The Modern Bar Cart Podcast

• Episode 297 - In the Weeds with Charles Joly

  In part 1 of my conversation with acclaimed bartender Charles Joly, some of the topics we discuss include: The two predominant “schools” of cocktail programs you might encounter in the early 2000s, and how Charles found his home and his voice in the seasonal and ingredient-focused program at a place called The Drawing Room. The conditions and events that led Charles to take on his break-out role on a national stage as the beverage director of the incredibly high-profile bar at The Aviary--a venue renowned for its avant-garde, highly technical molecular mixology drink preparations. How Charles handled the culture shock of transitioning into that role - the feeling of being parachute-dropped into a foreign land - and why a round of cheeky Tequila shots with guests helped to humanize the service style just a little. We also discuss what it means for a cocktail or ingredient to make “sense,” which involves using context cues and narrative structure to help communicate the “why” behind the “what” and “how” of a drink. Along the way, we explore the tattoos you’d see on Charles’ arms if he were to prepare a drink in front of you, why every bartender should know somebody peddling rare tea and Iberico ham, the beauty of “vibe-based” bartender’s choice cocktails, and much, much more.  

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• Episode 296 - The Mind of a Blender with Nancy Fraley

  In this cask-strength conversation with spirits judge, educator, and master blender Nancy Fraley, some of the topics we discuss include: Nancy’s journey to spirits blending, from Harvard Divinity School, to maritime law, to her apprenticeship under the legendary brandy maker Germain Robin. The story of the first Cigar Blend Bourbon (developed, of course, by Nancy) and how she weaves together factors like fermentation style, maturation humidity, cask finishes, and more to achieve the elusive flavor note known as rancio. A crash course in blending theory, which draws on architectural and corporeal metaphors to describe how to build flavor profiles in barrel-aged spirits Why the terms “master distiller” and “master blender” have become watered down in recent decades, which underscores the importance of humble practice day after day, year after year, in the pursuit of world-class distillates. We also explore the tension between the intellect and the instinct in spirits blending, using Nancy’s experiences to illustrate how and when to let the wisdom of the body triumph over the chaos of “monkey mind” and the dance of contingency. Along the way, we divulge the connection between French brandy and rotting pheasant, trace the story of an all-but-forgotten yeast strain, share how you can sign up to taste some of the rankest, most flawed distillates in Nancy’s “Nosing for Faults” class,  And much, much more. This episode was made possible with editing and sound design by Samantha Reed, whiskey blending insights and some delicious pours brought to you by Nancy Fraley, and support from The American Distilling Institute. This has been a Direct Fire Studios production, copyright 2025.  

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• BONUS: Ginspiration

  Eric presents selected recordings from the 2024 ADI Gin Summit to provide a few extra perspectives on botanical spirits from some of the world's best category experts, including: David T. Smith - a prolific gin judge and author of The Gin Dictionary and many other excellent cocktail books, Natasha Bahrami - creator of The Gin Room in St. Louis and Gin World, which is an international gin education series for bartenders and other industry professionals), and Virginia Miller - experienced spirits judge and travel writer (The Perfect Spot) who works with esteemed organizations like the World’s 50 Best and the James Beard Foundation During this session, we’ll discuss topics ranging from: What constitutes a London Dry gin from a technical standpoint building a botanical library Use of character-forward distillate bases Deployment of color in gin and related products And much, much more!

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• Episosde 295 - State of Gin, 2025 with Bobby Freeman

  In this Navy Strength conversation with Bobby Freeman (@nononsensegin), creator of the hit YouTube Channel, No Nonsense Gin Drinking, some of the topics we discuss include: Bobby’s journey through gin, beginning with the gin & tonic that launched his obsession and all of the stylistic preferences and affinities he’s developed along the way A discussion of recent gin trends in the UK, including the “Pink Gin Bubble” that occurred during COVID and the current obsession with citrus-heavy gins. We also cover the popular cocktail trends that are dominant right now in the London bar world, including Pisco & whiskey sours, porn star martinis, and brambles. And of course, this wouldn’t be a true gin nerd conversation if we didn’t take the opportunity to sample some of our personal favorite gins featuring outlandish botanicals, like oyster shells, elephant dung, ants, and prickly pear cactus. Along the way, we discuss why Bobby gets a little nervous when ordering a Mojito, which South American country has suspiciously good deals on distilled spirits, the gin with a flavor profile that can only be described as “pure fart,” And much, much more.  

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• Episode 294 - AI Cocktails (Part 2)

  Eric continues his two part investigation of the rise of Artificial Intelligence in the cocktail and bar world with special guest Rob Nester, creator of the hit podcast, Drinking with Robots.  Some of the topics covered include: Why AI and human bartenders have some of the same tendencies, especially when it comes to picking base spirits for cocktails. The role that "cognitive outsourcing" plays in our lives, and how to think about "outsourcing" certain tasks to artificial intelligence. The reason why LLMs can often produce cocktails that are about 90% perfect, but often fall short of actual greatness. Some thoughts about how the "intersubjectivity" of flavor is actually a human superpower A few mind-boggling statistics about the computing power of the human brain when compared to the supercomputers that run ChatGPT And much, much more This episode was made possible with editing and sound design by Samantha Reed, AI and cocktail insights courtesy of Rob Nester, creator of the hit podcast, “Drinking with Robots." This has been a Direct Fire Studios production, copyright 2025!

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