Whiskey with Witcher

Over the course of our latest season, we’ve become friends with a vampire, hung out with baby Geralt, read a book by a bard, savored some fish soup, took a detour into Shondaland, drunk whiskey from a gargoyle and barely survived an encounter with 99 Bananas. Together, we’ve made some great memories (while destroying a few brain cells), but sadly, it’s time to say goodbye as our season has reached its end. But before we head off down the path, we’re stopping for one final look at The Witcher’s fourth season. What did we like and what did we not care for? What surprised us and what do we expect to see in season five? We each pick our favorite and least favorite costumes, songs, whiskeys and episodes (you’ll never guess which one made both lists) and choose a Kaer Moron for the season, all while enjoying three of our favorite recent bourbons. The bar may be closing for the night, but first we’re breaking out the good stuff. Care to join us for one more round?

Dearest gentle listener, on this first day of April, it is this author’s sincerest pleasure to welcome you once again to the noble kingdom of Shondaland for an afternoon of…particularly strong tea and lively conversation. Our subject this week? Why none other than the latest events concerning the Bridgerton household, particularly the recent gossip surrounding second son Benedict and his new wife. Our guest of honor for this truly once—er, twice-in-a-lifetime event is none other than our dear friend and patron, the Viscountess Lucy J Robyn of the noble households of YouTube and Twitch. We hope you will enjoy the proceedings, but do heed this most delicate of warnings: those arriving in hope of familiarizing themselves with the recent exploits of that infamous rake Geralt of Rivia may find themselves in unfamiliar company. Should that prove to be you, we suggest simply asking your server to make your tea a “double.” Just ensure you do not do this so often that you besmirch your standing in society. Poor decisions like that are, as they say, best left up to us. Keep up with Lucy by following her on Twitch, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram at @lucyjrobyn.

This week, we’re side questing into the world of It’s Not a Cult, the new novel written by our favorite on-screen bard, Joey Batey. Since books are better with booze, the whiskey flows generously as we unpack everything the novel has to say about obsessive fandom, mob behavior, found families, experiencing life through screens and ice lollies (though we may need your help with that last one). We also tackle the tough, yet impossible to ignore questions: How much of this book is meant to be reflective of Joey’s life? What’s up with the ending? And why the heck isn’t this thing available in the United States? Don’t look for clear answers…or anything clear, really. But we do reveal the one thing the ridiculously multi-talented Joey Batey can’t yet do. So take that, Bard!

Our latest side quest is sure to appeal to all swipes—er, types! When we first discussed Reigns: The Witcher, the new “swipe ’em up” mobile game from CDPR, Nerial and Devolver Digital, we failed to answer one very important question: which member of the Whiskey with Witcher crew can survive for the longest in the game after drinking copious amounts of alcohol? Well, you’re about to find out! Recorded a few days after Reigns: The Witcher’s release, we each take a spin until three things become clear. First, we probably should have practiced a lot more. Second, battling is really hard when you’re drinking cask-strength whiskey. And three, this is the wildest episode we’ve recorded in quite some time. Enjoy!

A great story is truly timeless. However, since “A Question of Price” is pretty mid at best, we’re giving it a little less than 90 minutes. In our newest side quest, we’re returning to the world of Witcher comics to discuss Dark Horse’s adaptation of the Andrzej Sapkowski short story, determining if this recent graphic novel has anything new to offer besides some pretty art. (In fairness, it’s VERY pretty art.) Does the story that introduced The Witcher’s Law of Surprise still hold some surprises of its own? Does the return of “Headband Geralt” hit differently after Crossroads of Ravens? And does Calanthe bring that milf energy and thirst for Geralt that she has in other versions of this story? Sharpen your swords and don your doublets, we’re returning to Cintra!

This week, we’re stealing a couple hours of your time to discuss The Rats: A Witcher Tale, the prequel movie that dropped at the same time as Season 4 and is designed to be watched after it…despite taking place well before. (The Witcher’s up to its timeline shenanigans again, it seems.) Paired with the perfectly-themed Master of the Thieves Guild Blended Bourbon by Quest’s End Whiskey, we keep things loose, lively and liquidated as we unpack the plots—meaning both the film’s narrative and the Rats’ plot to steal loads of cash—and try to figure out just what happened to this thing behind the scenes. Also, we come out in favor of bathing with a drunken Dolph Lundgren, debate the role of cephalopods in sex dens and reveal why when it comes to spider women, most movies just like to tease.

By now, you’re no doubt tired of hearing us ramble about season four. So, in this week’s episode, it’s Producer Sean who does it! We finally got our maestro of Malcontent Media to marathon all eight episodes, and he has some thoughts about…well, pretty much all of it. Liamralt! Larry Fish! Vilgefortz’s evil minions! Sex montages! And as if that’s not enough, it all happens over a bottle of Proof of Life, a strangely goth non-alcoholic whiskey that we mix up into some mean mocktails. It’s a season four celebration that’s low on ABV, high on attitude and packed with new perspective. It might not always be clear or coherent perspective, but it’s new!

With so much of the world focused on games right now, it seemed only natural for us to do the same and the results are pure off-the-rails gold. (If they gave medals for going on random tangents, we’d be the competitors to beat.) In this new side quest, we discuss Reigns: The Witcher, the just-announced Witcher mobile game releasing later this month, before we deep dive into all the recent rumors about a possible new Witcher 3 DLC. Could they be true, and if so, what would we like to see? We consider the pros and cons of releasing DLC for a game that’s now over a decade old before we wrap up with Valerie’s thoughts on The Conqueror’s Witcher Virtual Challenge and why she may never make it out of Velen. Oh, and we wind up talking about sex cards. Because of course we do.

It's been a remarkable ride, but The Witcher’s fourth season has finally reached its end and it’s going out with a splash! (As in river water, not whiskey. We’re not THAT drunk.) With Geralt and co. looking to cross the Yaruga, we open up a bottle of Flatboat Kentucky Straight Single Barrel Bourbon to help them on their journey. Unlike our favorite witcher, no arrows are shot at us as we discuss the fast-paced finale, not even when we rant about what may be Valerie’s least favorite Yen outfit so far, tear into the utterly nonsensical monster fight and roll our eyes at the fact that Nimue is still going on about destiny while possibly traumatizing a child. More positively, we welcome Milva back to the show (seriously, girl, where did you go?), declare our allegiance to Queen Meve and wonder if the Rats should have reconsidered that offer Bonhart made them. It’s an unforgettable discussion full of twists, turns and the occasional movie rec, as we say goodbye to our favorite fantasy franchise for another season!

With Season 4’s seventh episode offering a break from the action, it felt like the perfect time for a smoke—as in a seriously peated Islay scotch! Geralt may be the one struggling with the actual monster this week, but Ardbeg’s Wee Beastie proves formidable as well…or at least its tasting notes do, which nearly prove to be too much for Valerie. We also find we have questions for Yen and her crazy glamping tent, ponder whether Ciri and Mistle broke up and we all just missed it, and discuss the merits of sleeping with rusalkas. (It might be fun, but probably not in a swamp.) Plus, we say farewell to some great characters, agree yet again on the episode’s Kaer Moron and get a bit extra with our post-credits outtake!

Fortify the walls, ready your defenses and for heaven’s sake, be careful where you swing that hammer—this week we’re talking about Season 4’s action-packed sixth episode! With Yennefer leading the charge at Montecalvo, we’re paying tribute to Anya Chalotra with a bottle of Nirvana Indian Single Malt Whisky and a discussion that asks all the hard questions: Why doesn’t Philippa just use magic? How did we wind up with druids? Was Vilgefortz’s magical facelift worth it? (We may think so, but we doubt the mages who sacrificed themselves for it agree.) And what the heck is that gunk that’s in everyone’s hair anyhow? We also discuss the episode’s many deaths, question what some sorceresses wear into battle and explain why a little child neglect goes a long way when it comes to Leo Bonhart.

We hope you brought your appetite…for drunken discussion! We’re back with our first episode of 2026, where we’re diving into Season 4’s celebration of camping out (both literally and figuratively) and baring your soul over a bowl of fish soup. Accompanied by a bottle of True Story Finished Bourbon, we share some surprisingly strong opinions about the episode’s infamous musical interlude, declare our undying love for random nonsense, and explain how while he may no longer drink blood, Regis clearly has no problem drinking Marvel’s milkshake. We also debate whether sick = sexy when it comes to Jaskier, formally declare that Milva’s the smartest person in the room and actually agree on a Kaer Moron for once. It’s a tasty, tantalizing talk about the most mouthwatering episode of the season that’s guaranteed to leave you hungry for everything to come. (Note to self: In the future, don’t write these episode descriptions before you’ve had dinner.)

If you’re looking for spoilers, we’re serving them straight up! Our discussion of “Crossroads of Ravens” continues as we discuss Geralt’s shocking quest to…well, that would be telling. But be warned that the entire novel is fair game this week as we unpack the details of the book’s pivotal final act. But first, we share some history about Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon (did you know it was once the most popular bourbon in the United States?) before we refill our glasses and drink deeply of this surprisingly good value-priced whiskey and of Geralt’s youthful exploits, both of which left us dizzy and wanting more. Plus, we answer a few listener questions about the book, pick our Kaer Morons and offer up a pair of toasts…all while managing to stay mostly clear and coherent, despite having to say the names “Vrai Natteravn” and “Estevan Trillo da Cunha” a few too many times.

Before Dandelion. Before Ciri. Before Blaviken and Brokilon and baths with Yennefer. Before Geralt found himself following destiny and doing all the impressive things for which he’s known, he was a fresh-faced teen stumbling through life, making poor decisions and hanging with people of questionable reputation. (Guess which version we find ourselves relating to!) “Crossroads of Ravens” is the new Witcher novel by author Andrzej Sapkowski that focuses on Geralt’s first year on the path. In this first of two episodes discussing the book, we uncap a bottle of Early Times Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon before engaging in a fairly spoiler-free conversation on important literary topics like Geralt getting his first leather jacket, possibly getting his v-card punched and whether the second time’s the charm when it comes to fighting strigas. Or would that be the first…? Prequels are confusing, guys!

We’re saying goodbye to Sigismund Dijkstra the best way we know how—with a bottle of actor Graham McTavish’s very own whiskey and a lively discussion of his final Season 4 episode! Over glasses of The Warchief Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon by McTavish Spirits, we consider whether the conniving spymaster may have finally been outplayed…and whether the hopes and dreams of Radskier shippers have been crushed in the process. Plus, Valerie wants to see the receipts when it comes to Francesca’s claims, Tim can’t tell his Vesemirs from his Vizimirs and we both think Mistle and Ciri REALLY need to work on their pet names. Give it a listen…FOR REDANIA!

In this discussion of Season 4’s third episode, we somberly discuss the tragic death of—um, who? Beata? Who the heck is Beata? Sadly, the young refugee was struck down just as we were getting to know…well, pretty much anything about her. But that’s okay, we have plenty of other things to discuss over our bottle of Hye-Land 12-Year Single Malt Armenian Whiskey. Like how Regis is clearly just a regular, ordinary human that just happens to have remarkable pain tolerance. And how wearing a bra on the outside of your dress may actually be quite practical. And how you really should aspire to do more with your magical abilities than to be turned into portal goo. But mostly how disappointed we were that Geralt of Rawvia and Yennefer of Bangerberg didn’t actually use that unicorn they had on stage. But hey, we DID get the debut of Leo Bonhart, who mercilessly took the life of—wait, what was that Witcher’s name again?

What's better than getting a chance to meet a Witcher author? How about meeting two? When Whiskey with Witcher Special Correspondent Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn heard that Andrzej Sapkowski and Joey Batey—whose debut novel, “It's Not a Cult,” was just released in the UK—were both embarking on book tours at the same time, she couldn't resist a trip overseas. And we couldn't resist having her on the podcast to tell us all about it! What was it like meeting and hanging out with Batey's fans? How does he balance acting, writing and performing with his band? And is Sapkowski really as crotchety as people seem to think? Plus, Rebekah reveals what the Witcher creator thinks about the book's English translation, why he doesn't have favorite characters and whether “Crossroads of Ravens” is likely to be the last Witcher novel. The answers just might surprise you!

Season 4’s sophomore episode features some thieving Rats, a wandering Yen and a totally normal, not at all strange barber surgeon named Regis. Played by a scene-stealing Laurence Fishburne, Regis is also a home distiller and the reason we sought out a bottle of the gothic af Von Payne Black Blended Whiskey to pair this one with. (The fact that it also looks a little bit like blood is just a coincidence, we swear.) While we both agree that the newest member of Geralt’s hansa is a delight, we’re not at all aligned when it comes to choosing our favorite member of the Rats, deciding whether someone should give Jaskier a sword and counting up this week’s “Hmms.” But we’re still both very confused about what’s going on with Geralt’s pants, so at least there’s that. Track: Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata and Fugue in Dm, BWV 565 Provided by Classical Music Copyright Free [https://tinyurl.com/visit-cmcf] Watch: https://youtu.be/jTN6ibiJ9bA?si=I_JwpFii-e_OtGDD

Season 4 has finally arrived and we’re welcoming it back in grand style with this look at its first episode—the good (hello, Liam…), the bad (…and Nimue…), and the WTF (…uh, Keira?!?). Over a bottle of Starward Two-Fold, Tim proudly redeclares his love for Milva, while Valerie finds much to appreciate in new character Stefan Skellen…even if she keeps getting him mixed up with Stellan Skarsgård. We also debate the merits of blood splatters, get to the bottom of Yen’s portaling problem and settle the question about which actor looks better in Geralt’s wig. Plus, we bring back our “hmm” count, elaborate on some book differences and shoot some terrible banana liqueur that haunts our nightmares to this day. In short, it’s a truly generous pour of an episode…and we’re just getting started! Hold music: "Local Forecast - Slower" by Kevin MacLeod

The following preview episode has been approved for drunken audiences. Yes, we’re back, Witcher fans, and just in time for the debut of The Witcher’s fourth season! But before we get into the episodes, we’re filling our glasses and offering up some thoughts, opinions and sassy speculation on just what may await us. With Liam Hemsworth as our new Geralt and Laurence Fishburne vamping it up as Regis, there’s much to be excited about…and perhaps a few reasons for concern. We discuss both as we break down the season four trailer, zoom in on some recent key art (fix your hair, Ciri!) and discuss why sometimes a typo is just a typo. Plus, we explain our plan—or what passes for one around here—for our new podcast season. We’re hoping it’s our best one yet, so make sure you’re subscribed and that your bar’s fully stocked because you won’t want to miss a second of it!