AboutBeverages Podcast

Give It A Shot - Pizza Port Brewing Sidewalk Surfin' Double IPA

We source the beverages we feature for our shows from many different establishments, but there are certainly some that we favor more than others. There are certain factors that are a part of these stores becoming a favorite, with quality and selection at the top of the list. Another key component of this equation is convenience, and with Keith working at Trader Joe’s, we tend to try several things that he finds there. The way this often happens is that he walks into work on Wednesday (the day...

Give It A Shot - Whiskey Del Bac Dorado Mesquite Smoked American Single Malt

We know that everywhere you turn, there is evidence of the challenges that are currently facing not only this country, but the entire world. We will not focus on that for too long, yet we want you to know that although our lives have both been affected by this situation, we will continue to do our best to be an active part of the beverage community. We appreciate you all being a part of what we do and the comfort that brings us. Things change daily, and we will adapt accordingly. We have unre...

Give It A Shot - The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

With all of the concern going on in the world over recent health challenges, we sincerely hope that this finds you doing well. There are many suggested steps for all of us to take to do our part to help get the situation under control.. At About Beverages, we will be taking those steps and we will also continue to have fun being your source for the sharing of news, knowledge, and of course, the beverages themselves. This episode finds us trying another scotch from Balvenie, as we will be tast...

Give It A Shot - Blanton's Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee

About Beverages posted its first podcast way back in 2009, but its origins go back farther than that. We had discussed doing a beverage-based podcast as far back as 2007, based on the fact that we loved talking about beverages of all kinds. The beverage that was the original source for these early discussions is coffee. Back in the mid 90’s we were both working in the gourmet coffee industry, learning about how to evaluate coffee and discovering all of the amazing flavors and aromas that the ...

Give It A Shot - Where I Live Mixed Culture Sour Collaboration from New Belgium and TRVE Brewing

In the post for our previous podcast, we had to work to make a somewhat vague connection between the beer we were trying (Surfari IPA) and music (Surfaris, the band). For this episode, the connection will not require as much creative license, but there is still some mystery involved. The beverage we will be sharing with you is Where I Live, a mixed culture sour ale. It is a collaboration beer from two Colorado breweries, New Belgium (Ft. Collins) and TRVE (Denver). It features a base of 100% ...

Give It A Shot - Pizza Port Brewing Surfari IPA

Over the years, we have tried several beverages that have had connections to the music industry. Without going into the archives at AboutBeverages.com we can list several right off of the top of our heads. We have had a beer (Enter Night Pilsner by Stone) and a whiskey (Blackened) from Metallica, a delicious dark sour ale (Clutch, from New Belgium) made in conjunction with the band Clutch, and an IPA (Phantom Bride, from Belching Beaver) named after a song by the Deftones. This trend was even...

Give It A Shot - Stone Brewing Viking Space Probe Double IPA

Every year there are more new craft breweries joining an already crowded field. We do not see this is a bad thing; far from it. There are a few downsides to this situation, however. At times, all of the beer choices now available can be overwhelming. This situation is easily navigable with the help of a knowledgeable website, one perhaps created by a pair of brothers in 2009 that goes by the name of About Beverages. Another unfortunate side effect we are seeing is that while we are gaining mo...

Give It A Shot - Modern Times Beer Protocosmos IPA

Recently, Andrew and I had a discussion on how far the concept of beer in a can has come in the last 8 to 10 years. Most of your finer craft beers found on store shelves at that time came in brown bottles, with a few craft brewers dabbling with putting their beers in cans. It was so unusual, that we actually did a blind taste test comparing the same beer in a can and in a bottle. You can go back into the archives at our site to see what we actually chose. (I just did!) Type in “Trout Slayer” ...

Give It A Shot - Stagg Jr. Barrel Proof Unfiltered Bourbon

We are always grateful for contributions to our show. We appreciate more than we can say those of you who watch our videos, listen to our podcast, and join us for our livestream. There are many other ways to contribute to our show, and one of our favorites is when someone gives us something that they feel we must try. For this episode we will be trying a beverage that was given to us by a loyal follower of the show. Granted, it was a Christmas present, but that still counts. This week we will...

Give It A Shot - Chirality IPA from Pueblo Vida and Dragoon Brewing

This episode of About Beverages is going to take on a decidedly local flavor. The word “flavor” is doing double duty as it is referring not only to being local, but that we are also highly anticipating the actual flavor of the beverage. We are excited to try a collaboration beer from two of the best breweries in southern Arizona. While we can’t take credit for this collaboration beer actually happening, we do feel that sometime in the last year we mused about the possibility of these two loca...

Give It A Shot - Trader Joe's Reserve Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley 2017

As we move further into the first month of this brand new decade, we hope all of you are enjoying a calmer pace after the holiday season. Because of the hectic nature of the last few months, we had to slow things down a bit, but we are close to getting things back to normal. As you may recall, we started the year off right by trying a delicious 21 year old single malt scotch, the Balvenie 21 year aged in Portwood. As far as beverages go, it is going to be difficult to top that experience, so ...

Give It A Shot - The Balvenie PortWood 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

It has been said, probably only by us, that once you have done the same thing two years in a row, a tradition is born. The actual definition of the word “tradition” refers to activities going on longer than two years, but they all had to have their modest beginnings, which is where our tradition stands right now. Last year, thanks to the dedication and generosity of our subscribers, followers, and all who have spent any time with us, we were able to enjoy the Duncan Taylor Dimensions Highland...

Give It A Shot - Belching Beaver Brewing "What's in the Hops?!" Seventh Anniversary Hazy IPA

As Eddie Murphy once said in the movie “Trading Places” (which still holds up, by the way, 36 years later) “Merry New Year!” Welcome everyone to 2020, and we are here to kick it off with the right way with an episode of About Beverages! Recently, we were shopping at Tap & Bottle North and we came across a beer that we could not resist purchasing. That happens a lot when we are there, but this one was particularly eye catching because it referenced one of Andrew’s favorite movies and an all ti...

Give It A Shot - Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

How can it possibly be that we are coming up on the end of another year? With the end of this year we close out the second decade of the 2000’s, which is even harder to comprehend. It is a bit of a reach, but it is accurate to say that with the beginning of 2020, About Beverages will enter its third decade of existence. We want to thank all of you for another fun year of beverage sharing and of course, beverage tasting. Whatever you do to celebrate and ring in the New Year, please do it safel...

Give It A Shot - Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale 2019

December and the holiday season are upon us! There is a crisp coldness in the air, festive lights and decorations are everywhere, and those people who are lucky enough all over the world are traveling to be with the ones they love. It isn’t as though the holidays have snuck up on us, but it sure seems like they get here quicker and quicker every year. We hope that wherever you are and however you might be celebrating this year, that you are surrounded by love and warmth. Just in case you need...

Give It A Shot - Whistle Pig Single Barrel Rye Aged 10 Years

It has been said that you can never have too much of a good thing. We have always considered whiskey to be a good thing and so with that in mind we are continuing the whiskey theme this week. This episode finds us moving from bourbon to an aged rye whiskey from Vermont. The beverage we are trying this week is the Whistle Pig 10 Year. It is an aged rye whiskey, aged in new American oak. What did we think? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below or join us live on Thursday nights...

Give It A Shot - Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon

When we were last with you, we were discussing possible wine options for Thanksgiving. While it seems like that wasn’t all that long ago (because it wasn’t), we must now quickly pivot away from that holiday and set our sights on Christmas and New Years. The days and nights are getting colder, even here in Arizona, so our thoughts have turned not only to holiday related beverages, but to those items that might make a cold winter night seem just a bit more cozy. This, along with the fact that A...

Give It A Shot - The Competitor Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Thanksgiving is almost here and we are proud to offer you our final Turkey day beverage suggestion episode for this year. So far we have covered the classic red pairing (Pinot Noir) and a delicious buttery Chardonnay (The Bogle Phantom). This time we will try another red, but one that is not necessarily thought of for this particular meal. Fortunately, one of the many good things about Thanksgiving is that since there are so many foods and flavors to be found at the table, the beverage option...

Give It A Shot - Bogle Phantom Chardonnay 2017

We know there are only a few days left before Thanksgiving, and with that in mind we are happy to continue our series of episodes aimed at helping you find the right beverage to accompany the many foods we hope will be on your table. We started with the classic pairing of Pinot Noir last week and we now turn our attention to white wine, Chardonnay to be specific. Andrew mentioned that he was still hoping to find a delicious buttery Chardonnay and so Keith’s search began. It pretty much began ...

Give It A Shot - Keller Estate La Cruz Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013

It has been way too long since we have last put out a podcast, so we are very excited to share the news that the wait is over! Due to a myriad of reasons, we had to take an unintended hiatus, but rest assured that we are re-invigorated by our absence and we have our sights set on the holidays. Thanksgiving (and every day, really) is a time of family, reflection, sharing, and gratitude. It is a time to take a look at ourselves and truly be grateful for the opportunities we have to make a diffe...

Give It A Shot - Suntory Roku Gin

Anyone who has spent even a short period of time hanging out with us knows that we are huge fans of gin. We have featured it since the very beginning when we were audio only and we continue to appreciate it to this day. It is so versatile, in both ingredient possibilities and cocktail options, that it will always have a place in our home bars. Recently Andrew came across a gin from a country that we had never had one from before and after perusing the label he realized that it truly was calli...

Give It A Shot - Hoplark HopTea The Really Hoppy One

“Gee, but it’s great to be back home!” These are the opening lyrics to the song “Trying to Keep the Customer Satisfied” by Simon and Garfunkel, and it is a sentiment we wholeheartedly agree with. Most of the time it is the actual home you return to after a long day. The place where the people who you care about the most are waiting for you. The place where you can relax, unwind, and just be. Other times, as was the case when we played that song to open up our live-stream last Thursday, home w...

Give It A Shot - Modern Times Coffee Bourbon Barrel-aged Papua New Guinea Cold Brew

The first thing one probably thinks of when they hear the words “Modern Times” is beer. We know that is where our focus goes as they are one of our all-time favorite breweries. One of the original inductees into our beer Hall of Fame, if we had one, which we should. What you might not realize is that in addition to beer, they also roast their own coffee. This episode features a beverage from Modern Times Coffee, as we will be trying their Bourbon Barrel-aged Papua New Guinea Cold Brew. What d...

Give It A Shot - Alamos Malbec 2018

Just when you thought we couldn’t possibly do another wine podcast, we have gone and done the unthinkable; another wine podcast! For those of you counting along with us at home, that’s three in a row and all of them are Malbecs or have Malbec as the dominant grape. After the mixed results of the previous two left us wondering if we were mis-remembering Malbec, we decided to put an end to this particular beverage arc by trying a Malbec that we would consider a benchmark, one that we are famili...

Give It A Shot - Tiano and Nareno Traversia 1908 Argentina Malbec 2013

For quite a while now, we have talked about wanting to try a wine that would normally be out of our price range to see if there was “value” for us at that level. Thanks to the support of our viewers, followers, and most importantly, our subscribers, we were able to do that for the first time on this episode. Andrew recently became affiliated with a new type of wine club and that is how we came by the bottle we have for this podcast. The wine that we will be trying is the Tiano and Nareno Trav...

Give It A Shot - Finca Flichman Gestos Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2016

We hope that you realized we did not put up any content last week, but that you did not miss us too much and will not hold it against us. The past 2 weeks have been somewhat crazy for both of us with celebrations, brand new starts, and emotions a-plenty. Now that the tears have subsided and we all settle into this years new routines, we at About Beverages are excited to be settling back into our regular schedule of sharing delicious beverages with you and having a lot of fun while we do it. T...

Give It A Shot - Deschutes Brewery Only Slightly Exaggerated IPA

Give It A Shot - Pizza Port Brewing and Modern Times Beer Gentle Reminder IPA

Life is full of surprises, both good and bad. You never know what kind might be around the corner, so one must always be ready. The beverage world is no different. When one of us encounters a beverage related surprise that happens to be a collaboration beer you can bet we are programmed to receive. That is exactly what happened a few weeks ago as we discovered the Gentle Reminder IPA from Pizza Port Brewing and Modern Times Beer. The label harkens to a legendary arcade game from the early 80’...

Give It A Shot - Trader Joe's Espiral Vinho Rosé

This episode brings us the latest installment in Keith’s attempt to find a rose wine that Andrew will truly enjoy. It was actually recommended by a Trader Joe’s regular who really knows what he is talking about when he is talking about wine. Another cool thing about this wine is that we have already had something from this winery that we enjoyed. The beverage we will be trying is the Espiral Vinho Rose, from Portugal. Like the Vinho Verde which we referenced before, it has a slight effervesce...

Give It A Shot - Tombstone Brewing and Tap & Bottle Here Comes a Regular Hazy IPA

Recently, Tap & Bottle celebrated the 6th Anniversary of their first location, located on 6th Avenue in downtown Tucson. Before going any further, we want to congratulate them on this achievement! Scott, Rebecca, and their staff do a first rate job at both of their locations (two years ago they opened a location in Oro Valley as well). Whether it’s the comprehensive selection in the bottle shop, the varied and unique offerings of beers on tap, or the friendly knowledgeable service, they have ...

Give It A Shot - Bottle Logic Brewing Hanamachi Rice Lager

It is no secret that we love beer at About Beverages. We sometimes fall into the pattern of trying the same styles of beer, but we are aware of this growth area and are always on the lookout for something different. This particular selection enjoyed a serendipitous path to our show. A Friday afternoon conversation between Keith and a co-worker touched on the topic of rice lagers and obviously brought them into his consciousness. The following day, he was enjoying a Recursion IPA from Bottle L...

Give It A Shot - Scapa Glansa Single Malt Scotch

This week the good news is that we are excited to try a new Scotch. The bad news, unfortunately, is that with the discovery of this new (to us) Scotch, we learned that we have to begrudgingly say goodbye to one of our all-time favorites. Through a series of unfortunate events, we have come to learn that the Scapa 16 year Scotch is no longer being produced at the distillery. This was quite a shock to both of us as it has long been one of our favorites. There is even a podcast from 2010 that yo...

Give It A Shot - Waterloo Grape Sparkling Water

The impetus for this episode occurred during some of our live-streaming banter a couple of Thursday’s ago. As many of you know, we are on Twitch.TV/aboutbeverages most Thursday nights. We are usually chatting with each other, interacting with our viewers, recording a podcast or two, doing some gameplay, and in general having a great time. Often, we will discuss the various beverages we have had during the week and we always have something that we are trying as we open our show. A few weeks ag...

Give It A Shot - Cooper and Thief Tequila Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc

We did not really plan it at the time, but we now realize that there is a common thread to the two items that we are trying this week. No, we are not trying another Metallica beverage collaboration or something from Stone Brewing. The theme, albeit a loose one, is that both of these beverage purveyors have made previous appearances on our show this year. Metallica made an appearance in March with their Blackened Whiskey and the winery that made this episode’s beverage was featured back in Jan...

Give It A Shot - Stone Brewing and Metallica Enter Night Pilsner

Hush, little listener, don’t say a word. Never mind that opening of the can you heard. On second thought, we should mind the opening of the can we all just heard. That can being opened means we are very close to trying a collaboration beer. This collaboration features one of Andrew’s favorite bands of all time and one of our favorite breweries. They got together and created a Pilsner. A Pilsner admittedly we don’t know much about as they are being very secretive in regards to the contents of ...

Give It A Shot - Lagunitas Brewing Phase Change Wet-Hopped Juicy Ale

For this episode, we return to a tried and true formula for deciding on what beverage we will try on our show. This specific formula essentially involves Keith going into work on Wednesday and finding that something new has been delivered to the store. It has worked in the past, and this last week was no different. That formula also brought us back to one of our favorite breweries. There is a certain comfort in that, but fear not, as we will soon make a move out of our comfort zone. However, ...

Give It A Shot - Mother Road Brewing Spring Lager

There are times in life when you make unexpected discoveries. Sometimes those discoveries are actual things, sometimes they are personal revelations. In the case of the beverage we are going to try tonight, it was both. On a recent trip to Northern Arizona, Keith found himself having a flight of beers at a local brewery. Technically, he wasn’t alone as he was surrounded by several others enjoying an adult beverage, but since he did not go there with anyone, he felt like he was there by himsel...

Give It A Shot - Adalina Bodegas Verdejo 2017 and 2018

We have some good news and not as good news for you this week. The not as good news is that we will only have one episode for you to enjoy. The good news is that we will actually try two beverages on that one episode as we will be comparing different vintages of the same wine. The reason we only have one show is because we did a little gaming for the last half of our time live-streaming last week and we enjoyed a Plymouth martini while we did. The martini paired well with our game play, but m...

Give It A Shot - Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila

This episode is going to feature a type of beverage we like but do not have very often on our show. What makes this particular beverage special and intriguing to us is that it spends a good amount of time in oak whiskey barrels. I guess at this time it would be good to point out that it is not a whiskey. Without further adieu, we present to you the beverage for this episode, the Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila. We mentioned before that it is aged in oak whiskey barrels, but wait, there’s more! ...

Give It A Shot - Kisses Betwixt Collaboration Beer from The Bruery Terreux & Dogfish Head

It is rare that both of us aren’t feeling well on a Thursday night that we are planning on live-streaming and recording podcasts, but that is exactly the scenario we encountered last week. The end result of something like that happening is that it just makes us hungrier (or thirstier) when we come back the next week. This episode marks the beginning of that week and we have something to try that has all the makings of being a real treat. Recently, Andrew, his wife, and two friends of the show...