Spirits & Lyrics

Whiskey 101

Ever wondered what separates a bourbon from a scotch, or why some whiskeys are best sipped neat while others shine in a cocktail? Grab a glass and settle in as we unravel the rich tapestry of whiskey, from its grainy roots to its refined finish. In this episode of Spirits & Lyrics, we're diving headfirst into the world of whiskey. Whether you're a seasoned sipper or a curious beginner, Whiskey 101 has something for everyone. We'll explore the grains that give whiskey its distinct character, travel the globe to discover different whiskey traditions, and even get into some spirited debates about the best way to enjoy your favorite pour. Plus, stay tuned for a blind tasting showdown that puts the hosts' palates to the ultimate test! Timestamps * 1:30 - Opening and Introduction: The guys get reacquainted and chat about what's new in life. The latest ventures in whiskey are shared with mentions of palate discovery. * 13:56 - Insane in the Memgrain!: The hosts break down all the grains that are typically used in the whiskey-making process. * 18:03 - The Barley Boys: Riddle me this. What do Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and the United States have in common? Listen in and find out. * 44:40 - Shaken or Stirred?: Kicking so much knowledge led the guys down a path where mixed drinks surfaced. Listen in for some opinions on the Manhattan and Old Fashioned. * 50:01 - Rye Not?: Moving onto traditional American-style whiskeys, the guys break down Pennsylvania's finest. * 56:01 - The Next Bluegrass Roots Movement: All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Get all the deets here! * 1:08:47 - Because Mark Pringle Says So… Digital Underground said Do What You Like, but when it comes to drinking whiskey, THERE ARE RULES! Travis agrees… * 1:22:25 - Gameshow Time!: School's out for the summer, so let's see who paid attention in class! The guys do a blind tasting to see who comes out on top. Raise Your Glass * Subscribe: Don't miss an episode of Spirits & Lyrics! Subscribe on all major podcast platforms. * Follow Us: Stay updated and join the conversation on Instagram @spiritsandlyrics. * Email Us: Have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover? Shoot us an email at spiritsandlyrics@gmail.com. Cheers, and thanks for tuning in!

Infinity

In the Season 1 finale, the guys cover different concepts of Infinity. First, we talk about creating Infinity Bottle from the collection of ending drops of spirits. Next, the discussion leads to an asteroid in the solar system that could change the face of the human race. Then, we talk about a mythological creature that symbolizes infinity. Finally, we go in-depth about a song from a Mississippi rapper that discusses how to handle infinity across generations. THE DRINK SPIRIT: THE INFINITY BOTTLE * [02:22] What is an Infinity Bottle? * [3:20] How do you start the process of making an Infinity Bottle? * [5:10] What flavors do you mix in an Infinity Bottle? * [6:22] What drinks were used in this Infinity Bottle? How long did it take? * [10:41] Old Overholt and the Bottled in Bond process. * [13:00] The Pour. * [14:22] The Taste. * [21:20] Dul joins the show, gives his thoughts on the Infinity Bottle. BONUS: PSYCHE 16 ASTEROID * [25:43] What is Psyche 16? * [28:40] Why is Psyche 16 so important? * [29:18] The Gold Rush and how a new corporate rush on Psyche 16 would turn into "The Expanse". * [32:31] How long would a mission to Psyche 16 take? * [34:57] Proposed launch date awared by NASA to Space X. * [35:24] How much money is Psyche 16 estimated to be worth? (It's alot!!) * [37:41] How would that much wealth created change the The Human Race on Earth? * [43:20] A possible explanation for a Space Force division in the military. THE SUPERNATURAL SPIRIT: THE OUROBOROS * [47:25] Introduction of The Ouroboros. * [49:38] What is the Ouroboros? * [50:16] When and where did it originate? * [53:20] How does the process of it eating itself work? * [55:26] Why is the symbolism of The Ouroboros so enduring across so many cultures? * [59:04] Contemporary references of The Ourobors. * [1:05:26] The Ouroboros as a metaphor for egotistical spectacle. THE LYRICS: 4EVA IS A MIGHTY LONG TIME INTRO by BIG K.R.I.T. * [1:07:49] Big K.R.I.T. background. * [1:09:53] The rise of rappers from smaller, not well known locations. * [1:13:41] What is "The South" when it comes to rap music? * [1:14:50] The Great Migration of Black Americans and it's impact. * [1:17:15] The King(s) of The South? * [1:24:50] Making an investment of a relationship with a new artist. * [1:27:40] Memories of the era of The Double Album. * [1:31:05] Breaking down 4eva iz A Mighty Long Time Intro and how it relates to Ragnarok. * [1:47:12] Outro Find | SPIRITS & LYRICS Website: spiritsandlyrics.com Email: spiritsandlyrics@gmail.com [spiritsandlyrics@gmail.com] On Instagram: @spiritsandlyrics On Twitter: @lyrics_spirits On Facebook: facebook.com/spiritsandlyrics215

Windsor, Ontario: Duality

Canada's riverside city of Windsor and the concept of Duality is the center of the following episode.The Spirit Drink: Pike Creek Canadian Whisky [http://www.pikecreekwhisky.com/]The Supernatural Spirit: The CemeteryThe Lyrics: "Lost" by Pat Robitaille [https://patrobitaille.bandcamp.com/track/lost] WINDSOR, ONTARIO * [00:01] Intro * [00:40] Windsor, Canada * [07:26] Windsor's connection to the underground railroad * [11:37] Prohibition: WhiskeyTown, Canada * [15:48] Windsor fun facts: Pizza, the Windsor hum [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhXaM_r80_c], * [21:21] Crissi Cochrane [https://www.crissicochrane.com/] and the Windsor music scene THE DRINK SPIRIT: PIKE CREEK CANADIAN WHISKY * [24:19] Rum Finish by Pike Creek * [28:32] Hiram Walker Distillery [http://www.hiramwalker.com/] * [29:41] The release of Pike Creek and import into the U.S * [30:33] The Maturation process: Uncontrolled climates * [34:49] Temperature fluctuations and the extraction process * [39:50] Finishing * [43:41] Description and taste test * [48:54] Rye and Canadian whiskey * [52:14] Best setting for this type of setting * [53:22] Price point * [53:55] Head nod rating THE SUPERNATURAL SPIRIT: THE CEMETERY * [56:46] Life and death * [58:45] Speculation: Nature, culture and the cemetery * [1:04:18] Valhalla * [1:06:10] Cemetery, graveyards and the birth of next of kin * [1:14:19] Canadian cemeteries * [1:15:23] Freedmen and forgotten cemeteries [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/black-cemetery-could-get-ontario-heritage-designation-1.2762159] * [1:18:39] Capitalism and classism's * [1:23:18] Alternatives to burials THE LYRICS: "LOST" BY PAT ROBITAILLE * [1:31:00] How Pat Robitaille learned to play music through TV and church * [1:32:43] How growing up learning music in the church is similar to musicians and the communal learning in the Black American musical experience * [1:35:28] Gaining inspiration from soul music in the neighboring city of Detroit * [1:36:30] Beginning his professional music career at a young age * [1:38:00] Canadian cultural centers and comparison with the US * [1:40:53] Returning to Windsor and forming The Walkervilles and Hiram Walker's cultural impact in Windsor * [1:42:36] Our personal experience of the name of the album, "The Basement Takes" * [1:46:04] The Dragging Ghost of Mackenzie Hall and the hall's use now * [1:48:24] Start of the song, "Lost" * [1:49:11] The Duality of man, Full Metal Jacket and duality of individual and collective consciousness * [1:51:13] Manufactured performance of reality and its trappings in social media * [1:52:28] Getting realization of not living to a particular standard, play of words changing between past and present. Carl Jung's theory of repressed memories and complexes. * [1:55:56] Talking about love versus envy and envy versus jealousy. * [2:02:30] The Duality of needing to be lost to truly find yourself and different parts of your life that duality relates to. * [2:08:05] Eerie, unfinished, changing state of how the song ends and what I could mean. * [2:09:37] Outro Find | SPIRITS & LYRICS At spiritsandlyrics.com [https://spiritsandlyrics.com/] On Instagram: @spiritsandlyrics On Twitter: @lyrics_spirits On Facebook: facebook.com/spiritsandlyrics215/ [https://www.facebook.com/spiritsandlyrics215/]

Virginia Beach, USA: Paranoia

From a distillery's conception by a paranoid president, an alleged witch dealing with the paranoia of her time, to a song about how systematic attempts to control what it fears can spawn its own paranoia for the communities at risk. Guest features by Wade Bloggs (@THEWadeBloggs [https://twitter.com/thewadebloggs]) from the WordsWithWade (@WordsWithWade [https://twitter.com/wordswithwade] ) podcast and Dul from the 2 Guys Cigar Shop. * Spirit Drink: Tarnished Truth's Old Cavalier [https://tarnishedtruth.com/spirits/old-cavalier/] * Supernatural Spirit: Grace Sherwood, The Witch of Pungo [https://www.virginiahistory.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/grace-sherwood-witch-pungo] * The Lyrics: Nightmares by "The Clipse" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D61zfKV99Uk] You can find out more info about the episode at: spiritsandlyrics.com/episodes/virginiabeach [spiritsandlyrics.com/episodes/virginiabeach]

Hokkaido, Japan: Handling Transition (Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky, Kamuy & Okikurmi and Oki Dub Ainu Band)

In this episode, Alex and Travis (we miss you James!) to the magical island of Hokkaido in Northern Japan. We talk about the indigenous people to the land called The Ainu (2:03). The forced assimilation of the Ainu into Japanese culture is also discussed (5:30). Then, we cover the representation of Ainu people in popular culture (8:24). The tunnel built to connect Hokkaido to mainland Japan is discussed (11:39). We then get into the Spirit Drink and the creator of Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky, Masataka Taketsuru and his purpose of studying in Scotland (13:31). We talk about how he met his wife Rita (14:25) in Scotland and the married couple moving to Japan (15:11). We discuss the impact and change in the lives of the couple when World War II starts (17:06). We then talk about the presentation and aroma of the bottle (22:37) before giving it a taste and our thoughts. The conversation switches to the divine beings of the Ainu culture called The Kamuy (38:10). This switches to the tale of a demigod famous in Ainu mythology named, Okikurmi (44:09). We talk about his origins and his famous struggle with the wind goddess Pikatakamuy (48:45). We switch to the remix and the Japanese highball and give our thoughts (1:00:50). Finally, we get into the Lyrics portion of the episode in which we talk about Oki Kano and his group Oki Dub Ainu Band (1:06:27). We discuss his time in New York and how he finds out about his biological father (1:12:43). We then talk about when he is gifted the musical instrument of his ancestors, The Tonkori (1:17:40) and how it inspired Oki Kano to move to Hokkaido (1:21:54). Finally, we talk about his unique sense of style (1:27:32) and discuss a few musical selections off the album Utarhythm (1:30:07).