Mat Cable, Rocco DiGrazia & Rick Berg

A sell-out crowd turned out last night for the second annual Baja Brews & Bites, where six teams consisting of two local chefs and one local brewer each competed for people’s choice for the best food and beer pairing!

The event was co-sponsored by the Tucson Originals and the Baja Arizona Brewers, together showcasing the artistry of local and independent restaurants and breweries.

Just seconds after the winning team was announced, I caught up with its members to learn more about their dish and how it was intentionally paired with the corresponding brews.

Enjoy this short interview with Mat Cable of Fresco Pizzeria, Rocco DiGrazia of Rocco’s Little Chicago, and Rick Berg of Sentinel Peak Brewing Company!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:54 — 6.3MB)

I was honored to be a guest last week at the opening night party at Ocean Beach’s hot new club The Holding Company, where I learned about a coconut water rum that’s taking the country by storm.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:30 — 4.1MB)

Brothers and sisters of the leaf across Tucson convened at Jerry’s Cigars this week for the highly anticipated release of the Las Calaveras 2019 cigar from Crowned Heads!

Jerry’s special guest was Crowned Heads national sales manager Miguel Schoedel, and I caught up with him for a quick interview to learn about this hot new stick as well as what’s behind the big and bold brand that is Crowned Heads.

Listen to what he had to say, and what Tucson restaurant he dined at on his quick visit to the Old Pueblo!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:04 — 5.6MB)

I was honored to occupy Bill Buckmaster’s chair today, as guest host of the Buckmaster Show, while Bill was away on vacation. The full hour was dedicated to the dynamic food and beverage scene in Southern Arizona!

Brandi, Terry, me, and Vlad! (Brennan called in from out of town).

My guests included Terry Kyte of the Tucson Originals who talked about the important work of locally owned and independent restaurants, Brennan Sanders of Aridus Wine Co. who got us current with his newest releases while sharing some hot news about a national honor that was recently conferred on this Southern Arizona winery, Vlad Novokschenov of Town Under Black Distillery who reserved his first live radio interview about his blue corn and cacao husk whiskey for me, and Brandi Romero of Kiss of Smoke BBQ who turned the final segment of the Buckmaster Show into the Pitmaster Show. Listen as she shares the secrets behind her proprietary wood blend!

Thanks for letting me sit in the big chair, Bill. You can go on vacation whenever you want!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:22 — 49.8MB)

In my inaugural appearance on the Morning MIX, on 94.9 MIX-FM, I dished out the latest deets on the Iron Chef Tucson and Meet the Chefs event!

It was a blast hanging out with host Greg Curtis and newsman Mike Rapp!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:01 — 5.5MB)

It was fun food and beverage talk when I was a guest on Jennifer English’s Around the Table live broadcast, with special guest, celebrity TV chef Manouschka Guerrier!

We chatted agave spirits, mint juleps, smoked tri-tip, and a host of other items as we snacked and sipped our way through a delicious hour.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:22 — 11.8MB)

A Tucson twist on the kopstootje!

There’s no better way to get the day started than with a delicious dialogue on the local food, beer, and spirits scene, and I hit the trifecta on my latest appearance on Wake Up Tucson!

Host Chris DeSimone and I hit on a number of issues in this hour-long affair, from my days behind the bar at the Bum Steer 30 years ago to Tucson’s ranking on the list of top meat towns in the U.S.

But the highlight of the hour was my kopstootjes cocktail demonstration, executed the way it’s done in the Netherlands in the countdown to King’s Day at The Dutch Eatery & Refuge.

Cheers!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:01 — 15.1MB)

So much to talk about on this edition of “Tucson Food-n-Booze,” my monthly musings on the local culinary and cocktail scene on A Morning Affair with Mark Bishop!

Today we talked about some cool things happening this spring with canned wine from Dos Cabezas WineWorks, the upcoming Baja Beer Festival and the kind of cuisine that will complement the suds, the Agave Heritage Festival, and other delicious news across the region!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:28 — 6.4MB)

The last Friday of every month is one of the most delicious days on the calendar because my “Tucson Food-n-Booze” segment is on A Morning Affair with Mark Bishop!

Today we talked about sausages and suds from Ten55 Brewing and Sausage House, along with some news about a fun event on March 10 that will bring together Tucson’s beer, sausage, and cycling communities!

All of that plus some news on my culinary and cocktail cruise later this year, some thoughts on fresh seafood in Tucson, and more!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:27 — 5.6MB)

How do you make drive time more delicious? Hang out with Wake Up Tucson host Chris DeSimone and spend an hour sharing observations on our local culinary and cocktail scene!

I love joining Chris for these live segments, and this one revealed some of our favorite local dishes and how dishes and drinks are storytelling vehicles.

Enjoy!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:36 — 11.4MB)