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Americans have a long tradition of turning just about any excuse into a celebration, and a lot of those celebrations happen to involve raising a glass.

From the green beer of St. Patrick’s Day to the champagne toasts of New Year's Eve, the beads and parties of Mardi Gras, the margaritas of Cinco de Mayo, backyard coolers on Independence Day, watch parties for Super Bowl Sunday, and the steins raised during Oktoberfest, Americans love getting together with friends and family and tipping one back. In this podcast, we’ll talk about some of these beloved drinking holidays and the traditions, stories, and celebrations that surround them.

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Intro

Hey everybody — it’s just me today. The boys are out in the world doing interesting and presumably productive things.

So this week we’re doing a bit of a clip show. I dug through the archives and pulled out four pretty strong clips that, as far as I know, you’ve never heard before.

It’s always fun going back and listening to these when I’m putting an episode together, and I did make one observation. Of all the Brads I’ve known in my life — Benadryl, NyQuil, Zicam, Smith Brothers Cough Drops — this Brad might be the funniest of them all.

Clip 1

So this first clip goes back to our January 9th, 2026 Snow Days episode, where we talked about what we used to do as kids when school got canceled. The clip actually comes from the recap at the beginning of that show, where John talks about taking Doug Alberasky up on a last-minute invite to come into John’s Grocery on Christmas Eve. We also get a little insight into to who some of Brad’s favorite Iowa City retailers are, and why they are his favorites.

So I am going to hit play and enjoy this clip right along with you.

Clip 2

Boy… I could really go for a sensible bottle of Dickens Holiday Cream beverage right about now.

Now, Brad will be the first to tell you that preparation isn’t always his strong suit. But I’ve got to say, as someone who spends a lot of time in Brad’s orbit, things almost seem to work out better for him when he plans things at the last minute.

Our next segment is probably relatable to any adult child in the Midwest: when your parents feel the need to discuss the weather with you. Both of my parents will independently text me to let me know when bad weather is headed my way. I know part of it is because they want me to be safe… but part of it is also because they’re hoping I’ll text back “Thanks,” and that opens the door for them to check in and see how I’m doing.

How do I know that? Because I do the exact same thing with my kids.

So let’s take a listen to this segment about why Brad would make a terrible rain-gauge weather spotter.

Clip 3

John is always looking for any opportunity to bring up snow donuts.

Our next clip comes from our Snow Days episode, where a pretty clear line gets drawn between two very different childhood experiences: the snow day — which was something to celebrate — and the sick day, which meant being tethered to the couch, no visitors allowed, and staring into an entertainment void from noon until about 3:00 p.m., when the kids’ programming finally kicked back on.

Clip 4

Snow day versus sick day. Was there anything worse than being sick on a snow day?

Actually, yes. Being sick during a holiday break. If you answered “no,” go ahead and deduct one point.

Our final clip today actually comes from our Saturday Night Sleepover episode. We drifted a little off topic and started talking about high school study halls, which somehow led to Brad describing the moment he realized his high school girlfriend was messing around on him… while he was watching the Boys State Basketball Tournament on Iowa Public Television.

Closing

All right, that’s this weeks Pod….. Thanks for dropping in again this week….. John Langland, I think I owe you a Birthday Beer……. Take care of each other……Bye Bye…