Get Phocus'd

This week we're joined by Mike from the Pet Department to talk about all kinds of new pet products and trends going on in that world, and later, we meet Chris and Trevor, the new people behind Jungle Jim's Oscar Event Center! Are you coming to the International Wine Festival on November 14th?

A wild episode is here thanks to The Republic of Tea and their Minister of Enlightenment! Did you ever have even a small interest in tea? I think we're going to blow that up for you - we cover everything here from steeping methods, to how the actual tea leaves are made and harvested. If you're unfamiliar, The Republic of Tea was founded in 1992 and thus sparked a Tea Revolution. They began by canvassing the most prized tea gardens of the world for their worthiest leaves. Their mission was—and is—to see these teas steaming in the cups of men, women and children everywhere, and to emphasize a Sip by Sip Rather Than Gulp by Gulp® lifestyle.

We're joined again by Eric Mahoney, founder of the Yellow Springs Film Festival who is here to talk about our partnership and all of the awesome things happening at the Yellow Springs Film Festival, like launching the festival with Hannibal Burress, special engagements and presentations from filmmakers like Tamra Davis, and closing the festival out with Juliette Lewis! What a crazy lineup and we're glad to be a part of it. Meanwhile, Manager Jayna's son Logan joins me at the top and the end of the show to help me check out a bunch of new sour candy offerings at both Jungle Jim's locations. Can Logan defeat the incredibly sour treats from Mr. Simms? Only one way to find out.

Jungle Jim's International Market's Weekend of Fire is BACK this weekend, July 25th and 26th! We're joined by one of the show sponsors, Roland Foods, to explore their history and product line that you can come try IN PERSON at the Weekend of Fire. Head on over to JungleFests.com to get more information on the show, tickets start at only $12 and it's a great time! Thank you to Chris from Roland Foods for joining us on the show!

We discuss the pros and cons between working in corporate retail versus an independent retailer like Jungle Jim's! We're joined by store managers Becky and Emily, as well as Jungle Jim himself. Loved hearing a fairly nuanced take on the ups and downs of both worlds, even got to share some of my experiences working on clean team for some airlines. It was...a soul-shattering experience. Tune in and hey, maybe come work for us eh? Join me at JungleJims.com/Careers !

United Dairy Farmers, best known to locals as UDF, is an awesome company based here in Cincinnati who make some incredible ice cream and other treats. They've recently partnered with baseball superstar Elly De La Cruz to make the new Dulce De La Cruz ice cream which is in dip shops now and hitting stores like Jungle Jim's International Market this coming week! It's a delicious caramel ice cream base with even MORE caramel swirls added to it, to hit a little bit of Elly's nostalgia and create some food memories for the rest of us. We're joined by Grace Elam, UDF's Ice Cream Queen, to talk all about the creative process, making ice cream, and of course the collaboration with Elly and the Cincinnati Reds!

This week on the Jungle Jim's Podcast, we're getting Phocus'd! We're cracking open cans of Phocus, the sparkling caffeinated water that's trying to change the way people think about energy drinks. With caffeine from tea, added L-theanine, zero sugar, and a lineup of refreshing flavors, Phocus promises clean energy without the crash. We'll dive into the story behind the brand, discuss the rise of functional beverages, and find out whether this modern energy drink alternative deserves a permanent spot in your fridge. Grab a can and lock in with us!

This week, I sat down with Spiro Collias of Collias Estates in Crete, Greece to learn everything I could about olive oil. You always hear tons of rumors about the quality of oil and how it's made, where it comes from, and how maybe the cheap stuff you get at chain stores might not even really be pure olive oil. Well, Spiro helps us put so many of those rumors to bed, teaching us how to pick a great olive oil and so much more. I can't say enough great things about Agia Marina from Collias Estates.

Jeremy from Soda Pop Bros came all the way from Canada to the Jungle Jim's International Market Podcast with tons of rare soda samples and some seriously amazing stories from the world of soda. We talked craft soda, Canadian culture, wild international flavors, nostalgic bottles, and a million other fizzy rabbit holes. So now I need to know: if Jeremy and I made a soda together, what flavor should it be? Weird is encouraged, of course. #JungleJims #JungleJimsInternationalMarket #SodaPopBros #CraftSoda #CanadianSoda #RareSoda #SodaTasting #FoodPodcast #BeveragePodcast #WeirdSoda

There's a HUGE show choir competition in Fairfield happening right next to Jungle Jim's, so I had to go check it out. I met up with some competitors and one of the Choir Dads to talk about what it's really like, then surprised them with a global food guessing challenge!