S2 E01: How To Elevate Your Cocktail Experiences with The Cocktail Contessa

Tequila Time! Casa Noble and Mi Campo with Natali Villarruel - National Agave Ambassador of Constellation Brands

In this episode, we are treated to a conversation with Natali, the National Agave Ambassador of Constellation Brands. Join us as we get an education in tequila ranging from agave types, production, innovative barrel aging, and of course sipping and so much more. Key Moments:(00:00) Intro (01:15) First Pour of Casa Noble (02:00) Tequila Production (03:53) What makes agave different? (05:48) Terroir and Fermentation (07:20) Where can tequila actually be made? (11:49) Maturation differentiation (13:30) Finding Notes in Tequila (20:00) Why the headache? (22:18) Additives (26:40) What is Joven tequila? (28:43) Most popular cocktails in the US and Mexico (30:00) Innovating with Mi Campo (31:00) Artistry in the Mi Campo label (36:00) Sipping Tequila (39:40) Building Flights (42:24) Food Pairings (44:27) Bottle Easter Egg (49:43) Refining your palate (51:48) Malört (53:07) Find your tequila Learn more about Casa Noble [https://casanoble.com/] and Mi Campo [https://tequilamicampo.com/] tequila. Hit follow to be notified of future episodes.⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Follow us on Instagram⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Every week we share explorations in flavor, sipping, and curated experiences. Join the newsletter to follow the journey [https://social.thecuratedcup.com/curated]

S2 E3: Hold My Bourbon with Peggy Noe Stevens

In this episode, we are treated to a flavor-filled conversation with the one and only bourbon trailblazing Peggy Noe Stevens. Join us as we discuss her history and continued passion for changing and transforming the bourbon industry. Key Moments:(00:00) Intro (03:15) What Bourbon Women Means (08:33) The Maker’s Mark Bourbon Women Experience (10:28) Spirit of Women Film Preview (13:22) Who is Peggy Noe Stevens (16:15) The Not So New Emerging Demographic of Women Drinkers (19:30) Favourite Bourbon Women SIP 2025 session (23:10) The Palate of Women (26:50) The Role of Texture (29:15) The Importance of the Finish (33:30) What’s Next Learn more about Peggy Noe Stevens [https://peggynoestevens.com] Hit follow to be notified of future episodes.⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Follow us on Instagram⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Every week we share explorations in flavor, sipping, and curated experiences. Join the newsletter to follow the journey [https://social.thecuratedcup.com/curated]

S2 E02: Brass Bands, Latin, and Bourbon with Award-Winning Bourbon Writer Susan Reigler

In this episode, we are treated to a conversational journey with award-winning bourbon writer Susan Reigler. Join us as we discuss her non-linear, adventurous path to becoming one of the most multi-faceted, well-respected, and award-winning bourbon writers in the industry. Key Moments: (00:00) Intro (03:57) Zoology (05:40) Brass bands, miners, and pubs - have your drinks and play with them too (08:36) Write something every day (10:00) A cockroach walks into an article (12:50) Restaurant critic and fortuitous Chinese food (15:20) Moving into whisky (16:43) The birth of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (18:45) Flavour practice (20:42) Star Hill Farm Wheat Whiskey (22:47) French water in Kentucky bourbon (30:40) Non-Linear paths (32:47) A Music History Lesson in the Old British Library (35:25) Latin Never Dies (37:44) I have an entomology lab downstairs…as people do (38:42) Bourbonology (42:05) Always follow your curiosity (44:17) Don’t Be A Chair (45:56) Legacy (48:30) The Future of the whisky market (51:11) Bourbon Community (52:36) Memorable sipping experience (54:36) Charles Darwin Learn more about Susan and her work [https://www.susanreigler.com/] Hit follow to be notified of future episodes.⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Follow us on Instagram⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Every week we share explorations in flavor, sipping, and curated experiences. Join the newsletter to follow the journey [https://social.thecuratedcup.com/curated]

S2 E01: How To Elevate Your Cocktail Experiences with The Cocktail Contessa

In this episode we are treated to a cocktail masterclass with the one and only Cocktail Contessa aka Heather Wibbels. Join us as she guides us through using sensory to craft elevated cocktail experiences. Key Moments:(00:00) Intro (05:11) Bourbon and bitters class (06:03) Find your old fashioned (06:22) Your palate changes (08:24)Choosing a cocktail (09:06)The Whiskies (09:40) The Amari (14:12) Choosing the spirit, amaro combination (16:00) First cocktail (17:25) Choosing to add or not add bitters (19:52) How to choose fruit for garnishing vs juicing (21:31) Try black manhattans at different temperatures (23:16) Building a cocktail (29:47) How bitters change a cocktail (37:57) Second cocktails (44:20) Comparing second cocktail notes (47:00) Third cocktail (49:17) Dankness and balance in cocktails (56:52) Who is Heather Wibbels? (01:00:22) Comparing three Black Manhattans (01:02:02) What’s that flavor? (01:03:44) Taste testing amari (01:05:23) The Origin of Cocktail Contessa (01:07:47) Who is a whiskey drinker? (01:10:00) Blind Tasting (01:14:15) Your palate is actually okay (01:17:51) Ordering what you want at a bar/restaurant (01:20:13) Favorites of cocktails we made (01:22:15) Sipping cold vs room temperature (01:29:37) Flavor differences between palates are okay (01:30:56) Different is how you define why something is better (01:32:48) All experiences are informativ (01:38:14) The reality of glassware in bars/restaurants 1:38:14 (01:41:08) Expectations of a whisky drinker (01:44:02) The role of memory in cocktail experience (01:49:46) What makes a whiskey drinker a whiskey enthusiast (01:52:14) Whiskey [more than] neat (01:53:19) The hazmat people (01:54:11) Creme brûlée cinnamon or churro cinnamon (01:57:11) Elevated cocktails (02:00:32) One person, dead or alive, you’d want to sip with (02:02:20) Drinking with Thanos (02:05:18) New book (02:11:24) Are low sugar, low carb cocktails possible? (02:12:56) Having a healthy relationship with alcohol (02:15:40) Flights + Comparison + Sensory Base Black Manhattan recipe from the episode: * 2 oz bourbon or rye * 1 oz amaro * 1 dash (8-10 drops) of bitters * lemon peel garnish Rye whiskey from the episode: * Castle and Key Restoration Rye * Russell's Reserve 6 yr Rye * New Riff Single Barrel Rye Amari from the episode: * Amaro Braulio * Amaro CioCiaro * Amaro Montenegro * Foro Amaro For more on amari checkout Heather’s recent post - https://www.cocktailcontessa.com/whiskey-and-amaro-cocktail-playground/ [https://www.cocktailcontessa.com/whiskey-and-amaro-cocktail-playground/] Follow Heather on Instagram @cocktail_contessa [https://www.instagram.com/cocktail_contessa/] Hit follow to be notified of future episodes.⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Follow us on Instagram⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Every week we share explorations in flavor, sipping, and curated experiences. Join the newsletter to follow the journey [https://social.thecuratedcup.com/curated]

Wyld Pours Season 2 Trailer

New Name. New Vibe. Same Curious Palate. After a long break, the podcast is back, and it has a wild new twist. Say hello to Wyld Pours 🥃 (formerly Distilled: Legends & Lore) We’re diving into blind tastings, bottle battles, and offbeat conversations with the people behind the pours: distillers, brewers, vintners, sommeliers, and industry pros. Less lore, more flavor. Less script, more sip. Hit follow to be notified of future episodes.⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] ⁠Follow us on Instagram⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/followthecuratedcup] Let's get Wyld!