Category: Behind the Booze – Interviews

The Boozy Blondes love their boozy friends! These episodes are interviews of brewery owners, brewers, sales and marketing professionals, booze lovers and boozy entrepreneurs!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 3

Episode 067 – Tales of the Cocktail Interview: Mozart Chocolate Liqueur with Carina Planeta, Jenny Manger, Brandi Toomer, Ashely Ott

The Boozy Blondes

It’s the first interview of the Tales of the Cocktail mini series! If you are unfamiliar with Tales of the Cocktail, be sure to listen to Episode 066 where Chrissy explains the ins and outs of this booze lover’s paradise!

In this episode Chrissy sits down with the Mozart Chocolate Liqueur team at Tales of the Cocktail. Mozart Chocolate Liqueur is an Austrian brand combining the best of two worlds: chocolate & spirit. WARNING. This episode will absolutely make you want to run out and buy a bottle (or all expressions of the brand)! Try to not say “mmm” or “oh my God” out loud while you listen (Molly certainly did)!

Mozart Chocolate Liqueur was purchased by Marussia Beverages in 2016 and since that time has tripled its sales! If you are like the Boozy Blondes and completely “squirrel” when you see shiny, pretty things, you’ve definitely noticed these beautiful bottles before!

In this episode Chrissy introduces listeners to Carina Planeta (Senior Brand Manager), Jenny Manger (Portfolio Director Marussia Beverages USA), Brandi Toomer (South Central Regional Sales Manager at Marussia Beverages USA) and Ashely Ott (Savona Communications). Learn about Mozart Chocolate Liqueur, find out how they got into the industry, and get hear about their favorite drinks and bars!

The group samples some of Mozart’s expressions, starting with the Dark Chocolate and Coconut. I think it’s safe to say Molly wasn’t jealous at all missing this tasting! Since she’s writing this blog, she hopes the sarcasm translates here…Putting her FOMO feelings aside, she predicts a fun night with the Chocolate Coconut Cookie Monster cocktail in her future made with both!

Also, these are both lactose-free so Chrissy can indulge as well. The newest expression is the Coconut Chocolate, which is a balanced, refreshingly light taste and an exotic aroma of coconut combined with a Caribbean note. Coconut Chocolate is characterized by a creamy consistency and a nutty, mildly fresh taste. You know how much the girls love cruising in the Caribbean, so this was 100% made for them! Follow this link and scroll down to see mouth-watering suggested cocktail recipes with the Coconut Chocolate. The girls recommend adding it to a pina colada or even a latte!

Mozart Coconut Bahama Mama
Mozart Coconut Colada
Mozart Coconut Iced Latte

One of the questions Chrissy asks the team is recommendations for places to drink in their hometowns and in NOLA. If you’re visiting any of these places, be sure to check them out!

Carina | Vienna, Austria
The Restaurant in the Bank – Instagram
Josef Cocktail Bar – Instagram
Her NOLA rec is Five’s Bar. You can also follow them on Instagram!

Jenny | Lake Ariel, PA
Nurnberger Bier Haus (be sure to order Bob’s Chocolate Martini) – Instagram
Her NOLA rec is Fritzel’s. You can follow them on Instagram too!

Brandi | Houston
Anvil – check them out on Instagram!

Ashley recommends the NOLA Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone – one of the Boozy Blondes’ faves! She says to order a Ramos Gin Fizz here! Follow them on Instagram!

Chrissy recommends Lafitte’s! If you’ve listened to Episode 061, you heard all about this gem!

The Boozy Blondes are so thankful the girls took time to sit down and chat with Chrissy and share their amazing brand with you, our listeners! If you’re interested in purchasing any of these indulgent expressions (and how can you not be after listening to this episode?!), you can buy them here! Chances are you can find different expressions at your local liquor store too! Fun fact, Cream Chocolate, aka “liquid chocolate,” is the top seller.

Share your recipes and reactions to these decadent liquors with the Boozy Blondes by sending them an email or a DM on Instagram!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 046 | Behind the Booze – Ohh Wtr with Harold Perez Mendoza

The Boozy Blondes

Time to hydrate, lushes! This episode is all about water. But not just any water – Ohh Wtr. Ohh Wtr is purified water by reverse osmosis and reconstructed with the essential minerals for body nutrition. It’s icy water made with a secret recipe of refreshing sensation enhancers and created by the Boozy Blondes’ good friend Harold Perez Mendoza.

After touring Cerveceria la Tropical in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida, the girls chatted with Harold about his creation Ohh Wtr. (You can listen to Harold’s interview about all things Cerveceria la Tropical in Episode 038!) Thank goodness he let them sample Ohh Wtr because the girls needed to rehydrate for sure!

The biggest surprise is the sneaky sensation that hits you after you take a sip. This minty pleasure is a “sensation,” not a flavor or additive. You definitely feel refreshed after enjoying this drink because of that sensation along with all the minerals added for hydration benefits!

Available in still and sparkling varieties, be sure to follow Ohh Wtr on Instagram.

Listen to this episode and get swept away learning about this hydration sensation launched in December 2022 with the Boozy Blondes and Harold – cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 042 | Behind the Booze – Napa South Interview with Tracey Sutton

The Boozy Blondes

Napa South Wine Bar in Clayton, Georgia, merges two wine worlds for the vino lovers – Napa Valley, California wines meet southern wines. The Boozy Blondes love their wine, and Chrissy found her home away from home when we stumbled upon this new bar in the heart of downtown Clayton. She ventured here three times during her visit to the north Georgia mountains!

It’s no surprise Chrissy is sipping on wine as the DOE. She enjoys a glass of Dark Horse Red Blend while she chats with Tracey about Napa South and how her dream of opening a wine bar became a reality just a few months before this interview – Napa South opened its doors September 2022!

Tracey and her husband moved to Clayton, Georgia, from northern California during the pandemic in 2020. Having a great deal of love, knowledge and experience with Napa Valley wines, Tracey wanted to bring these varieties to Georgia while also showcasing southern wines. Every two months she shakes up the offerings with four new Napa Valley wines and four new southern wines, which guests can enjoy by the glass, by the bottle or in a flight!

Napa South is open every day of the week (except Wednesdays) so locals and visitors have a place to go on the traditionally quieter days of the week, like Mondays and Tuesdays. In addition to wine, they offer beer, sparking cocktails and small plates with an ever-evolving menu. Both Chrissy and Tracey chose the Napa Nachos as their favorite menu item.

There is no shortage of events at Napa South like Hometown Tuesdays and The Sunday Sip! Be sure to follow Napa South on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest news and releases.

Future plans for Napa South include building an outdoor deck area. And the best part is, there are three lofts available for rent right above Napa South – what could be better than visiting Clayton with a wine bar just below your room? The Boozy Blondes can definitely get behind that kind of wine cellar!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 041 | Behind the Booze – Interview with Hard Cider Guys, Adrian Luna and AJ Ricafranca

The Boozy Blondes

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The Boozy Blondes are thrilled to interview a pair of their boozy idols, Adrian and AJ of Hard Cider Guys! The Hard Cider Guys have supported the Boozy Blondes from their inception, and the girls appreciate the love and positivity so much! They learned a lot in this interview – the Hard Cider Guys have so much knowledge about the cider industry, listeners are guaranteed to learn a lot and maybe even have a new appreciation for cider – the blondes sure do.

It’s no surprise the DOE is cider. Chrissy chose Bold Rock Hard Cider made with apples from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Molly drank Congaree and Penn Farm Cider out of Jacksonville, Florida. The guys drank Burnt Mills Semi-Dry Hard Cider out of New Jersey.

Get to know Adrian and AJ and how their shared love of jujitsu and cider turned into a life-long friendship and blew up online! During the pandemic they guys started vlogging, reviewing ciders. Then they began to visit cideries and offered owners free promotion on social media. After a while, asking to be invited turned into cideries inviting them.

If you have ever wanted to build a strong brand and online presence, listen to this episode. The guys’ dedication to consistently create content is incredibly admirable. When it comes to The Boozy Blondes and Hard Cider Guys, all agree the time spent together is invaluable, but keeping up with your brand is demanding – but fun!

Many preconceived notions about ciders are that they are sweet. Which appeals to some, but not to others (like the Boozy Blondes). The guys explain many mass-produced ciders you find on shelves is of the sweeter variety, but if you’re looking for something more on the dry side, find a craft cidery and try their product. For example, it took AJ five tries before he warmed up to ciders!

For cider lovers, the annual event CiderCon is for you! Adrian was fortunate to attend the 2022 CiderCon through a scholarship he won – Cider Scholarship for BIPOC Beverage Professionals! This annual event brings beverage professionals together to enjoy workshops, classes, parties, networking.

While the Hard Cider Guys have quite the portfolio of cideries, Angry Orchard and Keel & Curley Farms rank high on the bucket list. (Listen to Boozy Blondes Episode 009 Keel & Curley Farm to learn more about this winery, brewery and restaurant!)

Future plans for this duo is to sometime open a bar dedicated to all the cideries the guys visited over the years. The girls definitely approve of these future plans! Follow the guys and all their adventures on Instagram and YouTube

Adrian Instagram and his Gym Instagram and Training Wheels Podcast

AJ Instagram

Hard Cider Guys YouTube Channel

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 040 | Behind the Booze – Field Drinker Interview with Tanya Nash

The Boozy Blondes

If you’ve been listening to the Boozy Blondes podcast, chances are you’ve heard the girls talk about their drinker in the field, Tanya Nash! Tanya is constantly out and about, exploring new breweries and fun bars, and she always reports back to the blondes. Tanya’s professional bio even states, Her bucket list includes “traveling around the world to find that perfect craft beer.”

In this episode Molly interviews Tanya while out in the field (aka Tanya’s field drinker workspace). They are actually enjoying drinks before their flight at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. The DOE is a double Captain and ginger beer for Molly and Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing (6.7% IPA) for Tanya.

Listen in and learn more about Tanya and the important qualities it takes to be a good field drinker. This short but sweet episode is a rapid Fast Five with this boozy brunette.

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 039 | Behind the Booze – Pour Another Round Podcast Interview with Cameron Teske and Jonathan Eckelberg

The Boozy Blondes

The Boozy Blondes interview their boozy doppelgängers in this episode of the Boozy Blondes Podcast! Cameron Teske and Jonathan Eckelberg are the creators and hosts of Pour Another Round podcast, and they like beer! Pour Another Round is a podcast by beer lovers, for beer lovers with beer creators. At the time of release, these boozy bros have interviewed over 100 boozy creators all over the world!

The DOE for this episode is dealer’s choice:

Molly, Chrissy and Cameron chose beers from MobCraft Beer out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (with additional taprooms in Wisconsin, Illinois and Colorado!): Fish Fry Rye for Molly, Peanuttin’ Butter Than This Chocolate Porter for Chrissy and Double Chocolate Birthday Cake Stout for Cameron.

Jonathan chose PAR None Vienna Lager from McFleshman’s Brewing Company in Appleton, Wisconsin.

And Cameron doubled up with Knob Creek Smoked Maple Whisky.

Fun Fact – the beers the guys drank were both created in honor of Pour Another Round’s one year anniversary! #BoozyBlondesGoals

Listen to this episode to learn about Cameron (former contributor to Alcoholmanac Magazine and boozy book author) and Jonathan (retired stock car racer turned director of WI High School Racing Association) and how Pour Another Round was created! The guys share their podcast wins, challenges and offer advice to anyone out there wanting to create a podcast.

Future goals at time of recording for these boozy bros is to host their own beer festival – and spoiler alert – they did just that earlier this year! The inaugural Outdoor Winter Beer Festival highlighted people and stories behind local breweries – and also highlighted the dedicated attendees who chose to drink beer outside in the frigid March weather of Green Bay, Wisconsin!

Be sure to listen to Pour Another Round if you like beer, like breweries and like some bad jokes and great puns! Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see which breweries on are tap and keep up with this bromance. We hope you enjoy this episode and all the boozy banter between this 4-pack. Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 038 | Behind the Booze – Cerveceria la Tropical Interview with Harold Perez Mendoza

The Boozy Blondes

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Join the Boozy Blondes as they visit Cuba’s oldest brewery, yet one of Miami’s youngest! If you’ve been listening to the Boozy Blondes podcast, this will be the third time you’ll hear about  Cerveceria la Tropical in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida. (Episode 20 and Episode 37)

Chrissy met Harold Perez Mendoza, Cerveceria la Tropical brewer, in the Keys at Hemingway’s Rum Co. Distillery in 2022, and she gushed about the brewery. She invited Harold to be on the podcast and the girls met up with him at the beginning of 2023.

The DOE is la Original Reserva, an amber lager, one of Cerveceria la Tropical’s core beers. Harold poured it straight from the tank. This is the original Cuban recipe from 1888! When you listen to this episode, It’s safe to say this was not the girls’ first drink of the day – Harold is a great Boozy guide!

Harold is from Venezuela and started with Cerveceria la Tropical from the beginning. Prior to here, Harold worked for a few other breweries (including Veza Sur, another Boozy Blondes favorite featured in Episode 20) and owned his own brewery in Venezuela.

So a brief history for you (read the full story here), Cerveceria la Tropical started in Cuba in 1888 but was nationalized when Castro’s government took over in 60s. So the Cerveceria la Tropical founders and family moved to Miami and forgot about the beer business. Fast forward to more modern day and the founder’s grandson partnered with Heineken to bring Cerveceria la Tropical brewery back!

In Cuba Cerveceria la Tropical was located in a beautiful tropical garden in Havana. It was the center of entertainment! In Miami Cerveceria la Tropical replicates much of what it was in Havana – the giant birdcage, pictures of the original brewery adorning the walls, the gates at the entrance, the stage, the garden! It’s truly beautiful here. And caters to everyone – beer drinkers, wine drinkers, liquor drinkers, mocktail drinkers, foodies, kids, pets – everyone can find something they love here. 

Harold mentions it’s important to produce beers favorable to the masses but also get creative. Cerveceria la Tropical is starting to make more creative and unique beers. They are growing organically but quickly! Their goal is to release two to three new beers in the taproom each month. In addition to beer they are developing ready to drink (RTD) beer based options. In the taproom you can try numerous beer-based cocktails and plans include canning these for distribution.

There is always something going on at the taproom and you can rent out the space for your special events too! Be sure to follow Cerveceria la Tropical on Facebook and Instagram and visit the website to see beers on tap, upcoming entertainment, food menus, tour info and so much more!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 036 | Behind the Booze – Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea Interview with Maria Littlefield

The Boozy Blondes

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Did you know there is a way to get the benefits of tea while also catching a buzz? Let the Boozy Blondes introduce you to Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea! Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea is made with REAL ingredients and is REALLY delicious! Fresh-brewed tea + real fruit juice + 4.8% ABV = Boozy Blondes dream drink! The girls were so excited to interview their boozy idol, Maria Littlefield, co-founder with Jennie Ripps of Owl’s Brew.

So obviously, you can guess what the DOE is for this episode – different flavors of Boozy Tea! It’s hard for all the girls to pick a favorite – these drinks are seriously good – not overly sweet or synthetic tasting. Full disclosure, Molly was very hesitant to try Owl’s Brew when Chrissy shared one with her. Chrissy tends to lean towards the fun, boozy alternatives that don’t always fit Molly’s palate. BUT! Molly loved this product as much as Chrissy! The Boozy Blondes are now Owl’s Brew pushers – they share them with everyone!

Maria shares her background with the blondes and how she and Jennie connected and developed Boozy Tea based on their own wants for drinking. They met at a marketing firm in NYC, and Jennie was really taking a deep dive into the benefits of tea at that time. Maria teamed up with her to develop tea concoctions for co-workers, and the concept evolved from here. Welcome to the market – Owl’s Brew!

Boozy Tea officially launched in 2020 embracing the idea of “drink wise,” the Owl’s Brew slogan, which means knowing what you’re putting into your body, confident your drink of choice uses real ingredients and does actually taste great!

Learn the difference between real ingredients versus natural ingredients versus artificial ingredients! You may be surprised to learn that natural ingredients mean anything from the earth – so by anything, that can be beaver anal glands, as an example. (*insert puke face emoji here*) So actually, there may be no nutritional difference between a natural ingredient and an artificial ingredient.

With that being said, listen to this episode to hear about the struggles finding a partner to mass distribute your home-kitchened product. What Maria and Jennie were brewing in their kitchens (or hotel bathrooms; you just gotta listen) needed to be packaged in an independent can – millions of times over! If you’ve ever thought about mass-producing you’re greatest invention (hello, Shark Tank), Maria touches on all aspects of the venture. Including hilarious behind the scene stories of glamorous events and run ins with TSA!

Getting deeper into this episode, all the girls chat about another love – books! What’s better than reading a good book? Having a great drink to pair with that book. Owl’s Brew hosts a boozy book club! They highlight all female authors, and it’s a new book every month! Join the club for great books and fun giveaways!

Make sure to follow Owl’s Brew on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all things boozy including funny reels! Speaking of social, right now (May 2023) Owl’s Brew is donating $1 to Women’s Voices for the Earth for every post with the hashtag #teafortransparency. This effort, the book club and so much more supports Owl’s Brew Wise Women Collective of women supporting women – “At Owl’s Brew we use the term Wise Women to signify who we are, the community we support, and the love and care with which we craft our products.”

To find Owl’s Brew by you, visit the store finder on the Owl’s Brew website.

The girls extend a huge THANK-YOU to Maria and the Owl’s Brew team for making this interview possible. Drink wise, lushes!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 035 | Behind the Booze – Azalea City Brewing Company Interview with Andrea Conover

The Boozy Blondes

Get an inside look at the great brews and events happening at Azalea City Brewing Company in Palatka, Florida, as the Boozy Blondes share drinks with brewery owner, Andrea Conover. Andrea always said “someone should open a brewery here in Palatka.” Turns out, she became that person, and Azalea City opened on Thanksgiving Day 2020! Now, over two years later Azalea City has become a community gathering place, hosting numerous events and serving delicious and creative craft brews!

The girls chat in Azalea’s courtyard enjoying the Coffee Cream Ale, a 5% cream ale with a powerful roasted coffee scent, Ravine Red, a 4.3% Irish Red Ale and the seasonal 5.5% Peppermint Stout. Andrea shares that she had no prior brewing experience before opening Azalea, but she wanted to bring something revitalizing to Palatka. She did her research, traveling around the state to check out other breweries (sounds familiar, doesn’t it – she could totally be a Boozy Blonde!) as the old Coca Cola bottling plant transformed into Azalea City Brewing Company.

Before they officially opened head brewer Eli would brew ten gallons at a time, and the team would share these beers at local festivals and events to promote the new brewery. You can still find them at these events today in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Palatka and Deland.

Azalea City hosts 20 taps of its own beers and hard seltzers and also offers wine. While they don’t have a kitchen (yet), there is always a food truck out back serving up something delicious to complement all the beers!

Be sure to follow Azalea City on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for their weekly newsletter to keep up with all the events they are hosting and attending, music and food truck schedules and new beer releases!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 033 | Behind the Booze – Casa de Vino 57 Interview with Patti Southard & Wayne Lake

The Boozy Blondes

Patti Southard and Wayne Lake opened Casa de Vino 57 about five years ago. From day one, their goal was to make everyone who visited the cozy wine bar tucked away on Treasury Street in St. Augustine feel like friends and family. The Boozy Blondes can attest – they felt so welcome and comfortable chatting with Patti and Wayne, they hung out for three hours after the interview, only dragging themselves away when their husbands said it was getting late and they were coming to pick them up!

While Wayne stuck to water during the interview, Patti enjoyed a glass of sparkling pinot noir rose, and the blondes shared a wine flight, which looked more like a wine tower! They loved the presentation of the flight and were told to drink from the bottom to the top (lighter wines are on the bottom of the flight and the wines get bolder as they go up).

Patti and Wayne got together years ago over their love of wine and dreamed of opening a wine bar. Wayne had years of experience working with wine, and Patti had years of experience drinking wine! Perfect! They found the property at 57 Treasury Street which included a beautiful courtyard and apartment above the downstairs bar. The original structure was the Joaneda House and built in 1806. It is one of the ten oldest structures in St. Augustine on the narrowest street in all of America!

In addition to its boutique wine selections, Casa de Vino 57 also offers beer and wine-based cocktails as well as amazing charcuterie boards with vegan cheese options! They host monthly wine walks and Full Moon Tastings as well as live music Thursdays – Sundays! You can join the Wine Club and schedule private wine tastings.

Be sure to follow Casa de Vino 57 on Facebook and Instagram and keep up with their website to stay in the know for all the fun events!