The Origin Story of The Bourbon Playbook 🥃🎙️

Like all great stories, this one starts with two dudes making intense eye contact across a crowded room.

Roughly a year ago, Ryan O’Leary and I (Mike Zika) met when he and his wife moved into the neighborhood. Like a proper welcome wagon, we invited them over. The wives naturally took to chatting in the kitchen while Ryan and I found ourselves lingering awkwardly nearby—until we both knew what had to be said.

“Should we go grab a bourbon?”

It wasn’t a question. It was destiny.

That moment turned into a tradition. Over the next few months, we found ourselves repeatedly vanishing into my bourbon cave, pouring drinks, swapping stories, and diving way too deep into whiskey rabbit holes. What started as casual pours soon became a full-blown, full-proof obsession—nerding out over tasting notes, bottle hunts, and the deep, fascinating history behind every pour.

Then, life decided to blindside both of us.

I lost my job as an IT recruiter. Meanwhile, Ryan lost his gig as a full-time sports writer and podcaster. So, naturally, we turned to what any two grown men with a bit too much free time and a well-stocked bar would do—we kept drinking bourbon and talking about it.

One night, mid-rant about mash bills and distillation processes, Ryan stopped me and said:

“Zika, dude… this is gold. I’ve got a podcast studio in my basement. What if we just started recording this?”

At first, I did the responsible thing and said, “Let me think about it.” Because, you know, life. But one week later, we were back in the bourbon cave, deep in another whiskey-fueled debate, and I knew—this had to happen.

So we made it official.

Now, every Wednesday night, Ryan puts his son to bed, I skip (yes, skip) across the street, and we hit record. We sip, we debate, we go off on wild tangents about whiskey, sports, and whatever else comes up. Then, at some unholy hour, I crawl back across the street and crash, knowing full well I’ll regret nothing in the morning.

We started The Bourbon Playbook because bourbon isn’t just about what’s in the bottle—it’s about the stories, the debates, and the ridiculous arguments over whether or not we just tasted banana bread in a glass. It’s a place for whiskey lovers of all kinds—whether you’re chasing unicorns, cracking budget bottles, or just here for the chaos.

So pour a glass, hit play, and join the team. We’re just getting started. 🏈🥃

🔊👉 The Bourbon Playbook – Listen now!
https://open.spotify.com/show/4vskwZGrkW2li3ZlRNY75U?si=372ebf1e5b5849bf