6 minute read
Screening Spirits - Into the Drink
INTO THE DRINK
Into the Drink is a travel show like no other, taking viewers beyond the map and into the unknown. It’s an intoxicating celebration of exotic destinations near and far featuring electric diving, colorful people, eclectic nightlife and vibrant spirits. Each journey Into The Drink introduces viewers to local breweries and distilleries and dives into regions around the world shared by some of the most mystifying creatures in the ocean. Into The Drink’s host, Nick Lucey, guides us through the sights, sounds and even the smells from some of the most unique local spirits to the poshest of vineyards; from the tide’s ebb to the captivating wrecks, whales and adrenaline-pumping marine life in the middle of the deep blue sea.
How doEs your sHow tIE IN dIvINg ‘INto tHE drINk’ aNd sEarcHINg for a ‘coLd drINk’? When we first announced the concept of a show about scuba diving and drinking … it was a little taboo within the diving industry. A lot of people take diving and safety very seriously -- and rightfully so -- and the notion that the two could be married in the same show was met with … let’s just say, a little resistance. Point is, millions of scuba divers enjoy the sport they love and a cold adult beverage at the END of the day. And that’s all we’re doing: enjoying the underwater world, some new cultures, and then celebrating it all with a cocktail. Is that so wrong? you HavE LoggEd tHousaNds of dIvEs IN HuNdrEds of dEstINatIoNs. wHat was tHE crazIEst tHINg you HavE ENcouNtErEd dowN tHErE? That’s actually an easy question. Last August when we were filming an episode on the Big Island of Hawaii, we were doing a popular night dive where manta rays congregate by the dozens. We were wrapping up the dive when all of a sudden one of the mantas accidentally hooked onto one of our cameraman’s underwater rigs and carried it off hundreds of yards while the camera was still rolling. We were fortunate that the manta dropped the camera practically under our dive boat, lights pointing up so we could find it easily. Another cameraman caught the whole event on video and we produced a video that scored half a million hits on YouTube. Not only was it an amazing experience but it was also a great viral marketing tool. Talk about win-win. Google “Manta Mugs Cameraman” on YouTube and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
TELL us AbOuT INTO THE DrINk’s MANTrA “sAvE THE fuN”. Public consciousness these days is focused squarely on the preservation of certain species -- “save the whales,” “save the dolphins,” “save the sharks” … which is all fine and dandy, mind you. But we are challenging people to ask themselves, “who’s looking out for the fun?” We just want to remind people that traveling and enjoying the underwater world is fun. Oddly, so many people forget that. IT Is sO COOL THAT vIEwErs CAN LITErALLy TrAvEL ALONG wITH yOu TO THEsE DIvE IsLANDs AND HANG IN THE NIGHTCLubs Or bArs AfTErwArDs. HOw MANy fANs wILL usuALLy MAkE THE TrIp? We’ve done trips where there have been anywhere from four to eight joining us. We get a lot of repeat customers because we have so much fun on these trips. Anybody can book a vacation anywhere in the world, but there aren’t too many opportunities to travel with a television film crew as they’re filming the actual show. The obvious advantage is that the resorts and dive operations tend to roll out the red carpet for us. Needless to say, you’ll be treated like royalty. Plus, if you want to get involved in the production and get on camera, the odds are great. The less obvious advantage that you learn is that there are some great people out there and we tend to attract the best. We have so much damned fun on our on-location trips, it ought to be illegal. yOu HAvE vIsITED sO MANy pLACEs ALL OvEr THE wOrLD. wHICH ONE Of THEsE pLACEs HAs THE bEsT NIGHTLIfE? wHAT MAkEs IT sO fuN? I’ve been to some pretty crazy places, but I’ve gotta say that the nightlife in Mexico’s Riviera Maya ranks among the best in the world. You’ve got the crazy, beer-soaked nightclubs of Playa del Carmen packed with sweaty European backpackers and Americans who’ve escaped Cancun, and throbbing techno music, but you also have quiet, romantic beach bars where the stars create your own private disco ball. And when it comes to nightlife, it’s all about choices, right? yOu HAvE ALsO TAsTED MANy DIffErENT CONCOCTIONs ALL OvEr THE wOrLD. wHAT Is THE bEsT COLD DrINk yOu HAvE COME ACrOss IN yOur TrAvELs? There is no colder, better tasting drink than the one you have immediately following a great dive. Something about the salt water, the immersion, the nitrogen. It makes that first sip of the beer almost truly orgasmic. JusT rECENTLy DIvErs fOuND THE OLDEsT bOTTLE Of bOOZE IN A suNkEN sHIp. wHAT Is THE MOsT INTErEsTING THING yOu HAvE fOuND wHILE DIvING? We encountered a ghost shipwreck about 22 miles off of the tiny island of Saba a couple episodes ago. The wreck was so remote that you literally could not see any boats (or islands for that matter) in every direction on the horizon...nothing but blue sea. You’ll have to stay tuned for that episode, I think our footage was better than National Geographic’s. THIs Is yOur fIrsT sEAsON AND yOu HAvE sO MANy MOrE pLACEs TO TrAvEL. Is THErE A DIvE IsLAND IN fuTurE EpIsODEs THAT yOu ArE rEALLy psyCHED AbOuT vIsITING? I’ve got to say that I’ve been pretty jazzed about our Greece trip ever since we set it up. Sure, I get to check another country off my bucket list, but what’s really making me excited about this one is the history … I mean, Athens, the Acropolis … submerged antiquity. We’re diving the ancient Mediterranean for godssakes! It’s going to be epic. wHAT Is THE DEEpEsT DEpTH yOu HAvE bEEN TO? Divers don’t dive and tell. Let’s just say I saw God. HOw LONG HAvE yOu bEEN A DIvEr? My brother is to blame, he put a 7-millimeter wetsuit on me and threw me into Lake Superior back in 1987. My first dive was to 130 feet on a wreck in 40-degree water with no sunlight. Defying all reason and common sense, I was immediately and inexplicably hooked. wHAT Is yOur fAvOrITE THING TO DrINk wHEN yOu ArE NOT DIvING INTO THE DrINk? I’d like to say that I sip a rare, expensive wine or obscure single malt, but the fact of the matter is, I grew up in Wisconsin, so I like beer in any shape or form. The best drink is always the one you’re enjoying with a good friend over great conversation.
WhEN TO WATCh: sATurDAy hDNet 9:30am ET & 12:30pm ET AMGTV 4:00pm ET Tuff TV 11:30am ET & 6:30pm ET
