Craft Beer Republic

Who’s ready to join Flex’s beer guild? Steph stops by to hang out and share one of her favorite beers of all time. Flex just got back from a baseball game and Greg had a fight with his Uber driver over some teams. We’ve also got beer fertilizer, a dumb baseball-beer challenge, and a new gross beer origin story.Beers We’re Drinking:Greg is drinking Row 2 Hill 56 Pale Ale from Russian River, a clean, crushable Simcoe pale.Steph is drinking Secale from Red Rock Brewing, a rye barrel-aged doppelbock, rich and whiskey-forward.Flex kicks things off by unofficially launching his beer guild, complete with membership rules and it’s first member. Greg shares a rideshare that turns into a full Dodgers vs Giants argument with a driver who won’t stop talking, which explains why he’s fully out on small talk. Steph drops back in like she never left and ends up in the middle of a real debate about Idaho’s beer scene before things drift into long-term goldfish survival, backyard memorial plans, and how a $10 fair prize somehow became a permanent responsibility.Booze News:St. Patrick’s Day still boosts draft beer even on a weekdayMarch Madness lifts Busch Light, Guinness, and Blue MoonFirestone Walker takes over U.S. production of Trumer PilsBrewDog drops from billion-dollar hype to discount buyNatty Light turns spent grain into lawn fertilizerGiants’ “9-9-9” challenge isn’t actually 9-9-9Follow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links

Crack open your favorite (or coldest) craft beer! Greg is drinking a hype beer thanks to a listener, Flex backs it like he’s been waiting for this moment, and then a listener drops a story about a pilsner that tasted exactly like hot dog water. This turns into the great hotdog debate of 2026. Flex gives us the inside scoop grocery store bribes, Greg reliving a Four Loko night he barely remembers, and a Florida golf cart ride that ends about as badly as you’d expect.Beers We’re Drinking:Greg is drinking MI, MI, MI, a Triple IPA from Old Nation Brewing. Thanks listener Andrew!Greg wastes no time declaring his triple IPA a problem in the best way, while Flex basically co-signs every sip from a distance like a proud parent. A listener email about a pilsner tasting like hot dog water spirals into a surprisingly passionate argument over boiled versus grilled hot dogs, complete with ketchup crimes and Midwest speculation. Flex shares stories from his grocery days where frozen pizza reps were handing out perks like it was a low-budget mafia, including a short-lived run of unlimited free pizza that ended in a mysterious party theft. Thanks to our Obscure Beer Term, a new beer term gets fully adopted, Greg revisits a Four Loko blackout he barely survived, and Flex introduces possibly the dumbest employee he’s ever worked with, which says a lot.Booze News:Wine and spirits execs caught running a decade-long grocery store bribery gameGeorge Clooney enters the NA beer chat with “Crazy Mountain”Four Loko might be worth $400 million somehowTilray scoops up BrewDog’s U.S. spots, including that beer hotelFlorida man gets a DUI… on a golf cart… after his wife falls offFollow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links

Welcome in to the bat cave of craft beer. Greg is drinking free beer and it actually holds up, Flex is deep into his no-drinking stretch and catching heat for it, and Fontana Jim comes in hot with a full rules breakdown. There are some big brewery moves, a new segment featuring a beer made with bull testicles, and a reminder that DoorDashing champagne to a kid’s birthday party is always an option.Beers We’re Drinking:Greg is drinking Dad Strength IPA from Dad Strength Brewing, a low-calorie West Coast IPA with a light body and piney bite.Flex is nearly a month into no drinking and realizing warm weather, snow days, and productivity all feel like they should come with a beer, while Greg is out here DoorDashing champagne to a family party like it’s completely normal. Fontana Jim checks in just to absolutely unload on Flex for his version of Lent, which leads to a full debate about whether Sundays count and if any of it matters anyway. And thanks to Scott, Greg introduces a new segment involving beers with gross origins, which quickly turns into a full conversation about eating bull testicles with zero hesitation from Flex.Booze News:Sycamore Brewing reopens as Club West after ownership changeTilray deal closes 38 BrewDog bars and cuts hundreds of jobsHalf Acre and Maplewood merge into Chicago beverage companyMichigan moves to raise ABV cap on canned cocktailsFollow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links

Welcome to the cave of craft beer solitude. Greg is still drinking for two while Flex continues his dry spell. Greg cracks open a hazy IPA that looked promising but had other plans, while the guys talk about a listener’s mushroom double experiment, a new idea to tax alcohol based on ABV, and a Brewers Association report that is not exactly encouraging. Somewhere in the middle they detour into a Seattle growler adventure, a drunk lawmaker, and a ski resort arrest that involves marijuana, kids, and ski boots behind the wheel.Beers We’re Drinking:Greg is drinking Electric Limbs Hazy IPA from Beachwood Brewing, a 6.7% hazy IPA brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops.Greg rolls the dice on a Beachwood hazy IPA that turns out to be aggressively carbonated and strangely lifeless, which leads to a listener email about a mushroom double from a very hipster brewery. The conversation wanders into old drinking stories, including Greg roaming Seattle with a growler stuffed in someone’s purse while exploring the stadium district. Flex and Greg also get into the realities of the modern craft beer industry and how things like AI tools and shifting revenue are changing the landscape for brewers.Booze News:Hawaii lawmakers propose alcohol tax based on ABV instead of beverage categoryBrewers Association reports another operating loss in 2025Washington state lawmaker apologizes for being drunk during committee meetingMichigan woman arrested for DUI at ski resort while wearing ski bootsFollow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links

Welcome back to your favorite craft beer podcast. Flex gives up drinking for Lent, but Greg is making up for it. That leads to dirty soda experiments, Daytona Bike Week bar stories involving baby bird shots and hurricane slaps, and the phrase mack and scrote has entered the chat. We also get into bloated tap lists and wrap with Booze News packed with brewery buyouts and a DUI story that is medically impossible.Beers We’re Drinking:Greg is drinking Million Dollar Hazy from Shelter Beer Company, a hazy IPA brewed with Mosaic, Citra, and Sabro hops.Flex is drinking a dirty soda made with Diet Coke and French vanilla coffee creamer.A listener writes in about breweries running huge tap lists and we get into whether more options actually make things better or just harder to pick a beer. Flex shares stories from Daytona Bike Week including a baby bird shot and a hurricane shot that ends with water in the face and a full slap, which begs the question: which one would you take? A bar conversation introduces the term “mack and scrote” and it immediately becomes part of the show. Flex explains his Lent break from alcohol and the accidental discovery of dirty soda, which somehow leads to a conversation about sedation dentistry and extreme fear of the dentist.Booze News:Tilray acquires BrewDog’s brand, brewery, and UK pubs for £33 millionDrake’s Brewing and Figueroa Mountain launch the West Coast Craft ventureLeft Hand Collective adds Bootstrap BrewingLatitude Beverage expands with the House of Mason platform acquisitionMonster’s alcohol sales drop and the company records a $53.7 million impairmentAngel City Brewing announces April 30 closureColorado driver arrested after being 12 times the limit!Follow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links

500 episodes of craft beer and somehow we’re still here. Greg cracks open the IPA that started his craft beer obsession, Flex rolls the dice on way too much tangerine, and Vanessa is handing out drunk Buc-ee’s tours. We do a little episode 500 reflecting, remember the good times, and talk about what craft beer might look like 500 episodes from now (in the year 2000). We’ve also got drunk dentists, drunk drivers hopping away, and Georgia breweries fighting for the right to party (and sell more of their own beer.)Beers We’re Drinking:Greg is drinking IPA 395 from Mammoth Brewing Company, a 7.2% old school West Coast IPA with sage, juniper, and dank citrus throwback vibes.Flex is drinking Tangerine Jams from Brix City Brewing, an 8% milkshake style double IPA with tangerine, vanilla, Citra, and Mosaic.Episode 500 turns into a little memory lane as Greg and Flex try to remember their first beers on the show, debate how beer trends might swing back around in another decade, and admit that some of their favorite moments never even made it to air, including an unhinged Fraggle Rock bit. Greg shares a Valentine’s Day Buc-ee’s field report that turned into a drunk walking tour, while Flex talks about actually going to the doctor like a responsible adult and realizing that healthy by default is no longer a thing. Both the guys did a little research and live to tell the tale.Booze News:Heineken 0.0 adds cold pressed lime and nectarine juniper because apparently NA beer is just juice nowBend breweries unite under the new Oregon Beverage CollectiveReal American Beer drops Hulk Hogan from packaging and says it hits differentGeorgia craft brewers push to loosen sales limits and shake up the three tier systemIowa dentist reinstated after allegedly performing a root canal at .158 BACMan in a Kia Soul allegedly hits 100 mph while drunk, then hops around during arrestFollow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links

Your favorite craft beer podcast is back! This week we’re talking overrated beer styles and why IPAs caught stray bullets, a Milwaukee extra pale ale that Steve absolutely misunderstood, Olympic athletes apparently doing cardio after hours, Corona owning the Olympic taps, a ballplayer sneaking beer into the dugout, and more brewery shakeups than anyone wants to see. It’s craft beer, sports-ish, and Florida doing Florida things.Beers We’re Drinking:Flex is drinking Strata Pictor Pop from Amorphic Beer, a 4.5% extra pale ale with berry-forward hops, crisp floral finish, and clean sessionable vibes.Greg is drinking Planetary Alignment from Pure Project Brewing, a 6.7% murky IPA with pineapple, mango, and soft tropical haze.Greg throws a simple question out into the internet and accidentally starts an IPA civil war, while Flex goes to war with a guy named Steve who ordered a beer, described it perfectly, and still complained about it. The two debate overrated versus underrated craft beer styles, land on red ales and gose as forgotten heroes, and immediately turn into old men yelling about fruit puree. From there it’s on to the Olympic Village: rumors, future super-athletes, Corona somehow being the only beer at the Games. The Phillies release an outfielder after he grabs a beer on his way to the dugout. And the Super Bowl was a super dud, though the halftime show earned some respect for its production and tree-costume genius.Booze News:Corona is the only beer at the OlympicsTopa Topa cuts staff but keeps taprooms openColorado proposes per-bottle fee to fund addiction recoveryBrewDog explores sale and possible breakupSuper Bowl beer sales dip across the boardCasa Agria officially closesDrunk Florida woman passes out at McDonald’s drive thruFollow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links

Grab a craft beer and join us. A listener calls in with a story about the worst beer he’s ever had, we debate whether Busch Light counts as a Wisconsin tumbleweed, and we learn a Scottish beer term that needs better PR. There’s talk about driving before Uber existed, Monster selling off more brewery equipment, Rogue heading to auction, Sam Adams pushing a 9 percent wheat ale, and a Florida man who kept driving while his car was on fire.Beers We’re Drinking:Greg is drinking Legends of the Hidden Terpene from Cellarmaker Brewing, a citrus-forward West Coast IPA.Flex is drinking Honeymoon Phase from BlackStack Brewing, a fresh hop double IPA loaded with sweet citrus, melon, and tropical candy vibes.Listener Brian brings us back to some truly awful beers, barely fermented pours from a tiny spot where everything somehow tasted exactly the same. That leads to a conversation about terrible brewery names and even worse logos, including a ferret that looks like it lost a fight. Andrew writes in to find out if the Wisconsin Tumbleweed is real, which turns out to be a can of Busch Light rolling down the street. We also bring back Obscure Beer Term of the Week with “inky pinky,” a real Scottish phrase for weak beer that sounds like anything but. From there the guys get into the pre-Uber days, how impairment actually hits, and why having options now is a very good thing.Booze News:Monster Brewing auctions off Deep Ellum’s brewing equipment.Rogue Ales’ assets head to estate auction while the brand name stays put.Major alcohol retailers push for federal regulation of hemp-derived THC drinks.BrewDog shuts down its distilling arm after heavy losses.Sam Adams releases a 9 percent Imperial Wheat Ale in 19.2-ounce cans.Florida man charged with DUI after driving down the highway in a burning car.Follow your favorite beer podcast on the socials:Flex: Instagram: @flex_me_a_beerCraft Beer Republic: CraftBeerRepublic.comInstagram: @CraftBeerRepublicFacebook: CraftBeerRepublicPodThreads: CraftBeerRepublicVoicemail: (805) 538-2337Follow & Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore links