Best Barman Podcasts (2026)

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What is Quantum? 26:28

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9h ago26:28

26:28

Quantum theory – our best understanding of the world at the smallest level – is famously weird and notoriously confusing. It’s a theory that seems to say particles can be in two places at once, or somehow “know” if you’re looking at them. Or at least, that’s what you might have heard. But is that really what quantum theory tells us about reality? T…

1
Your First 4 Weeks Sober – What Really Happens And How To Get Through It... 50:19

2d ago50:19

50:19

Warning: This episode contains an alarming amount of chat about a mysterious stranger called Derek and more casual mentions of “minge” in the first four minutes than any of us could ever have anticipated. It is funny, honest, slightly feral… and absolutely not one for the school run. Best enjoyed with headphones on and children safely out of earsho…

1
Sober? Me? Where Do I Start... 56:34

6d ago56:34

56:34

New Year, New Liver? Feeling a bit "delicate" this morning? Maybe you’ve just woken up with a UDI (Unidentified Drinking Injury), a loaf of bread for a pillow, or you’re currently hiding under the duvet until the 3rd of January. In our first episode of 2026, Hame and Vic are whispering a warm welcome to the "sober curious," the "done-with-hangovers…

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LTTG | South of Midnight #15 - Chapter 14: Midnight 27:27

6d ago27:27

27:27

Hazel va chez sa grand-mère, pour respecter la promesse faite à Roux. / Hazel goes to her grandmother's house to keep the promise she made to Roux. South of Midnight est un jeu développé par Compulsion Games et édité par Xbox Game Studios. / South of Midnight was developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. Ce podcast est à voc…

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The Life Scientific: George Church 26:29

7d ago26:29

26:29

"My ideas are often labelled as impossible, or useless, or both. Usually when people say that I'm on the right track." George Church is a geneticist, molecular engineer, and one of the pioneers of modern genomics. He's also someone who makes a habit of finding solutions to the seemingly impossible. Over the course of his career so far, George devel…

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New Year’s Eve - Don’t just survive it – Outsmart it! 46:24

9d ago46:24

46:24

In this gloriously unhinged episode, Vic and Hamish find themselves in that awkward festive no-man’s-land between Christmas and New Year – gravy-stained, confused about the day, and dangerously close to eating a whole tin of Quality Street in one sitting. But fear not. Among the leftover potatoes and peri-menopausal meltdowns, your sober elves are …

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Our Annual Christmas Poem - From Two Sober Elves 3:18

13d ago3:18

3:18

🎄 Merry Christmas from Sober Awkward! 🎄 It’s that time of year again, the crackers are cracking, the mulled wine is flowing, and somewhere in the chaos, a sober legend (yes, you) is standing strong. We know how awkward, emotional, and just plain weird Christmas can be when you’re doing it booze-free, so we’ve brought back our annual Sober Awkward C…

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LTTG | South of Midnight #14 - Chapter 13: Past Isn't Past 32:53

13d ago32:53

32:53

Hazel revit la séparation avec sa mère, et doit affronter Kooshma, dernier obstacle à de réelles retrouvailles. / Hazel relives her separation from her mother and must confront Kooshma, the last obstacle to a true reunion. South of Midnight est un jeu développé par Compulsion Games et édité par Xbox Game Studios. / South of Midnight was developed b…

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The Life Scientific: Gareth Collett 26:29

14d ago26:29

26:29

Movies might have us believe that bomb disposal comes down to cutting the right wire. In fact, explosive devices are complex and varied - and learning how to dispose of them safely involves intense training, as well as the ability to stay calm under pressure. This was the world of Dr Gareth Collett, a retired British Army Brigadier General and engi…

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Your Awkward Christmas Toolkit 40:36

16d ago40:36

40:36

If the idea of a sober Christmas makes you break out in a festive sweat, clutch a mince pie for emotional support, and whisper “Lord, give me strength,” then this episode is your new best friend. This week, Mrs Santa (Vic, with her saggy boob and questionable stuffing) and her long suffering festive sidekick Elf Hamish dive headfirst into the spark…

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Remember when Hamish was a sober baby? 22:41

20d ago22:41

22:41

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward! Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes. Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep…

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The Life Scientific: Sonia Gandhi 26:28

22d ago26:28

26:28

Many people will be familiar with Parkinson’s disease: the progressive brain disorder that causes symptoms including tremors and slower movement, leading on to serious cognitive problems. You might not know that it’s the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Today it affects around 11.8 million people and that’s forecast to double by…

1
Clare Pooley: How I Inspired Millions to get Sober through 'The Sober Diaries' 47:47

23d ago47:47

47:47

In today's episode, Hame sits down with the wonderful Clare Pooley. The globally celebrated author who's blog and subsequent book 'The Sober Diaries' has been been named as THE book that helped so many of our listeners get sober so it felt only right to invite her on! This fascinating conversation ranges from how she labelled and overcame her 'wine…

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Sober Stories: Putting the ‘O’ back into Sober by Verity 11:21

25d ago11:21

11:21

Welcome to the final edition of our Sober Stories! After the overwhelming response to a recent writing competition during which we asked you to share your JOURNEYS to sobriety (the good, the bad and the ugly!), we felt compelled to take things a step further. We asked, you wrote, and now we're sharing the incredible, hilarious, and heartwarming sto…

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LTTG | South of Midnight #13 - Chapter 12: The Crossroads 38:06

27d ago38:06

38:06

Hazel reprend la recherche de sa mère, menée à un carrefour par le Passeur. Elle se retrouve ensuite dans une ville fantomatique. / Hazel resumes her search for her mother, led to a crossroads by the Ferryman. She then finds herself in a ghost town. South of Midnight est un jeu développé par Compulsion Games et édité par Xbox Game Studios. / South …

1
Can I ever have a relationship in Sobriety? 25:04

27d ago25:04

25:04

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward! Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes. Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep…

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The Life Scientific: Mark O'Shea 26:29

29d ago26:29

26:29

How do you feel about snakes? What about highly venomous ones? For Mark O’Shea, close encounters with the world’s most rare and deadly snakes are not only his profession, but his passion.Mark is a Professor of Herpetology - the area of zoology focusing on reptiles and amphibians - at the University of Wolverhampton. After dropping out of college in…

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Will I Ever Trust Myself Again? (Yes. And Here’s How…) 47:27

1M ago47:27

47:27

In this week’s Sober Awkward, Vic and Hamish dive into one of the biggest, stickiest, most awkward questions in sobriety: Can I actually trust myself again? Vic opens up about those final blurry days of drinking when she couldn’t even trust herself to say “no” to a jelly baby, let alone a vodka soda. Hamish admits he’s never trusted Vic with a map,…

1
Sober Stories: Debbie's Journey 10:27

1M ago10:27

10:27

Welcome to our new weekly shortened episodes - Sober Stories! After the overwhelming response to a recent writing competition during which we asked you to share your JOURNEYS to sobriety (the good, the bad and the ugly!), we felt compelled to take things a step further. We asked, you wrote, and now we're sharing the incredible, hilarious, and heart…

1
Are you 'Sober' in your dating profile? 25:59

1M ago25:59

25:59

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward! Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes. Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep…

1
LTTG | South of Midnight #12 - Chapter 11: Muddy Waters 45:00

1M ago45:00

45:00

Hazel, suivie par Honey, explore un bateau et rencontre une nouvelle créature à apaiser. / Hazel, followed by Honey, explores a boat and encounters a new creature to calm. South of Midnight est un jeu développé par Compulsion Games et édité par Xbox Game Studios. / South of Midnight was developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studi…

1
Waking up with a different voice 26:28

1M ago26:28

26:28

What’s it like to wake up with a brand new voice? For those with foreign accent syndrome, this is their reality. Patients who develop this rare speech disorder start speaking in a brand new accent that they often have no connection to. So how does losing the voice you’ve known your entire life shape, or break, your identity? Presenter Ella Hubber s…

1
Who’s Really in Control – You or Alcohol? 38:07

1M ago38:07

38:07

So, you think you’re in control of your drinking. You’ve got rules. You don’t drink before midday. You smashed Dry July. You’re not as bad as your mate Dave. But deep down… is alcohol really calling the shots? In this episode, Vic and Hamish rewind the clock to those sneaky early days when they both tried to prove they were totally in control of th…

1
Sober Stories: Our Anonymous Prize Winner! 8:12

1M ago8:12

8:12

Welcome to our new weekly shortened episodes - Sober Stories! After the overwhelming response to a recent writing competition during which we asked you to share your JOURNEYS to sobriety (the good, the bad and the ugly!), we felt compelled to take things a step further. We asked, you wrote, and now we're sharing the incredible, hilarious, and heart…

1
What happens when you have a month off booze? 18:07

1M ago18:07

18:07

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward! Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes. Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep…

1
LTTG | South of Midnight #11 - Chapter 10: Light in the Darkness 38:37

1M ago38:37

38:37

Hazel suit l'ombre de Mahalia pour trouver sa mère. Elle doit aussi jouer à cache-cache avec une nouvelle connaissance, Honey. / Hazel follows the spirit of Mahalia to find her mother. She also has to play hide-and-seek with a new acquaintance, Honey. South of Midnight est un jeu développé par Compulsion Games et édité par Xbox Game Studios. / Sout…

1
The animal employment agency 26:28

1M ago26:28

26:28

We live in a time of automation and robotics; the machines run the factories, and AI will soon take all the jobs. Yet, even today, there are certain niche jobs where only an animal will do. Comedian and biologist Simon Watt meets some of them and the people who train them, study them, and love them. He starts with a business of ferrets (yes, that i…

1
Brewers Droop 54:41

1M ago54:41

54:41

This week, things get steamy… or rather, extremely awkward, as Vic and Hamish dive into the sweaty, slippery world of sex and sobriety. From brewer’s droop and boozy blunders to the awkward reality of sober intimacy, this episode explores how alcohol shaped our sex lives — and what happens when the booze is gone and the lights are on. Vic shares ho…