Episode 200 - David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum on "The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails"

In this wide-ranging conversation with Noah Rothbaum and David Wondrich, some of the topics we cover include: How Dave transitioned from English professor, to Esquire columnist, to full-fledged cocktail historian, and how that journey brought him to collaborate with Noah at The Daily Beast and on their current Oxford Companion project. The difference between writing about spirits and cocktails in the early 2000s vs. today, and how our relationship to "The Truth" (in quotes here) is different than it was during those early days of our great cocktail revival. Why long-form booze writing has (paradoxically) spawned a lot of attention and accolades in today's age of listicles and tweet threads. And how conducting historical research is very similar to noodling for catfish. Along the way, we discuss why Beachbum Berry can't stand the Pina Colada, where Dave hid that lump of Ambergris he's been missing for the past several years, the merits of a good rum punch, and much, much more. This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life. Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.