Dedicated to the Craft

Excalibur's road to the broadcast booth started with a VHS habit: trading tapes of wrestling from Japan and Mexico on early internet forums, and making weekly trips to a Japanese bookstore 40 minutes from his dad's house in Detroit. In 1999 he packed his Dodge K car and drove west with $2,500 in the bank, landing in a friend's mom's garage in Garden Grove. Seven years in the ring followed, and he picked up a microphone only because the independent promotion he co-founded needed someone to call its shows.

In this episode, Excalibur sits down to tell the full story, from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's sweltering shows in Reseda to calling the main event at Wembley Stadium in front of 50,000 fans. He talks through the first thing Jim Ross ever said to him and why he'll always say a wrestler's name instead of "he" or "she". He also shares the ten minutes at All In London when the best thing the broadcast team could do was say nothing at all.

Watch all episodes of the Dedicated to the Craft Podcast

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Follow Ballast Point Brewing on social: IG: @ballastpointbrewing FB: BallastPoint

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Follow Excalibur on social: IG: @shutupexcalibur BSKY: shutupexcalibur

Please Explore Responsibly ™ Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, Ca

About the show: Dedicated to the Craft is a celebration of loving what you do every day. In this space, we will talk to everyone from breweries to artists and musicians. There's nothing we love more than raising a glass with guests who are as passionate about their craft as we are about beer. Join us as we share brewing tips, stories, and lots of laughs – all over a few of our favorite brews.

Chapters: 3:13 "This isn't about you": Meeting Jim Ross 5:24 Detroit to a garage in Garden Grove 9:24 Seven years in the ring (and why it's not fake) 11:40 Picking up the mic out of necessity 14:28 Lucha libre, Japan, and the tape-trading days 18:55 Founding Pro Wrestling Guerrilla 22:01 "A long way from Reseda" 23:50 Battle of Los Angeles 2017 27:01 From PWG to AEW 29:15 What makes this era of wrestling special 30:56 Calling for two audiences at once 35:14 Why he writes his own notes 38:38 Telling the human story 45:26 Teeing up the analysts 49:46 The hardest part: being a TV host 51:50 Pivoting on live TV 54:34 His pre-show routine 57:53 JR's lessons: economy of words and "pronoun boy" 1:01:43 All In London and ten minutes of silence 1:09:13 The pro wrestling buffet 1:10:44 Fan questions 1:17:03 Wembley through a soccer fan's eyes 1:19:13 Excalibur the craft beer fan 1:20:22 Why he's dedicated to the craft 1:23:43 Where to find Excalibur and AEW

Jim Stroesser has been at the top of the footwear world: New Balance, LA Gear, Nike, Oakley, and then owner-partner in the legendary Converse turnaround. On this episode of Dedicated to the Craft, he explains how his team revived a bankrupt American icon. They fired the whole sales force on day one, raised prices on Chucks, and walked away from big accounts to build the right partnerships. Avril Lavigne gave them an unexpected assist along the way.

Then Jim and his partner Jen went grassroots and started Cali Strong. It began in military stores selling only black t-shirts and was built on one idea: "We have to stand for something good." Today it has supported more than 100 nonprofits and is worn by over a thousand celebrities, including original owner-partner Bill Walton.

Tune in for the full story!

Watch all episodes of the Dedicated to the Craft Podcast

Spotify / Apple Podcasts

Follow Ballast Point Brewing on social: IG: @ballastpointbrewing FB: BallastPoint

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Follow Jim Stroesser on social: IG: @jimstroesser

Follow CALI Strong on social: IG: @calistrongusa FB: calistrongusa

store.cali-strong.com

Please Explore Responsibly ™ Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, Ca

About the show: Dedicated to the Craft is a celebration of loving what you do every day. In this space, we will talk to everyone from breweries to artists and musicians. There's nothing we love more than raising a glass with guests who are as passionate about their craft as we are about beer. Join us as we share brewing tips, stories, and lots of laughs – all over a few of our favorite brews.

Chapters: 1:12 Meet Jim Stroesser 2:51 Growing up in Omaha 5:44 Painting curbs and discovering sales 7:07 Breaking into the industry with New Balance 8:34 The LA Gear rocket ship 9:39 Nike, Oakley, and an offer to become an owner 13:52 Walking into a brand on life support 15:59 Rebuilding the Converse team 19:10 Why you can't copy another brand's culture 21:42 Resetting distribution and pricing for Chucks 24:10 The Foot Locker partnership 28:41 A Red Bull and a tough meeting 35:16 Avril Lavigne and the "Sk8er Boi" effect 37:30 Meeting the real skater boy 39:28 Life after Converse 41:09 Pony and a humbling lesson 44:46 The birth of Cali Strong 47:03 Why every shirt was black 49:40 Bill Walton and the owner-partners 53:24 "We have to stand for something good" 57:18 What Cali Strong makes 1:02:25 Jen and the power of grassroots marketing 1:05:52 What Jim is still figuring out

Cody Morris almost became a chef. Instead, a homebrew kit, a few years at nonprofits, and an overnight shift on a 1950s bottling line started a career that took him from Mission Brewery to co-founding Embolden Beer Co. to VP of Brewery Operations at Harland Brewing.

In this episode, Cody talks about getting thrown into the deep end during COVID, why a $495-a-barrel pilot beer became a lesson in the business side of brewing, and how Harland keeps both the beer nerds and the Costco dads coming back.

Watch all episodes of the Dedicated to the Craft Podcast

Spotify / Apple Podcasts

Follow Ballast Point Brewing on social: IG: @ballastpointbrewing FB: BallastPoint

ballastpoint.com

Follow Harland Brewing on social: IG: @harlandbeer FB: harlandbeer

harlandbeer.com

Please Explore Responsibly ™ Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, Ca

About the show: Dedicated to the Craft is a celebration of loving what you do every day. In this space, we will talk to everyone from breweries to artists and musicians. There's nothing we love more than raising a glass with guests who are as passionate about their craft as we are about beer. Join us as we share brewing tips, stories, and lots of laughs – all over a few of our favorite brews.

Chapters:1:01 Meet Cody Morris 1:27 From culinary school to Habitat for Humanity 2:44 Discovering homebrewing 4:31 The overnight shift at Manzanita 6:21 Climbing the ranks at Mission during COVID 8:16 Lessons from contract brewing 12:28 Starting Embolden Beer Co. 18:46 New Motion and the "fifth friend" 25:46 Joining Harland 28:08 Bringing a business mindset to brewing 33:07 The $495-a-barrel beer 35:30 Building for the long haul 36:36 Paloma hard seltzer and cocktail flavors 39:03 Owning the Japanese Lager 44:00 Harland's fifth location 46:39 Why breweries root for each other 49:45 Growing pains and the restaurant side 54:21 What keeps Cody going 55:52 Beer nerds and Costco dads 58:14 Collaborations and a home-and-away collab 1:00:57 Where to find Harland

Michael P. Howell's journey into brewing started young — the Navy at 18, an Irish pub in a Maine shipyard town, a homebrew mead recipe, and an unlikely detour through a Viking living-history guild. It all came together on one D&D night with friends, when a passing idea turned into a business plan — and an LLC within the month.

In this episode, Michael sits down to tell the full story, including the wild tale of twenty Czech brewers showing up at the taproom to help rebuild one of his beers from scratch, decoction process and all. He talks through his theory on why classic beer styles never really go out of style, shares the moment a German naval officer swore his hefeweizen tasted like the real thing, and closes things out with a Chasing the Muse collab conversation you won't want to miss.

Watch all episodes of the Dedicated to the Craft Podcast

Spotify / Apple Podcasts

Follow Ballast Point Brewing on social: IG: @ballastpointbrewing FB: BallastPoint

ballastpoint.com

Follow Barley & Sword on social: IG: @barleyandsword FB: barleyandswordbrewingcompany

barleyandsword.com

Please Explore Responsibly ™ Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, Ca

About the show: Dedicated to the Craft is a celebration of loving what you do every day. In this space, we will talk to everyone from breweries to artists and musicians. There's nothing we love more than raising a glass with guests who are as passionate about their craft as we are about beer. Join us as we share brewing tips, stories, and lots of laughs – all over a few of our favorite brews.

Chapters: 18:30 - The D&D Greenlight — "You have my sword, you have my axe," an LLC in under a month 25:12 - Coddiwomple — where "enjoy the journey" came from 38:00 - The Pendulum Thesis — classic styles, two to three years ahead 40:59 - "That's Validation" — the German naval officer and the hefeweizen 42:44 - The Liberation Story Begins — 20 Czech brewers arrive in the taproom 48:13 - "Peter Loses His Mind" — no decoction, rebuilding the process live, the 10.5-hour brew day 1:00:25 - Chasing the Muse — the collab origin, Ballast Point as the classic-style cornerstone

San Diego legend Bobby Ruiz, better known as Bobby Tribal, sits down to talk about how streetwear, hustle, and a deep love for the culture around him turned into something much bigger than a clothing brand.

Bobby traces his roots back through South San Diego's low rider scene, Chicano art and culture, and the early days of skateboarding, before landing in the middle of the nu metal explosion of the '90s and 2000s — rubbing shoulders with bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn as Tribal became the uniform for an entire movement. There was no blueprint for what he built; just instinct, relentless work, and a refusal to separate himself from the culture that shaped him.

This episode is as much about identity and community as it is about business. Bobby talks candidly about breaking down assumptions people make based on appearance, staying rooted in family and heritage, and why, decades later, San Diego still owes him more credit than it gets.

Watch all episodes of the Dedicated to the Craft Podcast

Spotify / Apple Podcasts

Follow Ballast Point Brewing on social: IG: @ballastpointbrewing FB: BallastPoint

ballastpoint.com

Follow Bobby Tribal on social: IG: @bobbytribal

Follow Tribal Streetwear on social: IG: @tribalstreetwear FB: officialtribalgear

shop.tribalgear.com

Please Explore Responsibly ™ Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, Ca

About the show: Dedicated to the Craft is a celebration of loving what you do every day. In this space, we will talk to everyone from breweries to artists and musicians. There's nothing we love more than raising a glass with guests who are as passionate about their craft as we are about beer. Join us as we share brewing tips, stories, and lots of laughs – all over a few of our favorite brews.

Chapters: 2:50 - Low riders, skating, and Chicano roots in South San Diego 11:08 - The Green Room days — early relationships with Limp Bizkit, Korn, and the new-metal scene 23:12 - "No blueprint" — building Tribal through hustle, swap meets, and instinct 1:07:09 - Breaking stereotypes — what Tribal represents beyond the clothes

What would we do if we had a second chance to LIVE? How far would you go to protect the ones you care for? What sounds like a movie trailer is a preamble to a true hero's journey. Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter had his life turned upside down on November 21, 2010, when he valiantly jumped on a live grenade to shield the blast from one of his brothers in arms. He defied the odds of survival (like, all the odds) and embarked on a recovery journey that would put his life on a whole new trajectory. In 2014, he received the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his selfless actions. His unrelenting optimism and contagious energy have made him an example of what we can accomplish when we put a positive spin on everything that happens to us, good or bad. Life is how you craft it. Stay motivated. Call your mom.

Sean Haggerty has made it a life mission to protect. He has put everything on the line serving our country and is committed to doing the same for San Diego's iconic craft beer industry. Protector is San Diego's first certified organic brewery (no easy feat) and on this episode, Sean explains why taking the extra steps and the extra risk are non-negotiables. We don't just chat beer either; Sean and Jeff have an insightful conversation about entrepreneurship and mental resiliency. Tune in to find out why Protector is the next tasting room on your hit list.

Truly soaked with ambition, Eppig is a cold crashing powerhouse who's coming in hot. In a very short amount of time since our last chat, they have opened a new tasting room, secured distribution & have added to their amazing team of beer slingers. With a forever fermenting portfolio and a slew of festivals coming down the pipe, Our Favorite lagerbrau joins us on Dedicated To The Craft to give us all the details on everything his team is knocking out. Did we mention he brought gifts? Cold. Tasty. Gifts.

"Fostering the relationship between homebrewer and pro brewer." That's what Homebrew Summer is all about, according to Brandon Hernandez from San Diego Beer News. It's an opportunity to bring both together and play off each other's strengths. Mo Nuspl from Deft Brewing and award-winning homebrewer Jared Rowley join us to chat about the 2nd annual HBS: what it is, why it's cool, and what it's done to forge a better relationship in our brewing community. For an industry founded on collaboration, this is next level. Be sure to check out all the participants, and see how you can be a part of next year's roster.

From bone dry to decadent sweet, mead can do it all. This week, we sit down with Billy Beltz and Magie Brennan from Lost Cause Meadery to chat about this delicious brew. Their medal winning meads are as craft as it gets. Though a lot of knowledge has been lost over time, the industry is experimenting and figuring it out together. Grab a glass of your favorite beverage and tune in to learn about this honey-based goodness.