Sip With Me

Tucked away in Chicago’s Chocolate Temple is a wonderland of tastes, sights, and indulgent delicacies. Vosges Haut-Chocolat is our sweet treat pick for the 2025 holiday season! Known for truffles, iconic flavor pairings, and an absolutey HUGE advent calendar, Vosges has been treating Chicago & the world to sumptuous crafted treats for almost three decades! We dipped into the chocolate world of won...

We’ve got a lot to be frankful for this holiday season! And it all starts with our love for Chicago Icon, Vienna Beef! Today, we hear the story behind the Chicago-style Hot Dog and more from this absolute Windy City beast! We’re joined by Maizy Lind, Marketing Coordinator, who serves up the bunbelievable history of Vienna Beef and the Chicago Style Hot Dog! Hear about its roots to the Chicago Worl...

Get ready for a spooky stroll through time! In this episode, we dive into the fascinating history of Halloween! From ancient Celtic roots to modern-day trick-or-treating, we uncover the origins of pumpkins, the story behind Halloween’s iconic colors,and the sweet legacy of Reese’s, and candy corn! Plus we learn a few fun spooky facts about Halloween!

**THIS SCARY EPISODE WAS FILMED LIVE ON LOCATION AND MAY CONTAIN HORRIFYING SOUNDS OF WITCHES BREWING, MONSTERS MUNCHING, AND DEMONS DRINKING** Brew up something scary tasty at this horror-themed coffee shop in Chicago The Brewed is located in Avondale and features spookily delicious coffee/tea and decor featuring tons of horror movie posters, memorabilia, and frightful vibes! We meet Co-Owner Jas...

This spooky season, we’re casting a glow on all things magical & mystical! We sit down with Liz Frazier, Founder & Owner of Witch City Wicks, Salem’s spellbinding premier gothic and witchy candle company. From the spark that started her business to the inspiration behind her enchanting scents, Liz shares how she’s built an incredible brand, what inspired some of her scents, and how she handles the...

This week’s episode is full of good spirits and ghostly fun! We sit down with Katie Stuck, Chicago’s Lead Tour Guide for Nightly Spirits, to uncover the haunted history, ghostly legends, and spirited nightlife woven into the streets of the Windy City. From eerie encounters in historic pubs to bone-chilling tales that lurk behind Chicago’s most iconic landmarks, Katie shares stories even locals don...

We’ve got something for you to sink your teeth into! In honor of National Twighlighters Day and to kick off our 2025 Spooky Season, we sat down with Trey Plutnicki, one of the leading cast members in TWIHARD! A Twighlight Musical Parody. Originating at Chicago’s Otherworld Theatre, the show’s current run takes it to the historic Apollo Theatre, where we sat down with Trey to talk all things Twighl...

IT’S A BIG F*@KING PODCAST EPISODE! We sat down at Maple & Ash with Chef + Managing Partner, Danny Grant, and National Spirits + Brand Director, Christina Demas, to talk all things food and drink! Danny shares the founding story of the hospitality group and how they found their flame. Christina walks us through her cocktail menu and talks about what’s trending right now, including zero proof! As a...

A canopy of comfort in the hustle & bustle of Chicago’s central loop, Canopy by Hilton is located in the former Chicago and North Western Railway headquarters! This historic building is located next to Willis Tower and is centrally located for all your Chicago fun! We chat with Complex General Manager & Chief Enthusiast, Liz Kraft, about the luxurious property and the fascinating history behind th...

In our five years of podcasting, we have worked with dozens of PR agents and firms. Today, we have the unique privilege of chatting with one of those firms, Heron Agency. A list of past episodes with their clients are below! Noreen Heron founded the firm in 2000 and has built it into one of the nation’s leading lifestyle communications agencies. We chat about her many PR adventures, including how...

Laura Gardner channeled true entrepreneurial spirit when she used her corporate layoff to gift the city of Chicago with its most iconic foodie invention in years, Local Style Chips! Available in Chicago Hot Dog, Deep Dish, Italian Beef, Hot Giardiniera, and Regular Salted, these kettle style chips will leave you feeling like you just bit into your favorite Chicago classics! Hear her founding story...

Where art thou Aaron & Ioanna? At Chicago Shakespeare Theatre! Meet Edward Hall, a literal “Hall” of Famer on the World Theatre Scene. As Artistic Director, Edward helps oversee overall creative direction for the theatre, including a dozen productions this season! Edward dives into the genius of Shakespeare and shows how the contemporary, new works the theater puts on connect to Shakespearean Clas...

In this special episode, we celebrate five years of Sip with Me with our 180th episode! We give you a behind-the-scenes look at our friendship, spill the tea on some of our podcast drama, and discuss the impact some of the episodes have had on our lives. As always, thank you for listening and allowing us to share so many stories with you! Cheers to many more. xoxo, aaron & ioanna

Emily Kristen Morris defies gravity in all that she does! A Singer, Actress, Content Creator, Vocal Instructor & Founder of EKM Studios, she’s known for her stunning performances on stage and has likely appeared in your social feeds, giving viral voice tips and vocal reactions. Emily was the Elphaba standby on the Broadway National Tour of Wicked (what a resume credit) and played Bea in the Broadw...

There’s 22 acres and a thousand reasons to love Sonny Acres! Aaron’s childhood pumpkin patch and Ioanna’s farm dream come true, this gem of a space in the middle of Chicagoland has 125 years of stories to tell! We meet Jeannine Fontana, who in 2019 purchased the farm with her husband (also a lifelong Sonny Acres fan) and his friend. She shares some of the farm’s history and how it grew to be a sta...

All aboard the Amtrak to adventure! This week, we’re joined by Liz Owens, Vice President and General Manager of Vacations By Rail, a Chicago-based company that helps travelers explore the world by train! After we trauma dump on Liz for ten minutes about our flying anxiety, we discuss the unique benefits of traveling by rail! Liz breaks down what to expect for first-timers and spotlights some of th...

A podcast for campers, glampers and everyone in between! Pack your cutest flannel and prepare to wander into the rustic summer retreat of your dream! Welcome to Camp Wandawega! This incredible retreat located just north of the border in Wisconsin has it all- a private lakefront, hiking trails, and the most Instagramable accommodations even Martha Stewart couldn’t have designed herself. With roots...

President Ioanna and VP Aaron would like to formally invite you to hear the tale of Chicago’s “Hotel of Presidents”! Known for its many iconic former guests, including Teddy Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter, the historic hotel on Chicago’s Michigan Ave blends its historic mystique with modern day luxury. As part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the hotel boasts incredible lake views and enough tales...

Now boarding iFLY flight 0001 from Chicago to wherever the wind takes us! It’s immersion therapy week for Ioanna and Aaron! To get over their fear of flying, they’ve partnered with iFLY to literally take flight at their iconic indoor skydiving experience! Joe Velez, the Senior Regional Director for iFLY, introduces us to the company and how indoor skydiving came to be! We discuss the experience of...

You’ve seen it in the movies- an artist wannabe goes into a studio, throws some clay on the wheel, and SPLAT, it’s all over the walls and ceiling, ruining your $120 Abercrombie jeans and leaving you with nothing to be on your mantle. Lucky for Aaron & Ioanna, they found Penguin Foot Pottery and knew they were in good hands (literally). We chat with Chris and Paige Busse about their Logan Square po...

*THIS IS A LIVE INTERVIEW! Pardon the chocolatey construction noises in the background* Ioanna & Aaron Twizzler Twist and are Jolly as a Rancher at Chicago’s Hershey Super Sweet Adventure! Caitlin Maloney, Vice President of Creative at Original X Productions (OGX), introduces us to the company behind some of the nation’s greatest immersive IP experiences, including Harry Potter, Friends, and now H...

Meet the Queen of Cute, Creator of Strawberry Shortcake and Key Designer behind Care Bears and The Get Along Gang! Muriel Juneberry Fahiron is know for all the illustrations that made your childhood magical and your adulthood nostalgic. After a decades long career with various greeting card companies and agencies, Muriel now calls Tulsa home and graces our feed with her #kitchendance videos! We ch...

Raise your glass! This week we’re pouring one out for our friends at Revolution Brewing, Illinois' Largest Independent Craft Brewery! In this episode, we brew up some craft beverage history and learn the founding story from Marty Scott, Barrel Program Manager at Revolution Brewing. He dives into how a small Chicago brewery crafted its own path to success in a world of big beer. Plus, we learn what...

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a Ballyhoo! At 11 locations and growing, it’s likely you’ve dined at a Ballyhoo Hospitality restaurant before. Their roster includes names like Denucci’s, Gemini, Petit Pomeroy, Coda di Volpe and more! Known for their feel-good vibes and opulent customer service, the group brings “going out for a night in the city” to the suburbs and offer a vibey way to have “lunch...

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS • Learn where the name “Gibsons” comes from and why there’s no apostrophe! • Discover why their signature steaks are so popular • Hear tales of Chicago history and stories of cultural icons who Gibsons can call “regulars” Opened in 1989, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse is Chicago’s Classic American steakhouse. Nestled comfortably between State & Rush, the restaurant is a decades-long f...