S3 E18 Bob's Holiday Top Ten

In this festive holiday edition of Cocktails with Friends, Bob Cutler slides up to the mic with a jolly "ho ho ho," ready to make gift-buying easier for friends, family, and cocktail lovers alike. Bob is making a list and checking it twice then counting down his Top Ten Holiday Gifts—the items he'd give listeners if they were invited to his house for Christmas -- or the eighth night of Hanukkah.

Key Topics

Building the Perfect Home Bar

Bob's list breaks down the essential tools—from glassware to jiggers to ice molds—that turn a casual drinker into a confident home bartender.

Flavor Enhancers & Creative Ingredients

Holiday maple syrups, bitters, and cocktail decks help listeners explore new recipes, deepen flavor profiles, and add festive flair to classics.

Gifts That Bring People Together

Whether it's a Novio's gift card or a well-stocked cocktail kit, Bob focuses on gifts that create shared experiences—drinks, conversations, and celebrations.

Links

10. Proper Glass Wear at https://sunburys.com/#enter

9. https://runamokmaple.com/products/holiday-spice-infused-maple-syrup

8. Bitters at https://highcampflasks.com/products/high-camp-bitters

7. https://www.deathandcompanymarket.com/products/death-co-bartenders-choice-cocktail-cards

6. https://cocktailkingdom.com/products/leopold-jigger-1oz-2oz-stainless-steel-banded

5. https://cocktailkingdom.com/products/2in-square-ice-cube-tray-food-grade-rubber-gray

4. https://www.deathandcompanymarket.com/products/cocktail-codex

3. Novio's Bistro Gift Cards from https://noviosbistro.com/

2. https://highcampflasks.com/products/torch-flask?variant=49491641532692

1. https://cocktailkingdom.com/products/essential-cocktail-set-stainless-steel

S3 E17 Novio's Radio Bob's Birthday Broadcast

Bob Cutler celebrates his final day as a FORTY-NINE-year-old with eggnog prep tips, a year-old barrel-aged Boulevardier, and a clarified chocolate-orange Boulevardier—mixing laughter, chemistry, whiskey lore, and birthday joy live on the George Hale–Ric Tyler Show.

Key Topics

Aging and Transformation

From eggnog that develops depth over weeks to a Boulevardier mellowed for a full year in oak, the episode explores how time, temperature, and chemistry reshape flavor, texture, and aroma.

Creativity in Cocktail Building

Bob breaks down how to manipulate sweetness, bitterness, and aromatic structure—using clarified milk, orange liqueur, and barrel influence—to construct both traditional and playful holiday drinks.

Celebration and Connection

This broadcast is as much about friendship and milestone moments as cocktails. Turning FIFTY becomes the backdrop for laughter, storytelling, and sincere appreciation for shared rituals.

(0:29–0:55) Bob opens the birthday broadcast, arriving at the station with bottles and bar gear and teasing his two-drink celebration.

(2:23–3:07) Eggnog "prep season" explained—rum, cognac, bourbon, eggs, cream—and why aging transforms the drink into something silky and smooth.

(5:58–7:32) First cocktail: a one-year barrel-aged Boulevardier pulled from Bob's basement, mellowed by oak and darker in color.

(9:05–10:11) Second cocktail: a chocolate-orange Boulevardier clarified with chocolate milk, leaving bright flavor and a clear appearance.

(12:15–12:37) A discussion of whiskey palates—how women often detect deeper notes in rye and why Annie out-noses Bob on certain spirits.

S3 E16 Après All Day | Tara Lindley High West Distillery

In this Après All Day episode, Bob Cutler and Rich Stoner warm up with pours of A Midwinter Night's Dram—Bob with Act 9, Rich with Act 7—before welcoming Tara Lindley, High West Distillery's Director of Sensory & New Product Development. The trip explore Tara's journey from Napa to Park City, the art and science of rye-and-port-barrel finishing, the evolution of each Midwinter release, and the magic behind High West's après culture, parties, cocktails, and upcoming new products.

Key Topics

The Art of Finishing & Blending

Tara explains how Midwinter is crafted like a "whiskey vintage"—balancing ruby and tawny port barrels, evaluating every barrel by nose, and blending to create seasonal warmth, complexity, and evolving notes from jammy fruit to dark fig as it matures.

High West's Culture of Creativity

From experimental single-barrel beginnings to new finishing barrels from Europe, High West embraces innovation. The brand continues expanding with cask-strength offerings, revived core whiskeys like Rendezvous and Campfire, and a renewed commitment to adventurous blending.

Après Ski Identity & Community

The distillery's identity is rooted in après culture—old fashioneds after skiing, whimsical Midwinter parties, mountain-town life, and the shared joy of whiskey in cold seasons. Tara highlights how hospitality, sensory craft, and community all shape the High West experience.

(1:56–2:25) Bob welcomes listeners and Rich recaps ski-media events in NYC, including tasting the newest Act 13 of Midwinter Night's Dram.

(3:05–3:18) Tara joins the show—High West's Director of Sensory & New Product Development.

(4:03–5:30) Tara explains her path from Napa winemaking to landing at High West Distillery in Utah.

(8:05–9:52) The trio take a deep dive into Midwinter's blend: High West + MGP rye, finished in ruby/tawny port barrels with changing yearly ratios.

(19:14–19:52) Tara previews new High West releases, including a cask-strength bourbon and upcoming BourRye blend.