CRAFTED Podcast

CRAFTED explores how things get made, and does so with the people who insist on making things well.

Recent Episodes:

On CRAFTED, Eli is joined by fellow Blister contributor Zack Henderson to talk all things paella. What started as a casual interest has turned into a full-blown culinary rabbit hole — and they dig into everything from technique to tradition, with some very unconventional twists. In this episode they dive into the mysteries of the socarrat; explore a Pacific Northwest take on the dish; and brainstorm potential flavor combinations (some more plausible than others). Along the way, we talk table beer, saffron, Fernet, and confront Eli’s long-running rice curse.
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On CRAFTED, Jonathan talks books, book recommendations, the state of independent bookstores, the art of reading, and the craft of writing, and our guest is the perfect person to talk about it all. Arvin Ram is a writer, avid reader, owner of the indie bookstore, Townie Books, and the director of the Mountain Words Festival here in Crested Butte, so we also discuss the intersection of mountain culture and book culture.
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The Highlands of Jalisco where Don Julio Tequila is made.
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On CRAFTED, Eli Brown and Jonathan Ellsworth talk with Andrew Jones, the founder of and winemaker for Field Recordings. The brand has growing over the last 16 years into one of the most talked-about labels in the country. In this episode, Andrew talks nursery hustle, breaking the rules, and why wine should be fun, not fussy. We also talk boxed wine, baseball cards, and Andrew fires off some of the sharpest wine one-liners we’ve ever heard.
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On our CRAFTED podcast, Jonathan talks with Blister reviewer & Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, about her lifelong love of ice cream; what we should know about making ice cream at home; and why she always hunts for small-batch ice cream when she’s traveling.
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We’re all familiar with ‘Top Gun’ — a school that separates the best of the best. But what if we told you there is an elite certification program designed to test the best bartenders in the business? On our CRAFTED podcas, Eli is discussing that program — Bar 5 Day — with Steve Olson and Doug Frost.
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Bitters have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and in cocktails for centuries. But they receive far less attention than the spirits in our glass. So on our CRAFTED podcast, we talk with the founders of Bennett Bitters about bitters in general; the complex process they use to produce some of the best bitters on the market; how they got started; and more.
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North Drinkware's Mt Rainier Tumbler
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Heaven 11 Billie Amp
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On CRAFTED, Chef Paul Jenson and Eli discuss Paul’s background, the unique world of culinary competition, and what it means to represent the U.S. in one of the most prestigious food contests on earth — the Culinary Olympics.
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On our CRAFTED podcast, Jonathan talks with Kara Williard and Eli Brown about one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world. We discuss hardneck garlic vs softneck garlic; how to grow garlic; its medicinal properties; black garlic; garlic honey; and yes … vampires.
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Today on our CRAFTED podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth and Eli Brown delve into the changing landscape of alcohol consumption among younger generations; the trends — and hurdles — of non-alcoholic (NA) and low ABV cocktails; the implications of the US Surgeon General's recommendations on alcohol consumption; and predictions for future trends in the craft beverage industry
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On the CRAFTED podcast, we share what is essentially an ongoing conversation that Jonathan has been having for about 30 years now with one of his best friends, Matthew Halteman, about food, food systems, sustainability, fine dining, and the ethics and aesthetics of what we eat.
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Happy New Year! On our CRAFTED podcast, we are sharing the craft categories that most captivated some of our Blister reviewers in 2024, and revealing some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2025
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On our CRAFTED podcast, our guest is Scott Rao, who is simply one of the most influential people in the world of coffee, coffee roasting, and coffee brewing. Scott is also the owner of Prodigal Coffee (located in Boulder, Colorado), and in this conversation we dive deep into specific coffee topics, as well as discuss the pursuit of quality in general
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Studio Shed w/ Mike Koenig (Ep.53)
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Last year, we talked with Alex LeBlanc about starting Calibration Coffee Lab in Greenville, South Carolina. Today, Alex is back on the CRAFTED podcast to talk about how it’s going, what he’s been learning, how his thinking about coffee has evolved, and how he’s trying to build a brand that people will love.
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