Botanical Trails

Welcome to season 4!  To kick off the new season we are joined by Colin Butts, and we try two gins from Australia.  As we enjoy these spirits from The Land Down Under, we chat about our own trips to Australia, various tonics that we enjoy, AI, and Colin’s new passion - pickleball. Come for the drinks, and stick around to hear if we can figure out what exactly a DUPR is??  Cheers!! My thanks to Dar...

As we close out Season 3, we are joined by Jon and his friend Beth, and we try two gins from Alaska.  As we enjoy these gins from the Land of the Midnight Sun, we chat about pancake themed names for dogs, the Russian River in Alaska, bears and The White Stripes. Come for the drinks, and stick around to hear if landlines for phones are making a comeback.  Are they?? Cheers!! My thanks to Darin Vand...

For our latest episode, Sean returns to try a couple of gins from Spain.  As we indulge in gins from the east and west of Spain, we chat about Sean’s wedding, the return of Vine videos, David Letterman, video games in college, and how ancient Romans enjoyed poisoning themselves. Come for the drinks, and stick around to hear if an athletic test should have to be passed prior to participating in bee...

They're back . . . and really that is enough said.  Kelly & Molly return to host their latest edition of their podcast takeover.  And while tasting wine, Kelly adds a bit of a twist to this episode, while Molly introduces us to ASMR.  And there is much more than that. Come join them for perhaps the best hour of your week! Cheers! My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this...

My good friend Dave returns to the show and we try a couple of gins from Scandinavia - one from Denmark and one from Norway.  While enjoying these gins from Northern Europe, we chat our siblings and their radical sabbaticals, roving teenagers dressed as sailors in Denmark, and how some of the danger involved with events in the Winter Olympics make them appealing. Come for the drinks, and stick aro...

Hi everyone - in a follow up to Greg's recent episode, his guy came through and now through October 21st, you can go to the following web site to order Botanical Trails swag if you have an interest: https://logotipo.chipply.com/BotanicalTrails/ We will be back soon with a new episode. Cheers! My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast. For questions, comments, or to su...

As we slip into the fall season, knowing winter is around the corner, we thought for the next episode it would be a good time to explore some gins from Iceland with my sister Laurie.  As we we try two smooth gins from the land of ice and fire, we also get a chance to hear about Laurie connecting with an exchange student from high school, the E-15 volcano, and an arctic fox. Come for the drinks, an...

Back by popular demand, one of our favorite guests, Greg Ceithaml, is back and he had an interesting concept for us to try.  For the first time, we do a taste test during the show.  And while trying out his idea, we also chat about his recent trip to Chicago for Lalapalooza, his trip to the beach, and a special book from my childhood. Come for the drinks, and stick around to hear his surprise for...

One of our favorite guests, Brian Place, returns to the show to try two gins from Scotland.  In this episode, which hits not one but two milestones for the podcast, we discuss his parent’s trip to Scotland, the Jeopardy prank that never was, and the beaches of Scotland. Come for the drinks, and stick around to hear Brian show off his knowledge of sap.  This really might be the most fun hour of you...

My pal TJ is my guest for the latest episode and we try a Tennessee Whiskey and a gin from South Africa.  While enjoying these fine spirits, we chat about his trips to Tennessee, getting to witness Mule Days, how we cannot bring ourselves to recommend the novel “The Road” to anyone, and question why Irish authors hate quotation marks. Come for the drinks, and stick around to hear TJ talk about AI🎙...

For the second installment of the new season, we have fan favorite Angie back to visit for our PP episode.  In the episode we try two gins from countries that start with the letter P - Poland and the Philippines.  And while trying these two new gins we chat about her trips to Poland, how I chose ARC gin, her Mad Men workout routine, inappropriate company names and how I was once left as collateral...

It took a bit longer than anticipated, but we are back for Season 3!!  And I am joined by two guests to kick off the new season - Andy and Adam Jester have returned.  In the kickoff to this season, we try a couple of gins from South Carolina and chat about their trip to England over 20 years ago and their potential banishment from the country, their upcoming trip to Ireland, the French 75 cocktail...

Wake the kids, call the neighbors - Toe Squished Grapes is back to cap our 2024 season with a special holiday episode.  However, instead of wine this year, they are exploring non-alcohol options for the holidays, with not one, not two, but three beverages for us try.  In this jam packed episode we cover the new drink concocted by Molly - the Lemon Drip, sneak in a little football talk, try to figu...

In our second to the last episode of the season, our fan favorite Brian Place joins us for a third time to enjoy two amazing gins from Spain.  As we savor the flavor of our beverages we chat about his trip to Spain from a few years ago, including the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, discuss exactly what paella is, and share two great Off The Beaten Path topics. Come for the gin, and stick around to h...

As we approach the end of 2024 and look to wrap up season 2, we have three more episodes to release, starting with my buddy Steve joining me for episode 9.  In this episode we try a couple of Navy Strength gins.  While enjoying these high octane drinks, we discuss how the term Navy Strength came about, Steve’s trip to Krakow, Poland, and my adventure in picking up his kids in the school pick-up li...

My guest for our latest episode has had quite a hand in shaping the selection of gins that we have tasted on the show.   Rishi, from Rishi’s International Beverage in Grand Rapids, is our guest for this episode. And while enjoying two tasty gins from the UK, we discuss his journey of starting his own bottle shop and how tastes have impacted the growth of his business over the years.  We also talk...

In our latest episode, my cousin Marc joins us as we enjoy two delicious gins from Scotland.  Throughout the episode, we learn about some of the very cool places that Marc has had a chance to visit - including Wales, England, Cuba and New Zealand.  And in Off The Beaten Path, Marc adds a new category to my favorite segment. Come for the gin, and stick around to hear about Marc filming a documentar...

For our latest episode, my guests are affectionately known as “The Outlaws” - Beth Jester, Andy King and Alyssa Jester.  They are also my cousin-in-laws.  And in this episode, we try a couple of gins that I picked up while visiting my cousins in South Carolina.  And as we try these new gins, we talk about the annual documentation of showing who married up, nicknames that we might be able to use fo...

My cousin Todd joins us as we try two gins from Detroit, the Arsenal of Democracy as it was known during the Second World War.  While sipping the gins, we talk about the Detroit Lions and their new uniforms, how Todd is related to those who resemble Aaron Rodgers and John Elway, his podcast - “Saturday at Seven”, and we go through our final rounds of gin trivia. Come for the gin, and stick around...

My cousin-in-law Adam joins us as we try two gins from far away places.  During our enjoyment of the gins, we chat about Adam’s love of Disney, whether or not Goofy is a dog, my first exposure to Mr. Bill on Saturday Night Live, a trip to Alaska, and Adam’s experience of being a pilot.  We also follow up on a question about Daffy, the Goddess of Gin. Come for the gin, and stick around to hear how...

Drew joins us again to try two French gins as we conclude the Rhine River Chronicles.  While enjoying these gins and putting a wrap on this three-part series, Drew and I discuss if I can actually taste lavender, how he went to Euro Disney at perhaps not the greatest time, why there are pumpkins in Slovenia, his fear and basic avoidance of deep water and nostalgia for some of our favorite comedy mo...

Our old friend Greg is back to join us again as we look to try two more of the gins that he brought back for the show from his trip to England last year.  As we try our first ever gin from Sicily and another from CBA Gin, we celebrate Greg being the first guest to have an episode hit 100 downloads, talk about his return as head coach of Tulip City United for a third season, suffer through him teas...

We are incredibly excited to kick off season 2 with a very special guest - my Mom, aka “Maki”.  In the kickoff episode to the season, we pick back up with the Rhine River Chronicles, and in this second installment of the series we try a pair of Dutch Gins.  As we give these two gins a try, we chat about our river cruise this past fall, my mom’s favorite international trip, and I share an old famil...

In a holiday themed episode, the lovely ladies of Toe Squished Grapes are back to help me put a bow on the first season.  Kelly brings two wines for us to try and has the patience of a saint while dealing with the snarky comments from the peanut gallery.  She also utilizes her bible - “Wine for Normal People” to teach us a bit more about the regions these two wines come from.  As we enjoy the wine...

What do you get when you combine a former intern, an AI questionnaire and the Pink Panther?  You end up with episode 21 with Jamie Belt as our guest.  During the episode we sample two blue gin and discuss how robots are now screening your resume, the proper way to prepare a pop-tart, and how seeking a large coffee in Europe might be a search in vain. Come for the gin, and stick around to hear if M...