I was impressed the first time I happened upon Drinking Made Easy, the alcohol-fueled travelogue that currently airs on HDNet. I expected it to be a show about dudes in backwards baseball caps, the kind who never outgrew their fraternity days, traveling around from city to city getting wasted on stupid drinks.

There is some of that—inveterate cable TV host Zane Lamprey is definitely in possession of the dude vibe, albeit in a sweet way—but what is remarkable about the show is the borderline-nerdy sense of curiosity with which it approaches cocktail-making, brewing, distilling, and so forth. Drinking Made Easy and Three Sheets, its international counterpart, have some truly legit moments in between the chugging and the French fry-eating contests and the general stumbling about. (I don’t have a problem with such activities, some might even say I have a proclivity for them. But I don’t love watching strangers engage in them on TV. Unless we’re talking Jersey Shore. But that’s a totally different thing. Apples and oranges.)

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens when Lamprey and crew come to Seattle in August to shoot an episode of the show. Last I heard locations were still being locked in—I have checked in with a rep and will let you know when there are details to share. (Also: if you have any suggestions, pop them in the comments and I’ll send them to her.)

While in town, Lamprey will be performing songs from his forthcoming album at Showbox at the Market on Saturday, August 6 from 9pm to 1am. (Tickets are available on his website). "Drinking Made Easy" shoots the following week.

Below, a taste: Drinking Made Easy visits Anchor Brewing in San Francisco.