Life Behind Bars with Noah Rothbaum & David Wondrich

Life Behind Bars with Noah Rothbaum & David Wondrich

Life Behind Bars, which is hosted by the Daily Beast’s Half Full editor Noah Rothbaum and its legendary columnist David Wondrich, allows listeners to be flies on the wall as two of the world’s foremost drinks experts talk about cocktails and spirits. It is a mix of engaging stories and historical facts about the greatest bartenders and drinks of all time. In 2018, it won the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for the world's best drinks podcast.Please drink responsibly.

Episodes

The Past, Present & Future of Gin - Life Behind Bars: The Oxford Companion

December 30, 2021 • 35 mins
Gin has been a bartending fixture for hundreds of years and stars in countless famous cocktail recipes.    On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum talk about gin’s roots and how the spirit has evolved and kept current for centuries—including during the modern cocktail renaissance. Sebastien Derbomez, manager of brand advocacy for William Grant & Sons, joins in...
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The Birth of Luxury Spirits - Life Behind Bars: The Oxford Companion

December 30, 2021 • 22 mins
The launch of Grand Marnier in the late 1800s helped to establish a new standard for luxury liquor brands. The Cognac-and-orange liqueur also inspired the creation of several delicious cocktails, including the original version of the Bijou.    On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the origin of Grand Marnier, why citrus was so sought-after at the time, and the impor...
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How the Margarita Became a Cocktail Sensation - Life Behind Bars: The Oxford Companion

December 30, 2021 • 24 mins
Everyone has heard at least one story about how the Margarita came to be—at last count, there were seven credible origin stories.   On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum explore the possible stories behind the Margarita’s invention, as well as a groundbreaking advertising campaign by José Cuervo that made the drink a household name. This discussion is inspired by ent...
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La Dolce Vita The Birth of Italian Cocktails - Life Behind Bars: The Oxford Companion

December 23, 2021 • 27 mins
The Negroni and the Americano are perennial favorites of professional and amateur bartenders around the world. But when were these classic cocktail recipes created? And how did Italy’s bar culture become a sensation?    On this special episode of Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum delve into the backstory of these drinks and the important cocktail connection between America and Italy. T...
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A Look Inside the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails - Life Behind Bars: The Oxford Companion

December 23, 2021 • 10 mins
For nearly ten years, Life Behind Bars co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum have been working on a special project: The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails.   A few weeks ago, the nearly 900-page book debuted with more than 1,100 entries from 150 contributors. On this special episode, Wondrich and Rothbaum take you behind the scenes of this massive book to talk about how it came to be and how they put it toge...
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The Past, Present and Future of Rye Whiskey - Life Behind Bars Live

November 17, 2021 • 31 mins
Rye whiskey beguiles the palate with a range of slow-to-reveal flavors. The same could be said of the spirit’s long and complex history, which continues to delight (and frustrate) modern distillers, historians and journalists.   On this special live episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum assemble a panel of rye-whiskey luminaries: Nicole Austin, general manager an...
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The Next Cocktail Frontier? Smaller Cities - Life Behind Bars

October 21, 2021 • 43 mins
The rebirth of the cocktail started in big cities, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. But over the last few years, smaller markets have arguably made the biggest bartending strides.   On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by chef Cheetie Kumar and bartender John Gertsen from the acclaimed restaurant Garland in Raleigh, North ...
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The Next Cocktail Book Collecting Obsession - Life Behind Bars

September 29, 2021 • 39 mins
People have been writing about drinks as long as they’ve been enjoying them. And with the rebirth of the cocktail during the last 20 years, prices for vintage drinks books have risen dramatically and bargains are much harder to find.    On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by two experts—antiquarian bookseller Lizzy Young and Oxford...
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Rebuilding an Irish Single Malt Whiskey Powerhouse - Life Behind Bars

September 22, 2021 • 30 mins
Single malt Irish whiskey is in distiller Darryl McNally’s blood. His ancestors made the historic spirit for centuries in Ireland. Now he’s trying to rebuild his family’s Limavady distillery at the northern tip of the island. On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by McNally to talk about his project and his new sherry cask–finished...
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The Canned Cocktails Craze: Are They Here to Stay? - Life Behind Bars

September 2, 2021 • 32 mins
From bartenders to craft spirits brands to liquor behemoths, everyone seems to be launching a new canned cocktail these days.    On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by acclaimed Half Full columnist Wayne Curtis to discuss the historic roots of these pre-mixed beverages. (Spoiler alert: They’ve been around in some form for about 150 years...
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Bourbon’s Newfound Star Power: Andy Roddick and Peyton Manning - Life Behind Bars

August 25, 2021 • 33 mins
Forget wine. Forget vodka. Forget tequila. Celebrities are starting American whiskey brands.    Over the last few years, quite a few professional athletes, actors and musicians began selling bourbon or rye. Is a whiskey brand the new ultimate celebrity status symbol?    On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by retired tennis champion A...
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The Good, the Bad & the Ugly—The Long Island Iced Tea - Life Behind Bars

August 19, 2021 • 24 mins
Whether you love it or hate it, it’s hard to escape the Long Island Iced Tea.    The enduringly popular guilty pleasure—which calls for a potent combination of white spirits, triple sec, sweet and sour mix, and cola—was invented in a bar on New York’s Long Island for a cocktail competition. It first became a sensation in clubs and bars around the area and then across the country. Ultimately, it bec...
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The Search for the World’s Fastest Bartender - Life Behind Bars

August 8, 2021 • 35 mins
It’s hard enough to make a round of four delicious classic cocktails on a slow night for a couple of regulars. Now imagine trying to make them on stage in front of a screaming crowd for a group of prestigious judges prepared to critique them—out loud.   This scenario, which is the stuff of nightmares for many, describes the global and charitable all-female cocktail competition Speed Rack. It’s not all about c...
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Nick Offerman is Living his Best Scotch Life - Life Behind Bars

July 22, 2021 • 34 mins
Nick Offerman should not be confused with Ron Swanson, the character he played on the hit show Parks and Recreation. But the two share at least one thing in common: A love for Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky.    On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, Offerman joins co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum to talk about the latest Offerman Edition of Lagavulin, the possibility of a whiskey barr...
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What Do Bars Do Now? - Life Behind Bars

July 7, 2021 • 39 mins
It’s been one hell of a year for bartenders and bar owners.    Now that America is starting to reopen, bars are trying to navigate this new post-COVID world while dealing with industry burn-out, labor shortages, evolving business plans and changing drink trends.    On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the changing landscape for the...
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The Future of Craft Whiskey is Hyper-Local Ingredients - Life Behind Bars

June 24, 2021 • 42 mins
Can the flavor of a whiskey reflect the place where it’s made? How about the people who produced it?   Distillers around the globe are exploring the idea of terroir, experimenting with locally grown heirloom grains, and making barrels from regional species of oak. On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss this movement and its feasibility with Half Fu...
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Does the Type of Cocktail Glass You Use Really Matter? - Life Behind Bars

June 14, 2021 • 26 mins
The Martini is the most famous drink. Its signature glass is equally iconic and perhaps even more ubiquitous.    But the world of cocktail glassware is vast and there are all kinds of supposed rules for using each style and type. So where did all of these traditions and customs come from? And does it actually matter if you use an elegant coupe or a jam jar for your Daiquiri?    On this episode of the award-winni...
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Mission Impossible: Reinventing the Piña Colada - Life Behind Bars

June 1, 2021 • 29 mins
Love it or hate it, the Piña Colada is one of the most popular cocktails in the world. But it’s been largely forgotten by craft bartenders.   On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum are joined by tropical drinks expert Jeff “Beachbum” Berry from acclaimed New Orleans bar Latitude 29. The three talk about the history of the Piña Colada, its rise ...
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Christopher Kimball & the Grateful Dead School of Bartending - Life Behind Bars

May 19, 2021 • 29 mins
Nobody has ever accused Milk Street founder Christopher Kimball of being indifferent.    Viewers of his acclaimed PBS television show and readers of his newsletter and books are accustomed to his strong opinions on cooking and ingredients, as well as his fascinating stories of eating and drinking around the world.   On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, Kimball joins co-hosts David Wondrich a...
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The Secret History of Bourbon - Life Behind Bars

May 5, 2021 • 37 mins
From important still designs to the real reason why distillers began charring barrels, many important details of bourbon history are often missing from modern accounts of the spirit.   On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum talk about some of the most interesting American whiskey discoveries they have made over the years—including six varieties of so-calle...
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