Chris Blatner - the Urban Bourbonist, Jamie Duffy of the Collective by Thoroughbred and Fountainhead Manager Bob Zacharias join Jake and Wilson for spirited conversation on Bourbon. We truly celebrate our Native Spirit by elaborating on the individual impact that Bourbon has had on all of our lives. Oh, we also drink a lot of Bourbon. We share stories of our favorite Bourbons and how we all grew to love Bourbon, and how we all crafted our careers around whiskey.
Read MoreHead Concierge of The Kimpton Gray Chicago Bobby Gonzalez and Sales Director Joel Contor join us for a conversation on hospitality. The Kimpton Gray has pivoted to redefine hospitality for their guests, while using the traditional guidelines of hospitality ensure safety and a first-class experience at their downtown property.
Read MoreOwner of Brando’s Speakeasy Brandon Vulpitta joins the show to talk about the financial and political aspects of running multiple bars through the pandemic. Lead Bartender of King of Cups Danny Jahnke also joins us to deliver insights on bartending with new sets of rules bestowed upon Chicago bars and restaurants. The focus of the conversation is on community, and how the people of Chicago serve better leadership/guidance to help small businesses survive.3
Read MoreKey In The Lake after dark edition is back, live from Fountainhead Roof Deck Garden. Brett Bauer of Sagamore Spirit, Callum O’Donnell of Aberlour and Bob Zacharias of Fountainhead help us recap our Whiskey Around The World event immediately following the first whiskey event in Chicago since March.
Read MoreSamu Rahn of Glunz Beer Inc. joins Jake, Wilson and Bob Zacharias to continue the summer series at Fountainhead. The guys discuss the innovation of B. United International and their expanded efforts to deliver the freshest international ales, ciders and lagers to diverse parts of the world. They also chat about how local and the federal government have unguided the bar/restaurant industry through the pandemic; and as colder months approach, pivotally, the government has ineptly provided unsatisfactory measures to save the industry. Bureaucratic ineptness sparks the conversation on the industry’s self-reliance to innovate to keep their collective doors open.
Read MoreWe continue our summer series at fountainhead. Bob Zacharias, Fountainhead Beverage Director, joins us to release the news of the Key In The Lake Whiskey Around The World on Aug. 31 at the Fountainhead Whiskey Bar. The event is a guided, in person tasting with five brands for just $20, 6-8pm. We also discuss the future of bars/restaurants as the cooler months approach, and the precautions the industry must enable to survive.
Read MoreThe prodigal sons returned home to Begyle Brewing. We recorded our first podcast from Begyle since February, and our jolly friends from Sagamore Spirit joined us. Brett Bauer returned for his fifth appearance and Jessica Deans, Chicago Key Account Manager, made her first appearance. Jessica shares her insights to the industry—with more than 15 years from both sides of the bar—along with her relationship with Sagamore, and her approach to the market during these unique times. We also preview their limited release whiskey: Sagamore Spirit Manhattan Finish.
Read MoreThe best part of having Mike back on the podcast is hearing his stories of intersection between family and business. Moreno’s began as a grocery store, selling just one 15 cent pack of gum on its first day, to, now, earning a worldwide reputation. The Moreno’s have cultivated a following, a base and a community by persevering through decades of challenges, but also remaining humble during their vast achievements. It’s no accident that Moreno’s Liquors was just named to the top 100 liquor stores in the nation by Beverage Dynamics; their passion for spirits and their devotion to family are the crowning characteristics that have brought them to the top.
Read MoreMatthew Brown, Blaum Bros. IL Market Manager, triumphantly returns. Bob Zacharias, Fountainhead Beverage Manager, co-hosts with Jake to guide a conversation on how Blaum Bros. is getting back to regular distilling schedule and is still gaining support from their community. The guys also chat about misogyny and lack of diversity in the industry, and why the largest whiskey distilleries won’t make a statement in support of wearing masks as bars/restaurants reopen across America.
Read MoreAmbrosia Borowski of the northman joins to the show to educate us on all things cider. We take a small step back from whiskey, and turn our focus to the History of cider, through Ambrosia’s passion and knowledge of the great american heritage. Samu Rahn also appears out of thin air once Bob pours a glass of Steigl, and he also provides insight into the Progression of the american cider industry.
Read MoreWe continue our Fountainhead series with Chris Blatner - @UrbanBourbonist. Chris is a dedicated member of the online whiskey community, and with the assistance of Fountainhead Beverage Director Bob Zacharias, we discuss how brands are fading from the online conversation/marketing over the last two months. Bob also shares the impact that social media can create as he’s developing his backbar and shelf space at the Fountainhead Market. And, Samu Rahn makes a guest appearance during the last half-hour, as we discuss the social issues of today and their affects on the spirits’ industry.
Read MoreWe returned to Fountainhead’s roof garden with bar manager Bob Zacharias and Samu Rahn, key account manager for Glunz Beer. We discuss the reopening of Chicago bars and restaurants and the impact it’s having on the city and the entire industry. Samu shares his infatuation with beer, beginning with his history with the frothy beverage and history of craft beer in America. We also tell positive stories of the quarantine.
Read MoreJake and Callum pay a visit to the wonderful King of Cups in Lincoln Park to record a late night episode for with owner Taylor Kravitt and lead bartender Danny Jahnke. Taylor shares his firsthand experiences about running his establishments during the quarantine, and the process of working with mayor’s office by adhering to all rules and regulations. Danny explains the atmosphere of the bar since reopening just over a week ago, and the pleasant experiences he’s had since customers have returned to the bar.
Read MoreCallum joins Jake and Wilson for a spirited conversation about the adaptability of Chicago bar/restaurant industry as the city enters phase four. They also discuss the evolution of their brand ambassador positions with their various distilleries, and how the future of industry could change from the positive, short-term consequences of the pandemic.
Read MoreBob Zacharias is back on from Fountainhead. Fountainhead is one of the premiere whiskey bars in Chicago. We chat with Bob about running the bar right up to the pandemic; what it looked like for Fountainhead pivoting through the quarantine; and, now, being back open with limited availability on their rooftop. Please support Fountainhead and all of you local spots by making reservations online, and visiting their outdoor/limited spaces.
Read MoreSunday was National Bourbon Day and our friends helped us celebrate. Blaum Bros. Distilling Co. cofounder Matt Blaum and his Chicago sales rep Matthew Brown, along with Joe Z. Henry of J. Henry & Sons join us for a discussion on how our individual states and counties are reopening. Distilleries, bars and restaurants are slowly reopening which means businesses are beginning to execute their scheduled 2020 plans. Blaum Bros. is entering distribution in Kentucky and releasing a new line of spirits, including rum and an agave spirit. While J. Henry welcomes back visitors—at 25% capacity—and just finished planting their crop for this summer , they’re also re-establishing partnerships in the on and off-premise.
Read MoreJamie and Callum join Jake to chat about the power of the Black Lives Matter movement is positively affecting Chicago by bringing folks together from all walks of life to advocate for police reform and justice for the black community. The three white commentators discuss how people that look like them can support Black Lives Matter, not just in the whiskey industry, but inside of their communities.
Read MoreWe recorded this podcast on Friday May 29 before the protests took shape in Chicago. Wilson and I talk about how our morale low was due to the pandemic and closure of bars/restaurants, but we were seeing a light at the end of tunnel because of the planned partial reopening of Chicago on June 3. We recognize how much has shifted in our community over the weekend, and we're not disregarding the protests and unrest in Chicago that's taken place over the last three days before we recorded this conversation.
We love you Chicago.
Read MoreLive from King of Cups in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Danny Jahnke joins Callum and Jake to chat about being a professional bartender during the pandemic. Danny also shares how growing up in dives bar with his parents shaped his career path as a bartender and spirits entrepreneur. Danny is a creative barkeep whom is always searching for holes in the industry to be filled with inventive methods; along with bartending for more than a decade, Danny has founded Reddi Beverage and Flora Hemp Spirits.
Read MoreThe Urban Bourbonist is back for a quarantine chat. Chris joins Jake, Wilson and Callum for discussion on Chicago bars and restaurants potentially reopening in early June; and how street and sidewalk closures could benefit bars and restaurants to create open spaces for individual communities. The guys also highlight the proliferation of social media activity as brands have pivoted to the online platform for advertising their spirits, and call into question the authenticity of brands’ relevancy online. Lastly, they discuss how/why brands should stay online once the world readjusts to pre-pandemic times.
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