Podcast

The Fred Minnick Show

Arts, Food, Music, Music Interviews

The Fred Minnick Show features spirits author, historian and curator Fred Minnick, who interviews celebrities over good drinks. Through the journey, the artists open up to Minnick about life tribulations, what it's like on the road and their favorite foods. Really, it's just two people tasting and talking.

Episodes
274
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
19 min
On air since
2019
Latest episode
6 days ago

Episodes

274 episodes, newest first

  1. 15 min
  2. Is The Bourbon Culture Changing?

    Show notes

    Fred examines a difficult topic. Is the bourbon culture changing? Fred's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Bottom-Shelf-Forgotten-Brand-Bourbon/dp/1464227055/ Join Fred's Whiskey Club: https://www.patreon.com/FredMinnick

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    13 min
  3. 3 Sleeper Bourbons Before They Get Allocated

    Show notes

    Fred details why three brands that did well at the ASCOT Awards should absolutely be in your collection. Fred's new book, Bottom Shelf: https://a.co/d/0aFvCjGm Join Fred's Whiskey Club: https://www.patreon.com/FredMinnick Subscribe to Fred Minnick's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg?view_as=subscriber

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    13 min
  4. Bourbon Review: Jefferson's 20 Year Founders Reserve

    Show notes

    Jefferson’s Bourbon announced the release of Founder’s Reserve 20-Year-Old, one of the rarest expressions in the brand’s history: a 20-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in a French Bordeaux wine cask.

    Learn More: https://www.fredminnick.com/2026/07/02/jeffersons-bourbon-launches-founders-reserve-20-year/

    Fred's new book: https://a.co/d/01Bi8sg0

    Join Fred Minnick's Club Marzipan: https://www.patreon.com/cw/FredMinnick

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min
  5. Best Bourbon, Best in Show at 2026 ASCOT Awards

    Show notes

    What won it all? Join Fred's Whiskey Club: https://www.patreon.com/FredMinnick Fred's new book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bottom-shelf-fred-minnick/1147295501 The American Spirits Council of Tasters: https://ascotawards.com

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min
  6. 6 min
  7. Bourbon Review: Eagle Rare 30 Year

    Show notes

    Fred tastes and reviews Eagle Rare 25 and 30 Year old. Will the 30 year be the first bourbons north of 25 years that he's ever liked? Fred's new book, Bottom Shelf: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bottom-shelf-fred-minnick/1147295501 Dierks Bentley episode: https://youtube.com/live/4BnqN6TyN8Q Chapters 0:00 - Intro: The $12,500 Bourbon Review 0:40 - History & Aging of Older Whiskeys 1:10 - Naming the New Crow Mascot 1:36 - Previous Experience with Eagle Rare 25 2:20 - Tasting Media Samples & Career Longevity 3:30 - My Criticism of Older Bourbons (Old School Palate) 4:43 - Buffalo Trace’s Experimental Cooling Warehouse 6:34 - Can Slow Aging Change My Mind? 7:54 - The New Age of High-End Auctions (Bonhams & Christies) 10:38 - Eagle Rare 25-Year-Old: The Nosing (Chocolate Milk) 12:51 - Eagle Rare 25-Year-Old: Tasting & Mouthfeel 15:46 - Eagle Rare 25-Year-Old: Cinnamon & Complexity 19:16 - Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old: The Nosing (Sawdust & Oak) 20:31 - Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old: Initial Tasting 22:45 - Eagle Rare 30-Year-Old: Molasses & Mind-Blowing Sweetness 26:54 - Comparison & Final Scores 28:46 - The Kentucky Colonels & Final Thoughts Join Fred's Whiskey Club: https://www.patreon.com/FredMinnick Subscribe to Fred Minnick's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg?view_as=subscriber

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min
  8. The Big Bourbon Lie And How It Happened

    Show notes

    Fred delves into the biggest bourbon misconception and the importance of May 4 for whiskey history. Fred's books https://www.amazon.com/stores/Fred-Minnick/author/B002N1IVXW?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min
  9. 5 Must Have Bourbons for Beginners

    Show notes

    Longtime Whiskey Writer offers his Top 5 list for beginner bourbons and explains why. Check out Fred's new book https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bottom-shelf-fred-minnick/1147295501 Chapters 00:00 Introduction & The "Starter" Label 00:46 A Special Gift: Mike’s Old Crow Art 01:58 What Makes a Great Starter Bourbon? 03:12 #5: Michter’s US1 Bourbon 04:00 #4: Four Roses Small Batch 05:14 #3: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond 07:40 #2: Woodford Reserve 10:13 #1: Maker’s Mark 11:47 Honorable Mentions & Why They Missed the Cut 12:26 The Wild Turkey 101 "Second Base" Rule 13:14 The Buffalo Trace "Third Base" Frustration 14:45 Green River & Final Thoughts Join Fred's Whiskey Club: https://www.patreon.com/FredMinnick

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    16 min
  10. Terry Bradshaw and Fred Minnick LIVE From Pittsburgh

    Show notes

    Just a couple days before the NFL Draft, NFL Legend Terry Bradshaw returns to the town for whom he won 4 Super Bowl titles with his dear friend, Fred Minnick. At the Jergel's music hall, Fred and Terry jump into bourbon, NFL draft talk, past Pittsburgh Steelers stories and much much more. This is live soldout live event was an absolute hoot!

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 12 min
  11. Best Bourbon of The Year, So Far? Rare Perfection 10 Year Reviewed

    Show notes

    Fred's new book, Bottom Shelf: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bottom-shelf-fred-minnick/1147295501 Book Tour: https://www.fredminnick.com/2026/01/23/bottom-shelf-tour-first-leg/ Blind Barrels Collab: https://blindbarrels.com/products/fred-minnick-blind-whiskey-tasting-kit-2nd-edition

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min
  12. How Things Change: Tin Cup 10 Year Review

    Show notes

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    12 min
  13. Bottom Shelf Talk at the New Canaan Library in Connectcut

    Show notes

    Fred shares his speech at the New Canaan Library.

    Check out Bottom Shelf https://a.co/d/0bqy6e8o

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 3 min
  14. 10 Best Bourbons Under $60

    Show notes

    Fred gets a list out that people have want for a long time--his Top 10 Best Everyday Bourbons!!!

    Check out Fred's new book, Bottom Shelf.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min
  15. Bourbon Review: Heaven Hill 22 Year Old

    Show notes

    Check out Fred's new book: https://a.co/d/07aKVO00

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min
  16. From War Trauma to Bourbon: Fred Minnick's Bottom Shelf Story

    Show notes

    Fred talks at the New Canaan Library in Connecticut about his new book, Bottom Shelf. Video courtesy of @NewCanaanLibrary New book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bottom-shelf-fred-minnick/1147295501

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 1 min
  17. Buffalo Trace's Bourbon Empire Just Got Bigger

    Show notes

    Is This Good For Bourbon? Fred's new book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bottom-shelf-fred-minnick/1147295501 Join Fred's Whiskey Club: https://www.patreon.com/FredMinnick

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    16 min
  18. Traveller Full Proof Whiskey Review

    Show notes

    Review starts at 10:04 Fred's new book, Bottom Shelf: https://a.co/d/05fyCE0w Join Fred's Whiskey Club: https://www.patreon.com/FredMinnick Subscribe to Fred Minnick's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg?view_as=subscriber

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min
  19. Bourbon Review: Perhaps The Greatest Barrel Pick of My Career

    Show notes

    Fred explains why this Buzzard's Roost pick will go down as likely the most sentimental of his career. My new book: https://beacons.ai/fredminnick?__v=13...

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min
  20. The State of Bourbon With Former Brown-Forman EVP

    Show notes

    Former Brown-Forman Executive Vice President of Marketing, Andrew Varga, joins Fred to discuss the state of bourbon and a new charity he's promoting. Learn more about Kentucky Bourbon Country Experience https://www.kybca.com Fred's new book: https://beacons.ai/fredminnick?__v=13.429.0

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min