Hello Seekers!

It's a new month, so a new mini-season of topics!

Since it's December and the holidays are right around the corner, I'\m going to stick with "weird holiday histories and traditions."

First on our list comes straight out of the Alpine regions of Northern Europe - Krampus and Grýla.

In the mountains of Austria and the lava fields of Iceland, the gifts the winter spirits came with were horns, claws and a very clear message: behave....or else!

Hello Seekers!

Today we are pulling the curtain back on one of the holiday's most traditional and beloved drinks, Eggnog and its filthu cousin, the Tom & Jerry.

Rife with bacteria, potentially poisoned by disgruntled family members and the cause of one of the largest (and most hilarious) riots in U.S. military history, I present to you, the final installment of our mini-series, Nightcap Noire: The Hidden Crimes Behind Holiday Cocktails.

Be careful this holiday season (especially when it comes to imbibing) and thanks for getting weird with me,

-Jess

Hello Seekers!

This week, in our podcast mini-series, Nightcap Noire - The Dark History Behind Your Favorite Cocktails, we are taking a gander at the infamous Ward 8. A drink that somehow managed to survive longer than the political system that created it.

Old-guard Bostonians liked to hole themselves up in Locke-Ober; a formal, male-only dine and drinks establishment that has a reputation for haughty exclusivity. The fact that a drink created and named after Martin Lomasney's blue-collar ward made it onto the Locke-Ober menu caused some folks suspect that something suss was happening down at the ballot boxes.

Lomasney's Ward 8 district operated on favors: If he helped you, you voted for him.

Thus, an amazing cocktail that has stood the test of time and proven it has a right to be served at any bar it wants was born.