Much like the old SNL skits at the All Things Scottish shop, in Episode 12 when it comes to the gins, if it’s not Scottish, it’s crap!  My sister Laurie joins us as we indulge in a couple of gins from the homeland of our ancestors from Scotland.  During the episode we hear about her trip to Edinburgh, recyclable gin pouches from the highlands of Scotland, our enjoyment of old SNL skits, and how I don’t follow my own advice.  We pack a whole lot into this episode.Come for the gin, and stick around to hear about perhaps my all-time favorite novel and Laurie’s discovery of a little known actor to help illustrate her Off The Beaten Path topic.My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

A rose is a rose is a rose, and then there is a rose gin.  My guest Angie and I try a couple of rose gins in Episode 11, one from the USA and one from Ireland.  During the course of the episode we also chat about Playmobile, World Gin Day, bees, ants, praying mantis, murder hornets and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  There is a whole lot packed into the episode.Come for the gin, and stick around to hear how bees defend their hives against murder hornets.My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

Are you a fan of Kids in The Hall?  If so, do you remember their “Girl Drink Drunk” sketch?  Well, if you do, that best describes my guest Scott, who loves a vacation in a glass.  In episode 10 we try a couple of international, colorful gins - a pink gin from Ireland, and a blue gin from France.  We also chat about how he sort of blames me for his love of gin, my one trip to France, and how he was introduced to his Off The Beaten Path selection at one of his many The Black Keys concerts.Come for the gin, and stick around to hear how I have no idea what rhubarb is. My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

"It tastes like Christmas" - that's how my guest Alyssa describes gin, and I love that.  In episode 9 we try a pair of Japanese gins, and discover how the two distilleries actually have a little history in common.  In addition, we chat about how I was afraid I was going to lose track of my mother-in-law at the Tokyo train station, how Alyssa was concerned I was having her try a coffee flavored gin, and we put a different spin on Off The Beaten Path, where Alyssa talks about something she actually would not recommend - and I end up speaking for the opposition. Come for the gin, and stick around to hear about how major league baseball games in Japan are just a bit different. My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

Wake the kids, call the neighbors - in episode 8, my best friend for the last 46 years Jim joins me.  He calls San Francisco home, so we try a couple of gins from that area.  But we end up having so much fun that we sneak in a third drink for the Off the Beaten segment.  Prior to that, we talk about visiting one of the distilleries from this episode, our idea for a butcher shop, a controversial Halloween costume that we wore nearly 20 years ago, and how Jim once left me as collateral at an auto repair shop.Come for the gin, but stick around for Jim cracking a joke and causing me to nearly choke on a peanut, and a bunch of other laughs.  This might be the best hour of your week. My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

In episode 7, my fake son Dave  joins me to try a couple of gins with a Scandinavian influence.  And as we sample these spirits, we discuss my favorite class at Michigan State, what might be the ideal way to taste a new gin, and both take a musical trail when we go Off The Beaten Path.Come for the gin, but stick around to see how he became my fake son, and why he should start a beer podcast.My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

In episode 6, my guest Drew convinced me to concoct a couple of gin cocktails, as opposed to the usual gin & tonics that I serve.  And as we imbibe those, we discuss the Old Tom style of gin, discover how Drew came upon the cocktail that he made, find out the gin for my cocktail is at a distillery only about 30 miles from our neighborhood, and potentially figure out why there is a cat on the label of the bottle of Old Tom Gin we enjoyed in this episode.  Come for the gin, but stay for the stories in this episode.My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

In episode 5, my guest Kelly and I explore two similar styles of gin - the classic London Dry style, and their New World or American Dry cousins.  And along the way we chat about Downton Abbey, morning game shows and soap operas and mix in a bit of cilantro, and that's before we even get to Off The Beaten Path.  Kelly also takes great enjoyment in my constant struggle to pronounce things correctly.  Come for the gin, but stay for the interesting paths this episode takes.My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

In episode 4, we encounter a dilemma - my guest Molly is not a fan of gin.  So I break out two of my favorites to try and answer the age old question - is a hater going to hate?  One is Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, and the other is Alkkemist Gin (which has an interesting relationship with the full moon).  And as usual, we get in a couple of rounds of trivia and blaze a few new trails on "Off the Beaten Path".  Come for the gin - but stay the laughs.  My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails

In episode 3, my guest Brian and I decide to ring in St. Patrick's Day a little early and explore a couple of Irish gins.  One is Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and the other is Dingle Gin.  In addition to the two rounds of trivia, Brian also tries to go down multiple paths when we go "Off the Beaten Path".My thanks to Darin VanderMolen for helping to produce this podcast.For questions, comments, or to suggest a new gin to try, feel free to send us a message on our Instagram account: @thebotanicaltrails