
• (50:18) - David's Sim racing rig
• (54:33) - Plugs

Links

• Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked: https://www.woodfordreserve.com/whiskey/double-double-oaked/
• Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye: https://www.jackdaniels.com/en-us/whiskey/single-barrel-rye
• High West: https://highwest.com/
• Norlan: https://norlanglass.com/
• Syntax: https://syntax.fm
• Sentry: https://sentry.io
• Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/
• Tailwind CSS: https://tailwindcss.com/
• Typescript: https://www.typescriptlang.org/
• Laravel: https://laravel.com/
• Python: https://www.python.org/
• DHH: https://x.com/dhh/
• Laracon: https://laracon.us/
• 37signals: https://37signals.com/
• Taco Bell: https://www.tacobell.com/
• Del Taco: https://deltaco.com/
• Chick-fil-A: https://www.chick-fil-a.com/
• In-N-Out: https://www.in-n-out.com/
• React Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/
• Aaron Francis: https://x.com/aarondfrancis
• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/
• Codegen: https://codegen.com/
• Figma: https://www.figma.com/
• Assassin's Creed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed
• Tesla: https://www.tesla.com/
• Dax: https://x.com/thdxr/
• Guillermo Rauch: https://x.com/rauchg
• Eve 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_6
• Payload: https://payloadcms.com/
• Chris Hemsworth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hemsworth
• NVidia: https://www.nvidia.com/
• Porsche: porsche.com

Connect with David

• Website: https://cra.mr/
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/zeeg

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
• Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Website: https://whiskey.fm
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk about American whiskey, buttered PB&Js, and the quirks of AI coding assistants. They swap TV recommendations, debate developer priorities like security and rewrites, and more.

In this episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:43) - Whiskey review and rating: Union Horse Distilling Co Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey
• (13:59) - Hot Take: butter on a PB&J?
• (18:12) - Do we care about security in our applications?
• (23:23) - Challenges with AI tools
• (27:44) - The evolution of developer tools
• (28:09) - AI's role in software development
• (33:39) - Chuck's complications with moving to Italy
• (36:36) - Should we drop Severence?
• (40:25) - Jedi Survivor and gaming
• (47:35) - Game to film adaptations
• (50:57) - Robbie on his new job

Links

• Union Horse Distilling Co Rolling Standard Four Grain Whiskey: https://www.unionhorse.com/
• CouplaBeers - SNL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUPSTQSGb50
• The Food That Built America: https://www.history.com/shows/the-food-that-built-america
• HashiCorp: https://www.hashicorp.com/
• IBM: https://www.ibm.com/
• Astro: https://astro.build/
• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/
• React: https://react.dev/
• Ember: https://emberjs.com/
• Laravel: https://laravel.com/
• Next.js: https://nextjs.org/
• Your Terminal Is Getting Smarter with Ben Holmes: https://whiskey.fm/your-terminal-is-getting-smarter-with-ben-holmes
• Warp: https://www.warp.dev/
• Windsurf: https://windsurf.ai/
• Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot
• Claude: https://claude.ai
• v0: https://v0.dev/
• Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
• Nespresso: https://www.nespresso.com/
• Severance: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx
• Silo: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/silo/umc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jice
• Before: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/before/umc.cmc.4uwoba1ftlsr5da94wc98ilsc
• White Lotus: https://www.hbo.com/the-white-lotus
• No Country For Old Men: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Country_for_Old_Men
• Jedi Survivor: https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi-survivor
• Jedi Fallen Order: https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi-fallen-order
• FIFA: https://www.fifa.com/
• Zelda: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/games/zelda-games
• Skyrim: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls_V:_Skyrim
• ROG Ally: https://rog.asus.com/gaming-handhelds/rog-ally/rog-ally-2023/
• Steamdeck: https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck/
• Manchester United: https://www.manutd.com/
• Starfield: https://bethesda.net/en/game/starfield
• The Mandalorian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian
• The Book of Boba Fett: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Boba_Fett
• Andor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andor_(TV_series)
• Sekelton Crew: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Skeleton_Crew
• Ewoks: The Battle for Endor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ewoks:_The_Battle_for_Endor
• Knights of the Old Republic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic
• Nintendo Switch 2: https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2
• Mario Kart World: https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/featured-games/mario-kart-world/
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Super_Mario_Bros._Movie
• Donkey Kong Bananza: https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/featured-games/donkey-kong-bananza/
• Avatar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film)
• Norlan Glass: https://norlanglass.com/
• Lenovo: https://www.lenovo.com/
• React Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
• Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Website: https://whiskey.fm
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Ben Holmes—Astro core team alum and now at Warp—about the rapid evolution of developer tools, the promise and quirks of AI-powered coding, and why he’s betting big on terminal UX.

In this episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:09) - Warp and dev tools
• (04:20) - Whiskey intro and rating: Heaven Hill Grain To Glass Kentucky Straight Rye
• (15:47) - Hot Take: inferred types vs explicit types
• (17:11) - What Cursor AI gets right (and wrong)
• (23:12) - Pros and cons of Windsurf
• (25:02) - Hot Take: git rebase vs git merge
• (27:27) - Vim Motions and The Vim Gym
• (30:45) - Hot Take: sidebar on the left or right in VS Code
• (34:40) - Specialize or generalize?
• (44:01) - Frameworks vs doing your own thing
• (48:21) - The MBA journey
• (52:06) - Ben's connection to Peloton
• (53:12) - Plugs

Links

• Heaven Hill Grain To Glass Kentucky Straight Rye: https://heavenhilldistillery.com/
• Astro: https://astro.build/
• Warp: https://www.warp.dev/
• Norlan: https://norlanglass.com/
• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/
• Windsurf: https://windsurf.ai/
• Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot
• Cline: https://cline.bot/
• Claude: https://claude.ai/
• Ghostty: https://ghostty.org/
• Vim Motions: https://www.barbarianmeetscoding.com/boost-your-coding-fu-with-vscode-and-vim/moving-blazingly-fast-with-the-core-vim-motions/
• Tailwind CSS: https://tailwindcss.com/
• Vue: https://vuejs.org/
• Svelte: https://svelte.dev/
• Ember: https://emberjs.com/
• NeoVim: https://neovim.io/
• Primeagen: https://x.com/ThePrimeagen
• Jason Lengstorf: https://x.com/jlengstorf
• Vision Pro: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/
• JSWorld: https://jsworldconference.com/
• Final Cut Pro: https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/
• CapCut: https://www.capcut.com/
• DHH: https://x.com/dhh/
• University of Alabama: https://www.ua.edu/
• Georgia Tech: https://www.gatech.edu/

Connect with Ben

• Website: https://bholmes.dev/
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/bholmesdev

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
• Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Website: https://whiskey.fm
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Clint Spotleson of Sagamore Spirit about the craft behind their unique Manhattan Finish Rye, the history of Maryland-style whiskey, and why great whiskey is meant to be shared. Clint shares stories from his journey through the spirits industry, his passion for whiskey, and what makes Sagamore stand out in a crowded market.

In this episode:

• (00:00) – Intro
• (02:07) – Whiskey intro and rating: Sagamore Manhattan Finish Rye Whiskey
• (15:53) – The history and production of Sagamore Rye
• (18:49) – Whiskey culture and collecting
• (22:38) – Sagamore’s unique bottling and branding
• (29:35) – Whiskey tasting techniques and anecdotes
• (33:30) – Old school steakhouses
• (34:59) – Sagamore Spirit WWW barrel pick
• (40:08) – Is it a waste to use a good whiskey in a cocktail?
• (42:13) – Sneaker collections and preferences
• (47:52) – Italy and speaking Italian
• (51:25) – All about pizza
• (54:02) – What would Clint do if not in the whiskey business?
• (56:50) – Plugs

Links

• Sagamore Spirit: https://sagamorespirit.com/
• Ryan Norwood: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-norwood-91641562/
• Norlan: https://norlanglass.com/
• Buffalo Trace: https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/
• Jack Rose: https://www.jackrosediningsaloon.com/
• Kevin Plank: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Plank
• Under Armour: https://www.underarmour.com/
• The Baltimore Sun: https://www.baltimoresun.com/
• Hammer and Nails: https://hammerandnailsgrooming.com/
• Durant's: https://durantsaz.com/
• Goodfellas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodfellas
• Jordans: https://www.nike.com/jordan
• Yeezy: https://www.goat.com/collections/yeezy
• Adidas: https://www.adidas.com/
• Nike: https://www.nike.com/
• Frank's Hot Sauce: https://www.franksredhot.com/
• Ghost of Tsushima: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_of_Tsushima
• Dishonored: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishonored

Connect with Clint

• Website: https://sagamorespirit.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theonlyspotty

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
• Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Website: https://whiskey.fm
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk about career moves and tech transitions. They discuss Robbie’s new role at HashiCorp and Chuck’s dive into cybersecurity. They also debate legacy tech quirks, open-source updates, and the ever-evolving world of AI.

In this episode:

Links

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

Subscribe and stay in touch

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Aaron Francis about developer education, Laravel vs. Rails, and the evolution of full-stack development. They explore the trade-offs of opinionated frameworks, the practicality of PHP, and why simplicity often wins. Plus, Aaron shares his hot takes on modern web dev trends, and the joys of working from a home-office-that’s-not-home.

In this episode:

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck cover a wide range of topics, including AI and its impact on web development. They discuss DeepSeek, Tailwind’s latest updates, and whether Stack Overflow is still relevant. Plus, a detour into skiing, college sports, and Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2.

In this episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:12) - Whiskey intro and rating: Wigle Pennsylvania Rye
• (11:41) - Data sharing and AI
• (14:34) - AI tools and programming
• (24:48) - Is Stack Overflow still relevant?
• (26:56) - What's the deal with Tailwind 4?
• (37:49) - Skiing and snowboarding
• (42:42) - What is a January Transfer Window?
• (50:48) - TikTok and social media
• (52:52) - Video games and Switch 2
• (56:57) - Silo season 02

• (59:04) - Condoms, food, and health policies

Links

• Wigle Pennsylvania Rye: https://wiglewhiskey.com/

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Website: https://whiskey.fm

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Travis Wagner about his career move from Universal Music to Crunchyroll and the nuances of backend development. They discuss a wide range of hot takes, including whether jQuery is still relevant in 2025.

In this episode:

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Dax Raad about his evolving career from software engineer to open-source advocate and content creator. They dive into his work on SST, explore the bizarre economics of tech conferences, and get into Dax’s next big move—manufacturing drone parts in the U.S. for the military.

In this episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:57) - Whiskey intro and rating: Glenmorangie "A Tale of Tokyo" Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• (12:12) - Rails vs Laravel
• (13:49) - New York vs Miami
• (15:54) - Meat vs Veggies
• (19:55) - What is Dax bad at?
• (24:05) - The real value of conferences
• (35:14) - APIs and frameworks
• (38:06) - React Miami
• (41:59) - Eero routers
• (44:27) - What would you do if software development went away?
• (46:41) - Using ChatGPT to create an NPM library
• (48:00) - Claude vs ChatGPT
• (50:56) - What should people be learning for job safety?
• (53:41) - Plugs

Links

• Glenmorangie "A Tale of Tokyo" Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky: https://www.glenmorangie.com/en-us/products/a-tale-of-tokyo
• Tomorrow.fm: https://tomorrow.fm
• Adam Argyle: https://x.com/argyleink/
• SST: https://sst.dev/
• Norlan: https://norlanglass.com/
• Ken Wheeler: https://x.com/ken_wheeler/
• Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/
• Laravel: https://laravel.com/
• Don't Die: https://dontdie.bryanjohnson.com/
• Oura: https://ouraring.com/
• Kent C. Dodds: https://kentcdodds.com/
• React Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/
• EmberConf: https://www.emberconf.com/
• Orbit.js: https://orbitjs.com/
• Primeagen: https://x.com/ThePrimeagen
• Eero: https://www.eero.com/
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
• Claude: https://claude.ai/

Connect with Dax

• Website: https://thdxr.com/
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/thdxr
• Podcast: https://tomorrow.fm/
• Coffee: https://www.terminal.shop/

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

• Robbie Wagner: https://x.com/RobbieTheWagner
• Chuck Carpenter: https://x.com/CharlesWthe3rd

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Website: https://whiskey.fm
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/id1552776603
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19jiuHAqzeKnkleQUpZxDf
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1552776603
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyWebAndWhatnot

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Josh Cirre about his journey from JavaScript to PHP, working with the Laravel team, and creating content for developers. They also discuss the value of opinionated frameworks, whether React was a mistake, fast food whatnot, and a surprising hot take on Taco Bell’s quality. Plus, Josh shares insights on content creation, the power of consistency, and why the best-performing videos aren’t always the most polished.

In this episode:

Links

Connect with Josh

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

Subscribe and stay in touch

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch

Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.