Giant Cocktails: A San Francisco Giants Baseball Podcast

No fictional podcast hosts were DFA'd in this podcast. The brothers react to the early roster cuts following the end of the World Series and then discuss Buster's new approach to building organizational pitching.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Oops, It's Already Empty while Matthew is drinking a Fall in the Standings. Recipes below.

Oops, It's Already Empty

• 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Spiced Pear Liqueur
• 3-5 oz Apple Cider
• 2 Lime wedges
• Fill a highball glass with ice, add a portion of the apple cider then add the bourbon and spiced pear liqueur and top with the remaining cider. Squeeze both lime wedges into the highball glass and drop in the spent wedges.

Fall in the Standings

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 3/4 oz Italicus
• 1/2 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with a large chunk of ice.

#doitforwilson

Finally, some good news! The brothers break down the 2026 season for the minor league affiliates, the overall state of the system, and discuss some of the top prospects who's names they did not know before the show.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Bruja's Brew while Ben is drinking a Cuba Libre. Recipes below.

Bruja's Brew

• 2 oz reposado tequila
• ¾ oz honey-ginger syrup
• ¾ oz fresh lime juice
• ¼ oz agave syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with candied ginger or a lime wheel.

Cuba Libre

• 2 oz White Rum
• 3-4 oz Coca-Cola
• 1 lime wedge
• Fill a highball glass with ice, add rum and top with the Coca-Cola. Squeeze the lime wedge over the glass and drop into the glass.

Yes, there was some good stuff, like the top 5 farm system. The brothers turn their ire towards the President of Baseball Operations himself, Buster Posey. What does 2026 say about his abilities as a HOBO? The bullpen that wasn't, the Vitello hiring, the 97 losses, they discuss it all.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Gin & Ginger Beer while Matthew is drinking a Monte Carlo. Recipes below.

Gin & Ginger Beer

• 2-3 oz Gin
• 3-4 oz Ginger Beer
• Fill a highball with ice, add the gin and top with the ginger beer.

Monte Carlo

• 2 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz Benedictine
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Mix all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass until well-chilled. Serve up or on the rocks. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

Lost because it's episode 404! Ah? Ah? Our dads joke their way through a break down of Tony Vitello's first season as manager. How bad was it? Did it matter? More importantly, will it get better?

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Fall Choke while Ben is drinking Bath Bubbles. Recipes below.

Fall Choke

• 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 3/4 oz Cynar
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass with fresh ice.

Bath Bubbles

• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Creme de Violette
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz Lavender Syrup (simple syrup with lavender extract)
• 2 - 3 oz Sparkling White Wine
• Combine the gin, creme de violette, lemon juice and lavender syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a champagne flute and top with the sparkling white wine.

It's time to break hearts and ruin dreams. Our heartless hosts (not the parasite kind) react to the end of season press conference: can the Giants contend next year? Does Buster know the bullpen was his fault? Is Terminator 2 Tony Vitello's favorite movie? Then they get down to cutting 20+ players from the Giants 40-man roster. It's a blood bath. And they call it "easy". Disgusting.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Sweet Heat while Matthew is drinking a Berry Sage. Recipes below.

Sweet Heat

• 2 oz Rye Whiskey
• 1 splash grendine
• 2 oz Coca-Cola
• 2 oz Ginger Beer
• 1 - 2 Jalapeno coins (optional)
• If using jalapeno, drop it into an empty highball glass and gently muddle. Add whiskey to the highball glass. Fill the glass with ice and pour grenadine over the ice. Simultaneously pour Coca-Cola and ginger beer into the glass.

Berry Sage

• 2 oz Vodka
• 3/4 oz Blackberry Sage Syrup
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 Dash Angostura Bitters
• Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a sage leaf or blackberry.

Blackberry Sage Syrup

• 1 cup blackberries — fresh or frozen
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup water
• 4–5 fresh sage leaves
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Small pinch of salt
• Combine the blackberries, sugar, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer for 8–10 minutes, crushing the berries as they soften. Remove from the heat, add the sage leaves, cover, and let steep for about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently on the berries. Stir in the lemon juice and let cool.

#doitforwilson

So that happened. The brothers react to the season that was before looking back at their pre-season predictions. And get very very drunk. Can you blame them? We certainly don't blame you.

We will be dropping down to one episode a week for the month of October and plan on doing two episodes in November. We will determine the schedule beyond as the off-season picture becomes clearer.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Brandy Crusta while Ben is drinking ... a Negroni. Recipes below.

Brandy Crusta

• 2 oz Brandy
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau or Orange Curacao)
• 1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 2 Dashes Aromatic Bitters (Pretty much anything goes)
• If desired, rub rim of a cocktail glass with lemon juice and roll in sugar. Set aside. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into prepared glass.

Negroni

• 1 oz London Dry Gin
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
• Large Orange Twist for garnish
• Combine gin, Campari and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until just chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large single chunk of ice. Express orange twist over glass and put twist in glass. Good luck.

#theydidntdoitforwilson #butwedid #ripbuddy #longliveguychapman

Becasue of these "kids" are fun to watch. The brothers react to the Twins series: Bo Davidson, bad bullpen, and more moral victories. Then they discuss they're favorites from the current roster which may include Cox! Tugboat! And ... Daddy?

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Suburban Boy while Matthew is drinking a Perfect Pair. Recipes below.

Suburban Boy

• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Creme de Violette
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
• Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

Perfect Pair

• 2 oz Vodka
• 3/4 oz Pear-Vanilla Syrup
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• Splash of Club Soda or Sparkling Wine (Optional)
• Add all ingredients, except the optional club soda or sparkling wine, to a shaker with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass. Top off with sparkling wine or club soda if desired.

Pear-Vanilla Syrup

• 2 ripe Bosc pears, cored and diced
• 1 1/4 cups Ceres pear juice
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 small 2 1/2-inch cinnamon stick
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• Put the pears and pear juice in a small saucepan and gently simmer for about 10–12 minutes, until the pears are very soft. Lightly mash them. Add the sugar and salt and stir over low heat just until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla bean/seeds and cinnamon stick, cover, and steep for 15–20 minutes. Taste around 10 minutes; if the cinnamon is already noticeable, pull the stick early. Fine-strain into a sealable jar, pressing the pears gently.

#doitforwilson #thisisnotwhathehadinmind

It's episode 400! Our Quadricentenarians celebrate their milestone episode by reacting to the series victory over the Cardinals and the sweep by the Dodgers. They then break down the Giants pitching woes and debate whether its fixable in one off-season.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Sazerac while Ben is drinking . Recipes below.

Sazerac

• 1½ oz Sazerac Rye
• ⅓ oz regular 1:1 simple syrup
• 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• Herbsaint rinse
• Lemon peel
• Prepare your glass by rinsing inside of a chilled short glass with Herbsaint (or absinthe). Discard any extra in glass. Combine other ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into prepared glass with no ice. Express lemon peel oils over drink and drop in glass. For something extra, embed 2-3 cloves into the peel and place in glass.

400 Geese

• 1 oz Bourbon
• 1/4 oz Orange Liqueur
• 1/4 oz Campari
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 sugar cube
• Combine bourbon, orange liqueur, Campari and bitters in a mixing glass with ice and stir briefly to chill slightly. Strain into a champagne flute with the sugar cube at the bottom. Top with the sparkling white wine.

#doitforwilson

We look forward to your healthy return, Rafi! The brothers update the 2026 Giants place in bad Giants history before reacting to the sweep by the Padres. Finally they break down many of the crazy things that have happened in this season (most of them good!)

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Four in Hand while Ben is drinking a Sunshine Makes Me Cry. Recipes below.

Four in Hand

• 3/4 oz High Proof Bourbon
• 3/4 oz Apple Brandy
• 1/4 oz Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
• 1/4 oz Green Chartreuse
• 1 tsp Cinnamon Syrup
• 1 tsp Vanilla Syrup
• Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled. Strain into ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Sunshine Makes Me Cry

• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Spiced Pear Liqueur
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Rich simple syrup
• Place all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.

#doitforbob

We got one! A real one! Our celebrants rejoice over the first genuine three game sweep of the season: Then they dive deeper into the great play of Bryce Eldridge.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a I Forgoto while Matthew is drinking a Bloody Cardinal. Recipes below.

I Forgoto

• Two small scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
• 1 shot Espresso
• 3/4 oz Over proof rum
• Add the ice cream to a coffee mug or small bowl. Pour the espresso over the ice cream followed by the rum. Eat with a spoon. Or chug it. Whatever.

Bloody Cardinal

• 2 oz vodka
• 4 oz Clamato
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
• 2 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2–3 dashes Tabasco or another vinegar-forward hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Small pinch smoked paprika
• Optional: 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• Optional: 1 tsp pickle brine for a little extra savory bite
• Add everything to a shaker or mixing glass with ice. Instead of shaking, roll it back and forth between two glasses or shaker tins about 5 or 6 times to get it cold without beating too much air into the tomato juice. Pour over fresh ice in a tall glass. A celery-salt rim is great, or do half celery salt / half Tajín if you want a little more personality. Garnish with lemon slices or celery stalk. A tajin or celery-salted rim is also appropriate.

#doitforwilson

How about that Perdomo kid! The brothers react to the Mets series: Rafael Devers continues his ferocious onslaught, the kids continue to impress, and ... the bullpen still sucks. Then they take a look back in history to the 1988 brawl with the Cardinals as they look ahead to the upcoming series against St. Louis.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking La Armada Ahumada while Ben is drinking a Raspberry Daiquiri. Recipes below.

La Armada Ahumada (The Smokey Navy)

• 1 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Mezcal
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz Orgeat
• 2 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Cocktail

• 2 oz White Rum
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• 1 oz Raspberry Syrup
• Combine all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake until well chilled and double strain into a chilled coupe glass.

#doitforwilson

They're actually fun to watch ... some of the time. The brothers react to the Atlanta make up game and the Pittsburgh series. A sweep! (Three sweeps?) A blowout, an epic comeback, and a moral victory (and that was just one game). Then they discuss the exciting play of Rafael Devers and the young guys around him making the most of their opportunity.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Twisted Weenus while Matthew is drinking an Elder Fashion. Recipes below.

Twisted Weenus

• 1 oz Brandy/Congac
• 1 oz D.O.M. Benedictine
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1 oz Simple Syrup
• 2-4 oz Club Soda
• A unicorn horn shaped ice pop
• Combine the brand/congac, Benedictine, lemon juice, lime juice and simple syrup in a highball glass with no ice. Stir well to combine. Add the ice pop upside down (or just ice) and top with the club soda.

Elder Fashion

• 2 oz Plymouth Gin
• 1/2 oz Elderflower Liqueur
• 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
• Garnish: Grapefruit Twist
• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well-chilled, 20-30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with a large chunk of ice. Express oils from grapefruit twist over drink and discard or drop in glass.

#doitforwilson

Oh, and they lost for the 81st time. The brothers react to the Arizona series: Roup is wildly effective, Tony gets thrown out for not arguing(?), Merrill Kelly does the Merrill Kelly thing, and the young guys play a great game. Then they discuss the Giants securing a fifth consecutive non-winning season.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Jolene while Ben is drinking a Call Me Crazy. Recipes below.

Jolene

• 2 oz Thyme-infused Gin
• 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz 1:1 honey syrup
• 4 Dashes Peach Bitters
• 2 drops 20% saline solution
• Tiny pinch of edible gold cocktail glitter (optional)
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a thyme sprig or a lemon wheel.

Call Me Crazy

• 1 1/2 Gin
• 1/2 D.O.M. Benedictine
• 3/4 oz Lime juice
• 1/2 oz Simple syrup
• Lime wheel for garnish
• Combine gin, Benedictine, lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float the lime while in the glass.

#doitforwilson

A historic loss is definitely memorable. Our very frustrated hosts react to the first 26 innings of the Reds series including two hard fought wins with unlikely heroes like Shay Whitcomb, Nate Furman, and some guy named Rafael Devers. Then they turn their attention to the 9th inning of game three. Look, we all know what happened. They talk about it.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Bitter Memory while Matthew is drinking a Dollyrita. Recipes below.

Bitter Memor

• 2 1/2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Campari
• 1/4 oz Orange Liqueur
• 1/4 oz Rich simple syrup (optional)
• Orange twist
• 4 Brandied cherries
• Combine the gin, Campari, orange liqueur and simple syrup in a mixing glass with ice and stir to your desire dilution. Strain into a rocks glass over a single large chunk of ice. Express the orange peel over the cocktail. Drop the expressed peel and cherries into the glass.

Dollyrita

• 3/4 oz Blanco Tequila
• 3/4 oz Reposado Tequila
• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Strawberry-Black Pepper Syrup
• 3 drops Saline Solution
• Shake all ingredients with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel or strawberry slice.

#doitforwilson

How are all the "young" players doing, anyway? The boys react to the Red Sox series: Webb falters, Tidwell & Smith impress (and the offense does not) and Tugboat takes on water. Oh, and there's a diving junk grab, Ben really wants to highlight that for some reason. Then they discuss which replacement players are taking advantage of their playing time.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking Military Orange while Ben is drinking a Knickerbocker. Recipes below.

Military Orange

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz Orgeat
• 1/4 oz Orange Curacao
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Knickerbocker

• 2 1/2 oz Amber Rum
• 1/4-1/2 oz Raspberry Syrup
• 1/4 oz Orange Liqueur
• 1/2 Lime
• Squeeze lime into a shaker, drop in husk, add the rest of the ingredients and ice. Shake until chilled. Dump entire contents into a rocks glass.

#doitforwilson

Naw, more like a salvage. The brothers react to the Guardians series including Trent Harris' bounce back outing, Tugboat's debut, and all the BS that happened in game 3. You know what I'm talking about. Then they discuss the criticisms that Buster and company aren't doing enough around the edges of the roster.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Guardian Deez Nutz while Matthew is drinking a Giant Funk. Recipes below.

Guardian Deez Nutz

• 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Overproof rum
• 1/2 oz Simple syrup
• 1 whole egg
• Combine all of the ingredients is a shaker without ice and shake for 10-15 seconds to emulsify the egg. Open the shaker and add ice and shake again until chilled. Double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

Giant Funk

• 1 oz Appleton Estate Signature Rum
• 3/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
• 1/4 oz Disaronno Amaretto Liqueur
• 1/4 oz Cristiani Maraschino Liqueur
• 1/4 oz Falernum
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/4 oz Cinnamon Simple Syrup (optional)
• 2 Dashed Angostura Bitters
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

#doitforwilson

By one game in the standings! Our exhausted hosts react to the Rockies series: the worst lineup since 2017, one good game, and a bullpen meltdown. But really they spend most of their time on tidbits before covering a minor hodge-podge of random items. *sigh*

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking Moon Over Michoacán while Ben is drinking a Water on the Rocks. Recipes below.

Moon Over Michoacán

• 2 oz Gin
• 1/2 oz Mezcal
• 1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 3/4 oz Lime Juice
• 1/4 oz Agave Syrup
• 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
• Shake all ingredients with ice until well-chilled. Double strain into chilled coupe glass.

Water on the Rocks (Vodka Tonic)

• 3 oz Vodka
• 2-4 oz Tonic
• Half Lime
• Add the vodka to an empty rocks glass, add a scoop of ice, top with the tonic. Squeeze the lime half into the glass and drop the husk into the glass.

#doitforwilson

Three mostly well played games is a sweep in my book! The brothers react to the Astros series: Drew Gilbert tries his best, Carson Wisenhunt rejects small beach balls, and Willy Adames is a macho man. Then they look over the roster and pretend there are guys they'd rather see than others. Wow.

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Bitter 75 while Matthew is drinking #3 Cup. Recipes below.

Bitter 75

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
• 3-4 oz Sparkling Wine
• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• Add gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters to a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Double strain into to a champagne flute. Top with the sparkling white wine.

#3 Cup

• 1 oz Cognac or Brandy
• 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Orange Curacao
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
• 4 mint leaves
• 2 slices cucumber
• 2 slices orange
• 2 oz Ginger Beer
• Muddle fruit and mint in shaker. Add the rest of ingredients except Ginger Beer with ice. Strain into a tall Collins glass with fresh ice. Add Ginger Beer. Garnish with a mint sprig, a cucumber or any fruit you want.

#doitforwilson

Here's to you Mike Krukow. Our life long Mike Krukow fans toast the career of one of the best to ever do it. They also react to the Tigers series and then play back some exclusive audio tracks of recent Giants playing their first few games with their new teams. Turns out no matter where you send Heliot Ramos and Robbie Ray, there they are.

On the cocktail side of things, today Matthew is drinking a Grab Some Pine, Meat while Ben is drinking a I Wanna Get That (AKA Ugly Finder). Recipes below.

Grab Some Pine, Meat!

• 2 oz St. George Terroir Gin
• 1/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
• 1/3 oz Yellow Chartreuse (Sub with Genepy or Benedictine if you don’t have Yellow Chartreuse)
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 dash celery bitters (optional)
• Garnish: slapped rosemary sprig + beef jerky.
• Stir all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a nick and nora and carefully add garnish.

I Wanna Get That (Ugly Finder)

• 1 1/2 oz White Rum
• 1/2 oz Galliano
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
• 2 oz Sparkling White Wine
• Combine the rum, Galliano, lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Double strain the cocktail into a chilled champagne flute and top with the sparkling white wine.

#doitforwilson

The trade deadline is over. Our gobsmacked goobers react to the Rangers series (Logan & JHL dominate, the unsung young players nearly steal a victory, and the Carsons get whooped) and then ask the question: Now that the trade deadline is over, what is a Giants fan to do?

On the cocktail side of things, today Ben is drinking a Pineapple Margarita while Matthew is drinking a Cry Me A River Cats. Recipes below.

Pineapple Margarita

• 1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• Pinch of salt
• Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass rimmed with Tajin, chili powder or salt.

Cry Me A River Cats

• 1 oz Appleton Estate Signature Rum
• 1/2 oz Planteray Xaymaca Rum
• 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
• 1/2 oz Luxardo Del Santo liqueur (or Green Chartreuse)
• 1/4 oz Falernum
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz Orgeat Syrup
• 2 Dashes Ginger Bitters
• Mint sprig for garnish
• Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a large rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

#doitforwilson