Beer Busters

Just in time for Philly Beer Week 2021, we catch up with Executive Director of Philly Loves Beer (the organization behind beer week), Christina Dowd. At the start of the show, we address the ongoing wave of reports of sexism and harassment in the beer industry. The outpouring of stories was sparked by an Instagram post by Brienne Allan, production manager at Notch Brewing in Salem, Massachusetts – and has sadly reached into all corners of the industry, including Philly Loves Beer. Lightening the mood after a difficult, bust necessary discussion, we go on to talk about this year's Philly Beer Week and how it will be different this time around. As COVID restrictions begin to ease, this year's celebrations will be a combination of in-person and virtual events – including our free Love Letter to Lagers Virtual Happy Hour, more info here. Dan was absent from the beginning of the episode but was able to join us just in time for the Happy Fun Time Game, this time a mash-up called, Is There Weird in My Beer? We sipped a few brews throughout, but the focus this time around was more on the topics at hand than the liquid in our glasses. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This episode is a Beer Busters first, dedicated entirely to non-alcoholic beer. Joining us is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hairless Dog Brewing, Jeff Hollander. The Minneapolis based production brewery produces exclusively alcohol-free beer. And it's for real. Most "NA" beers are brewed traditionally – alcohol and all – and then have the booze removed, leaving a product that can legally be up to 0.5% ABV. Hairless Dog, however, has developed a process in which alcohol is never introduced at all, it is truly 0% ABV. While this concept may be a bit foreign to us, the demand for non-alcoholic, yet flavorful beers is on the rise. We chat about the many situations this product would be super welcome, whether you're cutting out the booze entirely, want to cut back, or just to slip in on those occasions where you have a drink in your hand all night and your not really counting those sips. Try as we might, though, Jeff would not divulge the process – who can blame him? Also, we played There's Weird in My Beer in Happy Fun Time, and sampled the trio of brews currently available from Hairless Dog. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Joining us this episode are Tom Baker, longtime owner of Earth Bread + Brewery, and now founder of Bar Hygge in Philadelphia, along with Duffy Lonergan, brewer for Bar Hygge's on-site Brewery Techne. We talk about Tom's long and storied history in the world of beer, Duffy's (less long and storied) background and what brought him to Brewery Techne, and a whole lot of other various and occasionally random things. And, this episode's Happy Fun Time Game is Libation or Fabrication: Pandemic Edition (Again). All of this while partaking of the following beverages produced by Brewery Techne. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This episode we share some brews with our longtime friend, Dain Shirey, from St. Boniface Craft Brewing in Ephrata, PA. This year the brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary, so we took a trip down memory lane and discussed the history of St. Boniface as well as our long association with the brewery (including the birth of "no squids were harmed"). Starting with the founding of the business in 2011, all the way up to opening a full-service restaurant amid the pandemic last year. We also talk about current and future plans, including the fate of Bonifest. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosts a round of There's Weird in My Beer Booze. All while we sip on some fine Boniface beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Joining us this episode is Laura Lacy, Co-Owner (along with her husband Todd) of Attic Brewing in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Open just over a year, Attic proudly serves a wide array of beer styles, offering limited delivery service within the city. We talk about opening a brewery just before the pandemic hit, how Laura and Todd ended up in Philadelphia and why they wanted to open a brewery, how they are giving back to the community, and much more. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosts a round of Libation or Fabrication, and all the while we sip on a trio of stellar Attic Brews. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This episode features audio from our recent live virtual happy hour segment as part of the 2021 Philadelphia Grain and Malt Symposium. We were joined by our friend Nate Kresge, Founder of Harrisburg-based media production company, GK Visual in a panel discussion along with a lineup of people from the brewing industry including, Dan Hershberg from Workhorse Brewing, Dain Shirey from St. Boniface Brewing, and Tom Baker from Earth Bread + Brewery. Our discussion centers on the creative solutions the industry has employed in the face of a challenging year, and what the industry looks like moving forward. It all starts with a demonstration on DIY pizza dough making, and tips for making your own homemade pie, from pizza legend and James Beard Award winning chef, Jeff Michaud, owner of Osteria Philadelphia. The event is produced by Deer Creek Malthouse in partnership with USciences, and sponsored by DirectLync. This episode also includes a segment with Moo-Duck Brewery and Pour Man's Brewing that was meant to be included in the previous episode, but fell through the cracks. Ryan from Pour Man's talks about their exciting new project, the Lancaster Brewers Guild. We can't wait to see where it goes and we are sorry it got missed in the last release. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Moo-Duck Brewery in Elizabethtown and Pour Man's Brewing in Ephrata are longtime friends of the podcast and longtime friends of each other, regularly collaborating and brewing at each others' facilities. Mike Brubaker from Moo-Duck and Ryan Foltz, Sam Son, and Mike King from Pour Man's join us this episode to chat about their collaborations, new developments at each brewery, continuing to navigate the post-COVID world, and more. In Happy Fun Time, we play a round of Bad Beer Reviews – a game about the most colorful commentaries on BeerAdvocate.com. All of this, and much more shenanigans, while we enjoy a solid lineup of brews from both breweries. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Welcome to a slapdash, socially distant installment of our annual Valentine's Day-ish tradition of a beer and food pairing session with Greg Orth, founder of Craft Tastings, LLC. Since we were unable to proceed in our normal fashion – gathered around the pool table in the Beer Busters basement with whiskey, popcorn, surprises, bacon, grilled cheese, or lots of chocolate – this time around we tried a free-for-all quarantine pairing. With various beers from our beer fridges and snacks from our pantries, we mixed and matched through the most DIY and off-the-rails Craft Tastings episode to date. In the midst of the madness, we played a round of There's Weird in My Beer in Happy Fun Time, and talked a lot about snack foods. As Greg likes to say, if you're drinking beer and eating snacks, you can't go wrong. We also caught up with our friend Mark Brault from Deer Creek Malthouse to chat about our involvement the upcoming Philadelphia Grain and Malt Symposium. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

For the first time since the before times, we catch up with our good friends from Mad Chef in Lancaster, PA. Joining us this episode are Co-Owners Francisco "The Real Slim Cheffy" Ramirez, Greg "Just Greg" Kendig, and Brewer Pim "Dutch" Harmsen. We talk new beers and old favorites, the effects of COVID on the business, and a very exciting update on the future at Mad Chef. There is also a not unsurprising amount of tomfoolery, as Francisco, the Mad Chef himself, exudes irresistible joy everywhere he goes. In Happy Fun Time, we played a round of no frills Libation or Fabrication. All this while sipping on Mad Chef brews, and a few others sprinkled in for good measure. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This episode we are joined by Kaitlin McCall, Co-Owner of McCall Collective Brewing, and her brother-in-law and Brewer, Matt McCall. Allentown's first fully female owned brewery, McCall Collective opened in August of 2020. We discuss what lead the McCall's (along with Co-Owner, and Kaitlin's husband, Chris) to open a brewery, Matt's brewing history, the pressures and changes necessitated by open among the COVID pandemic, and more. Dan does some news (remember that?), reporting on the winners of the Pennsylvania Farm Show's craft beer competition – among them are two McCall beers. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Bad Beer Reviews (check out our gameshow videos on YouTube), while sipping on various brews. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Joining us for our first podcast in the New Year, is Todd Reinhardt, Brewer at Brü Daddy's Brewing Company. We chat about the history of Brü Daddy's, some medal-winning beer, their new entry into canning, and more. Todd also talks about his brewing history, from working his way into Two Rivers Brewing, then onto Free Will, before landing at Brü Daddy's. In Happy Fun Time Games, we play a round of There's Weird in My Beer, a game all about beers with bizarre ingredients. (Which is also available in video form on our YouTube Channel.) All this while Steph sips on an array of Brü Daddy's brews, and Dan and Wayne polish off some more beers from recently featured brewery, Shy Bear Brewing. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

It's the most wonderful time of the worst year ever! What better way to celebrate the holiday season and the merciful end of 2020 than to drink and chat with some old friends. Joining us, in succession, for our Christmas episode this year are: Kevin Keller, who we first met through Hop Hedz Gear and has gone on to work for Evil Genius and found Prototype Brewing and Meadery. Next up is Mark Graves, currently at Cape May Brewing, we've followed Mark from Manayunk Brewing, to Flying Fish, and beyond. And, last but not least, our good friend and long time patron, James Lamberg – one of the nicest and most generous friends of Beer Busters. We sip of seasonal brews, chat about all kinds of things, make merry, and – oh yeah, we played Libation or Fabrication with Mark, and there will be another video version of that coming soon to our YouTube channel. Wishing all of our listeners, friends, and family a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and hope for a brighter New Year. Cheers! Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

One of our favorite pandemic activities is getting goofy with our good friend Ethan Buckman, Co-Owner and Brewer at Stickman Brews. In this episode we chat about Stickman's new experimental series, selling beer to go, supporting small businesses, and (mostly) random conversations that straddle the line between poignant and absurd. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Bad Beer Reviews, the game all about the crazy things people write on BeerAdvocate.com. Also, we tried something new…look for the video version of the episode's Happy Fun Time Game on our YouTube channel (yes, we do have a YouTube channel – we almost forgot too.) All this and more, while we partake of a generous array of Stickman Brews. (We also mentioned Dan's recent standup performance, which you can watch here if you're into that sort of thing. Dan starts at 51:42 but you should watch the other comics too!) Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

The last on-location podcast episode we recorded before the Coronavirus pandemic shutdown was at Stolen Sun Brewing in Exton, PA. Several months and wildly off-the-mark predictions later, Stolen Sun founder, Jonathan Zangwill returns to the podcast under very different, socially distanced circumstances. We discuss the expansion of the brewery, recent projects, dealing with COVID and more. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of There's Weird in My Beer, all about brews featured in this year's Extreme Beer Fest (Cyberspace) hosted by Beer Advocate. All of this and so much more, as we sample a healthy array of Stolen Sun brews. Oh yeah, and we also talk about that time Dan ate yeast. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Joining us this episode is Mike LaRosa, Director of Brewing Operations at New Trail Brewing in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Opened in April of 2018, New Trail has become one of the most talked about breweries in the state in its relatively short lifespan. Part of that success can be attributed to our guest, LaRosa's long and impressive resume in the beer industry. We chat about this and what led him to New Trail, as well as distribution updates, collaborations, and – of course – how the brewery has navigated the challenges of COVID. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosts a round of origial-flavor, no-nonsense, Libation or Fabrication. All this and more, while we sip on a selection of New Trail brews, that showcase the breweries chops beyond their hugely popular lineup of IPAs. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This episode we are joined by Ashleigh Carter, Head Brewer and Co-Owner at Bierstadt Lagerhaus, a traditional, lager-focused brewery in Denver, Colorado. Right up front, we discuss the "slow-pour pils" and why it's worth waiting for your beer (a conversation we also had – with samples – back in Episode 173 at Victory Brewing). We also talk about the appeal of lagers and the traditions of European and, specifically, German brewing. Other topics include glassware, distribution and control over product quality, and more. As has become the norm, we have a lengthy conversation on the impacts of COVID on the industry at large and the struggles at Bierstadt specifically – including how it has forced them into canning. After that, we lighten things up as Wayne hosts a round of There's Weird in my Beer in Happy Fun Time. Then more talking and drinking. That's kind of our whole thing. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We're joined this episode by Jason Ufema, owner of Shy Bear Brewing in Lewistown, PA. With a focus on hospitality and creating a destination experience, Shy Bear features a full service kitchen, live music and events, and – of course – a long list of diverse and tasty brews. The brewery launched on St. Patty's Day in 2018 and quickly became a favorite spot in the community. Our conversation ranged from Jason's experience in hospitality, his family's coffee business, staying afloat during COVID, and much more. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Oktoberfest-inspired Bad Beer Reviews. All while we sampled a solid lineup of Shy Bear beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This year, Sly Fox Brewing will be celebrating their 25th anniversary, and it's been too long since we checked in with this staple of Pennsylvania beer. Returning after his appearance way back in episode 114 is Sales Director and member of the founding family, Peter Giannopoulos. Joining him are newcomers to the podcast Keith Maynard, Philadelphia Area Market Manager, and Sarah Jagiela, Marketing Manager. We talked about the upcoming anniversary, dealing with COVID, the revival of Reading Premium, plus some breaking news about upcoming releases and the fate of the 360 Can. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Band, Beer…or Both? All the while sampling Sly Fox brews new and old. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

February 2020 was a time when Corona was just a beer, social distance meant cancelling your Friday plans to watch Netflix, masks were for surgeons, and Human Robot opened their doors in the former Saint Benjamin location in Philadelphia. Despite the subsequent slow-motion train-wreck apocalypse, the new brewery has managed to thrive with a solid offering of top class beers. We are joined this episode by two of the team behind Human Robot, Ken Correll and Chris Roller. Throughout a night of often random and meandering conversation, we discuss a few relevant topics such as: the history of the brewery, their philosophy and approach to beer, and the analog trolling of Memphis Taproom (one of our favorite spots in Philly, of which Ken is a co-owner). In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a game all about weird beer fests, from the before-times when they were still a thing. All of this and more, over copious servings of Human Robot's best brews. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

It's hard to believe we've done 200 episodes of Beer Busters. One fateful day way back in the Spring of 2013, Dan and Steph sat down with a slapped together recording set up in Steph's basement and nervously tried to talk about beer in an insightful and entertaining way. Soon Wayne joined and, before we knew it, we were travelling to breweries far and wide (relatively), recording on site at festivals and other events, and constantly being shocked that people not only listened to us, but took our little project seriously. Unfortunately, here at 200 episodes, we are in a socially distant, Zoom call phase. But we're still having a blast and connecting with amazing people. For better or worse, this milestone episode was nothing like the giant live event for our 100th. The world has changed a lot since then, and, honestly, so have we. It so happened that, in the course of following the Black is Beautiful beer project, we connected with the only distillery (so far) involved in it. McClintock Distilling and Idiom Brewing in Frederick, Maryland joined forces to create both a Black is Beautiful beer and a whiskey distilled from that beer. At the top of the episode, we chat with Braeden, co-founder and distiller at McClintock and Mike Clements, owner and brewer at Idiom, while sampling this unique pair of beverages. For the rest of the episode, the three of us embarked on a marathon tasting of all the various Black is Beautiful beers we've collected over the last few months. We rambled, unfettered from guests to interview (still remains to be seen if that was a good idea), about topics both trivial and consequential. We also revisited one of the first ever iterations of Libation or Fabrication in an impromptu Happy Fun Time Games segment. So, that was fun. Whether this is the first or 200th episode of Beer Busters you've listened to, we would simply and sincerely like to say: Thank you. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

What had been scheduled long in advance as an on-site podcast recording for Pour Man's second anniversary became, in the age of Corona, another socially distant podcast. That didn't stop the fun, though. Sam and Ryan first appeared on Beer Busters when we were at Pour Man's in Ephrata, PA for episode 164, in which we had a pretty raucous evening. They return along with long-time partner, Mike King, to chat about the latest at the brewery, adding canning, expanding their offerings and distribution, doing deliveries, and planning a second anniversary event amidst the pandemic. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of There's Weird in My Beer … and Two Cocktails. At the top of the episode, we sampled another Black is Beautiful beer, this time a Brown Ale collaboration between Tröegs and Harris Family Brewing. In a rare feet of planning and organization, the guys were kind enough to get us a handful of their beers ahead of time so we could actually drink the product made by the people on the show. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon

No quarantine would be complete without getting a little Naked. For this socially distant episode we caught up with our old friend, but somehow first-time podcast guest, Hannah Gohde. Hannah recently joined Naked Brewing Company as their head brewer after years of brewing at Free Will. We talked about what brought Hannah to beer and - ultimately - to Naked Brewing, got some details of exciting new beverages on the way, and had a spirited discussion about inclusion and diversity in the craft beer community. Dan reported on yet another new hard seltzer entering the market and Wayne hosted a round of Libation or Fabrication (At the Movies). All while we drank various and sundry brews, because there's not much else to do these days. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We kick off this episode by catching up with Ryan Ludwig, owner of Rebel Hive Meadery in Reading, PA. As we sip some of the fine honey wine, we chat about Rebel Hive's new bottle shop in West Reading, mead slushies, taster packs, new varieties, and much more. Then we head into the meat of the episode with Dan Hershberg, owner of Workhorse Brewing in King of Prussia, PA with a tap room in Philadelphia. Workhorse brews have been a main stay for us keeping our sanity during quarantine with their city-wide delivery available in Philly. Over cans of some of their summer releases, we chat about how the company has navigated the challenges of the COVID pandemic, new beer releases, and their work with various charities. On the topic of philanthropy, Wayne hosted a game all about craft beer's long history of working for the greater good, with the winners nominating charities that Beer Busters and Workhorse will be donating $197 to, in honor of our 197th episode. The chosen charities are: True Colors United – https://truecolorsunited.org/ Black Lives Matter Philly – https://www.blmphilly.com/ Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This episode we present a series of interviews around the Black is Beautiful Beer Collaboration Project. Over 900 breweries representing every state in the US and over 17 countries around the world have joined the effort to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged. We start off the episode with the man who started the project, Marcus Baskerville, Founder and Head Brewer at Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio, Texas. Next, we are joined by Timothy White, Jr., one of the founders of the first wholly black owned brewery in Pennsylvania, Harris Family Brewing in Harrisburg. Harris Family has joined in the project with several brew day collaborations with Love City Brewing, Two Locals Brewing, and Tröegs. Finally, we catch up with our old friend, Sam Masotto, owner of Bonn Place Brewing in Bethlehem, PA. Bonn Place brewed their version of the Black is Beautiful beer with another local, minority owned brewery, Country Club Brewing and has committed to donating the proceeds to black-owned small businesses. Part of this project is encouraging breweries to commit to the long term work of promoting equality in their businesses. Though we're not brewing a beer, we are committed to making a concerted effort to do our part to promote diversity and representation in the world of beer. If you would like to learn how you can help support the black community in the struggle for justice and equality, Black Lives Matter has provided a comprehensive list of resources here: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

We start this episode with a conversation with our old friend Dain Shirey from St. Boniface Craft Brewing about their latest venture, a new restaurant and bar in downtown Lititz, PA, Tied House. Then, it's on to another socially distant episode with the founders of Pilger Ruh Brewing, brothers Tyler and Conlan Budwash. Still under construction, the new brewery is set to open in Pottsville, PA later this year or early next. The pair are also the brains behind the Schuylkill County Brew Fest, which was unfortunately cancelled this year (like every other beer fest) due to COVID-19. We discuss the plan for Pilger Ruh, the beer scene in "the skook", collaborations, and more. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Bad Beer Reviews. And we all drank various and sundry brewskis. In solidarity with the recent protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, we are suspending our Patreon pledges for the month of June, and encourage our patrons to instead donate to charities and organizations that work to promote equality and support communities of color. Ways you can help – https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

At the top of the show, we interview Nate Kresge from GK Visual, the Harrisburg production company behind Brewed in the Burg, Poured in PA, and now a new ongoing docu-series, Poured in PA: The Series. With a more in-depth focus on the stories of craft beer throughout Pennsylvania, the series is available on YouTube, and coming soon to Amazon Prime. It's worth a watch, particularly episode 5, which features a few of your favorite podcasters. Then we dive into the main episode…While many small businesses are struggling during the ongoing shutdown, Hemauer Brewing is a bright spot – they've pushed ahead and opened their doors! Founder Brooks Hemauer joins us again after his last appearance, a mere six months ago, that now feels like a decade. In the news we talk about the new Sheetz/Neshaminy Creek collab Hot Dog Beer (seriously), GABF going virtual, and the closing of the 3Floyds Brewpub. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a brand new game all about Strange Shots and Curious Cocktails. All the while maintaining social distance and keeping ourselves properly hydrated. In solidarity with the recent protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, we are suspending our Patreon pledges for the month of June, and encourage our patrons to instead donate to charities and organizations that work to promote equality and support communities of color. Ways you can help – https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Given the recent protests that have arisen in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, we have decided to make an effort to use our platform to support the black community by stepping away from the microphones and sharing our space with the voices of that community. This episode, we present audio from a livestream by Dennis Guy, Co-Founder and CEO of First Sip Brew Box. As a black business owner and veteran, Dennis shares his thoughts on the current movement with a message of positivity and unity, while recognizing the pain and injustice that has persisted in our society for far too long. This is followed by the audio from a recent episode of The Daily Sip, a video series hosted by Dennis, in which he has a conversation with Ralph Marion, aka The Beered Black Man, a craft beer enthusiast and blogger from Birmingham, Alabama, who promotes diversity and inclusivity in the world of beer. We are suspending our Patreon pledges for the month of June, and encourage our patrons to instead donate to charities and organizations that work to promote equality and support communities of color. Ways you can help - https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ --- Dennis Guy: First Sip Brew Box - https://firstsipbrewbox.com/ The Daily Sip - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAcngdzPwEchgQ2rC3uaj-w Ralph Marion: Website - https://beeredblackman.wordpress.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/beeredblackman/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/beeredblackman/

Quarantine continues, we're all stuck at home, but the podcast must go on! Since we've started this series of socially distant episodes, we've made a point to have guests on that we know well, really get along with, and that we can count on to keep us laughing. Few people fit those requirements quite as well as Ethan Buckman, co-founder of Stickman Brews. Unfortunately, our field-promoted, honorary fourth Beer Busters, Kevin Keller, couldn't join us for this one. But, we soldier on and engage in riveting conversations about dick pics, creamy cocktails, Oreo beer, and the worst Wawa in America. We also talked about Stickman's work with Laurel House and their Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, a Men's March Against Rape, Sexual Assault, and Gender Violence. Steph reported on the Sly Fox Bock Fest and Goat Race going digital. And Dan took over the job of Happy Fun Time Games host and lead us in a round of Stay the Fuck Inside, a drinking game made for social distancing, and supporting COVID-19 relief, including proceeds donation to Meals on Wheels. We drank, we laughed, we forgot about how crazy the world is for a little while. Hopefully this episode can help you do the same. Cheers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Our socially distant series continues and we catch up with some old friends, John from Free Will Brewing and Brandalynn, who we first met at Zeroday Brewing and is now at Haymaker Meadery. Anyone who knows beer in Pennsylvania has heard of these two. John is a widely respected brewer who helped make Free Will one of the most popular breweries locally and beyond. Brandalynn has contributed to the alcohol industry in our home state in so many ways, wearing more hats than the Queen of England. In this episode we discuss the effects the pandemic has had on their respective companies and the industry as a whole, as well as some thoughts on where things go from here. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne presented a general trivia game all about Corona…the beer. All this and more while we each drank from our quarantine stores of beer. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Because we still can't go anywhere, we've returned for another socially distant podcast! We were joined once again by our friend and beer industry guru, Kevin Keller. This time Wayne was unfortunately unable to join - he was away in the distant, magical land of West Philadelphia (where he was neither born nor raised). We moved things around a little bit...Steph delivered some uplifting beer news, and Dan led his own version of Happy Fun Time Games. We all drank various beers, and Kevin told us about his fun new way to infuse more flavors into some already delicious brews. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there. Cheers to you all! Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Welcome to our first podcast from the end of days! We couldn't think of anyone better to help us try to be silly in the current environment than our old pal, Kevin Keller. He's worn many hats in the local beer industry, but is venturing deeper with his new project, Prototype Brewery & Meadery. There was supposed to be a pretty rad event with several local breweries in attendance, but it's been postponed to make sure everyone involved can be as safe as possible. There was no news or Know Your Beers, but we did somehow find a way to play a recycled version of Happy Fun Time Games from 7 years ago. And most importantly, we made each other laugh while supporting some of our favorite breweries, while practicing social distancing. We sincerely hope everyone out there is safe and healthy, and can't wait to raise a pint with you in person as soon as we're allowed. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This episode was recorded just before the pandemic roared into full swing, businesses like Stolen Sun were still operating mostly normally – but there was already unease. We brought sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to the recording, but we weren't yet living in full-on quarantine mode. Obviously, the subject of Corona came up, though not immediately, and we tried not to talk about it at length. We did address the uncertainty small businesses were facing – an uncertainty that has, unfortunately, only grown since. If your reading these words while all of this unpleasantness is still happening, please support local businesses like Stolen Sun any way you can. They are adapting, offering curbside pick up and delivery, trying to keep their livelihoods intact and their families, employees, and customers safe. If you're reading this in the future, maybe try to send a tweet back in time and tell us everything will be ok. All that said, this episode is not really a bummer, we promise. We drank and made merry and talked about a host of non-existentially threatening subjects. We played Libation or Fabrication and learned about malt varieties in Know Your Beer. Stay safe, stay sane, and – above all – take care of each other. Cheers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We return again for a night of rabble-rousing and spirited conversation to Naked Brewing in Huntingdon Valley, PA. Joining us are podcast alums Jim and Dave, as well as Beer Busters virgins Kevin and Shawn. With the sweet sounds of live music by Mojo & The Helper Monkeys wafting in the taproom, we discuss Naked's upcoming second location in Bristol, their involvement with Pink Boots Society and the Bold Women & Beer Festival (spoiler: we'll be podcasting there), tap room etiquette and more. Our bellies were filled with amazing vegan sandwiches and mac and cheese courtesy of Un Soul Food, and we even got a chance to chat with owners, Bryon and Natasha Dockett. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Libation or Fabrication, and Steph taught us all about the beer/cider hybrid, graf, in Know Your Beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This was quite an epic night. It began with crowlers of helles and pilsner (nice) and ended with drunkenly driving farm equipment around the property (not that we condone such activity – we are professionals on a closed course). Warwick Farm Brewing is a "family owned and operated Brew Farm that produces high quality independent beer on a historic farm in Bucks County Pennsylvania." It's also a pretty cool place with some pretty awesome people, two of which – Ryan and Tim – sat down and shared some brews and stories and barely kept the show on the rails. Also, Dan fell off a chair. In the news, we talked about the closure of Stoudt's Brewing. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Bad Beer Reviews. And Steph talked about unfiltered beers in Know Your Beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Honestly, we could podcast here every episode. In fact, our guest and one of our favorite people in the beer industry, Ethan from Stickman Brews, has his own podcast. It's called Bad Beer and High Prices and features Ethan and partners Jim and Kate. You should check it out. You should also listen to this episode of Beer Busters. Unfortunately, the rest of the crew were ailing and couldn't join us. But, Ethan is more than enough for an episode chock full of honesty, ranting, and laughter. We discuss Untappd, Yelp, selling out, the prevalence of drugs in the food/beverage industry, and much more. Dan reported on the news, including the acquisition of Press Seltzers by Constellation Brands. Wayne hosted round two of There's Weird in My…Booze in Happy Fun Time. We skipped Know Your Beers to allow for more drinking and chatting. After this, check out our previous Stickman episodes here, here, here, and here. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Our old friend Greg Orth, Master of Flavor, returns for the 7th year in a row for our annual Valentine's Day-ish tradition. Over the years, Greg – founder of Craft Tastings – has lead us through a wide variety of beer and food pairings. We started with chocolate, then moved on to a much wider array of snacks from bacon to popcorn and beyond. This time around, we come back to chocolate but swap out the beer for whiskey! Greg has been experimenting with using whiskey for his specialty pairing events, and we were more than happy to be his guinea pigs. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of There's Weird in My…Booze. And, Steph, being out of her comfort zone, channeled our friend Lew Bryson in a Know Your Bourbon segment. After all of that, you will be surprised to learn that we actually remained relatively sober throughout the evening. Like real adults. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

After joining us for several years at Harrisburg Beer Week's Little Big Beer Fests to promote his upcoming brewery, Brooks Hemauer finally gets his own dedicated podcast episode. Since Hemauer Brewing is not quite yet open, however, he was kind enough to make the trek to the Beer Busters Basement. We talk about how Brooks got into brewing, why he decided to open a brewery, what that brewery will look like, and a lot about digging holes. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosts another round of Libation or Fabrication: GABF 2019 Edition. And, Steph takes a dive into the Oatmeal Stout style in Know Your Beers. Plus, we sample some of Hemauer's brews and a few other surprises. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

With Nick Cox and Tim Kreider at Cox Brewing Company In this episode we take a trip to Rheems, PA to hit up the veteran owned and operated Cox Brewing to chat with owners Nick and Tim. We discuss their shiny new brewing system, expansion plans, connections to Rheems, and much more. Dan reports on the sale of New Belgium Brewing (which was fresh news when we recorded this). In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosts a round of Bad Beer Reviews: Hazy Edition. And Steph talks about the process of backsweetening in Know Your Beers. All the while we sip on a pleasant panoply of Cox beers. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Another pod in our back yard in the City of Brotherly Love, we set up shop at Philadelphia's Love City Brewing with owners Kevin and Melissa. We talk about the journey to opening the brewery, the history of the amazing building that houses it, the Philly brewing community, and more. Dan lead with the (now somewhat old) news about more craft brewery acquisitions. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Libation or Fabrication: GABF Edition. (The punishment this time around was provided by one of our patrons, Jill Chivers. Check out our Patreon to find out how you can watch the losers suffer through it.) In Know Your Beers, Steph gave us the scoop on Smoked Porters. All the while we sipped on the amazing beers Love City has to offer. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We return once again to our favorite hometown beerfest, Brewphoria 17 at Canal Street Pub and Restaurant in Reading, PA. This is our sixth year running as podcasters-in-residence for this amazing night of beer, music and food. It is the first time, however, that Steph was not with us. (She seems to be skipping all the fest episodes, her loss.) We welcome back some old friends, and meet some new ones, nestled in our corner booth at this historic and cozy establishment. As usual, the night was a blast and we had some excellent brews and awesome conversations. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We're back at Moo-Duck Brewery in Elizabethtown, PA (for the first time since 2015) for their 5 year anniversary celebration. Joined by founders and owners, Kristen and Mike Brubaker, we catch up on all the amazing things Moo-Duck has been up to over the last few years. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of First Born Brews and in Know Your Beers, Steph went over some barrel-aging tips for homebrewers. All while we sipped on some exciting new brews and some old favorites – including the annual anniversary release, King Slava Imperial Stout. Slava is Naked (aka not barrel aged) in the episode proper, we sip on the barrel aged version in Last Call – patron-ears only! Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We drop in on the lovely town of Ephrata, PA once again, this time to visit Black Forest Brewery and chat with Owner Bob Harter and Bar Manager Eric Sears. On a crisp fall morning (this might be the record for the earliest podcast recording in Beer Busters history), we discuss the inspiration for and story behind Black Forest and the attached 1777 Americana Inn Bed & Breakfast. We also dive into upcoming expansion plans and marvel at Black Forest's commitment to producing Reinheitsgebot-abiding brews. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of There's Weird in My Beer and Steph continued the long-running series of hop-ucation in another Know Your Beers all about German hops. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

After three years, we finally return to the Delaware Museum of Natural History for one of the most unique beer/wine/food events we've been lucky enough to be a part of. Now in its 13th year, the annual Wine & Dinosaurs festival serves to raise funds for the museum with an evening of wine and beer tasting, hors d'oeuvres, live music and more. Dan and Wayne are left to try to keep it together without Steph (and – more importantly – Rich), but with the help of our good friend and patron, Ron McDonel, things went perfectly. This was once again a great chance to tap into a beer scene that we don't often get to, in the great state of Delaware. And, as expected, The First State does not disappoint with a stellar lineup of amazing beers, from awesome breweries and cool people. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

It's been a year already. We return to the Second Annual Pennsylvania Dutch Brewers Fest at the Reading Liederkranz German Club in our hometown. This unique beer fest featured home brews from local homebrew clubs alongside commercial beers from area breweries. There was live music and awesome German food as locals sampled the craft of the regions finest home brewers and professionals alike. We chatted with members of the various clubs, as well as some of the commercial breweries on hand, and more. Prost! Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We return to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement to sit down with Chuck and Lou, two guys with a big vision. With many years of experience in the worlds of food and beer, the pair envision re-creating long-lost beers that helped establish Philadelphia as the brewing capital of America. In the news we talk about and taste the Sheetz and Evil Genius collab beer, Project Brewberry Muffinz. Wayne hosts a round of Brewery or Forgery in Happy Fun Time. To the shock of no one, Steph continues her Know Your Hops series, this time with German hops. All the while we sip on a variety of beers from the vaults, and even some patron homebrew. Unfortunately, since the recording of this episode the Ür Brewery project has been abandoned after a long struggle to secure financing. After listening to our incredible conversations with Lou and Chuck, we are certain you will agree that that is an enormous shame. There is still hope, however, that the dream will be realized in some form and we would love to see that happen. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

In the space that once housed Broken Goblet, we set up shop at the soon-to-open Second Sin Brewing Company in Bristol, PA. With CEO Mike Beresky, Facilities Manager Phil Harris, and Head Brewer Jake Howell, we chatted about where these three came from, how they decided to open a brewery, what Second Sin will look like, and much more. In the news, Dan reported on the acquisition of Platform Brewing by AB-InBev (it was fresh news when we actually recorded this). Wayne hosted a round of There's Weird in My Beer in Happy Fun Time. And, Steph continued her Know Your Hops series with Part…8?! Also, we drank beer. It was good. Keep your eyes peeled for when Second Sin officially opens their doors, Facebook is probably a good place to start. Plus, in our Patron-exclusive bonus segment, Last Call, we drank some really…interesting (Patron provided) beers. Support us on Patreon to get the inside scoop. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

We return once again to Levante Brewing in West Chester, PA and the usual madness ensues. Joining us are President Tim Floros, CMO Jim Adams, and Head Brewer Greg Harris. In a secret back office we plowed through cases upon cases of delicious Levante cans while discussing exciting new beers, collaborations, beer delivery, and some rather uncouth things about muppets and much more. Plus, we sampled the new line up of really tasty seltzers (all the cool kids are doing it) released under the name ReVibe. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Bad Beer Reviews. And, Steph continues her one-thousand-part series on hops in Know Your Beers. This one is off the rails from the jump – you'll laugh, you'll cringe, but you'll also learn a thing or two…we promise. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

This one's been a long time coming. We finally made it to one of Pennsylvania's best known breweries (and one of our long-time favorites), Victory Brewing Company. At the original Downingtown location with founder and owner Bill Covaleski, we talked about the history of Victory, exciting new innovations, the past, present, and future of craft beer, and so much more. Tap room Head Chef Jeremy Hammond lead us through some beer pairings with new brews and new dishes, and talked about the experience at Victory. Plus, we dug deep into the packaging design and marketing with Senior Graphic Designer Bobby Zwahlen, and ruminated on how this cornerstone of the beer world has shaped our palettes and lives with long time super-fan Justin Grilli. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne hosted a round of Libation or Fabrication: Backstory Edition. And, in Know Your Beers, Steph taught us all about the beauty of the Slow Pour. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Once again we bravely tread outside our comfort zone, this time with an episode all about mead. Rebel Hive Meadery is a newly-established, award-winning mead-making outfit, headed by husband and wife team Ryan and Meghan Ludwig. At their new production facility (to include a future tap room) housed in a beautifully restored location in Reading, PA, we sat down with the pair to sample their amazing honey-based libations and chat about the business, their history, and the world of mead. This episode was recorded with a pretty long lead time before release, so rather than bring you old news, Dan forwent the news altogether – giving us more time to bask in the rare occasion to learn about a product we are relatively unfamiliar with. Continuing with the theme of booze beyond beer, Wayne hosted a round of There's Weird in My…Wine in Happy Fun Time Games. And Steph shared some tips on making mead at home (home-meading?) from BYO Magazine. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.

Another Ephrata Brewfest, another beautiful sunny day at Whistle Stop Plaza. We've been to every Ephrata Brewfest since it debuted in 2016, but this year we recorded a podcast on site for the first time! Joined by many old friends from the amazing breweries in attendance, as well as several new-comers to the show, we got to chat and sample some incredible brews. The show kicks off with Patrick Reed, one of the fest's founders, and the good times continue to roll all day. There are so many beer festivals out there, and we are lucky to be able to pick and choose the best to bring to your ears. This is definitely one of the good ones and we can't wait to return next year. If you want to check out our adventures from past Ephrata Brewfests, you can eye up our photo galleries and past coverage here. Do you love Beer Busters? Of course you do! Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.