Barrel to Bottle, The Binny's Podcast

Roger is always reliable for predicting the latest trends in beer and beer-adjacent drinks, having  previously predicted Ranch Water and Long Drink. Now, declaring this will be the Summer of Chelada. Micheladas have already been popular for a while, but now cheladas are all the rage.   We're going to try a Brophy-sized quantity of ready-to-drink versions, then we're going to make one from a mix an...

Saké, don't sleep on it. That's the theme of our first ever saké episode. To help us dive into the world of rice wines, we're welcoming wine consultant Neeve from our Lincoln Park store. Greg sat next to the saké buyer for four years, tried a bunch of saké, and never retained anything so she has her work cut out for her. Saké is made from rice, water, yeast and koji which is a type of mold. Koji w...

Chris is making daiquiris, we've got a table full of rum, several rum enthusiasts and most importantly, Marc Farrell. Marc is the CEO and founder of Ten to One Rum.  Marc was frustrated with the public perception of rum, so he decided to do something about it. Ten to One is a blended rum brand that sources from Caribbean distilleries. He combines pot and column still rums, Agricoles, dark and whit...

Binny's is committed to finding world class wines for its customers, so every year we send a small group of wine consultants and buyers to En Primeur. Here, at a marathon pace, we sample hundreds of wines still in barrels to make the difficult decision of what to offer our customers as Bordeaux Futures This week on Barrel to Bottle, we're welcoming Bordeaux buying legend Barbara Hermann, along wit...

Barrel-aged beer, lots of cheese, warm weather; that seems like a perfect combo. This week on Barrel to Bottle, we're revisiting the 2022 Bourbon County Stout line-up with some fun easter eggs and easy food pairings. We sent Roger on a treasure hunt to track down the single-distillery variants of Bourbon County Brand Stout   that saw limited release in 12-ounce   four packs . Beer aged in barrels...

Here at Barrel to Bottle, we're big proponents of tasting blind. We're also big proponents of additive-free tequilas, which are becoming more and more popular with consumers. Without a government oversight body, it's up to producers disclosing it and tequila fans tracking it. Pat has brought nine blanco tequilas and two reposado tequilas. Additive-free, no crap on tap, all bangers.    Blind taste...

This week, Alicia has nine wines that showcase the variety and incredible value of California's Central Coast.  Monterrey County Cru Wine Company Unoaked Chardonnay Arroyo Seco 2021 Tatomer Riesling Steinhugel 2021 San Luis Obispo County Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Wolff Vineyard 2020 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc Cherry House Red Blend by Villa Creek 2020 Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon...

This isn't the first time we've discussed the importance of glassware. But today we're doing a deeper, more scientific dive specifically on beer glasses. We at Barrel to Bottle firmly believe you should always drink your beer out of a glass. But will one of those straight-sided pint glasses suffice, or is it worth spending some money on a beer glass that had fluid dynamics test performed on it? We...

This week on Barrel to Bottle, we're sitting down with retiring wine consultant Gregory Fulham. Gregory has been with Binny's for the better part of the last four decades. In that time, he's become both a Binny's institution and a Hyde Park institution. In celebration of his retirement, we're opening wines from two of his favorite varieties: Riesling and Port. Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle R...

This is a Chris episode, which means it's esoteric but fun and someone will probably get well actually'd. What's more esoteric than port cocktails? It's probably not as far-fetched as you think though. We cracked open a bottle of Clark & Sheffield 10-Year-Old Tawny Port for these cocktails that range from simple to complicated and would be perfect for Elevenses, brunch or even a night cap. Check o...

Because Pat is Pat, we had to turn What Does That Taste Like vol. 3 into a two-parter. For part two, Pat has brought a wide range of spirits from all over the world. What the hell do these taste like? Find out! Honkaku Reserve Special Selection Amagi 9-Year-Old Rum Single Cask #3094 Binny's Handpicked Honkaku Reserve Special Selection Amagi 9-Year-Old Rum Single Cask #3097 Binny's Handpicked   Nev...

It's time once again to answer the world's oldest question, "What the Hell Does That Taste Like?" Have you ever seen a bottle of some wine, beer or spirit at Binny's and wondered what it is? This is the episode for you. And because Pat can't help himself, this ended up being a two parter. Roger's Beers: Weihenstephaner Vitus   WarPigs Divine Huntress   Weihenstephaner Korbinian   Maplewood Silver...

Elliot Hughes of is the managing distillery director for Dingle Distillery. What started as a bar outside of Dublin has become a distillery in Dingle, in the southwest corner of Ireland. Dingle is far-flung, but it's also a popular tourist destination with mild weather perfect for aging whiskey. Dingle's yearly releases pay homage to the town's connection to Celtic pagan traditions, which include...

The last time we took on a major celebrity and their absurd cocktail, it was Stanley Tucci's shaken Negroni with vodka. Things didn't so great for The Tooch, but will America's Dad fare better? Earlier this year, Jim sent the group an article about Tom Hanks appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Hanks is not a big drinker, but he will add a splash of champagne to his Diet Coke. And tha...

Whenever Pat brings bottles in for an episode, you can safely assume he's going to bring way more than we can ever get to. After tasting through the Whisky Advocate Top 20 of 2022, Pat pulled out two mystery bottles; something he would have added to the list, and something he's not quite sure what it is but it has a memorable taste. 

Once again, we're running down the list of Whisky Advocate's top 20 whiskies of the year and sampling the ones we have available. What was once a list of unobatnium bottles has now expanded with more readily available products and better price points.  #20 – Craigellachie 13-Year-Old Armagnac Finish  #19 – Teeling Single Pot Still Virgin Chinkapin Oak Wonders of Wood #18 – Hardin's Creek Colonel J...

This is probably our most ambitious episode ever. We'll be eating well-known New Orleans dishes, along with Abita beer, and then making New Orleans cocktails and pairing them with paczkis. We apologize in advance for all the mouth noises. Abita is the classic New Orleans beer and a lot of their offerings pair great with local cuisine. Mardi Gras Bock is a more of a Maibock than a doppelbock, which...

As the premiere producer in the Rhone, you would assume Guigal has been around for centuries. Guigal is in their third generation, which is relatively young for the Rhone and France overall. Joining us today is Patrick Will, brand development director at Vintus, importer of Guigal. He has worked with the Guigal family for 26 years. featuring these wines: Guigal Cotes du Rhone White 2021 Guigal Cot...

This week we welcome Rob Dietrich, master distiller of Blackened Whiskey. If you're not familiar, Blackened started as a collaboration between Metallica and distilling legend Dave Pickerell. Drink along at home with the following whiskies: Blackened Straight Whiskey Finished in Black Brandy Casks   Blackened x Wes Henderson Bourbon Finished in White Port Casks Blackened Rye the Lightning   If you...

We're back with part 2 of our Barrel to Bottle Q&A episode. Check out part 1 on our blog or wherever you download podcasts.  If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at  comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  or  Instagram . If we answer your question during a podcast, you'll get a $20 Binny's Gift Card! If you like our podcast, subscribe wherever y...

We used to tackle listener questions on a regular basis, but over the years the episodes kept getting longer and longer. We miss the listener interaction, and we miss giving away $20 Binny's gift cards, so periodically we do these all Q&A episodes. It's time for us to A your Qs. If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at  comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on  Facebook...

We haven't done a Non-Alc episode in two years, and a lot has changed in that time. The entire category has exploded; not only are there more options than ever, but the options are better than they've ever been. This week, Roger, Alicia, and Pat have brought the newest and best options for Dry January and beyond in beer, wine, and spirits. Roger's NA Beer/Seltzer Options: Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher...

Coffee: the original beer adjunct before that became a dirty word. We only just did a coffee episode in late 2022 but there are so many coffee stouts being released, especially in the winter months, that it makes sense to do another one. This time in addition to drinking coffee beer, and the coffee these beers are made with, Roger has baked several cookies that pair great with the beer and the cof...

And now for the epic conclusion of Barrel to Bottle's Picks of the Year 2022. Alicia's Pick Chateau Beychevelle Saint Julien 2018 Pat's One and Only Pick Pinhook Vertical Series Bourbon War 7-Year-Old Bourbon 2022 Jim's Second Pick Destihl Wild Sour Series Elima Hua   Greg's Second Pick Field Recordings Aqua Pazza Organic Pink Sparkling Jenna's Third Pick André Cluet Brut Grand Reserve Pat's One a...

It's time for the Barrel to Bottle Pick(s) of the Year. For the first time ever, we have seven people on mics, so it should be obvious why we had to split this into two episodes. Pat's One and Only Pick Penrose Fantasy West collaboration with More Brewing    Jenna's First Pick Michter's US 1 Single Barrel Straight Rye   Jim's First Pick Off Color Beer for Lounging   Pat's One and Only Pick Benroma...