Beer Busters

With Theo & Brandalynn Armstrong at Zeroday Brewing We’ve been spending a lot of time in Central PA. This time in Harrisburg, we hit up Zeroday Brewing to chat with owners Theo and Brandalynn Armstrong. There was an unusual amount of talk about hot tubs. Dan got us up to speed on some news including an interesting new offering from Sam Adams and a beer protein drink. In Happy Fun Time we tested how well the Zeroday duo and Beer Busters co-hosts really know each other in The Drinking Game and Steph taught us about the world of firkins in Know Your Beers. And, of course, we drank of the delicious Zeroday nectars.

With Adam and Diana Dellinger at Sunny Brae Hops Once again in Carlisle, PA, this time to visit Sunny Brae hop farm with owners Adam and Diana Dellinger. We talked about the inspiration for and challenges and triumphs of starting a hop farm as first-generation hop growers. Returning the favor from our previous episode, Zach Ziegler from Molly Pitcher also sat in. Dan got us up to speed with news including a child named Miller Lite and a milestone for American breweries. Wayne also chimed in with news of a distribution deal for the Blood, Sweat, & Beer documentary. We played Hopscotch Part Deux in Happy Fun Time and Steph beerducated us on hop aromas in Know Your Beers. All amidst sipping on an array of brews made with Sunny Brae hops as well as a few other special treats.

With Zach Ziegler at Molly Pitcher Brewing Company We took a trip out to Carlisle, PA to Molly Pitcher Brewing, next to the cemetary where the famous Revolutionary War namesake is memorialized, and sat down with Brewmaster Zach Ziegler for the usual chatting, beer and some shennanigans. There were also some cameos by next episode’s guest, Adam Dellinger from Sunny Brae Hop Farm and our good friend Chelsie Markel from Stouts and Stilettos. Dan brought the newsiness with stories about NFL beer prices and Metallica beer cans. In Know Your Beers, Steph taught us how to prepare for a beer festival. And we played a brand new Happy Fun Time Game about weird old beer recipes. As always, we sampled a scrumptious lineup of brews.

The 18th Annual Capital City Invitational Beer Festival at Appalachian Brewing Company Returning once again to the stage at the Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing in Harrisburg, we set up shop at the 18th Capital City Invitational Beer Fest to sample the amazing array of local brews and chat with the brewers, owners, reps and others pouring their quaffs. Some old friends returned to the mic and we met some new ones as well. Kicking things off were Artie Tafoya, Director of Operations, and Adam Cole, Head Brewer for Appalachian. Then we ran down the line and enjoyed the plethora of good beer and good people. Be sure to check out our previous appearances at ABC: Last year’s Capital City Fest and the Little Big Beer Fest during Harrisburg Beer Week.

With Josh Oliver, Mark Brault, Scott Welsh &Josh Fryauff at Deer Creek Malthouse We took a trip out to Deer Creek Malthouse, a small craft malting operation in Glen Mills, PA and sat down with the crew to chat about the process of malting, the challenges and advantages of producing malt in the region and to sample a long list of beers from area breweries that use Deer Creek malts. Dan ran through some news including some exciting happenings with our friends at Evil Genius. We played Libation or Fabrication in Happy Fun Time and Steph and the Deer Creek crew talked about the malting process in Know Your Beers. Be sure to check out our video we shot at Deer Creek back in April to get yourself amped up for this episode release.

Mike Manning from The Colony Meadery& John Rowe from County Seat Spirits Housed in the same building as HiJinx are two other purveyors of craft beverages, The Colony Meadery and County Seat Spirits. After hanging with the HiJinx guys we invited Mike from the meadery and John from the distillery to sit down with us and share some of their delicious creations. We were taken out of our beer tasting comfort zone and treated to quite an educational experience with these different nectars of fermentation. Mike and John are just as passionate about their craft as any of the brewers we’ve met and having these three businesses in one spot makes for quite a unique experience.

With Curt Keck and Chris Beckerat HiJinx Brewing Company We had an evening of tomfoolery at HiJinx in brewing in Allentown, PA with co-founders and brewers Curt and Chris. Our gracious hosts talked about their brewing history, their adventures at HiJinx and more. Dan gave us the low-down on some news including Wheaties beer and some sports! themed bantering on beer cans. We played There’s Weird in My Beer in Happy Fun Time, Steph talked about one of her favorite days of the year, Zwanze Day in Know Your Beers. Plus, as always, we sampled a wide variety of excellent HiJinx brews, complete with table service and some exclusive treats!

With John Companick at Spellbound Brewing For our first podcast recording outside the bounds of our home state of Pennsylvania, we took a trip to Spellbound Brewing in Mt Holly, New Jersey. Co-founder John Companick sat down with us to talk about the brewery, the beers and to make fun of us for being from PA. Also making a cameo was our good friend Mark Graves, formerly of Manayunk Brewing, now with Flying Fish. We met Mark (aka Rockin’ Gravy, aka Slimy Sauce) when we recorded at Manayunk last November. Dan brought the news including an update on Goose Island’s Bourbon County, we played Libation or Fabrication, Steph beerducated us on alcohol content and we sampled an extensive lineup of truly excellent Spellbound brews.

With Tom Sheridan at Do Good Brewing We sat down with owner Tom Sheridan at Do Good Brewing to chat about all the good he’s been doing. Tom talked about the brewery’s begininnings, plans for expansion and how everything Do Good does helps charity. Dan brought the news, including some lists, a new beer for the apocolypse and the latest w00t stout. Wayne debuted a brand new game (christened “Are You Smarter Than a BJCP Judge?” by Steph) and we learned about proper beer storage in Know Your Beers. And, of course, we sampled some Do Good brews.

With Tim Patton & Christina Burrisfrom Saint Benjamin Brewing In a historic building where beer was once hauled on horse-drawn carriages in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, we set up amongst the shiny and releatively new brewing equipment at Saint Benjamin Brewing Company with co-owners Tim Patton and Christina Burris. We talked about the history of the building, the brewery and the neighborhood as well as their hopes and plans for the future of all three. Dan gave us the low down on a beer that just might improve your eyesight, we played Band or Beer in Happy Fun Time, Steph beerducated us on Cream Ales in Know Your Beers and we, of course, sampled an array of excellent Saint Benjamon Brews.

Chester County Homebrew Fest 5at The American Helicopter Museum We set up shop in view of various choppers for the Fifth Annual Chester County Homebrew Fest, held to raise money for the local Elk’s Lodge. Event organizers Ken Delise, Troy Vogt, and Owen Winkler helped us kick off the show and chat about the event and its origins. Event sponsors and friends of the podcast, the crew of Levante Brewing Company also sat in and shared some of the awesome brews they were pouring. Then, we ran down the line of homebrewers and sampled a wide array of offerings all vying for Judges’ and People’s Choice Awards. We had an awesome time, seranaded by the tunes ofSubterranean Groove Theory and filled by the eats by Cornucopia Catering.

With Andrew Knechel from Bucks County Brewery We took a trip out to Bucks County Brewery in Pipersivlle, PA on one of their popular Food Truck Fridays to talk with owner, brewer and Renaissance Man Andrew Knechel. Andrew talked about the brewery's beginnings, trying to keep up with the demand for his excellent beers, some of his favorite concoctions and various other interests, hobbies and distractions. Dan shared his joy (misplaced, in this editor’s opinion) over Taco Bell’s recent decision to serve alcohol, we played There’s Weird in My Beer in Happy Fun Time and Steph gave us the low down on English Mild Ales in Know Your Beers. After recording and sharing Andrew’s delicious brews, we stayed to enjoy the tunes of The Mike & Brian Project and tasty eats from Phoebe’s BBQ and Mr. D’s Nomadic Kitchen.

Philly Beer Week Evil Genius Scavenger Hunt at Lucha Cartel Our good friends at Evil Genius invited us to be a part of their Philly Beer Week Old City Scavenger Hunt/Bar Crawl in which participants had to journey from bar to bar (sipping Evil Genius beers along the way) and participate in some activity at each stop. We held a Happy Fun Time Games Extravaganza at the last stop, Lucha Cartel, and the hunters had to step up to the mic and answer trivia questions to complete their beer-laden quest. Several of the Evil Geniuses also sat down to chat and we got to sample the debut 867-5309 IPA. Many questions were asked, prizes were awarded and craft beer celeb Ashley Rouston (aka The Beer Wench) happend to stop by and stepped up to the mic for a bit and talked about her book, The Beer Wench’s Guide to Beer. So that was pretty awesome.

With Dusty Wise from Canal Street Pub We return once again to Canal Street Pub in Reading, PA – where we set up shop for Brewphoria back in November – this time to dedicate an entire episode to Bar Manager and accomplished beer collector Dusty Wise (as well as a selection of other guests pulled from the audience). Before unloading a never-ending stream of brews from his collection upon us and our gathered fans, Dusty chatted with us about his beer and bartending history as well as the current state of craft beer. Dan brought the news, we played a new Happy Fun Time Game: Band or Beer and Steph gave us some stats about the craft beer industry in 2015 in Know Your Beers. And then, the beers…my god the beers…

With John Stemler from Free Will Brewing Company Kick off Philly Beer Week with this episode at Free Will with renowned brewer John Stemler. John won a raffle for a trip to Belgium to brew at Hof ten DormaalFarmhouse brewery in Tildonk. Tragically, the brewery suffered a fire in January. We recorded this episode at a fundraising event at Free Will. Aside from chatting with John about his brewing experience and his trip to Belgium, we spread the love of Philly Beer Week in both the news and Know Your Beers segments, and played a Philly-themed Years of Beers in Happy Fun Time Games. Also, a cameo appearance by our good friend Bart Kaminski from Hop Hedz who won a bottle of one of the highest-rated and rarest beers in the world, Trappist Westvleteren 12, in a raffle and was uber-cool enough to share it with us on the show to round out our tasting of the equally impressive Free Will brews.

With Greg Galczynski of Laureldale Libations Our scheduled guest for this episode had to cancel at the last minute and Steph sprung into a frenzy to track down a last-minute replacement. Saving the day was Greg Galczynski, a homebrewer who recently returned to the area after a stint living in the cradle of craft beer in Colorado. While living in the midwest, Greg met the guys behind Chain Reaction Brewing Company in Denver and he spoke highly of the young brewery. We also talked about his homebrewing adventures, attending GABF and other various beer talk. Dan gave us the skinny on craft beer offerings at MLB stadiums, we played Libation or Fabrication and Steph brought the knowledge on Rauchbiers. We also sipped some homebrews, including a Lambic by bonus guest Ron McDonel, as well as a trio of sublime offerings from 3 Stars Brewing Company.

On Stage at the HBG Beer Week Little Big Beer Fest at Appalachian Brewing Company For the second time the Beer Busters took over the stage at the Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing in Harrisburg, this time for the crowning event of Harrisburg Beer Week: the Little Big Beer Fest. The fest featured big beers from a limited number of local breweries. We managed to corral someone from just about every brewery represented (and a few other old and new friends) to come up on stage, sip some beers and chat. This was an awesome event and a fitting end to an incredible week of beer in Harrisburg, orchestrated by the ladies from Stouts and Stilletos and Sara Bozich. Here’s to hoping next year is even awesomer!

With Mike and Kristen Brubaker from Moo-Duck Brewery We took a trip to Moo-Duck Brewery in Elizabethtown on the ocassion of their six month anniversary and sat down with owners Mike and Kristen. Dan gave us the scoop on a class action lawsuit against MillerCoors and bottle opening teeth. Wayne presented the brand new HFTG Firstborn Brews and Steph brought the hard truth about calories in beer. We sampled an array of awesome Moo-Duck brews and learned some interesting facts on the backstory of their names. Oh yeah…and we had cupcakes. They were delicious.

With John Wible from 2nd Story Brewing We took a trip out to sit down with Head Brewer John Wible on the second story of 2nd Story Brewing in Philadelphia. John talked about his brewing history, how 2nd Story came to be and what has made this young brewery so successful. Dan ran down the newsiness including the cost of beer at ballparks, Wayne challenged John and his fellow Beer Busters to guess the top rated beers by style on Beer Advocate, and Steph beerducated us about Vienna Lagers in Know Your Beers. Of course, we sampled an array of truly spectacular 2nd Story brews, spanning styles from traditional German Lagers and English Ales to modern American IPAs and more.

With Sara Bozich of SaraBozich.com andTierney Pomone, Chelsie Markel, and Colleen Nguyen from Stouts and Stilettos The crew from Stouts and Stilettos, a blog focused on “real beer talk from real women”, Tierny, Chelsie and Colleen along with their partner-in-crime, Harrisburg nightlife writer Sara Bozich of the eponymous SaraBozich.com, joined us to talk about their magnum opus, the first-ever Harrisburg Beer Week. The ladies made the trek to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement (with Colleen on the phone) bearing gifts of beer from HBG Beer Week presenting sponser,Appalachian Brewing Company. We celebrated the Ladies Night theme with a Happy Fun Time Game all about women and craft beer and a Know Your Beers segment dedicated to the Pink Boots Society.

With Colin Presby & Tom Scoglio from Golden Avalanche Colin and Tom have both sat in on a few episodes of Beer Busters, but we finally got to visit them in their house at Golden Avalanche Brewing in the Kutztown Tavern in Kutztown, PA. We chatted about where the brewery has gone in the last year since Colin took over as head brewer, their plans for the future and more. News included a list and infographic, we played a brief new experimental Happy Fun Time Game, Steph taught us about Juniper Beers in Know Your Beers and we sampled some of the current Golden Avalanche offerings.

With Trevor Hayward and Luke Bowen from Evil Genius The Evil Genuises return once again to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement and the usual debauchery ensues. Luke and Trevor got us up to speed on the latest developments at Evil Genius Beer Company, including some new recruits. News included some craft alternatives for certain macro brews, some tasting notes on 170 year old beer and a discussion on a recent change to PA distribution laws. Steph continued giving us some sage advice on hangovers in Know Your Beers, we played What’s in My Glass? in Happy Fun Time and sampled two new Evil Genius offerings as well as a slew of other brews the gents were kind enough to bring along.

With Alexis Irvin and Chip HidenProducers of Blood, Sweat, and BeerPlus John and Andrew Gillespie On the phone from Washingto DC, we chatted with filmmakers Alexis and Chip about their documentary Blood, Sweat, and Beer about the explosive growth of the craft beer industry and the dramatic journeys of two start-up breweries. Also, joining us in the Beer Busters Podcast Basement were Beer Country John Gillespie and his brother Andrew, who came bearing a slew of southern brews. We played a new Happy Fun Time Game all about craft beer on TV and Steph taught us what we need to know about hangovers in Know Your Beers.

With Eric Santostefano and Tim Floros fromLevante Brewing Company Brothers-in-law Eric and Tim homebrewed together for seven years and spent four years putting together Lavante Brewing. We sat down in the just-ready-to-open brewery in West Chester, PA in view of the brand new 15 bbl brew system. While sipping three of their tentpole brews, we chatted about their brewing history and their vision for the company. The news segment featured an actual, for reals, printed newspaper (yes, they still make those). In Happy Fun Time, we played the never-gets-old (I hope) Libation or Fabrication, and Steph taught us how the pros say you should sample beer in Know Your Beers. Plus we shot a quick video tour of the facility after the podcast, so look for that soon on our brand new, super awesome YouTube channel.

With Greg Orth from Craft Tastings Greg Orth returns to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement for the second annual Valentine’s Day Mouthgasmic Extravaganza. Last year, Greg introduced us to the world of chocolate and beer pairing and we never stopped talking about it. Now, he returns to once again take us on a journey of flavor this year. Between the sweet goodness, Dan brought news including sewer beer and another list, Steph followed up her proper glassware series with a dose of knowledge on how to achieve the perfect pour in Know Your Beers and Libation or Fabrication got a little racier than usual in a special innuendo edition in Happy Fun Time.

With Andrew Rothackerfrom Lancaster Community Supported Beer Back in the Beer Busters Podcast Basement, Andrew Rothacker stopped by to talk about innovative new Community Supported Beer program. Dan got us up to speed on brew news involving endangered testicles, we played a Lancaster Breweries-Themed version of Years of Beers in Happy Fun Time, and Steph rounded out her three-part series on proper glassware in Know Your Beers. Our guest Andrew was kind enough to bring along some awesome brews from local Lancaster breweries, including a few special treats donated exclusively for his appearance on the show, and Steph broke out a concoction she procured on her recent visit to Carton Brewing in New Jersey.

With Dain, Jon and Mike from Saint Boniface Brewing Amongst the shiny new brewing equipment at Saint Boniface Craft Brewing Co. in Ephrata, PA, we sat down with Marketing Director/Co-Owner Dain Shirey, Head Brewer/Founder/Co-Owner Jon Northup and Sales Manager/Founder/Co-Owner Mike Price to chat about the company’s history, recent expansion, new canned beer offerings and more. Dan ran down the news, including breweries naming woes, craft beer on Delta Airlines and a new gluten-free brew from Stone. The ever-popular staple of Happy Fun Time, Libation or Fabrication, provided trivia and shennanigans. Steph continued to beerducate us on proper glassware in Know Your Beers. And we sampled an array of fine St. Boniface brews. (No squids were harmed in the making of this episode.)

With Brad Moyer & Steve Nott from Bube’s Brewery On an eerie rainy evening, we took a trip to the historic (and purportedly very haunted) Bube’s Brewery in Mount Joy, PA. While a murder mystery dinner played out on the floor below us we chatted with brewers Brad and Steve about their brewing history, the quirks and long history of Bube’s and the renewed focus on beer that the pair are bringing to the establishment. Dan got a bit spicy and a bit dusty in the news, we played There’s Weird in My Beer in Happy Fun Time and Steph debuted a new series of Know Your Beers segments all about proper glassware. And, of course, we sampled many ethereal Bube’s concoctions.

With John Gillespie, author of Beer Country Author, beer geek and now official Beer Busters contributing writer John Gillespie returns to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement to discuss his book and blog project, Beer Country: A Beer Geek’s Guide to Southeast Pennsylvania as well as a bit about what brought him to the world of craft beer and inspired him to undertake the project. Last time John was on the show we handed him the reins, this time we took them back. Dan did the usual news thing, we played Years of Beers and we sampled some awesome brews. However, we had to do something special so we decided to do a blind tasting of five “macro” brews. We all unanimously agreed on the most palatable and the result might surprise you. (Hint: it must be in our genes.)

With Joe Moran and Matt Kennedy from Outta Hand Brews Joe and Matt have been homebrewing together since 1994 and produced many award winning beers. We’ve been planning to have them on the podcast since the early days of Beer Busters and finally paid a visit to the Outta Hand barn in October...and then had to delay releasing the episode until now (sorry guys). But, good things come to those who wait. Surrounded by the pair’s enviable brewing setup, Dan ran down some (now a bit outdated but still interesting) news, we played Call My Beer Bluff: Headline Edition in Happy Fun Time, learned about Belgian Quads in Know Your Beers and sampled some sublime Outta Hand concoctions.

“Live” at Brewphoria 12 at Canal Street Pub Brewphoria at the Canal Street Pub in Reading, Pennsylvania is a semi-annual beer fest that’s brought some of the best breweries from the region and beyond to our hometown since 2007. At the suggestion of Beer Busters Besties Luke and Trevor of Evil Genius Beer, we were lucky enough to arrange to set up shop and record at this year’s edition of the event. Canal Street is truly a gem of the city of Reading (and the host of the Berks County Homebrew Club meetings) and the perfect venue for this legendary but not-over-crowded beer fest. After sitting down pre-game with our featured guests, the aforementioned Evil Geniuses, our ever diligent photographer/DD/brand ambassador Rich gathered up the representatives from the majority of the 19 breweries pouring there to sit down, share some beers and chat a while.

“Live” at Brewphoria 12 at Canal Street Pub Brewphoria at the Canal Street Pub in Reading, Pennsylvania is a semi-annual beer fest that’s brought some of the best breweries from the region and beyond to our hometown since 2007. At the suggestion of Beer Busters Besties Luke and Trevor of Evil Genius Beer, we were lucky enough to arrange to set up shop and record at this year’s edition of the event. Canal Street is truly a gem of the city of Reading (and the host of the Berks County Homebrew Club meetings) and the perfect venue for this legendary but not-over-crowded beer fest. After sitting down pre-game with our featured guests, the aforementioned Evil Geniuses, our ever diligent photographer/DD/brand ambassador Rich gathered up the representatives from the majority of the 19 breweries pouring there to sit down, share some beers and chat a while.

With Paul Miller, Bart Kaminski & Kevin Kellerfrom Hop Hedz Gear On this episode of Beer Busters Podcast, Bart, Paul, and Kevin from Hop Hedz Gear joined us to talk about their awesome line of craft beer T-shirts. Thanks to one of our listeners, we enjoyed another list, and Steph talked about brewing with coffee. Dean Pierce of Pierce Brewing Company brought along his Ugly Sweater II beer and discussed the upcoming Ugly Sweater Holiday Party at Batdorf Restaurant benefiting Patty’s Pub: Norlanco Relay for life Team. Oh yeah, and we drank Pliny and Zombie Dust, which led to a riveting discussion about our favorite IPAs.

With Evan Fritz and Mark Graves from Manayunk Brewing Head Brewer Evan Fritz and Assistant Brewer Mark Graves sat down with us upstairs at Manayunk Brewing Company and awesomeness ensued. Dan hit the news like a boss, including two lists, one of which was suggested by a fan. In Happy Fun Time we played the old standby Libation or Fabrication, this time a 2014 GABF edition. Our regular dose of beerducation in Steph’s Know Your Beers focused on Belgian Blondes (the beer style, not women). And, as always, we sampled some brews, including your humble editor’s first taste of a tequila barrel aged concoction.

With Jeff Herb and Mike Ross from Tröegs Brewing Media & Communications Coordinator Jeff Herb and Tour Guide Mike Ross joined us in the Barrel Room at Tröegs Brewing Company in Hershey, PA. Dan brought the newsiness including why beer is good for your brain and, of course, a list. Happy Fun Time saw the debut of a variation of Libation or Fabrication that is succinctly titled, One of These Beers is Fake and the Other is Real and You Have to Guess Which is Real and, Oh Yeah They’re All Halloween Themed and Steph gave us the skinny on Belgian Dubbels in Know Your Beers. The lads from Tröegs we’re awesome to chat with and, of course, we sampled many excellent brews.

With Natalie DeChico and Christian Mosebach from Weyerbacher Brewing We took a trip to Easton, PA to sit down with two previous podcast guests at Weyerbacher Brewing Company. Natalie DeChico is Weyerbacher’s New Jersey Sales Rep, 2011 Philly Beer Geek and President of the ALEiens Homebrew Club. Christian Mosebach, who joined us last time as brewer for Golden Avalanche, is now beersmithing at Weyerbacher. Another brewer, Zane Miller, also joined us toward the end of the episode. After a tour of this awesome brewery, we got down to business. Dan ran down the news, Wayne debuted a new flavor of Happy Fun Time Games and Steph beerducated us on…well, beerducation. And, of course, we sampled and array of the always fantastic Weyerbacher brews.

In this episode we welcomed John Gillespie, author of Beer Country: A Beer Geeks Guide to Southeast Pennsylvania and all-around beer enthusiast, to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement. After a brief intro we turned the tables and gave John the reins to host the show. He interviewed us about our love of beer and how we got involved in this podcastiness. John even brought his own take of Happy Fun Time Games to the show (though we did play some mad-libs, too, just for fun) and brought along a slew of incredible beers to share with us. This, the first (and only?) episode of Beer Country Podcast Radio, was an absolute blast. Be sure to check out John’s Beer Country project by following his blog, his Twitter and giving him a like on Facebook!

We took a ride down to Huntingdon Valley, PA to stop by Naked Brewing where we sat down with co-owners Jim Crossland and Brian Sucevic, Queen Goddess of the Brewery (and Philly Beer Geek) Jess Streeter, and production assistant Colin Rahn. Over many, many beers we chatted and joked with this awesome group of beersmiths. Dan gave us our dose of news including a beer from a Norwegian Brewery so malodorous it had to be pulled from shelves and a list of the perfect brew for every NFL team from Thrillist.com. After an early tasting segment, Wayne stumbled through the return of Beer Busters Brain-Bending Brew Trivian in Happy Fun Time and Steph got with the knowledge all about American Pale Ales in Know Your Beers.

In this special edition of Beer Busters, we set up at the 17th Annual Capital City Invitational Beer Fest at Appalachian Brewing Company. The event featured dozens of breweries and upwards of 70 beers poured. We were fortunate enough to speak with attendees and people from breweries such as Appalachian Brewing Company, Tröegs, Market Cross Pub, Old Forge Brewing, Dog Tag Brewing, Blue Canoe Brewery, ReHAB, Ruhlman Brewery, and Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing Company. Lots of fun was had, lots of German food was eaten, and even more beers were consumed. Cheers!

We set up on-location at Conshohocken Brewing along the Schuylkill River Bike Trail in Conshohocken, PA and sat down with Founder Ken Buonocore, Head Brewer Andrew Horne and Brewer Charlie Tarloski. After Dan ran down the news (including the story of a 99 Pack of Beer), we got to know the guys behind the brewery. In Happy Fun Time we played perennial favorite Libation or Fabrication, Steph beerducated us on Cascadian Dark Ales in Know Your Beers and then, the most important bit, we sampled a selection of Conshohocken brews.

Tom Scoglio, brewer at Golden Avalanche in Kutztown, PA, left a long brew day to drop by the Beer Busters Podcast Basement. We kicked off this episode by cracking open a bottle of w00tstout 2.0, which, at 13.5% ABV, set the stage for an evening full of shennanigans. Amongst the tom-foolery (pun intended) we chatted about the brewery, how Tom got his start there, their 15th anniversary beer and plans to head to GABF this year. Dan gave us a news run-down, There’s Weird in My Beer returned in Happy Fun Time, Steph gave us the deets (or ‘tails, for the cool kids) on IPLs in Know Your Beers and we sampled some Golden Avalanche brews.

Dean Pierce, founder of the up and coming Pierce Brewing Company in Wyomissing, PA, joined us in studio with his dad and brand enthusiast Tom. Dean has only been homebrewing for a little over a year but has receieved a number of accolades and awards for his beers. Every single one is well-deserved and more; the tasting segment this episode was long and heavenly. Oh, yeah…we also did some news, played Call My Beer Bluff and got our beerducation on in a Know Your Beers all about SMaSH Beers. Plus bonus audience member/guest John Gillespie, author of Beer Country. John will be an official guest in the near future.

Appalachian Marketing Manager Mike Parker and Head Brewer Jay Kendig joined us on-location at theABC brewpub in Collegeville. As patrons dined and enjoyed brews, we chatted about the history and current goings-on at Appalachian Brewing. Dan’s news included stories about dung, bacon, stolen beer and an emotional roller-coaster involving w00tstout 2.0. In Happy Fun Time, Wayne debuted the new game Beer by Numbers and Steph’s school of brewology focused on weizenbocks in Know Your Beers.

On this episode we recorded with Justin and Kaelin Mast at one of the most awesom locations we’ve ever been lucky enough to visit, French Creek Organics, an organic hop and produce farm in rural St. Peters, Pennsylvania. We set up in the barn with the doors wide open and sipped beers and chatted while overlooking the beautiful farmland (and the hops!) Justin and Kaelin chatted about the joys and frustrations of hop farming and organic farming in general as well as their homebrewing history and much more. Dan did the usual news thing, we played the brand new Hopscotch game in Happy Fun Time, Steph talked about fresh hopping in Know Your Beers and we enjoyed an array of fresh hopped beers from various breweries.

Ken Averbukh and Paul Lahm are a homebrewing duo who have combined forces to create Dabbler Brewing Company, which they hope to open in South Philly in 2015. Paul is an avid Flyers fan and has brewed beers inspired by Flyers players and even had the chance to share the brews with some of them. Ken is the “Chief Fermentation Officer” of Dabbler and is currently “being awesome” at Lancaster Brewing Company. The pair joined us in the Beer Busters Podcast basement to chat about their brewing history and plans for Dabbler. Dan brought the news, we played Libation or Fabrication in Happy Fun Time and Steph beerducated us on American and German Rye beers. Then we dove into sampling some our guests’ homebrews.

JR Heaps is not only the founder of South County Brewing, he is also a musician and the mastermind of Second Order Sound. The home studio has seen several local acts of varying genres and we were lucky enough to record this episode there with JR’s equipment an expertise. After gawking at his awesome audio equipment we got down to business and talked about the young brewing company, JR’s brewing history and were awash in his extensive and sagacious knowledge of the craft. A true Renaissance Man. As usual, Dan brought the brew news, Happy Fun Time featured another round of There’s Weird in My Beer, Steph beerducated us on ESBs and we sampled several of South County’s stellar beers.

Co-owner Kirby Powell and Brewer Vaughn Quinter from Saucony Creek Brewing Company in Kutztown, PA stop by the Beer Busters basement. We chat about the brewery and their beers, including the break-out success of Maple Mistress. News gets nerdy with a new Game of Thrones beer and the 2014 Denver Comic Con beer. Steph beerducates us on Maibocks in Know Your Beer and Wayne serves up another addition of Years of Beers in this episode’s Happy Fun Time Game. And, of course, we sample an array of Saucony Creek brews.

We recorded on-location at ShawneeCraft Brewing in Shawnee on Deleware among the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Our gaggle of guests included General Manager Jason Startari, Head Brewer Devin Vogel, "Evangelist" Tim Meyers and Executive Chef Rodney Tallada. News included a brew inspired by the most honorable warriors in the universe, Libation or Fabrication returned in Happy Fun Time and we sampled a wide array of ShawneeCraft brews.

The Beer Busters welcome Chris Harvey on this episode, a talented homebrewer from Harrisburg, PA. We talk about Sons of Alchemy, his homebrew club, and taste a wide range of his awesome brews. Wayne and Steph reminisce about hanging out with Joe Man, we play a rousing game of Brew or False, Dan delivers some news including advice on how not to get drunk from Jim Koch and Steph beerducates us about her favorite thing… chilies in beer!

The explicitly evil jovial geniuses, Luke and Trevor from Evil Genius Beer, return to the podcast on this episode that is not, for once, divisible by seven. We caught up with the lads on what's happening with Evil Genius, including the break out success of their recent release Purple Monkey Dishwasher Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter. Dan delivered the deets on news including a brew made with an ancient fossil, the debut of "evercans" from Red Hare and some sobering facts on trademark enforcement from Dogfish Head. Happy Fun Time saw the return of the Jingle Beers game and we skipped Know Your Beers this time around, knowing that when Luke and Trevor are in the Beer Busters Podcast basement mirth and merriment will be in abundance and we wanted to devote as much time to that as possible.