Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure
Adam and Michael’s friendship is built on a shared love of cycling. From tough trails to leisurely rides, their adventures are filled with stories, banter, and authentic connection. Their podcast blends entertaining anecdotes, heartfelt conversations, and cycling excitement—welcoming you into their community and the joy of the open road.
Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure
Assigned Barstools, Open Mic Night, and the Case of the Hidden Speakeasy
A bookstore with no checkout, a doorbell with a secret, and a barstool that comes with a story—our Kentucky journey starts where bike culture and bourbon tradition intersect. We kick off in Louisville on Whiskey Row, tracing two different arcs of American whiskey: Bardstown’s modern blending and hospitality machine and Michter’s deep Pennsylvania roots revived in Kentucky. Along the way, we compare tasting philosophies, talk candidly about when flights feel like value versus a money grab, and share what makes a tour memorable for curious riders who buy bottles with their heads and their hearts.
Then we step into Kentucky Peerless for a true grained-to-bottle experience. DSP-KY-50 isn’t just a number; it’s a thread back to a family legacy that Corky Taylor helped bring forward. The team walks us through sweet mash, barrel proof, and why small variations can add character rather than chaos. We taste, we ask too many questions, and we leave with a sharper sense of how process shapes flavor. If you’re mapping a bourbon weekend, this stop belongs near the top.
Night settles in Lexington, and a camouflaged speakeasy hides behind floor-to-ceiling books. Ring the bell, find your assigned seat, and let the bartenders build you something you didn’t know to request. A cognac-and-Stagg creation, a dealer’s-choice masterpiece, and an atmosphere that feels more like 1930 than theme night—it’s all craft, no gimmick. We even stumble into bike polo connections that loop back to a past guest and a court we once found on a Sunday ride. That’s the joy of these trips: the people you meet, the stories you collect, and the way a city becomes more than a waypoint.
We also preview Bourbon Country Burn from our base at the Kentucky Horse Park—routes, tastings, and a few live clips coming next. If you enjoy the ride, subscribe, share this episode with a cycling or whiskey friend, and leave a quick review to help more curious listeners find us.
Support
Jersey Store
Adam and Michael’s friendship has grown through years of shared miles, challenges, and laughter on the bike. Their passion for cycling has carried them through life’s twists and turns, creating a bond full of stories, jokes, and unforgettable rides. In their podcast, they bring that same spirit to the mic—sharing adventures, trading banter, and welcoming listeners into their cycling community. Whether tackling steep climbs or cruising open roads, their conversations capture the fun, friendship, and freedom that cycling brings. Tune in for stories that celebrate the ride and the camaraderie that makes it unforgettable.
and Remember,
It's a Great Day for a Bike Ride!
https://www.facebook.com/cyclingmenofleisure
https://cyclingmenofleisure.com/
https://www.cyclingmenofleisurepodcast.com
Well, it's time for Road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure, the podcast for cyclists who understand that riding is not just about getting to the destination, but the experience along the way. Now, here are the original cycling men of leisure, Adam and Michael.
SPEAKER_02:Welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. As usual, I am Adam, and my good friend just opened up a bottle of bourbon, Mr. Michael Sharp. Hello, Adam.
SPEAKER_01:How are you doing? Good. And for those of you who couldn't see, I did open up a bottle of bourbon. I've got a little uh Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey from the fine folks at Rabbit Hole. So I'm leisuring, so why not?
SPEAKER_02:Well, you deserve it. You deserve it. I'm sure you worked hard for the government today.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, the wife won't let me smoke a cigar down here, which I can understand and fully support. So, but it doesn't stop me from this.
SPEAKER_02:I've often thought, what if I install one of those evacuation? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That's got the venting. Yeah. You know, I've often thought about this because I have that little sunroom. Yeah. I could turn that into a cigar bar, put some, you know. Anyway. How you doing?
SPEAKER_02:Good, buddy. Good, good, good.
SPEAKER_01:Um, first, before we do anything else, I wanted to apologize.
SPEAKER_02:Uh, you forgot to pay me?
SPEAKER_01:No, I think I paid you. Oh, you did pay me a little bit, yeah. But if I didn't, let me know and I'm happy to get that settled because I don't want to be that guy. Um, I just wanted to apologize for me being so awesome. Uh that's really not it. I was gonna apologize to our listeners and our supporters. Um that we're a little late on this episode. Yeah, we are. But we were in Kentucky, so um a little hard to be in Kentucky driving home and and reporting recording a podcast, but it's okay. I think we're gonna make up for us being a few days late.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. No, I think we're I think we've got a couple of uh good shows coming up. Um we uh we teased, um I have an apology as well. We teased another partial show that was gonna try to come together. Um it was going to be with Mr. Franklin Johnson from Bragg about Bragg coming to the burn, which we'll get into. Um, and he uh did something that most people who have children should do. He was spent time with his son. Yep. Can't argue with that at all. So we give him a he's a friend of the show, we give him a pass.
SPEAKER_01:Uh, you know, we don't even have to give him a pass because he's got such a good excuse, but trust me, I am quite sure that Mr. Johnson will be showing up here in the next uh next few months. So you hear that, Franklin? You're gonna be coming on the show in the next few months.
SPEAKER_02:Mark your calendars now, buddy. Mark your calendars. Um we've got a couple good shows coming up. I'm pretty excited. Uh we uh just got back from our uh highly teased and and uh and talked about bourbon country burn. And wow, what a trip it was it, man.
SPEAKER_01:It was a great trip. The only really bad thing is I think we had five people who had signed up and were gonna go that had to uh opt out for various reasons. Uh there were some medical issues. There was uh, you know, uh their kids were, you know, had cross-country meets and stuff, which again, you know, you got to spend time with those kids. That's super important. Uh, and then had a couple other people that schedules change and they just weren't able. So unfortunately, they weren't there. Um, but we did make some new friends, and some of our other friends um were there that we got to spend some time with, and we met a lot of other great people. So I'm excited.
SPEAKER_02:For sure, for sure. Uh uh couple couple names. We got to see the one, the only Stephanie from Bragg. We saw her on the route at a brewery, which was awesome. Um John from Georgia, uh, Michael and Ben. Uh, we we sat with them and just just a couple names right away. So if those those individuals were were uh tuning in, we saw some other people as well, we'll get to that.
SPEAKER_01:But um But I want to say Michael has been a listener, if I remember right, almost from the beginning. Correct. And he is one person who's been a listener and a very avid supporter of ours, but we had never met before. He's been listening to our show for like three years, we'd never met him before, brought his son, we got to share a VIP experience with him, and it was fantastic. So I just wanted to say it's really cool when you know he's sent us messages before, made guesses uh on our listener spotlight, and we hadn't got to meet him. So it was really kind of cool that uh finally we get to uh hang out and meet him and his son.
SPEAKER_02:And hang out we did. They uh followed us uh back to our camp and um we sat around the fire for for a while.
SPEAKER_01:And I think you make that sound so bad. They followed us back to our camp, like they're like, you know, hiding behind trees and stalking us. The wolves followed us back to the camp. Uh it wasn't bad. I know it just you just made it sound like you know they were stalking us or something. We had invited them, so I mean, you know.
SPEAKER_02:Well, yeah, I mean they just don't know where we are. We had to drop a pin. We use technology, man.
SPEAKER_01:We use technology. I get it. I did I just wanted to, you know, make it sound like we, you know, they weren't like, you know, hiding behind trees and shadows and so anyway.
SPEAKER_02:And if you listen to the show, they were from Ohio, and we all got along fantastic. He even said, I am from Ohio. I said, Hey, hey, hey, hey, I'm I make no judgment.
SPEAKER_01:You should have pulled up the Ohio fight song and we could have all sang along. Okay, I I'm willing to compromise. We could have pulled up the Nebraska fight song and all sung along. Keep it neutral.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's okay. You know what? Although, you know what? We did actually talk about doing a ride in Ohio. Our friend Lacey's done it before, but GOBA. And so that was a nice conversation. I think I've come a long way. I'm I'm I'm I would actually add that to the list.
SPEAKER_01:You're you're willing to put that on the list now. And we ran into somebody else we're going to talk about a little bit later, about another possibility that has been on our list that we've mentioned here several times. We met the ride director, and that may have moved up on our list a little bit, but we'll talk about that shortly.
SPEAKER_02:So let's get into it. Let's get into our adventure. So um dun dun you and I decided um to meet up a little bit early. Um, so the bourbon country burn is in Lexington, Kentucky. Um, and then they do like a wagon wheel style where you you're pretty much base camped out of um uh Kentucky Horse Park campground or hotels nearby or whatever. But I mean that's pretty much home base. But you and I said, wait a minute, there's all kinds of great bourbon, and you and your family had recently been to the bourbon row or whiskey row. Whiskey row in Louisville. So you and I decided, hey, why don't we meet in Louisville? Um, which I had never been to before. And so I arrived a little bit before you did, and you have like a what, a three-hour ride or something.
SPEAKER_01:It was six, but okay. Um yeah, whatever. Way shorter than mine. I'm just saying, you know, I'm not bitter at just every single one of these rides we do. It's like I got a six-hour ride, and Michael, you've got what, a nine, ten-hour ride? Enjoy.
SPEAKER_02:If you didn't live in central time, you'd be closer to even if I did live in central time, it would have still been a long ride.
SPEAKER_01:Anyway, I'm not better, not better.
SPEAKER_02:Here, I'm gonna make it better for you. The way there was a lot shorter than the way home.
SPEAKER_01:Is that better? That is a true statement. Thanks for bringing that up. We'll talk about that too.
SPEAKER_02:So I uh I only arrived about three hours before you did, and I mean, there I checked into the hotel after stretching to do there. Oh, yes. As a matter of fact, I remember checking in. The guy said to the hotel, he said, Oh, he said, um, he said, uh, what brings you to our area? I said, bourbon. I just came out and said bourbon. And he goes, Well, there's there's lots here.
SPEAKER_01:And and we you had gotten us a hotel that's two blocks off of Main Street. Yep, and so that's where Whiskey Row is. And um, so you're welcome. I gave you the opportunity to go over and and do some drinking. So where'd you go?
SPEAKER_02:First thing I I did is is I I was um you know unfamiliar. I just said to the the hotel clerk, I said, Well, you know, I could look up my GPS, I saw they were all there, but I said, What do you recommend? He said, honestly, he's like, just go down to Market Street and whatever whatever floats your boat, turn right. And this is what he said turn right, turn left, or go straight. Either way, you are gonna run into bourbon, sir. You're there's no way around it down there. And I was like, Well, this is good. I felt like I'm surrounded by it. So I were I ended up um in Bardstown uh distillery.
SPEAKER_01:And actually, just to clarify, that is not the distillery, that is the Bardstown tasting experience. There's there's I don't want to be misleading. Um, there's two kinds of things, establishments down there that are around whiskey. You have the distillers, distilleries, and then you've also a lot of these places like Bardstown, which comes from Bardstown, Kentucky, which is an hour away, has a tasting experience. It's like a fancy tasting room.
SPEAKER_02:And it was beautiful. I mean, I you know, I walked in and and on one side is a gift shop, and the other side is like a bar, and then you could see behind that there's there's um a whole area for tastings. If you've ever done a distillery tasting or a vineyard tasting, you know, you got you know someone stands in the front of the room and everything, but they offered they offered um uh just you could go get a flight of of you know different different whiskeys and bourbons that they offered. Um, but of course I said, well, what do you what are you known for? And and right away they just the core four, the core four, the core four, uh, which was uh bourbon, whiskey, uh straight from the barrel or yes, uh barrel strength, and then rye. And so and then gin. No, no, no, no, no, no parts cleaner for me. Auto zone was probably down the road, but I didn't need any parts cleaner. I rented a nice car, so I was good. So um, which by the way, I gotta back up a little bit because I love and I know we we were told when we were in Kentucky, people loved to hear us talk about bourbon and stuff. I rented this car that was technology so advanced, it was a uh Volkswagen Atlas, and I I first complained because I wanted a Jeep Cherokee because when I went to Costco to rent the car, and the guy goes, I only have that, and I was like, Man, it's a little bit smaller. Uh you know, I was camping, bringing everything. I'm like, okay, and man, I gotta tell you, long story short, I know probably people have all kinds of fancy cars and gadgets and safety, but you and I both are very frugal. We don't buy new cars, we both agree on that, and so this car had uh not only lane assist, not only um adaptive cruise control, but it had travel companion, or I'm probably misspeaking or whatever, but what was there just a young lady in the car and she needed a ride?
SPEAKER_01:And oh, this is the travel. Is that what you told your wife? Uh that was a travel companion.
SPEAKER_02:Uh Lauren, if you're listening, it was not a woman.
SPEAKER_01:But well, it sounds a bit you know, I could look at a travel companion.
SPEAKER_02:If if I it if I don't have the bandwidth right now, but it was something to do with it basically stuck you in the middle of the lane, and you could take your hands off the steering wheel. The car pretty much drove itself. I mean, every that it yeah, it was like driver assist. Driver, yeah, is that what it's called? Maybe driver assist. I don't know. Travel companion.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, all I know is you pay more for that.
SPEAKER_02:Well I what's funny is I tested it on so I drove down um down through 75 through Ohio and and into Kentucky, and I never never said, Oh, I wonder what would happen. But on the way home, I was so bored. I'm like, what would happen if someone fell asleep doing this? And so I'm like, I'm like, I'm gonna wait and do this when no one else is around me. And sure enough, I tested it. Let me tell you something. It goes uh into it's white when it says please please grab a steering wheel after about 30 seconds, then it goes red, and I made sure no one was around me, just to be clear, just to be clear, and let me tell you something, it break checks you. It went boom boom! I mean, and I it scared the yeah, it really did. It did. It scared the I was like, oh my god, that would wake you up if you were sleeping. So I think that's what the point was is you know, they were like, Oh, because you could literally like take your hands off and it would just kind of like go in the lane, and even if it went around a corner, it would, I mean, it it helped, it was perfect. It was great. It made it, it made my uh five hour drive wonderful.
SPEAKER_01:Let me just say uh as a caveat that the cycling men of leisure, at least half of the cycling men at leisure, do not do not suggest you drive down the highway with no hands.
SPEAKER_02:That's the only reason uh cycling men of leisure is half 50%. I mean, listen, I you only get 50% of the vote.
SPEAKER_01:I'm 50%.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, is this where I get to talk about the Apple Watch? Apple Watch Ultra 3, the official watch of Cycling Men of Leisure.
SPEAKER_01:Uh again, another unpaid commercial by Adam. Okay, that's right. We got we had a long conversation on Sunday when we were riding about Apple Watches because I need to get a new one. So and he just got one.
SPEAKER_02:And we went to uh when we were at um uh you heard us all talk about PodFest before in Orlando, and the lady stood up on the stage and said, You could say whatever you want. I mean, no one can really stop you. And we're like, hey, we obviously we haven't said this, but we could say we're the best cycling podcast out there. But I mean that was kind of funny, but well a handful of people might think that.
SPEAKER_01:My mother would strongly argue that that we are in fact, but maybe nobody else.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you, Barb. I appreciate your uh continued continued support. But anyways, getting back to Bardstown, um you and I were in in communication, you were just a few hours out, and I said, okay, well, I'm just gonna go, you know, walk on the whiskey row. And so I went to Barstown and uh used some fancy AI. And would you like to hear about a little bit about Bardstown?
SPEAKER_01:I guess we we completely missed my segment again, but that's okay. Go ahead. We are about bargedown. Are you talking about rancid dissatisfaction? Well, we haven't done that either. But what about listener spotlight? You've now drugged people through 15 minutes of your talking, and we didn't even do listener spotlight. But no, I'm sure you're hold on.
SPEAKER_02:I apologize. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for Listener Spotlight.
SPEAKER_01:In case no one could figure out, working with Adam is like hurting cats, but it's okay. All right. Meow. The hints that I provided on our last episode for Listener Spotlights are as follows. Originally it was settled in the 1830s. It was incorporated in the 1860s. The town was first named after a river before the um before uh the name was changed. I can't even read my own writing. I apologize. The community grow grew economically through lumbering, milling, and shipbuilding. In the first uh three quarters of the 20th century, the city contributed to the naval fleet of the United States. The city contributed to fashion in the 1980s. It helped us understand Vogue. Uh, if you love tall ships, you will definitely want to visit this town. And the lumber boom helped name a section of this town. What's your guess?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I don't have one, but David Stroud does.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02:What is it, David? Tell us. Uh Michael, I'm saying that it is Newport News, Virginia. Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Uh, that is on the coast. Uh what I know about Newport News is the fact that I believe the United States Naval Fleet that's been mothballed, kind of those ships that it's like we're taken out of service, but we're not gonna turn into reefs and dismantle because we never know we may need them, uh, is right off the coast there. Uh, that's all I know about it. So I think that answers the question whether or not it is a correct answer. However, it was a good answer, and we thank you. This one is a little closer to Adam's home. Oh no. Yes, sir. Then the listener spotlight for this episode is Bay City, Michigan. It's like right down the road from you, isn't it? Yeah, we actually rode in Bay City. I believe uh Odram ends in Bay City, doesn't it? That is correct, boy. Wonder. Um, wasn't there a band called the Bay City Rollers?
SPEAKER_02:Uh gosh, don't put me on the spot like that. Okay, I won't. I'm gonna edit it out.
SPEAKER_01:Um, yeah, it was uh uh settled in 1831, incorporated in 1865. It uh was first named after a river before they changed it. It was uh Lower Saginaw. Um the community grew through milling, lumbering, and shipbuilding. And in the first three quarters of the 20th century, it contributed to the naval fleet of the United States. Um, they had a big uh ship construction yard there, which between 1939 and 1945, they constructed 154 ships. And those were minesweepers, destroyers, escorts, uh high-speed transports. Um, out of all those 154 ships, uh only three of those ships were lost during World War II. So they must have built them pretty good back then. Um, the one the the tall ships, they have a tall ship festival there. The lumber boom helped name a section of this town. Uh, there's a section of the town called Hell's Half Mile, and that's kind of where all the lumberjacks hung out. So there was a lot of bars, brothels, you know, guys with axes fighting in the streets, things of that nature. I just made the last part up, but I'm sure it happened. Um the city contributed to the fat to fashion in the 1980s. It helped us understand Vogue. I thought this would give it away. No, nothing. About Madonna. Oh, yes, Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan. So there you go.
SPEAKER_02:Perfect. So while you were reading, first of all, thank you, listeners from Bay City. Thank you, all listeners, but thank you, listeners from my home state, Bay City. Uh are the Bay City rollers from Bay City? No, the Bay City Rollers were not from Bay City, they were a Scottish band from Edinburgh, Scotland. The band chose their name by throwing a dart at the map of the United States, which landed on Bay City, Michigan.
SPEAKER_01:Well, that's it could have been a lot worse. That's true. It could have been like falls on like Boaz, Mississippi. What are they gonna be? The Boaz rollers or something? I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:That's right.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. Uh anyway, now that you've let me do my thing, what were you drinking at uh at the distillery or the uh experience?
SPEAKER_02:I chose the core four four from bargetown, and I have some information here if you'd like to hear it. Hit me with it. All right. So Michigan recently got bargedown, or at least I will say it started showing up in the in the liquor stores where I would go, and and I think that's just because we were Johnny Cumbe lately to the to the pile. I think it was many, many other states before, but they were founded in 2014. Um, although the construction began in 2016, the distillery, um, unlike most Kentucky distilleries, it embraced a custom whiskey production program distilling from many other brands and startups. And so um thought that was very interesting. And and the reason why is once we get into our tour that we took, I wanted to uh show the contrast of the difference. Um the contract collaboration distilling model attracted a well-known whiskey company that wanted consistent high-quality products, but didn't want to own their own distillery. Um speed.
SPEAKER_01:If I can stop you, what you're really talking about is they distill for other whiskey brands. Is that correct? Correct. Yeah, so they're like a mini MGP, multi-grain product company that if I wanted to distill liquor, I could go to them, tell them what I want the mash bill to be, they would distill it and uh store it for me, and then I could then take it into my facility and bottle it.
SPEAKER_02:Not only is that absolutely correct, um, while I was talking to some of the people from the program, from the tasting experience, they also help out people like you and I. Let's say you and I have this passion of saying, hey, we really think we could have a mash bill. And make it and then they will make it for us. I mean, under our name and under their name, um, but with the understanding of the collaboration together, and then if it completes now, I have to back you up again because you lost me there.
SPEAKER_01:They could they would I could bring them the mash bill, they would make it under their name and it would be under with our collaboration.
SPEAKER_02:That's correct. You they they are doing that because a lot of people, um, you know, guys in their garage have tried little mini mini batches and thinking, oh, this is really good, and then but they're just not big enough. And so uh in the beginning, they no longer do this, but in the beginning they were do they were doing that.
SPEAKER_01:Um getting excited. We could have a cycling man of leisure or men of leisure collaboration whiskey.
SPEAKER_02:We could do a barrel pick.
SPEAKER_01:We could that's that's on the on my list.
SPEAKER_02:So in 2018, uh they switched um to Barstown began releasing bourbon under its own label, and then they uh their style is blending innovation, mixing their own young whiskey with older sourced bourbons and rice to create a unique flavor profile.
SPEAKER_01:So let me guess, they use MGP, don't they? Yeah, yeah, I thought so.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, yeah. I I was I was see you're you're pretty quick. You're pretty quick.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, it did start, it's like, oh, and then they released their own whiskey. It's like, well, where have they been getting it at? And MGP is like the big maker of bulk whiskies for distilleries and things, so it only stands to reason.
SPEAKER_02:So if you are a Bargetown customer or fan and have did not know this, the Fusion Series, and I'm going to grab something real quick.
SPEAKER_01:Of course, you have the Fusion Series, I'm sure, on the rack there.
SPEAKER_02:I do, right here. Okay. There's the Bargetown Fusion. Now, to be fair, I did not buy this there at the tasting experience. My favorite mother gave this to me for Christmas.
SPEAKER_01:But um she would be my favorite mother too if she was buying bourbon.
SPEAKER_02:But the fusion series is a blend of of Bargetown's young distillery with some aged. The answer is sourced, but I'm gonna go with MGP bourbon.
SPEAKER_01:It's okay. A lot of people do it.
SPEAKER_02:Uh the Discovery series I don't have, uh, which is uh it's a premium blend of aged bourbons from multiple sources, and then the collaborations are finished in wine, rum, or brandy casks, uh, often in partnership with some wineries or breweries. And so those are the three series. So if you've ever seen Bardstown and you were curious about their series, but um uh the aim to be more than just a distillery, yada yada yada, state-of-the-art visitor experience, which is what you just mentioned.
SPEAKER_01:Now I'm gonna say one thing about Bardstown. Um, we're not paid by any distillery, we don't make any money off of anybody, uh, like that, anything of that nature. But I am gonna say in July I visited a lot of distilleries, um, over the top number of distilleries when I was in Kentucky. Bardstown was one of them that I visited, and every distillery has its own feel and things. Um, you know, I don't mind their whiskey. I just could not get into their distillery. It felt like I was walking into a pharmaceutical company. It was all very nice, very fancy, you know, lady at the front desk. Everything was, I mean, clean, but I mean, not like clean, clean because you hope it's clean because you're drinking the product. It was almost to the point where everything looked sterilized. And even when you went in the gift shop, they had like walls were like all like pristine white and lit up. It just they had a a big tasting area and restaurant there, and everything was just, I don't know, it just made me feel like I was in like a corporate pharmaceutical thing. It wasn't a there was a lot of them that I went to that was like, oh yeah, let's sit back, let's have a drink. There it was very stuffy, and I don't know. I didn't really like it. I'm sure there's other people out there that think it's you know the best distillery ever, but won't keep me from drinking their whiskey.
SPEAKER_02:I I I felt somewhat the same way. Um and of course for me it's difficult because you know you and I love the history. It's not just buying booze and drinking it, it's learning about the history and and and how it's made and what you know how many generations and blah blah blah. And so um eight years. But but just to finish and eight years. That's right. In 2022, uh, they were acquired by the uh Pernod Ricard, which is the global spirit giant owner of Jameson Absolute and Chavez Rigas. The deal gave them a strong foothold on the American whiskey market. Today, Barstown is considered one of the most innovative distilleries in Kentucky, often described as the Napa Valley of Bourbon. So there's your history of Barnetstown.
SPEAKER_01:The other thing I will say, and I I I think I believe they're the distillery that are making the Rick Houses like glass. I think that's what I heard, yeah. Yeah, I think I think that's correct. But um, you ever get a chance, check it out. Uh, like I said, every all of them have their own feel and their own, I don't know, their own personality. And I just that's uh if it was a person, I probably wouldn't be a good friend with it. But that's okay. Fair enough. Okay, so you drank the core four there.
SPEAKER_02:Core four. And then you went to I went across to Fort Nelson. Fort Nelson Mitchner's, you got it. Yep. And um I got a pretty good education andor schooling when I was there. It was a very different experience. They had a bar on the second floor. Um, I just asked if I could taste it. I mean, behind me on this cabin. It as you know. And if you're on YouTube, there's uh you'll see lots of bottles here. If you're not on YouTube, picture a big shelf with lots of bottles. There is some Mitchner's there, but I had no no no knowledge of the history, the anything about it. And that's what I was kind of excited about. And so when I got to Mitchner's, I said, Oh, yeah, well, what are your tastings? And she said, You have to go up to the second floor. There was a bar on the second floor. Uh, very interesting. I had to I had to sign up for it. Um, not not not a cost, not until I got upstairs. But I I um but I had to sign up for for a lady, and then of course, once they called my name, then I got to ride the elevator up. Um, very uh private feel, like like um like you know, exclusive to be able to be called up. And then I actually was assigned a bar stool. Um, you were not pretty much free to roam, you were pretty much assigned where to go.
SPEAKER_01:And this sounds like prison. I mean, from the movies that I've watched, uh said here.
SPEAKER_02:I was like, I don't go anywhere, it's right here. Um and then Michael is very aware, but I I love my Manhattans and old fashions, and and that's kind of my my deal. And so the bartender came over and I said, Oh, I uh she said, Have you ever had Mitchners before? And I said, Yes, and and she said, Well, what are you gonna have? And I just said I'm gonna have an uh Manhattan. Anyways, um I started asking about the history, and and the first thing she says to me is, Well, uh, we have we have roots that go back to 1753, but that closed a long time ago and we're completely different now. And that's it. And then she just walked away, and I'm I'm I'm left there going, drop the mic. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I go, you can't do that. And then um, she's like, Well, hold on one second, I've got some other customers, and I'll be back.
SPEAKER_01:I don't have time, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, basically that's what happened, and then long story. I'm like, uh, I don't understand. And so they should have had a video and say, We'll sell you a video. Yeah, exactly. Um, but uh I she gave me a little bit of history, but I'm gonna murder that, so I'm gonna go with what I found online to try to keep me on track here. So uh the original roots traced back to 1753. Um, they established in Pennsylvania. Uh it made that's why it's one of the if you ever see the bottle, it's one of the oldest distilleries in the United States during the Revolutionary War. Uh they reportedly supplied rye whiskey to George Washington's troops at the Valley Forge.
SPEAKER_01:Um they didn't have any food or very little, but man, we had some rye whiskey.
SPEAKER_02:Well, it's just like the Bottle and Bond Act. I mean, the priorities was whiskey before it was food. So, I mean, but uh then ownership changed several times through the 1800s. By the mid-1900s, the distillery became known as Bomberger's distillery, and that's important if you just because you're a history guy, so hold on one second here. Um, a well-regarded producer of Pennsylvania style risk whiskey in the in the 1950s, uh they renamed it Mitchner's. Now, you gotta bear with me for a second. If you ever wonder how Mitchers got his name, it's not great, but then again, it was 1950, so there wasn't a lot to do.
SPEAKER_01:But there wasn't a lot to do.
SPEAKER_02:So Lou Foreman renamed Mitchner's from Bomburgers by combining the names of his sons, Michael and Peters. So he took the M I C H out of Michael and he took the T E R from Peter and made Mitchner's.
SPEAKER_01:Uh that's weak. I mean, it's cool. It's just I don't know. I think Peter got jacked in the whole situation, but that's okay.
SPEAKER_02:I told you there wasn't a lot to do in 1950.
SPEAKER_01:So um come on, 1950, they were out mowing their grass and you know, with the push mows pants and a collared shirt, and why why the wife was inside making making dinner dinner.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. Um, and for those of you don't know, that's just a joke.
SPEAKER_01:But honestly, that's the way it was. And yeah, look up the back in the 50s, it was prescribed that women had certain responsibilities to do at the house with dinner and things like that. So it's just the way it was. Not right, but it was the way it was.
SPEAKER_02:So this is where the mic drop moment comes in. And it closed in eight nineteen nineteen. I'm sorry, I said eighteen, and I apologize. In 1989, it says, despite the long history, Mitchers struggled during the American whiskey downturn of 1970s and 80s. And if you don't know, um whiskey and brown spirits were going down when in the whole 1980s, Miami Vice, when clear spirits were on the skyrocket. Um, think of Zima. Yeah, Zima with a jellyrocket drinks. Oh, yeah. Yep. Um, and then if you don't know, a little bit of history. We talk about Blantons a lot. Um, Blantons was the first one to come out with a single barrel. Um, and then of course save the industry absolutely. So the Pennsylvania, and this is where the history comes into play for the history guy on the show. The Pennsylvania distillery closed in 1989. At that time, leaving the brand dormant, and now it is a history landmark known as the Bomberger Distillery. So it's a it's a landmark if you find yourself in Schaeferstown, Pennsylvania.
SPEAKER_01:Um I just said yeah. I mean, I don't make it to Schaeferstown, Pennsylvania. I don't make it to Pennsylvania very often.
SPEAKER_02:So, how do we have Mitchner's today? Good question, Michael. In 1990s, entrepreneurs Joe Maglio and Richard Newman received the Mitchner's brand, but this time, or revived, I'm so sorry, revived the brand, but this time in Kentucky, in the heart of Bourbon Country. The company began bottling sourced whiskey under the Michner's label. You got it, while laying groundwork for a permanent home. And the modern Michers as we see today from 2010 and on, in 2015-15, it opened up its Chevrolet Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, and in 2019, where I was, it opened up the Fort Nelson distillery. And at that one is not just a tasting experience, they do have a small production there. Now, from my understanding, from talking to all the staff there, they they they have about one barrel a day that they make there and then age.
SPEAKER_01:So that's because most of the things that are named distilleries on Whiskey Row aren't actually distilleries. I mean, they're they're distilleries, but there's not any production being done. There's like five or six that there is, but then there's so many other ones that they're not producing anything here. But that's cool that they, you know, even if it's just a token barrel. Uh that's that's cool.
SPEAKER_02:And finishing this up, today Mitchner is known for its premium bourbons and rye, often released in limited batches. Popular expressions include the US one bourbon, US one rye, US one sour mash. Um it's and that was in honor of the pre-prohibition style of whiskey, was a sour mash. They have a 10-year bourbon and rye and 20-year bourbons. And Mitchner's now considered a luxury bourbon brand, often praised by bartenders and collectors. The brand ties its modern whiskey operations to Pennsylvania Roots, making itself America's first whiskey company. There you go. There's Micher's. Those were the two. And then I met up with you.
SPEAKER_01:Uh, you know, you should have taken a picture at Mitchner's and sent it to our friend, who is a huge Michener fan. I should have. I should have. You mean here? Yeah, he he loves Mitchner's, so maybe we need to do that anyway. Um, and then you met up with me. We went and had dinner and and uh had another drink, but I just wanted to let people know when we speak of Whiskey Row, if you're ever in Louisville, definitely spend some time on Whiskey Row. Uh, there's a very nice museum down there at the start of what they consider Whiskey Row that has the whole history and evolution, and they got a great gift shop, by the way. Whole history and evolution of whiskey and Kentucky, and they got some great displays. You go across the street from there, uh, we've mentioned it before. They have the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, which is good. And then they've just got throughout the uh area, um they've just got all these different distilleries and tasting experiences. And really, Riz Whiskey Row originally started out as the 100th block of Main Street. And they had basically built big warehouses there back in the like 1857 to 1905 to house whiskey that was coming in from the countryside so then it could be shipped out to other destinations. So it was basically a big warehouse district. Um over time, that's extended to basically two acres and includes distilleries like Angels Envy, uh Kentucky Peerless, Mitchers Fort Nelson, uh, Copper and King, and Rabbit Hole, just to name a few. Um, but it really started out as that 100th block was just a big warehousing area uh that held whiskey. And since that time it's kind of evolved. Um the 100th block of Maine and Louisville now uh not only has restaurants and apartments, but that is where the uh old Forster distillery is, which we did not go to, but it's there.
SPEAKER_02:No, I think the only other thing I thought would be fun to mention was uh the hereafter bar.
SPEAKER_01:That was interesting.
SPEAKER_02:You and I had dinner, and then as we walked out, um we saw these ladies coming out of this this building and they were laughing, and and they said, You guys gotta go in there. And we're like, Well, what's in there? Is that like a secret bar? And she goes kind of felt like we were gonna get mugged.
SPEAKER_01:You guys need to go in there.
SPEAKER_02:You go in and you know, you know, you ain't coming out. Give us your wallets. So she said you got to take the elevator down. So we're like, okay, well, this I'm intrigued. So we take the elevator. We're just idiots.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, let's do that. There's no signage or anything, it just looks like you're walking into like a business, like the side entrance to like a business office or something. It's just a hallway, and you go around a corner and there's an elevator, and we're listening to these two ladies that seem like they may be a little tipsy, and they're like, Yeah, go in there and take the elevator. And of course, we're like, okay, let's just follow those directions of two strangers and take an elevator downstairs, and you know, we're gonna wind up missing a kidney or whatever.
SPEAKER_02:Now, hold on. There was a there was a marquee outside that talked about drinks downstairs.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it talked about drinks, but there was no sign on the front. I mean, anybody could set a like a little, you know, what are those A-frame boards out front and go drinks downstairs just to lure you down.
SPEAKER_02:I believe that is called a sandwich board.
SPEAKER_01:So uh is it a sandwich board if you're not wearing it? Sandwich boards are what they wear. People used to wear. Just like a little anyway, sidewalk A-frame sign can just be moved, probably came from down the street. We don't know, but we just like we just walked in and took the elevator downstairs that these two somewhat drunk ladies told us to do.
SPEAKER_02:Not my first time I've done that. Um, anyways, I digress. We get we get downstairs, and we were safe. Obviously, here we are today. The men of leisure are just fine.
SPEAKER_01:It was uh it was a dumped us out in this hallway, a little short hallway, and you it opened up into this rather small but very quaint, very intimate bar named what was it named?
SPEAKER_02:Hereafter.
SPEAKER_01:And they had pictures of like you know, old black and white pictures in the uh oval frames, things like that. And we just happened to be there on open mic night.
SPEAKER_02:Is it did it was it we happen to be there, or was it every night open mic night? No, no, no.
SPEAKER_01:Uh just that night is open mic night. Because um, we were there on what, Wednesday night, Thursday night, whatever night it was. Um the next night was burlesque night. So it's not open mic night every night. Okay. Because blue what was his name? Blue Murphy. Blue Murphy runs the open mic night. That's his actual name.
SPEAKER_02:It was an interesting place. And it was it was cool. It was good drinks, yeah. One the only thing I was gonna mention is is like somebody would go up and sing, and you thought, oh my gosh, I want to kill myself. It's a sad song, like my dog's on the porch, and I don't have where to go. And then the next it wasn't any country, but then the next song would be wow, that's really good. I mean, that that guy's great. And so we we kind of we kind of got hit with the uh back and forth.
SPEAKER_01:So yes, some of the people doing the open mic night were everybody that did open mic night was legitimately could do open mic night. We didn't have anybody up there like me trying to sing you know sweet Caroline or something, which would have been disastrous, but it would have been great for a YouTube uh or TikTok video. Um I did not sing, but we're at a bar, it's having a good time, and they're singing these really slow songs. It's like, come on, pick it up, pick it, give us something to pick it up, yeah. But then when uh Blue got up there, he did some Johnny Cash and some stuff like that, and and got the thing rolling a little bit.
SPEAKER_02:So it was a good night. It was um that's pretty much all I have. I mean, from from our first uh day, and then we um got up in the morning, and you, sir, you procured us something special. Well, I ate oatmeal and then procured us something special. I did not eat my oatmeal.
SPEAKER_01:Apparently, okay, I'm I'm just gonna let everything out right here. Clearly, you're not gonna let me do rants of dissatisfaction today because you're spending all the time. So I'm gonna let it out. When I met Adam, he was walking home to the hotel. I picked him up, got in, got everything, my luggage moved upstairs, all that kind of stuff, and then we went out to the uh grabbed a burger and that kind of thing, and then ended up at the hereafter and what have you. But he said I had been that he had been to Michener's and that he had been to Bardstown. Bardstown. It's like, okay. And you you said you had a tasting at Bardstown, which I know, you know, tasting's not that much. And then you said you had a drink at Michner's, and we had a drink there. And the next morning we get up, it's like, oh yeah, hey, let's go grab breakfast. So I get this big bowl of oatmeal, and Adam gets his bowl of oatmeal, and he's just sitting there and he's profusely sweating. Literally, he brought a towel with him, and he's like, and the oatmeal's just setting there, and I'm eating away, and I'm like, what's going on? He's like, I'm not feeling so well. So we went back upstairs. I had some stuff I had to do, and he took a nap, and then he was feeling better. Well, later in the day, I realized that he had this sample, but then when he went to Michner's, he had two full drinks at least. And then I was coming by and we had a couple drinks at the bar, and then we so I was like, what's going on? But I didn't realize that you had sampled as much as you had sampled. So you were a little slow that morning. But the good news is you got your nap in, and then I had visited Kentucky Piralist, which is at the very beginning of Whiskey Row back in July, and the guy was nice enough. I was talking to him, it's like, yeah, I'm gonna be back. He gave me a certificate for two free tours. So I was like, Well, if you want to do it, let's do it because it's a really good tour and the people are very knowledgeable. So we went over there and uh you got to experience behind the scenes at Kentucky Peerless, which was a uh a whiskey that you and I hadn't tried up until I believe two years ago. You brought a bottle to Bourbon Country Burn. And I think that that's the first time I had tried it. I believe you said that was the first time you had tried it too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I actually had bought the bottle. Um, it was recommended by uh um a beverage manager, and he said, Oh, this is this is something you know special. And and uh I said, Okay, great, great, great, thank you. And then um he's like, Oh, okay. And so we opened it up. That's the first time I had had it.
SPEAKER_01:And so the tour is fantastic. Um, they give you the full history of this is an old brand that kind of died away. That the great-grandson of the original founder brought it back. And they are very proud. Um, every whiskey company out there has their own identification number, and it's uh DSP and then the state they're in, and then the number. And in Kentucky, it's kind of an honor thing to have the lower numbers. Well, Peerless is DSP KY 50, which means they are the 50th uh whiskey producer or spirit producer um that was granted a license in that state. And this goes all the way to back when they started granting license. Now they're over 250,000 or something. Um, you know, it's a huge number now. But they hold number 50 and they're very proud of that, and that's part of their tradition. Um, Corky Taylor is the grandson. Him and his son is the one that kind of brought this back, and uh they had to do a little fighting to get that number because anytime distilleries are brought back, um, they're typically just issued a new number, and he knew that was important. But what is interesting about Corky is two things. Number one, actually three things. Number one, they talk about his father, who had gone to military school and all this kind of stuff, who was in fact uh the aide de camp to Patton. And just before Patton had his accident, which then led to his subsequent death in in Europe, uh, he had given his grandfather one of his uh pistols that he carried with him. That was one of Patton's big thing. He always had it, uh I believe it was 45. He always carried it with him. It was always a big thing. Uh, he actually gave it to his grandfather because his grandfather, uh, you know, he had a he had respect for his grandfather. His grandfather, I believe, was like a lieutenant colonel. Um, and this is all a true story. I mean, it wasn't just made up because actually there's a famous picture of Patton that they had on the wall uh that showed General George Patton out there, and right next to him is this guy's grandfather. And so it's cool because uh a lot of times when military people come in, if Corky's there, he'll pull the gun out and show it to him. And he gets invited to a lot of big military things where there's top brass there because everybody wants to see and and touch, you know, General Patton's uh, you know, gun. And so that was cool telling that whole story. Um, the second thing that's really cool about Corky is that he is actually in the distillers uh in the whiskey, Kentucky Whiskey Hall of Fame, which gives him even more um, you know, kind of elevates his status. But the other thing that's really cool about him, and and he did it uh, he does it on a regular basis, is if he is he's in the office a lot. He's he walks around a lot. He actually tries to come into each tour and just say hello, talk to people, find out where they're from, that kind of thing. And that was really cool. He did it in July, and then when we were sitting in there tasting, he came in and talked to us a little bit about you know, things and asked us where we were from. So it's really cool because if you go on these tours, I can maybe tell you one or two other times that the actual owner or master distiller has came out and talked with us. And both of those times it was on a very, very small, I mean small, you know, regional distillery. These guys just you know um distribute nationwide. So it was just a fun experience. At least I had fun. I I think you had a good time. I did, yeah. So um, but yeah, it's it's uh definitely worth the uh the price of admission, which in our case was free.
SPEAKER_02:Piggybacking off of what you said about whiskey row and a lot of our experiences, the neat thing about peerless is is they are actually uh distilling right there. So um they claim uh currently on whiskey row, they're the only ones who are um grained a bottle craft. They're calling themselves like a craft whiskey, which I really thought was really interesting. And so um, if you've never seen a peerless bottle, um one of the really interesting things is it's shaped after the pot still, or but not like Willet. Willet, if you've seen Willet, um it looks like a pot, um, like a you know pot still, but this was shaped for in honor of that, which I I thought I found very interesting. I like like I like that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, they are the full full operation there. That is the only place that they distill peerless, uh, you know, not like Mitchner's where it's distilled, but they also delivered a little distilling there. Full distillery right there. Uh, and they actually created their dis put their distillery in an old building that used to be, um, among other things, they used to um create, construct, produce, I guess would be the correct word, um, grain bags. So it's a really, really, really historic building. It's really kind of cool. Uh-oh, he's digging in the uh he's digging in the shelf. Uh, do you got a bottle of peerless up there? You do. Of course I do. Of course I do. That's probably the bottle we opened.
SPEAKER_02:This is the small batch um peerless uh gold top, uh peerless of stilling. Oops, sorry, there we go. I do have a bottle right there. Has it been opened? It is this one, actually, has not been opened, but the one that you and I took down to Kentucky a few years ago um was completely finished. So uh, but yes, this is peerless. This was not purchased on our trip. Um, this was um the sweet mash. No water added, barrel proof.
SPEAKER_01:But but everything peerless does is sweet mash. Correct. They don't do any sour mash, meaning they start their mash bill fresh every single time, which big big distilleries or most distilleries don't do that because they lose or you have an opportunity to lose consistency. So they they like to do the uh the sour mash sweet mash. They're starting, they don't bring any of the mash over from the the previous run. And so that's what gives um, I mean every run could be a little bit different.
SPEAKER_02:So now an audio. And I have I have the rye peerless.
SPEAKER_01:So uh look at you go. Yeah, buddy. Yes, sir. I don't have any peerless in my in my bar. Well, uh there's a way to try to. I can remedy that very easy, but that's correct.
SPEAKER_02:But uh the one that I tried there was the toasted, and oh man, that was good. I but uh we'll add that one to the list, maybe to add to the bar collection bar collection bar.
SPEAKER_01:Uh anyway.
SPEAKER_02:Um that was great. I I really enjoyed that tour. Thank you for uh working hard with the networking by getting us the tickets because not only did we get to take the tour, we got some tastings, which I told my wife I found a common theme about the tastings on Whiskey Row and Lexington, and it seems unfortunately it's about the money grab.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, that's that's the problem. Um, I mean at Peerlish, you got the tour, and and I don't mind paying for a tour and then getting the tastings, but we ran into a couple places where it's like, yeah, for$20, we'll give you a tasting. I'm I get it. Um I guess to an extent, and I'll pay a couple bucks for a tasting, but especially these smaller ones, I don't know anything about you got in the bottle. I don't want to pay$20 for a tasting. And to me, I just feel like, well, if I'm spending$20 on a tasting or you're charging me$20 on tasting, I kind of get the feeling that you're worried I'm not really gonna buy a bottle because it's not that good. Where if you go to like Buffalo Trace, they have no problem giving you a tasting because they know they got good stuff and and you'll buy a bottle and things like that. But I I don't know. I just feel like if you're if you want me to pay a lot for your tasting, you just don't feel you have a good product, and you're you know I won't buy a bottle of it. So that's for sure.
SPEAKER_02:That's that's that's what I was just giving Lauren some some pieces, but um so basic basically to let people know this is gonna be a two-part episode because we still got the rest of the weekend to talk about. What we didn't go home after that?
SPEAKER_01:No, well, no, we didn't. We went and we actually did some cycling and some sampling, and uh have a whole bunch of other stuff to uh to chat about. So um after we did all this, we then went back to Lexington, or we went to Lexington, about an hour away. The horse park got checked in, put up our camp so we could do it at uh in the daylight because we had uh we had reservations for a very interesting place. That's correct, which is I will say, two blocks down from Transylvania University. Real place. I didn't just make that up.
SPEAKER_02:I can confirm he's he's not lying there.
SPEAKER_01:I got pictures. So do we want to get into that now, or do we want to save that for next one? Well, because I got another uh listener spotlight.
SPEAKER_02:I'll tell you what.
SPEAKER_01:Why don't we talk about the spe the speakeasy and then and then get into the listener spotlight, and then episode two will be um yeah, we got some live clips and we've got some other things, and so yeah, I think we should we did get a lot of live clips, which will be cool, um, not just with us, but uh different areas and different situations, so it'll be kind of fun. We had a fireside chat, uh, which was actually literally by the fireside. Um, so we had reservations to go to the speakeasy, and I had found out about this when I had been there with my family, but I hadn't gone. It looked really cool. So I was like, Adam, I think we should do it. And he's of course, yes. Um, these folks take speakeasy to the 1930 version of speakeasy. So I'll let you explain and and set up the scenario here when we show up. All right.
SPEAKER_02:So first we park and we walk in, walk in, and it looks like a I don't know, it looked like like a there's no signs. No, no signs, it's a small stone building. And you I mean you pretty much either need to know it's there or have reservations, otherwise you would just walk right by.
SPEAKER_01:It's and it's right on the edge of commercial uh or retail areas, but then that the building next to it and the building across is like residential houses. So it's like looks like uh could be like uh you know some business that does warehouse, but there's no signs on the wall, you wouldn't even know it was a business. I guess is the point.
SPEAKER_02:So we take some pictures from the outside because you know we're We're tourists. So we walk in and and picture a room about five feet by sixteen feet of just books. Floor to ceiling. Book books. Shell books. You don't see a door, you don't see anything. It's just books. And there's a sign about real books. They were. You picked one up. You're like, huh?
SPEAKER_01:I could have could have took that and read it.
SPEAKER_02:So then we saw a sign about four inches by three inches that said, please ring bell. And so I'm looking around, and sure enough, behind me, like an old doorbell. It was right there, and I went hit it and went ding dong.
SPEAKER_01:This is a common theme. People tell us to do something, we just do it. Damn the consequences. We're just ring the bell. Okay. Hey, go down there to the elevator. Go. Wow. We are just waiting for crime to strike us because we'll just follow directions from strangers and signs.
SPEAKER_02:And you can hear the bell, um, and and it was behind a wall. At that point, I was like, okay, there's the magic. I wasn't. I mean, obviously, you could see where the building was before we walked in, but and then all of a sudden, a guy who looked like Harry Stiles came out and said, Literally, did I? I mean, he looked like Harry Stiles. He did. And and he came out and he said, Do you have reservations? And and we were like, like good tourists. Yes, yes, we have reservations. And he went back in and shut the door. We don't we don't like your kind. I'm like, well, okay, that didn't go as planned. And then he came out and he and he said 6 30. And we said 6 30. And then he shut the door again. Then he came out and he said, Okay, come this way. And once again, in a common theme of the weekend, I got assigned a bar stool. No, you two down here. And I actually confused you knew where to go. I said, Oh no, he meant here, and you're like, No, he meant here. And so with me, you were wrong. Oh, I was. I was right here recording. And so we sat down and um very interesting. I mean, you know, you asked me what I first thought, and when we got there, and oh she there was a there was a cocktail menu, but then uh Aubrey, who we met, um she started asking you what you liked, and you're like, Well, I I I don't know. I mean, let me see the menu, and then she's like, Well, is there a flavor you're looking for? And you just came right out and you said, if you say the word gin, I'm out. And then and so she explained that and you you you uh did something a little risque, and I'll let you talk about that. I went with something like um, I don't know, I guess they'd call it a belvedere, but it was cognac and and stag bourbon uh mixed together, and then what a presentation of like spritzing the top with vodka and just for for presentation and to kill the bubbles and um you know rock's glass and cube vice and uh what a cocktail. I mean, it was amazing. And you, sir, you you took a leap.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know me, I'm a high roller, as defined by the Edison at at Disney Springs. Oh, don't don't. Yeah, I have a coin to say that I'm a high roller. Okay, you know, light the bar on fire. I'm that guy that's like, give me the drink that's gonna, you know. Hey, they did light the bar on fire for me. But anyway, here um I couldn't figure out what I wanted, and there was this uh bartender's choice, dealer's choice, whatever. I think he called it bartender's choice. And uh I said, what's that all about? And she says, you tell us kind of what you're looking for and we'll make you a drink. And I was like, what the heck? Dealer's choice, I'm in. And uh, you know, I I explained, you know, I like the whiskeys, I like the bourbons, um, more into not rye. Um she already knew about the gin. Um, and I don't remember what she called it, but she, the other lady there made me this drink that was just incredible. And the presentation was so much part of it. I mean, number one, they had a cool everything in there is like wood. Ceilings are wood, wood beam, wood paneling. It it looks like a uh gentleman. Um, well I was gonna wait a minute, let me not say that. It looked like like a 1920s men's club. You know how they would like, oh, we go to the club and we smoke and we have our cognac and we talk about uh things of the day. You know, um dark wood, the bar was beautiful, uh, leather seats. Um there was it wasn't that big a place, but um it was just the presentation was incredible. There was one drink, and we get set at the bar, so they're like you know, making it right in front of us, and we'd be asking them questions. And there's one drink she would reach into this little thing with her tweezers, and she would put a put a dried rose in the middle, and another drink she put like three coffee beans in a little design thing, and she didn't get the one right, and she took it and threw it away and pulled out another one. And but it was just really cool. And uh the drink I had was fantastic. Um if they would have served food, which they didn't, she told me she could make me a gin drink that would change my mind. Um they didn't have food and I was getting hungry, and it's like last thing I want to do is try that on an empty stomach. So I I passed on that, but it did intrigue me. I would have if I went back, I would just walk in the door and dealer's choice, whatever.
SPEAKER_02:It was a really neat place.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, um they created the whole thing. I mean, you felt like the only thing missing was a little like slide thing on the door and having to have a password. Um, what would have been hilarious is you know, they have somebody pounding on the door dressed up like a 1930s cop yelling it's a bust. Uh but I mean, I've been to a lot of places that call themselves a speakeasy, and that is about as close to what I picture a 1930s speakeasy being like. You know, you ring a bell or whatever, a secret door opens up, and you go in and there's music and alcohol and well, what's better alcohol than the 1930s, but password. Do you know? I I was waiting for that guy to come out a third time. Do you have the password?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, no, he goes back in and shuts the door. I know, but uh every time the doorbell would ring from other people who had reservations, I'm like, it's the cops, and I it's the cops.
SPEAKER_01:So but it's a bust. But what's funny is they had a camera in there, so when the door rings is they could go over and they could see, you know, how many people were in the party and things like that. But uh yeah, it was it was a fun experience. I'm glad we went and did it.
SPEAKER_02:The one one of the neatest things for me is just you know, the reason why we do this show and the people we meet along the way and things that we do. We were sitting there and they were asking us, uh, two of the bartenders uh were asking us, Oh, what are you guys doing here? Are you here doing the bourbon? Like, well, actually, we're here doing the bourbon country burn, and she's like, Oh, yeah. And she's like, Your your ride is gonna take you right by my bike polo. And I was like, Oh, you do bike polo? And she's like, Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I said, Oh, we did we did an interview with this guy named Luke Box. And and she's like, Oh, yeah, I know Luke. And and and she's like, Oh, and she's like, I'd like to hear that. And she goes, Will you send it to the Lexington bike polo Instagram page? And I was like, Yeah, I could do that. She's like, Yeah, I'll give you a follow. And I don't know. I mean, sometimes when people tell me things, I just think maybe they're trying to be polite, they're trying to be nice, or whatever. I think we've gotten five hits off of that old episode since that time. Seriously. I know I've I've been watching it, and so um I'm like, okay, well, thank you very much. And so I sent the I you know, because each episode has a link, as you would expect, and and so I send the link to the Lexington bike poll. And while I'm on there, I look down and sure enough, I see the bartender's picture. I said, Hey, this is you, and she goes, Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so we're and Michael says, I don't think we have bike polo by us, and she goes, Yes, you do. And and I and I go, I don't think we have it in Michigan. She goes, Yes, you do. You have it in Grand Rapids, that's where the world championship was held. And I'm like, I'm gonna shut up now because I know nothing about bike polo.
SPEAKER_01:So now, what is funny about that story? Not only that she knew Luke, who we had done an interview with a couple years ago, um, because he runs a bike shop. Um but two years ago on the Bourbon Country Burn, we took the bike trail on Sunday morning to just do a short ride. And that is when they actually play polo, and we actually took the trail all the way down there, and I have pictures, and you have pictures, and we actually sat there and watched them for a while because it's the first time either of us had ever seen bicycle polo, and it's just it's kind of that big circle, you know, come back around. It's like, oh my gosh, we know exactly where you're talking about, where you play, because we've been there. Um she knew Luke, so it was like kind of that small world for sure.
SPEAKER_02:And I think in the next episode, we can get into you know the actual um bourbon country burn. We can get into our live spots. Um, but before we do that, I'd like to uh ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the second option of listener spotlight.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my god, you're like the people in open mic playing the slow music. Wake me up when you're done. Anyway, got a good one this time. You really need to pay attention. I'm ready. This town was a stereotypical Wild West town during the last half of the 19th century. Wild West, woo. Um today the town is still very big with cowboys. Uh, part of this town sets on a Native American reservation, and the Spanish were the first visitor, European visitors to this area. Um, more visitors followed with the discovery of gold in the mid-1800s. The town played an important role in the territory that it was located in. So there's some big hints. Uh Doc Holiday, you know, the dentist, gunslinger, gambler, enjoyed the company of one of this town's former residents. You're thinking St. Louis, I can tell. Um the historic the historical downtown area in this city uh would put a big smile on Adam's face. You got that? Got it. And presidential ambitions were sparked in this town. There you go. The historical downtown area in this city would put a big smile on your face, sir.
SPEAKER_02:You were absolutely right when you said I was thinking St. Louis. You're absolutely right. You know what I was thinking? I have no idea. It is definitely not St. Louis.
SPEAKER_01:I was gonna say, how is he getting the Spanish first visited the area? Okay, I could maybe go with that going up the Mississippi. I do not remember gold ever being discovered anywhere close to St. Louis. No, that's what I was thinking. I I don't I'm gonna guess Doc Holiday came through St. Louis because he was from the the wet or the from the east, but I think he just passed through. He probably had a dental convention there. Yeah, he didn't really want to be a dentist. But then his health, he wanted to be a dentist. He really did historical fact. Doc Holiday wanted to be a dentist, and he was a dentist back in Boston or somewhere like that. Uh he was very good at it. The problem with it is, is he got um what do you have, emphysema or whatever. And um he was always coughing all the time. And so who wants to go to a dentist? Well, they got your mouth open and they're doing this, they're hacking away and stuff like that. It wasn't emphysema, it was the other uh the other lung disease consumption or something. But so he wanted to be a dentist, but people didn't want to hang out with a dentist who was always, you know, coughing and sickly. So then he moved out west. Got him some cards, got him a gun.
SPEAKER_02:And uh it was a dry heat. He didn't have to cough out there.
SPEAKER_01:That was the idea back in those days. Um, is if you went into a dry climate and the dry, you know, no humid, you know, lacked humidity and stuff that that would that would in fact help you. Well, it didn't, but I uh it's not St. Louis. Thank you very much. One of these days I'm gonna do St. Louis, and you're not gonna guess St. Louis. You're like, I'm so sick and tired of saying St. Louis, and then it's gonna be St. Louis.
SPEAKER_02:No, I think I I think I might catch on.
SPEAKER_01:No, because you know what? Here's the problem. I know what you know about St. Louis, and I will make sure I avoid those topics.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:So see, it's kind of spiked against you, but maybe I'm wrong. I'm not gonna bring up, you know. Um about the airport, who used to fly out of that airport, anything like that? My father. Your dad? Well, no, that would make it too easy. But somebody before your dad, very famous, flew out of that airport. Lindbergh? Charles Lindbergh. In fact, they have uh the old spirit of well, not the, but a replica. At least I used to hanging in that airport. I know. So anyway, there you have it.
SPEAKER_02:We'll we'll see what that answer is. Ladies and gentlemen, we will get part two out, which will put us right back on track. So um question being what did we really do at the Bourbon Country Burn?
SPEAKER_01:How far did we ride? What whiskies did we try? And who did we meet up with? Rather famous. And the bigger question that needs to be answered is I got something super special that I'm gonna share on the next episode. It's cool.
SPEAKER_02:I agree that it's cool, and I think that's a good teaser. But before we go, I have one thing. Do you know who Joe Grammar, Emery Norris, Dennis Keeler, Scott Garwick, and Alex Bell are?
SPEAKER_01:I do. You do? These are four, yeah, these are five people who have at least once been kicked out of a red lobster. Um I don't know. I mean I don't know where I came up with that at, but yeah, it could be.
SPEAKER_02:That would be a good what from eating too many of the cheese biscuits.
SPEAKER_01:Uh no, probably from getting a little carried away on the bottomless shrimp thing that they used to have or the endless shrimp.
SPEAKER_02:Oh gosh, I remember that when my parents, uh my dad We're gonna have to ask you guys and ladies to leave. My dad was at Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, Illinois, just down the road from Lamberts International Airport, where that Spirit of Livingston plane was. And I remember the endless shrimp. Um, but I remember going there, and then it was supposed to be endless, and after like three plates, they're like, Okay, well, thank you for coming. Like, whoa, whoa, whoa. No.
SPEAKER_01:So which in the last five years is what's caused uh Red Lobster to uh run into some financial problems, is or you know, having too many uh all you can eat type things.
SPEAKER_02:But Joe Grammer, Emery Norris, Dennis Keeler, Scott Garwick, and Alex Bell are VIPs. They are monthly supporters, and and we thank them. You can be just like them multiple different ways.
SPEAKER_01:You can get kicked out of a red lobster.
SPEAKER_02:That's one. Yeah, you could be just as cool as all five of them are, and you could be just like them by being a sponsor of Cycling Men of Leisure, the Road Adventure podcast. Our our show uh helps uh actually we gave it all back to Bragg, our Bragg team. But but uh um it's okay.
SPEAKER_01:We're not here to make money.
SPEAKER_02:No, but helping us.
SPEAKER_01:We just don't want to have to spend thousands of dollars to produce the show and all that.
SPEAKER_02:So and if you can't do that, I'm begging you, wherever you listen to your podcast, could you please please leave us a review? It helps the show get caught in algorithms. Um, every review that is left, believe it or not, helps things get picked up. And so uh if your finances are like, buddy, I ain't paying you, I'm just listening to you. Okay, I get it. But if you could just spend a little bit of time and leave us a review, I'd thank you. I I was caught in an algorithm once, it was bad. Yeah, you had to change the tires.
SPEAKER_01:You're like, oh my god.
SPEAKER_02:Ladies and gentlemen, with that being said, we did have a great day for a bike ride. We did indeed.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for coming along with Adam and Michael on road adventures with cycling men of leisure. If you have enjoyed this, please subscribe to the show on the podcast app of your choice.
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
