Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl

Justin Stambaugh started homebrewing a decade ago and quickly decided he wanted to pursue a professional career in beer. It wasn’t as easy as he had hoped but eventually he got an internship at Rip Current Brewing Co. in 2012 where he rose though the ranks, became a brewer, and even helped start that brewery’s sour program. Eventually he decided that it was time to open his own place and didn’t even have to look too far. His new Brewery, Stave & Nail is located in the same building as Rip Current. Justin spoke to the show from southern California. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Justin StambaughTags: Beer, Craft Beer, IPA, Sours, California, Homebrewing, San Diego, Tacos, Tequila

This is a special time of year on the beer calendar. It's fresh hop beer season and if you live in the Pacific Northwest you are likely enjoying pints of vibrantly hoppy ales. The rest of us are just dreaming of what could be. Hard to define, difficult to describe, and a revelation each time, fresh hop beers are best experienced in person where the beers were made. Zach Beckwith, the head brewer of Bend Brewing Co. has some thoughts on fresh hops and what is being done right, what could be better, and how we should approach each glass. He recently penned a column for Jeff Alworth's Beervana Blog, but goes into deeper details here. He spoke to the show from the brewery in Bend, Oregon. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Zach BeckwithTags: Beer, Craft Beer, IPA, Hops, Fresh Hops, Farming, Recipe Development, Oregon, Ales,

There is a lot going on out West right now, some of it good – like the hop harvest – and a lot of it bad, like the fires that are raging out of control. Napa Valley is often in the news when it comes to fires in California and while it is known for wine, there is also beer to be found. Nile Zacherle of Mad Fritz Beer straddles both worlds. He is both a wine maker and a brewer and is thoughtful about both. What might be most enjoyable about his beers is that they live inside of specific style but still never fully let that define them. This is thanks, in part, to his approach. He brews small, he brews with local ingredients whenever possible, and isn’t afraid to let the beer follow its own direction. It’s like a trust exercise. He’s been busy during COVID-19 while the current batch of fires is not an immediate threat, the smell of smoke in the air is a reminder that there is always a worry. And so that’s where the show starts, with the worry that comes with being in a place that could be impacted. Nile spoke to host John Holl from the brewery in California.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Nile ZacherleTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Lager, California, Wine, Napa Valley

Show notes from host John Holl: "I love a good conversation over beer and these days it’s hard to do it in person, but it is alive online. One person I can always count on to get the brain cells working and to challenge the notions of beer is Brienne Allan, the production manager at Notch Brewing, in Salem Massachusetts. She’s worked at the brewery for three years and handles a variety of roles and has been instrumental in getting some of the more beloved and esoteric lager projects off the ground an into production. She’s got a love of historical tradition of styles, technical knowledge, and worldly travels and revived the Pink Boots Society chapter in Massachusetts a few years back. We get into all that and more in this conversation that bounced around topics quickly. She spoke to me from Notch, and I wanted to start off on a positive note."For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Brienne AllanTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Lager, Pink Boots Society, Massachusetts

Alex Lovinggood of Barn Town Brewing has been in the beer business for less than a decade but has made a lasting impact wherever he has gone. He was a teacher and a bartender before he got into brewing. He started like so many others, as a volunteer washing kegs and learning the trade from time spent in various hands on experiences. He worked at Temperance Brewing, Atlas (when it was called that), and later Brickstone, all in Illinois. He has been a major force behind The Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer and worked to help grow and shape the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. Last November he moved a little bit west to Barn Town Brewing in West Des Moines, Iowa where he is now a brewer.In this episode he talks about IPA, new styles of beer, food influences, festivals, and more. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Alex LovinggoodTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Pastry Sour, Hazy IPA, IPA, Iowa, Illinois

D.G. Yuengling & Son is the country’s oldest operating brewery, going back 191 years now. It survived major events over the course of 6 generations, most notably Prohibition, and really hit its stride in the mid-1980s when Dick Yuengling Jr. purchased the brewery from his father and began making Yuengling Lager, which is the company’s flagship beer and accounts for 80% of overall volume. As the brewery, often referred to as just the family last name, looks to its sixth generation it is Jennifer Yuengling, the Vice President of Operations, and her three sisters who are poised to take over the brand and continue the family tradition. To stay competitive in a crowded beer marketplace she says innovation is key. The brewery has continued to release new brands and find new partnerships to stay top of mind with its customers across 22 states. Yuengling is also the country’s largest craft brewery, as designated by the Brewers Association, but Jennifer is more interested in using the word independent, something the whole company is proud of being, she says. Jennifer spoke to the show from the brewery in Pennsylvania. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Jennifer YuenglingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Lager, Hershey, Yuengling, Florida, Pennsylvania

From host John Holl: "Every once in a while a beer comes your way from an unfamiliar brewery and just blows you away. It’s one of the great things about having so many breweries in the country these days – there is a lot to discover. A few months back I had a slew of beers from Crane Brewing Co. in Raytown, Missouri. The gose and Berliner Weiss were subtle, flavorful, mixed with all kinds of ingredients and layered with nuance that made me want to know more about where they came from. So I called up Christopher Meyers, a co-founder of the brewery to talk about process, working with local farms, and their concept of 'tradition, evolving.'He spoke to me from the brewery in Missouri." For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Christopher MeyersTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Missouri, Lager, Fruit, Berliner Weisse, Gose, COVID-19

It really is a small world. Before Covid-19 sent us all into lockdown John Holl received an email from a listener who encouraged him to book Ethan Cox of Community Beer Works in Buffalo on the show. Alex wrote in saying that “Ethan is a big part of the craft beer culture here in Buffalo and helped take a plucky little nanobrewery and turn it into a place that represents the neighborhood and the city that is very much on a hidden gem.” So John did some digging and found out that Ethan is also a tireless advocate for New York Beer and the efforts that its guild is pushing to make it easier for breweries to do business, and the co-author of Buffalo Beer: The History of Brewing in the Nickel City published by History Press. And it turns out, Ethan's sister lives in the same small town as John. So Ethan made the trip down to New Jersey ostensibly to see his sister, but managed to sneak away, douse himself in hand sanitizer, and share some beers in the back yard. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Ethan CoxTags: Beer, Craft Beer, New York, Pilsner, Fruit, Community, Buffalo, IPA, Pale Ale, Football, Travel, Barleywine

Most people know Garrett Oliver as the globe trotting brewmaster of the Brooklyn brewery, but he is also an accomplished author, educator, and thought leader in the brewing space. His latest project is one that we can all get behind and support, it’s a foundation named after the late Michael Jackson, the writer. Its mission is funding technical education and career advancement for black, indigenous, and people of color in the brewing and distilling industries. This interview was originally recorded for an article that host John Holl was writing for Wine Enthusiast Magazine, but there was so much more in the talk that could ever make it onto the page that we’re sharing a slightly edited version of the conversation with you today. Garrett spoke to the show from Brooklyn. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Garrett OliverTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Michael Jackson, Diversity, Fundraising, Quality ControlThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

This week's guest is Lisa Allen. She’s the head brewer of Heater Allen, the brewery her father started in 2007. He lived the classic story of a homebrewer that went pro and decided to make the beers he wanted to drink. In a hoppy landscape his beers stood out in Oregon, even if you couldn’t get them too far from the brewery itself. Lisa says she was fascinated by fermentation and brewing science from a young age but didn’t plan on joining her father’s business. Instead she went into wine making. But, as fate would have it, she would enter the brew house to help out when her father needed to recuperate from surgery a few years back and and she hasn’t left. It has been to the great benefit of us all. She spoke to me from the brewery in McMinnville, Oregon.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Lisa AllenTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Oregon, COVID-19, Pilsner, HopsThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

Remember the Brut IPA? It was, for a shining moment, seemingly the hottest beer style in the country and then it went away. The brewer credited with the style is Kim Sturdavant and he is our guest on the show today. From its origins, to its evolution ,and eventual death we cover the life cycle of a style. What does the future hold for the style? Well, Sturdavant who is working at Pacifica Brewing does not currently have one on his board. So, that has to mean something.Sturdavant spoke to the show from California. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Kim SturdavantTags: Beer, Craft Beer, California, COVID-19, Helles, Brut IPA, Styles, San Francisco This episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

This is a special bonus episode on the channel featuring the Drinks Adventures podcast. A note from host James Atkinson:"I drove west of Sydney to the Blue Mountains where I visited Mountain Culture Brewing Company, a new brewpub founded by husband and wife team DJ and Harriet McCready. American-born DJ McCready exploded onto the Australian brewing scene at the inaugural Craft Beer Awards, now known as The Indies, in 2014.At the time DJ was brewing with a little known start-up from Sydney's northern beaches, Modus Operandi Brewing Company, where he created beers such as Former Tenant Red IPA, which won Champion Australian Beer at the awards that year and is still picking up gongs today. In fact, it was named Champion IPA at The Indies earlier in 2019.Now with their new brewing company Mountain Culture in a heritage building in the centre of Katoomba, DJ and Harriet have built a fantastic brewpub that is already being embraced by the locals. And as you would expect from a brewer of his calibre, the beers DJ is making up there are outstanding.We began our chat by returning to that night in 2014 when the Australian brewing industry fast became very familiar with the name DJ McCready."Learn more about DJ and read a transcript of the interview here.

If you are interested in the subject of beer, it’s likely that you’ve already heard of Pete Brown and have read his words. He is the author of nine books on not only beer but cider and food as well. His prose effortlessly brings readers along on journeys whether is walking through orchards, sitting at the PUB, or traversing oceans with IPA. His latest book, Craft: An Argument was written and published during the COVID-19 lockdown and has just been released. Brown joined the show via Zoom from London. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Pete BrownTags: Beer, Craft Beer, London, COVID-19, Diversity, Writing, Pubs, ESB, Fullers, Lager, AleThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

If you are a fan of this show, you are likely a fan of beer in general, and you have likely already heard of Averie Swanson. She's had one of the more storied careers in beer thus far. Going from a volunteer at Jester King in Austin to its head brewer in just four years but new challenges awaited her, and so she moved north to Chicago last year where she started Keeping Together, a brewery that is focusing on mixed culture, rustic, Belgian-inspired beers.We cover a lot of ground in this interview, recorded just before the 4th of July holiday weekend. She spoke to me from Chicago about brewing philosophy, ingredients, and the changing nature of beer. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Averie Swanson of Keeping Together (Photo provided by the brewery)Tags: Beer, Craft Beer, Chicago, COVID-19, Diversity, Taprooms, Wood, Table Beer, Half Acre, Jester King, TexasThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

You might be surprised to hear what Chase Healey and his team were brewing up on a recent Wednesday morning when John Holl called down to the brewery. Healey founded American Solera as a wood project that would let time and microbes do their thing followed by some expert blending. But the beer industry has changed in the years since Healy opened up his location in Tulsa, Oklahoma and so the brewery has changed and adapted. This means a lot of pilsners, IPAs, and even some of the stouts that he was previously known for.His city has changed as well. Alcohol laws were loosened a few years ago and now the state is trying to catch up - beer wise - with the rest of the country and managing quite well. Healey talks about moving to a new location with brewers as neighbors and customers eager to find out what's next. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Chase Healey of American SoleraTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Oklahoma, COVID-19, Hard Seltzer, Taprooms, Wood, StoutsThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

Since founding 2nd Shift Brewing in Missouri a decade ago, Libby and Steve Crider have been through a lot of growth, a full brewery move, and the start of their family. Throughout it all, Libby Crider has worked to become an engaged business owner without compromising personal beliefs. Like so many breweries in the country COVID-19 plunged the brewery into “chaos” but as summer begins, the brewery in St. Louis is looking to welcome back patrons and to keep fighting on. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Libby Crider of 2nd Shift BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Missouri, COVID-19, Twitter, TaproomsThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

With over 8,000 breweries in the country it can be easy to overlook the early pioneers, regardless of how big they are and how ubiquitous their beers are. So, when a bottle of Alaskan Amber showed up unexpectedly at host John Holl's house recently he wanted to catch up with the brewery's founders. From talking about the early days of sourcing ingredients for historical recipes to beers that they hoped would take off but did not, Geoff and Marcy Larson talk about their brewery, what brought them to Alaska, and how it has grown over the years. There has obviously been changes to the way the brewery operates in light of COVID-19 and in the wake of recent social justice movements. Geoff Larson talks about his upbringing, before beer, and how it shaped his company's response. And finally we get into smoked beers and how they are under appreciated and how difficult it can be to do historical research into the style. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuests: Geoff and Marcy Larson of Alaskan BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Alaska, Amber Ale, IPA, Smoked Beer, HistoryThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

An introduction to craft beer by his brother and cousin led Marcus Baskerville to begin homebrewing and eventually start his own brewery. At Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio, he is making beers that inspire him and since opening has worked to change the city's beer culture. Over the last two weeks, as the country has reacted to the murder of George Floyd and the rekindling of the Black Lives Matter movement, Baskerville launched the Black is Beautiful Beer initiative. He released an imperial stout recipe and is asking that breweries that choose to brew and release their own version donate the proceeds to "local foundations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged."The response has been overwhelming with several hundred brewers already signed up. In this episode we talk about his beginnings in beer, the initiative, and the first steps breweries and drinkers can take towards a more inclusive industry and drinking community. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Marcus Baskerville of Weathered Souls BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, California, Texas, West Coast IPA, Stout, Black Lives MatterThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

We're a few days late for Lager Appreciation Month, but are firm believers that well-crafted pilsners and lagers are deserving of attention no matter what the calendar says. For nearly a decade now Chris Enegren has been making lagers in the German tradition at a brewery that bares his family name. When Enegren Brewing launched in Southern California that area was, and still is, populated with hoppy IPA fans. Making a go of being a lager brewery was not easy, but a "laser-like focus" and a strong desire to follow passion over profits helped establish the brewery as a respected and sought after beer maker. From collaborations under the American Reinheitsgebot program, to a passion for smoked beers, and never giving up on an alt bier, Enegren talks about his journey from homebrewing to the pros, and while the hard path to success has been worth every step. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Chris Enegren of Enegren BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, California, lager, pilsner, alt, hops, Los Angeles, Reinheitsgebot, rauchbierThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

A note from host John Holl: The last time I was in Austin was 2015 and after a long few days of drinking beer, doing interviews, and generally getting my fill of the city, I intentionally carved out some hours on my last day there, before my flight home to visit with Jeffrey Stuffings of Jester King. I wanted to leave on a high note, and that visit did not disappoint. The brewery is the stuff of legend by many drinkers and was driven to heights of popularity thanks to the wild and spontaneous beer that Stuffings and his brewers have produced through the years. And as good as the beers are, it is also an idyllic place to visit, like I experienced five years ago when I arrived mid-morning and spent a few hours talking with Stuffings, pulling nails, and tasting through whatever he deemed ready to drink. It was quiet and peaceful and the space lent itself to conversation. We got so carried away that I almost missed my fight home. Would have been worth it. The brewery is quiet these days. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the brewery has largely been closed, but, as you will hear it is getting ready to re open. When it does things will look and feel different. And maybe that’s in line with all that is going on with the brewery as it heads into a new phase. Stuffings has released a pilsner: yes, a clean ferment beer. He is candid about why and it signals a mature attitude of a brewery that has always valued maturation. There’s a wine program in the works, and a renewed sense of experimentation, thanks to a little down time, but also because of the kitchen operating at the brewery. Stuffings explains it all while talking to me from the brewery in Texas. But, I started off by asking him what we can all expect when we visit the brewery once he reopens. I hope you enjoy the conversation." For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Jeffrey Stuffings of Jester KingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Texas, Experimental Brewing, Austin, wild ale, spontaneous fermentation, Special Ingredients, and pilsner.This episode is sponsored by: CODO Design, a craft beer branding firm and authors of the new book, Craft Beer, Rebranded. Craft Beer, Rebranded (and its companion workbook) are a step-by-step guide to mapping out a successful strategy for rebranding your brewery. Based on CODO’s decade of brewery branding experience, this two-book bundle will help you weigh your brand equity, develop your brand strategy and breathe new life into your brand. Whether your brewery is 3 years old or 30, Craft Beer, Rebranded is your guide to attracting new audiences, selling more beer and positioning your brand for the long haul. Learn more and buy your copy today at CraftBeerRebranded.com Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

A note from host John Holl "Because of my job I occasionally get some beer sent to the house for review. It’s a charmed life, really. More so when a beer stands out among the crowd and I can be transported by a sip to a place just beyond my current field of view. This happened over the weekend as I had a socially distanced driveway beer with some friends. After an afternoon of yard work I opened a can of Vega IPA from Ecliptic Brewing. John Harris founded the brewery six years ago after a career spent at iconic Oregon breweries. He was at McMenamins, he was the founding brewmaster at Deschutes, and did a regatta-length shift at Full Sail. But Ecliptic is the fusing of a hobby he has held since childhood – astronomy – and a passion career he’s had since… well. For a long time. The VEGA IPA is the sixth in a series but the first Harris has put into 16-ounce cans. He calls it an "experimental hop playground for our curious and creative brewers to continuously source new and unique hops. Exploring the boundaries of the IPA style, the result is a fresh and distinctly different IPA with each new release. Vega IPA #6 features Vic Secret, Strata, Galaxy, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops.” And it just blew me away with subtle soft fruit notes, like strawberry and pineapple, even some kiwi. It was juicy but had a touch of bitterness on the finish that just snapped the palate into attention. After drinking the beer, I resolved to call Harris and asked him to be on the show. He gracefully agreed and joined me on the phone from Portland, Oregon. We talk about recipe development, collaborations, how COVID-19 is impacting his life and business but I wanted to start out by asking him about fusing two passions into a single business and what that means for authentic when it comes to a brewery. I hope you enjoy the conversation." For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: John Harris of Ecliptic BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Oregon, Experimental Brewing, Full Sail, IPA, Pale Ale, Special Ingredients, and Deschutes.This episode is sponsored by: New Holland Brewing Dragon's Milk began as a single barrel experiment almost 20 years ago at New Holland Brewing Company, and has since grown to become the best-selling American made stout. Aged for at least 90 days in bourbon barrels, rich notes of roasted malt, chocolate, and vanilla make for a deliciously smooth and drinkable brew. Whether it's sitting by a bonfire, or virtually toasting over Zoom, share a legend with Dragon's Milk today. Learn More at DragonsMilk.com Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

A few words from host John Holl: "Our guest this week is Sean Lawson of Lawson's Finest Liquids. There are some beers that just stand out among the others. It’s not all marketing, because those beers that are all flash and no substance don’t seem to last too long in the craft beer space. So the beers that can capture the imagination and get us standing in lines, or having friends mule some back home, are ones that usually have some oomph behind them. It’s not easy and there aren’t many of these beers, but one brewery that has seemed to capture all the attributes well is Lawson’s Finest Liquids. Sean Lawson, now the CEO and founding brewer of the brewery that bears his name, is known for making hoppy beers and he does them well. But he also experiments with native ingredients, and has the mentality of a scientist and architect when it comes to creating a new beer.He’s a fellow Jersey guy who found his way up north and started the brewery at his house years ago, getting drinkers excited for drops in his adopted home state of Vermont. From there he expanded and started contract brewing at Two Roads Brewing Company in Connecticut before launching his very own commercially accessible brewery and taproom about a year ago. And because it helps track the evolution of the brewery, that’s where I started with him."For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Sean Lawson of Lawson's Finest LiquidsTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Vermont, Homebrewing, New Jersey, IPA, Pale Ale, Special Ingredients, and taprooms.This episode is sponsored by: New Holland Brewing Dragon's Milk began as a single barrel experiment almost 20 years ago at New Holland Brewing Company, and has since grown to become the best-selling American made stout. Aged for at least 90 days in bourbon barrels, rich notes of roasted malt, chocolate, and vanilla make for a deliciously smooth and drinkable brew. Whether it's sitting by a bonfire, or virtually toasting over Zoom, share a legend with Dragon's Milk today. Learn More at DragonsMilk.com Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

Spring is a time of growth, change, and an opportunity to get back into nature. Because of COVID-19 related restrictions, it might be tough to get fully out to nature, but for those with yards and local parks or forests, there's a chance to plant gardens of our own or get out and see the budding plants and trees. From host John Holl: "We moved into a new house last year and I have a proper yard for the first time in a long time, so I’ve been thinking a lot about planting. I’m going to start out easy with some of the more common vegetables and herbs, like tomato, basil and hot peppers. And if we get a decent harvest I will jar up some pasta sauce, make some hot sauce, and dry out the rest of the herbs. I’ve also been baking a bunch over the last few weeks of COVID-19. I haven’t gone down the sourdough starter hole... yet. But, I’m working towards that. In thinking about food that comes from the ground and real bread that takes time, plus, drinking a lot of beer, I thought of Scratch Brewing in Ava, Illinois. So, I called up Marika Josephson one of the founders to talk about foraging, brewing with local ingredients, and reviving some long-forgotten processes to make some of the more interesting beers in America today. Scratch Brewing Company is a farmhouse brewery located five miles from the Shawnee National Forest in Ava, Illinois. It is owned by Josephson and Aaron Kleidon and focuses on styles brewed with home grown and locally farmed and foraged ingredients. The brewery has an ever rotating selection of styles enhanced by the innovative addition of local ingredients, such as nettle, elderberry, ginger, dandelion, maple sap, hickory, lavender, juniper, and chanterelle mushrooms, according to its website. Scratch Brewing is big on showcasing the 'terroir' of southern Illinois. And that is highlighted in their restaurant on site as well. As drinkers, we often get caught up in styles and the samey flavors that come with IPA or certain hop combinations, that beers like the ones Scratch produces are refreshing and can really open up the mind to what is possible in brewing, even if It comes from our own back yard." May is here. What better time to think about growth than right now. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Marika Josephson of Scratch Brewing Co. Tags: Beer, Scratch Brewing, Craft Beer, nature, foraged beer, dandelion, mushrooms, herbs, wood, small batch beer, Illinois beerThis episode is sponsored by: New Holland Brewing Dragon's Milk began as a single barrel experiment almost 20 years ago at New Holland Brewing Company, and has since grown to become the best-selling American made stout. Aged for at least 90 days in bourbon barrels, rich notes of roasted malt, chocolate, and vanilla make for a deliciously smooth and drinkable brew. Whether it's sitting by a bonfire, or virtually toasting over Zoom, share a legend with Dragon's Milk today. Learn More at DragonsMilk.com Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

A note from John Holl about this week's episode:"The weather is starting to change for the better here in the northeast and as I look out of the window of the home office I can see the leaves on the trees grow faster by the day, spilling out vibrant green. The neighbors have a bright pink flowering bush across the street, and the birds have returned to the feeder. While it’s been raining a lot, my thoughts have drifted to the first good day when I can sit outside and open a bottle of beer and just relax, and in that scenario I’ve been thinking about mixed fermentation. Beers from nature are great when they can be enjoyed in nature, even if it’s just a back yard. When it comes to finding out what is happening in the world of spontaneous or natural beer, Mitch Ermatinger is who I like to call. He got started in beer working at a homebrewing supply store in his home town of Grand Rapids Michigan before heading west to Denver where he worked for Black Project, way back when it was known as Former Future. Inspired by the process, he moved back home and in 2017 opened Speciation Artisan Ales, where he first started on mixed fermentation beers, and then moved into natural wines, and his own twist on hard seltzers. I’ve known Mitch for a few years now, often seeing him at festivals around the country. Knowing that it might be a while before we’re both in the same place again, I settled for calling him up. Turns out we’re in a similar situation. We both have young kids, so the best time to talk was during their nap time, which conveniently synced up. We cover a lot in a short period of time, but I started by asking him on his take of where mixed fermentation brewing in America stands right now. I hope you enjoy the conversation." For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Mitch Ermatinger of Speciation Artisan AlesTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Natural Wine, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Hard Seltzer, Mixed Fermentation, SpontaneousThis episode is sponsored by: New Holland Brewing Dragon's Milk began as a single barrel experiment almost 20 years ago at New Holland Brewing Company, and has since grown to become the best-selling American made stout. Aged for at least 90 days in bourbon barrels, rich notes of roasted malt, chocolate, and vanilla make for a deliciously smooth and drinkable brew. Whether it's sitting by a bonfire, or virtually toasting over Zoom, share a legend with Dragon's Milk today. Learn More at DragonsMilk.com Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

Ethan Tripp was a homebrewer before he went pro, but from an early point in his career he decided that he was going to take his time both with opening his own place (with friends, of course) and the beers he wanted to make. He wants to make deliberate beers that are rooted in tradition but also isn’t afraid of trying new things or using different ingredients to see how they develop. Time seems to move slowly here at Fermentery Form and that’s by design. Tripp has had to learn patience, and that’s something regular fans of his beer have had to practice as well, since not everything is always available when they might want it. Host John Holl visited the Philadelphia barrel room in late February 2020 and recorded in the blendery’s tiny tasting room well before the world went into isolation. Tripp opened some beers that are dear to his heart and also showcase the real talent he has for creating something special inside a green bottle. It’s not a brewery. That’s important to note. So what is it, you might ask? Holl wondered the same thing and that’s where the conversation started. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Ethan Tripp, Fermentery FormTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Belgium, Philadelphia, Bottle Openers, Green Glass, Tradition. This episode is sponsored by: New Holland BrewingDragon's Milk began as a single barrel experiment almost 20 years ago at New Holland Brewing Company, and has since grown to become the best-selling American made stout. Aged for at least 90 days in bourbon barrels, rich notes of roasted malt, chocolate, and vanilla make for a deliciously smooth and drinkable brew. Whether it's sitting by a bonfire, or virtually toasting over Zoom, share a legend with Dragon's Milk today. Learn More at DragonsMilk.com SweetWater Brewing SweetWater has been independently brewing tasty brews in the heart of Atlanta since 1997. Next time you’re stocking up on essentials, grab a six or 12 pack of the always fresh, always heady OG SweetWater IPA – “the one in the yellow pack” lays down hints of grapefruit and pine on the palate, with a clean and bright finish….it’s the go-to brew you order without having to look at the menu. Need something easy drinking? Reach for the classic 420 Extra Pale Ale, tried, tested and true – a tasty west coast style extra pale ale with a stimulating hop character and finishes with nice, clean crisp taste. The world might be on fire but you can’t go wrong with a couple craft OG’s from SweetWater.Hit up their beer finder at sweetwaterbrew.com/find Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer ProfessionalsHelp support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.

A note from host John Holl:I’ve been sitting on this interview for a few months now. It features Pete Slosberg, the co-founder of Pete’s Wicked, a brewery and brand that helped shape the course of craft beer as we know it today. In an industry that would become known for a lot of big personalities and members of the first name club, Pete was a trailblazer. His Pete’s Wicked Brand was on the radio, in advertisements and thanks to beer recipes that delivered on flavor as well as lifestyle, he led legions of fans into craft. Then it was gone. This conversation was recorded towards the end of 2019 in Belgium while we both were judging the Brussels Beer Challenge and Pete leads me through the founding of the brewery, the early days, the big plans that never happened, and the eventual sale of the company. Towards the end he offers up his insight on what to do when something ends. It seems apt for a lot of breweries these days that are facing hardships like never before. Sometimes things end. Sometimes it’s out of your control, sometimes it’s a hard decision that has to come personally. No matter the case, Pete, who now works with small companies, has some advice for anyone who runs a brewery. And for us fans, I think his words help us understand how the beer industry works and lets us walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Everything starts at the beginning, so that’s where I started with him, early on a Sunday morning in a tiny hotel room at an even smaller table."For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Pete SlosbergTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Business, Chocolate, Belgium, Travel, South America,

The interview for this week's episode was recorded only about a month ago, but it was a simpler time. At the regular table at the (now temporarily closed) Blind Tiger Ale House in New York City host John Holl sat down with two brewers and owners of breweries specializing in gluten free beer. Karen Hertz, the owner of Holidaily Brewing Company in Colorado was in the city for a women in beer event hosted by the Brewers Association. Holidaily is a dedicated gluten free brewery that has been working to change the perception of what gluten free means in beer. Now most long time beer drinkers can tell you all about the good, bad, and strange of gluten free beers. A decade ago, it was the sorghum ales made by the big breweries, and then we started to see others, like Omission, part of the Craft Brew Alliance, make inroads. Other breweries, like Dogfish Head, tried making them with honey and there were other attempts along the way. Some drink gluten free beer because of dietary sensitivities or lifestyle choices. Others just because they enjoy it. Overall the nature of gluten free beer has changed in the last several years and there are a handful of breweries that are working hard to change past perceptions and to bring these beers into the mainstream consciousness of all drinkers. We decided to get check on the current state of gluten free beers, so with Hertz in town, Drink Beer, Think Beer asked Brian Kulbacki of Departed Soles in Jersey City to cross the Hudson River and join us at that corner table at the Tiger so they could both share perspective, give insight to how their breweries operate, and how they approach recipe development. The conversation starts in broad terms and narrows in from there. We hope you leave the end of this show a better informed drinker, we sure did. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuests: Karen Hertz and Brian KulbackiTags: beer, craft beer, New Jersey, gluten free beers, Holidaily Brewing Company, Departed Soles

If this episode of This Week in Rauchbier sounds a little different this week it is because we’re not at our normal smokey studio inside of Dovetail Brewing in Chicago. The Coronavirus has us all spread out and bunkered down. Hagan and Bill are off this week, rooting through their beer cellars no doubt looking for some ruby hued ashy delights. But that’s not going to stop us from having a bang up of a show. Bart Watson of the Brewers Association will be joining us to talk about the smoked beer stats we all look forward to each week. A new writer by the name of Lew Bryson will tell us all about his books regarding whisky and how there are even some kinds that incorporate smoke flavor into their recipes. And long time favorite guest and co-author of the world-wide best selling book Smoked Beers – Ray Daniels - will get on the phone with us for a reminder on the history and importance of rauchbiers. But first, because so many people have been asking us to have him on as a guest to give his take on smoked beers, we decided a pandemic was the right time to do it. For this week’s “Why I love Rauchbier” Segment we invited noted beer villain and Twitter enthusiast Andrew Crouch, Esq. to record a radio essay. Our thanks to Hagen and Bill for the inspiration to do this show. Hear the genesis on episode 5 of Drink Beer, Think Beer. Music for this episode:NewsSting by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4124-newsstingLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuests: Andy Crouch, Bart Watson, Ray Daniels, Lew BrysonTags: beer, craft beer, rauchbier, smoke, April Fool's Day

In an effort to bring some normalcy to this crazy world and to give you a respite from all of the COVID-19 news, we're bringing back the regular format of the show. This week is a conversation with Preston Theony and Luke Wortendyke of Wren House Brewing recorded in early February in Phoenix. Theony is a co-founder and head brewer and Wortendyke is the lead brewer and, as you'll hear, making beers with a local focus is a big thing at the brewery. They care about finding the terroir of Arizona and translating that into a glass. This means brewing with everything from local produce to working with a nearby maltster. For a state with a still growing beer culture this brings a real sense of place to the beers. The conversation ping pongs around to talk about IPAs and their fondness for big beers, including a ridiculous beer that they made for the Arizona Strong Beer Festival. But gimmicks aside, the brewery also wants their taproom to be a welcoming space. It's not your typical warehouse location and they have worked to create an environment that fosters a sense of peace and encourages conversation. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuests: Preston Theony and Luke WortendykeTags: beer, craft beer, Arizona, Craft Malts, IPA, hops, customers, taprooms

Unless you live under a rock and this podcast is the only way you get your news, you know that we’re in the middle of a global pandemic for the COVID-19 virus. Seems like not too long ago there were memes about Corona bottles wearing surgical masks and now we’re being asked to isolate at home. It’s a real threat that has come to our states and towns and it’s having a huge impact on the brewing industry. Breweries are being shut down and prohibited from operating their taprooms. Some are offering to go options to help bring some money in from the lost business. Others have already laid off or furloughed employees. Conferences like the annual Craft Brewers Conference and bi-annual World Beer Cup have been called off for this year. Festivals like Hunahpu's were canceled. It’s going to get worse.As the economy suffers and more virus cases come to light, breweries could stay closed for weeks, months, or forever. The news is moving fast so it seemed odd to do just a regular show this week, so we are switching it up. Host John Holl has been talking with brewers from around the country as part of the Beer Edge coverage and has recorded a few of the interviews. This episode starts with Patrick Rue from The Bruery. Then Andy Crouch chimes in with an interview he did with attorney Michael Boyer. After that the show heads down south to talk with Sean Lilly Wilson of Fullsteam Brewery and then wraps up welcoming back Andy so he and John can talk about what we have planned going forward – not only for this show but for Beer Edge coverage in general. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuests: Patrick Rue, Andy Crouch, Sean Lilly Wilson, and Michael BoyerTags: beer, craft beer, legal, COVID-19, California, North Carolina, News

What was the beer scene like in Los Angeles when Ting Su opened up Eagle Rock Brewery with her husband and father-in-law a decade ago? She describes it as non-existent and an uphill climb to get customers to try small batch beer made-in house. Like so many others, they found that the success came through education and that has been a key hallmark to the brewery’s growth and expansion. By breaking down beer flavors, explaining ingredients, and giving patrons – especially women – a place to come and learn without pretense. This is done through a monthly women’s forum where no matter the level of beer comfort all are welcome to come on the third Wednesday of the month to learn more about the combination of water, grain, hops, and yeast. In this conversation, recorded at New York’s Blind Tiger Ale House, Su talks about the role and importance of education and inclusivity, how the brewery approaches growth, and lessons learned over the last decade. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Ting Su of Eagle Rock BrewerySponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, education, Los Angeles, Restaurants, IPA, bombers, cans, women, Advertising: Ryan Newhouse, [email protected]

What is a brewery made of? What's in its soul? For many breweries in the United States, the answer seems to be hops. That's an understandable response given the rise of the craft beer movement on the backs of lupulin. At Allagash Brewing in Portland, Maine, the brewmaster, Jason Perkins, believes in yeast. That makes sense given the brewery's growth and popularity on the back of its White Ale. That beer has become an American classic, serving as a gateway for many into craft beer. In this conversation, recorded at Allagash, Perkins talks about how the brewery looks at innovation, considers ingredients, and runs trials to find out which beers will join White representing the company to the public. Perkins' role with the brewery has grown over the years and he talks about that evolution and just what it means to be the brewmaster of one of the country's larger and certainly more beloved breweries. For those looking for insights into the soul of Allagash, you've come to the right place. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Jason Perkins of Allagash BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, Maine, White Ale, spontaneous, coolship, yeast, brewmaster, sustainability, Portland, tradition, spices, hops, Advertising: Ryan Newhouse, [email protected]

Collaboration beers are a fun exercise. They usually allow two breweries to get out of their comfort zones and try to create something that will create a buzz among drinkers. Two of the world’s better known breweries got together more than two years ago to start talking about a collaboration and the result has just been released. It’s called Vibrant P’Ocean, a 4.7% ABV blended sour ale created by Rodenbach, the famed Belgian brewer and blender, and Dogfish Head, a brewery that has long been at the forefront of brewing creativity. Host John Holl sat down recently with Ghequire and Calagione to talk about their collaboration, how they approached the beer, the result, and what beers like this mean for the industry overall. What it revealed was an approach beyond just using the strengths of the breweries but also creating something that will appeal to today's drinkers while not doing harm to beers that each already have on the shelves. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuests: Rudi Ghequire and Sam CalagioneSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, collaboration, Dogfish Head, Rodenbach, sour ale, Belgian style, history, salt, elderberry

If you've spent even just a casual amount of time on Beer Twitter, you’ve come across Jeremy Danner. He's the passionate, outspoken, and thoughtful guy with an unending amount of Kansas City pride, a great love of family, and a near-constant live stream of beer. He was the public face of Boulevard Brewing up until a few months ago when he was suddenly let go from the company. Now, people come and go from places all the time, but because he was such a visible part of that brewery in his role as ambassador brewer, the news sent waves through the industry. He quickly bounced back and is now an on-premise account manager for 4 Hands Brewing Company as well as a brand ambassador. In this conversation, recorded at the Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywine Festival, host John Holl gets into what it means to have your personal identity wrapped up in a brewery you don’t have ownership in, and what happens when it's suddenly taken away. We get into what works and what doesn’t on social media – something we could all use a refresher on. Then it's a transition into how Danner's new role in sales has helped round out his beer education and what we all can learn from that. But first, Holl wanted to know how Danner first came to beer. Turns out, just like so many of us, it came through a friend. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Jeremy Danner of 4 Hands Brewing CompanySponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, Kansas City, Missouri, Colorado, corks, IPA, Boulevard, Big Beers, Sales, Marketing, hoodiesAdvertising: Ryan Newhouse, [email protected]

John Holl recently headed to Phoenix to check in on the beer scene. It was the 20th anniversary of the Arizona Strong Beer Festival and the 10th anniversary of Arizona Beer Week. The beer scene has really grown in the last several years but seems to be largely self contained with most brewers staying within the borders. Of course there are a few exceptions to that, including the now Anheuser-Busch InBev owned Four Peaks Brewing Co. For the beer lovers, the beer traders, and those who like to stay on top of the buzz, perhaps there is no better known brewery in the state than Arizona Wilderness. It started off small when it was founded in 2013 but soon found its business plan and popularity supercharged when it won big in the annual Rate Beer awards. From there, its popularity and foot print grew. Holl sat down with Chase Saraiva, the head brewer, who joined the brewery a few years ago after deciding against a career in dentistry. He started off in Pittsburgh, came to the southwest and landed a job with San Tan, another local brewery, and then joined up with Arizona Wilderness. Right now the brewery has its original brewpub, an offsite barrel and foudre facility called the woodnote cellar, and a downtown Phoenix taproom. The brewery celebrates all things wild and nature focused and many of the beers reflect that but there’s also a great deal of clean beer in house. That’s something Saraiva is passionate about. But Holl started out by talking about those early days, the increased notoriety and the pressure that comes with customer expectations, and the way that he and the team manage it all. Enjoy the conversation. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Chase Saraiva of Arizona WildernessTags: beer, craft beer, Arizona, Phoenix, lager, wild, fruit, coolship, citrus, brewpubAdvertising: Ryan Newhouse, [email protected]

There's an awful lot of fun that can happen with brewing on a small batch system. And when you have the resources of one of the country’s biggest brewing companies behind you, the possibilities are limitless. That’s the situation this week’s guest enjoys. Megan Parisi has been with the Boston Beer Company for several years now, specifically working at the company’s Samuel Adams Boston brewery in Jamaica Plain. While heading up the small brewery there, she was able to experiment and do research and development on all manners of styles including some that wound up getting a full commercial release, including the brewery’s New England IPA. When it came time for Boston Beer to open its new brewery and taproom in Faneuil Hall, Parisi was the obvious brewer for the job. She has had experiencing opening up breweries from the ground up, including Bluejacket in Washington, D.C., Wormtown Brewing in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Sam Adams new, smaller, Cincinnati facility. In this interview, Parisi and host John Holl talk about recipe development, brewing in front of the public, the value of beer education, and the relationship between beer and art. The interview was recorded at the new brewery and taproom, just hours before it officially opened to the public. And since it’s not only a fully functional brewery but also a really wonderful showpiece, Holl started off by asking Parisi about the specific specs of the brewery. Enjoy the Conversation.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuests: Megan Parisi of Samuel AdamsSponsor: Craft Beer CellarTags: beer, craft beer, Boston, Massachusetts, lager, IPA, wit, traditional brewing, art, hops, malt, Sam Adams.Advertising: Ryan Newhouse, [email protected]

This week the show is back in Nashville with our guest Brandon Jones of Embrace the Funk. Jones is one of the more thoughtful brewers in the country. Maybe this is because he spent years working in newsrooms as a journalist. He has an ability to look at all angles of something, in this case beer, along with a clear and easy way of sharing information. That's just two of the reasons he is so respected as a wild and sour beer maker in the United States and beyond. In this interview, recorded at the Yazoo Brewing Company on New Year's Day, he gets into what it means to be a sour beer, the education that goes into helping customers better understand and appreciate the style, and even changing the perception of what it can be. Jones also talks about the upcoming Funk Fest, a gathering that he created that brings together some of the best brewers in the country for an intimate afternoon to try some of the best spontaneous and, well, funky beers available. He even invited Beer Edge to work on the educational content that will be presented that day. So mark your calendars for Saturday, May 2nd in Nashville for Funk Fest. Tickets will go fast, so claim yours today. As the conversation started, host John Holl wanted to try and understand the world of sour beers a little more, so he posed the question to Jones, a proper newsman, on how words and descriptions can steer us towards a deeper appreciation. Here’s the conversation.

Here's a note on this episode from host John Holl:"I love lagers, especially well made ones. I haven’t been shy about my bias for crisp, malt forward, slightly spicy hopped lagers and pilsners in the past and one of my favorite places to imbibe them is at the Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver. Tradition is the rule of the house at the brewery, just down the road from Coors Field. Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye, the owners and brewers spent a career brewing the beers that other people wanted, so when they opened their doors a few years ago they decided to focus on what they wanted to drink: traditional lagers. That can be a tough sell for some beer consumers who walk into a brewery and expect to get an IPA or a stout or something from a barrel. For others it is nice to walk in and know you can get a mug of Helles or a Slow Pour Pilsner. There are seasonal lagers that show up a few times a year and some collaborations as well, and those can verge into the hoppier territory, but still never really break the IBU scale. I visit the brewery whenever I’m in Denver and during big events like the Craft Brewers Conference or Great American Beer Festival it’s not unusual to see brewers from around the country lining up for lagers. Most will, at some point, shake their head in disbelief that a small brewery can survive on just lagers and others will wistfully say they wish they could do something similar. For Carter and Eye there’s no other way, and in this conversation recorded at their brewery in early January 2020 they are open to saying that it’s this path or nothing. They don’t want to go back to working at a brewery that doesn’t match their passion."This episode, by the way, is about as long as ten rounds of Slow Pour Pils. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuests: Ashleigh Carter & Bill Eye of Bierstadt LagerhausSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, Denver, Colorado, lager, pilsner, slow pour, traditional brewing, Germany, hops, malt, baubles.Advertising: Ryan Newhouse, [email protected]

When it opened a decade ago, Fremont Brewing was the sixth brewery in Seattle. The scene has changed tremendously since then and the brewery has grown from a small operation to one with over 100 employees producing around 55,000 barrels per year. What hasn’t changed, says owner Matt Lincecum, is a commitment to sustainability. Now, sustainability is a word that is used a lot in the brewing industry. People talk about their initiatives and best intentions for a greener planet, but it becomes harder and harder to do and practice as a business grows. So, for Lincecum, who has worked as an attorney, community activist, and environmentalist, it is important to keep a laser-like focus on the brewery’s goals and objectives. Host John Holl got together with Lincecum during the recent Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines festival to talk about growth, the brewery’s barrel aged program which includes gems like Rusty Nail, and the frustration, promise, and benefits of organic ingredients in beer. The brewery has a saying, “because beer matters,” and so that’s where Holl wanted to start the conversation. Here it is. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Matt Lincecum, owner of Fremont BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, Seattle, Washington, earth, pale ale, organic, cans, barrels, environmental impacts, climate change, farming, hops, wet hopped, imperial stout. Advertising: Ryan Newhouse, [email protected]

Nashville is a great city for drinking, from the bars along Broadway to the clubs on Music Row. But the beer has not always been local. That has changed over the last 20 years, and while it was not the first, Yazoo Brewing was one of the city’s early craft breweries and been a force for positive beer change in the music city where long neck bottles of Bud reigned supreme. And of course that beer is still king, but there is choice like never before and Yazoo is a big part of that. This week's guest is Linus Hall, who founded the brewery in 2003. The brewery has grown as the city has grown and it is now in its third location. It’s on the outskirts of town, a drive away from the raucous parties and vacationers that populate downtown, which allows the taproom to once again serve locals, something Hall cares deeply about. The brewery has added a canning line, and have additional plans to expand the property to bring the Embrace the Funk program headed by Brandon Jones to the campus. On this episode, recorded at the brewery on New Years Eve, we talk about real estate, brewery growth, consumer expectations, and why you shouldn’t drink on New York City subway platforms. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Linus Hall, owner of Yazoo Brewing. Sponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, Nashville, Tennessee, pale ale, lager, cans, New York, Brooklyn Brewery, bottles, Advertising: [email protected]

Welcome to a new year and a new episode of Drink Beer, Think Beer. The first month has become known as Dry January by a certain segment of drinkers. The excess of the end-of-year holidays and new year resolutions that have people thinking healthier thoughts has played into this cultural movement where people decide to give up booze – or go dry for the first whole month of the year. So, I thought it fitting to sit down with Bill Shufelt of Athletic Brewing Co. He founded the company after he gave up beer and drinking but still wanted the experience of knocking back a cold one. His brewery is based in Stratford, Connecticut just a short distance from Two Roads Brewing. Athletic is part of a new wave of non-alcoholic breweries that have opened across north America in recent years, riding the trend of healthier drinking or drinking less. This is something that younger drinkers, the Millennials are doing, along with Boomers. The word “occasion” is often used when talking about when people consume non-alcoholic drinks and it can be everything from office happy hours to back yard barbecues. The non-alcoholic category is still small in the US. Like, almost non-existent small. But consider Europe where the NA category is about 10 percent of beer sales. So, there’s room to grow. In this interview, recorded in New York City at the Arts and Craft Bar, Shufelt talks with host John Holl about some of the challenges to get his beer to market and into the hands of interested drinkers. He’s reluctant to talk about how the company actually makes the liquid and prefers to stick to marketing pitches. But he is in a driver's seat on the road to the non-alcoholic beer revolution, and Holl started by asking him to set the scene of where things stand as we all start off a new decade. Here’s their conversation. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Bill Shufelt of Athletic Brewing Co. Sponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, non-alcoholic, gose, IPA, pale ale, stout, Connecticut Advertising: [email protected]

A note from Drink Beer, Think Beer host John Holl:We’re releasing this episode as a special Christmas Day bonus show. A gift to you. My guest today is Maureen Ogle, the author of several books including In Meat We Trust: An Unexpected History of Carnivore America and Ambitious Brew: A History of American Beer. There is a Revised Edition that is now available and you should use those holiday gift cards and return credits to get yourself a copy. In this conversation, recorded in Denver during the Great American Beer Festival, we cover a lot of ground, including her next project – another beer book – that might interest those of you who got a kick out of my previous show with Jace Marti. There’s a lot to learn from Maureen’s research and while we all might be focused – especially headed into a new decade – on the future - the lessons of the past are important. Since we’re both writers, there’s a lot of talk about that particular craft and I try to gain a little more insight on what Maureen learned as a historian diving into beer. That’s where we start. Here’s our conversation.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Maureen Ogle, author of Ambitious Brew Tags: beer, craft beer, history, meat, New Albion, Sierra Nevada, All About Beer, books, writing,

This week our guest on Drink Beer, Think Beer is Jace Marti, the assistant brewmaster at the August Schell Brewing Company in Minnesota. Beer has always been the family business, but rather than follow the status quo, Jace is working to bring the brewery into new arenas, notably wild and wood aged beers through the Starkeller Brewery Noble Star collection. Thanks to some long forgotten equipment – namely foudres – in the brewery’s New Ulm facility that were refurbished and moved to a separate location in town, the brewery that has long been known for bocks and adjunct lagers is now gaining acclaim for vibrant ales with fruit additions and great depth. Bringing change to a brewery that has been around for 160 years isn’t easy – both for the company itself and for customer perception, but adaptation is key to survival and growth these days, something Jace knows well. As the brewery prepares to transition leadership to a new generation of the family, Jace sat down with host John Holl in Denver just before the Great American Beer Festival to talk about what comes next. While it may seem like an obvious question, Holl wanted an answer, so he started off asking this 6th generation brewer if his destiny was sealed even before he could walk. Here’s their conversation. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Jace Marti, August Schell Brewing Company Sponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, lager, wood aged, Minnesota, tradition, peacocks, fruited beer, generations, Advertising: [email protected]

This particular episode has been a long time in the making. Despite co-hosting a show with Augie Carton for the last four years, John Holl hasn't really had a chance to sit down with him one-on-one for an interview. It's something Holl has wanted to do, and judging by the emails and social media pings from listeners of Steal This Beer, the podcast they co-host, it’s something many others wanted as well. Holl sat down with Carton, the co-founder of Carton Brewing at his house on a recent Saturday morning. They drank some champagne and some of the beers Carton has been working on. They talked about building out recipes, fine dining influences on his brewing career, and how observing interactions, tastings, and general curiosity from his father, mother, and their friends laid the ground work on what he is trying to accomplish today. Each week on our show Holl sees Carton tease out flavors from beers that are poured blind, and while the brewer is always confidant and occasionally wrong, he does manage to bring some nuance to the forefront most of the time. So, that's where the conversation begins: on flavor. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Augie Carton of Carton Brewing Co. Sponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, quad, DDH, fine dining, Star Wars, Blue Milk, barrel-aged, growth, sales, marketing, New JerseyAdvertising: [email protected]

It has been a busy year for beer. Thanks to increased pressure to perform thanks to nearly 8,000 breweries operating in the country, a consumer base that is constantly looking for the next interesting thing, and an increased focus on local taprooms. Lauren Woods Limbach, the wood cellar director and blender, at New Belgium Brewing Co. has been with the company for 22 years and has seen the changes to the industry first hand along with changes to New Belgium’s ownership, including the recent, pending, sale to Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages. On this episode of Drink Beer, Think Beer, Limbach talks with host John Holl about the sale but then shifts into wood and sour beer production where she is one of the country’s foremost authorities on the style. But, how do you classify the style and what separates a truly good representation from a mediocre one? Limbach shares some guidance and tips on how we can all be better educated when it comes to what we’re tasting. The pair caught up at New York’s Blind Tiger Ale House in early December, just two weeks after Lion announced that it would be adding New Belgium to its portfolio, which includes brands like Four Roses Bourbon. She was in town to talk about the brewery’s 2020 beer portfolio and even shares some release news on this show for the first time. Limbach and Holl cover a lot of ground over pints of pilsners and imperial stouts. Here’s their conversation. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Lauren Woods Limbach of New Belgium Brewing Co. Sponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, Colorado, craft beer, sour ale, homebrewing, wood-aged beer, kriek, independence, growth, ESOP, sales, marketing, Kim JordanAdvertising: [email protected]

Evanston Illinois is just north of Chicago and plays a big role in the temperance movement that swept the country a century ago. Frances Willard, the president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union once lived here. After Prohibition the city decided to remain dry and did so until the 1970s and it wasn’t until 1984 that liquor stores were allowed in town. So, host John Holl was more than a little tickled when he sat down at Sketchbook Brewing in Evanston with founder Cesar Marron to have a pint. The city has come a long way over the last few decades and this brewery is now firmly part of the fabric. So much so that Sketchbook is currently undergoing an expansion. Holl first got to know Marron a few years ago when they were both judges at the Sam Adams Longshot competition, a contest Marron had won just a few years earlier. In this conversation, recorded at the Sketchbook tap room on an autumn afternoon they talked about juggling two careers and family, the tightrope walk that is distribution, and the thought and timing that goes into releasing specialty batches. Holl started off by asking Marron about his origin story and how he found his way into homebrewing and eventually going pro. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Please subscribe and leave a review to help other listeners find the show. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Cesar Marron of Sketchbook BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, Illinois, craft beer, Prohibition, homebrewing, Evanston, IPA, distribution, growthAdvertising: [email protected]

This week John Holl is joined by Chad Henderson and Charles Willett of NoDa Brewing. We got together a few weeks back during the Great American Beer Festival in the basement of famed Beer Bar Falling Rock. Chad goes by head brewer and co-owner and Willet is the brewery’s controller. In thinking about this episode, Holl says he's "always struck, when talking with brewers, about how the littlest thing can happen and change the trajectory of a life, often to the benefit of us drinkers as well. On this episode, we talked about how changes in the law in North Carolina a few years back helped pave the way for the brewery, and how a simple conversation at a the Denver Rare Beer Tasting event helped Chad peruse his dream of brewing.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuests: Chad Henderson and Charles Willett of NoDa BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, beer laws, politics, North Carolina, community action

Since the 2016 presidential election, politics has dominated the national conversation and it’s not always polite. Businesses of all sizes have struggled to maintain the right tone when talking about their political beliefs, if they do it at all, for fear of alienating customers. So when John Holl sat down with Samantha Lee and Stephen Bossu of Hopewell Brewing a few weeks ago, he was surprised at how candid they were about politics and their beliefs. But, it became clear pretty quickly that their beliefs, backgrounds, and passions are what make Hopewell the brewery it is. And don’t worry. They talk about the beer as well. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuests: Samantha Lee and Stephen Bossu of Hopewell BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, Illinois, craft beer, lager, politics, natural wine, Chicago, community action

Strap in folks, because this week it’s Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink of Chicago’s Dovetail Brewery. There are no secrets in the brewhouse and the pair who met in brewing school and opened up a house of lager in Chicago a few years ago are ready to discuss it all. From how they brew a rauchbier to the equipment they have acquired from around the world to how they approach creating a recipe from the water up, the duo go deep on brewing passion. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink, Dovetail BrewerySponsor: Deschutes BreweryTags: beer, Illinois, craft beer, lager, rauchbier, kriek, Chicago, brewing education

Evan Watson is a farmer, brewer, musician, athlete, and all around thoughtful guy. When host John Holl showed up at the Plan Bee Farm Brewery in New York’s Hudson Valley a few weeks back, Watson was holding an axe in one hand and a magnum bottle of barn beer in the other. After sabering open the bottle, and pouring two glasses, Watson showed off the farm, including acres of heirloom corn he is growing and that will go into his beers. Watson talks about inspiration, music, and how he is still trying to figure out his place in the brewing industry all while staying true to his art. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Evan Watson, Plan Bee Farm BrewerySponsors: Tavour and Deschutes BreweryTags: New York, craft beer, lager, farming, music, hops, bees, honey, coolship