As craft beer struggles, brewers fight for better beer laws

The battle for better beer laws is a long one. I've personally been involved in the grassroots efforts for a decade now and many of Georgia's breweries have been at it 3x that long.

Beer laws don't get changed easily. The three-tier system is lonstanding and, with one tier have the majority of power (hint: it's not the brewers) they aren't keen on change. 

This year Georgia's brewers and the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild have put forward Senate Bill 122 to fight for more change. The key elements are allowing limited self distribution, allowing breweries to donate to charities, and raising the to-go sales cap for breweries which is currently at 288 oz, or 1 case of 10 oz cans.

Schoolhouse Brewing's Thomas Monti joined us to talk about the bill, and beer laws in general. Thomas knows very well the tough times breweries are going through as he recently closed one location of his brewery. Fortunately, Schoolhouse's original location remains open. Although this bill is for Georgia this issues aren't unique to our state.

It's not likely breweries will get all they're going for with this bill, verbiage to reform franchise law has already been cut. But, hopefully some change will happen. And the people will continue to fight next year.

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

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Big Beer doesn't love you like craft beer does.

We're back and we're ready to party.  We missed a Super Bowl show but we're recapping the game and, more importantly, the beer commercials this week.  On that note, Atlanta's Monday Night Brewing isn't happy about Coors' "Case of the Mondays" campaign.  Monday Night has been selling a mix pack with the name for many years now.  A cease and desist sent to Molson was replied with, essentially, "too bad, it's done now."  

In Presidential news... tariffs.  So hot right now.  They're on, they're off, they're back on.  We can't keep up.  If they are on, they could hit your beer prices.  Proposed aluminum tariffs will impact packaging costs for most producers.  And if all these other tariffs go into place it could hit malt, hops, and who knows what else.

Some sorta good news as one beer purchasing index shows sales aren't down as much as they have been.  It's a bummer when things been down less is good news.  With all the breweries closing their doors (this week, Alamo) we'll take any ray of sunshine we can get.

Looking ahead, the folks at Total Wine shared some of their predictions for trends this year.  What do you think will be the hot item???

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

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Quicksand isn't nearly as prevalent as I thought it would be when I was a kid.

Have you ever been stuck in quicksand. I have. Seriously. But, I really expected my adult life to be a constant battle to dodge the killer soup and I'm pretty thrilled that's not the case.

Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association to split

Some big news this week with the BA and AHA announcing they'll split. The two have operated together for decades but feel the split will allow both groups to focus on their members more. It seems amicable and hopefully will mean good things.

Brian shares an update on the We Love LA relief beer. The movement has a website now and more breweries are joining the cause.

San Francisco's Toronado is up for sale. After 38 years the owner is calling it a day. Sounds like his hope is someone will buy it and carry on the torch.

Sapporo news is always disappointed. In the latest punch, they've laid off 2% of their workforce. Par for the course in beer these days, but still a bummer to hear.

In other news we talk about the weirdest beer names, QuikTrip (convenienve store change) is bringing back their own beer after a long hiatus, and the states with the highest beer taxes.

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
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If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

Are you dry, damp, or wet this January?

We're not gonna let this one go. It's January, and folks are dry all over. It's almost done though, we'll make it through this. Nate is dry, Tim is moist, and Brian is so, so wet right now.

The folks at Pub Beer are fighting back against all this dryness with their Wet January initiative. Leonardo DiCheapio shares cheesy videos, contest, and deals on Instagram @CheapFunBeer.  Check it out.

It's not all fun and games though. The TTB is implementing some major labeling changes, and it could impact what and where we get our beer. We'll stay on top of this, but there are some huge changes proposed regarding nutrition labeling.

After news of MolsonCoors closing the Leinenkugel brewery broke the original owners offered to buy it back. MC said no, we waited for more info, after we recorded our show it was reported that they plan to use it as a pilot brewery. Sad ending for an OG.

Is pounding Guinness the key to a healthy, long life?

Probably not, but for one old Irish dude it seems to be working. He claims to down around 20 Guinness in a weekend, but he doesn't drink during the week. Docs say he's pretty healthy for his age. Rock on, old dude.

Breweries are taking the opportunity to renovate during the slow month of January. I'd say if someone is renovating that's a pretty good sign. If you're on the verge of closing you wouldn't be sinking money into upgrades, right?

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
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If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

A bit of good news for beer...

Per Brewbound the New Year started off OK for beer. Sales were up double digits for the sector as a whole, and craft beer saw an 8.7% increase.

After ringing in 2025 the numbers may dip a bit, as is tradition for January. For those choosing to go dry, NA beer is the beverage of choice. A poll showed 60% of those participating in Dry January chose NA beer over other NA beverages. 10% preferred NA spirits, and 13% chose NA wine. We have sampled NA win but the numbers aren't surprising based on the NA liquors we've tried. They still got some work to do.

Brewers come together for wildfire relief

Brewers are the best. As expected, there's a collective effort to support relief for the Los Angeles wildfires, spearheaded by Common Space Brewery. You can get more info at www.commonspace.la.

Tilray to eliminate 300 alcoholic beverages from their portfolio

Tilray just keeps at it, announcing a huge cut to their offerings. They say this will mostly impact products that are "duplicative." Let's see how they define that.

In other news... USDA issued their National Hop Report, with plantings down, as expected. And VinePair tells us all about the states that drink the most alcohol.

Hope you have a great week! Stay moist!

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
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If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

You ever done some Zebra Striping?

The trend has been around for a while, but now there's a term for it. Alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage is... Zebra Striping. Seems the practice may be a bit more refined than just having glass of water after a few beers, but it ain't new.

Is your January still dry?

Nate is dry, I'm kinda moist, and Brian is nearly drowning. But if you're still dry we've got a mocktail recipe using Guinness 0 that you might want to try out. 

If you're in the pool with Brian we also have some tips on pairing beer and whiskey. Now we're talking.

Is beer good for you or not?

Science can never agree on this, or anything health related it seems. The Surgeon General wants to expand the warning on beer to note that it can cause cancer. At the same time another group of scientists say they've re-confirmed that moderate alcohol consumption can have health benefits. Our suggestion, play it cool and enjoy life.

This week in News We Thought Was Done Years Ago, the Stone vs. Molson Coors judgment has been upheld. Molson Coors has to pay out a big chunk for their Keystone marketing that Stone said confused consumers. Seems the courts agree.

In some good news for brewers the TTB has added several common brewing adjunts to their exemption list. This means if a brewer already has an approved beer they can add these ingredients without the need for a new approval. We'll take all the good news we can get, even if it's small.

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
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If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

Happy New Year and Happy 9th Anniversary to us!

We made it to 9 years. Wild. I know everyone looking back on things says how much they've seen change, but wow, we sure have seen a lot change since we started this thing. What a ride. Thanks for joining us for the trip. Maybe we'll throw a big party for the 10 year celebration.

This week we talk about Dry January. Nate's going dry, I'm dry for now due to #DoctorsOrders, and Brian is still very wet. If you do go dry, don't forget your local breweries. Go grab a bite, see if they have any NA offerings, maybe try a mocktail. They need you now more than ever.

Big news from the Brewers Association as Bart Watson is appointed President and CEO. Bart was formerly the Chief Economist at the BA and shared all the facts and figures on what was happening in the craft beer world. He joined us on the show back in 2018, you can check that out here. (I have no idea where the Duke's Mayo ad on that show came from.)

For the crappy news that seems so common these days we report that RateBeer is shutting down and that beer drinking in 2024 was the lowest it's been in a generation, and the report that it's possible the popularity of Ozempic is impacting beer sales. Pfft.

Cheers to 2025, Y'all! Hope it's a great one!

Tim

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
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If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

Oh come all ye faithful, let's have a beer!

Once again it's time for one of our most favorite shows of the year, the Interfaith Holiday Craft Beer SPECTACULAR.

A few years ago our Jewish friends Michael Syrop and Ron Mitchell of Rainy Day Brewing joined us to help sample our holiday beers. We decided that was awesome and made it a tradition. The Rainy Day crew is back this year to blind taste holiday beers and choose our favorites.

The Holiday Beer List

• Bells Christmas Ale
• Barrel of Monks Father Christmas Holiday Ale
• Breckenridge Christmas Ale
• Bronx Brewing Jingle Jangle Holiday Ale
• Delirium Noel
• Fat Bottom Noel
• Highland Cold Mountain
• N'Ice Chouffe
• Ommegang Everything Naughty
• Samichlaus Classic
• Scaldis Noel
• Shiner Holiday Cheer
• Sierra Nevada Celebration
• Sloop Brewing (No) Santa NEIPA
• Southern Tier Chestnut Praline
• St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
• Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend (Vintage)

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
Follow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

THC and CBD beverages are on the rise, and they're taking over valuable shelf space that could hold delicious craft beer. What are you thoughts? Continuing trend or fad?

Beer stats show mixed signals for the industry. The Beer Purchasers Index (BPI) offers insights into industry trends with overall beer purchasing show "cautious optism" with a neutral score of 50. However, the craft beer sector isn't looking great, with a concerning BPI score of 18, indicating contraction.

Trump Tariffs are coming for your beers.

If all the tariffs that are planned are actually put in place it could have a widespread impact on the beer you drink. We import aluminum and grain from Canada and if you're on the trend of Mexican imports you Modelo and Corona are going to cost more. It remains to be scene what comes to be, and what impact that will have. We'll hold tight, for now.nd nostalgia.

Sapporo takes Stone Brewing down another peg. They are going to cease all international distribution in January 2025, and limiting US distribution to their core beers. Sad to see Stone as such a shadow of what it once was.

We chat about farm breweries. In some areas they're growing tremendously, but other areas aren't seeing the same spike. I like the concept, and if it's better for keeping breweries alive then lets get to farming beer.

 Debunking Hangover Myths

Do you have a miracle cure for a hangover. Most of us probably do. Unless you one of the lucky 25% of the population that doesn't get hangovers. We talk about some of the myths of hangover cures, and give you the straight truth

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
Follow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

OK, we got the sound fixed! Well, we found a fix where we shouldn't have the same issues again. (fingers crossed)

Our Brewery Closure of the Week is.... Elysian! AB-InBev is shutting down the Seattle production facility of Elysian. We can't even keep up over here.

We mentioned them earlier in the year but we have more info on the annual Bourbon County Brand Stout releases with ABV info. Looks like we'll be out of luck here in Georgia as our gov-mint thanks they're too boozy for us to handle.

Big Beer or not, we appreciate the ridiculous things Miller Lite offers up at the holidays. This year, a YuleLager, a beer tower/fireplace combo. You can try to snag one at shop.millerlite.com but these kitshcy items sell out fast.

Another fun discussion from a VinePair article. Brewery Taproom red flags. We've got a few of our own.

Because we care about your health, we're sharing some info from the nerologists about what age you should totally quit drinking to protect your brain and body. We'll share the info but it's totally up to you if you follow it.

Thanks for bearing with us through the technical issues. Hope you enjoy the show. Cheers! 🍻

Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
Follow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!