If you're into thinkin' and drinkin'


Not Just history of cocktails, but history through cocktails. Currently in reproduction with a new format and cast of characters set at the Ward Eight in Evanston near Chicago.


Every drink in your favorite movies and TV shows


Recap of Monster In A Glass episodes with additional content to flesh out the story and understand the cocktail better


Our friends in Chicago whip up a drink and tell us what they think

Episode 71: Unacceptable Condition – ...

The Fred Collins Fiz on first glance would almost certainly be the sibling drink of Tom and John. This one is kind of a mystery though because the ingredients don’t really match any of the drinks in the Collins family, not even Grandma Rye, Aunt Bourbon, or wacky old Uncle Rum. So then it is […]

Episode 70: Keeping It in the Family ...

There isn’t a definitive explanation about how the Ford Cocktail got its name, so we get to do a whole lot of speculation on this cocktail. Dating back to at least 1895, it is a little too early to be named after the Henry of car fame. Luckily, there are so many other Ford options […]

Episode 69: Waking with a Stiff One –...

I like a cocktail that tells you what it does for you. The Fogcutter lets you know right away, that this drink is going to clear away the cobwebs. How many cocktails can boast that it can make you less foggy? In this episode we take a look at this tropical drink that brings in […]

Episode 68: In High Spirits – The Fly...

The ingredients of The Flying Dutchman cocktail resemble a cold remedy, so I hope you like citrus! Or have a cold. This drink has orange gin, orange juice, lemon juice for extra Vitamin C, and a couple drops of Angostura bitters for color perhaps? Or digestion? Maybe just for fun? We don’t really know, because […]

Episode 67: Do Not Talk About Fish Cl...

This Fish House Punch takes us to all the way back to colonial America and includes stories you probably didn’t learn in elementary school. This punch is truly a monster in a glass, or maybe a goblet, or bowl, or whatever people drank punch out of in the 18th century. Containing nearly all the booze […]

Episode 66: Ready for a Closeup – The...

Episode 66: Ready for a Closeup – The Filmograph Cocktail

Something about a cocktail named The Filmograph sort of screams early 20th century technology. “Folks! Gather around and see the future of moving pictures. Just a dime will introduce you to the wonders of the Filmograph!” We aren’t exactly sure what a Filmograph was, but it must have been something because we now have a […]

Episode 65: Cocktail Charlie – The Fa...

If you do a quick search on the internet you will find any number of websites and blogs mentioning the Fairbank Cocktail, or more accurately, the Fairbanks Cocktail. You will also find that most confidently claim that the drink was named after actor Douglass Fairbanks. Occasionally, the voice of reason comes through and points to […]

Episode 64: The Sun Never Sets – The ...

Episode 64: The Sun Never Sets – The East India Cocktail

The East India Cocktail was first noted by Harry Johnson who claimed in his book in 1882 that this was a popular drink in among the British in India. It was hard to find any truth behind this, but it certainly sounds imperialistic. As we dive into East India Cocktail we discuss the long European […]

Episode 63: Turning Up the Heat ̵...

Episode 63: Turning Up the Heat – Hot Toddy

We did this show at Rachel’s request which happened to coincide with my managing a cold at the time. We did not have a recipe we were using specifically, but rather we essentially treated hot toddies as a sort of class of cocktail as the recipe varies so widely and with the connection to it […]

Episode 62: The Doctor Is In – Dr. Co...

Episode 62: The Doctor Is In – Dr. Cocktail

Many cocktails got their start in the medicinal realm, and you can often see the transformations over time from cure-all to tasty beverage. So when a drink with a name like the Doctor Cocktail comes along, it is fair to assume that your aches and pains might be relieved from the ingredients. It does have […]