The Fred Minnick Show Podcast

One of the great questions of our time: What bourbon would Batman drink? New bourbon fan and Batman artist Mitch Gerads, a freelance artist who works with DC Comics, joins The Fred Minnick Show to discuss.

On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Scott Ian of the seminal thrash-metal band Anthrax takes time to chat with Fred. The band’s co-founder and rhythm guitar player, Ian also is an author and spoken-word story teller. He also was a host on the VH1 show Rock Show for 48 episodes, interviewing rock greats such as Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent and Tenacious D. When he and Fred get together, topics range from his first taste of whiskey (it didn’t go well) to warning labels on music in the 1980s and ’90s to a strange, private jet journey with Tommy Lee of Motley Crue. Naturally, whiskey is shared and discussed along the way. Whiskeys tasted: Maker’s Mark 101 (7:14) Spirits of French Lick Unpretentious High Rye Bourbon Finished in Port Casks (17:54) Angel’s Envy Finished in Tawny Port Casks (24:15) Barrell Bourbon Finished in Pear Brandy Barrels (42:14) Barrell Bourbon Armida finished in Pear Brandy, Jamaican Rum, and Sicilian Amaro Casks (52:18) Michter’s Small Batch (1:00:39) Distillery 291 Whiskey (1:04:16) EPISODE SUMMARY Fred and Scott cover a number of topics, such as: Scott’s first whiskey ever was a Jack and Coke with Lemmy Kilmister from Motorhead. He saw Lemmy in a pub in London, offered to buy him a drink and Lemmy steered him toward the whiskey mixer. The story didn’t necessarily end well. He later began to drink whiskey more regularly with Dimebag Darrell of Pantera. Fred shares the story of how Brown-Forman came to create the Woodford Reserve brand of bourbon. Scott loves the Spirits of French Lick Unpretentious and is surprised to learn that it sells for up to $1,000 on the secondary whiskey market. In fact, the whiskey got popular with bourbon lovers even before Fred knew about it. While tasting the Angel’s Envy Port Barrel finished whiskey, Fred talks about it being a “creative” whiskey, noting the distillery started aging in port barrels around 2013 that, at the time, was pushing the boundaries of whiskey-making. He notes that as recently as 2010, the finished whiskey market didn’t really exist. “I think Angel’s Envy deserves a lot of credit for everything that they have done to kind of propel the category,” he says. That said, Fred doesn’t believe such finished whiskeys should be called “bourbon.” Fred also talks with Scott about Mexican whiskey and how the products continue to evolve. Of course, we all know Fred is a big tequila and mezcal fan, and Mexico is where those spirits truly begins. Scott’s wife Pearl Aday makes a surprise appearance and they discuss the duo’s acoustic performance at Fred’s virtual Repeal Day Expo back in December. Scott likens Fred’s preference for straight bourbon to his own liking of black coffee. “I want to taste the bean … Same with whiskey. I wanted to taste IT.” Fred again shares his disdain for vodka, a fact Scott already knew from following Fred’s work. “The reason why, it’s not because that the spirit truly genuinely in my heart sucks, it’s because of the business behind vodka, and the history behind vodka and what it did to bourbon in the 1960s, taking it off the shelf.” He also hates that vodka distillers are paying for placement in liquor stores and that distributors often require retail outlets to buy vodka products in order to procure allocated bourbons. “There’s not a vodka magazine. You don’t see vodka groups. It’s an intoxicant and that’s it. … I would probably drink vodka over prisoner toilet wine, but that’s about it.” The conversation leads to Scott’s experiences as a teen-ager getting ripped on vodka and telling his mom he had “the flu.” He was hung over for four days with fevers, chills, no appetite … now THAT’S a hangover. As a result, he stayed sober through the early years of Anthrax. When tasting the Barrell Bourbon Armida, both agree it’s unique but not necessarily one they want to drink often – or more than one. Both felt the pear brandy casks were too dominant. “I think in another setting,” Fred says, “I might like it more. I’m not giving up on it.” Fred tells the story of how Michter’s got its name – it was derived from the names of the founder’s sons. If you didn’t know before, you know now: Fred spills a lot of bourbon, thanks in part to his little desk “bulging” with stuff. Scott makes Fred cracking up by riffing on how guitar amplification works. “I can’t believe that it’s even real,” he says, as Fred giggles. “Drums make sense.” Fred, perhaps feeling his seven pours of whiskey, then says, “I don’t understand how helicopters work.” Scott wasn’t much help. Essentially, he said, helicopters and planes only work “because we believe that they work.” This leads to Scott’s story about weightlessness during private jet stunt and what he calls a “vomit comet.” Tommy Lee didn’t even spill his drink during the weightlessness dive. “I will go on record and say it’s the most rock star moment I’ve ever seen in my life.” Scott says he remains a heavy metal fanboy. "That's the whole reason I picked up a guitar in the first place. I feel like if you ever lose that, you're in the wrong business." QUOTABLES Fred jokes that while Scott is a talented musician, Fred’s main talent is drinking whiskey. “I would say you have absolutely got life by the balls if that’s your job,” Scott tells Fred. “That’s the best.” RESOURCES https://scott-ian.com/ https://twitter.com/Scott_Ian https://www.instagram.com/scottianthrax https://www.facebook.com/scottian/ FOLLOW FRED htps://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS Manscaped (discount code: SmoothFred, 20% off and free shipping) https://www.manscaped.com/ Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ Distillery 291: https://distillery291.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What a year 2020 has been! Fred and his wife, Jaclyn, look back on the year in the podcast, assessing our favorite interviews, such as Mick Fleetwood and Ludacris, and discuss how things have changed. Here's to surviving 2020 and for a prosperous 2021, Cheers!

In this week's episode, Fred Minnick goes solo and looks at pairing whiskey to all genres of music. What he suggests on hiphop may surprise you.

Fred Minnick sits down with Grammy-Award Winning artist and movie star Ludacris to sip on Michter's Celebration, Catoctin Creek, 291 Colorado Whiskey , vintage Eagle Rare and more. When Luda kicks the bottles back, Fred wasn't quite ready for that.

Shawn James is one of the best blues rock performers in the game. He sits down with Fred over some delicious whiskey. Buy tickets to Repeal Day Expo: https://repealdayexpo.com

This week on The Fred Minnick Show, it's YelaWolf’s turn to hang out with Fred and imbibe. The Alabama-born YelaWolf, whose given name is Michael Wayne Atha, released his sixth studio album, Ghetto Cowboy, last fall on Eminem’s Shady Records label. On the podcast, he and Fred sip bourbon and talk about topics like Creek Water Whiskey – YelaWolf’s whiskey brand – musical collaborations, work ethic, Slumerican life, his connections in the music industry and more. Whiskeys tasted: Creek Water Whiskey (8:46) MB Roland (48:57) Unknown Barrel Tasting at MB Rowland Distillery (51:10) EPISODE SUMMARY Fred and YelaWolf cover a number of topics, such as: YelaWolf talks about how his whiskey brand, Creek Water Whiskey, came to be. He tells Fred about how he has enjoyed whiskey in the past, with well known brands like Jack Daniel’s, and shares that he took a trip with his father to Woodford Reserve. Fred congratulates YelaWolf on creating what, essentially, is his own personal culture, known as “Slumerican,” which has its own clothing and jewelry line and more. Generally speaking, a slumerican, according to UrbanDictionary.com, refers to someone “who was born and raised in the ghettos or slums of the United States of America.” YelaWolf shares his gratitude toward not only his mother and grandfather for his work ethic, but also his friend, rapper Jelly Roll. He also talked about his family culture growing up. There was no sleeping in, no milling about the house in pajamas – when you wake up, you get up and get ready for the day. YelaWolf was friends with Winona Judd and Shooter Jennings as a kid, and had a lot of music connections through his mother that helped him in his music career. When Fred tells YelaWolf he drinks whiskey for a living, he elicits a laugh – then YelaWolf says, “That’s a hell of a way to make a living. You know what? I do too, actually.” As true whiskey nerds are wont to do, Fred and YelaWolf talk about condensation in the necks of whiskey bottles. Fred tells YelaWolf the story of how he became a whiskey writer. They also talk about how both have intense senses of smell – and how there’s always one guy who farts on the tour bus. This leads to what happens when a tour bus toilet is dumped while the bus is moving. Listen carefully for the yacht party story. Did you know you can’t get Foster’s beer in Australia? So says YelaWolf. YelaWolf talks about the evolution of hip hop from sampling to now, and tries to speculate on where it might go from here, noting that there are fewer rules than in pretty much any other genre of music. He talks about having a new record ready to drop, that will also have a companion film that will be shot in Mexico. Look for a non-traditional release. Oh, and it’s a rock ‘n’ roll album. Fred thanks YelaWolf for pushing him to find a creative way to conduct their interview. YelaWolf also talks about his trips to Russia, including his latest one just as the coronavirus pandemic was breaking in the U.S. YelaWolf said he had COVID-19. Fred revisits his interview with Killer Mike and the story of him attending YelaWolf’s birthday party, when a group rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama” broke out. They finish things out by trying whiskey straight from a five-year-aged barrel at MB Roland Distillery … with Sasquatch. QUOTABLES YelaWolf on his work ethic: “I just think that working is the best way to show gratitude for being alive. I think that laziness is the ultimate sin, if there is such a thing. I work hard because I have a lot of ideas and I have a lot to do in my lifetime. I have more ideas than I could ever really get done. … My work ethic is not for the sane. I think you have to be a little crazy to think about the impossible being actually possible.” FOLLOW YELAWOLF http://yelawolf.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaRRwOz4uEo https://twitter.com/Yelawolf https://www.facebook.com/yelawolf/ https://www.instagram.com/yelawolf FOLLOW FRED htps://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS Manscaped (discount code: SmoothFred, 20% off and free shipping) https://www.manscaped.com/ Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Monster Jam driver Cynthia Gauthier drops in from Canada to join Fred in some lively banter and whiskey sipping. Along the way, they talk ice fishing, driving in traffic without the benefit of a Monster Truck, the intentional craziness of the motor sport, Titan Games, healing from the sport and more. Fred, of course, loves to enjoy Monster Jam with his sons, so having Gauthier on the show was a can’t-miss proposition. Whiskys tasted: Shelter Point Lot 40 (14:11) Forty Creek Barrel Select (17:28) Stock and Barrel Rye (20:03) Shelter Point Smoke Point (27:27) EPISODE SUMMARY Fred and Cynthia talk about a number of topics, such as: Fred extols the virtues of Canadian whisky and discusses the difference between it and American whiskey. Cynthia reveals she took a bartending class when she was younger and that she likes to enjoy many different types of spirits – focusing on whiskey when she isn’t feeling well. She does clarify, however, she doesn’t really drink while on the road with Monster Jam, choosing to focus on her health. Gauthier notes that part of not drinking when touring with the sport is because, obviously, drinking and driving don’t mix. To which Fred quips, “You said in your profession it’s hard to drink a lot; in my profession, it’s hard to drive a lot.” In addition to ice fishing, Cynthia likes plenty of other outdoor activities, including paddle boarding and longboarding. The two make their way through Canadian whiskeys and when they hit the 92-proof Stock and Barrel Rye, Cynthia says, “This will take paint off your wall.” (It’s fair to note the interview and tasting happened at 10 a.m., so perhaps her palate was still waking up.) A self-described adrenaline junkie, Cynthia admits how much she appreciates being able to compete in Monster Jam along with a number of other women in the sport. She says her passion for motor sports originates with her dad, who is a mechanic. While she studied to be a CPA, she actually became a welder and started her own welding business. Cynthia ultimately picks Shelter Point Lot 40 as her favorite of the flight. QUOTABLES Cynthia Gauthier compares Monster Jam to a UFC fight – it’s about the action. “It’s the only sport that we’re actually crashing on purpose. Other sports, they always want to finish first, but we want the wild moments and so we actually sometimes go out of control to get that, that special moment where you get on one wheel and then come back on four. It’s a special sport.” RESOURCES FOLLOW CYNTHIA https://www.cynthiagauthier.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cynthiagauthier/ https://twitter.com/cynthiagauthier https://www.facebook.com/cynthiagauthier11/ FOLLOW FRED htps://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS Manscaped (discount code: SmoothFred, 20% off and free shipping) https://www.manscaped.com/ Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a YouTube Livestream, Fred Minnick sat down with Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott Band, whose new album 'The Highway Kind' is out now. They sipped Willett rye, Belfour limited edition rye and 291 Bad Guy. That combination apparently led them down the path that ended on aliens. But as one YouTube commenter said, "bourbon brings us together."

On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, legendary ESPN sports writer Wright Thompson hangs out with Fred to talk about Thompson's new book, Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last. Suffice to say, if you’re into the Pappy Van Winkle legacy, you’re going to love this inside look into Thompson’s relationship with Julian Van Winkle, who he shadowed for parts of three years to learn about what makes the Van Winkle family tick. Wright and Fred talk about the book, bourbon and, most importantly, the Van Winkle way. No whiskey tasting this time – Fred was sipping coffee, as it was a morning interview – but there was plenty of whiskey talk. EPISODE SUMMARY Fred and Wright cover a number of topics, such as: “It was a story about writing a book as much as anything,” Thompson tells Fred about his relationship with Julian Van Winkle and the process of getting to know him and the family’s history while writing Pappyland. He notes that much of the story he learned mirrored many things that were happening in his own life at the time. He also notes that he drank “a lot of good whiskey” during the research process and was able to reflect his tastes off Julian Van Winkle’s, noting that Julian was “unsentimental” toward much of the bourbon they tasted. And for those who don’t believe in the scarcity of Pappy Van Winkle and Old Rip Van Winkle products, Thompson says they’d better change their thinking. Because the scarcity is real. Speaking of Julian, Thompson tells Fred, “I certainly thought, ‘Well, this guy’s got a basement full of this stuff,’ and, ah, he doesn’t. … That was really interesting to see, that the scarcity is real.” That said, before loaning much of it to Frazier History Museum, Julian had a huge stash of priceless whiskey hiding in his basement. Fred and Wright also talk about tasting some of the white dog from the original Stitzel-Weller Distillery and finding it to be even smoother than some aged bourbons. Thompson says Julian’s goal is to create bourbon that is “the closest approximation” to Stitzel-Weller whiskey. “It was interesting to me to see how much the process for him is dancing with the ghost of that.” He talks about events coming up through which bourbon fans can win Van Winkle products (get involved at Wright’s Website. They talk about how fake Pappy often is sent back to Buffalo Trace, and Julian often tastes (and likes!) the faked bourbon, to see what people are passing of as Pappy Van Winkle. On how covering sports is similar to covering bourbon, Wright says, “One, people are very, very passionate about it and have long, deeply felt opinions.” He talks about how bourbon, in a way, embodies the American spirit. Ultimately, the book is about why people make bourbon and why so many people want to drink it, he says. “I hope in my heart of hearts that maybe I have articulated something that a lot of people like you and I … have felt but never fully articulated. I think people will say, ‘That’s me on the page. Hopefully.’” Fred offers that being a fan of a sports team that isn’t successful is almost the opposite of one’s love of whiskey: “Bourbon is largely joy; being a fan is mostly heartache.” Thompson buys bourbon to drink, not to collect or re-sell: “I would love a world in which everybody’s decanter whiskey was Old Rip. For $60 a bottle.” And Wright teaches us all how to make a VanHattan (good luck finding the ingredients, though). QUOTABLES “I don’t know if I have a complex enough whiskey palate to separate my desire for something to be great from it’s actual greatness,” Thompson says, speaking of his relationship with whiskey. RESOURCES FOLLOW WRIGHT https://wrightthompson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/wrightthompsonbooks/ FOLLOW FRED htps://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS Manscaped (discount code: SmoothFred, 20% off and free shipping) https://www.manscaped.com/ Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.