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Four wartime icons walk into a bar... Andy, Big Z, and Rob join Matt and we take history way too seriously to keep it simple. We’re back with a Wartime Leaders Booze Battle where each of us brings a leader, their signature drink, and a case for why that person matters long after the last battle ends. Expect real tasting notes, real history, and the kind of arguing that only friends can get away with.

We start with Ulysses S. Grant and a high-proof Kentucky bourbon, tasting it straight and then with a few drops of water to see what actually changes in the nose and the finish. From there we hit Grant’s Civil War reputation, the complicated reality of his life after office, and the Mark Twain connection that turns his final years into something both brutal and inspiring.

Then Big Z swings in with Harry S. Truman and a dangerously drinkable old fashioned, using it to trace the end of World War II and the decisions that shape everything that follows: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Truman Doctrine, the formation of the United Nations and NATO, and the early blueprint of the Cold War. We also get a deep appreciation for “breakfast cocktails” that may just belong in the past.

Andy takes us medieval with Joan of Arc and a French Bordeaux that changes minds about red wine, price tags, and why drier Old World bottles can feel smoother and more food-friendly.

Matt closes with Tokugawa Ieyasu and a sake cocktail called The Patient Slice, built with sake, yuzu, and honey syrup, and it might be the best drink he's ever brought to the show.

Hit play, pick your winner, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more history and cocktail nerds can find us!

The Patient Slice

• 3 oz chilled Junmai Ginjo sake
• ¾ oz yuzu juice
• ¾ oz honey syrup (1:1 honey + warm water)

Floating slice of lemon

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