Whiskey with Witcher

Closing Out Season Four

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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?

Brandy with Bridgerton Returns (Featuring Lucy J Robyn)

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Lucy J Robyn, Sean Farina) — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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.

Side Quest: Solkat Strut

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:04:42 +0000

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!

Side Quest: When it Reigns, We Pour

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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!

Side Quest: The Child of Not Really a Surprise Anymore Since it’s the Third Time We’re Covering This Story

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 07:00:02 +0000

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!

Rats All, Folks!

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 09:44:32 +0000

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.

Producer Sean Provides Zero Proof

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:07:00 +0000

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!

Side Quest: Now You DLC Me, Now You Don’t

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

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.

Trolling On the River

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 4 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

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!

Honey Glazed Horror

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:01:32 +0000

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!

You May Have Won the Bottle, but You Won’t Win the Pour

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:00:51 +0000

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.

Banter by the Bowlful

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 7 Jan 2026 08:31:34 +0000

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.)

Quoth the Raven, Another Pour (Part 2)

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000

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.

Quoth the Raven, Another Pour (Part 1)

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 15:00:58 +0000

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!

Vizimir, Vesemir and Vissegerd Walk Into a Bar…

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 3 Dec 2025 14:31:00 +0000

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!

All the Proof You Need

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

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?

Side Quest: A Crossroads of Creators

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

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!

Vamping it Up

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

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

G’day to Our New Geralt

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 5 Nov 2025 08:16:36 +0000

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 Life of a Witcher (Liam’s Version)

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 07:22:29 +0000

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!

Drawing to a Close

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0000

There comes a time in the creation of every masterwork where the artist must put down their tools and declare the work done. And whaddya know, the same is true for drunken podcast seasons about art as well! We're finishing up our comics and animation season (while finishing up what's left of our favorite recent whiskeys) with some final thoughts on the topic. And to make sure they're as clear, concise and clever as possible, we start things off by doing a review shot...that somehow turns into two. Fortunately, we manage to keep our heads, if not exactly our dignity, for everything that follows, as we unpack what we enjoyed about The Witcher comics and animated movies and what we'd like to see going forward. Plus, we pick a few favorites and least favorites, offer some unsolicited advice and decide that what we really want to see is a crossover involving Geralt's horse and...well, you should just listen. Hold music: "Local Forecast - Slower" by Kevin MacLeod

Little Witcher, Big Laughs

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:21:25 +0000

Our humor may be juvenile, but this week we're going all the back to grade school! We've locked up the liquor cabinet and broken out the Welch's juice and fruit snacks for a (mostly) family friendly conversation about The Little Witcher, the ridiculously cute new graphic novel drawn by Giada Carboni and written by the talented folks at CD Projekt Red. Is this new hardcover strictly for the kids? Or could it actually be aimed at their parents? Either way, the book's a must-read and this episode is a must-listen as we unpack some of The Little Witcher's unexpectedly resonant themes, consider the possibility that the Welch's founder may have been Santa Claus and discover that Tim was surprisingly straight-laced as a kid..at least when it came to his Oreos.

Side Quest: High Proof Predictions

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0000

We’re taking you from the streets of Dallas all the way to the mountains of Kovir in our last side quest of the season. Newly returned from a trip to Texas, we discuss why we were there (it involves a bit of Witcher and a whole lot of whiskey) before we tear into this year’s Witcher-less Tudum. After that, we enter the world of gaming with a ten-year tribute to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and why even now we just can’t say no to Cerys. Finally, we wrap things up with a deep dive into the gorgeous new Witcher 4 tech demo in which we savor the breathtaking graphics as well as Ciri’s newfound sassiness. It’s a fun, free flowing episode that unlike a certain recent streaming live event, is filled to the brim with Witcher goodness! Hold music: "Local Forecast - Slower" by Kevin MacLeod

Blood and Wine (and Bondage)

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 4 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0000

What happens when you mix whisky with wine? You get something a lot like this week's episode in which we discuss, decode and deliriously debate writer Bartosz Sztybor's most recent and possibly final Witcher comic series, The Witcher: Corvo Bianco. Set within the idyllic vineyards of Toussaint, it's a feisty little farewell of a story and at five issues, it's a generous pour. So, settle in as we open a bottle of The Daisen Japanese Blended Whisky and touch on topics such as our love of Duchess Anna Henrietta, our confusion over Yennefer's motives (and physics defying abilities in the bedroom), our discovery of what it means when the “tatties have goon o'wer the side,” and why you should always, always keep the cuffs on.

Side Quest: LARP First and Ask Questions Later with Ja'Nya Hashi

sean@malcontent.media (Ja'Nya Hashi, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 28 May 2025 15:55:01 +0000

In 2021, Witcher fan Ja'Nya Hashi found themself flying overseas to spend four days at The Witcher School, the long-running, now sadly defunct Witcher Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) experience set at a remote castle in Poland. Was dressing up and pretending to be a Witcher-in-training something that was thrilling, confusing...or just a whole lot of cringe? In our newest side quest, we welcome Nya to our studio to find out! Over a couple of Old Fashioneds, Nya discusses their Witcher School experience, from sneaking around the castle's secret passages late at night, to the surprisingly terrifying Nekker hunt, to surviving the oddly relaxing Trial of the Grasses. It's a fascinating, fun glimpse at a Witcher experience unlike any other—where survival (at least for your character) isn't always guaranteed.

The Deovel Made Me Do It

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 21 May 2025 07:00:00 +0000

This week, we’re heading to “The Edge of the World” and to the limits of good taste, as we take on Dark Horse’s most recent short story adaptation. This is the tale that taught us how elves like to hold grudges, sylvans enjoy playing with balls, and the people of Lower Posada really love their weed. We, on the other hand, are sticking with whiskey—Hudson Whiskey NY’s “This is Your Favorite Whiskey,” to be specific. Yes, that’s actually its name, and no, it doesn’t prove to be our favorite whiskey. But that’s okay since this short story isn’t our favorite either, though it does prompt discussions over whether “bats” and “batses” are the same thing, if we ever wear togas around the house, and whether Geralt should really be associating with muppets.

Nightmare of the F*ckboy

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 14 May 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Who’s ready for another round? Having now seen The Witcher’s second animated movie, we thought it would be fun to revisit its first one, 2021’s Nightmare of the Wolf—and we brought new viewer Producer Sean along for the ride! How does this Vesemir-starring prequel hold up four years and two show seasons later? Does it still feel like The Witcher now that we’ve gotten a better feel for the franchise? And what’s up with Geralt’s hair? (Sadly, we don’t yet have an answer for that last one.) Plus, to accompany this second viewing, Sean’s made an all-new whiskey pairing…with a twist. Clean W by CleanCo is the first non-alcoholic whiskey we’ve sampled on the podcast, though if you think going the zero-proof route means we’re any less unhinged, think again. Hold music: "Local Forecast - Slower" by Kevin MacLeod

The Name's Bonker... Goat Bonker

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:01:17 +0000

It was touch and go for a moment, but we’ve just about recovered from our first dive into The Witcher: Classic Collection. And that’s a good thing because it’s time to finish the book! The second three chapters are all based on classic Witcher short stories, so at least we know what we’re in for…or so we thought! Why is that knight riding his horse up a giant stone dildo? Is that an Edgar Allan Poe cameo? What’s up with the guy and his magic cat? And don’t even get us going on the descriptively named cobbler in the final story! At least there’s whisky this time around—the Icelandic Flóki Single Malt, which proves to be every bit the wild ride as the book we’ve paired it with.

Appreciating the Classics…or Not

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 07:04:41 +0000

This week, we travel back to 1993 as we dive into The Witcher: Classic Collection, a new graphic novel compilation of Geralt’s earliest comic book adventures. And since neither of us were old enough to drink in the early ’90s, we’re discussing this book sober! Well, the first half of it at any rate, which proves to be an unwise choice because the first two stories…aren’t great. How does an oversized, non-speaking earwig have its own gang of thieves? What is Dandelion doing hanging out with a bunch of sheep? And do not get us started on how Geralt got his famous white hair! Be smarter than us and pour yourself a strong one before hitting play, as we navigate this weird, wild and at times strangely homoerotic Witcher world.

Ronin in the Deep: Ronin of Rivia Returns

Wed, 9 Apr 2025 07:05:37 +0000

We’ve read The Witcher: Ronin and we have questions! Sadly, we don’t know any actual ronin that we can approach for answers, but we do know someone with “ronin” in her Instagram name (which is basically the same thing, right?). This week, we welcome back our good friend Gosia, aka Ronin of Rivia, for a deep dive into the world of the Witcher manga. How much do witchers actually have in common with ronin samurai? Why is a yuki onna the perfect adversary for this version of Geralt? And are there any Japanese monsters she’d have liked to see? Plus, she reveals some intriguing details hidden within CDPR’s Witcher: Ronin statues, shares a few juicy rumors and even offers her non-spoiler thoughts on Crossroads of Ravens—since she’s one of the few people we know who’s read it! Find Ronin of Rivia on Instagram at @ronin_of_rivia and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/roninofrivia.

They See Me Ronin

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 2 Apr 2025 07:32:10 +0000

We’ve woken up in some strange places on occasion, though Geralt definitely has us beat with the ancient Japan-inspired world of The Witcher: Ronin. In this 2022 manga, the monster hunter finds himself on a very different path, fighting creatures inspired by Japanese folklore in his pursuit of a mysterious white-haired woman. Fortunately, our search for the perfect whiskey pairing proved much simpler—Legent Kentucky Straight Bourbon, an east-meets-west collaboration that’s well suited for enjoying alongside this equally cross-cultural comic. Plus, we discover why you’d better have some cucumbers on you before you start messing with kappas, ponder whether we’d be able to fight a dragon and remind our silver-haired samurai (and the creators of his debut adventure) that no one likes feeling unfulfilled at the end.

Side Quest: Cutting Ourselves Off...Again

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 07:41:43 +0000

What was once lost is now found. And for that, we can only say...we're sorry! It's our first side quest of the season and we're dishing up over a dozen never before heard podcast moments from over the past two years. These were conversations, tangents and the occasional meltdown that we sadly had to cut for time, even though they resulted in some of the biggest laughs we've ever had behind the mics! If that's not enough to entice you, many feature past guests—including Joanna Estep and Ronin of Rivia—a few offer unique glimpses behind the scenes, and at least one of them includes Valerie singing about mermaid sex. Plus, this entire episode was recorded AFTER last week's, which means we start things off pretty lit and they only get more unhinged from there.

Me Tarzan, You Whisky

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 08:35:49 +0000

Don’t look for restraint here, things are about to get wild! This week’s comic is the Tarzan-influenced The Witcher: Wild Animals, a twist-filled blend of circle-of-life philosophy, extreme veganism and frighteningly feral action that left us wanting more…whiskey. Fortunately, we’ve paired it with the superbly simian Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt, a sweet, straightforward scotch that kept the conversation from getting too civilized. After all, when there are important things to discuss like whether drowners smell like fish, why mothers should handle their own homicides, if Geralt should ask for a refund on his armor and whether there’s ever a good reason for a man to drop trou while relieving himself, we wouldn’t want something as silly as good behavior getting in the way.

Evil by the Glass

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 08:49:05 +0000

We’re back in Blaviken, bitches! This week, we return to the tale that launched our podcast as we take on the graphic novel adaptation of “A Lesser Evil.” Can such a complex and morally murky Witcher story effectively make the leap to comics? Does this latest take on Renfri hold its own against the ones we’ve already seen? Is Stregobor as obnoxious as we’d expect? And has Tim finally warmed up to headband Geralt?!? Art is admired, creative decisions are debated and many tears are shed—though they’re mostly over this week’s whiskey pairing. With two flavored Dough Ball Whiskeys before us, we must choose which of them is the lesser evil…and like Geralt, we barely survive the experience.

Dazed by Wolves

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 5 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Inside you there are two wolves…and both of them are drunk. That would be due to the Writers’ Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey which we’ve paired with this week’s topic of conversation—The Witcher: The Ballad of Two Wolves, the Brothers Grimm-inspired graphic novel that features a young woman named Red, three sisters named Hogge and one big, bad, booze-fueled wolf. (And no, we’re not actually talking about Geralt here, though he’s in the story as well.) As ballads go, this proves to be a lively one, as we debate the blast radius of evil curses, delight in Dandelion’s delirious behavior and reveal why gathering a bunch of people who hate each other in a locked room while you accuse them of crimes is usually a dumb idea. Oh, and Geralt hooks up with a sorceress. Because of course he does. Hold music: "Local Forecast - Slower" by Kevin MacLeod

Translating Sirens of the Deep with David J. Peterson and Jessie Peterson

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:54:00 +0000

While we've been known to occasionally make up our own words, our guests in this week's special episode do it for a living. David J. Peterson and Jessie Peterson are professional linguists and conlangers—those are people who construct their own languages—and you've heard their work in Dune, Shadow & Bone, Elemental, Game of Thrones and, of course, The Witcher. What's involved in creating an all-new language? How long does the process take? How difficult is it to teach it to actors? And have they created any swear words of which they're particularly proud? (Look, you knew we were going to ask.) David and Jessie answer these questions and many more, while sharing secrets about the musical language they created for Sirens of the Deep. They even answer one of our burning questions about the film's ending, so while you may not end the episode fluent in the elder tongue, you WILL learn something new. You can find David J. Peterson on Bluesky and AO3 at @dedalvs and on Instagram at @athdavrazar. Jessie Peterson can be found at @quothalinguist on both Bluesky and Instagram, and her Conlang Year experience can be found at quothalinguist.com. Watch David and Jessie conlang live at @LangTimeStudio on YouTube.

Beast of Bourbon

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000

It's time to brush up on your bruxa because this week we're diving into the graphic novel adaptation of “A Grain of Truth,” the early Witcher tale that introduced us to Nivellen, Vereena and Andrzej Sapkowski's penchant for provocative endings. Over a bottle of Wilderness Trail Kentucky Straight Bourbon, one of the more challenging whiskeys we've had in a while, we unpack this new version of The Witcher's equally complex spin on Beauty and the Beast. Was it love at first bite—er, sight? Or did we want to drive a stake through its heart? Plus, we ponder the anatomical attributes of oversized boars, explain why Roach is the smartest character in the story and reveal why sometimes, all it takes is one tiny outline of light to make your day.

The Sound of Sirens

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000

It's finally here! With The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep now streaming on Netflix, we're setting sail with Geralt and Jaskier as we unpack their newest animated movie. Over a bottle of Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon, we search for pearls of the verbal variety while tackling all the tough questions. What do we think of the added events and changed ending? Why is there a random musical number? And how exactly do a mermaid and human do the deed, anyhow? Plus, we introduce two all-new segments, weigh in on the short story that inspired the film and explain why a celebrated fantasy author really needs to walk the plank. It's an episode that's guaranteed to get you just as animated as Geralt, so make a little—okay, moderately-sized sacrifice of your time and give it a listen.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand (Somewhat Slurred) Words

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 5 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000

We're back for an all-new season! We've heeded the siren's song (it's absolutely ear-piercing when you're nursing a hangover) and returned to the studio for a full season devoted to Witcher comics and animation, starting with the soon-to-debut Sirens of the Deep! We explain what we'll be discussing and what we won't, and how you can read and watch along with us. We also round up some of the latest Witcher news, discuss the recent Los Angeles fires (don't worry, we're safe!) and share our thoughts on the Sirens trailer that dropped while we were on hiatus. Oh, and Valerie gets really excited about a clock.

Our Grand Fanale (Featuring Our Witcher 4 Trailer Reaction)

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 08:55:04 +0000

Is it last call already? Sadly, our fandom season has reached its end, but we're giving it an extra-sized, extra-sauced sendoff that's just as unhinged (and often unfortunate) as the year to which we're saying goodbye. Over some seriously strong Old Fashioneds, we unpack what we've discovered about fandom, revealing things that have surprised and delighted us over these past months. But that's not all! We also discuss the latest Witcher news—including that completely out-of-the blue Witcher 4 trailer! (We recorded a whole special section for it and everything.) Plus, Valerie discusses her recent trip to Iceland and we do another terrible review shot...of an aquavit she brought back from the trip. It's over two hours of often meandering, but also quite merry, nonsense from us which will hopefully make you a fan. Or at least make you feel better about your choices in life. Oh, and if you just can't wait to hear what we think about the trailer, it starts at 1:19:14!

Monster Mixology with Adam Carbonell

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:11:45 +0000

We’re simple people here at Whiskey With Witcher. We love geeky stuff and things that are high in alcohol, so it was only a matter of time until we spoke to a fan who combines both. This week, we say hello to Adam Carbonell, one of the authors of Supernatural: Join the Hunt, the official cocktail book of the Supernatural TV series. A longtime brewer and mixologist, Adam crafted dozens of original cocktails inspired by the show over a ridiculously short amount of time. How did he do it? That’s what we attempt to find out as we discuss Adam’s surprising relationship to Supernatural, how he managed to create original recipes based on sometimes limited information and which of the book’s many drinks he’s most proud of. Plus, he teases some other fandoms he’d enjoy creating drinks for (The Witcher, maybe?), shares a few publishing war stories and answers some demonically devious drunken questions! You can find Supernatural: Join the Hunt – The Official Cocktail Book at bookstores and online retailers. Keep up with Adam Carbonell on Instagram at @youlookitalian.

Side Quest: Boozing About the Biz

Wed, 4 Dec 2024 08:00:00 +0000

We're leaving the Continent behind and heading somewhere even stranger—Hollywood! In our newest side quest, we welcome Christina Newhall (aka Tim's wife) back to the podcast to tipsily tackle some of the entertainment questions we've heard arise again and again over the years. What causes some movies and shows to get announced, but never made? Why have TV seasons become so short and the wait between them so long? How come we don't get more official photos, clips and teases in between seasons and films? And are there really showrunners who actively hate the source material they're working on? If you're a Netflix Witcher fan, chances are these are things you've wondered about, so we do our best to provide some answers and sound like we know what we're talking about—no small feat considering we're doing it all while drinking barrel-proof bourbon.

Your Pod or Mine with Breakfast in Beauclair

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:11:52 +0000

Who says you can't have whiskey for breakfast? In our newest fandom episode, we're joined by Alyssa, the host of the Breakfast in Beauclair podcast (you know, the Witcher pod that actually knows what they're doing) for a free-flowing conversation on creating fan podcasts. When did Alyssa first get the idea for Breakfast in Beauclair? How did it develop such an engaged global fanbase? And how did they manage to record an entire episode about Dudu without the entire thing devolving into a bunch of junior high jokes?!? Alyssa reveals the challenges of hosting a podcast on her own, the joys of meeting listeners in person and what character she'd most like to invite for a literal Breakfast in Beauclair. If you like podcasts, you won't want to miss this one. And if you don't like podcasts...then what are you even doing here, you weirdo?!? Find Breakfast in Beauclair on Instagram at @breakfastinbeauclair, join their Discord server at bit.ly/thehanzadiscord and listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and anywhere else you find podcasts.

Continental Centennial: The Afterparty

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:20:08 +0000

We don't hit 100 episodes every day, so perhaps we went a little overboard when planning and recording last week's milestone. But that just means the party's not over yet! This week, we're continuing our celebration by answering all the questions we received from you—our listeners. What's the most surprising thing we've learned about Witcher canon? How do we choose the whiskeys for each episode? What show would we most like to see crossover with The Witcher? We even manage to answer a question about our Witcher “hear me outs” without sounding completely ancient, so you know you're getting us at our best (though not necessarily most sober). And while technically this is no longer our 100th episode, everyone knows the real excitement happens at the afterparty, anyway. So pour yourself another drink because you're all on the guest list!

A Continental Centennial

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Look, we're not sure how it happened either, but somehow we made to 100 episodes. That's 100 episodes of bourbon, bards, Brotherhoods, Blood Origins, bloopers, barrel-proofs, bone caves, broken bottles, bad subtitles, and beastly shots of bitter booze. Oh yes, and absolutely wonderful conversations about our favorite fantasy franchise with all of you. To commemorate this malted milestone, we crack open a bottle of a surprisingly delicious Polish rye whiskey—The Globe—while celebrating all that we love about The Witcher. From our most beloved characters, to the Netflix episodes we can't stop replaying in our heads, to the Witcher 3 quests that thrill us more than any other, to the Andrzej Sapkowski short stories that we come back to again and again, this is a liquored up love letter to Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri and the rest of the Continent. We hope you enjoy it and thank each and every one of you for joining us on this wild ride. Here's to the next hundred!

Side Quest: Spilling the Tea

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 6 Nov 2024 08:10:38 +0000

This week, we're taking a break from all the fandom talk to sip some of the finest Witcher tea—literally and figuratively! In this new side quest, we sample three different Witcher-themed teas from Geek Grind Coffee, offering our opinions on each of them while considering if they actually reflect the character they were inspired by. (A Yennefer tea with no lilac or gooseberries? What is this craziness?!?) We also wade into some of the juiciest Witcher gossip to hit over the past few years, offering our sassiest thoughts on all of it. Beau DeMayo! Toxic fans! Possible reasons why Henry Cavill is no longer on the show! (It strayed too much from the source material? Give us a break!) All this, plus another review shot, Tim reveals his least favorite social media platform and Valerie forgets how to drink.

Connecting Cultures with Ronin of Rivia

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 07:00:00 +0000

The Witcher is going to Japan! Well, sort of. With a Witcher manga now available, a line of Japanese-influenced statues in stores and a new Witcher tabletop game inspired by feudal Japan shipping next year, Geralt's flirtation with the far east shows no sign of slowing. What's behind it? This week, we welcome Gosia, the passionate fan, translator and student of Japanology behind the Ronin of Rivia social media account to see if we can find out! Gosia discusses how her love of The Witcher and Japanese culture inspired her to study the intersection of the two, why Geralt seems to resonate with Japanese fans and whether Andrzej Sapkowski may have been influenced by samurai when he created him. Plus, she discusses the challenges of translating video games and fiction and sings the praises of the Witcher translation teams...before we ruin it all by talking about Hexer. Find Ronin of Rivia on Instagram at @ronin_of_rivia and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/roninofrivia.

Toss a Coin to Your Twitcher with Lucy J Robyn

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 07:00:00 +0000

We're glad people can't see how bad we often are at videogames, but our latest guest shares her every jump, attack, and block with the world! Lucy Robyn is a Twitch streamer, podcaster and good friend of ours who not only joins us this week to talk about her love of The Witcher, but surprises us with a very nice bottle of Bushmills Black Bush to accompany the discussion. Lucy shares how the pandemic led to her discovery of the Witcher series and game, and how that developed into her role as a content creator, Twitch streamer and cohost of our favorite movie (and former Witcher) podcast, On the Path. She also discusses what it's like podcasting with a partner in a different continent, answers some stream-themed drunk questions and reveals why getting early access to a game isn't always the delight you'd expect. Keep up with Lucy's latest streams by following her on Twitch, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram at @lucyjrobyn, and find her podcast, On the Path, on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and anywhere else you find podcasts.

Sirens and Songs

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 9 Oct 2024 08:54:49 +0000

Much like Sirens of the Deep itself, releasing this episode on the upcoming new Witcher animated movie was a bit delayed. But we think you’ll agree it's worth the wait, as we unpack the recent Geeked Week sneak peek (try saying that five times fast) and come to terms with the movie’s new release date. And that’s just the start! In the second half of the episode, we unveil our latest series of Whiskey With Witcher playlists and reveal how Valerie’s fandom factors into their creation. We also finally make good on our promise and take a shot of Jeppson’s Malort as a thank you for our latest five-star review. (We survive...barely.) It’s an episode of music and merpeople, accompanied by the strong, sweet notes of Blackened Cask Strength American Whiskey. Hold music: "Local Forecast - Slower" by Kevin MacLeod

Conventional Wisdom

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 7 Aug 2024 11:00:07 +0000

Between the cosplay, panels, meetups, screenings, booths, signings and overall excitement, there’s nothing better than a convention! Well, at least if you ignore all the crowds, lines, overpriced food, unshowered attendees and the possibility of coming home sick (something one of our hosts knows a lot about). Still, it’s hard to deny the appeal of gathering with thousands of fans to celebrate something you love…especially when that celebration also spills over into the local bars. In this week’s new episode, we discussing our history with conventions—both as attendees and exhibitors—including our recent trip together to San Diego Comic-Con. We share what it was like seeing Freya Allan, explain some of the issues we had with Comic-Con this year and ponder what we see happening to the convention landscape in the future. Plus, we unpack Netflix’s recent Geeked Week announcement. Are we in for a shipload of Sirens news? Or just an ocean of disappointment?

Fact or Fanfiction with Descarada, Part Two

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Descarada) — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:49:33 +0000

Our conversation on fanfiction continues, as the always insightful Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn discusses some of the Witcher fics she’s authored and what it’s been like developing as a writer on AO3. Which of her favorite Witcher ships resonate with readers and which one, despite all her best intentions, has not? What has writing and reading fanfiction taught her? And what happens when she’s written fanfic while drinking? Plus, we answer some questions from Rebekah’s fans on Tumblr and subject our guest to some particularly challenging drunken questions. And yes, Tim gets some more verbal spankings—but don’t worry, he’s into them. You can find Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn on Twitter at @BuffySummers10, on Tumblr at @Fangirleaconmigo and on AO3 at Descarada.

Fact or Fanfiction with Descarada, Part One

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Descarada) — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:16:37 +0000

The best writing often challenges you, so it’s only natural that our episode on writing and fanfiction does as well! We’re excited to welcome back one of our favorite past guests, fanfiction writer and Witcher expert Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn, for a little wining and opining about all things fanfiction. We uncork two bottles of wine from Suveg Cellars—a local favorite of Rebekah’s—for a fierce, but fascinating discussion that gets into what makes something fanfiction, why fans devote so much of their lives writing and reading it and whether a fanfic can drift so far from the source material that it’s no longer a fanfic. In fact, we had so much fun that we ran a little longer than usual and decided to break the episode into two parts. Look for the rest of the conversation next week. Believe it or not, it gets even crazier! You can find Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn on Twitter at @BuffySummers10, on Tumblr at @Fangirleaconmigo and on AO3 at Descarada

The Art of Appreciation with Maja

sean@malcontent.media (Maja, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:17:08 +0000

You can be a fan of art. But is there an art to being a fan? There certainly is when we’re talking about our friend Maja, who over the past few years has become one of the most talented, distinct and sought after Witcher fan artists working today. Maja’s clever illustrations of characters like Yennefer, Jaskier and Geralt (to say nothing of our podcast art, which she designed) all boast a sophisticated sense of style and influence that would seem to extend well beyond her young age, and which we discuss thoroughly with her as Maja joins us on our latest episode. Plus, she shares some savage thoughts on The Witcher’s costumes, explains why she’s so fond of Yenskier and yes, answers our drunken questions in what’s one of our liveliest fandom discussions yet! See Maja’s latest fanart by following her on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr at @perseruna

Sew and Tell with Elias the Bard

sean@malcontent.media (Elias the Bard, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Dandelion’s biggest fan...is probably himself. Dandelion’s second biggest fan, however, is arguably Elias the Bard, the extraordinarily gifted cosplayer and Witcher fan who has made a name for himself cosplaying as the flamboyant troubadour. In this week’s episode, we welcome Elias to the podcast, who discusses discovering The Witcher through the trilogy of games and how his love of the world and particularly Dandelion led to him creating some of the most authentic Jaskier cosplays out there. We dive deep into cosplay as a form of fandom, as Elias shares stories about dressing up at cons, explains why he cosplays the characters he does and ponders how aging might affect his cosplaying in the future (in short, it won’t!). Plus, he reveals which of The Witcher’s many characters would do the best job cosplaying as him! Find Elias the Bard online in the following spots... Instagram: @the.gardening.bard Twitter/X: @Gardening_bard TikTok: @eliasthegardeningbard Tumblr: @elythegardeningbard

An Animated Conversation with Edward Kurchevsky

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 08:10:54 +0000

How do you know you’re a pretty big Witcher fan? When you spend over a year of your life bringing it to life! This week, we welcome Lihtar Studio’s Edward Kurchevsky to the podcast to discuss the recent animated tribute short he directed based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story, “A Grain of Truth.” A stylish interpretation of Geralt and his world, the energetic teaser is a labor of love from all involved—and Lihtar’s very first project. Over scotch, Edward shares why he and his colleagues decided to launch their studio with The Witcher, what he enjoys most about the franchise and what other memorable Witcher story he’d love a chance to animate. Plus, we discuss European vs. American fandom and whether Geralt should have a beard. (The answer is surprisingly controversial!) Watch Lihtar Studio’s Witcher short: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbVvxxgNj2k

Getting Drawn into Fandom with Joanna Estep

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Joanna Estep, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 09:16:33 +0000

Some artists draw comics full of deep emotion. Others draw comics full of sexy naked people! Getting it on! In all kinds of creative ways! Joanna Estep is one of the few who manages to do all of the above while also setting her stories within the world of The Witcher. This week, we welcome Jo back to the podcast to find out exactly how she pulls it off, while also discussing her involvement in Witcher fandom overall. Jo opens up about the role fandom has played throughout her life, revealing why she’s driven to create thoughtful, poignant comic book stories (that just so happen to feature a ton of sex) and which of The Witcher’s many ships is ultimately her favorite. No, it’s not Yarskier, but she offers her thoughts on that as well! Buy Joanna Estep’s latest Witcher fancomic: https://joannaestep.storenvy.com/

Introducing a Fan-tastic New Season

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 09:18:05 +0000

Your days of sober-minded conversation are over, as Whiskey with Witcher is back with an all-new season devoted entirely to fandom! Why do we fall hard for things like The Witcher, and why does that passion manifest so differently for all of us? How can we love a franchise so much, but still feel driven to write fanfic that’s completely at odds with it? Why are some fans inspired to recreate a show’s costumes, while others get drunk on podcasts and drag that same show’s costume designer? (No, not us—we would never!) We fans are a diverse, opinionated and occasionally conflicted crew, and in our premiere episode, we kick off our quest to get to the bottom of what’s behind it…while getting to the bottom of a bottle of Angel’s Envy Bourbon. Plus, both of us share our thoughts on the first images of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt!

I Spy a Crossover

Thu, 9 May 2024 01:21:01 +0000

It’s a whirlybird of a crossover! In this special bonus episode, Tim and Valerie guest on the Tentpole Trauma podcast to discuss Henry Cavill’s recent box office misfire, Argylle. We break down the film with host Sebastian Bendix to see if we can figure out why the movie failed to find an audience before discussing where Cavill’s career should go from here. We also recap the movie’s utterly bonkers marketing campaign and throw in some Witcher talk, just to cleanse our palate. So, pour yourself a drink—even intoxicated you’re likely to be far more coherent than anything in the film—and join us for some seriously sauced spy games!

News, Booze, and Glassy-Eyed Views

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 09:12:30 +0000

We’re back…sort of. While the official debut of our upcoming season is still a few weeks away, we just couldn’t wait to weigh in on all the latest Witcher news! Season 4 is officially in production! Season 5 has been greenlit—and it’s the show’s final season?!? We debate whether this is a good or bad thing before sharing what we’d like to see in The Witcher’s remaining episodes. We also discuss all the casting news that’s hit since our last episode, engage in some controversial Lady of the Lake commentary and bring back over a half dozen whiskeys from previous seasons…with exactly the results you’d expect.

A Festive Little Feast

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:38:16 +0000

Take seven different Witcher-themed recipes prepared by four Continent-loving cooks, serve generously and garnish with a bottle of Woodford Reserve BevMo! Barrel Select Double Oaked Bourbon and what do you get? Our 2023 season finale! The highly anticipated Witcher Official Cookbook is now in stores, and we’ve asked our friends (and previous guests) Juliet Bennett Rylah and Christina Newhall to help us give it a test run. The table is set for some colorful culinary conversation, as we discuss the recipes and our experiences making them while sharing our thoughts on the cookbook overall. Which dishes did we love and which did we want to kill with Igni? The answers may surprise you in this savory seasonal sendoff!

Best in Glass

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 6 Dec 2023 09:48:31 +0000

The year may be winding down, but Witcher fans have had much to celebrate in 2023, from one of the most thrilling and book-faithful seasons so far, to news of a new Witcher novel in the works, to the announcement of an all-new animated film. So, in that spirit, we’re doing some celebrating ourselves and revealing a few of our personal favorites from The Witcher’s latest season…and ours! What’s our pick for Season 3’s best episode? Who’s our favorite new character? Which actor’s performance this season reigns supreme and which ship has set our hearts aflutter? We also reveal our top podcast moments, what important lessons we’ve learned this year, and which of this season’s whiskeys was our favorite…which we bring back for a second round. In short, it’s a seriously sauced soiree that’s sure to delight you at times and frustrate you at others, and if that’s not a fitting end to this year, we’re not sure what is!

Knowing the Score

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:27:06 +0000

For all its evil mages, freaky monsters, and conquest-minded kings, music has always been an important part of The Witcher. And while Dandelion may love to take credit, we know that it’s really the hard work of some talented composers who have shaped and finessed the sound of this world that we’ve all come to love. In this episode, we’re raising a glass to them as we revisit the music of Netflix’s Witcher, discussing what we feel works and what doesn’t on each of the five released soundtracks, and highlighting a few of our favorite songs from all three seasons of The Witcher, plus Nightmare of the Wolf and Blood Origin. It’s everything you need to put together the perfect monster-slaying (or bottle-killing) playlist!

Holding Court with Queen Denise

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 08:05:36 +0000

We’re in the presence of royalty this week as we welcome Queen Denise to the podcast for the first time. If you’re a regular listener, you know who Queen Denise is, but you may not know what she actually does for a living…and how cool it is! Denise joins us to talk about her career as a bourbon steward (yes, it’s a real job!), explaining what it’s like to get paid to drink whiskey. She also discusses attending Moonshiner University (yes, it’s a real place!), dishes about her relationships with whiskey reps and lifts the veil on what it’s like being a woman in a very male-dominated industry. And of course, she shows off some of her knowledge about whiskey by bringing on not one, but two different Green River bourbons for us to try. Let there be no doubt, this Queen is VERY good to her subjects. Long may she reign!

Diving Into Sirens of the Deep

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Geeked Week has come and gone and we may have celebrated a bit TOO hard, but that’s not about to stop us from unpacking some of the Witcher-shaped surprises it brought us. We got our first peek at Geralt’s new animated movie with not one, but two different teaser trailers, plus all sorts of juicy details about what we can expect when it hits Netflix in…um…late 2024?!?! While we don’t love that release date, everything else about The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep looks great. We give an overview of what was revealed, speculating on how close they’ll stay to the short story that inspired it (but don’t worry, we stay spoiler free) and whine about how long it’ll be before we see more. We also discuss some of the other Geeked Week events, including how we managed to take first place in their Los Angeles trivia competition. And they say alcohol kills brain cells!

The Psychology of The Witcher with Dr. Rachel Kowert

Wed, 1 Nov 2023 16:43:45 +0000

https://press.etc.cmu.edu/books/psychgeist-pop-culture

Whiskey with Wednesday

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0000

What’s this? You may be forgiven for thinking you were getting yet another episode of Tim and Valerie reminding you of how excruciatingly long you’ll have to wait for more of your favorite fantasy show as they mask the despair of their existence with alcohol and bad takes. But if you’re into torturing yourself like that, you really should call in an expert on the subject—someone like Wednesday Addams. So, for one week only, your favorite podcast is trading in their swords, potions and magic spells for knives, poisons and evil curses as they discuss the first season of Netflix’s Wednesday. And since whiskey is kind of their Thing, they’ve brought along a special Halloween edition of Smoke Wagon Straight Bourbon. Don’t worry. They’ll try not to make it TOO painful…

Pouring Over Pages

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:18:03 +0000

We’re returning to the world of word balloons this week as we take on the latest Witcher comic books! Dark Horse’s second omnibus collection features four very different tales starring Geralt of Rivia, each drawn by a different artist. We discuss and unpack all of them, finding much to enjoy in these stories set within the universe of the Witcher games. Tricky moral quandaries! Icky monster fights! Dandelion!! We also find much to enjoy in this episode’s whisky, Kyrö Malt Rye, which we picked up on a recent trip to Finland. What were we doing in Finland? Did we drink any other Finnish whisky while we were there? And how do you say “Kyrö,” anyhow? We do a good job answering at least two of those three questions in this buoyant blend of books, banter and booze.

A Farewell to Henry Cavill

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Five years. Three seasons. Twenty-four episodes. And a whole lot of “Hmms.” It’s hard to overstate the impact Henry Cavill has had on The Witcher and the role of Geralt of Rivia, which makes his departure from the series difficult for so many of its fans. But rather than being sad that he’s leaving, we’re celebrating his time on the Continent with a special tribute episode! Tim and Valerie discuss the role Cavill had in their fandom of the show, share some of our favorite moments featuring his Geralt and read a few tributes written by listeners. And since we can’t rightly toast him without a good whiskey, we uncork a bottle of Aberfeldy 12-Year Single Malt for Cavill…and a bottle of Aberfeldy Napa Valley Red Wine Cask 15-Year Single Malt for Liam Hemsworth, the man who will be replacing him.

Last Call for Season Three

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 4 Oct 2023 08:18:08 +0000

With all eight episodes now unpacked, Producer Sean at last weighs in as we bid farewell to The Witcher’s latest season. To borrow from our favorite bard, season three is full of “extraordinary things” and we offer our final thoughts on all of them, from the wonderful found family Geralt builds with Yen and Ciri, to Jaskier’s tantalizing relationship with Radovid, to the breathtaking battle at Aretuza. But the most remarkable thing of all may just be that Producer Sean picks a Canadian whisky to accompany our discussion—Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. We doubt even Dijkstra would have been able to see that one coming!

Rye, Witcher, Rye

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 16:37:18 +0000

We’ve finally reached the end of The Witcher’s latest season and we’re feeling pretty emotional about it, at least if this week’s discussion is any indication. We have some big laughs. We shed some actual tears (we’re as surprised as you!). We get frustrated with characters, angry at toxic fans and a teensy bit testy with each other before declaring our unbridled love to everything The Witcher has brought to our lives. Or maybe it’s just the super strong Man o’ Sword Single Malt Scotch we decided to pair this climactic episode up with. We do drink a lot of it. Whatever the cause, we hope you’ll join us in lifting a glass as we say so long to Henry Cavill, Tissaia de Vries, Ciri’s innocence and The Witcher’s sensational season three!

Little Horse, Big Pours

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 07:00:00 +0000

When we ordered a Blood and Sand, this really wasn’t what we had in mind. Season three’s penultimate episode features a small bit of Brokilon, a handful of teary reunions and a whole lot of Ciri wandering through the desert while hallucinating and hanging out with a unicorn. It’s not the most action-packed hour of Witcher, which may be why we paired it with one of our stronger whiskeys this season—Maker’s Mark Private Selection Toasted Marshmallow. We’re mixed on whether we can taste the marshmallow, but all of us get plenty toasted talking about Ciri’s surprisingly strong singing voice, Geralt’s inarguably impressive wheezing and Little Horse’s monstrously massive… You know, you should probably just listen.

You Mistook a Bourbon Reflected in a Glass at Night for a Rye

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:38:27 +0000

Mix two parts sorcery and one part elven revenge. Add a dash of political intrigue with a light splash of Nilfgaardian conquest. Shake violently and you have the recipe for Vol. 2’s first episode, “Everybody Has a Plan ‘til They Get Punched in the Face.” Considering the game-changing nature of the episode, we thought it was only fitting that our discussion of it raises the stakes for us as well. So, inspired by Geralt’s climactic head-to-head duel with Vilgefortz, we open up two different whiskeys from Woodinville Whiskey Co.—their award-winning bourbon and their rye. Will double-fisting our way through our discussion leave us wheezing and immobile like a certain monster-slayer? Or will it give us the liquid courage to revisit hard-to-watch scenes like the explosion of one major character, the utter heartbreak of another and the weirdly stilted acting of a third? Listen and learn, lovelies!

Side Quest: Cutting Ourselves Off

Wed, 9 Aug 2023 16:28:04 +0000

It’s amazing what you can discover when you’re passed out on the cutting room floor. It’s our first side quest of the season, and we’re bringing you a treasure trove of past moments that were never lost and always found…but that we still had to cut for time. Why is there a woman in Arizona who thinks Tim has blue eyes? What would it take for Valerie to wear a hair hat? And can we actually prove Yarskier is real? (Tim seems to think so!) This is Whiskey with Witcher at its most unhinged and proof that yes, we did in fact go there.

Sexposing the Truth

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 2 Aug 2023 07:00:00 +0000

It’s a party onscreen and in the Whiskey with Witcher recording studio! We uncork a bottle of Johnny Smoking Gun Whiskey to accompany Geralt and Yen’s search for proof and dance our way through season three’s mélange of a fifth episode. And you know what? It turns out all is indeed not as it seems when it comes to the hour’s mix of repeating timelines, juicy acting, questionable couture and oddly chaste sex scenes. (Everything except for Istredd. He is every bit as stupidly hot this season as he appears.) Plus, we recount a few of our recent adventures of Comic-Con while Producer Sean finds he’s no match for Geralt…but not at all in the way that you think.

Motherf*ckin’ Valdo Marx!

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:21:22 +0000

Jaskier might not be a fan of the flamboyantly-mannered songsmith introduced in season three’s fourth episode, but we sure are! Actually, there’s quite a bit we’re fond of in this one. From its shipside monster fight, to Fringilla living her best barfly life, to the line that made Radskier shippers squeal the world over, “The Invitation” is easily one of the season’s standouts. But with Valdo making so much noise, why would we pair this one with a whiskey called The Quiet Man? Well, that would be for Geralt, a man of few words. But there’s another, even more powerful reason for the pairing……which you’ll discover if you stop reading this and just hit play already!

A Rye Reunion

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:12:12 +0000

Yennefer reconnects with Tissaia. Geralt reacquaints himself with a friend. Jaskier reconciles with Vespula! There are reunions a-plenty in season three’s third episode, so it’s only fitting that our whiskey pairing is one as well. We first discovered Milam & Greene back in our second season, but this time, we’re sampling their Port Cask Finished Rye, a sweeter-than-expected spirit that still has plenty of spice. And what do you know, the same can be said about this episode, which touches on parental sacrifice and love, but still manages to feature season three’s steamiest sex scene (you go, Philippa!) and likely would have had at least one more if Geralt wasn’t such a buzzkill. (Boo!)

A Little Shipping, A Little Whipping

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

There are “Extraordinary Things” to be found within season 3’s stellar second episode, as well as some real nightmares, and we have a blast discussing both. Keira Metz makes her debut! Jaskier drops an eye-opening new song! Philippa whips Dijkstra into shape (literally)! Fringilla gets drunker than we do! And as for the episode’s monster, well let’s just say we much prefer it when it’s our whiskey that has all the legs. That said, the terrifying creature did inspire this episode’s pairing, High West Whiskey’s American Prairie Bourbon. Cheers?

What Happens at Belleteyn, Stays at Belleteyn

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Thu, 6 Jul 2023 16:33:40 +0000

It’s time to celebrate, Witcher fans, because season 3 is here! In “Shaerrawedd,” Geralt, Yen and Ciri are finally together...but sadly, the same isn’t true for us. Valerie’s out of town, so we’re recording our discussion of the season’s first episode virtually, but on the bright side, that means more delicious Clyde May’s Alabama Style Whiskey for Tim and Producer Sean! And that leads to a lively chat that touches on everything from Geralt’s big daddy energy, Jaskier’s “meet lute” with Prince Radovid, why Shaelmaars are suddenly called Jackapaces and the one big place where The Witcher is still dropping the ball (*cough* costumes *cough*). Oh, and we also create a new ship. Can you say “Yarskier”?

Season 3 Speculation with Descarada

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

The Witcher’s all-new season is mere hours away, so we’re doing a little pre-gaming with one of our favorite fans. Writer and “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Fanon” creator Rebekah Rodriguez-Lynn joins us for a surprisingly classy discussion on Witcher fandom (hey, we’re capable!) and what we can expect from season three…all over a round of fiery margaritas. But be forewarned, the cocktails aren’t the only thing that gets spicy as we discuss bi-Jaskier, canon vs. fanon and whether there actually are hot springs beneath Kaer Morhen. Keep up with Rebekah’s latest activities by following her on Tumblr at fangirleaconmigo or signing up for her newsletter at rebekahrodriguezlynn.com.

Bye Bye, Blood Origin

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 23:04:32 +0000

And so two became three… In our final episode devoted to the Witcher prequel series, Producer Sean joins the discussion as we look back at the series as a whole and unpack what worked and what didn’t. (Spoiler alert, there’s a lot more in one category than the other.) We also speculate on what influence Blood Origin may have on The Witcher’s upcoming season, take a look at some recent character posters, find a boozy link between Blood Origin and The Vampire Diaries, subject Sean to some unaged whiskey and bid farewell to a creatively compromised show we feel like we’re just getting to know.

Of Scene-Stealers, Spheres and Sadly Sung Songs

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

We’re four episodes into Blood Origin and…we’re finished? Yes, hard as it is to believe, we’ve reached the finale of the Witcher spinoff series and all we can say is that it’s a good thing we paired it with a strong whiskey—the 112-proof Seven Spheres Rye by The Obscure, to be specific. While there are moments here and there that we enjoyed (most of them featuring Meldof), the show’s fiery villain goes up in smoke, our proto-witcher proves to be a proto-dud and the legendary Conjunction of the Spheres leaves us all less than starry-eyed. And don’t even get us going on that final Jaskier song!

Of Ballads, Betrayals and Boning Broken Beast-Men

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 7 Jun 2023 14:24:07 +0000

Things get downright feisty on screen—and in our recording studio—this week as we take on The Witcher: Blood Origin’s third episode. At last, our seven heroes are united as our beloved Meldof joins the team. But our mutual love for the dwarven warrior seems like the only thing we can agree on in what proves to be one of our most contentious episodes ever. Is talking work at a party okay when lives may be on the line? We discuss (and discover we seriously disagree). If the guy you’ve been thirsting for just had a monster blood enema and is talking about killing everyone around him, is it still cool to shoot your shot? You tell us! And most controversial at all, is Hochstadters Slow & Low Rock and Rye Whiskey…actually whiskey? What choice do we have but to drink a whole lot of it in a serious attempt to find out?

Of Hair Hats, Healers and Homicides by Hammer

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 31 May 2023 07:17:51 +0000

Our heroic team doubles in size over Blood Origin’s second chapter, as we’re introduced to the cleaver-wielding Brother Death and the two magical celestial twins Syndril and Zacare. So, with siblings playing such a big role in this Witcher spinoff, we liven things up with a bottle of Garrison Brothers Small Batch Texas Straight Bourbon, which proves to pack a flavorful punch perfect for an episode that’s not light on action. Sadly, it’s also not light on rushed storytelling and inconsistencies, but at least we have Michele Yeoh, the wonderfully maniacal Meldof, Eredin’s hot new boy toy and Merwyn’s kinda-ridiculous-but-also-kinda-awesome hair hat.

Of Prequels, Protests and Problematic Pronunciation

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 24 May 2023 06:56:46 +0000

Much like Blood Origin itself, our season covering the four-episode Witcher spinoff was more than a little delayed. But the time has finally come to dive into this sometimes-fun-sometimes-frustrating prequel tale, which we kick off with a bottle of Caol Ila Distillery’s North Star Single Malt Scotch Whisky. (Why this particular scotch? Much like most of the things in Blood Origin, it’s better not to question it too much.) So, put on your most architecturally stylish outfit and listen to what we have to say about protest songs, strangely high-tech monoliths, friends-to-lovers, last-minute Minnie Drivers and why you should always, always lock your damn door.

Side Quest: Swords Sheathed, Pencils Down

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 17 May 2023 18:47:07 +0000

Things got soberingly real for our favorite fantasy franchise this month with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) choosing to go on strike and fight for a better deal for its members. Yet, while writers and studios may be at the heart of this work stoppage, the effects are being felt all throughout Hollywood. In this new bonus episode, we lay out the broad strokes of what the writers are striking over, explaining what sort of impact it’s having now on the industry and could possibly have in the future, and what all of this likely means for The Witcher. And yes, we made sure to down some whiskey before hitting record. It IS still us, after all.

Side Quest: Three Things The Hexer Does Better Than Netflix’s Witcher

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 10 May 2023 07:44:19 +0000

We’re not going to say that The Hexer is a good show. (We’re nowhere near drunk enough for that.) But the 2002 Polish production isn’t entirely without merit. In fact, for all its why-is-Ciri-wearing-a-gimp-mask strangeness, there are some things The Hexer does quite well. Perhaps even better than Netflix’s Witcher series. In our latest bonus episode, which doubles as our official goodbye to our Hexer season, we reveal what those things are, as each of us lists off three things that The Hexer does better than its Cavill-clad counterpart. Plus, for the first time in the history of our podcast, Producer Sean has a Segment of Surprise! And no, it’s not randomly revealing that he knows how to make himself disappear.

Side Quest: The Time of Contempt is (Almost) Nigh

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 3 May 2023 07:27:39 +0000

It’s the season that’s so big they had to split it into two! We’ve returned and so has Geralt of Rivia, who’s back with a dramatic new season three teaser. We discuss what its talk of fear might reveal about season three, unpack intriguing details (so why is Rience holding a cat?) and share our thoughts on Netflix’s decision to release the season in two “volumes.” We also weigh in on the images that were released alongside it, get a little snarky about Yen’s recent sense of fashion, answer a few listener questions and even get into the Henry Cavill of it all. The Time of Contempt may be nigh, but the time to listen to our tipsy thoughts on it is right now!

Brandy with Bridgerton

Sat, 1 Apr 2023 08:15:35 +0000

Hello, dearest listeners, and welcome to the inaugural episode of Brandy with Bridgerton. Now we realize that you might have become accustomed to a certain uncouth and unsophisticated level of humor unbecoming of high society on this channel. But fear not, for today our discussions shall be of only the most genteel nature as we welcome a most prestigious guest, Lady Christina Newhall of Studio City (a quaint shire in the Kingdom of California), and converse on that most delightful of entertainments—Bridgerton Season One! To accompany our discourse, we have selected Carousel Brandy from Lost Spirits Distillery, a potent cordial sure to keep things lively. But not TOO lively...after all, we do have reputations as ladies and gentlemen to consider. Four Seasons - Spring composed by Antonio Vivaldi and performed by The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra

Hey Ciri...

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Pertrarca) — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:14:54 +0000

It’s taken at least three translators, two streaming services, thirteen whiskeys, a Susanna Hoffs slow dance classic, and far too many references to Spirit Halloween, but we’ve finally gotten to the final episode of The Hexer. Will the series go out with a bang, or a poorly subtitled whimper? (Do you really need to ask?) Still, finishing this amusingly uneven series is something worth celebrating, and since The Hexer turns 21 this year, we’ve paired it with a bottle of Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year-Old Scotch. It’s super smooth, which is more than we can say for Geralt, who spends this episode moping about his career, making out with elves and getting his butt kicked by squeaky toys. Plus, since we’re nothing if not gluttons for punishment, we do another review shot and end this episode about as coherent as one of Hexer’s subtitles. And really, is there any better tribute?

Talk, Suckers!

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 07:25:34 +0000

We’ve reached the penultimate episode of The Hexer and we still have no clue what’s going on. So in a desperate attempt to help, we’ve paired this episode with Navigator Straight Bourbon, which to our delight and dismay proves to be much more enjoyable than what’s on screen. Geralt has a bunch of acid flashbacks, Ciri dons a lucha libre mask and Jaskier may or may not declare his love to his favorite witcher (we’re still a bit hazy on that). Speaking of Geralt, he doesn’t disappear, but Ciri does, while Eithne just never shows up, proving she may just be the smartest one of all. Oh, and we learn the whole thing may have been translated by a cat, which having now seen it, we can’t say is all that surprising.

Lost in Translation

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:32:44 +0000

Someone must have been hitting the potions a bit too hard because The Hexer’s eleventh episode is easily one of the worst of the series. After dispatching Renfri in the quickest, most anticlimactic way possible, Geralt finds himself wandering around until he winds up in Brokilon Forest again where he…wanders around some more. He also says a bunch of stuff, only half of which we understand due to a translation that reads like it was provided by Gollum on a bender. But never fear, dear listeners, our pain is your gain, as we do have quite a bit of fun unpacking the craziness onscreen. And we did choose a good whiskey to pair with all this endless Witcher wandering—Old Forester Statesmen Bourbon—since we knew we’d be drinking a whole lot of it.

Impales in Comparison

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 8 Mar 2023 14:02:59 +0000

Renfri has arrived! We celebrate what’s one of The Hexer’s strongest episodes to date (but keep in mind that’s a VERY relative term), by unbottling one of Tim’s favorite whiskeys, Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Pot Still, which we drink straight up—you know, in much the same way that our girl is now a straight up villain. We also question the practicalities of impalement, wonder whether the episode’s message of “lesser evils” still makes sense when one of the parties is violently killing refugees, and take time to appreciate that Geralt actually asks Jaskier to play for him. Geralt? Being a friend to Jaskier? Yes, and for once, it’s not the whiskey talking!

Iola, Io-Io-Io-Io-Iola

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 1 Mar 2023 08:01:32 +0000

The Hexer’s ninth chapter just may be its most eventful one yet. Renfri returns! Geralt confronts Falwick! Ciri makes her (somewhat anticlimactic) debut! It’s an episode that’s, frankly, overloaded with important moments, and so we’ve paired it with an equally overloaded spirit—the 125-proof White Dog Mash #1 by Buffalo Trace Distillery. There’s no doubt the raw, unaged White Dog is powerful stuff, but is it actually whiskey? That proves to be a matter for debate, as does whether or not we like Hexer’s take on Ciri, if Nenneke should just stop screwing around and jump Geralt’s bones already and what the heck the Temple of Melitele’s vision-seeing Iola is doing for most of the episode.

Side Quest: Reading Into It

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000

While we wait for more news on the Witcher show and games, we got an update on something we really didn’t expect: new books! Okay, we got a brief, off-the-cuff statement on them that was all of five words long. But those five words—“They are in the plans”—came from none other than Andrzej Sapkowski, which means they’re more than enough for us to devote an entire episode to! We speculate on what those plans could be based on things Sapkowski has said in the past, then share our thoughts on what we’d most like to see in any future Witcher books. Plus, Valerie calls our very first side quest segment of surprise...and it couldn’t be more appropriate.

Side Quest: A Smashing Valentine’s Day

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:33:01 +0000

It may be Cupid’s big week, but we’re the ones playing matchmaker in this special Valentine’s Day episode. First, we discuss our all-time favorite Witcher ships, both canon and fanon. You know, the ones we may or may not be secretly writing sexy fanfic about. (Let’s just say Geraskier is SO season one.) But things really heat up in our second segment as we take turns picking Witcher characters at random and making the case for why they should smash. So, light some candles, pour some wine and definitely put the kids to bed as we celebrate love, romance and the power of a stupidly sexy hookup Witcher-style!

Side Quest: Getting Artsy with Joanna Estep

sean@malcontent.media (Joanna Estep, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 1 Feb 2023 08:02:30 +0000

It’s time to break out the nice glasses as we welcome our first guest of 2023! For years, Joanna Estep has successfully balanced a career drawing, coloring and lettering comics with a love of fanart and The Witcher, recently culminating in her self-published Geraskier minicomic, “Where Are You This Moment?” In this bonus episode, we talk to Jo about her art, her fandom, her love of messy women and why sometimes what seems naughty on the surface is really just about making Geralt smile. Follow Jo on Twitter at @joannaestep and Instagram at @joanna_estep_draws. You can purchase her Witcher minicomic at https://joannaestep.storenvy.com/

You Can’t Count on Geralt Because Geralt Can’t Count

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 08:20:29 +0000

We suspected—well, Tim did at any rate—that with its limited production budget, The Hexer wouldn’t attempt to bring Geralt’s iconic fight with the fearsome striga to screen. Shows what he knows because that classic short story forms the basis of the series’ eighth episode, which we’ve paired with Compass Box’s uniquely fruit-forward scotch blend Orchard House. Sadly, no amount of whiskey can make a rubber suit look frightening, but it might be responsible for Geralt’s sudden penchant for older women wearing nun smocks and for random characters mating with people’s brothers. Also, we've gotten another review, and you know what that means, right? (Shots. It means shots.)

A Dainty Little Dudu

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 09:29:36 +0000

For our first Hexer episode of 2023, we thought we’d put aside our usual drunken nonsense for a serious discussion of dopplers and elven displacement…but who are we kidding? It takes all of ten minutes for Tim and Producer Sean to devolve into juvenile jokes about the name “Dudu” and it’s all downhill from there. We do manage to discuss whether the episode’s adaptation of “The Edge of the World” is more effective than Netflix’s, riff quite a bit on The Bangles’ 1988 hit “Eternal Flame” and find a lot to like about the Stillhouse Black Bourbon we pair with the episode, even if we largely agree that canned whiskey is…well, you can probably guess.

Side Quest: School of the Catwalk

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 16:34:14 +0000

Who needs a sword when you’re wearing an outfit that absolutely slays? In our first new episode of 2023, we’re focusing on the fashion of The Witcher’s first two seasons, as we toast some of the hottest looks to hit the runways of Novigrad. Tim and Valerie each rank their five favorite costumes, discussing what they say about the characters and sharing their only slightly tipsy thoughts on why they work so well. But it’s not all! We also pick our absolute least favorites because, let’s face it, the Continent is not without its fashion fails.

Side Quest: A Year of Bottles, Bathtubs and Bards

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:00:44 +0000

Whiskey With Witcher is now a year old! Somehow we’ve managed to keep this thing going for a full trip around the sun, so to celebrate, we’re uncorking a bottle from Tim’s private stash—Harp Song, a 16-year Irish single malt—and answering questions about ourselves asked by you, our listeners! We share some of our more deeply held thoughts on The Witcher and where we see it going, weigh in on the most recent trailer for Blood Origin, and lift the veil a bit more on who we are outside of the podcast (can you guess which one of us once walked an alpaca in a parade?). Tim also talks about putting Muppets in tights and getting paid for it, while Valerie enlightens her partner on the sexy-but-sadly-named fandom that is SuperWhoLock. It’s an alcohol-infused anniversary party and you’re all invited. Yes, even you, McBubby.

Don’t Duny Like That

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 11:48:22 +0000

The Law of Surprise has been called in Cintra...and on our podcast! But don’t worry, the only thing we’re rewarded with is an unexpected bottle of Gentleman Jack, which we drink a bit too generously as we unpack The Hexer’s sixth episode, “Calanthe.” We also weigh in on the latest Blood Origin trailer, speculating about what awaits us in the upcoming spinoff and predicting which characters are going to steal the show (Meldof, definitely Meldof). And speaking of predictions, we make a deliciously dirty one about what we’d like to see in episode seven. What can we say? Our whiskey may be a gentleman...but we never claimed to be.

Love on the Rocks

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 7 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Bundle up, Witcher fans! This week, we’re unpacking The Hexer’s fifth episode, which finds Geralt, Yennefer and Istredd in a toxic love triangle that doesn’t end the way any of us would like. An adaptation of the short story “A Shard of Ice,” it’s a talky tour of truth and emotion that we’ve paired with a bottle of Jameson Cold Brew, a whiskey that also contains cold brew coffee. Will adding caffeine to our already adult mix of alcohol and sass add some liveliness to the chat? Or will we end up manically running around the room screaming about our feelings, much like Geralt and Yennefer? You’re about to find out! And hey, we also talk about Geralt’s butt for a little bit, if that helps.

Side Quest: Make it a Double

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle) — Fri, 2 Dec 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Surprised? Well, so were we! In this special bonus episode, we’ve bundled up two “Segments of Surprise” that were cut from our most recent episode. First, Valerie talks about completing Thronebreaker, CD Projekt Red’s card-based adventure game set in the world of The Witcher (who’s up for a hand of Gwent?). After that, we both discuss the recent teaser from Netflix’s upcoming Blood Origin. What does its wide shots and brutal action suggest about the Witcher spinoff series? When might we finally get a full trailer? And can we stop with the freakin’ monoliths already?!?

The Sorceress, the Bard, and the Bathtub

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 08:57:18 +0000

Is it just us, or is it hot in here? Maybe we’re feeling the heat from that fire-breathing dragon everyone’s been talking about. Or it could be that foursome happening over there in the tub. But really, it’s probably just the sheer amount of Douglas Liang’s Provenance Single Malt Scotch we imbibed while discussing The Hexer’s pivotal fourth episode. Introducing not one, but two key characters—Yennefer and Jaskier—it’s also the first installment of the series to directly adapt one of Andrzej Sapkowski’s short stories: the dragon hunt adventure, “The Bounds of Reason.” So, with so much fiery ferocity and steamy sensuality on display, naturally we spend most of our time talking about…chicken boys?

Side Quest: The Cavill-ry is On Its Way...Out

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 08:23:17 +0000

The Witcher Season 3 is still over half a year away, so surely it’s safe to take a little break, right? APPARENTLY NOT! While Valerie was on vacation, The Witcher announced that Henry Cavill is leaving the role of Geralt and Liam Hemsworth will be taking it up in his stead. Now that we’re back in the same city, we can finally discuss the big news...because, yeah, we have thoughts and oh so many questions. Did he leave for a new project? Did he have issues with the show’s direction? Was the wig too damn itchy? Could he have been fired? And most importantly, what does this mean for the show going forward? Like the rest of you, we don’t know, but that’s not going to stop us from speculating like mad. So join us, pour yourself a drink and hang on because like a strong whiskey, this one’s likely to burn.

Drinking With Dryads

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 9 Nov 2022 20:14:05 +0000

Geralt is finally out on the Path, which is as good a reason as any to celebrate with a bottle of Noble Oak Double Oak Bourbon. We discuss this environmentally minded whiskey while unpacking The Hexer’s meandering third episode, which sees the debut of Renfri, the return of Gwidon—now oddly called Falwick—and yet another swoony Geralt romance. Also, our love of Old Witcher only grows, as does our puzzlement over why he doesn’t have a name, and we marvel at Geralt’s…um, poison sucking skills. We also manage to break Valerie, which trust us, isn’t easy to do. And you’ll never guess what it is that sets her off…

Side Quest: A (Molasses) Flood of Announcements

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 2 Nov 2022 08:03:47 +0000

CD Projekt Red recently surprised the gaming world by announcing not one, not two, but three new Witcher games. Little is known about them other than their astronomic code names and a handful of other enticing details, but of course, that’s not about to stop us from devoting most of an episode to speculating wildly about what they might be. We say “most” because we also dive into the recent Witcher-themed episode of Netflix’s Nailed It! along with a massive whiskey-fueled tangent into some strange real-life history…which Tim stubbornly refuses to accept as real-life history. It’s a whole thing. A whole VERY FUNNY thing. And you’re not going to want to miss it!

Side Quest: A Shot of Something Scary

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Sean Farina, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 17:44:04 +0000

Dim the lights and keep your loved ones close, Witcher fans, because we’re discussing some truly horrifying things in this special bonus episode: vampires, strigas…flavored whiskeys! With Halloween upon us, we surprise our less-than-thrilled Producer Sean with a bottle of Pumking Pumpkin Whiskey before sitting down to share our lists of the five Witcher creatures we find most frightening, explaining why we chose each one and giving you some insight into our own personal nightmares along the way. Its our special treat to you as we prepare for October 31st and whatever frights it may have in store. You brought your silver sword, right?

I Wanna Hex You Up

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 06:57:58 +0000

Geralt may be growing up, but we remain as immature as ever during our often-derailed discussion of The Hexer’s second episode. Kaer Morhen only seems to have gotten worse, and not even the discovery of female witchers can save it. Geralt grows awfully close to one of them, but is his seduction all a ruse? We’re, uh…not sure. Maybe? This show isn’t always coherent, guys. But one thing we ARE sure of is that it all goes down a lot better with a glass of Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey. Not only does this whiskey have an amazing story (wait until you hear it), but it’s quite good. Like REALLY good. Which means you shouldn’t expect us to be very coherent either.

Side Quest: Much Tudum About Nothing

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:35:28 +0000

Tudum, Netflix’s annual “global fan event,” brought with it a wealth of trailers, first looks and cringe-inducing interstitials last month, just very few having to do with The Witcher. Still, that isn’t about to stop us from pouring a glass and unpacking what new information we did get. Looks like Santa’s bringing us a stocking full of Blood Origin this Christmas, but as for Witcher Season 3...well, let’s just say that the Time of Contempt is not very nigh. Enjoy this only slightly snarky new bonus episode, and remember, to err is human, to forgive is divine, but Tudum...is just an awful goddamn name.

Whiskey with Wiedźmin

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 06:55:09 +0000

The future of Whiskey with Witcher is in the past! Well, at least it is for our latest season, which is devoted entirely to The Hexer, the 2002 Polish-language series that introduced Geralt to the small screen for the first time. We paired the premiere with another famous first—Evan Williams 1783, named after Kentucky’s original distiller. What else do they have in common? They’re both clearly crafted on a budget, but that doesn’t mean there’s not joy to be found within as we unpack this truly unique take on Andrzej Sapkowski’s White Wolf…which turns out to be a literal white wolf…that’s not actually a wolf… Look, just listen to the episode, okay?

Side Quest: The Hexer Your Say

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 06:52:55 +0000

Confused about what it is we’ll be discussing during our soon-to-debut new season? Don’t worry, we are too! (Though in fairness, we get confused about a lot of things.) In this new bonus episode, we give you the skinny on The Hexer—the Polish TV series that brought Geralt of Rivia to the world of live action for the very first time. When did this series, which is called Wiedzmin in Polish, debut? Who’s in it? What does it adapt? Why didn’t it succeed? And how the heck are we going to keep from mispronouncing all of those Polish names? (Honestly, we’re still searching for an answer to that last one.) It’s a brief, but essential prologue to what we’re about to undertake. Plus, we tell you how you can get us really drunk. Seriously!

Side Quest: A Fiery Mix of Comics and Corn

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Wed, 7 Sep 2022 14:07:52 +0000

We turn our attention and raise our glasses to an entirely new medium this week—comics! In our latest bonus episode, we crack open a bottle of cask-strength Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon as we discuss translating The Witcher to the comic book page. To start, we unpack Dark Horse’s first Witcher omnibus, letting you know which of its four stories we enjoyed and which ones we didn’t (who knew a striga story could be boring?). Then, Tim discusses some of his history editing and writing licensed comics, explaining the process and how it might have impacted The Witcher. We also try to figure out the correct way of pronouncing “Balcones”…and are about as successful as you might expect.

Crossover: On the Whiskey with Witcher Path

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 07:46:18 +0000

Take two podcasts, four different hosts, three strong whiskeys, one cider, two Witcher-themed party games and a whole mess of questionable takes and what do you get? Our very first crossover episode! Get comfortable and pour yourself a drink (trust us on that one) as we spend over two hours talking all things Witcher and drinking all things alcoholic with Brett and Lucy, the two hosts of On the Path. Important questions are asked and answered, like…would you rather get hunted by Nilfgaard, the Brotherhood or the Wild Hunt? Which of Geralt’s three Witcher brothers would you f*ck, marry or kill? And will Valerie and Lucy just finish the damn books already? Be sure to follow On the Path on Twitter at @witcherpodcast and Instagram at @witcherpod. You can watch their episodes on YouTube on the 983 Media channel.

Side Quest: Another Round with Producer Sean

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

He may lap us when it comes to drinking, but Producer Sean has a tendency to fall behind on The Witcher. Well, not anymore! In this bourbon-blessed new bonus episode, we let Sean take the spotlight after binging season two for a tangent-filled talk that covers everything from Geralt’s approach to fatherhood, Ciri’s search for identity, Yennefer’s spectacular skill at screaming and why season two is strangely light on sex. We also explore the female-fronted Milam and Greene Whiskey by sampling their Triple Cask Bourbon. Just don’t expect any sudden revelations about Voleth Meir. We still have no freakin’ idea what she’s doing.

Side Quest: What the #@%! is Happening with Blood Origin?!?

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Mon, 8 Aug 2022 07:09:20 +0000

Strap in, Witcher fans, we’re sharpening our swords for this one. There have been a lot of rumors swirling around lately about The Witcher: Blood Origin, the upcoming Witcher spinoff series set during the Conjunction of the Spheres, and...well, we couldn’t NOT talk about them, could we? We speculate a-plenty about what on Earth (and on the Continent) is happening before we segue into a surprise discussion about Valerie’s recent trip to San Diego Comic-Con. What drunken shenanigans took place, and were any of them Witcher-related? You know it! And you also know you’re not going to want to miss this double feature that’s equal parts rumors and revelry.

Side Quest: The Honey Cake is Not a Lie

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 12:37:24 +0000

We’re not going to lie, we’ve been straight-up obsessed with honey cakes since we discovered them in “Nightmare of the Wolf,” so when our friend Juliet Bennett Rylah offered to make one for us to try on the podcast, we knew we had to have her on! In this bonus episode, we sit down with Juliet over a bottle of Elijah Craig Straight Rye and her Witcher-inspired honey cake to discuss her history with the Witcher and how she started cooking food derived from recipes found within the game (make sure you’re well stocked up on Zerrikanian spices). We also somehow manage to go off on the idea of ads on Netflix, extol the MANY virtues of The CW’s Riverdale and seemingly infuse the cake with the power of Jesus, so you might want to strap in for this one. It’s a romp. Be sure to follow Juliet on Twitter and Instagram at @JBRylah, read her work on The Hustle and listen to her on the Hustle Daily Show podcast.

Side Quest: Songs in the Key of Jaskier

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina, Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca) — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 18:50:43 +0000

How much do we admire Geralt of Rivia’s quick-witted and always impeccably dressed traveling companion? Enough to dedicate a whole episode to him! In this musically minded side quest, we rank the five songs sung by Jaskier over the course of The Witcher’s two seasons, offering our thoughts and insights over their often deeper-than-you-realize lyrics. And to add to the merriment, we do it over a glass of Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey, a whiskey created by none other than Bob Dylan (who also has a gift for clever musical wordplay). Join us for this toast to our favorite troubadour! Hold music: Local Forecast - Slower by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3988-local-forecast---slower License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Side Quest: Producer Sean Accepts the Contract

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 09:00:30 +0000

Producer Sean is a master of sound editing, an expert (or at least opinionated) appreciator of whiskey, and speaks 'drunk' well enough to make our slurring asses sound smart, but he’d never seen The Witcher...until now! In our latest side quest, we asked Sean to marathon all of season one so that we can get his thoughts about Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Jaskier, monster fights, wonky timelines, dad jokes, dryads, high-collared queens, brain worms and weirdly sexless, beautifully shot orgies. And also, whether it’s sexy or gross to do the nasty in a bone cave because if you thought we were over that...well, you just don’t know us very well, do you?

Side Quest: Season Two Sendoff

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 30 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

We’re finishing off the last of the Four Roses Bourbon and saying goodbye to The Witcher’s sophomore season in what may be our best bonus episode yet. (Or it may not be...but you’ll never know if you don’t listen, right?) What were our favorite things about the season? What were our least favorite things? Which of the whiskeys we sampled was the best and which poor sods will claim the dubious honor of being our Kaer Morons for all of season two? Answers to these questions and more await, so stop messing around with that monolith, pour yourself a particularly strong potion (*wink wink*) and join us for one final dance with the Deathless Mother.

Cirilla: Queen of the Monsters

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Tue, 24 May 2022 16:44:46 +0000

Side Quest: The Golden Oriole

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Wed, 18 May 2022 13:50:25 +0000

Only Witchers can drink potions? Not anymore! In this special bonus episode, we pay a visit to John McCormick at Burbank’s The Roguelike Tavern to sample the new Witcher-themed cocktail he created specifically for our podcast. A potent mix that uses Four Roses Bourbon as its base, this Golden Oriole might not cure any poisons, but it’ll go down far smoother than anything you’ll find at Kaer Morhen. Plus, we talk to John about his history with the Witcher franchise, our shared love of immersive theater and what it’s like running one of LA’s friendliest—and unabashedly nerdiest—bars. Learn more about The Roguelike Tavern at https://theroguelike.com

Leaving You Deathless

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina, Tim Beedle) — Tue, 10 May 2022 06:20:09 +0000

With Ciri’s situation turning serious and the Deathless Mother looking strong, we knew we needed a whiskey to match—so, we crack open a bottle of 120-proof Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon. With a whiskey that powerful, our survival this episode, much like that of Nilfgaard’s generals, is not guaranteed. But if we go down, you know it won’t be until after we’ve thoroughly critiqued Cahir’s bad allyship, Jaskier’s poor choice of bathwater and Voleth Meir’s completely bonkers plan. Plus, Valerie has words for Geralt, Tim has words for Vilgefortz and they both have words that they aren’t quite able to pronounce.

Side Quest: You Mean You DON’T Want Them to Make Out?

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 2 May 2022 19:19:16 +0000

We received another listener question, which can only mean one thing—it’s time for another side quest! We’ve talked about our favorite Witcher ships a lot and we don’t see a reason to stop now, but this time, we’re keeping everyone’s hands, arms and lips to themselves as we discuss platonic ships. Who do we think are better off staying strictly friends? And what Witcher friendships would we like to see explored more? After that, we sound off on the latest season three casting news...which wasn’t without its controversy. And you know we’re going to have a whole lot to say about that as well.

To Dear Friends and Dead Ones

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Smoking in the Bard’s Room

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 11:43:05 +0000

Butchers aren’t the only things left burning when Jaskier and Yennefer come face to face with the fire-wielding Rience. So, it only makes sense that we’ve paired this episode up with the smokey sophistication of Stark Spirits’ Peated Single Malt Whiskey! Tim attempts to dissect one of his least favorite Witcher short stories, while Valerie has some words for Vesemir and his freaky-ass mutagen needle. Producer Sean invents a new way of rating whiskey, and we share a Kaer Moron for the first time this season. Who might it be?

Side Quest: A World of Pure Speculation

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 07:20:21 +0000

In our latest side quest, we go hard speculating about some of the recent Witcher announcements. First, we unpack the newly unveiled Season 3 description and try to determine what it all might be referring to. After that, we discuss the recently announced new Witcher game, while schooling Tim on lynxes. (And he calls himself a cat person!) Finally, Valerie turns the tables on her co-host by asking him a few things about shipping because if the show won’t give us any fun sexy moments to talk about, we’ll make up our own, dammit.

Yennefer and Cahir’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 4 Apr 2022 14:38:42 +0000

Yen is laying low with Cahir, Triss is making awkward passes at Geralt, Jaskier’s writing angry breakup songs, and we’re here to savor every moment of season two’s deeply satisfying fourth episode...as well as a bottle of Blinking Owl California Straight Rye Whiskey. Speaking of owls, we both get pretty excited over Dijkstra, but what’s with his mysterious pet? Surely there’s nothing at all odd about that, right?

When Violet Eyes Are Crying

sean@malcontent.media (Valerie Petrarca, Tim Beedle, Sean Farina) — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 12:52:14 +0000

Ciri’s training begins in earnest and it doesn’t go down nearly as smoothly as the Slane Irish Whiskey we sip while discussing it. Valerie feels confident she can take on the pendulum (but the rest of the gauntlet...not so much) while Tim discovers a Witcher ship name he actually likes. Also, Valerie gives us a dramatic reading from Blood of Elves! But don’t get too excited, it’s about a dead rat.

Side Quest: Ice Cream Social

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 05:48:37 +0000

What’s the one thing that goes better with whiskey than Witcher? Ice cream, apparently. In our latest side quest, we sample Garrison Brothers Whiskey & Pecan Pralines ice cream, a limited release from McConnell’s that’s made from actual Texas bourbon. It’s delicious, but so is the conversation that accompanies it, which touches on everything from our favorite ice cream flavors to what sort of desserts you’re likely to find in fantasy worlds to which Kaer Morhen witcher would be most fun to drink with. Plus, Tim has a full-on freak-out! Over what? Listen to the episode and find out!

The Eskel Problem

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 12:08:32 +0000

“We’re so excited that we’re finally getting to meet other witchers like Vesemir, Lambert, Coen and Eskel—WAIT, WHAT?!?!” Yeah, we’re as surprised as the rest of you about the fate of Geralt’s witcher bro in this head-scratcher of an episode, so we’re cracking open a bottle of William Wolf Pecan Bourbon to see if we can figure it out. While we’re at it, we share our thoughts on the Deathless Mother, the return of the elves, Geralt’s parenting, the wisdom of leaving Kaer Morhen on your own and the importance of always cleaning your sword.

Side Quest: A Sip of Sazerac

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 19:15:39 +0000

Grab a glass, Witcher fans, because this one’s all about the booze. After our talk about how this week’s whiskey, WhistlePig Piggyback Rye, was designed for cocktails, we decided to try it out in one! Producer Sean mixes up some Sazeracs while giving us a brief history on the drink. Then it’s time for some freewheeling discussion on everything from cocktail prices to Witcher fandom to why Tim and Valerie just won’t ever agree on absinthe.

Things Quickly Go A-Rye

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 7 Mar 2022 08:40:04 +0000

We’re finally diving into The Witcher’s second season and we couldn’t be more excited…or maybe that’s the WhistlePig PiggyBack Rye that accompanies this episode talking. We both scratch our heads over Triss Merigold’s oddly unexplained new hairstyle, Tim can’t handle the sight of sad Tissaia and Valerie has a few words of advice for the otherwise badass Vereena. Plus, a new final segment!

Side Quest: Quarantining at Kaer Morhen

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 10:17:38 +0000

For this week’s side quest, we’re giving you an extended version of a previous segment—Valerie’s discussion on finishing The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt. Our podcast may focus on the Netflix series, but we’re big fans of the game as well, which offered us both an escape and a chance to connect with each other during the pandemic. And to randomly fall off of ledges. SPOILER ALERT: We do discuss two of the game’s three endings, so proceed with caution if you haven’t yet played it.

Side Quest: You Say Istredd, I Say Eestredd

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 16:02:28 +0000

In The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt, side quests are brief missions that have nothing to do with the game’s main storyline, which seemed like a pretty good way of describing the brief bonus episodes we’ll be dropping between full episodes every now and then. In this first side quest, we answer some questions from one of our listeners (thanks for the e-mail, Karen!). Then it’s time to humble ourselves as we come clean about some names we’ve been mispronouncing before Valerie gives us a brief history of fanshipping that, while very interesting, doesn’t make Tim like the name “Geraskier” any better.

Trial of the Glasses

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 11:10:57 +0000

We often get pretty animated while talking about The Witcher, so it’s about dang time The Witcher follows suit! In our latest episode, we open a bottle of Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon and discuss The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Tim questions whether this movie counts as anime, while Valerie wonders why the mages don’t just...well, magic themselves out of there. Plus, we cower at the Trial of the Grasses, discuss some ties the movie may have to a unique book in the Witcher series and offer up our hopes and dreams for the next Witcher animated project!

Forbidden Fire(ball) Magic

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:57:05 +0000

We celebrate reaching the end of season one with an extra-sized (and extra boozy) episode. Valerie questions the use of death mages, Tim wonders what exactly Tissaia and Vilgefortz think they’re doing and both of them drink a few too many Fireball boilermakers. Plus, we speculate about Witcher: Blood Origin, reveal our plans for the future and pick our perfect monster pets!

The Penultimate Pour

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 07:35:12 +0000

Cintra falls, so in solidarity, we all fall pretty hard for a bottle of Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Valerie is thrilled for the return of Istredd and the debut of Vilgefortz (yay for magical eye candy!), Tim questions the usefulness of magicians and both demonstrate the value of a good bad pun.

Here There Be Flagons

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 21:54:34 +0000

The Geralt/Yennefer romance is over almost as soon as it begins and we console ourselves with a bottle of Kikori Whiskey. Valerie explains why all is not as it seems in Jaskier’s song, Tim declares his love for dragons (but his disappointment with the ones in this episode) and we all wonder just what the hell the doppler is doing.

Everybody Hmmms

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 20:48:29 +0000

Geralt meets Yennefer, and we get friendly with a bottle of Skrewball as we discuss one of season one’s most pivotal episodes. Tim has a really hard time saying the name “Chireadan,” while Valerie introduces her cohost to the world of hurt/comfort fanfic. And they both agree that when hosting a magical orgy, it’s very important to dress to impress.

A Drink with Destiny

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 3 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

We have a sweet time sipping Cabin Fever Maple Flavored Whiskey while discussing Geralt and Jaskier’s fateful night in Calanthe’s court. Tim questions the need for Ciri’s storyline while Valerie just wants to talk about Geralt’s love of chamomile and baths. Also, we mix things up with another surprise segment!

Blood Striga Sex Magik

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 18:04:02 +0000

The monster at the heart of The Witcher’s third episode might be a nasty little number, but the same cannot be said for the Belle Meade bourbon we enjoy while discussing her. Tim declares his love and affection for Triss Merigold, while Valerie just wants our hero to drink some water (which probably would have been good advice for us as well). All this plus boning in the bone cave!!!

A Tale of Bards, Bone Caves, and Bourbon

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 15:14:07 +0000

We bid Jaskier and Yennefer a hearty hello as we dive into The Witcher’s second episode, along with a bottle of Old Bardstown. Valerie surprises everyone with an unexpected segment, while Tim can’t get over Istredd’s weirdly macabre bachelor pad.

Starting Down the Path

sean@malcontent.media (Tim Beedle, Valerie Petrarca, Sean Farina) — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The Witcher gets off to a grand start, and we get off to a boozy one as we drink Polish Rye Whiskey (that’s literally the whiskey’s name—“Polish Rye Whiskey”) and toast Geralt’s inaugural adventure.

Preview

sean@malcontent.media (Sean Farina) — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 22:19:27 +0000

Things are gonna get tipsy when Valerie and Tim crack open a bottle of Polish Rye Whiskey to talk about the pilot of Netflix's The Witcher.