Rum & Nerdy

Episode 6.19: House of Nerdy: This week, Greg and Garrick settle into a slightly more refined chaos… or at least a different kind of buzz.

The guys kick things off by addressing the obvious—why there’s been less rum lately (yes, it’s Greg’s fault) and the unexpected rise of Guinness as the drink of choice. Naturally, this turns into a detailed breakdown of how to properly pour a pint, complete with the realization that some things really should be a video podcast.

From there, the conversation shifts into full gearhead mode, with a deep dive...

Episode 6.18: Rum Encabulator - This week, Greg and Garrick lean all the way into beautifully engineered nonsense.

Kicking things off with the latest evolution of the legendary “Retro Encabulator”, now upgraded to the “Hyper Encabulator”—the guys revel in peak technobabble and the kind of fake engineering that somehow feels… convincing.

From there, things take a surprisingly thoughtful turn with a discussion of the 1963 Canadian short film 21-87, exploring its influence on Star Wars and the long-debated origins of “the Force.”

The episode then wraps up the TEA Thea Awards Gala, with a look at the set...

Episode 6.17: TEA Inspire 2026 Review: This week, Greg and Garrick are fresh off TEA Inspire 2026 and ready to break it all down—joined by a couple of quick guest drop-ins along the way.

From the Leadership Forum to Inspire the Night, the guys recap the moments, conversations, and connections that made this year’s conference stand out. They dig into the themes shaping the industry, the people driving it forward, and a few behind-the-scenes takes you won’t get anywhere else.

With the Thea Awards Gala just ahead, Greg and Garrick also talk through their favorite winner...

Episode 6.16: Rum and Loathing in Las Vegas

We can’t stop here… this is pool country.

This week, Greg and Garrick take the show to Las Vegas, recording in the pool while hanging with Shannon and Dave—because of course that’s how this episode was always going to go. Dave hooks the guys up with VIP access to the Las Vegas 20th Annual Celtic Festival and Highland Games, where things quickly escalate to world records being broken, meat pies being devoured, and a steady flow of Guinness and Irish whiskey keeping the chaos properly fueled.<...

Episode 6.15: Rum and Prejudice

This week, things get a little more refined… and then immediately not.

Greg and Garrick are joined by Erin, who might be one of the busiest humans alive. She’s building her own hobbit hole (yes, an actual backyard nerdy she-shed), has a book signing on the horizon for her Jane Austen-inspired writing, sings in a Big Band, and somehow still finds time for what feels like 500 other full-time hobbies.

The conversation bounces between creativity, fandom, and the kind of passion projects that make you wonder if you’re doing...

Episode 6.14: Nerdy PI

Cue the theme music… Typhoon Tommy is back.

This week’s episode leans into full island vibes as Greg, Garrick, and Tommy talk tiki projects, rum culture, and what it actually means to call something your “favorite” rum—all while sipping on Facundo Paradiso XA like civilized degenerates.

From there, things take a hard left into music nerd territory. Greg dives into his Ibanez Artist and Fender Super Champ X2, sparking a broader conversation about guitars, amps, tone chasing, and the very real possibility (threat?) of starting a cover band. As expecte...

This week, Greg and Garrick almost stay on topic.

Kicking things off with a brief dive into Peaky Blinders, the conversation quickly takes a turn when the guys crack open a deck of Chat Pack cards and let fate decide the direction of the episode. What follows is a completely unpredictable mix of questions, answers, side tangents, and the kind of random nonsense that somehow still feels very on-brand.

The usual rum takes a back seat this week as the drink of choice is a classic Guinness, proving that sometimes you’ve got to mix th...

Andy’s back… and somehow we still couldn’t come up with a proper title.

This week is exactly what you’d expect when Andy joins the show: a free-flowing, completely unstructured conversation that manages to cover absolutely nothing and somehow everything at the same time. Fueled by pours of Planetary Stiggins’ Fancy, the guys bounce from topic to topic with zero regard for transitions, logic, or staying on point.

Along the way, Andy receives a birthday gift, which only adds fuel to the chaos, and we’re treated to an ongoing stream of confidently incorrect no...

This week, Greg and Garrick go full Rum Trek, bouncing from real-world travel to deep space and back again.

Greg recaps his trip to Baltimore for the Building Museums Conference, sharing highlights, conversations, and a few takeaways from being in the room with industry leaders (even if technically… not in the room). From there, the guys wrap up their thoughts on the standout first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, diving into what worked, what surprised them, and where the broader Star Trek franchise could be headed next.

The conversation shifts gears with a look at...

Episode 6.10: Rum in 60 Seconds: This week Greg and Garrick attempt the impossible: keeping anything to 60 seconds. Spoiler alert… it doesn’t work.

The conversation jumps from iconic cars in movies to films and documentaries centered on famous musicians, as Greg and Garrick talk about the recent wave of artist-focused movies hitting theaters and streaming. Along the way, the guys also discuss the upcoming return of the original Star Wars to theaters next year, and what it means for fans to experience the film on the big screen again.

From there things shift into the business side...

Episode 6.09: Rum-Gyver: This week we channel our inner duct-tape-and-paperclip energy with Rum-Gyver, a throwback episode packed with stories that probably should have stayed buried.

Garrick’s longtime friend Anthony joins us in studio, all the way from Garrick’s very first theme park job. The result? A wildly unfiltered walk down memory lane filled with Six Flags stories, questionable decisions, and the kind of chaos that only happens when underpaid theme park kids are left unsupervised.

We dive into the weird social ecosystems of early park life, where friendships form fast, legends grow fast...

Rum & Nerdy – Episode 6.08: 11.22.6-Rum: This week we dive into 11.22.63 — the Stephen King time travel story that proves one very important rule: if you try to fix the past, the past will absolutely punch back. We watched it on Netflix, it technically belongs to Hulu, and either way it is peak King energy. Big ideas, emotional swings, and a very clear message that time is less of a river and more of a vindictive bouncer.

From there, the conversation does what it always does and drifts into the wasteland. We talk Fallout season 2 hype, a few other...

Episode 6.07: RumPlane: Andy is back in the co-pilot seat this week as we talk travel, airports, delays, upgrades, and all the strange rituals that come with voluntarily hurling yourself through the sky in a metal tube.

Naturally, the conversation quickly descends into references to Airplane! and the Zucker brothers’ particular brand of chaos. There may or may not be repeated jokes about “surely” and absolutely unnecessary dramatic readings of lines that still hold up disturbingly well. We also veer into 1980s SNL territory and make a few completely appropriate Monty Python detours, because once you start quoting absurd...

Episode 6.06: Rum Trek: Nerdfleet Academy: This week we jump to warp and dig into Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on Paramount+, and spoiler alert—we actually like it. The show tackles some genuinely compelling sci-fi questions, especially how societies evolve over 800 years, with 130 of those in the post-Burn era. That long-view look at cultural reset, institutional memory, and rebuilding after collapse feels very Star Trek, and it’s where the series is at its strongest.

That said… let’s talk about programmable matter. We get it. It’s clever. It’s flexible. It can turn into whatever the plot needs t...

Episode 6.05: Plus-RUM-bus: This week, the guys dive into Pluribus, the new series from Vince Gilligan starring the always-excellent Rhea Seehorn. We break down the premise, the vibes, the Gilligan fingerprints all over the storytelling—and ask the most important question of all: was this idea quietly lifted from Rick and Morty… or is that just our brains being terminally online?

We talk character, tone, world-building, and why Rhea Seehorn continues to be one of the most compelling performers working today. There’s speculation, side-eye, enthusiastic praise, and just enough skepticism to keep things proper...

Episode 6.04 -The Rum: In this episode, the guys dive into The Rum, our totally intentional play on Netflix’s The Rip starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, because nothing pairs better with morally questionable characters than a solid pour and strong opinions.

We break down the movie’s greatest achievement: making everyone look guilty… but somehow still likable. It’s a masterclass in “We think that person is absolutely guilty, but I’m still rooting for them,” and we unpack all those deliciously messy story beats along the way. Add in some surprisingly s...

Episode 6.03: Rum World is a continuation from last week, because when you stumble into a fantastic bottle you don’t just move on like a responsible adult you pour another round and pretend it’s “continuity.”

This week we keep sipping last episode’s rum, The Privateer Letter of Marque New England Single Cask / Florida Rum Society, and yes, it’s still excellent. Then we shift into Nerd Trivia mode, where Greg comes prepared with a suspicious amount of questions and Garrick is forced to defend his nerd credentials in real time. No pressure, buddy. Just your entire ident...

Rum and Nerdy Episode 6.02: Jurassic Rum is here, and we kick things off with an absolute winner The Privateer Letter of Marque New England Single Cask / Florida Rum Society. It was fantastic, and we spend some time digging into why it hit so well.

From there, we wrap up the NFL regular season chaos Chiefs out, Green Bay in and talk through what that means heading into the next phase.

Then we bounce through the usual Rum and Nerdy grab bag Greg is officially running out of LEGO display space, we talk new shows, home...

Episode 6.01 - Stranger Nerdy: Happy New Year and welcome to Season 6 of Rum & Nerdy. 

We kick things off with a brand-new season intro from Demo Dave—and it is, without question, bad ass. From there, things take an immediate turn when Garrick absolutely tricks Greg into drinking Malört Egg Nog, a decision that will be remembered… and regretted.

We then take some time to wrap up 2025, reflecting on the year behind us, the moments that defined it and icons we lost along the way. Naturally, we dive d...

Rum & Nerdy – Episode 5.48: The Queen Family Truckster: As 2025 starts rolling toward the garage, we pile everyone in for a holiday-fueled episode full of cheer, chaos, and just a little questionable decision-making—The Family Truckster style.

This week we’re sipping on a Hemingway Daiquiri (sort of) while talking through our Christmas plans, favorite gifts, holiday recipes, and the seasonal art of binging… shows, food, and probably both at the same time. We reflect on traditions old and new, what makes the holidays feel like the holidays, and why snacks somehow taste better t...

The Christmas countdown continues as the guys roll into Episode 5.47 with holiday vibes, end-of-season chaos, and early planning for the big Rum & Nerdy Weekend 2026. This week’s rum is Mamajuana Carbeno Premium Blend from the Dominican Republic—festive, herbal, and just questionable enough for December. Greg and Garrick also dive into a spoiler-free chat about Alien Earth on Hulu, because nothing says “holiday spirit” like existential sci-fi. All aboard the Pere Marquette 1225… next stop: Christmas and the end of Season 5!

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive in...

Episode 5.46 - 1974 Ford Falcon XB Interceptor: This week the guys go full Aussie as they crack open two rums from The New Norfolk Distillery in Tasmania: Near Horizon Spiced and Project Furiosa. Greg and Garrick also dive into some Batch Espresso Martini—while absolutely roasting Garrick’s ongoing obsession with mushroom coffee. The chaos continues as they wrap up the episode debating NFL color commentator Tony Romo, his hot takes, and whether he’s predicting plays or just yelling excitedly into the void. It’s rum, nerdiness, caffeine, and confused sports commentary… so, basically, a normal wee...

Episode 5.45 – “1976 Pinto: This week, Rum & Nerdy gets back to doing what we do best: drinking rum and nerding out. We kick things off with an Australian import, Railyard Timboon Rum – a gift from our buddy Mike from the New Zealand road trip. It’s smooth, it’s surprising, and it definitely sparks some opinions.

Then we shift gears into full Stranger Things mode. (Spoiler Alert!) We dive into Season 5, Episodes 1–4 and talk about how Stranger Things: The First Shadow has now been officially confirmed as canon. The play’s storyline fills...

Episode 5.44.5 - IAAPA Live Day 5: We close out the week with Phil from Extreme Legacy, wrapping IAAPA 2025 in a haze of exhaustion, laughter, and questionable insights. It’s part therapy session, part recap, and part “how are we still standing?” If you’ve ever ended IAAPA with sore feet, a hoarse voice, and a pocket full of business cards you don’t remember collecting — this one’s for you.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads w...

Episode 5.44.1 - IAAPA Live Day 4: Day Four finds us wading into the booth at Martin Aquatic, joined by Josh and Chris, who somehow make engineering sound sexy. We talk fountains, show water, and the occasional near-death plumbing experience. There’s splashing, laughing, and just enough professionalism to not void our exhibitor badges.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and th...

Episode 5.44.3-  IAAPA Live Day 3: Midweek, we wander into the digital deep end with Michael from Worldbuildr and Jeff from AWS. It’s all about cloud platforms, real-time worlds, and whether AI will eventually write this podcast better than we do. It’s equal parts innovation and procrastination, with a side of rum-fueled tech optimism.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their fav...

Episode 5.44.1 - IAAPA Live Day 2: Day Two takes us to the Themed Entertainment Association booth, where Greg and Garrick catch up with TEA staff and try (unsuccessfully) to act like responsible board members. Expect talk about collaboration, community, and the fine art of networking without accidentally starting rumors. 

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love...

Episode 5.44.1 - IAAPA Live Day 1: IAAPA week kicks off with Greg, Garrick, and our favorite repeat offender, Scott, holding court at the Electronic Theatre Controls booth. It’s equal parts lighting tech, show control, and the kind of deep nerd talk that requires a warning label. There’s rum, there’s banter, and at least one person who definitely should’ve been working instead.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who sti...

Episode 5.43 – Snowblower: Sometimes, you just need a low-stress episode before the IAAPA madness kicks in. This week, Greg and Garrick break out the Chat Pack card game for a round of random questions, weird hypotheticals, and whatever tangents come to mind.

While sipping on Planteray Traditional Dark Rum, the guys keep it loose, keep it nerdy, and try (mostly unsuccessfully) to stay on topic. It’s an easy, laid-back episode full of laughter, questionable wisdom, and at least one conversation that probably shouldn’t have been recorded.

A little rum, a little...

Episode 5.42 – Snowcat: This week, the guys dive into the swirling Arctic-cold rumor mill of a potential sequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). Naturally, this leads to the shocking revelation that Garrick somehow forgot there was already a prequel. Yes. A whole movie. That he has seen. And forgot existed. We take a moment.

From there, we dig into our favorite practical effects legends — the wizards who made monsters feel wet, sticky, unsettlingly real, and absolutely unforgettable. This, of course, spirals into a half-dozen nerd tangents. Because of course it does.

Then it's time for Trick...

Episode 5.41 – The Munster Coach: This week, the guys wrap up the Santa Teresa 1796 Triple Aged Solera — the rum that’s been hanging out with us for a few episodes and has now officially crossed the finish line. We give it a final send-off, a last swirl, and maybe a moment of silence. (Maybe.)

With it being Halloween, we dive into what we’re planning, what we’re wearing, and what questionable life choices are inevitably going to be made in the name of the season. Expect discussion on whether adults are legally allowed to have more fun t...

Episode 5.40 - The Knott's Berry Express: This week, Greg and Garrick climb aboard The Knott's Berry Express to wrap up the TEA SATE North America Conference with our annual post-event breakdown. We’re joined by a full train car of friends, Andy, Shireen, Morgan, Jay, and Sean, as we recap another wild week of storytelling, architecture, technology, and experience (and probably too many boysenberry cocktails).

We give a massive thanks to the TEA Staff, the Content Committee, and of course our incredible Keynote Speaker: writer, director, actor, and comedian Kevin Smith.

From the behind-the-scenes chaos of...

Episode 5.39 - VW Jetta: This week, chaos reigns supreme as we’re joined by Sammy the Podcat (who refuses to stay off the table) and Andy(who refuses to stay on topic). Andy tries to tell us a simple story about his son’s new car—a VW Jetta—and somehow turns the registration process into a full-length feature film.

Between discussions of car fluids, paperwork, and the world’s most invasive cat, we manage to stretch a six-minute story into an entire episode. There are tangents, distractions, and possibly a few lessons learned (b...

Episode 5.38 - Light Cycle: This week the guys gear up for a trip back into The Grid after attending the D23 Tron Trilogy event at AMC Disney Springs — a marathon that wrapped with an advanced screening of Tron: Ares.

They dive deep into all three films, dissecting everything from the neon-glowing nostalgia of the original, to the digital rebirth of Legacy, to the franchise-level evolution that’s shaping up with Ares. Expect plenty of talk about subtle callbacks, not-so-subtle references, and why Tron has officially leveled up from cult classic to cinematic powerhouse.

Oh...

Episode 5.37 - Opal GT: No rum this week… proving you can still be cool without it (well you can be, jury is out on if we can). Instead, the guys dive headfirst into the chaos of fall: We have our first "The Typhoon Tommy Football Wrap-Up (he really hates it when we talk football) of the season, Garrick’s review of The Gabby Dollhouse Movie, and a nerdy pit stop at Orlando’s Dezerland Car Attraction in the old Festival Bay mall.

We also preview the upcoming IAAPA Kickoff BBQ, geek out over the Tron Trilogy premier screen...

Episode 5.36 - 1956 Nash Metropolitan: This week the guys crack open a bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 Triple Aged Solera Rum, because nothing says “serious rum review” like sipping something classy while talking about Weird Al Yankovic. Yes, you read that right. We hit St. Augustine for his live concert, and it was everything we hoped for and then some.

From accordion-powered anthems to the deep cuts only true Weird Al nerds could appreciate, we relive the highlights of the show, argue about our favorite songs, and wander through the absurdity of a career that’s spanned decades of parodi...

Rum and Nerdy Episode 5.35 - 1955 Lincoln Futura: This week, we’re popping open the vault for a vintage episode — the very first one recorded with our Podcast Mini setup. (Back when we were just starting to get excited about the idea of going to New Zealand. Simpler times. Less luggage.)

In this throwback session, Greg and Garrick sip on Star and Key Indian Ocean Fresh Cane Rum and take a delightfully meandering trip through the 1980s, complete with a tribute to Smokey and the Bandit, and a discussion on the TV shows we missed back then — and can no...

Episode 5.34 - The UTE: Strap in, this week, Greg and Garrick recount their epic journey across New Zealand, fueled by Santa Teresa 1796 Triple Aged Solera Rum, a deep love of themed entertainment, and an unrelenting need to squeeze every nerdy drop out of the Southern Hemisphere.

The trip kicks off in Auckland for the TEA SATE APAC Conference, where inspiration ran high and jet lag ran deep. While in town, they dove headfirst into the All Blacks Experience (because rugby is religion in NZ) and the mind-blowing Weta Unleashed exhibit at SkyCity.

From there, they...

Rum and Nerdy Episode 5.33 - Hobbiton Movie Set: In this epic installment of Rum and Nerdy, Greg and Garrick find themselves in the heart of the Shire — and no, this isn’t a metaphor. This week’s episode was recorded on location at the Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand, thanks to an unforgettable private tour hosted by none other than our friend (and the owner) Russel Alexander.

We kick things off from Bagshot Row, stroll through behind-the-scenes operations and maintenance areas most fans never get to see, and wrap the da...

Episode 5.32: The 1966 Trekka: This week, it’s all prep, all chaos, and way too much House. As Greg and Garrick get ready for their New Zealand adventure, the conversation veers wildly between Kiwi cars (yes, we’re talking about the 1966 Trekka), streaming obsessions, and the slow, inevitable shark-jumping of the show House. Spoiler: we’re still watching. We don’t know why either.

Meanwhile, Greg’s new cat Sammie makes her podcast debut — not by choice, but by force — and promptly establishes herself as a feline invasive species. It’s giving Australia-toad-energy, but cuter and with more scratching.