CRAFTED

Jasper Hill Farm is one of the most respected names in American artisan cheese, and in today’s episode, Jonathan & Eli talk with Zoe Brickley — Jasper Hill’s “Minister of Culture” — about how a struggling Vermont dairy made a big gamble that grew into an award-winning operation. We dig into the 9,000-year history of cheesemaking; the science and craft of “affinage”; and why caves, microbes, an...

Jonathan Gagné is producing some of the best work in the world in terms of increasing our understanding and appreciation of coffee. And his new book, The Physics of Espresso , is incredibly smart, impressively easy to understand, and…fun! So it was an honor to have Jonathan on to talk about astrophysics, boulders, dust, soup, crema, headspace, and more.   We Want to Hear from You! Have a...

With all the economic & cultural shifts swirling about these days, we wanted to get a handle on the state of craft beer: what does the current landscape look like, what are the biggest challenges, and what are the most interesting opportunities? Eli Brown and I discuss all of the above with New Image Brewing founder, Brandon Capps. We Want to Hear from You! Have a topic, craft category, or cra...

What happens when an obsessive gear reviewer dives headfirst into the expansive world of espresso? It’s now been over a year since our last update on Jonathan Ellsworth’s coffee journey, so Eli and he talk about what’s new in his setup; what he’s learned (or rejected) from the depths of coffee videos and online forums; and whether this whole thing has been a brilliant pursuit of flavor, or just an...

Fact: Cast iron is having a moment. And that’s true even while the cast-iron skillet has never lost its standing as one of the most iconic of culinary tools. So today, Eli talks with Field Company co-founder, Stephen Muscarella, about how a vintage pan sparked a journey to reimagine cast iron from the ground up. They get into what makes cast iron so special — and so misunderstood; the small design...

Ghia is a drink brand that isn’t trying to be beer, wine, or spirits — and definitely not a “mocktail.” It’s bitter, bold, and built for people who want a drink that doesn’t play it safe. Today, Eli talks with Ghia founder Mélanie Masarin about building a culinary inspired non-alcoholic option that’s not about sobriety, but about choice, occasion, and great flavors. They get into what makes Ghia d...

On CRAFTED ep. 75 we told you a bit about the proposal Eli submitted re: N/A cocktails. Welp, Eli was awarded the very competitive ‘Raise the Bar’ grant, so Jonathan talks with him about why this is a big deal, and Eli shares more details about his project. Congrats, Eli! We Want to Hear from You! Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us here to share tho...

Amaro is bitter, complex, and a little mysterious — and most people have no idea what it actually is. So in this episode, Eli talks with the folks behind Sennza Finne , a Seattle-based amaro producer making small-batch, seasonal expressions. We get into what amaro is (and isn’t); how their experience as bartenders shaped their process; and why every bottle they make is designed to reflect a specif...

Jonathan talks knives and knife making with Jamison Chopp , a bladesmith who works with a group of individual knife makers at Acre Forge , in Portland, Oregon. We talk about what’s changed and what hasn’t about the way knives are made today; we dive into the details of blade shape, blade materials, and handles; we talk about what separates a great knife from a mediocre one; and more. If you’re int...

Many of us love (and love talking about) coffee, wine, or beer, but few of us go around professing our love of fermentation. But after this conversation, you’ll see why maybe we should. Because fermentation isn’t merely a chemical process, it’s the key to many of those things we love. And for Nile Zacherle, the founder of Mad Fritz , it’s the common thread to everything he makes: barrel-aged beer,...

Craft N/A Cocktails are on the rise, but there is still much that needs to change in this space — fundamental things like what we should and shouldn’t be calling this whole category, and why that matters. Today, Jonathan Ellsworth discusses these things with our CRAFTED co-host and professional mixologist Eli Brown, who sees the real-world importance of these things every day. You’ll hear about th...

Madness. That’s what you call it when a former sponsored skateboarder gets a Ph. D. in fermentation, then starts brewing super-premium beer in Napa Valley. In this conversation, Eli Brown talks with Nile Zacherle, the founder & master brewer of Mad Fritz . RELATED LINKS: Blister Craft Collective Become a BLISTER+ Member Mad Fritz Brewing Mad Fritz Membership Winemaker’s Review (Nile’s Podcast)...

Steve Matthiasson is one of the most respected winemakers in Napa Valley, and together with his wife Jill, they make wines under the label of Matthiasson Wines that buck some of the most fashionable trends in Napa wine. Steve is also a passionate mountain biker and snowboarder, a teacher, and a wine consultant; today, we dive into all of these aspects. RELATED LINKS: Check out the Blister Craft Co...

Brandy doesn’t get the love that it deserves, especially given that it was America’s founding spirit, and no category has a bigger folk hero tied to it (Johnny Appleseed, anyone?). At its core, it’s distilled fruit—wine’s fiery cousin—born from orchards and alchemy, and few do it better than Clear Creek Distillery . In this episode, we dig into what brandy really is, why it nearly vanished from Am...

Today on CRAFTED, Eli is joined by fellow Blister contributor Zack Henderson to talk all things paella. What started as a casual interest has turned into a full-blown culinary rabbit hole — and we dig into everything from technique to tradition, with some very unconventional twists. We also dive into the mysteries of the socarrat ; explore a Pacific Northwest take on the dish; and brainstorm poten...

Today Jonathan talks about books, book recommendations, the state of independent bookstores, the art of reading, and the craft of writing — and our guest is the perfect person to talk about it all. Arvin Ram is a writer, an avid reader, and the co-owner (along with his wife Danica) of the independent bookstore, Townie Books . Arvin is also the director of the Mountain Words Festival here in Creste...

CRAFTED co-hosts Simon Stewart and Eli Brown talk with Troy Rarick, the founder of Over the Edge bike shops and the person who first got Simon into tequila, about why tequila might be the quintessential craft spirit; they discuss a fun history of tequila; the different variations of it; and Troy reminisces about filming a Tequila Talk Show. They share some current favorite tequilas; plus advice on...

Andrew Jones didn’t set out to make wine. Instead, he spent decades planting vines for other people — some of the biggest names in California (e.g., Beckstoffer). But along the way, Andrew started stockpiling stories — and grapes — and what began as a side project turned into Field Recordings, a brand known for bending rules and bottling attitude. The brand has since been featured in Wine Enthusia...

Jonathan talks with Blister reviewer & Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, about her lifelong love of ice cream; what we should know about making ice cream at home; and why she always hunts for small-batch ice cream when she’s traveling. RELATED LINKS Check out the Blister Craft Collective Become a BLISTER+ Member TOPICS & TIMES: How Kristin’s ice Cream Habit Started (2:36) Being Pic...

We’re all familiar with ‘Top Gun’ — a school that separates the best of the best. But what if we told you there is an elite certification program designed to test the best bartenders in the business? Today, we’re discussing that program — Bar 5 Day — with Steve Olson and Doug Frost. RELATED LINKS: Check out the Blister Craft Collective Become a BLISTER+ Member BAR 5 Day BAR Documentary TOPICS &amp...

Bitters have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and in cocktails for centuries. But they receive far less attention than the spirits in our glass. So today we’re talking with the founders of a bitters company that has taken the craft cocktail scene by storm: Joseph Bennett & Yana Crow of Bennett Bitters . We discuss bitters in general; the complex process they use to prod...

We talk with Jeff Galli, the General Manager and co-owner of Campione, a roman kitchen that was named to the New York Time’s 50 Best Restaurants in the U.S. list in 2023, and was the first restaurant in the state to receive that sort of national attention.  In this episode we explore the philosophy that underpins Jeff’s exceptional approach to hospitality; his background in food and beverage;...

Matt Capozzi has always loved being in the mountains, but he’s also enjoyed an incredible career working in product design for brands like Burton, Nike, Nixon, and Smith. In 2015, Matt had a wild idea to help people ‘bring the mountains home,’ which led to the creation of North Drinkware , which produces beautiful, artisanal products — like handblown glassware — made in Oregon. Today I talk with M...

There are more ways to listen to music than ever these days, and cheap Bluetooth speakers are everywhere: hanging in your shower, sitting on your kitchen counter, and on tailgates at football games. Unfortunately, these kinds of speakers often cultivate an experience where the music very much takes a backseat to whatever else we're doing.  In today's conversation, Heaven 11 Audio’s Itai Azera...

Today’s guest is a sort of pioneer in Australian winemaking; his focus on 'lo-fi' production methods and non-traditional flavors has helped redefine what consumers expect from the land down under. Uffe Deichmann is a Dutch-born winemaker who found love at a music festival in Australia and never looked back — his winery, Poppelvej wines, now produces bottlings that are standard on some of the more...