For years, the “Mr. Potato Head” theory of drinks was accepted by bartenders to create new cocktails and memorize recipes. But until the release of Cocktail Theory, by Dr. Kevin Petersen, no one had taken the time to prove it, and now, Cocktail Theory is reshaping how bartenders are designing drinks. Today, Eli talks with Kevin about his diverse background and how it informs cocktail creation; the Mr. Potato Head theory of cocktails; the core concepts of the book; and much more.

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Zerno is one of the hottest brands in the world of specialty coffee, and for good reasons. So Jonathan recently met up with Zerno’s founder, Vel Genov, at their brand-new manufacturing center in Chicago, and today, you’ll get to hear their follow-up conversation, where they discuss what led Vel to design & manufacture coffee grinders in Chicago; Vel’s obsession with quality, functionality, and aesthetics (rather than price); burr sizes and why they matter; product design, iteration, and manufacturing; comparisons between the Zerno Z1 and the new Z2; and more.

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While the overall category of craft beer is currently experiencing a decline, the Burlington, Vermont craft beer maker, Zero Gravity Beer, is thriving. How? To find out, Eli talked with Zero Gravity’s Christopher Costello about the keys to Zero Gravity Beers’ success; what has evolved and what’s stayed the same for them over these 20 years; the current state of New England brewing; and more.

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Zero Gravity Beer

Zero Gravity Community

TOPICS & TIMES:

Zero Gravity Background (1:50)

Farm House Model (11:52)

Production Facility (14:22)

Adapting to High Growth (19:26)

State of the Union: East Coast Beer (25:04)

Terroir & Beer (30:34)

3rd Place Space & Community (34:44)

The Hummingbird Logo & ‘Listers’ (38:33)

Caribbean Beer Dinner (41:06)

The N/A Category (44:12)

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Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

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Few craft categories have experienced the meteoric rise of ‘functional beverages,’ and specifically, THC-infused drinks. But despite their popularity, what goes into making these drinks remains a secret, and not all THC-beverages are created equal.

So today, Eli talks with Fabric founder, Tom Eddleston, about what goes into crafting functional beverages with real intention. From cannabinoids to flavor-profile development, this conversation demystifies a category that is shrouded in misinformation.

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Fabric

Fabric Blog

Fabric x POW

Farm Bill Brief

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TOPICS & TIMES:

An Introduction To Colorado Sober (2:17)

History of Fabric (6:43)

Definitions and Offerings (11:30)

Ingredients (24:53)

The Importance of Education First (32:02)

Mental Health Advocacy (37:48)

Mental Health & the Outdoors (42:38)

Market Viability and Restrictions (45:36)

Lobbying Efforts for Regulation (54:31)

Cultural Significance of Inebriation (58:42)

Zebra Striping (1:02:49)

Distribution (1:05:40)

Get Involved (1:10:03)

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Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

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Jonathan talks with Blister managing editor Luke Koppa, reviewer Paul Forward, and our bike editor, David Golay, about the craft categories that most captivated them this past year, and some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2026.

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Heaven 11

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Luke Koppa (3:40)

Paul Forward (18:45)

David Golay (45:17)

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Blister Podcast

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As we wrap up 2025, we are once again sharing the craft categories that most captivated our Blister reviewers this past year, and we’re revealing some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2026. We kick things off with Simon Stewart, Jonathan Ellsworth, Kristin Sinnott, and Eli Brown. Please enjoy, and Happy New Year!

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Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us here to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Simon Stewart (2:14)

Jonathan Ellsworth (9:55)

Kristin Sinnott (31:44)

Eli Brown (51:05)

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Distillation has been a common topic here on Crafted as of late, and we have had the pleasure of speaking with some of the most important names in the American spirits industry. Yet, commercial distillation inevitably limits creativity and innovation.

That is not the case for this week’s guest, Jesse Wilson, the founder of a pair of companies focused on home distillation, Still It and Chase the Craft. What began as a video series based around a man learning to distill has grown into an exploration of all things spirits innovation - Jesse has now distilled everything from Big Macs to 300 year old absinthe recipes. In this conversation we dive into the history of both companies, the science of distillation, the magic of aging, and the unique insights Jesse has gained from his exploration of supremely small batch spirits production.

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Chase the Craft

Still It

18th-Century Absinthe

Distilling Big Macs

Potato Vodka

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TOPICS & TIMES:

How Eli Discovered ‘Still It’ (3:58)

Distillation Adventures & YouTube (7:15)

Jesse’s First Still (21:03)

Chase The Craft (27:41)

Absinthe (34:04)

Head, Hearts, & Tails (51:10)

Charring Barrels (1:04:48)

Big Mac Distillation & Meme Spirits (1:09:23)

Who Should Try Home Distilling (1:16:30)

The Future of Home Distilling (1:21:29)

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Bikes & Big Ideas

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Blister Podcast

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Recently, Jonathan has been going deep down the rabbit hole of camera gear and lighting, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb has been his spiritual guide. So today, we’re broaching these topics with all of you, and you’ll get to hear JE apologize profusely to Luke Koppa for basically forcing him to drink terrible coffee over the years. (You’ll see.)

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Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us here to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Why J Bobb Needs to Block JE (2:37)

Origins of J Bobb's Interest in Cameras (4:22)

Digital vs Analog (6:51)

35mm and Beyond: Megapixels (10:00)

Planned Releases (13:22)

Light (15:33)

Analogies: Coffee & Camera Gear? (19:33)

Sony A6700 (23:42)

Camera Hand Feel (29:08)

Camera Brands (30:44)

Ecosystems & Who’s Best at What? (38:29)

Which is Easier to Learn: Filming or Snowboarding? (49:42)

Shiny-New-Object Syndrome (51:38)

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Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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