Beards, Books, and Bourbon Podcast
145 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsMark and Stephen share their love of books, and bourbon...and happen to have beards that their wives love. Join these two friends as they explore some of their favorite genres of books: mystery, thriller, Sci-Fi, fantasy, horror, metaphysical, and all things unknown while sipping on a different bourbon each episode.
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Episodes
"Humans are so Stupid" - All Systems Red with Jack Daniels Triple Mash
April 13, 2024 05:18 - 45 minutes - 83.2 MBOn this episode, the guys discuss the starting tale of a Scifi series with an interesting twist and viewpoint. Speaking of interesting twists, they will be sampling Jack Daniels Triple Mash.
"What we forgot about Valley of Shadows" - Oopsisode with Smoke Wagon Old Fashioned
April 05, 2024 16:00 - 13 minutes - 24.2 MBJoin us for another 15 minutes...or less...of the boys talking about what they forgot to talk about in Valley of Shadows by Rudy Ruiz.
"Curses, Cults, Magic, and Cowboys" - Valley of Shadows with Willett Bourbon
March 29, 2024 16:18 - 57 minutes - 105 MBThis week, "Valley of Shadows" by Rudy Ruiz. The guys explore a new twist (for them) on an old genre. A Western from a different perspective, both culturally and geographically. This haunting and action packed western tale takes them on a journey through a world that seems both familiar and unexplored. Bad guys. A lone sheriff. A serial killing cult. Magic, curses, and a sense of justice that will stop at nothing to win the day, even if it costs everything to do it. To keep the curse...
"What We Forgot About Starter Villain - Oopsisode with Jim Beam Double Oaked
March 22, 2024 16:00 - 10 minutes - 20 MBNothing's more terrifying than unionized dolphins. Come listen and find out why.
"The Path to Hell is Paved with Subscription Fees" - Starter Villain with Jim Beam Black Xtra Aged
March 17, 2024 20:41 - 54 minutes - 99.2 MBVillainy is not what it once was, or maybe it's just never been what we thought. Stephen and Mark explore the state of villainy in Starter Villain by John Scalzi. As they learn the dark nature of subscription services, they will fortify themselves with something equally as dark. Jim Beam Black Extra Aged.
What We Forgot About A House With Good Bones with Copper & Cask
March 08, 2024 17:00 - 13 minutes - 24.4 MBJust who was that old man, anyway, and how old was he when he died?? There's weird stuff in A House with Good Bones, but Copper & Cask will keep them save with its depth of flavor and spice.
"Everything is Nice and Normal" - A House With Good Bones with Jefferson's Bourbon
March 01, 2024 23:11 - 55 minutes - 101 MBThe boys are back with another T. Kingfisher novel. This one is Southern Gothic meets Lovecraftian Horror. To try to keep things nice and normal, they will be sampling Jefferson's Bourbon Whiskey.
What We Forgot About Starling House with Knob Creek - OOPSISODE
February 23, 2024 17:00 - 14 minutes - 26.7 MBThe guys kick back with some Knob Creek while they talk about what they forgot about Starling House.
"They Averted Their Eyes from Evil" Starling House with Driftless Glen Bourbon Whiskey
February 16, 2024 17:00 - 58 minutes - 106 MBIn this episode, Stephen and Mark spend some time talking about one of their favorite authors, Alix E Harrow, and her new novel "Starling House." This one is a modern day dark fantasy with bloodline curses, dark dreams come to life, and Lovecraftian nightmares lurking just inside the evening mist. To fortify themselves, they will partake of a gift from one of Stephen's friends, a bottle of Driftless Glen Bourbon Whiskey.
"What We Forgot About "The Hurricane Wars" with Thomas Moore Port Barrel Finished Bourbon
February 09, 2024 17:00 - 13 minutes - 25 MBWhat are some authors better at than others? Show and Tell.
"Darkness & Light" - The Hurricane Wars with Two Brothers Bourbon Whiskey
February 02, 2024 17:00 - 55 minutes - 102 MBWelcome back! Stephen and Mark begin their fourth season of the show with "The Hurricane Wars", a new fantasy tale by author, Thea Guonzan. Their first bourbon of the season will be from a local brewer turned distiller, Two Brothers Bourbon Whiskey. And so Season 4 begins!
"We're So Screwed" - Turn of the Screw & Old Fashioned Palooza
October 31, 2023 15:33 - 51 minutes - 95 MBOn this Halloween Season 3 finale, Stephen and Mark will sample some different old fashioneds while discussing the Henry James classic, "Turn of the Screw". The bourbons they will try tonight are Makers Mark French Oaked, Castle & Key, and Elijah Craig Small Batch.
What We Forgot About Fourth Wing - OOPSISODE with Kurvball whiskey
October 24, 2023 18:37 - 15 minutes - 27.8 MBTwo words for this one. Screw. Top.
"Leather, Discipline, Dragons?" - Fourth Wing & The Judge Bourbon Whiskey
October 18, 2023 15:26 - 57 minutes - 105 MBThe boys jump into the world of fantasy YA/New Adult fiction, and they are not ready for what they find in "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros . They're also not ready for The Judge Bourbon Whiskey from High 'n Wicked which seems to keep changing its flavor profile with every sip.
What We Forgot About To Sleep in a Sea of Stars with Oak & Eden 4 Grain & Spire - OOPSISODE
October 09, 2023 20:20 - 12 minutes - 23.6 MBIf the technology were possible, would you be willing to trade in your human body to be the brain of starship? How far would you be willing to go to go into the blackest unknown? Stephen & Mark will never get there, but they'll talk about the concept of shipminds from "To Sleep In A Sea of Stars" by Christopher Paolini. To help them muse over the possibilities, they will revisit an old friend, Oak & Eden 4 Grain & Spire.
"The Widdershin Scream that Cleaves the Night" - To Sleep in A Sea of Stars & Breckenridge Bourbon
October 02, 2023 03:30 - 1 hour - 120 MBAfter a brief hiatus, Stephen and Mark dive deep into the future and into space for a smart and different kind of science fiction novel that is both grandly epic and deeply personal. Oh, and madness. SO MUCH MADNESS. Come and listen as the boys talk about "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" by Christopher Paolini as they also explore the depts of Breckenridge Madeira Finished Bourbon Whiskey.
"What We Forgot About The Ferryman" - OOPSISODE
September 11, 2023 05:28 - 13 minutes - 25.3 MBStephen and Mark go back to visit with the Ferryman, and revisit Starward Two Fold Australian whiskey.
"Come Sail Away...into Chaos!" The Ferryman & Glynnevan Maple Whiskey
September 02, 2023 16:00 - 54 minutes - 100 MBJustin Cronin is back with another apocalyptic tale of adventure, woe, madness, and a crap ton of serious character development across a fantastical backdrop in the way that can only be done by Justin Cronin. As the cast of "The Ferryman" go forth on their own journeys, Stephen and Mark will take a detour up to Canada as they sample Glynnevan Maple Whiskey.
"Oops Over Manhattan" - Edge of Sleep Oopsisode with Foundry Manhattan
August 26, 2023 16:00 - 13 minutes - 25.5 MBWhat did we forget to talk about in the book "Edge of Sleep"? Honestly, we're not even sure. It was a tough week for Stephen and Mark. Shenanigans take place in this episode, and be sure to listen all the way to the end for the podcast version of a bonus scene.
"Stephen, Wake up!" - The Edge of Sleep with KOVAL Single Barrel Bourbon
August 19, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 82.8 MBHave you ever had that moment where you just doze off for just a moment? Just for a second, but in that second it felt like you were gone for an hour? What about when you feel like you've just closed your eyes, but suddenly hours have passed by? Now, how would that make you feel if you also knew that sleep, possibly any amount of it, also meant your death? Stephen and Mark explore a trippy and riveting story about a global pandemic where sleep, the thing you need to live, might also kill...
"What We Forgot About The Road" Oopsisode with Maytag Mead
August 12, 2023 16:00 - 16 minutes - 30.2 MBThere's a reason why Cormac McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize. In The Road, his mastery of literature is seen in the way he uses setting and description in contrast to sparce dialog. We forgot to talk about it. As a change of pace, we're trying a different beverage this time around. Maytag Mead.
"It Can Never Be Unseen" - The Road with Legent
August 06, 2023 01:48 - 58 minutes - 107 MBTonight's episode is all about excellence. Excellence in literature as Stephen and Mark walk down The Road with the legendary Cormac McCarthy and pairing it with the fruit of two legendary craftsmen's labor, Legent. Come and join us on this fantastically bleak and flavorful journey into the future.
What We Forgot About Wool & Basil Hayden Dark Rye - OOPSISODE
July 29, 2023 16:00 - 14 minutes - 26.5 MBMurder and knitting analogies and apocalypse, oh my! Good thing we're drinking this tasty dark rye. Come find out what we forgot to talk about in "Wool" by Hugh Howey as we revisit Basil Hayden Dark Rye.
"Nothing Is Clean" - Wool with Pinhook Bourbon
July 22, 2023 16:00 - 55 minutes - 101 MBIn this fantastic dystopian nightmare of a novel by Hugh Howey, Stephen and Mark get to explore what it feels like to exist within a perfect society and ecology all underground inside the world's largest and most depressing mall. The Silo. Adapted for TV on AppleTV+, this story goes to show how even in a perfectly controlled environment, chaos will always find a way to reign. Keeping their spirits up with some fine spirits, Stephen and Mark will sample Pinhook Bourbon.
APOCALYPSE: The Oopsisode Edition
July 15, 2023 16:00 - 15 minutes - 28.9 MBWhat can you possibly forget about the end of the world?!?!? We'll find out with Copper & Cask!
The Apocalypse Theme Show with Castle & Key
July 08, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 112 MBThis is the way the world ends. This is ALL the ways the world ends! Pour a glass of Castle and Key, build your bunker and hold onto your butts, because it's game over, man. Game over.
"What We Forgot About Dead Stars" - OOPSISODE
July 01, 2023 16:00 - 15 minutes - 28.8 MBIt's not out fault! Cosmic horror causes madness, and we were bound to forget something. But the Uncle Nearest should help jog our memories.
"Chosen to Die" - By The Light of Dead Stars & Punchers Chance Bourbon
June 24, 2023 18:56 - 1 hour - 113 MBIt's cosmic horror and madness as Stephen and Mark explore "By The Light of Dead Stars" by Andrew Van Wey. As they lose their marbles and their souls, they'll try their luck with Puncher's Chance Bourbon.
"What We Forgot To Tell You About Ghosts" A Theme Oopsisode with Angels Envy
June 17, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 28.8 MBHave we ever done an oopsisode on a theme show? We can't remember, but it's sure to haunt us later on down the road.
"Spooky!" - Theme show with Buffalo Trace
June 10, 2023 20:40 - 1 hour - 117 MBOn tonight's episode, Stephen and Mark will discuss ghosts in the stories and movies they have seen. To keep them from dying of fright, they will amor up with Buffalo Trace.
"What We Do In The Shadows" - Theme Show
June 02, 2023 16:00 - 43 minutes - 79.5 MBOur theme show where we discuss the use of shadows in story and movies and we drink some Piggyback Rye to make ourselves less afraid of the dark!
"What We Forgot About The Book of M" - Oopsisode with Featherbone Bourbon Whiskey
May 27, 2023 08:03 - 15 minutes - 27.7 MBOh look! The oopsisode where we talk about the stuff we forgot about in the book about forgetting. Irony?? I can't remember.
"I Don't Want To Forget" - The Book of M with EH Taylor Bourbon Whiskey
May 20, 2023 23:45 - 1 hour - 126 MBStephen and Mark are going on a wild ride through a smart, thoughtful, action filled apocalyptic adventure. One where the world isn't coming to an end from a virus or nuclear war, but because everyone is simply forgetting. Everything. Everyone. Themselves. Worse, with each forgotten memory, they get a wish. A piece of magic. The power to change reality according to their imaginations. Before we forget just how amazing it is, Stephen and Mark will pair this story with the unforgetta...
"What We Forgot About Abandon" - Oopsisode & Jim Beam Double Oaked
May 13, 2023 04:13 - 12 minutes - 23.6 MBABANDON ALL HOPE, ALL YE WHO UNDER ESTIMATE THE DOUBLE OAK. It's a wild 15 minutes this time around. Enjoy.
"No Monsters Required" - Abandon with Starward Two-Fold Whiskey
May 05, 2023 16:00 - 51 minutes - 94.4 MBStephen and Mark are back with another amazing book from author, Blake Crouch. Abandon is a town where things never seem to go well for people. Not a hundred years ago, and not now. Possibly not ever. Is it haunted? Is it cursed? Stephen and Mark explore a deserted town called Abandon. During their stay, they will sample Starward Two-Fold Whiskey.
"What We Forgot About All Hallows" - OOPSISODE with Chattanooga Whiskey
April 30, 2023 01:25 - 13 minutes - 24.6 MBIt's easy to forget things when you're scared out of your mind, and in our latest book, Stephen and Mark forgot to talk about The Cunning Man. To keep their sanity, they will revisit an old favorite from a while back, Chattanooga Whiskey.
"My 80's Halloween Story" - All Hallows with Oak & Eden Finished Whiskey
April 23, 2023 17:02 - 53 minutes - 97.4 MBRemember all of those scary movies from the 80's that centered around Halloween or the legends of Halloween? Yeah, Christopher Golden does too, but when he takes that concept and runs it through his own brand of nightmare fuel, the product that you get isn't cheesy camp. This is 80's horror with a twist and a stake through its heart to amp up the terror. It's a good thing then that Stephen and Mark are sampling Oak & Eden Finished Whiskey 4 Grain & Spire. The only whiskey with a literal...
"What We Forgot About The Twisted Ones" - Oopsisode with Smoke Wagon Bourbon
April 14, 2023 16:00 - 15 minutes - 28.8 MBWhat happens when you mix two guys, a bottle of bourbon, and an army of gore fiend automatons? Either nothing good, or something funny. Maybe both.
"Once You Know, You Can't Unknow." The Twisted Ones with Duke Kentucky Bourbon
April 10, 2023 15:00 - 1 hour - 110 MBOnce again we go downt he rabbit hole with T Kingfisher as we get sucked into her novel "The Twisted Ones". We love Kingfisher's style of writing, her protagonists, and the masterful way she laces cosmic horror into everyday life and the banal challenges we all have to face. But banality slips quickly into horror and madness. To keep us safe, we're going to need the Duke himself, or at least the bourbon named after him. On tonight's episode, we sample Duke Kentucky Bourbon.
What We Forgot About Ararat - OOPSISODE
March 24, 2023 18:58 - 13 minutes - 24.2 MBWith special guest star Basil Hayden Burnt TOAST. Because that word should always be in all caps. Like this. TOAST.
"An Ancient and Unstoppable Evil" - Ararat with Middle West Bourbon
March 17, 2023 18:13 - 47 minutes - 87 MBThis week Stephen and Mark explore the slopes of Mount Ararat where, according to lore, Noah's Ark came to rest after the great flood of the world. Their guide will be author, Christopher Golden, who delights in bringing people to some the oldest and most terrifying places. It's said that Noah brought at least two of every creature upon the Earth. What might tourists to the long forgotten Ark find there? What might still be living? To help them through their journey, they will be sampl...
Theme Show - Who's Your Favorite Character?
March 10, 2023 21:32 - 41 minutes - 75.8 MBWe all have our favorites, don't we? In this episode, we try some Doc Swinson bourbon while chatting about some of our favorite characters from the show and beyond.
"What We Forgot About The Book of Night" - Oopsisode
March 03, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 26.8 MBSometimes things fall apart, including show hosts. Enjoy!
"We're All Charlatans" - The Book of Night with Jim Beam Double Oaked
February 24, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutes - 102 MBIn this episode we explore the world of shadow magic, secrety societies, and of course...murder. Pairing this wonderful book by Holly Black with something appropriately magical in a dark sort of manner, we will be sampling Jim Beam Double Oaked.
4,000 Weeks - OOPSISODE
February 17, 2023 17:00 - 13 minutes - 24.5 MBWhat do you do when you learn that you can't do everything with the time you've got? Well, we don't know what you would do, but you can find out what we would do with Piggyback Rye.
"We Are Time" - 4,000 Weeks & Michters Small Batch Bourbon
February 10, 2023 17:00 - 47 minutes - 86.7 MBHow manage our time isn't about adopting the habits of the most effectively productive people, or working the 20 hour work week, or even finding that perfect spreadsheet to spread your data in all the best ways. NO! In 4,000 Weeks, we learn that managing our time is all about managing ourselves, our priorities, and our expectations. It's a deep topic this week, and we're going to need a really smooth sipping bourbon to help the medicine go down, like a drunken Mary Poppins who may or may...
"What We Forgot About Fairy Tale" - Oopsisode
February 03, 2023 17:00 - 16 minutes - 29.6 MBHoly villainy, Batman! We forgot to talk about the antagonists in "Fairy Tale" by Stephen King. Tonight, we pair the book with with my Christmas present. Noble Oak Double Oaked Bourbon.
"You're About to Be Eaten by a Grue" - Fairy Tale with Copper & Cask
January 27, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutes - 101 MBCome on, all you Gen Xers out there. It's time to get your literary D&D hats on. Pick up your Zork lanterns at the bottom of the winding stair or else you might be eaten by a grue as we take on a classic trope by one of our favorite authors. In tonight's episode we talk about "Fairy Tale" by Stephen King, and his take on the classic modern version of this genre. Paired with it, we will taste Copper & Cask. Like this book, we felt this bourbon was a modern classic with a twist.
"What We Forgot About Ghost Eaters" - Oopsisode
January 20, 2023 17:00 - 13 minutes - 25.2 MBIn this oopsisode, we discuss something we didn't get the chance to talk about during the main show. Two words. GHOST. BABY. Really, after something like that the only thing we can do to recover from this is to revisit our old friend, Smoke Wagon Bourbon.
"We All Haunt Each Other" - Ghost Eaters and Redwood Empire Bourbon (S3/Ep1)
January 13, 2023 17:00 - 56 minutes - 104 MBIt's Season 3, and it's time to get weird! We start the season off with a book where ghosts are a drug, and seeing your loved ones again is an addiction. Do you want to get haunted? You will in "Ghost Eaters" by Clay McLeod Chapman. We'll get even stranger with our tasting of Redwood Empire bourbon. An amazing bourbon with a deceptively creepy illustration on the bottle.