Dudrams Podcast — Guest Dossier
Compiled 2026-08-12. Order = small → big episode arc. All Instagram handles verified against instagram.com URLs unless noted.

Tier 1: The Underdogs

1. Chad Kessler — 451 Spirits
  - IG: @451spirits (verified, ~1.9K) | Site: 451spirits.com | Clintonville (Oakland Park Ave)
  - Owner & distiller. Experimental small-batch (whiskey, rum, gin, absinthe "to the outer limits"). Fahrenheit 451 namesake. Artist — tasting room decorated with his art.
  - Angle: nearly closed 2023 (Kickstarter), shut retail shop July 2025, now pop-ups + partnership with Echo Spirits. Comeback story.
  - Podcast history: none found. First-mover play.

2. Doug McLaughlin & Mike Orozco — M&O Spirits
  - IG: @mospirits (verified, ~1.1K) | Site: mospirits.com | 65 W Main St, Ashville OH (21 mi south)
  - Est. 2017. M&O = their initials. Long-time friends. Local grains, Ohio-made charred oak barrels. John Barleycorn 2023 Best American Craft Spirit + Craft Distillery of the Year; Batch 27 cask strength Double Gold, 96/100.
  - Podcast history: YES — Whiskey Business "The MO' Spirits, The Better!" Proven yes.
  - Angle: tiny operation, award-saturated, no-frills ("product speaks for itself").

3. Kevin & Lauri Webb + Wes & Kelly Stark — DoG Distilling Company
  - IG: @dog_distilling (verified, ~4.5K) | Site: dogdistillingcompany.com | 3773 E Powell Rd, Lewis Center OH
  - "Distillers of Galena" — homebrew → Delaware County's first destination distillery in a restored schoolhouse. Bourbon + rye, dog-friendly. Brinley (white GSD) on the label. Opened 2024–25.
  - Podcast history: none found. First-interview score.
  - Angle: two couples, small town, historic building restoration.

Tier 2: The Community

4. Joe Bidinger & Nikhil Sharoff — Echo Spirits Distilling Co.
  - IG: @echospirits (verified) + @thebaratechospirits | Site: echospirits.com | Grandview
  - Kickstarter-funded hometown distillers. Pre-Prohibition-style whiskey + rum. Engineer Series limited blended bourbons sell out instantly. "Gather Round the Still."
  - Podcast history: YES — Whiskey Business ×2 (incl. "The Whiskey You Can't Get"). Guaranteed yes.
  - Angle: community-first brand; the bar (The Bar at Echo Spirits) is a podcast venue option.

5. Eric Smith — Founder, Central Ohio Whiskey Society (COWS)
  - IG: @cows_whiskey (verified, ~827) + X @COWS_Whiskey + FB group | Site: centralohiowhiskeysociety.com
  - Monthly blind tastings (last Wed, 3 whiskies, no brands/prices). "No whiskey snobbery." First public barrel pick at High Bank ever. Meetings hosted by Maker's Mark, Old Forester (Whiskey Pete).
  - Podcast history: none found (as individual).
  - Angle: THE validation booking for Dudrams' gentleman's club concept. Peer-to-peer episode.

Tier 3: The Middleweights

6. Tony Guilfoy — Founder, Noble Cut Distillery
  - IG: @noblecut (verified) | Site: noblecutdistillery.com | 750 Cross Pointe Rd, Gahanna
  - Founded 2014. "Noble Cut" = distiller's hearts cut. Vodka/whiskey/bourbon/cellos. Contract-distills for other brands (S.N. Pike's Magnolia). Put-in-Bay summer tasting room. Hosts networking events.
  - Angle: mini contract-production story; community/events host.

7. Buckeye Bourbon House — (no public name yet)
  - IG: @buckeye_bourbon_house (verified) | Site: buckeyebourbonhouse.com | Downtown (inside Residence Inn, former bank lobby)
  - Hundreds of whiskeys. Hotel restaurant — corporate role.
  - Gap: discover bar manager / beverage director name at booking. Contact via IG or venue.

8. Adam Hines — Co-owner & Head Distiller, High Bank Distillery
  - IG: @highbankdistillery (verified, ~9.2K) | Site: highbankdistillery.com | Grandview + Gahanna
  - Ex-branding agency (States of Design) → Moonshine University → "most decorated Master Distiller in Ohio." Whiskey War: Best Blended Whiskey in America 2021; 5 Double Golds SFWSC 2022; Midnight Cask series. Co-founders: Jordan Helman (Zest Juice), Calvin Jones, Jeff Ireland.
  - Podcast history: YES — Whiskey Business ×2 (on-location), The Full Bottle, Tipsy Chicks.
  - Angle: blending vs. distilling honesty episode. Easiest big-name yes.

Tier 4: The Events

9. The Great Bourbon Affair — 5th Annual, Sat Aug 22 2026, 5–9 PM
  - IG: @eastmarket_cbus (verified) | Organizer: Historic Trolley District, 212 Kelton Ave | Tickets $10–$230
  - Hosted by 99.7 The Blitz & 103.9 The Maverick (iHeart) — Kirsch & Tess street team. VIP bottles: Pappy 23, GTS, WLW, Rock Hill Farms. Biggest bourbon toast in Ohio (Buffalo Trace pour).
  - Play: live episode / recap episode. Launch timing hook (2.5 weeks out).

10. Barrels & Badges — Tue Oct 27 2026, The Bluestone
  - IG: @barrelsandbadges (verified, brand new) + @skc_scouts | Site: skcscouts.org/bb
  - Simon Kenton Council (Scouting America) charity tasting. Rare pours, business networking, "founding member" positioning. $100+ tickets benefiting scouts.
  - Play: charity-event episode — local goodwill + rare allocations. Contact via council.

Tier 5: The Heavyweights

11. Greg Lehman (co-founder/CEO) & Dave Rigo (co-founder) — Watershed Distillery
  - IG: @watersheddistillery (verified, ~29K — biggest in town) | Site: watersheddistillery.com | Grandview
  - 2008 planning, opened 2010, $180K start. Second post-Prohibition Central Ohio distillery; first legal Central Ohio bourbon since Prohibition (2012). Ohio's #1 selling Ohio-made bourbon + gin. Head distiller Aaron Harris (ex-Kentucky, since 2021).
  - Plot twist: acquired by Marussia Beverages USA (Aug 2023) — 50 states, 10 countries goal.
  - Angle: local boys → global acquisition. Alternate guest: Aaron Harris.

12. Ryan Lang — Co-founder, CEO & Master Distiller, Middle West Spirits
  - IG: @middlewestspirits (via Linktree — VERIFY before posting) | Site: middlewestspirits.com | Alum Creek Dr campus
  - Fourth-generation distiller. Ohio's first post-Prohibition micro-distillery (2008). 2024: 75,000 sq ft expansion, 10x capacity — one of the largest distilleries in the US. Owns Old Elk (Fort Collins CO). Custom distilling partnership program (distills for other brands). Brands: OYO, MWS, Vim & Pedal, Lux Umbria, Old Elk. Co-founder/GM Brady Konya (second mic).
  - Podcast history: YES — Whiskey Ring, Bourbon Road, Legends Behind the Craft, Craft Spirits Podcast.
  - Angle: season finale — "you're already drinking their whiskey."

Bonus

13. Mark — ColumbusBourbon.com
  - IG: @columbusbourbon (verified, ~302) | Site: columbusbourbon.com | "Bourbon, Whiskey, and Weimaraners"
  - Blog since Oct 2018. Covers COWS meetings, local releases. Reviews 1st & 16th of the month.
  - Angle: the community's historian. Free episode.

14. Ohio Whiskey Chaser
  - X: @ohiowhiskey | "Hunting brown water in the heartland. Store drop days on highlights tab."
  - Local allocation-hunting enthusiast.
  - Angle: how to actually find rare bottles in Ohio (control state). New enthusiast voice.

15. OHLQ (Ohio Liquor)
  - IG: @ohioliquor (verified, ~11K) | Site: ohlq.com
  - State control system, 500+ agencies, 5,000+ products app. Single-barrel programs (Maker's Mark OHLQ Holiday Barrel Program), allocation drops, "Meet the Distiller" series.
  - Gap: institutional — no named individual. Book via PR/social. Filler-slot episode.

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Outreach flags
  - Names to discover at contact time: Buckeye Bourbon House (bar manager), OHLQ (spokesperson).
  - Unverified handle: @middlewestspirits — check live before tagging.
  - First-mover plays (zero podcast history): DoG, 451, Barrels & Badges, Ohio Whiskey Chaser, COWS (as individual).
  - Proven yeses: Echo, High Bank, M&O, Middle West, Watershed.
