Episode Details
Back to EpisodesNoah Rothbaum | The Whiskey Bible and the Real History of Whiskey
Description
The Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott return to the restaurant floor with stories about hospitality as a lifelong condition—why you never stop working the room, why saying “goodnight” at lunch still feels natural, and how unusual guests and moments are part of the job. The Guys share a truly unsettling encounter with a guest who can’t eat meat and reflect on why restaurant life is a magnet for stories you can’t make up.
The Conversation
The Guys sit down with Noah Rothbaum, spirits writer and author of The Whiskey Bible, to talk about how whiskey’s real history has been buried under decades of marketing and myth. Noah explains his goal of writing a book that welcomes casual drinkers while still rewarding experts—and why deep research often reveals stories far better than the legends.
They explore how whiskey nearly vanished in the 1970s, how the modern revival took shape, and why understanding the backstory makes every drink more meaningful.
The Inside Track
This episode covers the turning points that shaped today’s whiskey world, including:
- Booker Noe and Elmer T. Lee’s role in creating small batch and single barrel bourbon
- Why barrel differences were once hidden—and are now celebrated
- How regional whiskey styles actually differ
- Why adding water or ice is part of the tradition, not a weakness
- Prohibition’s long shadow
Bio
Noah Rothbaum is the author of The Whiskey Bible, editor-at-large for Bartender Magazine, spirits editor for Men’s Journal, founding editor-in-chief of Liquor.com, a fellow of the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits, and a Kentucky Colonel. His work has earned awards from the James Beard Foundation, Tales of the Cocktail, and the American Library Association.
Info
Noah's book
The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World's Greatest Spirit
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