Matt and Friends Drink the Universe

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Andy, Chris, Siobhan, and Rob join Matt to throw a Halloween special living-room watch party and hit play on Are You Afraid of the Dark, reacting in to two classics: “The Tale of the Dollmaker” and “The Tale of the Lonely Ghost.” Expect jumpy nostalgia, loud opinions, and the kind of jokes you only make when the highly suspect attic door on screen is not okay. 

We also keep the drinks front and center, because spooky season deserves better than whatever random six-pack is in the fridge. We taste a bone-dry Stowe Cid...

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Your fall cocktail menu doesn’t need a dozen syrups or a full bar cart, it needs three smart builds and a couple of solid techniques. Our boozy starships Head of Cocktail Engineering Josh joins Matt to roll out a trio of autumn drinks that cover the whole range: bold and boozy, bright and foamy, and light enough to pour before dinner.

First up is a Spiced Pear Old Fashioned made with 100-proof bourbon, St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur, and a bitters combo that keeps the pear from turning cloying. We al...

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Your favorite “cheap beer” might be running on nostalgia, not flavor. Big Z, Chris, and Rob sit down with Matt for a follow up to the Budget Beer Battle from season 1 and do the only fair thing: pour a lineup of low-priced brews, sniff the damage, take the sip, and score what we actually taste.

The table gets interesting fast with Utica Club, Foster’s, Coors Banquet, and Peroni, and we keep circling the same question: is it worse to taste bad or to taste like nothing at all? We argue about...

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Four wartime icons walk into a bar... Andy, Big Z, and Rob join Matt and we take history way too seriously to keep it simple. We’re back with a Wartime Leaders Booze Battle where each of us brings a leader, their signature drink, and a case for why that person matters long after the last battle ends. Expect real tasting notes, real history, and the kind of arguing that only friends can get away with.

We start with Ulysses S. Grant and a high-proof Kentucky bourbon, tasting it straight and th...

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America’s oldest brewery has a survival story that reads like a crash course in U.S. history, and we’re pouring it up as part of our Red, White, and Booze celebration for America’s 250th birthday. From the jump, Yuengling is not just a brandbto us. It’s a living thread that runs through history, industry, and the way certain beers become part of a place’s identity, especially here in Pennsylvania. 

We follow the brewery back to 1829, when German immigrant David Gottlieb Yuengling picks Pottsville, Pennsylvania and starts what was fi...

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Budweiser is everywhere and Josh takes over to tell the real story is how it became The King of Beers. We take a boozy, history-forward look at one of the most recognizable American beers ever made. Budweiser isn’t just a drink, it’s an industrial blueprint.

We walk through how Adolphus Busch and Eberhard Anheuser turned beer from a fragile local product into a national brand by solving the biggest problems of the era: spoilage, heat, and distance. If you’re into business history, supply chains, or the evolution of Americ...

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Jack Daniel’s is one of those names you can recognize from across the room, even if you’ve never taken a sip. So we decided to go past the black label and square bottle and tell the story that actually built the brand, as part of our Red, White, and Booze run-up to America’s 250th birthday. For this installment, our friend Keb Pound from the Stupid History Minute hands us a tight, surprising history lesson that’s equal parts whiskey, culture, and America.

We start where the legend really begins...

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Nine bottles. One table. Zero patience for boring wine. Andy, Josh, and Siobhan join Matt to drink, enjoy, and evaluate white wines! We’re back with a white wine tasting where we rank everything rocket-style and say the quiet parts out loud: some wines are perfect “patio pounders,” some are interesting but polarizing, and one local Riesling goes so candy-sweet it resets the entire definition of “sweet.” Along the way we compare three Sauvignon Blancs side by side, from California fruit to that unmistakable Marlborough, New Zealand grapefruit and grassiness, and we talk about what...

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Elvis drove what? Madonna got fired from where? What famous artist wore a chicken suit to work? Jen, Jordan, and Rob join Matt for a "Think Or Drink?" showdown around wacky music trivia like that, and it turns into the kind of game night where one risky lifeline can send your score into the negatives.

We bounce through categories that mix pop culture, music history, and pure chaos: musicians’ odd jobs before fame, actors with secret band pasts, strange one-off performances, and the kind of weird artist quirks you can’t unhe...

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Reviving your hero requires one simple move: finish your drink. That is the core rule that turns our table into pure chaos as we play Drinking Quest, the Dungeons and Dragons inspired drinking game built for party nights, bad decisions, and big laughs. Matt takes the dungeon master seat while Andy, Chris, Siobhan, and Rob roll for initiative, argue about house rules, and immediately discover why you do not bring heavy drinks to this game.

We’re playing the Belch of the Wild edition of Drinking Quest, a Zelda parody packed wi...

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Guinness has one of the most unlikely résumés of any beer on Earth: an 18th-century Irish origin story, a masterclass in industrial brewing, a global export giant, and even a quiet role in shaping modern science. We walk through how Arthur Guinness grows up around practical brewing in a time when beer is safer than water, then turns a £100 inheritance into a real business that rides the rise of porter and scales fast. 

From there, we zoom out to the worldwide footprint of Guinness today. We also put real numb...

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A St. Patrick’s Day celebration deserves a master storyteller! We sit down with Seamus Kennedy, Irish singer, song writer, and comedian to relive so of his most unforgettable moments at our local Celtic Classic festival and beyond, including the night a planned onstage proposal gone very wrong, the tornado that ripped through a festival tent mid-set, and the surreal evenings he performed for President Ronald Reagan and the Pope. Seamus pairs every tale with heart, turning mishaps into folklore and reminding us why live music still feels like magic. We trace his pa...

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Sparkly moonlight, cotton candy clouds, and a snap of flame—our Anime Booze Battle brings big fandom energy to the bar. We have each crafted original cocktails inspired by Sailor Moon, One Piece’s Gear Five Luffy, Fullmetal Alchemist’s Roy Mustang, and a nod to Sword Art Online’s Black Swordsman Kazuto Kirigaya. Then was argue, laugh, and debate our way to a winner.

First up, Sailor Moon gets a radiant makeover with a yuzu-forward gin and tonic. Empress Gin brings the purple hue, edible glitter channels that iconic transformation sequence...

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Ten bourbons, one table, all the hype, and no mercy! Andy M., Chris, and Josh join Matt for another bourbon extravaganza! We lined up everything from a $20 Bottled-in-Bond workhorse to beloved Buffalo Trace labels, a sleeper single barrel, a stave-finished Maker’s Private Selection, and a cask strength closer—and let the flavors fight it out. With four palates in play, we tracked nose, finish, drinkability, and real-world use cases to answer the question that actually matters: which bottle should you reach for, and why?

The ride starts with contrasts: Bib & Tuck...

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Josh and Matt bring you visions of a bright red glass, a room full of friends, and a recipe that earns its place at the table—our cranberry whiskey sour brings seasonal flavor to a timeless form while telling the story of how a humble template shaped cocktail culture. We start with the build: rye for spice, cranberry for tart depth, fresh lemon for lift, real maple for warmth, and orange bitters to tie it all together. Then we zoom out to the roots of the sour—spirit, citrus, sugar—born from sailors fighti...

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A frosty glass, a warm toast, trivia, and a roomful of music nerds trying not to cry-laugh over a slide whistle—our holiday special brings the good stuff. We start with a cookies-and-cream Sugarlands concoction and buttery-nipple shots poured into Matt's Grandpa’s vintage shot glass set, then raise a heartfelt toast to departed friend. From there the energy jumps: holiday music trivia, name‑that‑tune chaos with student recordings, and a chord-progression challenge that reveals how deeply these carols live in our bones.

We dig into the stories behind the songs wi...

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A herd of buffalo carved a path across Kentucky, and that same path led to one of the most storied distilleries in America. We follow that trail from frontier stills to a modern distillery campus, unpacking how Buffalo Trace became a benchmark for bourbon history, science, and hype—often all in the same bottle.

We start with the unlikely origin story: prehistoric buffalo trails guiding settlers to a natural river crossing, early farm mashups turning into documented distilling, and a run of owners who built, rebuilt, and refined through fires and se...

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A special thank you to the Sugarlands Distilling Company for sending us 4 jars of their sipping create and a bottle of High Rock Vodka!

Andy, Rob and Siobhan join Matt to line up four Sugarlands Sippin’ Cream flavors—Orange Dream, Peanut Butter, Birthday Cake, and Eggo Waffles Brunch in a Jar—taste them straight, then put them through a cocktail gauntlet to find out which is our favorite! 

First, we break down the flavor profiles and texture surprises: Orange Dream smells like a melted creamsicle with a vanilla glide, Peanut...

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Strike a match, pour a fall old fashioned, and settle in for a Halloween watch-along that blends 90s chills with grown-up sips. Andy, Chris, Rob, and Siobhan join Matt and cue up two Are You Afraid of the Dark standouts—The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle and The Tale of the Ghastly Grinner—and unpack why these kid-friendly scares still hit.

We start at the campfire with SNICK nostalgia, TV ratings lore, and a shout to the show’s practical-effects roots, including the SFX lead who later racked up Emmys for a...

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Christa, Josh, and The Fish join Matt for a casual stout tasting that quickly transforms into a fascinating exploration of craft brewing's darkest frontier. Diving headfirst into ten distinct stouts ranging from modest 5% session-friendly options to formidable 14.2% bourbon barrel-aged behemoths, our panel discovers that ABV numbers and fancy descriptions don't always align with drinking pleasure.

The journey takes unexpected turns as pre-tasting predictions fall flat. A chocolate strawberry ice cream stout initially dismissed as potentially undrinkable surprises everyone with its restrained balance, while a high-priced, wax-sealed special release bourbon barrel stout...

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Chris, Josh, and Siobhan join Matt as fate takes control of the cocktail shaker in this hilarious second round of our drink-based Russian roulette. Armed with nothing but dice and questionable courage, Matt and friends submit themselves to the whims of chance as they roll for cocktail ingredients that no sane bartender would ever combine.

The dice show no mercy as rolls produce increasingly apocalyptic combinations: a shot mixing gin, pickle juice followed by a curdling science experiment and a unanimously reviled tequila martini with pickle juice.

Through grimaces...

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Prepare to enter a tavern where fate determines what's in your glass! In this hilarious and chaotic episode, Chris, Josh, and Siobhan join Matt to play "Roll for Cocktail," a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired drinking game where dice decide every element of their drinks—from base spirits to garnishes.

The adventure begins with dramatic character introductions worthy of a fantasy campaign before explaining the rules of this perilous drinking quest. Armed with multi-sided dice and one precious re-roll each, our heroes face the prospect of everything from pleasant combinations to nightmare concoctions featuring Cl...

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The mysterious Green Fairy beckons you into a world where art, controversy, and botanical alchemy collide. Absinthe has captivated and terrified in equal measure throughout its storied history, and we're pulling back the emerald veil to reveal what makes this spirit so enduringly fascinating.

Discover the botanical trinity that forms absinthe's soul. From ancient Egyptian remedies to Swiss medicine to Parisian cafés, we trace absinthe's remarkable journey through time. You'll learn why the 5 o'clock hour was once known as "l'heure verte" as bohemians and bourgeoisie alike gathered for their daily r...

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Christa, Josh, and The Fish join Matt to explore how the first sip can transport you back to great memories. From a campfire, to the bar that saved a girls' weekend in Ocean City, or back to college hallway where your nickname was born in the craziest way possible.

"A good drink can be an experience, and a good experience can call for a good drink," sets the tone for this journey through our most memorable beverage moments.  Christa brings her Orange Crush to the table. The discussion naturally flows to h...

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Armed with nothing but a $4.99 MTV Throwback Music Party Game from Five Below, Josh, Rob, and Siobhan join Matt and dive headfirst into a chaotic game of music trivia that tests our musical knowledge and performance skills across decades. Players have just 15 seconds to name songs containing specific words, perform interpretative versions of hit tracks, or recite lyrics from memory – all while the pressure of the timer makes previously obvious answers completely disappear from our minds. By the end, it's clear I may have paid to much for this game!

The ni...

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The beer landscape in America has shifted dramatically, and Modelo Especial now wears the crown as the nation's best-selling beer. This remarkable transformation—from a Mexican import to America's favorite brew—speaks volumes about changing consumer tastes and the evolving American identity.

Born in Mexico City in 1925, Modelo's origin story defies expectations. A Spanish baker decided to trade flour for foam, partnering with industrialist  and 22 other investors to launch Cerveceria Modelo. Their ambitious start brought us Modelo Especial and Corona in that first year, followed by Negra Modelo in 1926. The company flour...

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Join Matt and Jon from Poppin's Travel on an EPIC adventure! What happens when two theme park enthusiasts are granted VIP access to Universal Orlando's Epic Universe before its grand opening? A 19-mile walking marathon, 25+ attractions, and an evening of complimentary food and signature cocktails that transformed us into living testimonials for the park's perfectly chosen name.

Our adventure began with a whirlwind tour through Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, conquering classics like ET's Adventure and modern marvels like Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. By afternoon, we'd ridden 15 major attractions...

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Ready your wands and prepare your potions as Christa, Chris, Josh, and Siobhan join Matt to embark on a magical journey through the wizarding world with an epic Harry Potter-themed trivia night. This butterbeer-fueled showdown transforms our regular "Think or Drink" game with special Hogwarts-inspired power-ups like the Marauder's Map and the Pensieve, allowing players to access behind-the-scenes movie facts or explore the differences between the books and films.

The competition quickly heats up as Chris reveals himself to be a walking Potter encyclopedia, prompting the others to form an alliance...

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Ever wonder what happens when science, celebrities, and craft beer collide? Welcome to Invertase Brew Company in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, where every pint comes with an extraordinary tale! 

Our conversation with owner Steve Zolnay reveals how a Father's Day homebrew kit led to a family-owned brewery founded by a biochemist, and a mechanical engineer. The scientific precision behind their brewing process creates remarkably balanced and approachable beers that have earned a devoted following.

What truly makes this episode special are events that take place at Invertase and Steve's incredible s...

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Andy, Josh, and Rob join Matt for a riotous episode, as we play a trivia game that tests our ability to identify fabricated names among genuine, albeit ridiculous, real-world counterparts. Get ready for the inappropriateness! 

The game comes with high stakes – each incorrect answer means spinning our shot spinner to determine our fate. With tequila, bourbon, vodka, and the infamous Malört lurking among the options, strategic gameplay becomes crucial as points dwindle and shot glasses empty.

From athletes with unfortunate names like "Fair Hooker" and "Harry Colon" to craf...

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Andy, Josh, and Siobhan join Matt to take a sip of nostalgia with Monica and David Kowalski, the creative duo behind Lebowski's Kool-Luah coffee liqueur and Lebowski's Tap Room in Colorado Springs. Monica shares how she's been crafting this remarkable coffee liqueur since she was just eight years old, using her late father's recipe from the 1970s that has now become an award-winning spirit taking the cocktail world by storm.

As we sample White Russians and espresso martinis made with Lebowski's Cool Lua, Monica and David reveal the incredible versatility of...

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This episode is about celebrating the joy that video gaming brings to our lives. Andy, Chris, Josh, and Rob join Matt for video game trivia! We are all avid gaming enthusiasts which makes for a raucous episode filled with insight, laughter, and a delicious drink to match the mood. Chris assembled a truly "Game Genie" level of trivia quests which fosters engaging conversations about favorite single-player and multiplayer games, offering something for everyone. Our drink of the day, Matt's Gerudo Vally margarita, sets the relaxed vibe as our hosts dive into nostalgic memories...

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Andy, Chris, Josh, and Rob join Matt for our inaugural "Bar Chat" episode as we welcome special guest: Jeff Steitzer! Jeff's unforgettable booming announcements set the tone for multiplayer combat throughout the Halo video game series. Jeff candidly shares his journey from the vibrant stages of the theater scene to the recording booth, all while being initially unaware of the seismic impact his voice would have on gamers worldwide.

Listen as we chat about the blend of gaming and theater work in Jeff's career, and how conventions have become a cherished...

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Drinkables! Ready for a hilarious culinary escapade? Join us on "Matt and Friends: Drink the Universe" as we embark on a spirited journey through the world of budget-friendly dollar store snacks paired with margaritas. Andy, Josh, and Rob join Matt for a flavor-packed adventure filled with laughter, and candid critiques. We’re pairing 3 snacks with Teremana tequila margaritas. 

We tackle an array of Mexican-style snacks, turning an ordinary taste test into a comical critique of unexpected flavor combinations. Some good, some not good at all. We share our raw reactions.

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Unearth the captivating stories behind one of the world's favorite cocktails, the margarita, and dive into its rich, flavorful history. Discover how the delicious pairing of tequila and lime captured hearts and palates worldwide as the margarita rose to iconic status alongside tequila's growing popularity in the United States.

But what about that distinctive glass? Could a mishap at a Los Angeles restaurant have given birth to the classic margarita glass, or is Marie Antoinette's bosom? Finally, fast forward to 1971, when Mariano Martinez drew inspiration by a humble soft-serve ice cream...

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Reflecting on an incredible journey through 2024, I am thrilled to share a heartfelt tribute to the amazing team behind Matt and Friends Drink the Universe.

As we toast to a new year filled with possibilities, we are eager to embark on exciting new adventures in 2025. If you know of a brewery, distillery, or winery worth exploring, we'd love to connect. E-mail us at [email protected] 

Cheers to a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year, and a huge thank you to our listeners!

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Did you know that you can roller skate to church in a certain country for Christmas? Join us for a holiday-themed episode filled with laughter, trivia, and festive cheer as we, alongside our good friends Andy, Chris, Rob, and Siobhan, explore the quirkiest international Christmas traditions. Sip along with us as we try the Frosted Cranberry 75. Our trivia game challenges you to master the art of giving—in points, that is—while strategically "peeking under the tree" to dodge those pesky wrong answers.

 Discover surprising nuggets of holiday music history, like Judy...

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Ever had an adventure sparked by a simple drink? Andy, Christa, and Rob join Matt for round of story telling to answer the question "How Did We Get Beer?"

Rob takes us on a vibrant journey with Treehouse Brewing’s Super Typhoon American Double IPA, where citrus notes from hops blend with tales of a memorable trip to Vermont. Meanwhile, the Weyerbacher’s Merry Monks triple unleashes smooth flavors and potent memories of casual rehearsals turned into memorable escapades. Alongside Andy and Christa, we reminisce on how the perfect blend of good...

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Josh joins Matt to introduce Matt and Friends Drink the Universe's official cocktail for 2024 holiday season! Ever wondered why the French 75 cocktail, born amidst the vibrant backdrop of Paris, still captivates cocktail enthusiasts more than a century later? Join us as we unlock the secrets of this iconic drink and explore how it became a symbol of sophistication and defiance.

This holiday season, we're thrilled to unveil our Frosted Cranberry 75, a festive take on the classic that promises to elevate your celebrations. Josh, guides the crafting of this winter delight using...

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Andy, Chris, and Siobhan join Matt for some drink tasking and story telling, Matt and Friends Drink the Universe style. Imagine standing on the edge of a 70-foot cliff on the island of Lanai, feeling the adrenaline and the Hawaiian sun on your skin, just before plunging into the crystal waters below. That's the spirit behind the Gold Cliff IPA from Kona Brewing, and the spark for our storytelling adventure. In this episode, Chris takes us back to his 10th wedding anniversary in Hawaii, where he and Siobhan renewed their vows amidst the...