Double Bitter

Whiskey, ghost stories, axe injuries, and a few questions we've never answered before. Welcome to the Season 2 finale of Double Bitter! For our final episode of the season, we're joined by Matt Boyle, owner of Dear Friend Bar in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and co-founder of Clever Barkeep. Matt takes over the cocktail-making duties, serving up a special Signal Hill whisky cocktail while sharing his journey from teenage bartender to successful entrepreneur. Then we turn the tables with a special Ask Me Anything segment featuring questions submitted by our viewers. Has Kim really seen a ghost? Has Ryan ever seriously injured himself with an axe? Do we get nervous before recording? And who would we love to interview next? It's an episode full of unexpected stories, plenty of laughs, and a celebration of another incredible season exploring the world of competitive lumberjack sports. A huge thank you to our guests, viewers, and everyone who helped make Season 2 possible.   Special thanks to our sponsor STIHL Canada, Bohemian Spirits, and the entire Double Bitter production team at BNV Media.   #DoubleBitter #TIMBERSPORTS #Whiskey #LumberjackSports #Podcast

From discovering lumberjack sports on a whim to standing on the podium at the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Championships, Brittany MacLean is quickly becoming one of the sport's most exciting competitors. In this episode of Double Bitter, Ryan McIntyre and Kim Moser welcome Brittany to Dear Friend Cocktail Bar in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to talk about her journey from the University of New Brunswick Woodsmen team to competing against some of the best athletes in North America. Fresh off a third-place finish at the Canadian Championships, Brittany reflects on the nerves of entering the final event as the points leader, finishing just four seconds behind the winner in a North American competition tiebreaker, and the lessons she's learning along the way. She also shares stories from the Lumberjack World Championships in Wisconsin, the importance of mentorship in TIMBERSPORTS, and how she balances international competition with her career as an ecologist in Prince Edward Island. Meanwhile, Kim mixes up a floral-inspired cocktail featuring Bohemian Spirits, lavender lemonade, elderflower and rosemary. The recipe you've been waiting for: 2 oz Bohemian Spirits Virgin Mary Gin ¾ oz fresh lemon juice ½ oz elderflower liqueur ¼ oz honey syrup 2 dashes orange bitters Ice Rosemary sprig + lemon peel Instructions: Add everything to a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with rosemary and a lemon peel.

What makes a champion decide it's time to step away... even when she's still at the top of her game? Danielle Tkach, the first-ever STIHL TIMBERSPORTS women's champion, joins Double Bitter for a smoked apple Old Fashioned and a conversation about the career she helped build. She takes us back to the inaugural championship in 2014, including a chainsaw mistake that could have changed everything, and shares why training with the right equipment made such a difference. After a decade competing in the series, Danielle chose to make room for the next generation and became its first female official in Canada. She opens up about the mental cost of competition, leaving on her own terms, and finding a different kind of enjoyment in a sport that's been part of her life for roughly 30 years. Meanwhile, Kim brings the apple three ways with an Old Fashioned featuring Bohemian Spirits whiskey, Spicy Kitty apple brandy, and applewood smoke.

Two cameras, a mountain meadow and a crowd that wasn't thrilled to see the television crew. That's how Tommy Sanders remembers his first STIHL TIMBERSPORTS series broadcast in 1990.   On this episode of Double Bitter, Ryan and Kim welcome the longtime voice of the U.S. series for a conversation about the sport's early days, its unforgettable competitors, and the work that goes into bringing every cut to the screen.   Tommy shares stories about Mel Lentz and the larger-than-life personalities who helped shape the series, traces its growth from local lumberjack competitions to major productions, and offers his perspective on where sports broadcasting is headed.   There's also a look back at his unexpected path from college radio to ESPN and the community where your toughest competitor might lend you equipment or offer you a place to stay.   Along the way, Kim mixes a blueberry twist on a Gold Rush with whiskey from Bohemian Spirits, lemon and honey syrup.   Pour a drink and join us for stories from someone who's been behind the mic since the beginning.   The recipe you've been waiting for:   The Gold Rush Ingredients   2 oz bourbon ¾ oz fresh lemon juice ¾ oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water)   Instructions   Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon  

What does it take to go from a 4-H competitor in Nova Scotia to representing Canada on the world stage? In this episode of Double Bitter, Kim and Ryan sit down with third-generation dairy farmer and STIHL TIMBERSPORTS athlete Connor Morse. Connor shares how he progressed from youth competitions to the collegiate woodsmen circuit, won the 2018 Canadian Rookie Championship and joined Team Canada at the World Championships in Liverpool. He also opens up about managing nerves, learning from some of Canada's greatest competitors and developing the technique required to compete against much larger athletes. The conversation goes deep into the side of TIMBERSPORTS most fans never see: the thousands of dollars invested in specialized equipment, the challenge of training through a Nova Scotia winter, the enormous impact of wood selection and why the current elimination format doesn't always reward the most complete athlete. The recipe you've been waiting for: " The Bull of the Woods" Ingredients: 1.5 oz Canadian whiskey 1 oz Rum Cream 1 oz flavoured coffee creamer for added sweetness - salted caramel is our fave Ice cubes Instructions: Combine: Fill a rocks glass halfway with fresh ice. Pour: Add the whiskey, rum cream, and heavy cream directly into the glass. Stir: Gently stir for about 10 seconds until the outside of the glass feels chilled

What does it really take to compete in professional timber sports? In this episode of Double Bitter, Geoff Larkin and Marie Durieu join Ryan and Kim to talk about representing Canada internationally, managing pressure on competition day and balancing elite-level training with farming, veterinary school and everyday life. Geoff shares what it was like competing at his third consecutive World Trophy, how he prepares for one of the sport's most demanding formats and why finding the right equipment can make all the difference at the highest level. Marie reflects on competing internationally, the rapid growth of women's timber sports and the challenges female athletes have faced finding equipment actually designed for them. They also get into drinking maple syrup between runs, pre-competition breakdowns, the difference between a farm and a ranch and the staggering amount of work required simply to train for the original extreme sport. The recipe you've been waiting for: The 'Ranchers' Old Fashioned - 2 ounces bourbon or rye - 2 dashes of angostura bitters - 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup - orange peel - ice (optional): 1 bourbon soaked cherry Add all ingredients to a glass over ice. Gently stir, and add hickory smoke chips to your cocktail smoker. Torch, let dissipate for 25 - 30 seconds, and enjoy responsibly

What does it take to become the voice of one of the most exciting and physically demanding sports in the world? On today's episode of Double Bitter, Ryan and Kim are joined virtually by Troy Manering, the Canadian broadcaster who has become one of the defining voices of STIHL TIMBERSPORTS across Europe. Originally from Vancouver and now based in Munich, Troy's path into broadcasting was anything but conventional. From recreation facility management and stunt skating to snowboarding events, extreme sports and eventually the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Championships, Troy shares how an unexpected opportunity grew into more than a decade behind the microphone. Over a virtual Kentucky Mule, Troy takes us behind the scenes of live sports broadcasting, explains how he stays composed when productions go sideways and reflects on some of the loudest and most memorable TIMBERSPORTS events he has ever called. The conversation also explores the evolution of the sport, the rise of a new generation of athletic competitors, the first Women's World Championship, Andrea Hand's remarkable victory and what fans can expect from STIHL's 100th-anniversary World Championships in Stuttgart. The recipe you've been waiting for: The Kentucky Mule:  Ingredients • 2 oz bourbon (your favourite Kentucky bourbon) • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice • 4 oz cold ginger beer • Ice (cubed or crushed) • Lemon wheel or fresh mint sprig, for garnish Instructions - Fill a copper mug or highball glass with ice. - Pour in the bourbon and fresh lemon juice. - Top with the cold ginger beer. - Stir gently to combine. - Garnish with a lemon wheel or a sprig of fresh mint. - Serve immediately and enjoy.

Double Bitter is back for Season 2 and we're kicking things off with our first-ever double feature! Ryan and Kim are joined by competitive axe throwers Brad Goodsell and Jess Goodland to explore the growing world of double-bit axe throwing. Brad and Jess share how they discovered the sport, what brought them back after stepping away and how axe throwing has taken them to competitions across Canada, the United States and Europe. They also get into the mental side of competing, learning to recover from failure, controlling nerves in front of a crowd and the tiny adjustments that can determine whether an axe lands exactly where it should. Welcome back to Double Bitter! Show notes: 00:00 - Double Bitter Returns for Season 2 02:27 - Kim's Encounter with Annabelle 04:35 - Meet Brad Goodsell and Jess Goodland 07:44 - Kim's Smoked Rhubarb Bourbon Cocktail 09:00 - Nearly Dying on a Scottish Road Trip 11:52 - Competing Around the World 14:41 - Axe-Throwing Destinations on the Bucket List 18:28 - Canada's Rise in Competitive Axe Throwing 20:28 - How Brad and Jess Discovered the Sport 23:00 - Burning Man or the World Championships? 25:39 - Handling Pressure, Failure and Competition 30:00 - Brad's Surgical Throwing Process 35:23 - What's Inside Jess's Competition Fanny Pack? 38:00 - Working and Travelling Together 41:18 - The Castle-and-Brewery Travel Rule 43:32 - Black Dot Axe Club and Final Thoughts The recipe you've been waiting for: Rose Rhubarb Ginger Gin Build 1 oz bourbon 1 oz Bohemian Spirit's rose rhubarb ginger gin liqueur 0.5 oz lemon juice 0.25 oz honey syrup Shake lightly and strain over a large cube. Finish Torch a cedar briefly and smoke the glass. Garnish With rhubarb compote

In this special Double Bitter Winter Warmer Special, Ryan and Kim head to Moncton, New Brunswick to sit down with four-time STILHL TIMBERSPORTS Canadian Champion Marcel Dupuis inside the Timber Lounge.   Marcel opens up about what it takes to stay at the top for nearly a decade, how consistency has defined his career, and the mindset required to compete at the highest level in Canada and on the world stage. From hot saw mastery and springboard training to the pressure of national championships and representing Team Canada, this is a deep dive into the sport, the preparation, and the person behind the axe.   The conversation also goes beyond competition. Marcel reflects on his Acadian roots, his work as a firefighter, the importance of hard work, and what it meant to share more of his personal life in the Beyond the Cut series. Add in a pair of winter-ready cocktails from Kim, and this one is the perfect bonus episode to warm up the gap between Seasons 1 and 2.   1st Recipe: Smokin' Old Fashioned: 1/4 oz Apple Bohemian Spirits Brandy 1 + 3/4 oz of American Rye 1 tsp honey 2 dashes toasted almond bitters Oak wood chips to smoke Cocktail smoker Instructions: Add the honey and bitters to a low ball glass and add a large ice cube. Pour the rye and brandy over ice. Stir well to combine and chill. Fire up your cocktail smoker and smoke the wood chips. Let smoke linger for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a cocktail pick, garnish with an apple slice, dried orange slice and mulling spiced cocktail cherry (Whiskey Cherries from Soberish Mocktail Shoppe) 2nd Recipe: Paper Chopper (our rendition of a Paper Plane) 3/4 oz American Rye 3/4 oz Aperol 3/4 oz Amero Montenegro 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 tsp honey Instructions: Squeeze 1 lemon into a small glass and set aside. Then add all ingredients (including 3/4 oz of lemon juice) to a shaker with ice. Shake for 15 seconds and pour into a chilled coupe glass. Add a lemon peel twist to the side of the glass after wiping the rim of the glass with it.   Enjoy responsibly!

It's the Double Bitter Season 1 Finale — and co-hosts Ryan and Kim are going out in style.   Broadcasting from Ironworks Distillery on the historic Lunenburg waterfront, the duo dives into a full whiskey-tasting experience with Brad from Ironworks, exploring the craft behind their signature Blacksmith Whiskey, the history of the 111-year-old blacksmith shop turned distillery, and the art of single-malt production in Nova Scotia.   But it wouldn't be Double Bitter without a little friendly chaos — Kim recaps her trip to Iceland, Ryan quizzes her on timber-sports trivia, and the two debate the eternal question: Would you rather use a dull axe or drink cheap whiskey forever?   From Bigfoot theories to whiskey science, this finale captures everything we've loved about Season 1 — storytelling, craftsmanship, laughter, and a healthy pour of Nova Scotian pride.