It's always a good time meeting other people who love beer so much, they commit the majority of their free time writing about, taking pictures of, discussing and, of course, drinking beer. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Mike Zoller, Midwest Region Editor for porchdrinking.com. Over beer, we discussed porchdrinking.com and how it became a nationwide resource for beer lovers, Mike's involvement with the website and the always changing Chicago beer scene. 

Enjoy! 

Tommy

This episode has been 29 emails in the making, emailing back-and-forth with Jude about anything from how Hop Butcher added coffee into World's Colombian Coffee Exposition to Kölsch beers to how delicious the latest batch of Galaxy Bowl was. A few weeks ago, Matt and I finally had a chance chat with Jude in person over beer, and we couldn't have been more excited! He talked to us about his northwest side Chicago roots, the origins of Hop Butcher for the World, how the brewery builds flavor profiles around specific hops and much more. All of the dudes at Hop Butcher are doing their part to make Chicago one of the freshest beer cities in the US. 

Grab a 4-pack and enjoy! 

Tommy

Jorge and I had a chance to chat over beer with Wally List, Senior Sales Representative for Illuminated Brew Works. Wally has been with Illuminated since one of their first bottle releases. He talked to us about the challenges of getting a bottle to go from brewery to shelf to someone's fridge and future aspirations of the brewery, perfectly complimenting our interview with Illuminated's founder, Brian Buckman. We also discussed who the average beer drinker is these days and what drives Wally's passion for the industry. 

If you're interested in attending one of Illuminated's bonfires or any of their other events, make sure to subscribe to their newsletter! 

Cheers,

Tommy

Summer is officially here! To celebrate the season, Jorge and I ramble a bit over beer about the styles most appropriately drank while enjoying the warmer temps, each of our top 3 summer brews and a few club updates. 

Stay thirsty,

Tommy

We've been fortunate enough to spend some quality time with very accomplished and skilled professionals from the craft beer industry lately. One of the benefits of this podcast has been catching a first-hand glimpse of the true character of the people behind the creation of our favorite beers, breweries, and their branding and marketing. The biggest takeaway from these interviews has time and again been the friendly and warm nature of the people within the craft beer industry, and Adam Smith is no different. Over Beer, Adam (Brewer and Brand Manager at Maplewood Brewery & Distillery) sat down with Matt and I to talk about Maplewood, their beer, the challenges and benefits of being the only brewery and distillery in Chicago, what they plan to do with their taproom, and much more.

Cheers!

Jorge

Beer Under Glass (BUG) is annual kick-off of Chicago Craft Beer Week, organized by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. Held at Garfield Park Conservatory, over 120 Illinois-based breweries and all of their biggest fans gathered to celebrate the hard work, success and innovation driving this industry. If you live in Chicago and consider yourself a beer person, this is an event you don't want to miss. 

Jorge, Jason and I spent the night tasting through a lot of the beer offered at the event and catching up with friends we've met "over beer." On this episode of the podcast, we each rank our top three beers tasted at the event and chat about our overall experience. Here's our list of brews: 

Number 3

All three of us: Brickstone Brewery - Cherry Bomb

Number 2

Jorge: Mikerphone Brewing - Softly Spoken Lies

Tommy: Pollyanna Brewing Company - Kiwi Allure

Jason: Black Horizon Brewing Company - Swimmers Ear

Number 1

Jorge: Hop Butcher for the World - Galaxy Bowl

Tommy: Dovetail Brewery - Maibock

Jason: Mikerphone Brewing - Softly Spoken Lies

Jason was also there with his camera, capturing the beers we were drinking, beauty of Garfield Park Conservatory and spirit of the event. If you dig the pics featured in this post, make sure to follow him on Instagram (@jibasaur). The dude is doing some incredible work. 

It wasn't until Dylan and I had an opportunity to hang out with Dee Stecco (@beerliveshere) and the Craft Peak dudes, Julien Melissas and Zaq Suarez (actually probably raised by wolves), did we begin to understand what Asheville was about. As Jess Reiser said on our last episode, people who live in Asheville are there because Asheville is where they want to live. It's a small collaborative community of makers, artists and entrepreneurs. 

Over beer, Dylan and I chatted with the three of them about what it takes for breweries to not only peak consumers' interest in this highly competitive market, but also amass a loyal following. Dee told us about her creative process and unique style when taking pictures of beer, and Julien and Zaq shared a few stories about the projects they have in the works and people they've met in the industry. 

We very much appreciate the time Dee, Julien and Zaq spent chilling with us and showing us around Asheville!

Cheers, 

Tommy

With more breweries per capita than any other city in the United States, Asheville, North Carolina is a beer drinker's paradise. Most of the breweries are located in the city's South Slope neighborhood, with no more than a half mile walk between each of them. It's insane. One of those breweries, my favorite of the bunch, is Burial Beer Co.

This past weekend, I took a trip down to Asheville with one of my best buds and the Co-Founder of Few Brews Beer Club, Dylan Nelson. While there, the two of us had an opportunity to share a beer with Jess Reiser, Burial's Co-founder, and chat about how the brewery celebrates both life and death, their past and future and what it means to live in Asheville. We got to the brewery promptly at 4:00 PM, when they open on Mondays. By the end of the interview, the patio was full and our voices were on the verge of getting lost in the crowd, a testament to both the popularity of Burial and the drinkers in Asheville. 

Cheers,

Tommy

Roughly a year ago, we featured Illuminated Brew Works' Orange Sunshine, a citrus saison, at our My Kind of Town beer tasting and have been a fan of theirs ever since. Finally, Jorge and I had a chance to sit down with Co-Founder of the brewery, Brian Buckman, and chat over beer about his history with brewing and the craft beer industry, why they decided to propagate their own yeast and the amazing bonfires they host. Today is officially the first day of Chicago Craft Beer Week. Make sure you keep an eye on all of the awesome events Illuminated will be a part of. 

Cheers!

Tommy

We've gotten to know Megan and the ways she has impacted the growth of both Goose Island and ABInBev's The High End (craft) segment pretty well over the past year -- being invited to Goose Island events, her attending our events and speaking with her on a episode of the Few Brews Podcast last December. When we heard she was moving to New York City for a promotion to Director of Internal Strategy and Planning for The High End, we definitely wanted to make sure we had a chance to chat over a few celebratory beers. The industry has been rife with chatter around a recent ABInBev craft acquisition, giving us the opportunity to talk about what it means to be part of The High End and the impact these types of buyouts have on the industry. Megan is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about her business and was able to provide a lot of insight into such a controversial topic in the industry. 

Cheers!

Tommy