The Curious Bartender Podcast podcast | Listen online for free

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5 of 52

#52 Jota Tanaka - Japanese Whisky, History, Fuji Gotemba, Four Roses, Distillation, Mizunara
In this episode of The Curious Bartender Podcast, we welcome Jota Tanaka, Master Blender for Kirin’s Fuji Gotemba Distillery and Executive Fellow, Kirin Whisky. His career spans brewing, winemaking, American bourbon and Japanese whisky.Jota joined Kirin Distillery Co. in 1988 and after roles in Japan and the United States, including a period at Four Roses Distillery where he helped launch the Small Batch range, he returned to Japan and became Master Blender of Kirin Whisky in 2017.We explore his career, the story of Fuji Gotemba at the foot of Mount Fuji, and the evolving world of Japanese whisky including its history, methods, sensibilities, controversies, consumption and future.Fuji Gotemba Distillery bio: https://www.fujigotemba-distillery.com/en/takumi/01/
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#51 Camper English - San Francisco Bars, Making Clear Ice, Alcohol as Medicine, Water Sommeliers
Camper English is a San Francisco–based drinks writer and educator, best known for his long-running website Alcademics.com, an invaluable resource for bartenders and drinks enthusiasts alike. He’s the author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails (2022) and The Ice Book.I sat down with Camper recently in San Francisco to talk about the city’s distinctive bar scene — from its historic haunts to its cutting-edge cocktail bars. We then dive into the fascinating world of ice (a subject Camper has explored more deeply than anyone), discuss Doctors and Distillers, and wrap up with a conversation about mineral water — including how to make your own.Doctors & Distillers - https://alcademics.com/doctors-and-distillers-the-remarkable-medicinal-history-of-beer-wine-spirits-and-cocktails/The Ice Book - https://alcademics.com/the-ice-book-by-camper-english/📷 Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tristanstephenson/📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - https://www.thecuriousbartender.com/
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#50 Dr. Harold McGee - Science of Food & Drink, Smell & Aroma, Foundations of Flavour, Tea, Writng
Harold McGee is a man that requires no introduction if you are someone who has worked in food and drink in any capacity at all. In 1984 he published McGee On Food & Cooking and brought the science and technology of cooking and flavour to the masses. A second edition in 2004 served as the practical manual for any chef worth their salt, and elevated Harold to the status of godfather - or perhaps even god - of culinary science. More recently, he published a book called Nose Dive, which investigates aroma and smell, which is a topic we explore during our conversationAlso on the menu:Why humans enjoy bitterness, how herbs have co-opted us, how salt makes food more delicious, how water opens up the aromas of spirits, what happens when wine matures in the bottle, why some drinks have ‘length’, how evolution and culture have shaped our flavour preferences, what we mean when we say a drink or dish is balanced, what the next frontiers of flavour science look like, and much more.📷 Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tristanstephenson/📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - https://www.thecuriousbartender.com/
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#49 Serge Valentin - Whisky Fun, Scoring Whisky, Brora & Clynelish, Independent Bottlers, Weird Whisky, Wine Casks, Maturation
Today I am speaking with Serge Valentin. Serge is a whisky expert and the founder of a whiskyfun.com - which is widely regarded as the go-to review repository for whisky tasting notes and scores on the internet. Over the past 23 years Serge has tasted over 20,000 bottles ranging from entry level staples to some of the rarest in the world. His scoring system has become the de facto benchmark by which many measure the quality of a dram, and Serge has become a cult hero amongst the world’s whisky geeks.On the episode we discuss tasting whisky - personal preferences over objective goodness, the hubris of blind tasting, whether whisky is too serious, the role of independent bottlers, how whisky changes in the bottle, recent exceptional whiskies, weird whisky, the founding of whiskyfun.com, the importance of education, changing tastes, whisky myths, and much more.
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#48 Lance Winters - St George Spirits, Eau de Vie, Gin, Absinthe, Whisky, Distillation, Provenance, Experimentation
In today’s episode, I’m joined by one of the true mavericks of American distilling — Lance Winters of St. George Spirits. This is a journey that begins in the orchard, with pears, quinces and raspberries destined for eau de vie, and stretches all the way to absinthe, American gin, rum and even highballs built on umeshu and Baller whisky.We trace the roots of St. George back to Jörg Rupf and the early days of California craft distilling in the 1980s, and follow Lance’s arrival and the evolution of a house defined not by category, but by philosophy. Along the way we dive into the uncompromising art of eau de vie — fruit selection, fermentation, and the stills that shape every spirit they make — and ask how that sensibility influences whisky, rum and beyond.From jalapeño vodka to acorn spirits, from dill lactones in oak to the question of consistency versus expression, this conversation is about more than products. It’s about place, curiosity, and a willingness to let flavour lead. We explore American gin through Californian botanicals, the rebirth of absinthe, the origins of Baller, the future of eau de vie, and where all this innovation leaves the legacy of St. George.This is not a tour through a portfolio — it’s a look inside a creative engine. To support the show please rate, subscribe and share - thanks!
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