<![CDATA[Swamp Sippin']]>Swamp Sippin' is where The Bourbon Gator sits down with the people actually shaping craft bourbon - distillery owners, blenders, and the brands doing things differently. Real conversations about what it costs to build something in whiskey, and every episode ends the same way; one thing about the bourbon world they'd drain from the swamp if they could. Pour one and pull up a chair.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sat, 18 Jul 2026 11:22:56 GMTThu, 21 May 2026 03:27:47 GMT60The Bourbon Gator<p>Swamp Sippin' is where The Bourbon Gator sits down with the people actually shaping craft bourbon - distillery owners, blenders, and the brands doing things differently. Real conversations about what it costs to build something in whiskey, and every episode ends the same way; one thing about the bourbon world they'd drain from the swamp if they could. Pour one and pull up a chair.</p>episodicThe Bourbon Gatorthebourbongator@gmail.comyes<![CDATA[Baptized In Bourbon β€” April Weller Cantrell, The Bourbon Baroness | Swamp Sippin' Ep. 5]]>Her name is Weller. Her fourth great-grandfather was Daniel Weller. But April Weller Cantrell will be the first to tell you she didn't grow up in a distillery β€” she grew up a farmer's daughter in Kentucky.

Her whiskey story started in Tennessee in 2012, when a man named Lee Kennedy walked through her door and said he wanted to build a bourbon distillery. She laughed at him. Then she became his first employee, and spent the next decade getting "baptized in bourbon" β€” nosing, blending, building the thing from the ground up.

Today she's back home in Kentucky as The Bourbon Baroness β€” writer, critic, and one of the more honest voices on where this industry is actually headed.

We got into all of it: the women written out of whiskey's history, whether the bubble has popped or just the part everybody was looking at, sourcing and honesty, and why she thinks the smartest person in the room is the consumer holding the bottle.

πŸ₯ƒ GIVEAWAY β€” 1.75L Weller Special Reserve

Follow @thebourbongator and @bourbonbaroness on Instagram, like the giveaway post, and tag two friends. 21+, U.S. only. Winner drawn Friday, July 24. Full rules on the post.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

0:00 Cold open

0:56 Welcome β€” the Bourbon Baroness

1:31 A Weller by blood

3:13 "Lee Kennedy walked through my door"

4:18 Baptized in bourbon

5:28 Her father, the farm, and losing him

9:10 Why she started writing β€” In The Glass & Beyond

13:35 Whiskey, prohibition, and the pendulum

16:34 Coming home to Kentucky

19:10 Family-friendly distilleries and Bardstown

23:00 "You don't get a feather in your hat"

28:23 Four forgotten women β€” Catherine Carpenter

30:54 "History β€” I always call it his story"

32:04 Has the whiskey bubble popped?

34:19 Why craft distilleries fail

37:06 Smoke and mirrors and the wiser consumer

43:12 Passion, intent, and a brand falling apart

45:04 NDPs, sourcing, and honesty

46:39 Texas whiskey and telling the truth on the label

49:54 Marketing, influencers, and Yellowstone

56:54 Keyboard warriors and the subjectivity of taste

59:59 What's always on her bar

1:02:14 Texas bourbon and 1845

1:04:33 The gumbo question

1:08:25 Where to find April + giveaway

πŸ“– FIND APRIL

Blog: bourbonbaroness.com

Instagram / TikTok / Facebook: @bourbonbaroness

🐊 SWAMP SIPPIN'

Long-form conversations with the people behind craft whiskey. New episodes every Friday.

Audio on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Instagram: @thebourbongator

TikTok: @thebourbongator

#SwampSippin #BourbonGator #Bourbon #Whiskey #BourbonBaroness

]]>1a53f2d7-6f20-4964-ac3d-622141b398ddFri, 17 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT<p>Her name is Weller. Her fourth great-grandfather was Daniel Weller. But April Weller Cantrell will be the first to tell you she didn't grow up in a distillery β€” she grew up a farmer's daughter in Kentucky.</p><p>Her whiskey story started in Tennessee in 2012, when a man named Lee Kennedy walked through her door and said he wanted to build a bourbon distillery. She laughed at him. Then she became his first employee, and spent the next decade getting "baptized in bourbon" β€” nosing, blending, building the thing from the ground up.</p><p>Today she's back home in Kentucky as The Bourbon Baroness β€” writer, critic, and one of the more honest voices on where this industry is actually headed.</p><p>We got into all of it: the women written out of whiskey's history, whether the bubble has popped or just the part everybody was looking at, sourcing and honesty, and why she thinks the smartest person in the room is the consumer holding the bottle.</p><p>πŸ₯ƒ GIVEAWAY β€” 1.75L Weller Special Reserve</p><p>Follow @thebourbongator and @bourbonbaroness on Instagram, like the giveaway post, and tag two friends. 21+, U.S. only. Winner drawn Friday, July 24. Full rules on the post.</p><p>⏱️ CHAPTERS</p><p>0:00 Cold open</p><p>0:56 Welcome β€” the Bourbon Baroness</p><p>1:31 A Weller by blood</p><p>3:13 "Lee Kennedy walked through my door"</p><p>4:18 Baptized in bourbon</p><p>5:28 Her father, the farm, and losing him</p><p>9:10 Why she started writing β€” In The Glass &amp; Beyond</p><p>13:35 Whiskey, prohibition, and the pendulum</p><p>16:34 Coming home to Kentucky</p><p>19:10 Family-friendly distilleries and Bardstown</p><p>23:00 "You don't get a feather in your hat"</p><p>28:23 Four forgotten women β€” Catherine Carpenter</p><p>30:54 "History β€” I always call it his story"</p><p>32:04 Has the whiskey bubble popped?</p><p>34:19 Why craft distilleries fail</p><p>37:06 Smoke and mirrors and the wiser consumer</p><p>43:12 Passion, intent, and a brand falling apart</p><p>45:04 NDPs, sourcing, and honesty</p><p>46:39 Texas whiskey and telling the truth on the label</p><p>49:54 Marketing, influencers, and Yellowstone</p><p>56:54 Keyboard warriors and the subjectivity of taste</p><p>59:59 What's always on her bar</p><p>1:02:14 Texas bourbon and 1845</p><p>1:04:33 The gumbo question</p><p>1:08:25 Where to find April + giveaway</p><p>πŸ“– FIND APRIL</p><p>Blog: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://bourbonbaroness.com" target="_blank">bourbonbaroness.com</a></p><p>Instagram / TikTok / Facebook: @bourbonbaroness</p><p>🐊 SWAMP SIPPIN'</p><p>Long-form conversations with the people behind craft whiskey. New episodes every Friday.</p><p>Audio on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.</p><p>Instagram: @thebourbongator</p><p>TikTok: @thebourbongator</p><p>#SwampSippin #BourbonGator #Bourbon #Whiskey #BourbonBaroness</p>yes01:09:325Baptized In Bourbon β€” April Weller Cantrell, The Bourbon Baroness | Swamp Sippin' Ep. 5full<![CDATA[Distillerie Acadian: Louisiana's Answer to Bourbon | Swamp Sippin' Ep. 4]]>A favor turned into one of Louisiana's most talked-about distilleries. In Episode 4 of Swamp Sippin', I sit down in New Iberia with Philip Mestayer of Distillerie Acadian β€” the distillery chosen to represent Louisiana in Lost Lantern's United States of Bourbon, the first-ever blend of straight bourbon from all 50 states.

We taste through all three of their new bottled-in-bond expressions β€” Cajun's Cut (bourbon), Matrimony (wheated bourbon), and Horyezon (rye) β€” and get into the stuff most interviews skip: how Louisiana heat and humidity fight the barrel, why they dropped to 115 barrel-entry proof and slow water reduction, the criticism that reshaped the whole operation, and the experimental series (yes, the Chantilly cake whiskey).

πŸ₯ƒ Distillerie Acadian: distillerieacadian.com | Buy: bourbonoutfitter.com | IG/FB: @distillerieacadian
🐊 The Bourbon Gator on all platforms
🎧 Also on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Disclosure: Distillerie Acadian gifted the three bottled-in-bond samples featured in this episode. All opinions are my own.

#SwampSippin #BourbonGator

]]>03c238c3-eefa-482d-9ae1-e2e191a13ef6Fri, 03 Jul 2026 20:30:00 GMT<p>A favor turned into one of Louisiana's most talked-about distilleries. In Episode 4 of Swamp Sippin', I sit down in New Iberia with Philip Mestayer of Distillerie Acadian β€” the distillery chosen to represent Louisiana in Lost Lantern's United States of Bourbon, the first-ever blend of straight bourbon from all 50 states.</p><p>We taste through all three of their new bottled-in-bond expressions β€” Cajun's Cut (bourbon), Matrimony (wheated bourbon), and Horyezon (rye) β€” and get into the stuff most interviews skip: how Louisiana heat and humidity fight the barrel, why they dropped to 115 barrel-entry proof and slow water reduction, the criticism that reshaped the whole operation, and the experimental series (yes, the Chantilly cake whiskey).</p><p>πŸ₯ƒ Distillerie Acadian: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://distillerieacadian.com" target="_blank">distillerieacadian.com</a> | Buy: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://bourbonoutfitter.com" target="_blank">bourbonoutfitter.com</a> | IG/FB: @distillerieacadian<br />🐊 The Bourbon Gator on all platforms<br />🎧 Also on Spotify &amp; Apple Podcasts</p><p>Disclosure: Distillerie Acadian gifted the three bottled-in-bond samples featured in this episode. All opinions are my own.</p><p>#SwampSippin #BourbonGator</p>yes00:40:204Distillerie Acadian: Louisiana's Answer to Bourbon | Swamp Sippin' Ep. 4full<![CDATA[How Texas Oak Changes Your Bourbon l Greg Standard - Standard Cooperage l Swamp Sippin' Ep. 3]]>Texas just got its first cooperage β€” and the way Greg Standard is building barrels might change how Texas whiskey tastes.

This week on Swamp Sippin’, I sat down with Greg Standard, owner of Standard Cooperage in Blanco, Texas β€” the first cooperage in the state. We get into how a mechanical engineer and custom home builder ended up making barrels, why Texas was buying 60,000–100,000 barrels a year from out of state, and the study Standard Cooperage funded with Texas A&M asking one simple question: does where the white oak grows change the flavor in your glass?

We also talk Texas oak county by county, toast vs. char, why their staves are built Texas-tough, white-glove delivery straight from the coopers who built your barrel β€” and the handshake business model that flips the whole cooperage game on its head.

Every episode ends the same way: one guest, one question β€” what’s one thing about the bourbon world you’d drain from the swamp? Don’t miss Greg’s answer.

Standard Cooperage β€” Blanco, TX

Chapters

  • 00:00 The Birth of a Cooperage
  • 07:11 Barrel Sizes and Toasting vs. Charring
  • 13:19 Cooperage Business Model
  • 22:12 Greg's Journey to Blanco
  • 28:21 Challenges in the Cooperage Industry
  • 33:52 Reflecting on the Cooperage Journey

STANDARD COOPERAGE

Website: https://standardcooperage.com

Instagram / Facebook: @standardcooperage

Father’s Day barrel demonstration β€” Sat, June 20, sign up via the Texas Whiskey Trail

FOLLOW THE BOURBON GATOR / SWAMP SIPPIN’

Instagram: @thebourbongator

TikTok: @thebourbongator

Facebook: The Bourbon Gator

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ljf4py05ioOmGnEWnYi?si=955f5802ca274780

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/swamp-sippin/id1896798323

New craft whiskey conversation every other Friday β€” hit subscribe.

#SwampSippin #BourbonGator #TexasWhiskey

]]>b4541d63-327c-49a5-bf23-768545d563e3Fri, 19 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT<p>Texas just got its first cooperage β€” and the way Greg Standard is building barrels might change how Texas whiskey tastes.</p><p>This week on Swamp Sippin’, I sat down with Greg Standard, owner of Standard Cooperage in Blanco, Texas β€” the first cooperage in the state. We get into how a mechanical engineer and custom home builder ended up making barrels, why Texas was buying 60,000–100,000 barrels a year from out of state, and the study Standard Cooperage funded with Texas A&amp;M asking one simple question: does where the white oak grows change the flavor in your glass?</p><p>We also talk Texas oak county by county, toast vs. char, why their staves are built Texas-tough, white-glove delivery straight from the coopers who built your barrel β€” and the handshake business model that flips the whole cooperage game on its head.</p><p>Every episode ends the same way: one guest, one question β€” what’s one thing about the bourbon world you’d drain from the swamp? Don’t miss Greg’s answer.</p><p>Standard Cooperage β€” Blanco, TX</p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 The Birth of a Cooperage</li><li>07:11 Barrel Sizes and Toasting vs. Charring</li><li>13:19 Cooperage Business Model</li><li>22:12 Greg's Journey to Blanco</li><li>28:21 Challenges in the Cooperage Industry</li><li>33:52 Reflecting on the Cooperage Journey</li></ul><p>STANDARD COOPERAGE</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://standardcooperage.com" target="_blank">https://standardcooperage.com</a></p><p>Instagram / Facebook: @standardcooperage</p><p>Father’s Day barrel demonstration β€” Sat, June 20, sign up via the Texas Whiskey Trail</p><p>FOLLOW THE BOURBON GATOR / SWAMP SIPPIN’</p><p>Instagram: @thebourbongator</p><p>TikTok: @thebourbongator</p><p>Facebook: The Bourbon Gator</p><p>Listen on Spotify &amp; Apple Podcasts: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/033ljf4py05ioOmGnEWnYi?si=955f5802ca274780" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/show/033ljf4py05ioOmGnEWnYi?si=955f5802ca274780</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/swamp-sippin/id1896798323" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/swamp-sippin/id1896798323</a></p><p>New craft whiskey conversation every other Friday β€” hit subscribe.</p><p>#SwampSippin #BourbonGator #TexasWhiskey</p>yes00:30:303How Texas Oak Changes Your Bourbon l Greg Standard - Standard Cooperage l Swamp Sippin' Ep. 3full<![CDATA[She's the Distiller, He's "The Tanker" | WarTrail Spirits Broken Halo | Swamp Sippin' Ep. 2]]>Laurie and Bernard Quandt left corporate New York, landed in Llano, Texas, and built a distillery where she runs the still and he runs the road. This is WarTrail Spirits β€” and their Broken Halo Bourbon is doing something most Texas distilleries won't: 100% Texas grains, four years old, no malted barley on purpose.

In this episode we get into the science behind the iStill, why six-to-seven-day ferments matter more than most people think, the 193-proof shower Bernard took the hard way, and the kangaroo that walked into their tasting room. Plus a Drain the Swamp answer that every craft bourbon fan needs to hear.

πŸ“ WarTrail Spirits β€” 122 E Main St, Llano, TX

πŸ₯ƒ Broken Halo Bourbon: 80% corn / 20% rye, 100% Texas grains

πŸ”— Follow @wartrail on Instagram

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold open

00:35 Why a married couple started the hardest business

02:30 Buying an iStill from a "punk rock scientist"

04:00 The 193-proof shower (Bernard's worst day)

07:30 How Laurie and Bernard split the work

11:00 From rural New York to Houston to Llano

15:00 The kangaroo in the tasting room

18:30 Why they took malted barley OUT of the mashbill

20:30 Sourcing 100% Texas grain from MBS Seed

23:00 Tasting the 94 proof and 115 proof Broken Halo

24:00 Black cherry notes and oak striping every third barrel

29:00 The distribution grind and getting into Total Wine

33:50 DRAIN THE SWAMP: "Stop chasing allocated. Drink craft."

36:30 Closing

🐊 ABOUT SWAMP SIPPIN'

Long-form sit-downs with craft distillers and brand founders, hosted by Kevin β€” The Bourbon Gator. New episodes every Friday.

▢️ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thebourbongator

🎧 Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

πŸ“Έ Instagram: @thebourbongator

🎡 TikTok: @thebourbongator

πŸ”” FTC: Broken Halo Bourbon was gifted by WarTrail Spirits. All opinions are my own.

#TexasBourbon #SwampSippin #WarTrailSpirits #BrokenHalo #BourbonGator #CraftBourbon #TexasWhiskey

]]>6c1f7a9f-12a2-44eb-9f04-22f806163fe6Fri, 05 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT<p>Laurie and Bernard Quandt left corporate New York, landed in Llano, Texas, and built a distillery where she runs the still and he runs the road. This is WarTrail Spirits β€” and their Broken Halo Bourbon is doing something most Texas distilleries won't: 100% Texas grains, four years old, no malted barley on purpose.</p><p>In this episode we get into the science behind the iStill, why six-to-seven-day ferments matter more than most people think, the 193-proof shower Bernard took the hard way, and the kangaroo that walked into their tasting room. Plus a Drain the Swamp answer that every craft bourbon fan needs to hear.</p><p>πŸ“ WarTrail Spirits β€” 122 E Main St, Llano, TX</p><p>πŸ₯ƒ Broken Halo Bourbon: 80% corn / 20% rye, 100% Texas grains</p><p>πŸ”— Follow @wartrail on Instagram</p><p>⏱️ CHAPTERS</p><p>00:00 Cold open</p><p>00:35 Why a married couple started the hardest business</p><p>02:30 Buying an iStill from a "punk rock scientist"</p><p>04:00 The 193-proof shower (Bernard's worst day)</p><p>07:30 How Laurie and Bernard split the work</p><p>11:00 From rural New York to Houston to Llano</p><p>15:00 The kangaroo in the tasting room</p><p>18:30 Why they took malted barley OUT of the mashbill</p><p>20:30 Sourcing 100% Texas grain from MBS Seed</p><p>23:00 Tasting the 94 proof and 115 proof Broken Halo</p><p>24:00 Black cherry notes and oak striping every third barrel</p><p>29:00 The distribution grind and getting into Total Wine</p><p>33:50 DRAIN THE SWAMP: "Stop chasing allocated. Drink craft."</p><p>36:30 Closing</p><p>🐊 ABOUT SWAMP SIPPIN'</p><p>Long-form sit-downs with craft distillers and brand founders, hosted by Kevin β€” The Bourbon Gator. New episodes every Friday.</p><p>▢️ Subscribe: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@thebourbongator" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@thebourbongator</a></p><p>🎧 Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts</p><p>πŸ“Έ Instagram: @thebourbongator</p><p>🎡 TikTok: @thebourbongator</p><p>πŸ”” FTC: Broken Halo Bourbon was gifted by WarTrail Spirits. All opinions are my own.</p><p>#TexasBourbon #SwampSippin #WarTrailSpirits #BrokenHalo #BourbonGator #CraftBourbon #TexasWhiskey</p>yes00:38:032She's the Distiller, He's "The Tanker" | WarTrail Spirits Broken Halo | Swamp Sippin' Ep. 2full<![CDATA[Swamp Sippin' Ep. 1 - Matt Myres Acadian Lore Whiskey Co.]]>Two boys with family roots in Southwest Louisiana met in Texas, built a 24-year friendship, and came home through a bottle. Episode 1: The Bourbon Gator sits down with Matt Myres of Acadian Lore Whiskey Co. to talk about what it really costs to build a whiskey brand from scratch β€” and what he'd drain from the swamp if he could. Pour one and pull up a chair.

]]>61ada537-a06e-487a-936a-5250c7dcf794Thu, 21 May 2026 05:03:28 GMT<p>Two boys with family roots in Southwest Louisiana met in Texas, built a 24-year friendship, and came home through a bottle. Episode 1: The Bourbon Gator sits down with Matt Myres of Acadian Lore Whiskey Co. to talk about what it really costs to build a whiskey brand from scratch β€” and what he'd drain from the swamp if he could. Pour one and pull up a chair.</p>yes00:57:531Swamp Sippin' Ep. 1 - Matt Myres Acadian Lore Whiskey Co.full