Episodes
Find every episode of Bourbon Abroad, plus bonus information, photos and links to our featured destinations.
E11: Bourbon Abroad, Rome
No fooling, we’ve made it to Rome. Mike explores the history, food and drink of the Eternal City with visits to Bonci, Enoteca Ferrara, Freni e Frizioni, Jerry Thomas Speakeasy and Drink Kong.
But that’s not all Rome has to offer. If you’re in the city, check out The Race Club, The Barber Shop or Keyhole, and tell us how they were.
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Rome’s Colosseum at night.
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The Colosseum and Forum in Rome.
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The Colosseum in Rome.
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The world-famous Trevi Fountain by day.
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Rome’s beautiful Trevi Fountain at night.
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Pizza at Bonci in Rome.
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Suppli, or fried pasta, at Bonci in Rome.
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Black gnocchi at Enoteca Ferrara in Rome.
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Rome’s Drink Kong.
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Drink Kong in Rome.
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Rome’s Drink Kong serves innovative cocktails.
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The door to Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome.
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The buzzer at Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome.
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Inside the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome.
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Mike at Rome’s Drink Kong.
E10: Bourbon Abroad, Barcelona II
Mike is still on assignment in Barcelona, and he takes us on an exclusive trip to the speakeasy inside Paradiso, the former number-one bar in the world. What’s it like in the inner sanctum? Listen and find out.
E9: Bourbon Abroad, Barcelona I
Mike is on assignment in Barcelona, Spain. In this, the first of two episodes from the capital of Catalonia, he and Shane talk Antoni Gaudí, jamón iberico and the 1992 Summer Olympics. Then Mike visits La Whiskeria, with its more than 1,000 bottles of whiskey, and samples the avant-garde cocktails at Sips, the No. 3 bar on Earth, according to The World’s 50 Best Bars.
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From the outside, Sips appears to be just another neighborhood bar in Barcelona.
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Sips Bar in Barcelona is ranked No. 3 by The World’s 50 Best Bars
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Mike at Sips in Barcelona with Krypta, a combination of gin, armagnac and clarified green apple billed as ” a cocktail you can breathe.”
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La Whiskeria in Barcelona boasts more than 1,000 bottles of whiskey.
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La Whiskeria in Barcelona is all about whiskey.
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La Whiskeria’s bourbon collection.
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La Whiskeria’s collection of Few whiskeys.
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La Whiskeria’s diverse collection includes unique bottles, such as this ry
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Shenk’s is on La Whiskeria’s bourbon list.
E8: Bourbon Abroad, Paris II
Bourbon Abroad concludes its visit to Paris by delving into the city’s cocktail culture. From historic Harry’s New York Bar and the Ritz Hotel to modern mixology at Little Red Door, Fitzgerald, Moonshiner and Experimental Cocktail Club, Mike and Shane learn why Paris is a cocktail capital.
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Mike at Little Red Door in Paris. The trendsetting cocktail bar started as a speakeasy.
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Little Red Door bases its cocktail menu around a theme, be it art or local farms.
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Walk through the kitchen doors, down the steps and into a Jazz Age speakeasy at Fitzgerald.
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Mike at Fitzgerald, the Paris speakeasy named after American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, who lived in the city during the 1920s.
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Golden Promise, possibly the best whiskey bar in Paris, is quietly tucked beneath a sake shop.
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The bar at Golden Promise is just part of the operation.
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The whiskey tasting room at Golden Promise has its own curator.
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The Hakushu 18 at the Golden Promise tasting room.
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Parker’s Heritage Collection at Golden Promise. The bar’s tasting room is a great place to sample hard-to-find bottles.
E7: Bourbon Abroad, Paris I
Sometimes you need to make a detour. We had planned to continue our Italian theme this week with a visit to Rome, but we couldn’t arrange an interview in time. Instead, we’re heading to Paris, for the first of two episodes on bourbon in the City of Light. We visit the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée Rodin, Eiffel Tower, La Maison du Whisky, Vin et Whisky, The Whisky Shop, Mayfair Garden, Santa Carne and Essaouira. Plus, we explain how a Parisian booze merchant changed the way many of us enjoy bourbon, the classically American spirit.
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The Louvre in Paris.
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Mike and Season at the Louvre in Paris.
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Clock at the Musée d’Orsay.
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Mike contemplates The Thinker at the Rodin Museum in Paris.
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La Maison du Whisky shop in Paris.
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Inside La Maison du Whisky in Paris.
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La Maison du Whisky has a longstanding relationship with Blanton’s.
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La Maison du Whisky has a longstanding relationship with Blanton’s.
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A 49-year-old Glenlivet at La Maison du Whisky.
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Vin et Whisky, another quality liquor store in Paris.
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Night cap outside the Louvre.
E6: Bourbon Abroad, Florence
Mike spends time in a Tuscan villa overlooking Florence, the cultural powerhouse of the Renaissance and home to priceless works of art. Join him and Shane as they discuss the treasures of the Uffizi Galleries and Galleria dell’Accademia, the culinary joys of Florentine steak and the Mercato Centrale Firenze and the cocktails at Locale Firenze, Rasputin and Bitter Bar.
E5: Bourbon Abroad, Milan
In the Italian capital of fashion and design, Mike visits Campari’s flagship bar, Camparino In Galleria, sips cocktails at the Starbucks Reserves Milano Roastery and finds a hidden gem collecting dust in a local liquor store. Then, Mike searches for 1930, the most exclusive and elusive speakeasy in the world, where having a reservation and knowing the address are very different things.
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The enormous Duomo di Milano dominates the old city center.
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The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a shopping destination in the Italian capital of fashion and design.
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Interior of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
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Camparino In Galleria is Campari’s flagship bar.
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Camparino In Galleria.
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Looking out on the Duomo from Camparino In Galleria.
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Starbucks Reserve Milano Roastery is in a former post office building.
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The cocktail menu at Starkbucks Reserve Milano Roastery, where they also sell coffee.
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The ingredients for a Manhattan at Starkbucks Reserve Milano Roastery.
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A drink with a view at Starbucks Reserve Milano Roastery.
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Mike enjoying a cocktail at Starbucks Reserve Milano Roastery.
E4: Bourbon Abroad, Montreal
Shane heads north to Montreal, the cradle of French-language culture in Canada. Get ready for poutine, smoked meat, speakeasies and snow. Shane enjoys bespoke cocktails in a hidden bar behind a menswear shop and appreciates the beauty of confit duck leg and Colville oysters. Atwater Cocktail Club, Cloakroom Bar, The Coldroom, Cafe Olimpico, Crew Collective & Cafe, Beauty’s, La Banquise and L’Express are just some of the stops on this whirlwind tour of Montreal’s eats and drinks.
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SWIPE>>>The historic Vieux-Port neighborhood along the St. Lawrence River is home to boutique hotels, restaurants and activities throughout the year.
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Auberge du Viex-Port, Shane’s home base in Montreal.
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This is smoked meat, the result of marrying Jewish deli fare with French-Canadian meat smoking.
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Cloakroom Bar is in the back of this menswear store near McGill University.
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You won’t find a menu at Cloakroom Bar. The bartenders craft bespoke cocktails with quality spirits and homemade tinctures that line the bar.
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Montreal is the cultural capital of French-speaking Canada. The late Leonard Cohen is perhaps the city’s most famous artist.
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The Coldroom is somewhere around here. If only you could get inside.
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Follow the duck to The Coldroom.
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Onion soup and Colville oysters at L’Express, a Montreal institution.
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El Pequeno is the tiny rum bar/side project upstairs from The Coldroom in Vieux-Port.
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Daiquiris are a summer drink, but when you can get one made with real Cuban rum, who cares if the windows are frosted.
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The Musee des Beaux-Arts de Montreal boasts an interesting collection.
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Poutine at La Banquise in Montreal.
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Atwater Cocktail Club? Is that you?
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The Federal Reserve at Atwater Cocktail Club is a blend of bourbon, rum, amaro, bitters and cinnamon.
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Fairmount Bagel is one of the better-known makers of wood-fired Montreal-style bagels.
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Crew Collective & Cafe is a coffee shop and co-working space in an old bank building.
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Crew Collective & Cafe is a coffee shop and co-working space in an old bank building.
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Crew Collective & Cafe is a coffee shop and co-working space in an old bank building.
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Beauty’s, where hotdogs have been an acceptable breakfast meat for 80 years.
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Bright murals decorate buildings in the Mile End and Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhoods.
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Winter in Montreal is no joke. It’s cold and snowy. But the people find ways to brighten the long nights with outdoor activities and art installations.
E3: Bourbon Abroad, Lisbon
Mike teams with his buddy, Reid, a digital nomad from the States, to explore Lisbon, Portugal’s ancient capital. After visits to Monkey Mash and Red Frog, Mike and Shane talk to Manuel Barreira, the owner of Ulysses, a cocktail “closet” packed with rare and vintage spirits, where each bespoke drink is as unique as the person ordering it.
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SWIPE>>>Ulysses Speakeasy in Lisbon bills itself as one of the smallest cocktail closets in the world.
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This is what they mean when they say “cocktail closet.”
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Rare bottles, such as this Hirsch Special Reserve 20-Year-Old American Whiskey, are part of Ulysses Speakeasy’s impressive collection.
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Born in Portugal, raised in Canada, Ulysses owner Manuel Barreira has one of the best bourbon collections in Europe.
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Ulysses Speakeasy’s bourbon and whiskey collection is deep and well-sourced.
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A few of the vintage bottles at Ulysses in Lisbon.
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Some of the bourbon bottles date back to World War II.
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The vast Praça do Comércio in Lisbon.
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The vast Praça do Comércio in Lisbon.
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King José I crushing snakes on his horse.
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Pastéis de Belém, called pastel de nata outside Lisbon, are a delicious custard tart.
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Pastéis de Belém and coffee makes a good breakfast.
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Red Frog Speakeasy in Lisbon is No. 40 on the 50 Best Bars in the World list.
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Red Frog Speakeasy’s Spiced Rusty Cherry blends rum, port and cherry shrub with aromatic spices and smoke.
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Lisbon looking toward the Castelo San Jorge.
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Legend says Odysseus of Greek lore founded Lisbon. Today, the ancient city is home to a growing class of young digital nomads.
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Lisbon was once the seat of a global empire and its architectural and cultural heritage reflects its once-staggering wealth and power.
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Lisbon’s Rua Nova do Carvalho also known at the Pink Street in the city’s bustling Cais do Sodré neighborhood.
E2: Bourbon Abroad, Porto
In the land of port wine, Mike explores Porto’s bourgeoning cocktail scene at Royal Cocktail Club, Base Porto and the fashion-forward Vogue Café. Later, Mike and Shane sit down with Eddie DeSousa, owner of EDDIE.S.KLUB, a small bar focused on classic cocktails, quality pours and the art of conversation.
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SWIPE>>>Porto is more than 2,000 years old and was occupied by Romans, Visigoths, Moors and many others. More recently, expats and tourists have discovered the ancient city.
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Porto’s location on the Duoro Rivier made it an important shipping port.
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Eddie’s Klub, in Porto, is the creation of Eddie DeSousa, who brought whiskey knowledge he gained working in the UK back to his native Portugal.
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Blanton’s Gold is just one of the bourbons at Eddie’s Klub, where DeSousa spotlights great pours, classic cocktails and the art of conversation.
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Porto is home to one of Vogue’s eponymous, fashion-themed cafes.
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Vogue Cafe, Porto.
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Vogue Cafe, Porto.
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Vogue Cafe, Porto.
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Clérigos Tower in Porto is a landmark for visitors navigating the city.
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Built in the 1700s, Clérigos Tower is more than 75 meters tall and provides visitors a 360 degree view of Porto.
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The port wine industry is concentrated on the south bank of the Douro River
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Sandeman is one of the port producers. The centuries-old port trade with England, plus a large British expat community, means English is often spoken in Porto.
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The Francesinha – a sandwich and then some.
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The unique BASE Porto rooftop-lawn bar.
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The lawn at BASE Porto is the perfect place to sip port tonics.
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The Royal Cocktail Club in Porto.
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The Monopoly-inspired menu at the Royal Cocktail Club.
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The Royal Cocktail Club in Porto.
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The Royal Cocktail Club in Porto.
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One of Porto’s vintage electric trams.
E1: Bourbon Abroad, London
In our debut episode, hosts Mike and Shane discuss bourbon’s place in the global cocktail scene and the never-ending search for the perfect pour. They also drop in on London, where Mike sips a vintage Old Fashioned at Connaught Bar and finds quality bourbon on Scotch’s home turf at Silverleaf.
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Connaught Bar at London’s Connaught Hotel is the epitome of elegance and class, with vintage spirits, inventive cocktails and a tableside martini cart.
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Connaught Bar in London.
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The Good Fellas cocktail at Connaught Bar combines cardamom and balsamic vinegar for a creative riff on the Waldorf Astoria’s 1931 Fanciulli.
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Connaught Bar’s Vintage Old Fashioned time travels with 1980’s Haigh Club and Angostura Bitters from the disco era.
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Connaught Bar in London.
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The Weller flight at Silverleaf.
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The Weller flight at Silverleaf.
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A taste of the selection at Silverleaf.
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Milroy’s of Soho is a whisky specialist store and bar in London famous for its collection of bourbons.
Introducing, Bourbon Abroad!
Grab your passports and get ready to travel the world, one pour at a time, with our globe-trotting hosts as they explore the worlds of whiskey, cocktails and international travel.
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