Rum & Nerdy

Episode 6.38: SATE North America 2026 Laissez les nerdy temps rouler! It's the morning of Day 2 at SATE North America 2026 in New Orleans, and what a week it's been! With one final day of Storytelling, Architecture, Technology, and Experience ahead, we're taking a moment to catch up with friends, reflect on the highlights so far, and enjoy a little New Orleans hospitality. Special g...

Episode 6.37 — Zero Prep, Questionable Direction Greg and Garrick are flying without a flight plan this week. Shocking, we know. The boys talk about next week’s SATE conference, throwing their hats into the ring for Podfest 2027, and the fascinating world of podcast download metrics — including where, exactly, people are listening to two guys talk about nerdy stuff and rum. They also get into auth...

Episode 6.36: Strange New Worlds, Strange Old Nerds: It’s time to wrap up Season 4 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , and naturally Greg and Garrick have thoughts . Lots of them. The guys also wander through the latest movie and TV news, talk about a few documentaries that have caught their attention, and take a look at the return of the fall network TV season—because apparently people still watch...

Episode 6.35 — Level 99 It’s another Rum & Nerdy adventure, and this time Greg and Garrick are leveling up! Fresh off a TEA event at Disney Springs, the guys dive into Level 99 , the new immersive gaming attraction where competition, creativity, and just a little bit of chaos collide. Greg had already gotten a taste of Level 99 a few weeks earlier at the Virginia location, so naturally, the tw...

Episode 6.34 - We the Nerds: This week Greg and Garrick are on the road, recording from Williamsburg, Virginia at the TEA Explores Williamsburg event. After a full first day exploring Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, apparently Greg and Garrick are feeling a little patriotic. So naturally, the Preamble to the United States Constitution becomes the theme of the s...

Episode 6.33: Roll Out: Roll out! This week, Kelly joins us as a special guest as we pay tribute to the legendary Peter Cullen, the unmistakable voice of Optimus Prime, and talk about the impact Transformers had on all of us growing up. From there, things go exactly where you’d expect a Rum & Nerdy conversation to go. We talk a little TEA, somehow get into feeding Garrick’s daughter’s pet snak...

Episode 6.32: Replaced by Muppets: This week, we start with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 5, where almost the entire crew gets replaced by puppet versions of themselves. Except Spock, because apparently even the Muppets have rules. That somehow takes us all the way back to the original Star Trek pilot and how those characters and stories connect to Strange New Worlds . From there...

Episode 6.31: Conspiracy Update:  This week, Greg and Garrick put on their tinfoil hats and head down a few rabbit holes with a Conspiracy Update . The guys dig into some favorite conspiracy theories, questionable evidence, things that make you go “hmmm,” and even make the potentially terrible decision to let ChatGPT contribute a conspiracy theory of its own . What could possibly go wrong? We also...

Episode 6.30: The Odyssey:  This week, the guys dive headfirst into one of the most anticipated movies in years: The Odyssey . Greg and Garrick share their thoughts on the film, the performances, the spectacle, and whether this epic retelling lives up to the legend. Joining the conversation is special guest (and longtime friend) Andy, who helps keep the discussion just barely on course as the guys...

Episode 6.29: KoHana -  This week, Greg is back from Hawaii after celebrating his 10th anniversary, attending his sister’s wedding, and doing all the usual tropical vacation things. But let’s be honest—the real reason we’re here is rum. Greg tells Garrick all about his visit to the KoHana Hawaiian Agricole Rum Company in Kunia on the island of Oahu, where he learned how Hawaiian sugar cane is grow...

Episode 6.28: European Excursion: This week it's all about planes, parks, pubs, and a whole lot of passport stamps. Greg is fresh back from Europe and gives Garrick the full rundown on an incredible week that started in Gothenburg, Sweden, at Liseberg, where he attended and spoke at the TEA SATE Europe & Middle East Conference. From exploring one of Europe's premier amusement parks t...

Episode 6.27: Mid-Season Pivot: This week the guys hit the pause button on their usual format... sort of. Greg and Garrick take an online pop culture nerd quiz to see just how nerdy they really are. The results? Let’s just say the internet may need a fact-checker because a couple of those questions were flat-out wrong. Naturally, this leads to spirited debates, questionable scoring, and the kind o...

Episode 6.26: Rum Sawyer: This week the guys are all over the map... literally. Garrick kicks things off with a visit to the brand-new Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas. From the attractions to the overall experience, the guys discuss Universal's newest park, who it's really for, and what it says about the future of family entertainment. Next, Greg shares stories from a whirlwind tr...

Episode 6.25: Impressions of Nerd: This week, Greg and Garrick have the privilege of sitting down with one of the true legends of themed entertainment, Bob Rogers, founder of BRC Imagination Arts, for what became one of their favorite conversations they've ever recorded. Broadcast from the BRC offices, the discussion explores Bob's remarkable career, the experiences that shaped his appro...

Episode 6.24 - Rum and Villainy: This week Greg and Garrick record live from the legendary Scum & Villainy Cantina in Hollywood, California, proving once again that if there's a nerdy location nearby, they will eventually find a way to podcast from it. Recorded in the middle of a California adventure, the guys soak in the atmosphere of one of the most immersive nerd bars around while disc...

Episode 6.23: Nerd Rock Park: This week the guys take a trip back to one of the most fascinating “what if” stories in themed entertainment. Greg and Garrick kick things off after discovering a buddy of theirs was featured on a 2009 episode of Mega Builders covering the rise (and very fast fall) of Hard Rock Park. That leads into a conversation about the project, including one of their favorite TEA...

Episode 6.22: Maul – Shadow Rum:  This week the guys go dark side. Greg and Garrick dive into Season 1 of Maul: Shadow Lord on Disney+, breaking down the story, the tone, and just how deep into the shadows Star Wars is willing to go. From character arcs to overall impact on the larger universe, they unpack what worked, what didn’t, and where this series lands in the growing Star Wars lineup. Of co...

Episode 6.21: The Rumdalorian & Grogu:  This week the guys head to a galaxy far, far away… with a glass in hand. Greg and Garrick dive deep into The Mandalorian & Grogu , breaking down their thoughts on the film, what worked, what surprised them, and where it fits in the ever-expanding Star Wars universe. From character moments to story choices, they unpack it all with the usual mix of ins...

Episode 6.20: Garrick’s B-Day Alright… we’re a little late on this one. But hey, better late than never . This week, it’s all about Garrick’s birthday … and somehow, underwear becomes a major plot point. Greg steps in to help Garrick maintain his long-standing (and highly questionable) streak of not having to buy his own underwear —because nothing says friendship like enabling bad habits with good...

Episode 6.19: House of Nerdy: This week, Greg and Garrick settle into a slightly more refined chaos… or at least a different kind of buzz. The guys kick things off by addressing the obvious—why there’s been less rum lately (yes, it’s Greg’s fault) and the unexpected rise of Guinness as the drink of choice. Naturally, this turns into a detailed breakdown of how to properly pour a pint, complete wit...

Episode 6.18: Rum Encabulator - This week, Greg and Garrick lean all the way into beautifully engineered nonsense. Kicking things off with the latest evolution of the legendary “Retro Encabulator”, now upgraded to the “Hyper Encabulator”—the guys revel in peak technobabble and the kind of fake engineering that somehow feels… convincing. From there, things take a surprisingly thoughtful turn with a...

Episode 6.17: TEA Inspire 2026 Review: This week, Greg and Garrick are fresh off TEA Inspire 2026 and ready to break it all down—joined by a couple of quick guest drop-ins along the way. From the Leadership Forum to Inspire the Night, the guys recap the moments, conversations, and connections that made this year’s conference stand out. They dig into the themes shaping the industry, the people driv...

Episode 6.16: Rum and Loathing in Las Vegas We can’t stop here… this is pool country. This week, Greg and Garrick take the show to Las Vegas, recording in the pool while hanging with Shannon and Dave—because of course that’s how this episode was always going to go. Dave hooks the guys up with VIP access to the Las Vegas 20th Annual Celtic Festival and Highland Games, where things quickly escalate...

Episode 6.15: Rum and Prejudice This week, things get a little more refined… and then immediately not. Greg and Garrick are joined by Erin, who might be one of the busiest humans alive. She’s building her own hobbit hole (yes, an actual backyard nerdy she-shed), has a book signing on the horizon for her Jane Austen-inspired writing, sings in a Big Band, and somehow still finds time for what feels...

Episode 6.14: Nerdy PI Cue the theme music… Typhoon Tommy is back. This week’s episode leans into full island vibes as Greg, Garrick, and Tommy talk tiki projects, rum culture, and what it actually means to call something your “favorite” rum—all while sipping on Facundo Paradiso XA like civilized degenerates. From there, things take a hard left into music nerd territory. Greg dives into his Ibanez...