Happy Hour: Crafting the Perfect Cortado

Summary

Podcast Summary: Kennedy Saves the World

Episode: Happy Hour: Crafting the Perfect Cortado
Date: November 7, 2025
Host: Kennedy
Guest: Theo Rutherford (Bib and Tucker Bourbon)

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Overview

In this convivial "Happy Hour" edition, Kennedy welcomes Theo Rutherford from Bib and Tucker Bourbon to discuss and craft the perfect Cortado cocktail. Their chat spins through bourbon-making history, unique infusions, favorite cocktail tips, and the joy of experimenting with drinks. Equal parts informative and entertaining, the episode blends whiskey wisdom with relaxed, friendly banter—and quite a few laugh-out-loud moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Bourbon Innovations

• Bib and Tucker Gold Roast:
  • Theo unveils their latest creation: Bib and Tucker Gold Roast, made by "filling an entire barrel with coffee beans" and topping it with bourbon to create a "bourbon cold brew" (00:38–01:13).
  • This unique method is rare—"No, we were the only ones," says Theo when asked if anyone else is doing this (01:17).
• Why this method?
  • Rooted in whiskey history, distillers once used any barrels available—even coffee or fish barrels. Charring barrels originally came from a need to "get all of those flavors out" and avoid unwanted tastes.
  • Theo: "You were using coffee barrels. One of the reasons they were charred is you would use fish barrels ... so you didn't want your fish taste so you charred the inside." (01:42–01:54)

2. Bourbon Basics and Myths

• Ingredients and Regulations:
  • To be classified as bourbon: must be at least 51% corn, use new American oak barrels.
  • After aging, other woods or grains may be used but must be listed on the bottle (02:22–02:36).
• Gluten-Free Assurance:
  • Kennedy assures listeners that distilled spirits are gluten-free, even if made with grains like rye or barley, unless flavors are added later (02:53–03:05).
  • Theo: "Any spirit ... once it's distilled, it is gluten free until you add flavors." (02:59)

3. Crafting the Cortado Cocktail

• Recipe Inspiration:

  • Theo introduces the Cortado as "a great brunch cocktail," especially enjoyable during the holidays (03:30–03:38).
  • Uses good coffee—Stumptown Cold Brew—and a "secret weapon": sweet Madeira wine.

• What is Madeira?

  • An oak-aged wine often made with the Solera method, resulting in barrels that may have traces from the 1800s.
  • Theo: "There are literally barrels of Madeira that have things from the 1800s, theoretically, drops of that still in it." (04:13–04:46)
  • Kennedy finds it smelling "nice" and learns it is quite affordable unless a specific vintage (04:49–04:56).

• Building the Cortado: Ingredients and Ratios

  • Core ingredients: Bib and Tucker Gold Roast bourbon, cold brew coffee (Stumptown), Madeira, simple syrup, Angostura bitters.
  • Ratios:
    • 1.5 oz Bib and Tucker Gold Roast
    • 0.75 oz Madeira
    • 0.5 oz cold brew
    • 0.25 oz simple syrup
      (07:58–08:02)
  • Optional: Choose Madeira on the sweeter side, add or skip simple syrup depending on taste (07:55–08:13).

4. Mixology Tips and Cocktail Attitudes

• Shaking vs. Stirring:
  • Kennedy jokes about shaking for flair: "But then you can't do the shake weight." (06:02)
  • Theo says the shaking is for show and fun, especially when entertaining (06:10–06:19).
• Sweetness Preferences:
  • Kennedy enjoys sweeter drinks—"I just love tiki drinks" (05:33)—while Theo prefers less sugar but confesses a shared love for tiki drinks (05:28–05:38).
• Bar Pet Peeves:
  • Kennedy mentions her aversion to cosmos: "And I'm like, get it away from my face. Disgusting." (06:19)
  • Theo quips in reply: "No, please give me seven more." (06:36)

5. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Praise for Theo's Skills:
  • Kennedy: "You're obviously really good at what you do, so this is very perfectly balanced, Theo." (08:18)
  • After sampling: "My God, you're really good at this, Theo." (09:18)
• On Drinking Bourbon:
  • Theo: "It is America's native spirit. So you are actually doing your patriotic duty by investigating Bib and Tucker and drinking." (08:55)
• Perspective on Cocktails:
  • Theo: "It makes a day a little bit brighter when there's a cocktail." (08:38)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On historical barrel use:
  • Theo: "One of the reasons that they were charred is you would use fish barrels ... so you didn't want your fish taste, so you charred the inside." (01:42)
• On bourbon classification and experimentation:
  • "It has to be at least 51% corn. And after that you can use any cereal grain you want. So I've seen ones that have quinoa, that have spelt, that have brown rice. They aren't very good." (02:36)
• On Madeira's mystique:
  • "There are literally barrels of Madeira that have things from the 1800s, theoretically, drops of that still in it." (04:46)
• On showmanship in cocktail-making:
  • Kennedy: "But then you can't do the shake weight." (06:02)
• On cocktail differences:
  • Kennedy: "Get it away from my face. Disgusting." (06:19)
  • Theo: "No, please give me seven more." (06:36)
• Compliments for the drink:
  • Kennedy: "This is fantastic. Like, I think it's only you and Peter Suderman and the guy from Langen's who've made me drinks. And this is ... such a nice break from the ordinary." (08:26)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction and New Product Announcement: 00:10–01:17
• Bourbon Barrel History & Charring: 01:17–02:22
• Bourbon Regulations & Gluten-Free Info: 02:22–03:05
• Cocktail Creation—The Cortado: 03:19–07:10
• Mixology Tips & Bar Banter: 05:25–07:02
• Full Ingredient List & Ratios Recap: 07:19–08:13
• Patriotic Bourbon Drinking & Outro: 08:38–09:24

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Tone & Style

Warm, friendly, and conversational, with chemistry between Kennedy and Theo that mixes humor with genuine enthusiasm for bourbon, coffee, and creative cocktails. It's equally educational and entertaining, aimed at both cocktail nerds and casual listeners looking for a twist on their next brunch.

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Summary in a Sip:
Kennedy and Theo’s deep dive on crafting the perfect Cortado is a love letter to the art of cocktails, American whiskey history, and the joys of sharing a great drink with friends—one recipe, one story, one laugh at a time.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. It's happy hour. We're gonna have some Irish coffee, and this time, Theo Ruthford is going to make another drink for me. So last time you made a beautiful Manhattan.

[B]

I did, yeah.

[A]

And I have since used the Benedictine secret with the bib and tucker bourbon. And that is. That's my fancy. Go to old fashioned. It's great. It's. It's wonderful. But this time, what are you making?

[B]

So we just came out with a new product which is called Bib and Tucker Gold Roast. So what we did was we took the bib and Tucker that you know and love, and then we filled an entire barrel with coffee beans.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

They were a gold roast. Coffee bean that were sourced directly for us.

[A]

And what's Gold Roast?

[B]

So gold roast is like a medium roast. It's sort of like your breakfast blend that you normally get.

[A]

I love a medium roast.

[B]

Right. Lovely. It starts your day off beautifully.

[A]

It's not burned, it's not bitter.

[B]

So we filled an entire barrel with those beans, and then we put bourbon on top of that and basically made bourbon cold brew.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

And then blended that back into the bib and top.

[A]

Is anyone else doing that right now?

[B]

No, we were the only ones. So who thought of that, because I.

[A]

Know you're a whiskey expert.

[B]

Yeah. This was. It was a whole conversation around whiskey history. And historically, you would use any barrels that you could. The law of using American, specifically one time, use American oak barrels, was actually passed when the laws of bourbon were passed in the 60s. So before then, you could use anything.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And you were using coffee barrels. You were using the. One of the reasons that they were charred is you would use fish barrels that you'd use getting over the sea. So you didn't want your fish taste, so you charred the inside.

[A]

No way.

[B]

Yeah. So you would use anything.

[A]

Okay. I didn't realize that charring had a culinary interesting history.

[B]

Yeah. You want to get all of those flavors out of it. Or now when it's a new barrel. The reason you're charring is you're actually bringing all those sugars and vanillins to the inside, and you're basically making creme brulee out of the inside of the barrel. So that when you put your whiskey in, that's what's getting that vanilla. That's what's getting some of those really cool, cool caramel notes. So there is a little bit of that sort of culinary idea.

[A]

And what kind of wood generates that?

[B]

So for bourbon, we can only Use American oak. We can't use anything else to start. And in order to call it a bourbon afterwards, if we want to use French oak, hickory, whatever else we can, but we have to call it out on the bottle.

[A]

And it has to be corn.

[B]

It has to be at least 51% corn. And after that you can use any cereal grain you want. So I've seen ones that have quinoa, that have spelt, that have brown rice. They aren't very good. No, but we use rye and then some other people use wheat. Both are really lovely grains to be able to use. Yes.

[A]

And I have to let all the celiacs know that when it's distilled, it is gluten free.

[B]

Correct. Any. Actually any spirit. When it's. Once it's distilled, it is gluten free until you add flavors.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So that's why a lot of flavored vodkas might not be gluten free. Because what they're using to put the flavor into the vodka, it's like barley sugar. Yeah.

[A]

Corn is fine.

[B]

Corn, Sorry, it might be wheat or barley or anything else based.

[A]

So barley, wheat and rye are the devil.

[B]

Yes, yes. So I'm actually going to pour a little bit of this for you just so you can smell it and taste it on its own. But then I'll make the cocktail. So the cocktail we're going to make is called the cortado.

[A]

Oh, I love a cortado.

[B]

And it's lovely because it's a great brunch cocktail. It's also just great, especially holidays. Thanksgiving, this is going to be the way that I start my day. Thanksgiving still has that bourbon thing, but that coffee is just right there. Yeah, Just on the back end. We didn't want it to be sort of too overbearing. So for a cortado, you need to start obviously with some really good coffee. So we went to Stumptown right down the street.

[A]

That's great.

[B]

Yeah. Got a little bit of cold brew from them because I'm on my fifth cup since I have a toddler.

[A]

So I had Stumptown this morning. I get Stumptown from Whole Foods. God, that sounds bougie, but I don't care. I get their medium roast and it's really good.

[B]

I love it. And then a little bit of Madeira. So Madeira is sort of the secret weapon. You're just like Benedictine. No, no, it's. You'll find it in the same section as port. Okay, so it is a wine based thing.

[A]

Is it like Dubonnet?

[B]

We're getting closer. So Madeira is a wine that's actually been oak aged for a fairly long time. They use something called the Solera system. So as they're oak aging their wines and has a fair amount of sugar in it, all of those barrels that are sitting there, they'll take it out, they'll fill the bottles and then the barrels above them, they will then fill the barrels on the bottom with those and keep going and keep going and keep going. So they're literally barrels of Madeira that have things from the 1800s, theoretically, drops of that still in it. So they're really cool. It's a really, really interesting cultural thing. And so what they're doing.

[A]

So does Madeira get very expensive?

[B]

It can, especially if there's a specific vintage on it. This one's not. This one, I think was.

[A]

Oh, it smells Nice, though.

[B]

$19 or something along those lines. And again, it's just a really good little secret weapon.

[A]

Don't go anywhere more. Kennedy Saves the World right after this.

[B]

It's Will Kane Country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through [e-mail] or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at foxnewspodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts. A little bit of simple syrup just to sweeten it up. Not a ton, just because I don't like my cocktails overly sweet.

[A]

And then obviously that's where you and I differ.

[B]

That's okay. I'm. I'm not judging on that. I have made plenty of cocktails that I would never.

[A]

I just. I love tiki drinks.

[B]

See, that's. That's where you and I are the same. Tiki drinks are lovely.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But just like a super sweet thing at a bar. I'm good. Just go for no.

[A]

But I love, like, a bartender who takes pride in a good tiki drink.

[B]

Oh, yeah. And you've got some great ones here.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

A little angostura bitters, just to bring out a little bit of that. Those sort of roasty notes. And then the shake part's just the fun part.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

If you don't have a shaker at home, that's okay. You can just stir it. You can use it between two pint glasses. Whatever you want.

[A]

I like shaking.

[B]

Yeah, shaking's just.

[A]

I know people love stirring, and they're like, no, it's superior. But then you can't do the shake weight.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. A little shake weighty. Plus, it's just a show. Especially if you're doing this, a lot of people will say, what are you making? I want. I want more. Great.

[A]

Yeah. And I mean, that happens to me all the time. Like, I'll be at a bar, especially if there's a good bartender, and they'll make something that's a beautiful color, and I'll be like, ooh, what is that? And they'll be like, it's a cosmo. And I'm like, get it away from my face. Disgusting.

[B]

No, please give me seven more.

[A]

I did make the. The creator of Sex and Sydney, the author, Candace Bushnell. I made her a gin white cosmo.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I thought it tasted lovely. She, I could tell, was not impressed. I think it was really strong. And I didn't mean was like a punch in the face. Whoops.

[B]

And then there you go. That's your cortado. It's, I mean, lovely little drink. But like I said, it's a great brunch drink.

[A]

To happy hour. And brunch and brunch and cortados.

[B]

Any hour with this.

[A]

Is there. Is there liquor in the stump town?

[B]

But there can be.

[A]

Oh, wow, that's great, right?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I prefer that to an espresso martini.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

And go through the ingredients again.

[B]

So again, it's bib and Tucker gold roast. You can also use. You. You can use any of the other bib and Tuckers, but gold roast just brings out a little bit more of that coffee.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

We used cold brew from Stumptown. You can also use espresso. You can use any sort of coffee, anything. You can also, if you really wanted to get fancy and crazy, cold brew is great. Right. You can add a little bit of coffee liqueur in there if you want. Just to pump that up just even more then the Madeira. So what you want with your Madeira, if you are buying Madeira, ask for one that's a little on the sweeter side. Since they do tend to be either dry or sweet. Ask for one on the sweeter side. A little bit of simple syrup and stir bitters.

[A]

You're done. Dang. So what are the ratios?

[B]

So 1 1/2 ounces of the Bibimsucker gold roast.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

3/4 of an ounce of the Madeira, and then for the cold brew, half an ounce. And for the simple syrup, a quarter of an ounce.

[A]

Yeah, that's right.

[B]

Down, down, down, down.

[A]

And it doesn't have to be too sweet. You're absolutely right.

[B]

Absolutely not. And the Madeira can be a sweetener. So if you don't even want to add the simple syrup Just pump up the Madira.

[A]

No, this is. This is so. I mean, you're obviously really good at what you do, so this is very perfectly balanced. Theo.

[B]

This is why you keep having. Great.

[A]

This is fantastic. Like, I think it's only you and Peter Suderman and the guy from Langen's who've made me drinks.

[B]

Oh, well, fantastic.

[A]

And this is. It's such a nice break from the ordinary.

[B]

It just makes. It makes a day a little bit brighter when there's a cocktail.

[A]

And I hope people investigate the Bib and Tucker because it is so smooth and flavorful. And now we are switching into the brown liquor time of the year, starting in fall.

[B]

We actually just left. So September is National Bourbon Heritage Month.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

So just finished that, which is great for us. And as we go into the 250th anniversary, it is America's native spirit. So you are actually doing your patriotic duty by investigating Vivintucker and drinking.

[A]

Yeah. 250 is a big one. And this is a great one.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Okay, one more sip just to make sure.

[B]

Just to make sure I'm still good at this.

[A]

My God, you're really good at this, Theo.

[B]

Just means you'll have to have me back.

[A]

Excellent. Consider it done. Cheers to you, my friend.

[B]

Cheers. Thank you very much.

[A]

This has been Kennedy Saves the World, along with Bib and Tucker's Theo Rutherford. I'm Kennedy.

[B]

Cheers.

[A]

Listen. Ad free. With a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News podcast Network.