Brian Loughrey knows what he’s saying when he talks about beer and the beer industry: before he became the Director of Business Development at TechniBlend, Inc./ ProBrew, Brian served in sales for brands such as Heineken, Goose Island, and Anheuser-Busch. He also worked for The Country Malt Group, where he expanded his knowledge and experience on operations. Today, as the Director of Business Development, Brian has become ProBrew’s go-to dry guy for his expertise and wisdom on all things grain, malt, malting, and beyond.

Passionate about sanitary fluid handling, process systems, and sales leadership, Thom DeLoach serves as the Vice President of Sales for Statco-DSI Process Systems. He values technical competence, process know-how, common sense, and customer-centric superlative service. Prior to joining Statco in 2019, Thom held regional, national, and international sales leadership roles at MURZAN INC. for more than 20 years. As the Vice President of Sales for Statco, Thom believes that customers, clients, and consumers win when capable teams are equipped with leadership and individual accountability.

In this episode, Thom, Brian, and I explore the challenges and struggles small- and medium-sized businesses are experiencing due to the non-alcoholic drink movement. We describe ProBrew’s Alchemator and how it helps craft brewers and beverage producers separate alcohol and water from any fermented beverage. We discuss making ready-to-drink products and the importance of striving toward consistency as a small-sized beverage producer. We also address challenges with dissolved oxygen in wine and packaging.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     The Craft Brewers Conference 2023

●     The growth of the non-alcoholic market

●     The best thing about having a malt base

●     Striving toward consistency as a small beverage producer

●     Ready-to-drink products and high-gravity beer

●     Flash pasteurization and sanitation

●     Booze Clues: freshly-pressed mango, pineapple, and guava magic

●     The Food Safety Modernization Act

●     Why beers, spirits, and wine competitions are very subjective

●     What ethanol does to the flavor of drinks

●     Dissolved oxygen in wine and packaging

Connect with Thom DeLoach:

●     Statco

●     Statco on LinkedIn

●     Thom DeLoach on LinkedIn

Connect with Brian Loughrey:

●     ProBrew

●     ProBrew on LinkedIn

●     ProBrew on Instagram

●     ProBrew on Facebook

●     ProBrew on YouTube

●     Brian Loughrey on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

It’s safe to say that John Lyda—a full-time faculty member and stalwart of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at A-B Tech—and I do a lot over the summer. Like the Batman to my Robin, John and I share a passion for troubleshooting and helping out. So, we get a lot of projects in the summer that keep us busier than usual. These projects include helping local businesses, doing house calls, and being a resource and outpost for everyone. And, oh, have you heard about the summer programs we offer at the Craft Beverage Institute?

In this episode, John and I share our plans for the summer, including our internship programs and our initial ideas for opening a bartending school. We discuss the new cohort for Fall 2023 at the Craft Beverage Institute and why the program takes a serious approach to safety. We explain why we’re big on helping out the local craft beverage industry. We also sample a gorgeous agave tequila for Booze Clues and highlight what kava is all about.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Booze Clues: birthday cake, but in the form of tequila

●     John’s favorite bottle of tequila

●     The new fall cohort at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast

●     The summer courses and internship program at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast

●     Why we’re big on safety

●     Our previous certificate classes

●     Plans to open a bartending school

●     Beverage companies we’ve helped through the years

●     What kava is all about

Resources Mentioned:

●     Email us at: [email protected] | [email protected]

Connect with John Lyda:

●     John Lyda on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Evan Wilder could not have known that visiting his aunt and uncle would set him down the rabbit hole of distillation. He had just gotten into whiskey prior to the visit, and his uncle suggested they try some scotch—a bottle of Macallan 15. Before he knew it, he began exploring with peated whiskey, tried his hand at homebrewing, and registered at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at A-B Tech. Evan recently graduated from the program and will soon be headed down to Australia to work and expand his knowledge of the art of distilled spirit production.

Evan joins me today, with a bottle of single malt whiskey in hand for Booze Clues, to discuss how he found the program at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. He discusses his work at The Chemist in North Carolina and the single malt whiskey exclusively produced for their award-winning bar, The Antidote. He describes his journey in homebrewing and explains how the pandemic led him to seek an education in distillation. Evan also shares his goals as a brewer and discusses his forthcoming travel to Australia.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Booze Clues: The Chemist’s single malt whiskey, The Antidote

●     How smaller barrels accelerate the color, oxygenation, and extraction of whiskey

●     Expanding the offerings of the Consuming the Craft podcast

●     Why cost control is critical to success in the distillery industry

●     What got Evan interested in distillation

●     How he found the program at A-B Tech

●     Booze Clues Part 2: pouring inspiration for Evan’s trip down under

●     Evan’s Kansas roots and aspirations as a brewer

●     The best way to introduce someone to whiskey

●     The complexities of wheat whiskey’s grain bill

Connect with Evan Wilder:

●     Evan Wilder on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

One has got to wonder: just when does Kaeleigh McCauley sleep? While serving as co-founder of the Outsider Brewing Company, Kaeleigh also works as the Sales Development Coordinator for Brewers Supply Group, Inc. And, on top of working two full-time jobs simultaneously, Kaeleigh also serves as the Chapter Leader of the Pink Boots Society in Asheville, North Carolina. The Pink Boots Society is an organization that aims to assist, inspire, and encourage women and non-binary individuals to advance their careers through education in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry.

Kaeleigh joins me today to discuss The Pink Boots Society’s mission and how she became a part of the organization. She describes her experiences as a woman working in a male-dominated industry and outlines what everyone can do to turn the brewing industry into a more inclusive space. She also highlights what’s new at The Pink Boots Society and underscores what she’s looking forward to as the co-founder of Outsider Brewing.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     The Pink Boots Society

●     Kaleigh’s role in The Pink Boots Society

●     Maintaining courage, making space, and being a woman in a male-dominated industry

●     How women can join The Pink Boots Society

●     Booze Clues: honeysuckle and nectar, but for adults

●     Beer 101 classes, beer pairing nights, and other events brewing at Outsider Brewing

Resources Mentioned:

●     The Pink Boots Society

Connect with Kaeleigh McCauley:

●     Outsider Brewing

●     Outsider Brewing on Instagram

●     Outsider Brewing on Facebook

●     Kaeleigh McCauley on LinkedIn

●     Email: [email protected]

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Outsider Brewing Company co-founder Kaeleigh McCauley studied International Business & German at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As required by her degree, Kaeleigh later studied in Germany, where she was introduced to pop culture and discovered her love for beer. She returned to the US and immersed herself in the craft community with a passion for beer and a determination to get into the industry after graduating. Her career began at California Premium Beverage as a draft technician and she soon worked as a sales representative for Birdsong Brewing. While working in sales, Kaeleigh began pursuing a continuing education certificate in Applied Sensory & Consumer Science from the University of California, Davis, to elevate her skills and passion for beer to the next level. Today, in addition to her work at Outsider Brewing, Kaeleigh is a sales development coordinator at Brewers Supplier Group and serves as a Chapter Leader for the Pink Boots Society.

Kaeleigh joins me today to share her background and journey in the craft beer industry. She explains how going to Germany for her degree introduced her to German pop culture and sparked her love for beer. She describes her former role as a fresh tap draft technician and shares some horror stories from the experience. She also highlights what Outsider Brewing is, how they’re making the brewing process “clear,” and underscores how they’re helping consumers gain more insight into the art and science of brewing.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Kaeleigh’s path from UC Davis to the beer industry

●     Horror stories from Kaeleigh’s time as a fresh tap draft technician

●     Her work as a sales development coordinator at Brewers Supply Group

●     What people need to know about the transportation and logistics of barley today

●     Exciting new grains and varietals Kaeleigh has seen recently

●     Co-founding Outsider Brewing, what they do, and how they operate differently

●     The gap between people’s understanding of the brewing process and the ingredients that go into it

●     Booze Clues: Novo Fogo’s citrusy, green banana magic from Brazil

●     Outsider Brewing’s plans for more community events

Connect with Kaeleigh McCauley:

●     Outsider Brewing

●     Outsider Brewing on Instagram

●     Outsider Brewing on Facebook

●     Kaeleigh McCauley on LinkedIn

●     Email: [email protected]

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

It’s time for a celebration, and celebrating with me is the pillar of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at A-B Tech, John Lyda. What we’re celebrating is in John’s hand—an obelisk. An award. I’m not sure what the folks at the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations were drinking, but they decided to bestow a Gold Award to the Consuming the Craft podcast. This podcast wouldn’t be possible without the support of John, our lab manager Jim—who’s really the brains behind this whole thing—our guests, and you, our listeners.

In this episode, John and I appreciate this wonderful, beautiful award and discuss our future vision for the Consuming the Craft podcast. We discuss the origins of rhum agricole. We also try a drink of cachaça for Booze Clues, share our mission to become a learning hub for the industry and community, and divulge our plans for new social media channels.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Our award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations

●     Our new podcast studio and office

●     Future plans for an Instagram and YouTube channel for the Consuming the Craft podcast

●     Rhum agricole and its origins

●     Booze Clues: Novo Fogo’s magical cachaça

●     Novo Fogo’s zero waste, carbon-negative distillery and work to help protect Brazilian forests

●     Tasty tidbits and other content we’re planning to post on the Consuming the Craft YouTube channel

●     Our brilliant students at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast at A-B Tech

●     What John’s looking forward to in the future

Resources Mentioned:

●     My email: [email protected]

Connect with John Lyda:

●     John Lyda on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Do you have leftover whiskey, gin, bourbon, or tequila lying around in bottles around the house? Do you want to clear up some space at your personal bar in time for spring without just throwing away the small leftover portions of drinks you’ve enjoyed over time? Do you wish you had the Everlasting Gobstopper from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but as a great drink? If your answer to these questions is a resounding “Yes,” then I have the solution for you: make your own infinity bottle.

In this quick Booze Bits episode, I discuss what an infinity bottle is and how you can make one. I also explain how infinity bottles become your very own unique, ever-changing house blend that never ends.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Making space in your personal bar at home

●     What an infinity bottle is and how to make one

●     Infinity bottles I make here at the Craft Beverage Institute

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

While he isn’t completely foreign to imbibing alcohol here and there, Taylor Howard is certainly not a big drinker. So, when he drafted an idea for a distillery on a bar napkin, it was, without a doubt, a sober situation. Taylor had just visited a local distillery as part of a bachelor party for one of his good friends. Seeing the inner workings of a distillery had his brain firing for ideas about creating his own still, spirits, and distillery. After some planning and organizing, Taylor’s napkin idea turned into a reality, and Cultivated Cocktails was founded. Taylor, the proprietor and owner of Cultivated Cocktails is the genius mastermind behind all of the delicious spirits of the facility.

Taylor joins me in this episode to discuss his background and the story behind the birth of Cultivated Cocktails. He explains how they manage their facility and produce large volumes of spirits despite a small production area. He describes how having a winery, brewery, and distillery in-house will allow Cultivated Cocktails to creatively explore their beverages. He also reveals what’s next for the company and what they’re currently innovating at Cultivated Cocktails.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Cultivated Cocktails’ production area size and how they manage their facility

●     The first rule of Booze Club and Cultivated Cocktails’ potential expansion to other states

●     Blueprints on a bar napkin and the beginnings of Cultivated Cocktails

●     The principles behind a barrel rotator

●     Booze Clues: Crowded Barrel’s 15-year-old whisky alchemy

●     Getting somebody interested in whisky

●     Managing paperwork and administrative matters in an in-house mix of winery, brewery, and distillery

●     Experimenting with Cultivated Cocktails’ Honey Whisky and Coffee Liqueur

●     How cooperages and barrel costs have increased

●     Innovation, whiskey inception, and kicking off Cultivated Cocktails’ rare batch brand

Connect with Taylor Howard:

●     Cultivated Cocktails

●     Cultivated Cocktails on Instagram

●     Cultivated Cocktails on Facebook

●     Cultivated Cocktails on Pinterest

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Want to be part of an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the history and production of an amazing beverage? We’ve got exciting news for you here at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast: we’ve made a partnership with Connect@ Corp. to bring a group of industry professionals and students down to Guanatajo, Mexico, to learn about the art of Mezcal production. It’s a great opportunity to expand your knowledge in the beverage sector—all you have to do is pack a bag, get on a plane, and go learn.

In this episode, I discuss the details of this opportunity to learn about Mezcal and its history and production. I explain why we plan to go on the trip to Mexico in May 2023 and how you can get more information. I also have a taste of Del Maguey’s Wild Papalome—courtesy of the Mezcal-dabbling architect, Robert Todd—and share my love for Mezcal.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Our partnership with Connect@ Corp.

●     What’s included in the educational opportunity

●     Tasting the umami savouriness of Del Maguey’s Wild Papalome

●     The unique production process of Mezcal

Resources Mentioned:

●     For inquiries, email at: [email protected]

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Robert Todd’s creative impulse as an architect began at age five when he drew a picture of a red house on his bedroom wall. Today, that drawing has become Red House Architecture, a firm specializing in sustainable and smart architecture with the Red House signature touch of modern elegance. Robert, a Mississippi native, has been practicing architecture in Asheville for over 20 years and has designed several establishments in Beer City. The expertise of Robert and the Red House Architecture team ranges from commercial to residential, with a focus on restaurants, bars, breweries, and retail.

Robert joins me today to discuss how architectural design can impact the success of a drinking establishment. He shares his background, the story behind Red House Architecture, and his love for Mescal. He explains how architectural design addresses issues such as sustainability and energy efficiency and how Asheville breweries are being intentional in reducing their impact on the municipal sewer system. He also highlights the importance of considering future growth in an establishment’s current design and describes the relationship between a venue’s spatial design and the success of product sales.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     The new Mescal-focused bar in town

●     Mescal and why it’s beyond a yellow liquid with a worm

●     Robert’s background as an architect and the story behind Red House Architecture

●     The importance of planning for future growth when designing breweries and distilleries

●     Sustainable and energy-efficient design and how they can help in future expansions

●     How breweries impact municipal waste

●     Booze Clues: a light and refreshing Agave ensemble

●     The living spirit of Mescal and why Robert is so fascinated about the beverage

●     Common design mistakes people make in commercial areas

Connect with Robert Todd:

●     Red House Architecture

●     Red House Architecture on Instagram

●     Email: [email protected]

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

Visit our website to learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast.