Good Beer Hunting

Today, lager beers represent the comfort zone for most American beer drinkers…and a stereotyped monolith for many craft breweries to rebel against. But 170 years ago, lagers were both the outsider and the trendsetter. Their arrival caused ongoing debates over what beer was, what it should be, and the role alcohol ought to play in American social life, to take a sharp turn. This debate was anchored in beliefs about beer and public health that were simultaneously centuries old, and ever-evolving. Beer was at one time or another compared to poison, called to testify in court, and blamed for epidemics…and that's just the beginning.

We're kicking off the Source Material podcast with a 3-part series looking at some of the ways lager beer paired with questions of public health in 1800s America. We'll begin with a basic question: can lager beer make a person drunk?

The answer may seem obvious today, but in the 1850s it seemed like that question could only be settled in court. Let's explore why in Lager Beer, Governing Bodies Part 1: Overruled.

In times of crisis, people tend to turn to the comfort of familiarity, whether it be revisiting the family recipes they enjoyed as a kid or just attempting to relive some idealized version of the good old days. Over the past year, between quarantines, lockdowns, and political strife, nostalgia has made a big comeback, in everything from the music we're listening to, to the very beers we drink. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been reaching for more of my tried-and-true favorites during the pandemic. If the world is crumbling around me, at least the last thing I'll taste will be the predictable deliciousness of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with a soundtrack of glorious '90s pop to accompany it. But there are more beers from the recent past to rediscover, and none more ripe for such examination than the humble Black IPA. Underappreciated by the masses but beloved by brewers from all over, the Black IPA has always been polarizing. Jonny Garrett dives deep into the history of the misunderstood style, its origins, evolution, and surprising (albeit small) comeback over the past year in his piece titled "Darkest Before the Dawn — The Unlikely Return of Black IPA," which was published on Good Beer Hunting on April 6, 2021. By "comeback" I mostly mean people waxing poetic about the style, but there have also been a handful of enterprising masochists who refuse to let it go the way of the Brut IPA. Bless them for it. In this conversation, Jonny and I will discuss exactly who is asking for Black IPAs, how examining the style for this story sparked some surprising positivity for him personally, and what it was like talking to beer icons brewing at powerhouses like The Alchemist and Firestone Walker. We'll also talk about how Hazies and Black IPAs were both born in the same small corner of Vermont, how their paths diverged so completely, and why it's so important to relish the small joy found in a glass of good beer.

Tiffanie Barriere is the epitome of southern hospitality—warm, kind, and welcoming. She's just the person you'd want as your drinking coach, which is fitting: The Drinking Coach is a moniker given to her by a friend, and it eventually became the name of the Instagram account where she shares stories of uncelebrated Black people throughout history, with a cocktail alongside. Tiffanie is more than an incredible bartender—she's a teacher, a mentor, and a historian, using her platform to shed light on long-forgotten stories. Tiffanie started her journey at One Flew South, the first upscale restaurant in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. She worked as the beverage director at the restaurant for seven years, during the time when it was recognized as the "Best Airport Bar in the World" at Tales of the Cocktail. Now, as an independent bartender, Tiffanie is getting her own recognition for her contributions to the bartending and service world. Earlier this year, she was featured on the cover of Imbibe Magazine's 75 People to Watch issue, and most recently announced her involvement in the Jubilee project, a venture by award-winning food and nutrition journalist Toni Tipton-Martin. In our conversation, Tiffanie and I talk about what sparked her interested in service and how it grew into a passion. She shares the difficulties of striking out on her own as an independent bartender, and also talks about inspiration, and why she is her ancestors' wildest dreams come true.

How does one survive in a place where temperatures regularly hit negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit, if not below that? A toasty Barleywine might hit the spot, but in the 49th state of the Union, residents are just as likely to pick up a classic IPA or Vienna Lager as they are an Imperial Stout. How, why, and when did Alaska, of all places, become a beer destination? In Bailey Berg's first piece for Good Beer Hunting, titled "Way Up North — Exploring the Growing Beer Scene in Fairbanks, Alaska," which was published on April 27, 2021, the Anchorage resident explores the rise and embrace of local craft beer in one of the vastest frontiers on Earth. There are fewer than a million people across the entire state, but the amount of independent breweries continues to rise, thanks to a streak of independence, ingenuity, and adventure that tends to define those who call the severe, but beautiful, landscape their home. In our first podcast conversation together, Berg enlightens me to the spirit of entrepreneurship required to thrive in the burgeoning beer scene in Fairbanks, why being the first to accomplish something specific holds such sway when you're on the edge of the world, how unique obstacles—like the mere access to ingredients like water—force brewers to squeeze every last bit of use out of what they have available, and why Alaskans are going to do what they like to do relatively free of outside influence. She'll also tell me how much a pint of beer costs at the literal end of the road, and how common it is to see wild moose wandering around the streets. (It's apparently a lot more common than I realized.) I strongly encourage listeners to scroll through her photographs within the article during this conversation: She captures snowpacks and sled dogs, the pints and the people, all framed beneath the mystical emerald serpent of the aurora borealis twinkling across the night sky. Let's travel together to the Land of the Midnight Sun with Bailey Berg.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been countless stories of how individual people and businesses have adjusted, learned new things, and survived. At Good Beer Hunting we've had a collection of audio and written stories specifically asking what these transitions meant for state brewers guilds, the organizations that act as advocates and lobbyists for craft breweries across the country. In May 2020, we had a podcast that looked at survival for these groups in the moment, and in this episode, we get something of an update by way of a new organization to … help these organizations.

We're chatting with Mary MacDonald and Rob Fullmer about the Association of Brewers Guild Professionals, a new group with the goal of providing networking, educational, and professional development opportunities to advance state brewers guild executive directors and their teams. Mary leads the state guild in Ohio and Rob in Arizona, and in this conversation you'll learn about why this new super team-up was necessary, what issues are most pressing to advance legislation that can benefit craft breweries, and the forces making advocacy difficult in a legal and political landscape that has shifted dramatically during the pandemic.

What goes on in state capitals and behind closed doors doesn't always sound as exciting as the latest Hazy IPA or other new release, but the anecdotes and insight you'll hear from Mary and Rob showcase what's happening right now that can support or even save your local breweries.

Italy is definitely not what anyone would consider part of Europe's traditional brewing heartland: In terms of beverages, the Southern European country is mostly known for its amazing wines, which complement its world-class cuisine. But since the mid-90s, Italy has developed a relatively small but dynamic brewing scene, which originally started in the country's north, before spreading throughout the Italian peninsula. Brewers like Agostino Arioli at Birrificio Italiano—not far from Lake Como, north of Milan—have inspired beer makers in the U.S. and the U.K. to make their own Italian-style Pilsners, after Birrificio Italiano's Tipopils. Other Italian brewers have experimented with the country's native wine grapes, resulting in Italian Grape Ale, one of Italy's first "native" beer styles to gain international attention. In this episode, I talk to Maurizio Maestrelli, one of Italy's leading drinks writers and the author of a recent article, "Grape News — How a New Generation of Italian Brewers Created Italian Grape Ale," that ran in our Mother of Invention series, created in partnership with Guinness. We discuss the history of Italian Grape Ale and the origins of the Italian craft beer boom, including some of the leading figures of Italy's beer renaissance, like Teo Musso at Birra Baladin and Nicola Perra at Birrificio Barley. We also talk about Italy's other "indigenous" beer style, Chestnut Ale, and the rich relationship Italians have with food of all kinds. As Maurizio notes, Italians don't just think of "citrus" as a flavor. Instead, they'll say they're identifying the aroma of lemon or chinotto, citron or bergamot. Italian brewers who make Italian Grape Ales will say that beers using the same type of grape can have very different grape flavors, if those grapes were merely grown on different parts of the same island. While recording this podcast, we did experience some technical difficulties with a bit of noise that comes in and out—we apologize for that. If you're interested in how Italy has embraced good beer—and created several good beer styles of its own—I think you'll find the discussion worth your while.

Jules Gray describes herself as "someone that likes to keep busy." Not only is she the founder of Hop Hideout—one of the U.K.'s first drink-in bottle shops, which opened in Sheffield, northern England, back in 2013—she's also the organizer of Sheffield Beer Week; the Indie Beer Feast beer festival; and Indie Beer Shop Day, a new initiative she launched during the pandemic to celebrate independent beer retailers across the country.

Initially a standalone retailer in the back of an antiques center in Sheffield's Abbeydale neighborhood, Hop Hideout relocated in March 2019 to a brand-new food hall in the city center. Just one year later, Jules' business had to evolve yet again, in response to COVID-19.

In a way, she was lucky: As Hop Hideout's previous location was outside of the city center, Jules had begun offering mail orders and Sheffield home delivery years before, and she had all the systems in place (and a loyal local customer base) to help weather the pandemic. But despite the advantages of her new site in terms of location, footfall, and trade, not having her own brick-and-mortar space meant not qualifying for any initial government grants. As a result, she couldn't control access to her own business, as she had to work within the hours set by the food hall.

Despite these challenges, she lights up when she talks about her local deliveries and how important they were, not only for her customers and their sense of social connection, but also for her own mental health. It's clear that for Jules, her business is about a lot more than beer: It's about connecting with her customers and celebrating not only the local beer industry, but the city more broadly.

Full of pride for Sheffield, her adopted home, Jules shares what she loves most about the city; what inspired her to start Sheffield Beer Week and its associated festival, Indie Beer Feast; and why it should be on all of our must-visit lists once lockdown lifts. She also reminds us of the importance of independent retailers to the broader beer ecosystem, and discusses how her new initiative, Indie Beer Shop Day, celebrates the positive role such outlets play as centers of guidance, education, and discovery.

Working in media today feels weirdly similar to trying to navigate the Fire Swamp in the classic 1987 film The Princess Bride. Success is possible, but the path is surrounded by quicksand, Rodents of Unusual Size, and numerous other obstacles along the way. It's tenuous at the best of times, and damn near impossible under trying circumstances—like during a pandemic, for example. It requires ingenuity, a propensity for risk, and a bit of gut feeling.

Good Beer Hunting operates a little differently than many other media companies, in everything from the stories we tell to the revenue streams that support those stories. But if you're looking for a complete history of GBH, this isn't that podcast. In this conversation with Michael Kiser, co-founder and creative director, we focus on some of the meatier pieces GBH has published that, at first glance, fall outside most people's expectations of beer media. Exploring subjects like non-disclosure agreements, concepts like hyperreality, historical deep-dives, and other topics far from the clickbait-esque model of contemporary media has positioned GBH as a … I'll say unique figure in beer conversations.

Michael and I discuss who we think is reading GBH and why; how conversations and beer culture have changed over the years, and how they've also stayed the same; our role in media and the beer industry at large; why making people mad is inevitable, and why it's sometimes important; how balancing heady—and crucial—topics like racism against more lighthearted narratives sparks surprising, and sometimes dangerous, responses from readers; what stories have surprised him; and the ones he still wants to tell.

You may have read or heard industry pros or journalists like me throw around these acronyms lately—FMBs and RTDs. They stand for flavored malt beverages—that's the FMB—and ready-to-drink cocktails—the RTD. In layman terms, they're the industry stand-in for what we all see on store shelves as hard seltzer, alcoholic tea, or canned cocktails from the likes of Cutwater Spirits or Fling Craft Cocktails. And most important, whether we're talking about FMBs or RTDs, both categories are wildly successful, making boatloads of money, and are changing ideas and expectations in the beverage alcohol industry.

So in this episode of the podcast I'm chatting with fellow Sightlines reporters Kate Bernot and Jonny Garret to better understand the impact of these kinds of drinks in the U.S., where Kate is based, and the U.K., where Jonny will explain to us why hard seltzers haven't yet become a world-changing thing like they have in the states. We're talking data, research, and stories from both their reporting to give better and broader context on what has the potential to be one of the biggest industry stories of this summer in both countries.

This kind of analysis is part of the insights we share with Good Beer Hunting's Sightlines Premium newsletter and expert community. Sightlines Premium is an extension of our newsy Sightlines coverage, which has a goal of combining objective data and real-world anecdotes to help industry pros make informed decisions about managing a portfolio, how and where they should focus their access to market, and more.

If you're leading a company in the beer or alcohol space, Sightlines Premium is for you. And this will give you a sense of the kind of direct advice and consultation we offer in our weekly newsletter and online community. For more information, visit goodbeerhunting.com/sightlines-premium.

This is the GBH Sightlines team of myself, Kate Bernot, and Jonny Garrett. Listen in.

If you liked what you heard in this episode, consider learning more about Sightlines Premium and what we offer industry decision makers. You can find information about our weekly subscriber newsletter at goodbeerhunting.com/sightlines-premium.

In beer, even the heaviest intellectual conversations around topics like racism or worker exploitation tend to hit a natural barrier after a couple of pints. That slow fizzle doesn't happen when you speak to A.J. Cox. In fact, her obvious passion for human rights only increases the longer the conversation goes on.

Cox is a brewer and pro-union academic with an affinity for Marxism and social justice. She's worked in beer both in the United States as well as Ireland, where her tenure at Heaney Brewery was interrupted by the onset of COVID-19. Her research relating to social anthropology extends across the globe, focusing on the history of labor, how today's inequities have evolved from said foundations, and how that all relates to the beer industry.

Our conversation for this podcast touches on many of her points of passion and expertise. We discuss how low pay exacerbates inequality and contributes to a continued lack of diversity within the craft beer industry, how consent differentiates between sexuality and sexism (and how they relate to influencer culture), and the ways that neoliberalism contributes to the economic stranglehold of capitalism. We'll also touch on how the perceived value of certain jobs in beer can create disparities of access, how non-disclosure agreements (or NDAs) can harm efforts to reduce sexual harassment or discrimination, what Marxism really means, and what to expect if you follow her on social media. (Don't worry—it's mostly dogs and beer.)