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Strike a match, pour a fall old fashioned, and settle in for a Halloween watch-along that blends 90s chills with grown-up sips. Andy, Chris, Rob, and Siobhan join Matt and cue up two Are You Afraid of the Dark standouts—The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle and The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner—and unpack why these kid-friendly scares still hit.

We start at the campfire with SNICK nostalgia, TV ratings lore, and a shout to the show’s practical-effects roots, including the SFX lead who later racked up Emmys for a very different show.

All of it pairs with our seasonal cocktail: a cider-honey old fashioned tuned toward bourbon for a proper backbone. Think apple, cinnamon, and oak with a warm finish, easy to batch and perfect for a cozy rewatch. Along the way we compare Monster-of-the-Week storytelling to today’s binge era, trace how practical effects give scares real texture, and reflect on how these tales taught us to name fear, protect siblings, and read the signs before trouble hits.

If this rekindles your SNICK heart or inspires your next movie-night pour, tap follow, and share with a friend who knew the Midnight Society by heart!

🍂 Fall Old Fashioned Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 oz bourbon (they used Buffalo Trace)
• 1.5 oz apple cider
• A drizzle of honey (for sweetness)
• A few dashes of bitters
• Simple syrup (optional, if you like a sweeter old fashioned)

Garnish

• Cinnamon stick
• Apple slice
• Cinnamon-sugar rim on the glass

Notes

• The original online recipe called for equal parts bourbon and cider, but Siobhan modified it to cut the cider in half so the bourbon flavor comes through more strongly.
• Served as a fall twist on the classic old fashioned — bourbon-forward, balanced with cider and honey for seasonal warmth.

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Christa, Josh, and The Fish join Matt for a casual stout tasting that quickly transforms into a fascinating exploration of craft brewing's darkest frontier. Diving headfirst into ten distinct stouts ranging from modest 5% session-friendly options to formidable 14.2% bourbon barrel-aged behemoths, our panel discovers that ABV numbers and fancy descriptions don't always align with drinking pleasure.

The journey takes unexpected turns as pre-tasting predictions fall flat. A chocolate strawberry ice cream stout initially dismissed as potentially undrinkable surprises everyone with its restrained balance, while a high-priced, wax-sealed special release bourbon barrel stout polarizes the group. Throughout the tasting, the conversation weaves between technical brewing knowledge, flavor analysis, and entertaining tangents—including a passionate defense of raccoons and trash pandas found on one particularly memorable can.

As the group progresses through progressively stronger offerings, clear patterns emerge about what makes a truly exceptional stout. Is it balance? Drinkability? Flavor complexity? Or simply how well it lives up to its name?

Whether you're a stout aficionado or simply curious about dark beers, this episode offers valuable insights into how seasoned tasters evaluate these complex brews and what separates the truly stellar from the merely adequate. Which stout would claim the top spot on your personal ranking? Listen, learn, and maybe discover your next favorite dark beer along the way.

Support the show

Visit www.mattandfriendsdtu.com for links listen, support the podcast, and more!

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Chris, Josh, and Siobhan join Matt as fate takes control of the cocktail shaker in this hilarious second round of our drink-based Russian roulette. Armed with nothing but dice and questionable courage, Matt and friends submit themselves to the whims of chance as they roll for cocktail ingredients that no sane bartender would ever combine.

The dice show no mercy as rolls produce increasingly apocalyptic combinations: a shot mixing gin, pickle juice followed by a curdling science experiment and a unanimously reviled tequila martini with pickle juice.

Through grimaces and gags our brave drinkers uncover a fundamental truth about cocktail creation—balance is everything, and sweetness is crucial for making even the strangest combinations palatable. The episode delivers equal parts mixology disaster, chemistry lesson, and friendship test as participants down concoctions that would make even the most adventurous bartender blanch.

Text us your own random cocktail experiences or suggestions for the future —though after this episode, pickle juice might be permanently banned from the rotation.

Support the show

Visit www.mattandfriendsdtu.com for links listen, support the podcast, and more!

Check out our sponsor, Poppin's Travel Company, for all of your travel needs! Their highly qualified agents are ready to book your next big adventure or dream vacation.

Visit our merch store

We'd love to hear from you on social media! Like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and X.



Cheers, and thanks for listening!