Beats, Beards & Brews

In this episode, Eric, Evan and Dan get political and debate whether 70s-inspired modern rock operas about white racist men changing their ways deserve a higher rating than a 2.0-2.5. The modern rock opera in question is titled American Love Story by Beats, Beards & Brews alum Butch Walker.

One things for sure, 'ol Butch's guitar tones are absolutely on point on this album.

Next, Dan gets even more fired up when he learns Eric has been slathering emu oil on his face for the past week. Why you ask? Eric was preparing for his review of Black Rebel Beard Co.'s newly rebranded formula of beard oil ⁠— now with 75% more emu oil! (versus the 0% included in the previously reviewed formula).

After some back and forth emu conversation, Eric shares his rating of The Rebel, a masculine and intriguing "oud - woodsy" scent.

Thankfully, the beer portion of the podcast is a lot less divisive — "Get yer politics outta my beer!" — as Eric and Evan sip on Sunny, a Belgian blonde ale from Peace Tree Brewing Co. (out of Des Moines) and Dan drinks down the Bru-Tang Sour special release beer from Dangerous Man Brewing (out of Minneapolis).

Ah, beer. The great equalizer. Now go find yourself some emu leather pants and let's party (at a safe distance), loyal listener!

Blueberry beard oil! Blueberry beer! Blueberry facials for your dog! We've got it all in this action-packed episode of Beats, Beards & Brews. But first... Eric, Evan and Dan get "caught in a mosh" as they review Havok's thrashtastic fifth studio album V.

All right, all right. Now on to the blueberries! For the beard portion of the episode, Eric tries out Dr. Wolf Blueberry Tobacco Beard Oil from Fable Beard Co. Blueberries in your beard? Yep. Dan then proves how out of touch he is with reality by admitting to purchasing blueberry facials for his two Labrador Retrievers.

Evan and Eric drink and rate The Blueberry Wizard by Confluence Brewing Co. (out of Des Moines), a Gose-style sour ale with blueberries. In case you were wondering ... Evan still doesn't like sour beers. Dan breaks the blueberry mold and reviews Mirror Universe Hazy IPA by Fair State Brewing (out of Minneapolis).

Feeling lonely? Grab a handful of blueberries, dump them into a cold glass of delicious beer and hit play. We're here for you.

In a very special episode of Beats, Beards & Brews, Eric and Dan review the long-awaited (for some) Danzig Sings Elvis cover album. Is this art? Dan isn't convinced. Listen to the episode for our Danzig deep thoughts and the usual "insightful" commentary.

Danzig cover songs previewed in this episode include:

• First In Line
• Always On My Mind
• Fever

During this episode Eric drinks and reviews Citra Neon Hazy IPA by Barn Town Brewing out of West Des Moines (IA). Dan drinks and reviews Rock Them Bot and Sock Them Bot, two Hazy IPAs from Tin Whiskers Brewing Company out of St. Paul (MN).

As Eric says at the conclusion of this episode: "Crank this one up and appreciate the moment and the strange times we're in."

Evan, Dan and Eric — three Midwest music-loving, beer-drinking everymen — step outside of their musical wheelhouses and review Fiona Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters. The album is controversial, in a way, because Pitchfork gave it a 10 out of 10. Their reviews vary, but the boys all agree that this is art and everyone should listen to it.

Pitchfork is still full of sh*t, though.

Fiona Apple songs previewed in this episode include:

• Fetch the Bolt Cutters
• Heavy Balloon
• Shameika

Here's a link to the Vulture article that Eric references:

• Fiona Apple Explains Every Song on 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters'

Eric goes local for the beard portion of the episode and reviews three beard oil scents from Iowa Beard Company* — King Slayer, Tobacco Bitters and American Gentleman. These scents are all part of the Beard Oil Sample Pack that he acquired from MoMere. Eric also shares an initial take on the Tobacco Bitters Soy Wax Candle.

Dan, Eric and Evan then continue their local brewery beer journey with reviews of PeachBerry Kush IPA by Dangerous Man Brewing Co. and Hazy Diamond Bling Sauce by Brightside Aleworks. This episode was record on 4/20 by three buds. These three buds also want to remind you that it's 4/20 all month long. Cheers!

*P.S. Eric never reached out to Iowa Beard Company for an exclusive BBBPod code ... if we get another code, you'll know it!

In the fourth quarantine episode of Beats, Beards & Brews, the gang reviews The Strokes' sixth studio album The New Abnormal. The album channels the classic Strokes sound while also getting experimental. Eric's thoughts on the album might surprise you!

The Strokes songs previewed in this episode include:

• Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus
• Bad Decisions
• Ode to the Mets

Dan discusses his decision to shave the beard during quarantine and describes his latest facial hair style (full-on mustache!). Eric, Evan and Dan explain why now is a great time to mix up your look or simply just grow your beard out. Do what feels right for you.

Beard product mentioned in this episode:

• Can You Handlebar Primary Moustache Wax

Eric and Evan drink Arctic Breakfast, a 5.8% abv vanilla-almond oatmeal brown ale, by Fox Brewing out of West Des Moines. Dan samples Stir Crazy Porter, a 6.5% abv seasonal chocolate porter, by Indeed Brewing Company out of Minneapolis.

In quarantine episode número tres, the boys review Pearl Jam's eleventh studio album Gigaton. As a longtime Pearl Jam listener, Dan drops some knowledge of the band's history and its sound. Do Eric and Evan get converted over to team Pearl Jam/Papa Vedder? The answer may surprise you. Tune in to find out!

Pearl Jam songs previewed during this episode include:

• Dance of the Clairvoyants
• Superblood Wolfmoon
• Quick Escape

For the beard portion of the episode, Eric shares some of his favorite calming beard/essential oil scents.

He also reviews Belle Isle (Orange & Lavender) Beard Butter by Detroit Grooming Co.

Things get a little sweet for the beer portion of the show, as the gang all select some locally brewed honey beers to enjoy.

Dan drinks the dangerously smooth Mexican Honey Imperial Lager by Minneapolis-based Indeed Brewing Company. The beer's slogan is "all buzz, no bite" and it's not false advertising. Meanwhile, Evan and Eric sip on the easier going 4.9% Easy on the Eyes Session Brown Ale (with locally sourced honey) by West Des Moines, Iowa-based Twisted Vine Brewery.

What is the most efficient way to pour beer out of a crowler? A growler? We don't know. Dan shares some pro maneuvers.

Maybe you can help us out! Let us know @bbbpod! We've been drinking out of a lot more growlers and crowlers these days.

Another week of quarantine, another episode of Beats, Beards & Brews. This episode is dedicated to past podcast recordings lost.

The gang reviews Folkesange by Myrkur aka Danish musician Amalie Bruun who sometimes performs black metal. Not death metal.

However, this release is not metal at all. It's very folksy.

Myrkur songs previewed during this episode include:

• Fager som en Ros
• Leaves of Yggdrasil
• House Carpenter

The boys drop some peach cobbler analogies nobody asked for. Turns out the cobbler system is pretty intuitive for reviews.

Additional albums mentioned in this episode:

• 3.15.20 by Childish Gambino
• Heaven Is Real by Genevieve

Next up, Dan and Eric revisit Beardbrand Stone Mason*, which they first reviewed during a recent a failed recording attempt.

Beard products reviewed in this episode:

• Beardbrand Stone Mason Beard Oil (Eric)
• Beardbrand Stone Mason Utility Balm (Dan)

*Stone Mason is available exclusively at Target.

Eric and Evan continue to support local Iowa breweries, while Dan enjoys Zombie Dust and rubs his easy access to it in Eric's face.

Beers reviewed in this episode:

• Zombie Dust by 3 Floyd's Brewing Co. (Dan)
• OREOja and Surf Zombies IPA by Iowa Brewing Co. (Eric)
• The Hermit by ReUnion Brewery (Evan)

Until next week, amigos! Hang in there. Remember: No matter how difficult/trying/bad life gets, there's always beer.

**Note from the management: Eric moved into a new apartment and there is a moment where the gang gets interrupted by a possible real-life cobbler next door. Sorry!

Eric, Evan and Dan return to their mics to provide comfort in the strange new world we live in during the coronavirus outbreak.

The boys share their COVID-19 stories, quarantine music picks and beard hygiene tips. They also review some local beers.

Quarantine music picks (Eric and Dan):

• Aeromantic by The Night Flight Orchestra (Eric)
• A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgill Simpson (Dan)
• Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers (Dan)
• Underneath by Code Orange (Eric)
• Folkesange by Myrkur (Eric)
• Lucifer III by Lucifer (Eric)

Upcoming album release picks (Dan):

• Gigaton by Pearl Jam (Release Date: March 27, 2020)
• Women in Music Pt. III by HAIM (TBD: Summer 2020)

Beard products mentioned in the episode:

• Detroit Grooming Co. Beard Wash
• Scotch Porter Beard Conditioner

Local brews we review include (Dan, Eric, Evan):

• Castle Cream Ale (Castle Danger, Two Harbors, Minnesota)
• Meloso Amarillo Pale Ale (515 Brewing, Des Moines, Iowa)
• Passe Pale Ale (515 Brewing, Des Moines, Iowa)

Additional communication tools mentioned:

• Discord (voice, video, text chat)
• Steam (for group PC gaming)

Outro music: "Divinyls" by The Night Flight Orchestra

Stay tuned for (hopefully) more frequent episodes of Beats, Beards & Brews as we step up our social distancing game.

Here's a special "quick hitter" episode of Beats, Beards & Brews where Eric and Evan review a trio of craft beers they purchased to enjoy during Super Bowl LIV.

Beers consumed include:

• Bell's Light Hearted Ale (Lo-Cal IPA)
• Dogfish Head's SeaQuench Ale
• Big Grove Brewery's Citra Triad

The first two beers will keep you fresh during any major sports viewing party, while the latter option is coming in hot!

Eric also drops a quick review of the new Midnight record, Rebirth by Blasphemy, and gives a shout-out to The Beard Baron. Additional episode highlights: Evan predicts the Super Bowl winner. The boys have a conversation about almond milk. They also eat Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Flavored Almonds.

The Beats, Beards & Brews crew is back in 2020 with an episode recorded live at The Wobbly Tap in 2019. Better late than never!*

*Episode release delayed by Eric this time. Sorry boys!

Dan, Evan and Eric kick things off by picking their "favorite" albums of 2019. The albums featured on this episode include:

• The Dirty Nil - Master Volume (Deluxe Edition) [Dan's Pick]
• The National - I Am Easy to Find [Evan's Pick]
• Enforcer - Zenith [Eric/Everyone's Pick] [This Album Rocks!]

A Spotify playlist of tracks from Eric's Best of 2019 Album List is also referenced on the episode. You can find that playlist here.

Dan and Eric review The Ginger Beard Man holiday beard oil scent from Fable Beard Co. Eric reviews The Claus beard oil scent.*

*Note: These scents are no longer available for purchase.

Evan, Eric and Dan also drop reviews of two Milk Stouts: Dragon's Milk White (from New Holland Brewing) and Over the Moon Milk Stout (from Guinness).

You've all probably abandoned your New Year's resolutions by now, but that's just fine. We've got one resolution you can stick to.

Drink beer and listen to more Beats, Beards & Brews in 2020!