Man Cave Happy Hour
Welcome to Man Cave Happy Hour – Whiskey, Spirits, and the stories that go along with them.
Join Jamie, Matt, and August as they take you on a spirited journey through the world of fine drinks and fascinating conversations. Broadcasting live from top lounges, distilleries, and happy hours, they explore the best new spirits, uncover hidden gems, and dive into the stories behind the bottles.
From master distillers and cocktail experts to bartenders, foodies, and entrepreneurs, every episode is a toast to craftsmanship, creativity, and the love of a great drink. Whether you're a whiskey connoisseur or just love a good cocktail, pull up a chair, pour a glass, and enjoy the ride.
Produced at the Podcast Your Voice Studios
Episodes
237 episodes
How To Make A Guinness Old Fashioned With Irish Whiskey
A Guinness Old Fashioned sounds like something you order on a dare, but we decided to build it like it deserves respect. We mix Irish whiskey with Guinness, Demerara syrup, and molasses bitters, then taste it honestly: does it drink like a real...
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47:13
Whiskey, Tequila, And The American Dream - Shankar Distillers - Varchas Whiskey
What happens when a Mysore-born tech founder falls in love with American whiskey—and decides to ship the culture back to the world? We head into Shankar Distillers in Troy, Michigan, where copper columns hum, the hybrid pot still shines, and Re...
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1:00:08
Whiskey, Curling, And A Plot Hole
What do a sneaky T. rex, a furious curling debate, and a sherry-finished bourbon have in common? They all say something about what we notice, what we value, and what we pour when the mics go hot. We kick things off with Winter Olympics highs an...
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47:50
Grappa 101 For Whiskey Lovers
A bowling alley debrief turns into a full‑on flavor expedition as we line up four grappas—two store‑bought and two homemade, barrel‑aged bottles from an Italian cousin—and see what happens when whiskey palates meet pomace brandy. We set the sce...
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51:30
From Brewery Floor To Clarified Milk Punch: A Boozy Experiment With History
A brewery table, a fresh blueberry wheat, and a glass of crystal-clear history—this session brings together live tasting and cocktail alchemy in the best way. We kick off with Blue Mitten, a wheat beer bursting with blueberry aroma and crisp gr...
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25:47
From Barrel to Barstool - America's Best Whiskey Bars
Looking for the kind of whiskey bar that changes your mind—and your order? We compare notes with Whiskey Advocate’s Top 150 and hold our local favorites to the same standard, asking what truly earns the title: deep selection, thoughtful flights...
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57:05
From Cognac-Barreled Rye To Motor City Exotics: Sipping, Stories, And Speed
A dusty bottle on the studio shelf turned into the perfect spark for a wide-open conversation. We finally cracked a Grand Traverse Distillery rye finished through a cognac-influenced, triple-barrel journey—and it surprised us. Instead of the ho...
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21:45
Blind Tasting Jameson: Original, Black Barrel, Triple Triple
A blind flight can humble anyone—so we poured three Jamesons without labels and let our palates do the talking. Between laughs, Guinness stories, and a few surprise sneezes, we worked through color, aroma, and mouthfeel to separate Jameson Orig...
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50:43
From Outreach To Impact: How Haven Homes Helps Survivors Rebuild
https://www.havenhomesofdetroit.org/The clink of whiskey fades and a tougher story comes into focus: trafficking in Michigan isn’t a movie plot. It’s months of grooming, IDs taken, credi...
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26:12
From Tequila Roots To Fresh Victor: Reinventing Mixers With Real Juice
freshvictor.comWhat if the mixer, not the spirit, is the real secret to a great cocktail? We sit down with Fresh Victor founder Ken McKenzie to explore how fresh-pressed, refrigerated mixers tu...
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37:28
Cats, Cranberries, And Questionable Maps: A Very Tipsy Holiday Special
Holiday spirit tastes better when it comes with stories, experiments, and a little chaos. We kick off with a surprise: a red blend built from an AI “recipe.” The winemaker hated the idea, followed the constraints anyway, and ended up impressed ...
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47:46
How A Lounge Hack, Krakow Adventure, And Coffee Bourbon Turned Into An Espresso Old Fashioned
The night starts with a clink and a curveball: can a coffee-finished bourbon carry an old fashioned without losing its soul? We chase that question through a studio full of snacks, a suitcase of Polish mead, and a first-time trip to Krakow that...
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40:25
We Blind-Tasted Buffalo Trace And Picked A Surprise Favorite
What happens when you line up four Buffalo Trace pours—two store barrel picks and two standard releases—and taste them blind? We set the table with numbered glasses, a few strong opinions, and a lot of curiosity, then let our palates do the tal...
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50:54
Inside Detroit’s Best Kept Cocktail Secret and How A Painted Whiskey Barrel Fuels Veteran Support
A room that used to hide barrels now hides something better: a city’s heartbeat. We slide behind The Wine Garden into a bar that feels like a password, pour a round, and meet the people turning cocktails into community for veterans who deserve ...
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33:40
Inside A Whiskey Advent Exchange And Holiday Cocktail Playbook
A brown bag, a number on the cap, and a chorus of guesses—there’s something electric about a blind pour. We crack open day one of a whiskey advent exchange and let the senses lead: orange peel peeks out, a warm glide crawls across the palate, a...
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54:28
Barrels, Bottles, And The Stories Between Them; We Tried A 142.8-Proof Stagg And Lived To Tell It
Rare pours belong in glasses, not on pedestals. We sat down with Jerry from Neat Or Stir to unpack how a Detroit-area bourbon club turns the chase into a craft: buying whole barrels, tasting blind, and building real relationships with stores to...
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1:02:05
Grandma’s Hooch, Exploding Bottles, And The Beer That Made A Man Fall Off A Desk
A quiet Monday at a local brewery turns electric when a homebrew guild pulls up chairs and starts pouring stories. We begin with two teachers who fell for British cask ales, came home to stovetops and driveway boils, and helped fuel a club wher...
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1:09:53
Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. - Brothers, Barrels, And The Birth Of A Michigan Microbrew Legacy
A brewery story that starts with nuts and bolts and ends with medals and cult beers is worth a pint and a half. We set up at Kuhnhenn Brewing and talk with brothers Eric and Bret about how a family hardware store in Warren became a fiercely ind...
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43:02
Four Roses, Three Letters, One Pour
Ever stared at a Four Roses label and wondered what those letters actually taste like? We pulled on the baseball tees, poured a mystery single barrel at 100 proof, and put our palates to the test—no hints, just noses, notes, and a friendly wage...
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40:11
Saving Boobs With Bubbles And Zin
A glass can change a night, and sometimes a cause. We’re clinking through Detroit’s dining glow-up, tasting everything from a zero-proof old fashioned that actually satisfies to a small-lot Mount Veeder Cabernet with the kind of structure that ...
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1:01:40
Bourbon, Friendship, and Life-Changing Moments with Freddie Johnson
What makes a simple promise the most significant gift you could ever give someone? For Freddie Johnson, Buffalo Trace Distillery's beloved ambassador, keeping his word literally saved his life.Sitting in what he calls "the ultimate man ...
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21:39
Detroit Lions Marketing Madness and a Blue Cocktail
Raise your glasses to another round of spirited conversation on the Man Cave Happy Hour! This week, Jamie Flanagan, August Kitchen, Matt Fox, and special guest David Wright (the Motor City Hypnotist) dive into a blue-hued adventure celebrating ...
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57:02
Sipping Ciders and Making a Difference: Inside the Man Cave
Raise your glasses and wax those mustaches – it's time to talk charity, cider, and community support on this episode of Man Cave Happy Hour!Jamie, Matt, and August dive into a tasting of Blake's Cider seasonal offerings while unveiling ...
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46:24
Soccer, Pints, and Fantasy Points
Grab a pint and join us for a deep dive into soccer culture as we explore the beautiful game through the lens of traditional English pub ales and Detroit's thriving soccer community. What happens when you mix the world's most popul...
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57:05
Orphan Bottles, New Dogs, and Golf Course Glory
Nothing brings friends together quite like celebrating life's victories over a good glass of bourbon. In this episode, we're joined by special guest David, the Motor City Hypnotist, as we crack open some long-neglected "orphan bottles" and shar...
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44:29
