On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Fred welcomes famed rapper Ludacris. Ludacris broke into the national spotlight in 2000 with his album Back for the First Time, featuring the singles “Southern Hospitality” and “What’s Your Fantasy,” and has since released seven more albums. Ludacris, whose given name is Chris Bridges, also is a veteran actor, having had a starring role in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, among many other roles in film and television. On the show, he and Fred talk about the exploration of spirits, working out during a COVID lockdown, and learning to enjoy a life lived mostly at home … and Ludacris drinks a $15,000 whiskey straight from the bottle. Southern Hospitality indeed.

Whiskeys tasted:

• Vintage Eagle Rare 10 Year Old (8:20)
• Catoctin Creek Maple Barrel Rye (16:18)
• Larceny Barrel Proof (23:45)
• Michter’s Celebration Sour Mash (31:13)
• 291 Colorado Bourbon Whiskey (43:38)

EPISODE SUMMARY

Fred and Ludacris tasted and talked about several topics. Here are some highlights:

• Ludacris refers to the vintage Eagle Rare as “grown man shit,” adding, “This is the type of stuff that will grow hairs on your chest if you don’t already have some.”
• He also paired his whiskey flight with some chili, prompting Fred to speak of his fondness for pairing whiskey with barbecue.
• Ludacris talks about how much the music business has changed during his career, and how he has matured along with it.
• He also talks about balancing music with acting and how he manages to prioritize his passions. “It’s complex,” he says.
• Fred tells Ludacris that he believes the best film of the 21^st Century was “Crash,” which won an Oscar for best picture and in which Ludacris had a major role.
• Of the Catoctin Creek Maple Barrel Rye, Ludacris says, “I’m definitely making pancakes tomorrow and I’m definitely pouring this on them.”
• Ludacris is adamant that the best day to drink is Monday. “It’s whiskey Monday. You’ll feel like it’s Saturday.”
• If you watch the video feed on YouTube, be sure to watch Ludacris’ reaction to the 120-proof Larceny Barrel Proof, who says it is “not for the week.”
• They also talk about world-class whiskies like The Macallan, Balveny, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Lagavulin and others. “Every day, you should have a different whisky, that’s how I feel,” Ludacris says.
• Fred teaches Ludacris in the ways of cleansing the palate, using his time-tested method involving Muenster cheese, soda water and almonds.
• Fred tells Ludacris, who is amazed to be gifted a $15,000 bottle of bourbon, “It’s the hardest American whiskey to get because there’s so few of them. For this one, there are less than 300 bottles.” Ludacris then proceeds to drink it from the bottle after nosing it and describing it as smelling “like heaven and teen spirit mixed together.” Needless to say, he enjoyed the flavor as well, saying, “It gives you this warm feeling.”
• Fred reveals his fascination with the McRib, the faux-food abomination McDonald’s unleashes upon America on a rotating basis.
• Ludacris talks about his new children’s content project, Kid Nation.

QUOTABLES

In opening the show, Ludacris starts things off on a positive note, saying, “This is the best quarantine ever when you have whiskeys like these literally in front of you, and when you have good friends and good individuals that you trust and know about rare things that you’ve never tried. Those are the days that we live for – for all the people watching, that’s what I’m about. I love it.”