Into The Barchive

Into The Barchive

Into The Barchive is a cocktail history and education podcast that explores the stories, traditions, and techniques behind the world’s most iconic drinks. Hosted by historian and spirits educator Dr. Blake Jones alongside cocktail enthusiast Tim Wright, each episode breaks down classic cocktail families, their origins, and how to make them at home. Equal parts history lesson and hands-on bar class, Into The Barchive helps listeners drink smarter, understand what’s in their glass, and appreciate the culture behind every pour.

  1. 6d ago

    The Piña Colada — Puerto Rico’s Iconic Tropical Escape

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim continue their tiki and tropical cocktail series with one of the most recognizable vacation drinks of all time: the Piña Colada. Timed with National Piña Colada Day, this episode looks beyond the drink’s reputation as an overly sweet frozen cliché and explores why the Piña Colada deserves a more thoughtful place in the tropical cocktail canon. Blake and Tim trace the drink’s debated origins in San Juan, Puerto Rico, its connection to the Caribe Hilton, the importance of Coco Lopez, and how rum, pineapple, coconut, and acidity come together when the cocktail is made with care. Along the way, they make two versions of the drink: a shaken Piña Colada built with aged white rum, coconut syrup, pineapple juice, and lime, and an elevated frozen version featuring pineapple rum, coconut rum, coconut syrup, pineapple, lime, and xanthan gum for improved texture and stability. From Puerto Rican hospitality to pop culture fame, from cheap mixes to modern craft cocktail revival, this episode breaks down how the Piña Colada can be rich without being heavy, sweet without being cloying, and simple without being simplistic.

    The Piña Colada — Puerto Rico’s Iconic Tropical Escape

  2. Jul 2

    Trader Vic — The Showman Who Built the Tiki Empire

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim continue their tiki and tropical cocktail series with the story of Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron, the one-legged barman from California who helped turn tiki into an international empire. After exploring Don the Beachcomber in the previous episode, Blake and Tim now step into the world of his greatest rival and one of tiki’s most influential showmen. They trace Vic’s journey from a small beer hall and barbecue shack called Hinky Dinks to the globally recognized Trader Vic’s brand, unpacking how his charisma, entrepreneurial instincts, Americanized Chinese food, collectible mugs, bottled mixes, and destination restaurants helped shape the way people still experience tiki today. The episode also explores how Trader Vic’s approach differed from Don the Beachcomber’s. While Don guarded his recipes in secrecy, Vic published books, built a brand, sold mixes, trained staff, and made tiki more accessible around the world. His cocktails often layered different spirits instead of only layering different rums, creating a style that was bold, balanced, theatrical, and built for hospitality. Along the way, they make two Trader Vic cocktails: the Fog Cutter, a potent mix of rum, cognac, gin, citrus, orgeat, and sherry, and the Port Light, a bourbon-based tiki drink with lemon, honey, passion fruit, and egg white. From tropical escapism to global expansion, this episode looks at how Trader Vic didn’t just follow the tiki wave. He helped build the empire.

    Trader Vic — The Showman Who Built the Tiki Empire

  3. Jun 25

    Don the Beachcomber — The Man Who Invented Tiki Culture

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim continue their tropical and tiki cocktail series with the man who helped create tiki culture itself: Don the Beachcomber. Before he became a cocktail legend, Don was Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, a Texas-born adventurer, rum runner, Hollywood consultant, and world traveler who turned his experiences into something America had never seen before. Blake and Tim explore how Don opened Don’s Beachcomber Cafe in Hollywood in 1934, creating an immersive escape filled with bamboo, fishing nets, carved idols, dim lighting, and a sense of mystery that helped define the tiki bar experience. The episode also dives into Don’s famously complex drink philosophy. His cocktails were built on Caribbean rum traditions, but layered with multiple rums, juices, syrups, spices, and coded ingredients that protected his recipes from imitators. Blake and Tim unpack how secrecy, showmanship, flash blending, rum blends, pebble ice, elaborate garnishes, and dramatic presentation all became part of the tiki playbook. Along the way, they make two Don the Beachcomber classics: the Navy Grog, featuring three styles of rum, grapefruit, lime, honey syrup, soda, and the signature ice cone, and the Demerara Dry Float, a powerful passion fruit and rum cocktail finished with a dangerous overproof rum float. From Depression-era escapism to modern tiki bars, this episode looks at how Don the Beachcomber created more than cocktails. He built an entire world.

    Don the Beachcomber — The Man Who Invented Tiki Culture

  4. Jun 18

    Grog & Planter’s Punch — The Roots of Tropical Cocktails

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim kick off a brand-new series on tropical and tiki drinks by going back to the foundation: grog and Planter’s Punch. Before the paper umbrellas, flaming garnishes, and elaborate tiki mugs, there was watered-down rum on British naval ships. Blake and Tim explore how grog began as a practical drink for sailors, combining rum, water, lime, and sugar in a way that helped stretch rations, reduce drunkenness, and fight scurvy. From there, they trace how rum, sugar, molasses, and maritime trade helped shape the early history of Caribbean drinking culture. The episode also looks at Planter’s Punch, a more hospitable and flavorful evolution of the rum, citrus, sugar, and water template. Blake and Tim discuss its Jamaican roots, its famous “one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak” formula, and how it helped lay the groundwork for the tropical cocktails that would eventually become tiki classics. Along the way, they make two drinks: a simple, no-frills grog with navy-strength rum, lime, Demerara syrup, and bitters, and a Planter’s Punch made with Jamaican rum, lime, Demerara syrup, allspice dram, bitters, and a proper mint garnish. It is the beginning of a deeper dive into rum, escapism, tiki culture, and the legendary figures who turned tropical drinks into an entire cocktail universe.

    Grog & Planter’s Punch — The Roots of Tropical Cocktails

  5. Jun 11

    The Aperol Spritz — Italy’s Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim dive into one of the most recognizable cocktails in the world: the Aperol Spritz. More than just a bright orange drink in a wine glass, the Aperol Spritz is tied to the Italian ritual of aperitivo, the pre-dinner tradition of slowing down, gathering with friends, enjoying light snacks, and easing into the evening. Blake and Tim explore how that culture shaped the spritz, how the drink evolved from wine and soda in northern Italy, and how Aperol helped turn a regional ritual into a global symbol of relaxed summer drinking. Along the way, they make two drinks: the classic Aperol Spritz, built with sparkling wine, Aperol, and soda, and the Spaghett, a playful dive bar riff made with Miller High Life, Aperol, and lemon juice. One comes from more than a century of Italian aperitivo culture. The other proves that great cocktail ideas can show up anywhere, even in a bottle of beer. From Venice piazzas to patios around the world, this episode looks at why the Aperol Spritz became more than a cocktail. It became a lifestyle.

    The Aperol Spritz — Italy’s Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail

  6. Jun 4

    Dark ’n Stormy — Rum, Ginger Beer, and Bermuda’s Signature Cocktail

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim sail into the story of one of the most dramatic and refreshing highballs in cocktail history: the Dark ’n Stormy. With International Dark ’n Stormy Day coming up on June 9, the guys explore the drink’s deep connection to Bermuda, maritime culture, ginger beer, and dark rum. From the Gosling family’s rum legacy to the sailors who helped shape the drink’s origin, this episode looks at how a simple combination of rum, ginger beer, and lime became one of the most recognizable tropical cocktails in the world. This episode features two versions of the drink: a classic Dark ’n Stormy-inspired build with dark rum, ginger beer, and lime, and a creative Miso Dark and Stormy riff from Tokyo Record Bar that swaps in shochu, yuzu, miso syrup, soda, and a Cynar float. Along the way, Blake and Tim break down why the drink’s name is trademarked, how ginger beer became tied to sailors and sea travel, why the float gives the cocktail its signature storm-cloud look, and how the Dark ’n Stormy functions not just as a cocktail, but as a template for experimentation. Whether you prefer the classic Bermuda-style version or a modern riff with Japanese flavors, this episode proves that a cocktail does not need a long ingredient list to become iconic. Sometimes all it takes is rich rum, spicy ginger beer, citrus, and a little stormy weather in the glass.

    Dark ’n Stormy — Rum, Ginger Beer, and Bermuda’s Signature Cocktail

  7. May 28

    Sasha Petraske — The Architect of the Modern Cocktail Bar

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim shift their focus from a cocktail to one of the most influential figures in the modern cocktail renaissance: Sasha Petraske. As the founder of New York City’s legendary Milk & Honey, Petraske helped redefine what a cocktail bar could be. In an era dominated by sour mix, flavored vodka, and loud nightlife venues, he created a quiet, intentional space built around fresh ingredients, precise technique, clear ice, thoughtful hospitality, and respect for the craft. The guys make two cocktails connected to the Milk & Honey lineage: The Business, a sharp and refreshing gin, lime, and honey riff on the Bee’s Knees, and the Cosmonaut, Petraske’s gin-based answer to the Cosmopolitan, featuring fresh lemon juice and raspberry preserves. Along the way, Blake and Tim explore Petraske’s unexpected journey from Army Ranger to bartender, the practical origins of Milk & Honey’s famous house rules, and the lasting influence of his mentorship. From Attaboy in New York and Nashville to The Varnish in Los Angeles, The Violet Hour in Chicago, and The Patterson House in Nashville, Petraske’s influence continues to shape cocktail bars around the world. This episode is a tribute to a bartender whose legacy was not built on spectacle, but on discipline, care, precision, and the people he trained to carry those values forward.

    Sasha Petraske — The Architect of the Modern Cocktail Bar

  8. May 21

    The Paloma — Mexico’s Favorite Tequila Cocktail

    In this week’s episode of Into the Barchive, Blake and Tim head south of the Margarita to explore Mexico’s true everyday tequila cocktail: the Paloma. While Americans often reach first for a Margarita, the Paloma is the drink many people across Mexico know and love. It is simple, refreshing, lower ABV, and deeply tied to everyday drinking culture rather than a glamorous origin story or famous bartender. This episode features two takes on the cocktail: a classic Paloma built in the glass with Blanco tequila, lime, saline, and Mexican Squirt, and a fresh juice Paloma that treats the drink with the same craft-cocktail attention often given to the Margarita. Blake and Tim break down why grapefruit works so well with tequila, why Blanco is the best choice for this drink, how lime adds needed acidity, and why a few drops of saline can make the whole cocktail pop. They also dig into the Paloma’s likely mid-century Mexican roots, the rise of grapefruit soda, the role of Squirt in popularizing tequila-and-grapefruit serves, and how the drink became a staple of backyard gatherings, street food culture, and modern cocktail menus. Whether you prefer the easy tequila-and-grapefruit-soda version or a shaken build with fresh juice and sparkling water, this episode shows why the Paloma deserves its place as one of the world’s most refreshing tequila cocktails.

    The Paloma — Mexico’s Favorite Tequila Cocktail
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Into The Barchive is a cocktail history and education podcast that explores the stories, traditions, and techniques behind the world’s most iconic drinks. Hosted by historian and spirits educator Dr. Blake Jones alongside cocktail enthusiast Tim Wright, each episode breaks down classic cocktail families, their origins, and how to make them at home. Equal parts history lesson and hands-on bar class, Into The Barchive helps listeners drink smarter, understand what’s in their glass, and appreciate the culture behind every pour.

Information

  • Creator
    Into The Barchive
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Into The Barchive
  • Show Website
    Into The Barchive