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A frosty glass, a warm toast, trivia, and a roomful of music nerds trying not to cry-laugh over a slide whistle—our holiday special brings the good stuff. We start with a cookies-and-cream Sugarlands concoction and buttery-nipple shots poured into Matt's Grandpa’s vintage shot glass set, then raise a heartfelt toast to departed friend. From there the energy jumps: holiday music trivia, name‑that‑tune chaos with student recordings, and a chord-progression challenge that reveals how deeply these carols live in our bones.

We dig into the stories behind the songs with some trivia. The slide whistle segment might be the funniest minute of our year, but it’s also a clever lesson in melody recognition: strip away the production and you can still sing your way home. Then we pivot to the all-time top toys list—Slinky, Yo-yo, Barbie, Game Boy, LEGO, Hot Wheels, Wii, Switch—and unpack why certain fads explode, which classics endure, and how design, scarcity, and nostalgia shape holiday demand.

To cap it off, we play a yes–no lightning round of questions to guess what Andy is thinking of and pick our Stellar Sip. It’s equal parts music history, party game, and story time—woven with real friendship, small traditions, and the kind of laughter that lingers. Pour something sweet, press play, and join the table. If you smiled, shared a memory, or guessed a tune before we did, subscribe, leave a review, and tell a friend who needs a holiday laugh.

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A herd of buffalo carved a path across Kentucky, and that same path led to one of the most storied distilleries in America. We follow that trail from frontier stills to a modern distillery campus, unpacking how Buffalo Trace became a benchmark for bourbon history, science, and hype—often all in the same bottle.

We start with the unlikely origin story: prehistoric buffalo trails guiding settlers to a natural river crossing, early farm mashups turning into documented distilling, and a run of owners who built, rebuilt, and refined through fires and setbacks. The narrative accelerates with E.H. Taylor Jr., who pushed for federal standards and turned whiskey making into a repeatable craft, then shifts to George T. Stagg’s scale-up. The Prohibition chapter proves pivotal too as stills were kept running and knowledge alive.

From there, we spotlight Elmer T. Lee, the WWII veteran who treated bourbon like a system to be modeled. His creation of Blanton’s Single Barrel reframed what premium could mean, celebrating individuality instead of blending it away. Under Sazerac, the portfolio expanded into a galaxy—Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, W.L. Weller, George T. Stagg, Elmer T. Lee, and the Van Winkle partnership—each with distinct mash bills, age statements, and loyal followings.

We break down why bottles vanish and why billion-dollar expansions still can’t rush oak. Through floods, fires, and shifting tastes, Buffalo Trace keeps threading tradition with experimentation, turning history into a living practice that you can actually taste.

If you love bourbon lore and the craft behind the hype, this story is your pour. Hit follow, share with a friend who’s still hunting their first Eagle Rare, and drop a review to tell us what bottle you’re chasing next. Cheers.

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A special thank you to the Sugarlands Distilling Company for sending us 4 jars of their sipping create and a bottle of High Rock Vodka!

Andy, Rob and Siobhan join Matt to line up four Sugarlands Sippin’ Cream flavors—Orange Dream, Peanut Butter, Birthday Cake, and Eggo Waffles Brunch in a Jar—taste them straight, then put them through a cocktail gauntlet to find out which is our favorite!

First, we break down the flavor profiles and texture surprises: Orange Dream smells like a melted creamsicle with a vanilla glide, Peanut Butter is roasted and familiar, Birthday Cake goes full funfetti, and Eggo Waffles Brunch in a Jar brings maple and butter with a toasty edge. Then the mixology begins! A waffles-and-coffee delight, a cherry pie adventure make up round one. Round two raises the bar higher: a boozy Orange Julius that channels mall-counter glory followed by a Peanut Butter Cup martini.

Which Sippin' Cream and cocktail will we crown this episodes stellar sip?

If you love dessert cocktails, creamsicles, peanut butter cups, or coffee liqueur riffs, you’ll leave with recipes, ratios, and smart tweaks to make your next creamy drink sing. Enjoy the ride, then tell us your favorite flavor and how you’d mix it. If you like what you hear, follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more drink lovers can find the show. Cheers!

Recipes from Sugarlands Distilling:

Brunch Chocolate Coffee

Cherry Pie

Orange Julius

Peanut Butter Cup Martini

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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.

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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.

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Prepare to enter a tavern where fate determines what's in your glass! In this hilarious and chaotic episode, Chris, Josh, and Siobhan join Matt to play "Roll for Cocktail," a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired drinking game where dice decide every element of their drinks—from base spirits to garnishes.

The adventure begins with dramatic character introductions worthy of a fantasy campaign before explaining the rules of this perilous drinking quest. Armed with multi-sided dice and one precious re-roll each, our heroes face the prospect of everything from pleasant combinations to nightmare concoctions featuring Clamato juice or habanero peppers.

The true joy comes from the group's willingness to embrace chaos, their genuine reactions to each bizarre combination, and the surprising discovery that random ingredients occasionally create something genuinely good. Their discussions about what's missing from each drink—acidity, sweetness, balance—reveal the fundamental principles of good mixology even when working with the strangest ingredient combinations.

This episode represents just the first part of this dice-rolling series. Will you join us for the next round? Roll for initiative, grab your glass, and discover what unexpected combinations await when chance determines your cocktail fate!

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The mysterious Green Fairy beckons you into a world where art, controversy, and botanical alchemy collide. Absinthe has captivated and terrified in equal measure throughout its storied history, and we're pulling back the emerald veil to reveal what makes this spirit so enduringly fascinating.

Discover the botanical trinity that forms absinthe's soul. From ancient Egyptian remedies to Swiss medicine to Parisian cafés, we trace absinthe's remarkable journey through time. You'll learn why the 5 o'clock hour was once known as "l'heure verte" as bohemians and bourgeoisie alike gathered for their daily ritual with the Green Fairy.

We explore the golden age when absinthe inspired an entire artistic movement, with luminaries like Van Gogh, Picasso, and others falling under its spell. But fame brought scrutiny, and we unpack the moral panic, scientific misconceptions, and notorious murder case that led to absinthe being banned across the globe for nearly a century.

Whether you're an absinthe aficionado or curious newcomer, you'll appreciate our breakdown of the proper serving ritual that transforms this potent spirit into a cloudy, mesmerizing experience through the addition of water and sugar. We even suggest modern cocktails that showcase absinthe's unique herbal complexit.? Subscribe now and join us for a sip of the extraordinary.

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.

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Cheers, and thanks for listening!