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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 more than a thank‑you. The night hums with games, laughter, and a serious purpose as Crown Royal’s hand‑painted single barrels tour Detroit, raising funds and awareness alongside care‑bag drives.

Jim—26 years across the Army and Navy—pulls back the curtain on Mission Roll Call’s model: connect locally, amplify nationally, and keep veteran issues on the desks that matter. He walks us through how the Detroit art scene brought twenty barrels to life, why each event invites guests to donate nonperishables, and where you can see and bid on the pieces that might redefine your home bar. We share the stops, the links, and the easy ways to get involved right now.

Between sips, we explore mindful options with Little Saints’ zero‑proof line, including Saint Oak’s old fashioned profile built on lion’s mane, reishi, and Damiana—rich flavor without the alcohol. Then we dive into the cocktail program that makes this hidden room sing: Smoke and Mirrors, a smoked old fashioned with Bulleit 10 Year, fig, orange, and bitters; Code Black, weaving Johnnie Walker Black with espresso and amaro; and Classified, a crisp, layered blend of vodka and aromatized wines with Meyer lemon. Tony’s vision anchors it all—a back bar curated over years, multiple expressions for true tasting flights, branded garnishes, and a QR‑driven list that turns curiosity into discovery.

Come for the secret bar. Stay for the veterans it uplifts. Tap play, share with a friend who loves Detroit, whiskey, or good causes, and drop a review so more people can find the show. Then tell us: which cocktail—or barrel—would you claim for your own?

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Jamie Flanagan @DJJamieDetroit

Matt Fox @fox_beazlefox

August Gitschlag @rawgusto

Merch www.WearingFunny.com

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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, and debate kicks off about proof, finish, and whether banana means Jack or something sneakier. The best part isn’t being right; it’s how a room full of notes sharpens your own.

From there, we move into holiday-hosting reality. Picture a house that’s seen forty-plus at dinner, a bar that has to move fast, and a menu that keeps guests happy without burying you in prep. We road-test a Grand Marnier Old Fashioned—bourbon split with orange cognac liqueur, bitters riding shotgun, a Luxardo cherry when you want depth over peel—and dial the ratios so the bourbon still sings. Pair it with one bright spritz and you’ve got a complete, flexible playbook that turns a busy day into effortless hospitality.

Along the way we get honest about collecting and taste: why high-proof bottles are fun to try but not always the bottles you live with, how to build a shelf you actually pour from, and what makes a drink memorable: balance, intention, and a table that welcomes everyone. We also zoom out to creative work: keeping a podcast consistent, defining goals before gear, and curating an Irish music stream that respects real artists in an age of AI shortcuts. It’s all connected—taste, trust, and the communities we build around them.

Raise a glass with us, steal a cocktail idea, and join the conversation. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a friend who loves bourbon, and leave a quick review to help more whiskey fans find us. Cheers.

Support the show

https://linktr.ee/ManCaveHappyHour

www.ManCaveHappyHour.com

Jamie Flanagan @DJJamieDetroit

Matt Fox @fox_beazlefox

August Gitschlag @rawgusto

Merch www.WearingFunny.com

Send us a text

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 secure bottles worth opening. If you’ve ever felt burned by Michigan pricing or baffled by allocations, this conversation maps a smarter path from shelf envy to satisfying sips.

We start with the local reality—tight distribution and wild price swings across the Ohio line—then explore why club barrel picks deliver more value than camping for drops. Jerry walks us through the group’s process: 20-plus barrels a year, private blind flights, and a priority system that rewards participation without becoming elitist. Along the way we taste through an eight-year Old Louisville (Bardstown distillate) packed with brown sugar and spice, a Four Roses OBSV with high-rye bite and fruit-forward lift, and a standout Stagg single barrel that converted a skeptic. The crescendo is a generous pour of the 2025 George T. Stagg at 142.8 proof—dense cocoa, dried fruit, and an absurdly long finish with no nose-burn theatrics.

Expect practical wisdom you can use right away: how temperature and glass size change viscosity and aroma, why blind tasting beats label worship, what Four Roses recipes actually signal on the palate, and how to be the kind of customer stores want to call for special picks. More than anything, it’s a reminder that the best bottle is the one you share. When community meets curation, even hazmat-proof whiskey becomes welcoming.

If you love whiskey stories, crave better barrel picks, or want a clearer path through the allocation maze, you’ll feel right at home here. Hit follow, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave a review with your favorite single barrel of the year—we might feature it on a future tasting. Cheers.

Support the show

https://linktr.ee/ManCaveHappyHour

www.ManCaveHappyHour.com

Jamie Flanagan @DJJamieDetroit

Matt Fox @fox_beazlefox

August Gitschlag @rawgusto

Merch www.WearingFunny.com