Beer Me!

Last weekend, the city of Auburn, NY hosted the first annual Brave Brews Fest. This was a three-day event to celebrate women in craft beverages organized by this week's guest, Dawn Schulz, co-founder of Prison City Brewing. We dive into the event, why it was important, how industry events like this help move women forward in beer, and how women can break into traditionally male-dominated roles within the beer world. 

Shoutouts & Mentions: 

Pink Boots Society, Jacki Hannon (Bells Brewery), Sloop Brewing (their internship!), Celeste Beatty (Harlem Brewing Company), Jackie Dodd Mallory (aka, The Beeroness)

Check out more Beer Me! episodes.

Beer Me likes to get nerdy, about cask beer, hops…but this week we are taking a deep dive into safety. The landscape of the beer industry is changing and will continue to evolve to be more inclusive. With this change, spaces that beer inhabits need to be safe (taprooms, breweries, bars). Amie Ward, a hospitality veteran, and Safe Bars trainer joins the show to talk about how to intervene in an unsafe situation and why training, like Safe Bars, is vital in this industry.

Hear more about the beer industry confronting sexual harassment and discrimination:

Listen to the episode #notme with Brienne Allan.

Trigger Warning:  we discuss instances of assault and unsafe situations in this episode.

How many times have you gone into a brewery and instantly liked it? Or enjoyed an afternoon in a taproom so much you forget the exact beers you tried (overindulging aside), you just know you had a great time? Any service-based establishment is striving to create a crafted experience for their guests. Frank Kuhns, co-owner of Settle Down Easy Brewing Co. joins the show to share how he has channeled years of hotel experience into curating a memorable guest experience. We talk about building a brand, storytelling, and how the customer is always first (not always right). 

Shout outs: Caboose Brewing, Taco Bell (I share my deep love of it), Grateful Dead, 

Check out these episodes: 

Connecting with Guests with Colleen Gillespie 

Maintaining a Brand: How to Keep True to a Brewery's Story with Neil Callaghan 

Beer Storytelling with Dmitri Chekaldin 

Todd Boera, Co-Founder and Creative Director for Fonta Flora Brewery in North Carolina joins the show to discuss American Farmhouse Brewing. We discuss why this kind of brewery is significant and the different local ingredients Fonta Flora has incorporated into their beers, from pawpaws to local wood.  

Michael Williams, Lead Beer Educator for Great Lakes Brewing Co. joins the show to talk about all things porters, including the history, production, and food pairings. Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland, OH produces a benchmark brew as far American Porters are concerned, with their Edmond Fitzgerald (aka. Fitz, Eddie Fitz). Pour a glass of your favorite roasty, toasty, dark brew, and tune in!

Here on Beer Me! we have a little end-of-year tradition to get some friends in the studio to talk about their favorite beers for the holiday season. We are reviving that tradition, little by little. 

Today, we welcomed back to the show, Sam Nellis, Bar Director for All-Purpose and Red Hen in DC. We dive into holiday beer, non-alcoholic beers, cocktail traditions, and embracing all beverage preferences. Cheers! and we will see you in the new year! 

December 10th is National Lager Day! (We are embracing made-up holidays, especially when it involves lagers). Lisa Allen, Head Brewer of Heater Allen Brewing in McMinnville, OR joins the show to discuss everything that is lagers! Or course we get off track, but that's part of the charm. 

Hard seltzers are a rapidly growing market segment that is projected to grow even more in the coming years. Craft brewers are embracing the trend and the selection is never-ending. Thankfully, Eric McCrory, Sr. Manager of Product Education + Culinary at The Boston Beer Company, (and Advanced Cicerone) was willing to join the show this week to give a quick Hard Seltzer 101, specifically how it's made. As usual, the show takes a few detours, but we get there eventually! 

All breweries have stories to tell, but how they tell them has developed drastically over the years. Jim McCune, co-founder of the Craft Beer Marketing Awards joins the show to talk about how beer marketing is constantly reinventing and pushing new boundaries. Beer can art alone is a prime example of that. He also shares insights into often overlooked ways a brewery can share their story. 

The Brewers Association (BA) faced the #metoo movement in craft beer head-on during September's Craft Brewers Conference. Many of the seminars, training sessions, and speakers focused on the evolution that needs to happen in craft beer. One of those voices, a very strong one, was Virginia Morrison, Esq. She is the co-founder, chief executive officer, and chief legal officer at Second Chance Beer Company, she is also the DEI chair on the BA's Board of Directors and comes from an extensive background in employment law. She joins the show to talk about the importance of building a positive work culture and protecting your staff.