Why This Episode Matters
- The Guys taste ʻŌkolehao, a nearly lost Hawaiian spirit made from kī root, and explore its unusual history and revival.
- Why Michelin retired its Green Star—and why judging sustainability is far more complicated than judging what arrives at the table.
- The economic problem facing bars devoted exclusively to non-alcoholic cocktails.
- A simple way to uncover better bottles and better values when restaurant wine-list prices are climbing.
The Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott welcome two of their favorite guests: each other.
Longtime listener Kelvin sends the Guys bottle number 125 of 150 from an early release of Ola ʻŌkolehao. They taste the Hawaiian spirit, find notes reminiscent of Scotch and Irish whiskey and dig into its history from its roots in Native Hawaiian culture to its disappearance and modern revival.
Naturally, a discussion of spirits aged while being agitated at sea gives Mark an opening Francis never sees coming.
The Conversation
The Guys begin with Michelin’s decision to retire the Green Star. Recognizing restaurants for responsible sourcing and sustainable practices may be admirable, but Francis and Mark question whether such broad claims can be verified with the same confidence as food, service and the guest experience. That leads to a larger debate about Michelin’s expanding reach, changing standards and whether professional restaurant critics still matter in the age of online reviews.
Next, they consider the wave of mocktail-only bars and why so many have struggled to stay open. Both believe serious non-alcoholic drinks belong on every good cocktail list, but Mark questions whether a venue serving only zero-proof cocktails can compete economically with restaurants, traditional bars and coffee shops already serving the same audience.
Finally, Francis shares a useful restaurant wine hack discovered in Aspen. When the bottle list starts at an uncomfortable price, look at the wines offered by the glass. Ask how many glasses the restaurant pours from a bottle and whether you can order a full bottle of one of those selections. You may find a more interesting wine at a substantially better price.
Mark then reveals he has been using essentially the same strategy with pizza since the 1980s.
Timestamps
00:00 Tasting the revived Hawaiian spirit ʻŌkolehao
05:35 The history, disappearance and return of ʻŌkolehao
12:15 Why Michelin retired the Green Star
16:25 Is Michelin diluting its restaurant standards?
19:00 Can mocktail-only bars survive?
26:20 Rising restaurant wine prices and the by-the-glass bottle hack
31:20 Mark’s remarkably similar pizza hack
Info
Ola ʻŌkolehao Distillery https://thespiritofhawaii.com/
Restaurant Guys’ Regulars https://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/
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