22 – Devil’s Wine and Maritime Time – NYE Traditions

About the Episode

New Year’s Eve. The one night a year Americans stare at an enormous glowing orb sliding down a flagpole and wonder where the hell the fireworks are.

In this episode, we talk about the fraudulent father of champagne, and how one immigrant made a giant tetherball a permanent resident in Times Square. Tune in as we fill 2021’s time capsule, talk about when New York City has spoiled exciting New Year’s Eve plans, and discuss how well birds can see skyscrapers.

Subjects Covered

New Year's Eve • Champagne • Sparkling Wine • Christopher Merret • Kenelm Digby • Sir Robert Mansell • Dom Pierre Pérignon • Méthode Champenoise • Méthode Traditionnelle • Jean-Antoine Chaptal • Madame Clicquot • Veuve Clicquot • Times Square Ball Drop • Longacre Square • Adolph Ochs • Times Tower • Walter F. Palmer • Times Square Ball • 2011 MTV Ball Drop • Snooki New Year's Ball Drop • New York City Bird Deaths • New York City Bird Collisions • New York City • One Times Square •

Sources

• National Geographic - Oct. 2020 - Birds are Crashing into NYC Buildings in Record Numbers
• NYC Audubon - Project Safe Flight - Helping Birds Migrate Safely Through NYC
• BBC - Did the English invent bubbly before Dom Perignon?
• Champagne Gallery - Dom Perignon - the man and the myth
• Wikipedia - Christopher Merret
• Wikipedia - Kenelm Digby
• Wikipedia - History of Champagne
• Wikipedia - Madame Clicquot
• Wikipedia - Jean-Antoine Chaptal
• BallDrop.com - Times Square New Year's Eve Parties
• Times Square - New Year's Eve History
• Times Square - Ball Drop Fact Sheet
• Wikipedia - Times Square Ball
• YouTube - Wendy Williams on Snooki's 2011 Ball Drop
• MTV - Snooki's NYE Ball Drop Moved to Jersey Shore
• YouTube - Watch Snookie Drop on New Year's Eve
• YouTube - History of the Times Square Ball
• Upworthy - The Shopping Cart Theory Supposedly Determines Moral Character
• YouTube - How It's Made - Champagne