CRAFTED

What happens when a category's success leads to its demise? Tequila is the fastest-growing spirit in the world, yet its popularity has put it on a path to extinction. In this episode, David Suro joins us to discuss the world of agave spirits, from smuggling tequila into the U.S. for tastings in the 1980s to the rise of industrialized production methods that he believes have put the entire category at risk of disappearing overnight.
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Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us at: info@blisterreview.com to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Founding ‘Tequilas’ (3:34)
Americanized Mexican Cuisine (10:27)
The Low Cabinet: Secret Bottles (15:19)
Origins of Agave Spirits (21:01)
Tequilas Boom and Bust (30:50)
Mescal vs Tequila (41:32)
Tequila’s Monoculture (47:32)
Process vs Aging (1:07:35)
Transparency in Tequila (1:16:46)
RELATED LINKS:
Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals
Siembra Spirits
Tequilas Casa Mexicana
The Tequila Inerchange Project
Siembra Suro Foundation
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Who decides which wines make it to wine shop shelves and restaurant lists? For decades, importers like Ronnie Sanders have quietly helped shape the way we drink wine. As the founder of Vine Street Imports, Ronnie has spent the last two decades building a reputation for finding overlooked winemakers long before the rest of the industry. In this episode, Ronnie and Eli dig into emerging wine trends, his take on ‘the death of wine’, and explore what actually makes a bottle worth drinking.
We Want to Hear from You!
Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us at: info@blisterreview.com to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.
RELATED LINKS:
Vine Street Imports
Blister Craft Collective
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Ronnie’s Australian Connection (3:37)
Getting Into Wine (6:11)
Bordeaux and Ronnie’s Father (17:34)
Sourcing Australian Wine (22:20)
The Jakarta Story (30:44)
What's Hot In Wine (45:00)
Australian Pinot Noir And Chardonnay (48:49)
What is Value? (49:59)
Emerging Wine Trends (58:49)
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Bûcheron (French for “lumberjack”) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, won the James Beard Foundation award for Best New Restaurant in America in 2025. Last month, Jonathan Ellsworth had the opportunity to attend a Bûcheron dinner, and today, he talks with owners Jeanie and Adam Ritter about their unconventional backgrounds; how they and their team created a restaurant that earned one of the most prestigious awards in the culinary world; and what life has been like since.
We Want to Hear from You!
Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us at: info@blisterreview.com to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.
TOPICS & TIMES:
What is Bucheron? (3:18)
Minnesota French (5:05)
Jeanie’s Background (7:41)
Adam’s Background (14:47)
Michelin & James Beard (25:10)
Travel & Learning (29:24)
Boucheron's Methodology (31:09)
Cooking in Unfamiliar Places (36:41)
Opening Bucheron (42:58)
Winning the James Beard Award (46:51)
Advice for Success (51:54)
Minneapolis and ICE (56:19)
The Bear (1:03:02)
Eating at Home (1:05:07)
RELATED LINKS:
Bucheron
Blister Craft Collective
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For decades, Oregon’s winemakers have looked to France as the standard setter for what constitutes great wine. Brianne Day, founder of Day Wines, thinks it's time to stop doing that. Brianne has spent her career exploring what makes Oregon's vineyards unique. Today, we discuss her winemaking philosophy, biodynamic farming practices, and why Oregon's most exciting wines are the ones that aren’t trying to be from somewhere else.
We Want to Hear from You!
Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us at: info@blisterreview.com to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Origin Story & 1,500 Wines (4:28)
Wine Exploration (15:07)
Wine Making Regions (16:30)
American Terroir (27:45)
Creating & Managing Expectations (13:32)
Natural Wine (36:22)
Amaro (49:44)
RELATED LINKS:
Day Wines
SennzaFinne
Blister Craft Collective
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Salt Lake City shouldn’t be home to one of America’s best cocktail bars. And yet, despite Utah’s strange liquor laws and its distance from traditional cocktail meccas, that’s exactly what makes Water Witch so interesting. After the Blister team stumbled across Water Witch on a recent trip, Eli wanted to find out how owner / operator Scott Gardner built something so special in such an unlikely environment.
We Want to Hear from You!
Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us at: info@blisterreview.com to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.
TOPICS & TIMES:
About Scott (2:54)
Alcohol Laws & Culinary Deserts (7:18)
James Beard Award (13:16)
Changes in Cocktail Competitions (17:51)
Finding Mentors (21:12)
Building Water Witch (24:11)
Defining the Concept (31:06)
Operations Management (39:14)
Control State Woes (47:04)
The Future of Utah’s Bars (53:14)
Why Stay In Salt Lake? (57:10)
RELATED LINKS:
Water Witch
Bar Nohm
Blister Craft Collective
Become a BLISTER+ Member
SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Blister Cinematic
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GEAR:30
Blister Podcast
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