Kelly Magyarics: Wine, Spirits, Food, Travel & Lifestyle writer as seen in AFAR, Food Network, Conde Nast Traveler, Wine Enthusiast and many more

In this spirited interview, Kelly shares her favorite travel tips, a surprisingly perfect champagne pairing and delightful gins with Angela.  Listen to get a taste of how Kelly found her passion in writing about travel, food, beverages and lifestyle.

You can follow Kelly on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmagyarics  

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kmagyarics  

Or via http://www.kellymagyarics.com/ 

Kevin Zraly: https://www.kevinzraly.com/ 

This Island is the World’s Most Surprising Place to Drink Gin & Tonics: https://www.liquor.com/articles/curacao-gin-tonics/ 

Tai Chi? No, Thai Cheese: https://modernfarmer.com/2019/11/tai-chi-no-thai-cheese/ 

The Peruvian Farmer Crafting “Wine” from High Altitude Heirloom Potatoes : https://vinepair.com/articles/peru-potato-wine/ 

Find Your Personal Paradise in the Islands of the South Pacific: https://whereverfamily.com/south-pacific-islands-french-polynesia-bora-bora-fiji-cook-islands/ 

The Spirit of South Africa: https://www.sommjournal.com/the-spirit-of-south-africa/ 

St. Lucia travel: https://thepointsguy.com/news/st-lucia-covid19-protocols/ 

Seat Guru: https://www.seatguru.com/ 

Scott’s Cheap Flights: https://scottscheapflights.com/ 

Swaddle Designs: https://www.swaddledesigns.com/collections/cloth-fabric-face-masks 

Billecart-Salmon: https://www.champagne-billecart.fr/en/collection/brut-rose 

Gin Mare: https://www.ginmare.com/ 

Beefeater: https://www.beefeatergin.com/en-US 

Plymouth: https://www.plymouthgin.com/en-EN  

Botanist: https://www.thebotanist.com/ 

Blue Coat Gin: https://bluecoatgin.com/distillery 

Hendrix: https://www.hendricksgin.com/ 

Thank you for listening!  Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to the Media in Minutes podcast here or anywhere you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/media-in-minutes/id1555710662  

Transcript

Angela Tuell: 0:05

Welcome to Media in Minutes. This is your host Angela Tuell. This podcast features in- depth interviews with those who report on the world around us. They share everything from their favorite stories to what happened behind the lens and give us a glimpse into their world. From our studio here at Communications Redefined, this is Media in Minutes. Today I'm thrilled to welcome Kelly Magyarics. Kelly is a wine, spirits, food, travel and lifestyle journalist copywriter, content marketer and Wine and Spirits educator. Her travels have given her the opportunity to take part in a healing ceremony with a shaman at Machu Picchu, craft her own gin at the Plymouth distillery in England. Foot tread grapes and a traditional lager in Portugal, attend the king's coronation in Bangkok, Thailand, explore the volcanic ash vineyards on the Greek island of Santorini and sip method cap classique while watching the sunset at the top of the Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Kelly has extensive wine and spirits knowledge and training including holding the Diploma of Wine Studies from the renowned Wine and Spirit Education Trust. She is also a bar smart certified and holds the wine location Specialist certification from the Center for Wine Origins. Her articles appear in publications including Lonely Planet, AFAR, Global Traveler, Conde Nast Traveler, Wine Enthusiast, Food Network, Modern Luxury, Chow Hound, The Points Guy and more. Welcome, Kelly, thank you for joining us today.

Kelly Magyarics: 1:38

Oh, thank you so much for having me. This is great.

Angela Tuell: 1:41

Yes, I have to admit, I don't even know where to start. You are such a prolific writer who covers everything from food, to wine to travel to lifestyle. Why don't you tell us how you got where you are today, how your career has evolved, or how you would best describe it?

Kelly Magyarics: 1:57

Sure. So in my, my previous life, I was I was in technology. And I was in you know, much different fields than I am now. But I this was when I was in New York, it was a couple years after college. And I was in New York and I was working for an investment bank doing tech support and network admin. But I was always - you know, growing up I was always really into food. I was into cooking. I threw my first dinner party when I was 15. Yeah, so super into that. So I, so when I was in New York, I was fortunate enough to take the Windows on the World Wine School, which it was one of the last ones that was at the top of the World Trade Center. So it was in the spring of 2001. So it was a couple month class with Kevin Zraly who is, you know, this phenomenal wine educator and author. And he's just so - his love for wine is infectious. And it was just this incredible setting. So really just kind of changed my life honestly, and really made me want to get into wine. Because as you know, like when you have a great meal, wine is just like it's like the salt and pepper on the table, right? So it can make the right dish sing. So, So I ended up, you know, keeping pursuing that, like I got another type move down to DC got another tech job. But I started doing wine education classes and events and tastings for private parties, and for law firms, the Smithsonian. Eventually, I got a WSCT diploma, so I continued my wine studies. And then I started writing, originally just to kind of get my name out there for my wine education business. But then I realized that I really liked writing probably as much or more so than then doing, you know, being a wine educator. So and from that it just evolved into cocktails, the cocktail scene was just so starting to just become crazy and amazing in the, in the 2000s. And then it evolved to travel and to lifestyle and to other things. So yeah, so it's been a great wild ride and a kind of a convoluted journey, but one that's been very rewarding for sure.

Angela Tuell: 3:49

Yes. How do you like to find your stories?

Kelly Magyarics: 3:52

I mean, so many ways, it's like, I'll go on social media now I'll go see what my my friends and colleagues places they've gone or just kind of the the cool accounts that I follow. Being on trips, which you know, I that's kind of been squashed because of the pandemic. And that's picking up a little bit now. But I feel there's always such an energy and excitement and just I feel like I get a lot of inspiration just from talking to people also just being in a different environment. And also Yeah, just talking to chefs or bartenders or, you know, anybody just random people you meet, locals. And then also if I try to if I interview somebody for one story, I try to think about other stories that I might be able to kind of kind of use that research and use that for in the future. Also, just yeah, just reading also reading other colleagues work and to see what they're writing about right there. What's that - So I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this expression and I don't know who said it but it's basically said if you want to become a better writer, become a better reader. So I like to do a lot of reading and you know, whether it's you know, just articles people have written and some of the cool social media posts people write books, which I don't feel like I've had as much time to read books lately said like, but yeah, I think I've really tried to read a lot too. So I get, I get story ideas from all different media.

Angela Tuell: 5:04

So what type of stories do you prefer? What are some of your favorites?

Kelly Magyarics: 5:08

I really like when I can. When I'm traveling in particular, I really like when I can uncover something that's unique, or maybe a little known about a certain place. So for instance, I went to the island of Curacao about four years ago or so. And the island was beautiful, great beaches, but I learned that they have a really amazing gin and tonic culture, which you don't really think about, because you think about tropical drinks. Well, it's because they have this Dutch, you know, Dutch history in Dutch influence on the island. So you know, gin, the precursor to gin was you never so it's like, they have an amazing gin and tonic culture there. Or, like, I went to Thailand, and I've heard about these amazing, artisanal cheese makers, which is something it's kind of unexpected. Or in Peru, I went to this potato farmers farm, and he's making wine out of potatoes at high altitude. So So just like when you can find those really, really interesting, unusual things that are definitely you know, it's like you go to burgundy. Yeah, you know, you're gonna get amazing Pinot Noir, right, you're gonna get so and that's great, too. But it's like, when you can uncover these unique are a little known or, you know, unknown things about about a place is really fun, I think. Yeah.

Angela Tuell: 6:19

Are there any stories that you wanted to tell that didn't make it into print?

Kelly Magyarics: 6:22

I'm hesitant to say, because I feel like and I have, I have things in my my Gmail, I haven't, you know, I'll categorize with tags and stuff. And so I have pitches and pitches, and I'm still whatever. So I feel like even a story that I haven't been able to get out it successfully, I never consider really dead, you know, I feel like I can always tweak it, or maybe this wasn't the right time. So. So there are still ideas that I'm looking at, that are a couple years old, I just can't find a home for but it's like, well, maybe now is the home time for it. Or it's a different editor at the publication. And they're open to different kinds of stories in the previous editor. So, you know, never say never, I guess.

Angela Tuell: 6:58

I love that. I'd like to talk a little bit about public relations to how public relations professionals can help you do your job and maybe some of your pet peeves as well.

Kelly Magyarics: 7:08

Sure. So, personally, I really love it when a publicist can send me a targeted pitch based on what they know I cover. So, you know, if they it's like, they do their sleuthing, and they look at the website, or they look at Muck Rack, and they see what you what kind of content you have been producing. And they can really give you the targeted kind of pitches versus something that's generic or completely off the mark. I personally like being pitched via email, I don't like being pitched via text or by the, you know, over the phone, which some people might prefer that, but I just find it really, it's really obtrusive. And also like I can't, I feel like I'm never going to remember to go back to it or at least the email, I can mark it as unread or put it into a folder or tag it a certain way. And then what I don't like as far as pet peeves, if, and I realize why publicists do that. But if they see an article I've written about something and then they reach out, say, Oh, I just saw that you wrote this article about this. And so here's this idea, it's basically pitching me the same idea. And you know, I understand, but it's like, okay, that's I just, I just cover that. So I'm not going to be covering that again, and I'm probably not going to be unless it's some huge roundup or something, I'm not going to be updating the article to include that. So I feel like that's kind of a wasted effort. And then also once that, if there are pitches that are for say if it's for a, you know, a food driven thing or cocktail, and there aren't great photographs to go with it, that's a pet peeve because if there are any, or if they're really poor, not well lit, really crappy background, you know, drink on a napkin with the cash register in the background. I can't use it then. Because it's like, you know, publications really want to have great imagery to go with to go with these stories a lot of times, and if it's not something that's local, that I can take myself, then I'm probably going to pass on it. So and if it is in in the article, and if you are including images, then I prefer Dropbox, rather than for sure not attachments. And I prefer Dropbox to we transfer because I don't have having to download that. And then whatever. what always happens is, I don't download it by the date when it's you know, expiring and then it's gone and I have to go back and ask him, so...

Angela Tuell: 9:07

Good. So now in our job is to help you do your job. So those are things that do not help you. I know, we always talk with clients about the photography and things as well. So it's great to hear it from from you.

Kelly Magyarics: 9:20

So important, right? Yeah. And it also makes things come alive when it's especially when it's something very cool or you know, sometimes I get I get a lot of pitches about cocktails. So if it's something that's very unique or different, or the presentation sounds like it's amazing, you want to be able to see that, so...

Angela Tuell: 9:34

Right. Talking a little bit more about travel. I know this is an incredibly hard question, but what are some of your favorite destinations or maybe ones that have surprised you?

Kelly Magyarics: 9:44

Well, yeah, definitely a few come to mind. One of them is Bora Bora, which I've been fortunate enough to go to twice so far. And I really I tell anybody who will listen that really if you know if you believe in the afterlife, I feel like anybody who dies and goes to Heaven been to Bora Bora was going to be disappointed because I literally can't imagine it being any more beautiful than that place. And I'm sure the locals that live there if they believe in the afterlife, they were they're going to be disappointed as well. It is just so unbelievably beautiful and the water and the the topography and just the vibe and of course, you know, being able to sleep in an overwater bungalow and hear the water lapping at your, your your deck is just yeah, it's just unbelievable. And then as far as other places, Thailand. I was fortunate to go to Thailand two times. I did a 10 day culinary journey around the country that was tied to the coronation of the king. So that was an incredible experience. And Thai food is my absolute favorite food. So to be able to, to not only to go and have so much of it in its natural environment, but also to go to different parts of the country and see how because here you go to a Thai restaurant list. They're very focused on Northern Thai or you know, Island Thai, it's pretty much kind of the dishes from around the country where when you go to Chiang Mai, when you go to Phuket, you're going to get very different cuisine than you get in Bangkok, for instance. So it was very cool to see to see the the nuances around and the the influences around the country. And you know, also that it ties into my love of islands because they have so many incredible beaches there. So that was that was amazing as well. And then I went to South Africa a couple years ago that was also pretty incredible, a great wine scene. Cape Town is emerged as one of my favorite cities. I thought it was just incredible and so fun and modern and hip in you know great a great culinary scene. And Table Mountain there in the backdrop you can't really ask for anything more beautiful. Those are a few that that come to mind for sure.

Angela Tuell: 11:42

And I saw that you went to St. Lucia in October Yeah. And you stayed for part of your trip at the same place my husband and I stayed at 14 years ago for our honeymoon Ti Kaye Resort. And actually it was called Village at that point. It was easy, but how was your experience?

Kelly Magyarics: 11:58

Oh, it was lovely. I mean, it's definitely it's a, it's a very romantic Island. I feel like there are definitely a lot of good see a lot of honeymooners there. It's it's a very, it's an island that seems very conducive to honeymooning but I definitely love the the privacy and having your own private plunge pool and hammock on the deck and just one of those places you can just kind of escape to your to your room or to your deck or to your pool or to the beach and just be left alone. And, but also go out and explore if you want and it really, it's a very has a very pretty look to it. I mean, it reminds me I know I've read comparisons to like Hawaii because of the lush green that the way the mountains kind of right. It's so green and lush. So yeah, so it was a very, very pretty, pretty Island fun Island and I loved having starting every morning with a St. Lucia breakfast. so that was great.

Angela Tuell: 12:43

I know. Wasn't that the best?

Kelly Magyarics: 12:45

Oh great. I love. Yeah, I love savory foods, and I love the, say the salt cod and it'd be mixed with like curry spices. And so I just yeah, it was salty and spicy and savory. And yeah, it was a great way to start the day.

Angela Tuell: 12:57

We had a interesting story from there. So we picked St. Lucia because it was in August, near you know, Hurricane time. And that's an island that hadn't had a hurricane in many, many years. It was Yeah, I think 25 years. We had a hurricane while we were there.

Kelly Magyarics: 13:14

Well, you never can tell it back to my when I mentioned I went to Curacao and curse. I was actually out of out of the hurricane belt. So we went there in October and what happened I forget which hurricane it was, but literally it was coming right it was like making a beeline and are you kidding me? But actually it spared the island and when it kind of did like a threading the needle thing and went right next to it. But yeah, you never can tell right? Especially the way things are changing with climate change and it you don't know what's gonna happen.

Angela Tuell: 13:39

Right? We have something else in common. We both traveled to Peru shortly before COVID lockdowns. And in full disclosure, I've worked with the country of Peru for several years. But what was your experience like? It's such a bucket list destination.

Kelly Magyarics: 13:52

Yeah, it was it was pretty incredible. I get to spend a couple maybe just one or two days in Lima. So I did a nice city tour, went to a couple great restaurants. And then I was really there to go to go to Machu Picchu. So it the Sumach it was greenhouse was right there right by the right there by the mountain. So it was easy to get to. And I had, I guess for me the most incredible memorable experience was that I had a private experience with a shaman there.

Angela Tuell: 14:20

Oh, wow.

Kelly Magyarics: 14:20

Yeah. So it was like we went away from the crowds and the hikers. And we did a ceremony and he, I don't want to say it was like, I don't want to I don't want to call it a fortune teller experience. But he did mention some things and some things that were going on in my life. And he really just kind of had some insight that I thought was pretty incredible and very striking and special. And then he also when I returned to the hotel, he came over the hotel and did a payment to the earth ceremony. So we were able to him that had incense and it had different components, things that grow in Peru and you know, offering something. And again, that was like an insightful thing, thinking about things that were happening in my life and so it was very that was very, very special. So made this incredible place that already has so much energy and history and spirituality attached to it and then it just kind of added to it so it was very incredible.

Angela Tuell: 15:09

Yes, it's definitely - I mean the culture, the people that have...

Kelly Magyarics: 15:14

The pisco sours. The fish that was just fished right out of Lake Titicaca. It was like, so fresh and unbelievable. So delicious. Yes.

Angela Tuell: 15:25

So how do you prefer to experience a new destination?

Kelly Magyarics: 15:29

So I would say I'd like a mixture of, on and off the beaten path experiences. So for sure, I want to go and see if there's something that's just that it's just renowned for, and it's sometimes up to you. It's like that it's just a, you know, a can't miss experience. And I want to do that for sure. But then I do like to go to the restaurant that nobody goes to. And that's not in any of the guidebooks that no tourists knows about or the bar that's just the locals go to that we can get to some incredible food or drink or an experience that most people aren't going to get to experience. So yeah, so I like that kind of that balance of on and off the beaten path, I would say.

Angela Tuell: 16:08

What about some of your worst travel experiences? You know, we've all had missed flights, accommodations that didn't turn out as expected. I'd love to hear maybe your worst or how you make the best of a trip that doesn't go as planned?

Kelly Magyarics: 16:20

Well, I've been fortunate I feel like I haven't had that many terrible. Now I'm jinxing it for sure.

Angela Tuell: 16:24

It's great. I should - right, knock on wood.

Kelly Magyarics: 16:27

And I - let you know that I know there are people that hate actual you actually hate the process of airline travel and I love going to airports, you know, unless it's like a total disaster and it's super crowded, or there's something going on, like I love the ener- even when it's so like crowded, somewhat crowded. I love the energy. Because you know, people are for the most part doing what some people are doing work travel. And you can tell they're frustrated. But a lot of people are traveling around usually, you know, a lot of times or going somewhere fun or just coming back from somewhere fun. And I'd love that energy. But I guess the the most recent experience I had that wasn't so great was on the way back from an amazing trip, which was in Petite St. Vincent, which is a private island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I went there this summer. And I took it an acoustic guitar workshop. And this island was incredible. We had to fly through Barbados. And so on the way back, we took the plane, the small plane from the island to or a boat ride from Petite St. Vincent to a larger island and then took a small plane ride back to Barbados. And then that flight from Barbados to Miami was oversold. And so they said I was in it. Were there anybody willing to give up their seats. And my boyfriend I said, Of course let's do this, because they were willing to give us$1,200 vouchers each and a night in Barbados, like this is great. And they said we're gonna put you at a hotel right by the beach. And we're like, this is incredible. What what they didn't tell us they slap this bracelet on. And they they sent us in a shuttle. We got to the hotel, and the front desk clerk said okay, well now you know, you have to stay in your room until you leave tomorrow morning. And we're like, What do you mean? They said, because you hadn't stayed on Barbados. So you hadn't actually fulfilled the quarantine requirement, even though you have had a negative COVID test. So you're not allowed to leave your room. So they put us in an ocean front room. So my face is like against the glass. And I know this is a first world problem because I just come back from an island, blah, blah, I'm not going to get sympathy from a lot of people for this, I understand. But it just was so ironic. So there we are. And it was a Sunday night, nobody could deliver food, everything was closed. So it's like we had these really sad burgers from the hotel, we're looking at our window, whatever. I would say, Guess what I did copy. What I learned from that is in the age of COVID, if you are going to give up your seat, make sure you learn the fine details about like, you know, do I am I going to be locked in my room? Can I go around the outline? Where am I? And what you know, did I not fulfill the requirements in order to be able to travel freely so. But we still have you know, it was we got the $1,200 Voucher. So that's burning a hole in my drawer right now. So we're going to use that as well.

Angela Tuell: 19:00

That's great advice. Definitely. What other travel advice do you have?

Kelly Magyarics: 19:04

So actually just read an wrote an article about this like, kind of like travel hacks and tips. I don't think it's posted yet. But um, just some random things. I'm a big fan of picking the best seats on the plane. So I use, I use, if I'm not familiar with the aircraft and I am a big plane nerd. So I write for The Points Guy and some other publications. I'm huge plane nerd. So I look at sites like Seat Guru, if I'm not familiar with a particular aircraft to see like what they say are the best phones but I love the emergency exit row. And if it's multiple emergency exit rows, pick the second one because the one in front. Usually you can't recline, so you're not gonna be able to recline. I like bulkhead because you get all that floor space. You can put your things, your carry on under the seat, but you get a lot more leg room. I subscribe to Scott's Cheap Flights which is this incredible website where they send you these great deals sometimes their mistake fares as far as actually, when you're traveling. I always always pack really smart snacks. So For that, I'd like to pack jerky because it's protein and it, you don't have to refrigerate it, it doesn't go bad. It doesn't spoil doesn't need refrigeration. I like dark chocolate and dried fruit. Because I mean, those are like meal substitutes, if you know you're not going to be, you're going to miss a meal or whatever, those are good things to have. Bring extra power for your devices. So the external ports or external drives are always good. Lately, because a COVID I've been packed, I've been traveling with straws and my carry on bag, because you know, you have to like you can remove your mask to drink. But it's really a pain of doing that. So you just put a straw in your cup, and then it's easy to just keep sipping. And I'll even pass them out to the people around me because they appreciate that. So that so and then as far as I know, people freak out. Like they're like, oh my god, where's my boarding pass, where's my you know, passport. So always put it in the same place in your carry on the same pocket the same whatever, then you always know where it is. So that's it, that's a tip for that. And then I'm always cold on a plane. So I always pack a lightweight blanket because you can't really rely on the ones that they have, again, because a COVID they're not always getting access to them or not able to sanitize them, whatever. So bring your own blanket if you get cold. And what were the most comfortable mass my favorite mask is by a company called Swaddle Designs. And it was you can buy them online, they were designed by a nurse, they're triple ply. They're the most effective non medical grade mask on the market. And they are super comfortable. And they wash really easily. And they're Yeah, they're great. So those are the masks that I use all the time, especially when traveling so

Angela Tuell: 21:27

Awesome. I'm going to be going to that website, as soon as we end here. Going back to food and wine a little bit. What are some of the most interesting things you've learned in the wine and spirits world?

Kelly Magyarics: 21:40

Um, let's see, I would say that, I feel like there are a lot of - specifically wine makers and when I just am distillers both, some of them have really had unique paths to get where they are, I feel there are a lot of people that have pivoted and this is their second or third career. So they either started out, I feel like a lot of people started out in tech like I did, or they started out in finance or science or something. And then they use those skills and translate those skills to something that's more along the lines with their passion. So I guess what I learned from that is that it's never too late to reinvent yourself and that you can also reinvent yourself 2 - 3- 4 times within your life right so. That, for one thing, also as far as bartenders, good bartending - bartending in general is hard. Um, I know that from - I've never actually worked as a bartender but I have taught some some cocktail classes at resorts and oh my gosh, even trying to talk and make drinks and and not forget to put something in or not forget to remember if you did put the ingredient in it like it's hard.

Angela Tuell: 22:41

Yes, I did that for a short time in college. So

Kelly Magyarics: 22:43

Yeah, so I really have such respect for for bartenders, and then also, I guess, there were apparently never going to run out of space on a back bar shelf for spirits because every day there's a new tequila or a new gin or vodka that's released so apparently there is an endless thirst for those spirits, so...

Angela Tuell: 23:04

I know there was there was a little bit of a movement for non alcoholic drinks but I don't know that I've seen that last very long.

Kelly Magyarics: 23:12

Yeah, I just received something another spirit of non alcoholic spirit I forget the name of it the other day but yeah, I mean it's it's an interesting niche for sure. And it is it's cool if you want some it's if you want something that's more flavorful than a club soda and you know cranberry juice or whatever. Or it can also be used in cocktails to moderate it to make the alcohol content a little bit less so I mean, that's an interesting category for sure. But I think especially during the pandemic, people are like they're looking for things that are double the alcohol not no alcohol, right?

Angela Tuell: 23:40

Right and all the all the countdown calendars for the holidays and the wine.

Kelly Magyarics: 23:44

Oh, yeah, the um, yeah, exactly. The ad - the wine advent calendars and the yeah, those are so fun.

Angela Tuell: 23:51

Before we go I do have to get your advice on adult beverages specifically. So I know you love wet martinis and champagne. Please give us all your tips and what you recommend.

Kelly Magyarics: 24:00

Well the number number one I would have to say and it's something that feel like when I mentioned it to people either they get it and they've had it and they're like as passionate about it as me or they don't understand it or have never heard of it. But my favorite food and wine pairing out of everything in the world is champagne with fried chicken. Specifically Popeye's. So yes, so if you think about it, it really makes sense and it also goes for other fried food - french fries, potato chips, whatever. But, you know, if you think about champagne or any traditional method sparkling wine. I also love love cremant, I love really good stuff in California you know I like cava so but basically it's basically acts like a palate scrubber right. So all those bubbles will like just kind of get rid of the greasiness in your mouth, get you ready for another bite of fried chicken and then that cuts your mouth and then you're like Oh, I'm ready for another sip of champagne. So really is one of the well for me it's the best. If you don't want to if you feel like you don't want to spring champagne, you know you feel like it's takeout Tuesday for sure. You can get high quality, traditional method sparkling wine. That's not as expensive as champagne but yeah, that's so that for me, that's number one. The advice I have about champagne is if it's a mind it's a life changing, mind blowing food pairing. I think.

Angela Tuell: 25:10

I'm gonna have to try that. What kind of champagne do you recommend?

Kelly Magyarics: 25:13

My gosh, well, so I love, um, for champagne. My favorite like just in general. My favorite one of my favorite houses is Billecart-Salmon and I love their Brut Rose. So I think Rose champagne with Popeye's, with fried chicken, works really well just because you think about a lot of times you think about like having roast chicken, people say oh have Pinot Noir or have Rose so I think it's kind of along the same thing. It has a little bit more structure and a little bit more flavor to it. So but I really I'm an equal opportunity lover of champagne. I mean, I will drink I will drink any any bottle that.

Angela Tuell: 25:45

I feel you on there.

Kelly Magyarics: 25:47

And then as far as martinis Yeah, don't be afraid afraid of vermouth. I think the people that are like, Oh, I only like super dry martinis. And if you do and you've tried wet and you don't like them, then you know again drink what you like, but I feel that people that are like afraid of trying a little bit of vermouth their martinis or it's because the vermouth has been on the shelf for years and it's just gone. You know, because vermouth is a wine so it really should be refrigerated it should be ideally consumed within a couple of weeks or at least, you know, a couple of months and so if you really have a high quality vermouth, I like Dolan I like some of the other ones and it's kept night you know, it's kept stored properly. That I mean if you put more than a splash I think it's lovely and I love a reverse Martini too. So put you know half an ounce of gin and two ounces of vermouth if you want to really decrease the the ABV and kind of do something that's more of an aperitif style. I like to use orange bitters in my Martini. I think it adds just that nice bright drop of citrus and then I prefer a lemon peel. But I also could be persuaded to do an olive if I want something savory and I'm a gin purist. I mean, I really think that that's what a martini is. But again, if you like vodka, then cheers to you. So

Angela Tuell: 26:57

What are your favorite gins?

Kelly Magyarics: 26:58

Oh my gosh, I love Gin Mare. I think that's, that's a really cool, it's a Spanish gin and it's it goes along with that savory thing I was talking about. So for that I would do an olive because it's got rosemary, I think it is actually infused with olive. For classic brands, I went to visit Beefeater and Plymouth on a press trip about 10 years ago. So they will always have a special place in my heart for sure. But and I love those are, I think, good classic, you know, all around just very versatile brands. But then some of the more modern styles. I like the the Botanist is really lovely. I like Blue Coat Gin. I'm from Pennsylvania originally, so it's nice to have to have Philly represented there. And I like Hendrix has a new, I think it's a limited edition expression. That's a lunar gin. That's actually very lovely. So and I love how lately a lot of the brands have been playing with botanicals and more floral elements and kind of having a more of a kind of, I don't know, I hate to use the term feminine. I know people use that for flowers and stuff, but just a more kind of, you know, floral based or, you know, yeah, pretty gin, I guess. And those it kind of like is it's different if you don't, if you don't aren't into like that juniper, peppery note. Those are kind of some other expressions that you might prefer or it's just nice to switch it up, too, sometimes too. So

Angela Tuell: 28:14

that's great. Just like reading your articles. You've given me so much to go explore and try now. So thank you so much for joining us. It was it was fabulous. And I look forward to working with you in the future.

Kelly Magyarics: 28:25

Sure. Well, thank you so much for for having me. It was a great opportunity to chat about all things travel and food and wine and spirits. So cheers.

Angela Tuell: 28:35

Cheers. You can find Kelly on Instagram and Twitter at KMagyarics or on her website at KellyMagyarics.com. We will also have links in our show notes. That's all for this episode of Media in Minutes, a podcast by Communications Redefined. Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to our show. We'd love to hear what you think. You can find more at CommunicationsRedefined.com/podcast. I'm your host, Angela Tuell. Talk to you next time.