The Fred Minnick Show Podcast

TFMS Podcast Derek Trucks On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter Derek Trucks joins Fred for a spirited conversation with plenty of whiskey sipping along the way. Trucks, co-founder of the Tedeschi Trucks Band (with wife Susan Tedeschi) and member of the Allman Brothers Band, has been a professional musician since his teen-age years, when he performed with Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, Stephen Stills and others. Here are the bourbons they tasted: Weller Single Barrel (16:38) Jefferson’s Reserve (21:13) Parker’s Heritage (34:57) Vintage Four Roses (45:16) During the show, Derek tells the story of “The Viking,” a man he knew in Kentucky who helped turn him onto bourbon in the early days, before the bourbon boom. Derek was smart enough to stock up back when things like Weller 12 year were common place. (Smart guy!) And Fred tells how he and his sons watch live music performances together on YouTube every weekend – including some Derek Trucks shows. EPISODE SUMMARY Some of the topics Fred and Derek get to while tasting whiskey together, such as: Fred’s wife Jaclyn keeps sneaking bourbon from his office, which threw a slight monkey wrench into this week’s show. Derek loved the Weller Single Barrel Fred sent him, saying, “I would never not want to drink that bourbon.” The legendary guitarist talks about the bourbon stashes of bands he’s toured with, from the Allman Brothers (no alcohol, so he sneaked in his own Kentucky Spirit by Wild Turkey) to Eric Clapton (also not a drinker) to his own band. Trucks also talks about being on the road as a child – he started touring at age 9 – and those who mentored him. He talks at length about his dad and others keeping him grounded, including Willie Nelson and B.B. King. He also notes that not all the stars he met were terribly nurturing or friendly. Fred recounts one of his favorite (and funniest) Parker Beam memories. And Derek talks about some of his favorite music venues, such as Red Rock and The Fox in Oakland. Fred tells a fascinating back story about the 1942 bottle of Four Roses, a blend of whiskeys from a variety of unknown distilleries, he and Derek tasted together. And then Fred drops his glass and spills it, so he promises to lick what’s left off the floor. QUOTABLES “You’ve got to have good heroes. … We all do what we do because somebody paved the way.” – Derek Trucks FOLLOW DEREK https://www.tedeschitrucksband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DerekTrucks/ https://www.instagram.com/derekandsusan/?hl=en https://twitter.com/derektrucks 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 Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ Distillery 291: https://distillery291.com/

Fred’s guest on this episode is country singer Jordan Davis, whose eponymous EP was released in May as a follow-up to his 2018 debut, Home State. The whiskey-centric show starts with a brief discussion about beard grooming, then gets into Jordan’s first hand experience with Jefferson’s Ocean barrels, Fred’s 1-year-old son Julian and his fascination with Fred’s stuff, the evils of bad whiskey, Jordan’s family’s whiskey bootlegging traditions and plenty more, including the pandemic's effect on music and musicians. Here are the bourbons they tasted: Wyoming Whiskey Cask Strength (7:50) Larceny Barrel Proof B520 (14:11) Parker’s Heritage Collection 11 Year Old Single Barrel (18:55) Distillery 291 Colorado Rye Whiskey (31:37) Fred also showed a lot of interest in Jordan’s experience on a boat at sea with the Jefferson’s barrels. He tells Jordan he asked the distillery to have that experience and “they invited me to go swimming with the sharks.” Oops. Not this time. EPISODE SUMMARY This episode takes a lot of interesting turns. Here are a few highlights. Thanks to the pandemic, Jordan admits he has learned to groom his own beard – and what a beard it is. Jordan talks about what he and his band drink on the road – Basil Hayden – and how many bottles they go through a night. Fred and Jordan bond over their idea of an ideal night by a fire. Fred gives Jordan a few pointers about finding fruit pie in bourbon. Jordan asks Fred about how he got into bourbon, a story which goes back to 2005 after Fred returned home from his tour of military duty in Iraq. Jordan later reminisces about his dad’s love for bourbon and calls it “a special liquid.” Fred agrees, saying, “Bourbon transcends every race, every creed, every political belief. … Imagine a place in this work right now where you don’t have to talk politics.” Over bourbon, that’s possible. Jordan confesses that his wife isn’t a whiskey fan – but he’s trying. Fred laments that his wife Jaclyn likes to steal his best bourbon, sometimes for making whiskey sours, much to Fred’s chagrin. They talk about a cocktail called the Brown Derby, which was a Hollywood bar where the cocktail of the same name originated. Fred tells the story of going to Disney’s re-creation of the bar – which didn’t even have a Brown Derby on the cocktails menu. (Insert eyeroll here.) Jordan tells the story of finding one of his favorite guitars, on which he wrote two hit songs, as well as how the pandemic has affected him and all musicians. They wrap it up with Jordan ranking the whiskeys they tried: Parker’s, Larceny, Colorado Rye and Wyoming Whiskey. QUOTABLES When Fred notes that Jordan is from Shreveport, Louisiana, he mentions he knows folks in his town like to drink whiskey. Jordan doesn’t fight back for a minute: “We do like to tip a bottle back.” Of course, Jordan likes his cigars and meat, too. His ideal evening would be a campfire, a fine whiskey, a cigar and “meat with a side of protein.” Fred agrees, “This isn’t a place for vegetables.” WHISKEYS TASTED https://distillery291.com/ https://larcenybourbon.com/ https://heavenhilldistillery.com/parkers-heritage-collection.php https://www.wyomingwhiskey.com/ FOLLOW JORDAN https://www.facebook.com/jordandavisofficial https://www.instagram.com/jordandavisofficial https://twitter.com/JordanCWDavis https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLEhUvVUBhH8Q9Mx6Bz3BQA/featured FOLLOW FRED https://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS https://michters.com/ https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ https://distillery291.com/

In this episode, Fred does a bourbon tasting with Kyla Jade, a Nashville-based singer who was a contestant on Season 14 of “The Voice.” During their time together, they cover a number of diverse topics, Kyla – who is a tequila fan – gets a lesson in how to taste whiskey, and they also talk about life during the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted her to write more songs and to set up a music studio so she can record at home since she isn’t able to go on the road to perform. Here are the bourbons they tasted: Blood Oath Pact 6 (13:15) Elijah Craig rye (25:05) Town Branch Barrel & Bottle (40:22) Barrell Bourbon Batch 21 (50:16) An episode highlight is when she relates when she first saw her tasting bottles, she saw one of the bourbons was 120 proof. She quickly tells Fred he is responsible for her medical bills if such a strong whiskey ruins her vocal cords. “You couldn’t possibly ever want me to sing again,” she jokingly sasses Fred at one point. EPISODE SUMMARY Fred and Kyla didn’t just talk music and whiskey, however – the conversation takes all sorts of interesting turns: She and Fred kick off the show with a spirited discussion about their shared love of the classic science fiction show Star Trek, from the original featuring Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock and Uhura to Voyager. In revealing that one of her favorite characters is Scotty, she relates that she likes him because he was always stressed, yet he always got the job done. “Everybody needs a Scotty,” she says. She talks about her fans and about being the oldest contestant on “The Voice,” saying some of her fellow contestants “could be my babies.” The Topeka, Kansas, native talks at length with Fred about growing up with tornadoes. Kyla talks about what she has learned from therapy and how it has helped her further embrace the passion she feels for music. She and Fred talk about her religious faith, and her belief that simply being kind to everyone we meet can transform the world we live in. Finally, Kyla pairs each of the whiskeys they tasted with one of her songs; for example, “You Don’t Own Me,” the Lesley Gore cover, was her choice for the Elijah Craig. QUOTABLE After Kyla throws back her first pour, even as Fred instructs her how to taste bourbon, the two wind up giggling like kids when she gets embarrassed over her lack of whiskey drinking knowledge. “I am the worst taster ever,” she says through laughter and tears. “I swallowed it immediately. This should literally come with children’s instructions – I need a pop-up book.” RESOURCES BOURBONS TASTED https://bloodoathbourbon.com/ https://elijahcraig.com/ https://www.lexingtonbrewingco.com/products/town-branchr-bourbon https://www.barrellbourbon.com/ FOLLOW KYLA https://kylasings.com/ https://www.facebook.com/kylasings/ https://twitter.com/kylasings?lang=en https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAr8UYs_eWGRuqOZNceW4Rw https://www.instagram.com/kylasings/?hl=en FOLLOW FRED ttps://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ https://distillery291.com/

In this episode, Emerson Hart, front man for platinum-selling and Grammy-nominated band Tonic, talks with Fred about the music business, life in a pandemic, "Animal House," the power of music, wine and plenty more. One key topic of conversation is just how much our culture misses live music during the age of coronavirus. Of course, whiskey was involved, as Emerson is huge fan and an experienced taster, and the two made their way through a flight of four, discussing everything from Cracker Jacks to American history. When it was all said and done, Emerson picked a Kentucky Owl Rye 11 year as his favorite, saying, "That is a really beautiful whiskey. ... It's such a mouthful of all the stuff you need."

National Football League defensive star Ndamukong Suh, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sips bourbon with Fred, talks about his role in female-led Saint Liberty Whiskey, his new team and reveals his favorite quarterback to sack is none other than Tom Brady -- who now is his teammate. Along the way, they sip a Boone County barrel pick, vintage Four Roses from the WWII era, Jefferson's Reserve and more. FOLLOW NDAMUKONG: https://twitter.com/ndamukongsuh https://www.instagram.com/ndamukong_suh/ https://www.facebook.com/suh/ FOLLOW FRED https://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS 291 Colorado Whiskey: https://distillery291.com/ Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/

On this episode, Fred interviews country singer-songwriter Lee Brice, who this year won an American Country Music Award for his single "Rumor." He also has won ACM awards for songs such as "I Don't Dance" and "I Drive Your Truck." During the show, Fred and Lee sip several bourbons, including a vintage Hirsch, which Fred calls one of the greatest bourbons ever made. Here's what they tasted and discussed, along with chatting about everything from Sweetens Cove Batch 1, 13 years, 102.18 Proof AH Hirsch Reserve, Distilled in 1974, 16 years, 91.6 Proof Smoke Wagon Private Barrel, 12 years, 111 Proof Old Potrero Single Malt, Straight Rye Whiskey, San Francisco, 97 Proof Very Old Barton, 6 years, 100 Proof FOLLOW LEE https://www.instagram.com/leebrice/ https://twitter.com/leebrice https://www.youtube.com/user/LeeBriceMusic https://www.facebook.com/leebricemusic FOLLOW FRED https://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS 291 Colorado Whiskey: https://distillery291.com/ Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/

Black Country music singer / songwriter IMAJ opens up about the problems facing the United States and how racism is a systemic issue. This episode does not include a whiskey tasting, but rather delves deep into Confederate monuments, the death of George Floyd and much more. This important interview also showcases a rising star, who let's people in on her creative process for letting her emotions into music.

Talented country artist Meghan Patrick sits down virtually with Fred this week to sip and talk whiskey. The conversation goes from a mutual love of Cheez-Its, wearing sweat pants during quarantine, bear hunting in Canada, dealing with “miserable” Internet trolls, and her bitter breakup with Jack Daniel’s. Meghan surprisingly picks Woodinville Whiskey over contenders like Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel, Smooth Amber Contradiction, Weller Antique Collection and Elijah Craig 12 year old, prompting Fred to excitedly declare it “an upset of epic proportions.” And, of course, they agree that vodka sucks. FOLLOW MEGHAN https://www.meghanpatrickmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MegPatrickMusic/ https://twitter.com/MegPatrickMusic/ https://www.instagram.com/MegPatrickMusic/ FOLLOW FRED https://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS 291 Colorado Whiskey: https://distillery291.com/ Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/

Darryl Hall, one half of legendary hitmakers Hall & Oates, talks with Fred about his transition from wine to whiskey, the transformation of how modern listeners find music, five decades of entertaining fans both young and old and, of course, his favorite bourbons. During the chat, they sip Wild Turkey Revival, Four Gate, vintage Old Shenley and a couple of craft distillery bourbons. The two also bonded over a common tragedy in their life--Lyme disease. Yeah, they agreed, that sucked.

"Nobody wants to see their baby burn," said Chris Montana, founder of Du Nord Spirits, who lost his distillery in the Minnesota riots. A break from regular programming, Fred takes a moment of solidarity and shares a snippet of his recent diversity panel that included Fawn Weaver (New York Times Bestselling Author and CEO, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Clay Risen (Deputy Op-Ed Editor, New York Times), Tracie Franklin (Glenfiddich Ambassador), Melvin Keebler (VP and AGM, Jack Daniel Distillery), Dr. Michael Torrence (President, Motlow College) and Chris Montana (master distiller and founder, Du Nord Craft Spirits). You can watch in its entirety on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-fuH8aSQVhw