I've been curious... I think that a canned cocktail that scratches the itch has a really important place in my drinking experience, but too many of them just kind of, well... aren't great. That's why I wanted to sit down with the founders of PonyBoy Slings on the show. I like them. I think they taste GOOD. Mike and Janell Bass were gracious enough to take some time to sit down with me and tell us the story of PonyBoy, what inspired them to start the brand, and what you can expect from it when you stock your fridge or cooler with them.



It's a great episode! If you want to follow Ponyboy Slings make sure you hit them up on Facebook or over on Instagram - and more importantly, get out and snag some for yourself!




https://youtu.be/xdZam8Gj5Ao

I love cocktails, and I also like the simplicity of cracking open a can instead of mixing a whole bunch of stuff up myself. That's why I love MadTree's line of Sway cocktails... they make it easy for a lazy lawn ornament like me. I sat down with Brittany Frey and Sean Cox to talk about this collaboration with the folks over at New Riff.



We cover it all, and you're going to want to hear about not just what this project is, but what other projects are coming from MadTree. This is a good one!



If you like this show, or any of the stuff that I do, please... know that you can support it all by going to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support to help keep making it happen bigger and better than ever!

There are a lot of neighborhood bars around the city of Cincinnati. There are dives, there are sports bars, there are cocktail bars, more types of places than I think there are neighborhoods that house them. When you find "your spot" in one of those, you fall in love with it. With that, when you hear that someone new has bought that spot, it's easy to be afraid of what it means. To continue along this... when that restaurant group turns your spot into the flagship location for a local chain of places... sometimes you're terrifed.



It's not often that that restaurant group does what the folks at By Golly's have done, and knocks it out of the park. They've taken By Golly's and found a way to bring the spirit of it into every new location they open, while also preserving the soul of what each existing location was before they came along. That's extremely difficult, and something I didn't think they would be able to manage. I'll happily admit when I'm wrong about something like this.



For this episode of Drinking with the Gnome, we sat down with Lance Sizemore, owner of Epic Eeats, and Heather Frye, the Chief Operating Officer to see if we can understand how it all came to be, how they've managed what they have, and where it's all going.



We recorded the episode (of course) from the flagship By Golly's location in Milford, Ohio (iiiiinnnn Milford - if you're old enough to know...) and I can't thank both the Lance and Heather for the hospitality, but the entire By Golly's staff. Folks were so wonderful there that even after we finished recording, I had to stay for anohter beer I was having such a great time. That's the sign of a great podcast if you ask me!



Don't forget, this show - like everything that I do - is brought to you by listeners just like you. It wouldn't be possible without the support of the folks who are as obsessed as I am. If you want to become a 'Gnomie' - go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support if you want to help!



If you want to visit By Gollys - hit them up at their website or give them a follow on Facebook or Instagram to stay in touch with everything they’re doing!




https://youtu.be/kM4e3Msqeh0

On this week's episode of Drinking With The Gnome, we take a journey out to Harrison, Ohio, to talk to owner Rob Watson about what makes this space work in an ever-crowded market like we have in Greater Cincinnati. We drink a couple of beers and explore how their evolution might be precisely what saved them over the last five years.



Huge thanks to Rob and 1860 for taking the time to make this episode happen. If you want check this great place out, make sure you hit them up on social media, via their facebook page.



Also, I have to give a huge thanks to Hunting Agnes, they provide the theme music for this show!

My favorite. It's not a term that I throw around very often... tastes change, feelings change, and the desire for different experiences is a real thing. Binskis is my favorite bar, though. I can say that without hesitation (with the caveat that if owner Kiel Erdelac screws up and starts changing things... I might change, too) because I love this place.



Binskis is the perfect blend of a neighborhood bar, with just the right amount of "dive-iness", community, good feelings, a proper sense of humor, and great drinks. It checks all the boxes.



I sat down with Kiel as they were prepping for their first anniversary to hopefully get a good peek at not only what makes them who they are but to give you a good look into why I don't think they'll be changing any time soon.



Guests On This Episode




* Kiel Erdelac - Owner/Bartender, Binskis Bar




What We Were Drinking




* Malort... out of an ashtray.



* Heileman's - Old Style



* Malort... out of an ashtray, again.



* Malort... still out of an ashtray.



* Malort... ashtray



* Ashtray... out of a Malort



* Maloreastray.




Drinking With The Gnome wouldn’t be possible without folks like you supporting it!  If you want to become a “Gnomie” please go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/support - or help out by sharing this episode with someone that you think would enjoy it!



The theme music for this show is a song called ‘Some Beers’ from Hunting Agnes - for more information on them find them on social media, or hit up http://www.HuntingAgnes.com



Huge thanks to this week's guest, Kiel from Binskis Bar.




* https://www.instagram.com/binskisbar



* https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093588120539

There's always been something happening behind the scenes of craft beer - we're starting to see it very visibly here in Cincinnati with some of our breweries who are getting "old" enough to start figuring out who they are under the surface. Still, places like DogFish Head and Sam Adams have been doing it for decades.



I got a chance to sit down with Sam Calagione of DogFish Head to talk about how sustainability and "bigger picture" things have always been a part of their company - and how, still today, they're pushing to do things differently to have an impact on the world around them.



This was part of an event that Sam Adams put on in their taproom where they talked about a couple of their sustainable beer initiatives - and I'm going to get a couple of videos up on YouTube over the next week or two that are also from that event (including this interview) so... keep your eyes open to The Gnarly Gnome on YouTube!



Huge thanks to Sam Adams, Sam, and the whole team that put this one together for me... It's changed the way I look at a brewery's impact on not only their community but also on the world around them.



Cheers!



Guests This Episode




* Sam Calagione - DogFish Head




What We Drank




* Sam Adams - Tractor Beer



* Sam Adams - Unmalted Lager




Show Links




* Learn More About Sam Adams and Their Sustainability Efforts

I love finding new places to grab a drink in Cincinnati. I love it even more when those places have unique, fun personalities and definitely that focus on community. It's no surprise though that Victory Pints, up in Maineville, is this episode's focus. I sat down with owner and founder Riley Mullins to explore what they are all about!



To start off, Victory Pint is not just a bar. They have food, but they aren't just a restaurant. During the day, there's a vibe inside the place that sort of feels like a coffee shop, quiet, calm... but for the love of God... they're not a coffee shop, either. You'll hear a lot of folks talk about board games, because all along the surface, they're a place for board gaming - to play or to buy.



Victory Pints isn't any one of those things. At their core, they're about community. I'm blown away by how well they made it all come together, and am thrilled to share it with all of you.



Guests This Episode




* Riley Mullins - Owner/Founder of Victory Pints




What'd We Drink?




* HighGrain - PawPawsome, Paw Paw Gose




Show Links




* Victory Pints - Website



* Victory Pints - Facebook

If I've learned anything through this series of shows diving into winter drinking, it's that the traditions that come along with the season are a massive part of it. On that note, this one is definitely a favorite of mine! I headed back down to the Moerlein Lager House at the Banks for their Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt for another live episode with a few friends, an open flame, and a hot poker for a great episode.



The fun process of Bierstacheln (or hot pokers in a beer) doesn't just warm up your beer a little bit, it carmelizes the sugars in the glass and transforms your beer into something completely different. If you don't believe me, make sure you hit up the link below to get your own to try at home!



Guests This Episode




* Julia - Truth Beer Podsequences



* Caroline - Craft Parenting Podcast



* Joe - Craft Parenting Podcast




What'd We Drink




* Moerlein Lager House - Christkindl



* Moerlein Lager House - Barbarossa



* Einbecker - Winter Bock




Show Links




* Get your very own beer poker (This is an affiliate link, so I get a little bonus if you purchase from it!)




Huge thanks to Hunting Agnes as always for the theme song to Drinking With The Gnome, make sure that you go check them out! As always, if you enjoy this show or any of my shows - you can head over here to support!

Oh boy... we had a fun one with this episode. With bad weather on the way, I broke with the plans for the month. Instead of recording live down at the Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt, I headed up to 'The Garage Bar' (don't start googling, it's Chris from Shift Beers' garage. We cracked open three bottles of peppermint schnapps to figure out what this tasty winter drink is all about.



It was fun - my wife got mad at me - and I think we learned, well... I don't know that we learned anything.



I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Huge thanks to Chris for hosting one of my favorite episodes to date! A big shoutout also needs to go out to Hunting Agnes for providing the theme music for Drinking With The Gnome. If you'd like to support the show, you can do it over here!



Guests This Episode




* Chris Paquette - Shift Beers




What We Drank




* Voltage Peppermint Schnapps



* Rumpelmintz Peppermint Schnapps



* Thunder 101 Peppermint Schnapps

One of my top two things that I like to have in my glass during the winter season makes its first appearance on the show this week. It's called Glühwein, and it's a warm, spiced, delicious wine. If you haven't had the chance to experience it, yet - let this episode be the call to action for you to do just that!



We're back down at the Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt again this week, doing the third in our series of Winter Drinking shows live from the festival. It's an absolute blast, and I was joined by a bunch of really great folks this week to make sure that it was!



What'd We Drink?




* Moerlein Lager House - Glühwein




Guests This Episode




* Julia Rohs - Truth, Beer, and Podsequences



* Thor - A Real German... It lends credibility!



* Nathan Whittington - Chef, Moerlein Lager House



* Greg Hardman - Moerlein Lager House

This is definitely solidly in my wheelhouse. I'm a big beer nerd. I was joined by my buddy Marco, from Truth, Beer, Podsequences to take a peek into winter beer. The big question is "what makes a winter beer, anyways?" We explore that over a couple of pints, of course!



This is the second in a series of five episodes that are being recorded (and broadcast) live from the Cincinnati Cristkindlmarkt down at the Moerlein Lager House. Make sure you tune in every Thursday evening this month.



Guests This Episode




* Marco Penilla - Truth, Beer, Podsequences




What We Drank




* Christian Moerlein - Christkindl



* Christian Moerlein - Cherry Cordial Barbarossa

There are a few things to be answered before we jump in... namely, what makes a winter cocktail? We set up shop inside an igloo down at the Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt at the Banks to answer that, and many other questions (and of course to drink a few drinks along the way.



I was joined by Julia Rohs, from Truth, Beer, Podsequences for this unique, fun, and undoubtedly chaotic episode of the show.



Guests This Episode




* Julia Rohs - Truth, Beer, and Podsequences




What We Drank




* The Drunken Rudolph



* Harvest Apple



* Under The Mistletoe

I could spend a lot of time writing about Zane Lamprey... but you're better off just diving into some of the work he's done over the years to get a better picture of why he's important to who I am today. To say that he's inspired what The Gnome has become is a bit of an understatement. Zane has been critical in shaping how I have created content over the years, and just as much into the directions that I plan on going in the future too.



For those reasons, among many others, I was thrilled when he agreed to sit down with me for an episode of Drinking With The Gnome recently while he was in town. We talked about a LOT, including what makes a good beer city, the differences between Bourbon and Craft Beer, and even the differences between light beers (or lack of) - it's a really fun conversation, and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did recording it!



Guests This Episode



* Zane Lamprey



Show Links



* Zane Lamprey's Website* Zane On CincyBrewcast* Zane Lamprey's 'Lightly Toasted' Podcast* Three Sheets: South Korea* Four Sheets

I will be the first to admit that I know very, very little about the world of wine. I'm a beer guy that loves to drink booze and cocktails. With all of that out in the open, I also fully recognize that as a drinker, I need to expand my horizon a little bit, and take a dive into wine.



I took the easy road. I called up our friend over at Fruitblood Wine, Josh Elliot. We know Josh because of his time at Urban Artifact, a brewery whose beer is just as close to wine as it is beer. It was a natural progression for Josh to make his way from UA over to his new company. It also makes it easy for me to make that move into wine from where I'm comfortable!



Guests This Episode




* Josh Elliot - Fruitblood Wine

It's been far, far too long since I got an episode of Drinking With The Gnome out there. This show seems to be the thing that gets pushed aside when things get a little busy, and that's not fair to a show that I have big, big plans for. With that being said, I've got one for you this week! I LOVE absinthe but get a little frustrated at the misinformation that gets put out there about this herbal liquor, so I made an episode to hopefully dispel some of those myths. We talk about the history - the myths and then we dive into a cocktail to explore just a bit about what makes this spirit so freaking tasty!



This Week's Cocktail - The Corpse Reviver #2



* 3/4 oz Gin (I used the wet hopped gin from Five Stories)* 3/4 oz Triple Sec (I use Cointreau)* 3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (I use Cocchi Americano)* 3/4 oz Lemon Juice* Rinse of Absinthe



Shake all your ingredients (except the absinthe) and strain neat into a chilled cocktail glass that is "washed" with the absinthe.

It's a different world, this "craft beer" thing that we're currently in. Gone are the days that you can just throw together a brewery, put a picnic table or two in your warehouse and operate a successful business. You have to do more, and you have to do better. You can see clear evidence of this when you look around Cincinnati at the places that have opened.



This show is about that other side that people desire.



Cartridge Brewing Company made it a point to create a business that not only caters to craft beer fans, but as a restaurant to foodies, and as a full service bar to cocktail nerds, too.



I am a cocktail nerd.



On this episode of Drinking With The Gnome, we roll through some cocktails and talk about that process of creating a great cocktail menu that satisfies as many people as possible.



Thank you to the folks at Cartridge Brewing Company for the hospitality (that means "thanks for the drinks and the conversation!!!") and if you haven't been out there to have a cocktail in addition to a beer - well... you know what to do!



Guests This Episode




* Kyle Hackbarth - Cartridge Brewing Company



* Lindsey Hackbarth - Cartridge Brewing Company



* Sara Haarman - Cartridge Brewing Company




What'd We Drink?




* 1890 - Cartridge's twist on the Paloma



* GMP Old Fashioned - You know it... their version of an Old Fashioned



* Hairpin Turn - Islandy, Fruity... this is right up my alley.

I had never been to Crown Republic before this episode - and was lured in by some friends from the beer industry... and I am glad that I was. This place is fantastic on a few different levels - on the drinking side, the bar is great, it's down to earth and provides great drinks without any of the pretentiousness that you might find at other spots. It's a relaxed place to grab a great cocktail. On a whole other level, though... the food is to die for. Upscale, but still keeping that relaxed atmosphere that I love. It's like hanging out in someone's kitchen and having some really killer food.



If you've never been - let this episode be the thing that pushes you to try Crown Republic out! If you're still curious - you can always read a little more here on the blog, or head over to their website for more information!



Guests This Episode




* Aaron - Manager



* Alex - Manager



* Jason Roeper - Rivertown



* Lindsey Roeper - Rivertown

I was on vacation with the family down in Gatlinburg, but that wasn't going to stop me from doing a little "Gnome-Work" while we were away. I stopped into Sugarlands Distilling to chat with Reede Copeland about the unique culture of Gatlinburg, and the reasons that moonshine has caught on so heavily in the area versus other places. We talk about what makes the distillery special, what makes moonshine special, and what makes Gatlinburg a little different than you might think that it is at first glance.



Tourism is a big part of Gatlinburg - but there's more to the story.



Guests This Episode




* Reede Copeland - Sugarlands Distillery




Show Links




* Where To Drink: Gatlinburg



* Sugarlands Distilling - Website



* What Is Moonshine? - HowStuffWorks.com



* How Prohibition Gave Birth To Nascar - History.com



* The Great Smoky Mountains - Sugarlands Visitor Center

Wrapping up a three part series from Karrikin we take a dive into what's coming down the pipeline for this distillery. To help guide us through the conversation we pour a little bit of their 'Emerge' gin and take a quick tour through how they make it, and what pushed them to launch with two different gins into the market.



This is most definitely not the last you'll hear about Karrikin on Drinking With The Gnome - there's a lot more to them that still needs exploring!



Also, of quick note - Thank you for your patience between episodes lately. Life has been a little bit on the crazy side for me, and your support means the world. Without you - there is no Gnome.



Guests This Episode



* Andy Foltz - Guest Hosting* Eric Baumann - Karrikin Spirits* Jeff Hunt - Karrikin Spirits

It’s not common to see a Baiju on shelves here in America. It’s especially not common to see an American distillery making a version of this spirit - let alone in a city like Cincinnati. This is beyond fascinating, but a huge part of what makes Karrikin so exciting to me. They are thinking outside of the box when it comes to making their products, and I needed to try to take peek behind that curtain a little bit.



We talked about their American made Baiju, which they call Shifu, and dug into their Agave spirit, as well. It’s a whirlwind of a show, but a fun one!



If you haven’t been out to Karrikin, or tried some of what they’ve been doing... it goes without saying - DO IT.



Guests This Episode



* Andy Foltz - Co-Hosting* Eric Baumann - Karrikin* Jeff Hunt - Karrikin



What’d We Drink?



* Karrikin - Shifu* Karrikin - Blaze