Drinking Partners

Tucked inside a big ol' barn at picturesque Freedom Farms in Valencia, Butler County, The Drinking Partners welcome listeners to Pittsburgh Mixed Culture, Cinderlands Beer Co. and Trace Brewing's inaugural celebration of all things saison and sour-centric. The show kicks off with Christian Gregory(9:29), representing Belgium's Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen. He talks about blending authentic lambics - "the drink of the people'' - and how the beloved brewery outside of Brussels maintains a consistent standard in their spontaneously-fermented beers year after year. Then, they take their taste buds on a "trip along the Oregon Trail" (29:45) with Matt Van Wyk, one of the co-founders of Eugene, Oregon's Alesong Brewing & Blending, who discusses what it takes for a brewery to stand out in a competitive, top-tier craft beer market. Finally,looking fresh with his ankles out, the "famous-famous" Michael Kaiser, founder of Good Beer Hunting. He talks about taking the site from a personal blog to an acclaimed global media venture, with contributors working across multiple continents. He finishes with praise for The Drinking Partners and recognizes the similarities between the growth of his project and theirs, telling Ed and Day "You guys put Pittsburgh on the map for beer in a big, big way."

Produced by Epicast.

Recorded at Pittsburgh Mixed Culture festival 7-30-22

Presented by Cinderlands Beer Co. and Trace Brewing.

Thanks to guests representing Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Good Beer Hunting, and Alesong Brewing & Blending.

The Drinking Partners, having moved up to "boardroom material," welcome head brewer Lauren Hughes from Necromancer Brewing. She joins to discuss the three B's: business, beer, and bikes. After a career in music and arts education, Lauren's focus shifted back to her interest in brewing, which led to a career change. With Necromancer, she explores "dead styles" of beer, finding ways to modernize old and traditional brewing for new drinkers. Did you know that beer was once brewed without hops? Listen in as Lauren explains the ingredients behind the older styles and why it's so hard to make a good Pilsner. "There's nothing to hide behind," she adds. Stay tuned for an important conversation about the culture of beer and what steps Necromancer is taking to lead the industry forward and how to create an inclusive brewery and industry. To wrap up the interview, Ed and Day ask for an explanation on beer naming. This latest episode is an informative roundup of all things brewing, from recipes to culture, and a necessary listen. Learn more about Necromancer: www.necromancer.beer

Tune in for the latest Drinking Partners podcast as Ed and Day chat with Cinderlands head brewer Paul Schneider and Trace Brewing's Head of Marketing Aadam Soorma about their newest collaboration: Pittsburgh Mixed Culture (www.pghmixedculture.com). This saison-centric festival will feature breweries from across the country and Belgium by, "bringing dozens of world-class brewers together … to demonstrate our love for the Belgian brewing traditions that inspire us, make a clear connection between local agriculture and beer, showcase fermentation-driven beer, and highlight the complementary roles of brewer and nature in making mixed-fermentation beer." The July 30th event will take place at Freedom Farms in Valencia, PA. Spontaneous comments from Ed and Day pair well with Paul's detailed explanation of the spontaneous process of mixed culture brewing in Day's favorite type of conversation: edutainment. This rare to Pittsburgh style gets to shine with its own festival, although Ed's suggestion that an essay praising saison be a requirement was not accepted. The conversation around mixed culture craft brewing is ripe with knowledge and will turn the average beer fan into an aficionado, but don't worry if you get confused, as Ed admits. Listen in until the closing minutes to hear Drinking Partners advice on how to conquer a beer festival and make plans to check out Pittsburgh Mixed Culture Fest on July 30 at Freedom Farms.

From a new location – Emerald City in Pittsburgh, Pa – the Drinking Partners podcast returns with a double dose of dynamic duos. Ed and Day welcome Jacquea Mae and Byron Nash of NASH.V.ILL in this energetic and exciting interview. Self-described super-fan Day and an inquisitive Ed listen in as Byron recounts his first introduction to Jacquea: "The spirit took over" and she joined in, from the audience, during his last song. The impromptu duet was so impressive that they teamed up to form NASH.V.ILL. There is never a dull moment as Ed and Day drop jokes in between questions and stories, proving that the Drinking Partners comedic magic has not faded. Jacquea's advises on how important making mistakes are to better one's skills, and Byron explains how their on-stage improvisation that often results in unexpected and thrilling performances. Byron's advice, midway through, is a must listen: "If you are brave enough to suck in front of people, you fix it way faster." It wouldn't be a true Drinking Partners episode without Ed breaking into song - stay tuned throughout to hear his renditions. The closing minutes of this newest Drinking Partners focuses on industry-specific advice and guidance from Jacquea and Byron, including a discussion on collaborative projects and sharing ideas. Intermixed with the sage wisdom are saucy interludes from Ed, rounding out a lively and mighty interview.

After seven years podcasting from the Work Hard Studio, the Drinking Partners record their last interview in the basement they've come to love, and much to Ed and Day's sadness, the couch won't be moving to their new space with Epicast Network. For this final interview, they welcome Mike Hitt from MCM Studios, or as he describes himself, "the most known unknown person." In this high energy episode, Mike explains his rise in the Pittsburgh music industry after a car accident changed the trajectory of his path. As both a musician and music producer, he shares multi-angled insight into the industry, including how 90% of his work happens behind the scenes and that passion is the necessary push when people aren't watching. This "throw himself into the fire" approach began when he was 14 and starting out as a deejay and continues now as he releases his hit, "Think and Grow Rich." Listen in as Mike speaks on how to run a successful studio; tip one: he shows up no matter what. Keep tuned in as he offers further tips, which Ed and Day have fun with, which takes the conversation into new, wild directions. How to get better? Expand your experiences, Mike suggests. To hear Ed and Day wrap up the last Work Hard-based podcast and reminisce on their time, stay tuned until the final moments. Find out more about Mike Hitt: https://www.mikehitt.com

The Drinking Partners relaunch with this newest episode and welcome a political powerhouse duo – Wilkinsburg Mayor-elect Dontae Comans and Ashley Comans, a candidate for PA House District 24. Listen in as the Comans describe their entries into politics, from Ms. Comans motivated by Barak Obama's speeches to Mr. Comans learning how to run for political office after years spent in community services and activities. A positive and intentional focus on how young people view a community is a central concept in the discussion on how to improve an area and its schools. In the spirit of the Drinking Partners, a detailed conversation around the benefits that breweries and bars add to a community is explored, with Wilkinsburg engaged in these changes with their new leadership. An essential question that is examined throughout the interview is: How to get a community to believe in itself? Mayor-elect Comans offers parting advice on how to remain optimistic as advocates for change: keep your work life separate from your home life. Candidate Comans adds her own advice as she suggests spending time with loved ones and finding joy outside of the political spectrum. Find Mayor-elect Donte Comans around Wilkinsburg (and say hello!) and learn more about Candidate Comans: www.ashleyforpa24.com. Catch Ed and Day Thursday, Dec.16 at Cinderlands Foederhouse in their newest live comedy series, or, as Ed begs, "Give me a reason to get out of the house."

The Drinking Partners release this live podcast recorded outside of the Two Fray's Brewery in Pittsburgh, PA. A collection of tastings makes this episode lively as Ed and Day interview Mike Onofray, one-half of the husband and wife-owned brewery. In the early minutes, Mike explains how they managed to open Two Frays during the pandemic and how a canning line was a significant reason for why they were able to quickly adapt. Importantly, Two Frays ownership speaks on how they want to be community partner and are working hard to creating a safe and welcoming environment for people of color, while also having "super crushable beer." What happens when two engineers open a brewery? Listen in as Mike explains the science behind brewing. Visit Two Frays and learn more about their newly opened brewery: www.twofraysbrewery.com

Aaron Hosé, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder (his wife is his other half) of 2Hands20Fingers, joins the Drinking Partners for their latest release. Listeners might recognize his work as he has followed and filmed Ed and Day over the course of the last several years. In the coming weeks, his documentary, "One Pint at a Time," will be released. The film features the rise of Fresh Fest, the transition to Fresh Fest Digi Fest, and now Barrel & Flow Fest. One Pint at a Time is best described as, "four years in the making, this eye-opening film details the highs and lows of the Black experience in American craft beer as told through the eyes of Black brewers, brand owners and influencers across the country." Aaron explains how the film came to be, how he switched careers from computer engineering to filmmaking, and how the stories expanded and adapted during the course of filming. Asked why he made the film, Aaron answers, "No one looked like us," when his wife and he visited breweries. A spectacular podcast with equal parts education and entertainment. Visit https://onepintfilm.com for information on release dates, view a trailer, and learn more about the African roots of beer and brewing.

The Drinking Partners welcome Jervonne Singletary, Community Relations Manager of goodblend PA for this latest release. As Pennsylvania's newest medical cannabis provider, goodblend promises, "We're here to make sure you're good." Their approach is one centered on community engagement and initiatives and extends far beyond their high quality products to include job opportunities, expungement services, and other community-based initiatives. Listen in as all aspects of the medical cannabis industry are examined, including how minority communities have been adversely affected and what changes can be expected as legalization efforts expand. Ed and Day explore their own histories in typical style, with entertaining asides and immense interest in all that is being discussed! Of particular interest is the "design your own strain" concept, with both Ed and Day excited about the naming prospects. Tune in until the end to hear Jervonne's thoughts on being a Black woman in the medical cannabis industry and, unsurprisingly, what her favorite potato is. Learn more about goodblend: https://pa.goodblend.com