In this episode, we stepped up to the bar and ordered a couple rounds of Atomic Alcohol. The podcast collected ten examples of nuclear themed wine, cocktails, and beer with names, history, or other interesting connections to nukes. Why do breweries and wineries go to the nuclear well so many times? Could a beverage change how you think about the atom? How many drinks can the podcast team have and still sound reasonably intelligent? Tim Westmyer, Gabe, and special guests Will Saetren (@WillSaetren) and Eric Gascho (@EricGascho) answer these questions and more.
Here is a slideshow of all the various beer and wine labels we imbibed:
Before the bartender announces last call for atomic alcohol, we recommend checking out:
- Alex Wellerstein, “Beer and the Apocalypse,” Restricted Data, 2012
- Frank Kelly Rich, “Boozing with the Bomb: Alcohol in the Atomic Age,” Drunkard Magazine
- Charlie Papazian, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
Special thanks to:
- Tori Mason at Forbidden Root for the cans of Atomic Child
- Tony Fitzpatrick and Robert Finkel at Forbidden Root for the interview
- @VortexAeroMedia for sending the bottles of Atom Splitter
- William Henry at Nuclear Wine, Chris Kotiza at Nuclear Nugget, and Steve at Cit of Cambridge Brewing for answering my questions about their beer
- Outro music by Slim Gaillard and His Quartette (1945)
Here are some more resources to learn more about today’s episode:
- Atomic Ale Brewpub and Eatery (Richland, WA)
- Forbidden Root (Chicago, IL)
- Robert Krulwich, “S. Explodes Atomic Bombs Near Beers to See if They are Safe to Drink,” NPR, September 19, 2012
- Eric Pfanner, “A French Wine Region Changes its Name to Save its Future,” The New York Times, November 25, 2011
- Jane Nickles, “The Wine Formerly Known as Tricastin,” Wine, Wit, and Wisdom, July 19, 2013
- Theodore Gray, “For that Healthy Glow, Drink Radiation!” Popular Science, August 17, 2004
- Alex Wellerstein, “Bomb Appetit!” Lucky Peach
- Beers Not Bombs Keychain, From War to Peace
- NPR, “How Atomic Particles Helped Solve a Wine Fraud Mystery,” June 3, 2014
- LiveScience, “Buzzkill: Steer Clear of Beer After a Nuclear Explosion,” September 24, 2012
- Emily Bell, “Nuclear Beer: When the Bomb Comes, Head to the Bar,” Vinepair, June 24, 2016
- Ian Sample, “How Atom Bomb Tests Could Help Detect Wine Fraud,” The Guardian, March 21, 2010
- Alex Swerdloff, “This Atomic Bomb-Themed Beer Has a Message About Nuclear Warfare,” Muchies, August 3, 2015
In Philip K Dick’s 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, that forms the basis of the 1982 movie, a nuclear “World War Terminus” was responsible for post-apocalyptic San Francisco.