The Practical Still

Mark Still & Dan Cavallari

1 Creator

Whiskey hunting and collecting has gotten crazy but there are still wonderful bottles of bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys waiting for you on store shelves if you just know a little bit about what to shop for. The Practical Still is about finding value in whisky to drink and share. Whiskey was never meant to sit on a shelf. Open the Bottle and enjoy it. We don't do detailed reviews, we just help you understand and enjoy the whiskey you can drink today.

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Top 10 The Practical Still Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Practical Still episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Practical Still for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Practical Still episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Does Glassware Matter?

The Practical Still

04/23/20 • 28 min

In this week's episode of The Practical Still Podcast, Mark and Dan discuss the different types of glassware for enjoying your whiskey — and whether the type of glass you're drinking from even matters.

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I have $25. Can I buy a good bottle of bourbon?

The Practical Still

03/29/20 • 35 min

Episode 1 of the Practical Still podcast gives listeners a sense of what to look for when you're on the hunt for an excellent bottle of bourbon that won't cost you top-shelf prices.Mark and Dan discuss the terms you need to know to get started on your bourbon hunt so you can find quality bottles at an affordable price.

Does packaging in whiskey matter?

The Practical Still

09/02/20 • 36 min

Dan and Mark discuss packaging in the retail whiskey industry. Specifically, does it even matter to the experience and enjoyment of sipping on bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys? Cardboard and wooden boxes, tubes, stoppers, toppers, wax, plastic, ribbons, and beautifully crafted stories printed on cards and booklets. Do you buy one whiskey over another because of any of this extra fluff or are you solely focused on the liquid in the bottle? And speaking of the bottle, do you care about the form of the bottle itself? We do figure out that Dan likes wooden boxes and Mark prefers natural cork stoppers but what do you think?

Can we build a $100 whiskey bar that's good?

The Practical Still

08/27/20 • 40 min

Dan and Mark work through the whiskey styles and supporting components to put together a $100 whiskey bar to hopefully satisfy bourbon drinkers, rye drinkers, scotch drinkers, and cocktail consumers. Is that even possible? Give episode 7 a listen and find out. Then, let us know what you think. Which whiskey were we wrong to include, which would you rather see within these constraints?

Blind tasting a bunch of whiskey

The Practical Still

08/09/20 • 55 min

Dan and Mark did an informal blind tasting a few weeks back. Episode 6 sees them back at Dan's house, recording together for the first time in months, and reviewing those blindly tasted whiskeys after some time to think about them.

Back To The Bottle: Woodford Reserve and a bonus

The Practical Still

05/26/20 • 1 min

Mark had a couple of bottles open, and as it turned out, both of them were a bit disappointing. Here's what he thought of the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Chocolate Malted Rye, and Breakers wheated bourbon.If you haven't already seen the Open the Bottle video, take a look. https://www.thepracticalstill.com/post/open-the-bottle-not-every-whiskey-tastes-good

Why is it sometimes difficult to tell the difference between rye and bourbon whiskey?

The Practical Still

05/04/20 • 34 min

Mark and Dan get down to the nitty gritty: what's the difference between bourbon and rye, and why do some of the latter taste like the former? It turns out, there's a lot of subtle differences that make a huge impact on flavor. But really, as with most things whiskey, it all comes down to the mash bill.

What should you do with that last little bit of whiskey in the bottle?

The Practical Still

11/02/20 • 57 min

I don't know why but I often end up with quite a few bottles with just a little bit of whiskey left in them. For some reason, I'll just let them sit that way for too long. Usually, the last sip is my favorite so maybe I just don't want the good times to end. In this episode, we talk about different options for dealing with the last sip of whiskey in the bottle.I also repeatedly mention https://lincolnroadpackagestore.com as we finish off a 13-year-old Rye pick from Barrell Craft Spirits and open up a Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon from them as well. Check them out if you're into private picks (and you should be) as they have been at it a long time.

The price of bourbon and rye whiskey just keeps going up and up and up!

The Practical Still

01/17/21 • 56 min

It sure seems as if bourbon and rye whiskey prices are continuing to accelerate. Bottles that one day are gathering dust are gone from the shelf the next and doubling price the very next time you see them again. It's more important than ever to know what you're drinking and what it's worth to you. There are still great bottles we can buy most any day at reasonable prices even if they are getting more and more rare. Don't give up. Share that whiskey with friends, try some Irish or Japanese whiskey and let us know when you find some value in the market ... won't tell anyone, promise.

Do Age Statements Matter?

The Practical Still

05/26/20 • 35 min

On this episode of The Practical Still podcast, Mark and Dan get to the root of age statements: do they matter? Does a 10 year old whiskey age statement necessarily mean it's better than a 7 year old whiskey? And just how old is all the stuff that goes into the bottle anyway? Find out on this episode of The Practical Still Podcast.

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Practical Still have?

The Practical Still currently has 43 episodes available.

What topics does The Practical Still cover?

The podcast is about Bourbon, How To, Podcasts, Education, Whiskey, Arts, Spirits and Food.

What is the most popular episode on The Practical Still?

The episode title 'Back To The Bottle: Old Ezra 7' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Practical Still?

The average episode length on The Practical Still is 38 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Practical Still released?

Episodes of The Practical Still are typically released every 15 days, 3 hours.

When was the first episode of The Practical Still?

The first episode of The Practical Still was released on Mar 29, 2020.

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The Practical Still

Mark Still & Dan Cavallari

Top 10 The Practical Still Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The Practical Still have?

What topics does The Practical Still cover?

What is the most popular episode on The Practical Still?

What is the average episode length on The Practical Still?

How often are episodes of The Practical Still released?

When was the first episode of The Practical Still?

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