How many times have you heard some version of the phrase “beer brings people together?” We get it: eating and drinking with others is an ancient and deeply human way to connect with our communities, and beer plays a huge role in that. It’s such a foundational idea that gets thrown around so much that honestly, I’ve sort of forgotten it means anything.

But after talking with Trevor Nearburg, owner and brewer at Beerburg Brewing in Austin, Texas, it’s the first time in a long time that the concept has actually made sense to me in a new and relatable way. You see, Trevor’s not just a brewer. He’s a forager, herbalist, vegan, and dare I say aspiring poet, discussing concepts like ethical and intentional living as universal responsibilities that each and every one of us owes to the land upon which we exist. It’s the process of gathering, tasting, creating, and sharing with one another that brings us together, and it’s that foundation that drives him rather than the beer itself.

Of course, beer still plays a huge role at Beerberg, and his rotating portfolio of both classic and esoteric styles redefine not just what beer is, but how it’s made and where it comes from. In this episode, Trevor shares his journey of intentional living and brewing, and how he uses the world around him to inform what he makes and how it changes with the seasons, weather, and other climate events across the sometimes harsh Central Texas landscape. I laugh a lot in this conversation—how could I not, when he’s openly lamenting about the acorn harvest this year or waxing nostalgic about a particularly great yield of mugwort? I hope you laugh too, and learn something new about what it means to make beer in the same way Trevor aspires to exist in nature: without ego or judgment.