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Two dark beers, one chaotic studio, and numbers we never thought we’d see. We kick things off with Abita’s Office Party, a holiday stout that keeps cocoa and caramel in balance without drowning the palate in sugar. The early sips are silky and clean, which sparks a conversation on why the “one-sip challenge” rarely tells the full story—and why the first quarter of a can is where a beer truly reveals itself.

Then we unwrap a listener gift and tumble into a new party game that demands fast, four-word burns instead of long riffs. It’s the kind of curveball that changes the room, and we ride it straight into our Spotify Wrapped: audience up 409%, new listeners up 800%, plays in 13 countries, and a cheeky badge that calls us a rising star. Are those labels universal? Maybe. Do we care? Not as much as we care about the real people who show up, week after week. We name-check our “15 Percenters” and plot stickers to make it official.

In the back half we pour Cloverleaf, an Irish stout from Outer Belt Brewing in Ohio. It’s dark but featherlight, offering a gentle chocolate line with almost no bitterness. We debate a small recipe twist that could make it a winter classic: a restrained hint of mint to lift the finish without turning it into a novelty. Ratings land at a 9.5, with a unanimous “add mint and it’s a 10.” Along the way we talk shaky hands and stigma, weather whiplash, lost holiday packages, and the kind of decompression you only get from a slow-build game like Arc Raiders.

If you’re into craft beer tasting, holiday stouts, Irish stouts, regional breweries, and the messy joy of building a show in public, this one’s for you. Hit play, rate along with us, and tell us: would you add mint to an Irish stout? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the pod. Cheers to the 15 Percenters and to the next round.

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