Mike and Alexandra discuss:

Spanish and Italian Vermouth and the differences from American Vermouth

The Spanish tradition of drinking Vermouth in vermuterías

St. Vincent the Deacon

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

What Advent is preparing us for

Gaudete Sunday and pink vs.rose

A crash course in Rum

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

Blessed Miguel Pro and his story

The Mexican Cristero resistance

Great films about Blessed Miguel

A crash course in tequila

Mike and Alexandra are joined by Dr. Thomas Ward to discuss:

• John Duns Scotus

• The origin of the term “dunce cap”

• Scotus vs. Aquinas

• Univocity

• Voluntarism

• The Immaculate Conception

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

St. Theresa of Avila and her search for holiness from childhood

Doctors of the Church

Bernini’s “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa”

Book: “Divine Intimacy” - sophiainstitute.com/product/divine-intimacy

Mike’s appearance on massoftheages.org

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

How to make your own simple syrup

The story of St. Jerome

The translation of the Bible into Latin from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek

St. Jerome’s struggle to learn Hebrew

The different forms of the Latin translation over the centuries

Jerome’s feuds with Origen, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine

Mike and Alexandra discuss Mary’s Seven Sorrows and the inclusion of the seven sorrows in the liturgical calendar.

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

What is St. Michael’s Lent?

Labor Day and International Workers’ Day

St. Joseph the Worker

Alexandra’s surprise cocktail

The scandalous background of Benedictine liqueur

The theology of work

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

The tie between Martinis and St. Helen

Helen as consort as opposed to wife

Evelyn Waugh’s novel “Helena”

The finding of the True Cross

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

Color Changing cocktails

Butterfly Pea Blossom

The timing of the Feast of the Transfiguration

The purpose of the Transfiguration

The four qualities of the risen body

Mike as the Mosaic law and Alexandra as the “spirit of the law”

The significance of the witnesses

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

Recapping their trip to Alaska

Listener feedback connecting St. Peter’s mother-in-law with The Brothers Karamazov

What we know and don’t know about Mary Magdalene

Which of the Marys in the Bible are, or may be, Mary Magdalene

Did Mary Magdalene end up in France?

St. Anselm’s prayer to Mary Magdalene

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

Is the Gibson cocktail a martini?

St. Peter’s mother-in-law 

What “fishers of men” means

Explaining the various fishing miracles involving Peter

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

The Kir Cocktail, its allegories with Christ, and its background

How to use Kir to keep from wasting wine going bad

The origins of devotion to the Sacred Heart

Devotion to the Sacred Heart as a response to Jansenism

Trying a dusty bottle of La Grande Passion Liqueur, which was discontinued in the mid-1990’s

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

The anniversary of the conception of Drinking with the Saints

How the Trinity Cocktail represents the Holy Trinity

“Begotten” vs. “Spirited”

Why are liquors called “spirits?”

The feast of the Holy Trinity

Portals to God the Father

Mary as Mediatrix of all graces

Mike and Alexandra discuss the Ascension:

Versicles

3 reasons to be happy about the Ascension

Foods and drinks associated with Ascension

Superstitions tied to Ascension

A brief poetry session

The 6 “leaps” of Christ

A report on their pilgrimage to Portugal

Mike and Alexandra discuss:

The “Forbidden feasts”

May 4 - Feast of St. Monica (old calendar, now transferred to August)

May 5 - The Conversion of St. Augustine (celebrated by the Order of St. Augustine)

May 6 - St. John at the Latin Gate (on the old Calendar but nixed in 1960)

The Universal Calendar of the Church versus other calendars

Mike and Alexandra discuss the long-lost Catholic tradition of Rogation Days:

What are Rogation days

Customs of the rogation days

What happened to Rogationtide?

Why is Rogation important to bring back?

Mike and Alexandra prepare for Easter, with an Easter cocktail and tips on pairing the right wine with your Easter dinner! Other topics include:

Easter traditions

Origins of the Easter Bunny

The ties between Easter and eggs

Bizarre old Easter traditions, including “switching,” “drenching,” and “heaving”

The Easter Walk

The Emmaus Walk

Mike and Alexandra continue with the Lenten beer series. Topics include:

Lenten Beer: Belgian Tripel

7 Reasons to like Lady Day

7 Customs Associated with Lady Day, including the “Holy Ghost Hole”??

Mike and Alexandra continue with the Lenten beer series as well as an alcohol-free mocktail series. Topics include:

Trappist breweries

Dark Lent customs

Jack-o-lent

Herring

Pinatas

Trastevere and its incredible church