Beards, Books, and Bourbon Podcast

Stephen King has a habit of putting his strongest messages into his shortest of works.  Stand By Me (The Body), Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Life of Chuck is no exception.  First of all, read it.  No. Really.  READ IT.  Then go and watch the movie.  No no. Really. WATCH THE MOVIE. The Life of Chuck is the affirmation of life that we need in the world we live in today.  It doesn't...

BODYBALL!!!!  In this Oopsisode, the boys discuss one of the more horrific/grossest/hilarious parts of "From Below" by Darcy Coates. To keep themselves sane, the boys revisit an old friend, Thomas S. Moore Bourbon finished in sherry casks. Darcy Coates – Horror and Suspense Author NOTE There is no official website for Thomas S Moore anymore that we can find.  It is a product of the Barton 1792 Dis...

On this episode of BBB, Stephen and Mark review a book from Darcy Coates, an author known for her prolific collection of haunted house stories. In From Below, Darcy Coates turns the haunted house story on its head, and takes us on an adventure deep into the ocean and the past. To keep them afloat, Stephen and Mark will be sampling Old Elk Cigar Cut, Islander Blend. Darcy Coates – Horror and Suspen...

On this episode, Stephen and Mark talk about forbidden relationships in the story. Hilarious and tragic, the boys will make everything better by revisiting Penelope Toasted Bourbon Whiskey.   Home - Joe Abercrombie Toasted Bourbon – Penelope Bourbon

On this epsisode of BBB, the boys explore a beloved author who they somehow haven't managed to review until now. Mr. Joe Abercrombie's alternate history/fantasy tale "The Devils" is the subject this time around. Hilarious, gory, and unrepentantly grim and sardonic, Stephen and Mark dive into a world of curses, werewolves, elves, Popes, and, of course, truly flawed and damaged characters. It is a w...

In the oopsisode following the interview, Shannon, Eddie, Stephen, and Mark all sit down for one last addendum to the interview they did on The Chimera Snare by writing team S & E Black.  In this unique oopsisode, the group samples not one, but two bourbons they've had before. Stephen and Shannon try In Lieu of Flowers while Mark and Eddie sample Redwood Empire's Emerald Giant. Welcome to The Chim...

On this episode of BBB, Stephen and Mark get to sit down for an extended interview with the husband and wife writing team behind S & E Black, author's of The Chimera Snare: Fragments.  Shannon and Eddie are simply amazing people. Kind, funny, and thoughtful, we had a wonderful evening getting to know them, their work, and what's on the horizon for them. Our featured bourbon for the evening is Ange...

Honestly, we didn't forget anything, but there's just so much going on in that book we could never get through it all in an hour. Tonight we revisit Keeper's Heart.   Matt Dinniman   Keeper's Heart Whiskey

Okay, okay, okay.  If you know what this is, you know.  If you haven't heard of Dungeon Crawler Carl....oh, friends, you are missing something special. Authored by Matt Dinniman.  Madcap, dirty as hell, oddly poignant, and always particularly meta at the end, Dungeon Crawler Carl is a delight. Speaking of delights, on this episode, Stephen and Mark will try a bourbon they've been holding into for...

There's always just so much to talk about, including the thunderstorm that nearly swept them away!  In this oopsisode, listen as Stephen and Mark have to retreat out of the rain while fortifying themselves with the magic of Dark Arts Bourbon Whiskey.   Dark Arts Whiskey House | Our Spirits — Dark Arts Whiskey House

Stephen and Mark change locations to the outdoor studio (Mark's backyard) where they almost get destroyed by a fast moving thunderstorm. They almost saw their recording equipment get blown away like little Toto in the basket. Because I bless the rains down in Africa. Because it puts the lotion in the basket. Wait. No. That's a Wizard of Oz reference. Nevermind. Scratch those last two parts. It's a...

In this episode, Stephen and Mark explore a topic or two about Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky that they didn't get around to discussing. For their bourbon, they are using Oak & Eden to help them make a new cocktail, named in honor of tonight's book.   Adrian Tchaikovsky, science fiction and fantasy author oakandeden.com  

In this episode, Stephen and Mark return to the work of Adrian Tchaikovsky in his novella "Elder Race". Once again, Tchaikovksy blends science fiction with fantasy in an almost Arthurian epic quest of unintended consequences, mistaken identities, mythic expectations, and the inevitable march of time. A SFF story needs an SFF bourbon whiskey to pair with it. So, Stephen and Mark finally crack open...

In tonight's oopsisode, Stephen and Mark spend some time gushing over how much they love the writing of Alix E. Harrow, AND they feature their first custom cocktail with a name fitting for the episode.     Green River - The Whiskey Without Regrets   Author | Alix E. Harrow

In today's episode, Stephen and Mark talk about two short stories from author Alix E. Harrow. They have reviewed her work before when they discussed her novels "The Ten Thousand Doors of January" and "Starling House".  Tonight's bourbon is Old Orleans from The Beautiful & The Damned Distillery. Some of you might notice that the name of the distillery also happens to be the title of an F. Scott Fit...

Honestly, this book was so good we probably could have just done an entire second episode about it. As we take a second look at Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, we also revisit one of our favorite picks so far in 2025, Moonlight Mayhem from Filmland Spirits.   Stephen Graham Jones | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster   Filmland Spirits

In this episode, Stephen and Mark explore the layered, intelligent, and gut wrenching horror novel, "Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones.  A Native American revenge story with a supernatural twist, Buffalo Hunter Hunter is as deep and thought provoking as it is horrific, disgusting, and occasionally hilarious in the most awkward ways. A thought provoking story needs a thought provoking...

It's the final chapter of our deep dive into the Kingdom of Blunder with the oopsiside for Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig, where we talk about what we forgot to talk about.  To go along with this episide, we're re-sampling Elijah Craig Rye.  We don't sample nearly enough rye.     Rachel Gillig, Author Elijah Craig | Home Page

Stephen and Mark dive back into the Kingdom of Blunder for the second installment of the Shepherd King duology by Rachel Gillig. In this installment, all stories will be concluded. The mystery of the poem revealed, and a world will be changed for good or ill. We loved this series, and it's only appropriate that we try a bottle from a label we have nothing but love for as well. In this episode we s...

Tonight it's all about gothic poetry, horrific encounters, and the genius of Australian whiskey.   USA | Starward Australian Whisky Rachel Gillig, Author

Tonight's episode brings us back to fantasy of the gothic kind.  Blunder is a cursed kingdom, surrounded by a mist that snatches people into the wood, never to be seen again.  All the families of the kingdom are named after trees, and the currency of power comes in the form of a deck of magical playing cards. These cards were made by a long dead king at the price of destroying himself to do it one...

Oh, right.  It's a dystopian YA novel involving students and probably organized by either Jigsaw or the guy from Seven.  Tell the kids what they've won, Bob!  They've won DEATH!  We're going to need a stiff drink, and we get one with Barmen 1873.

Welcome to dystopian world of the early 20th Century where dragons live alongside humans, everyone is at the brink of war, and the fate of the world is in the hands of a bunch of misfit students being blackmailed into building what might be a doomsday weapon in the novel "A Language of Dragons".  So...Tuesday.  As our bourbon, Stephen and Mark will be embibing a little alchemy of their own with Da...

As the boys talk about some old priests, they revisit a really old friend.  A less than half full bottle of Willett that's been sitting in the garage for 5 years is finally getting cracked open to see what demons lurk inside.

Stephen and Mark delve into the world of extraordinary circumstances and people. Our book for this episode is Conclave by Robert Harris, the novel which is the basis for the Academy Award Nominated movie. A story about extraordinary circumstances and the decisions that must be made. The bourbon tonight is not a bourbon at all, but a Canadian Whisky brought to us the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzk...