Good Beer Hunting

What's the right way to have sex with a dolphin? I'm sure you didn't expect that question to be posted on a beer-focused interview show, but here we are. It's a fun benefit—if you dare call it that—of chatting with this episode's guest. Matt Saincome doesn't write about beer. He doesn't actually drink it, either. But as founder and editor-in-chief of the satirical website The Hard Times, he does offer a unique perspective on writing and storytelling. And that's why he's a guest on the GBH Collective, which gives us the opportunity to dig a little deeper with fellow media members, even if their topic of choice is comedy and not IPAs. Matt has a background in traditional journalism, but it was a serendipitous assignment to write about a man who wrote a book about intercourse with an aquatic mammal that reset his career expectations. You'll hear all about it in this conversation, as well as our attempts to dissect the idea of truth in reporting and comedy, and what makes for creating a successful website when there are print, digital, and TV outlets all competing in satirical space. We live in a time when moments of levity can sometimes feel hard to find, and the way Matt and his team use humor to force internal reflection and laughs is something we can all appreciate. To be up front, this conversation isn't about beer, but it is about one person's journey to create something unique and special, which we all endeavor to do in one way or another. This is Matt Saincome, founder, editor-in-chief, and straight edge punk rocker of The Hard Times. Listen in...

Today's guest are an unlikely due of a documentary film maker and a master cicerone. Doug Tivola is the director of Brewmaster - a documentary that tries to weave together the varied and often dissociated threads in the beer world - like big and small, amateur and pro, nostalgic and new wave —and the results are at times flattering to the beer industry and at time a bit embarrassing to have reflected back. At times both overly simple and complex, naive and incisive. If a documentary serves as a mirror, then this one is perhaps a funhouse mirror that makes us all a little uncomfortable for different reasons. Alongside him in this interview is one of the documentaries primary characters - Brian Reid - a master cicerone who works for MillerCoors as an educator. The film tracks his journey into failure as he attempts to be one of the dozen or so folks in the wold to achieve master status - which after the shooting of the film he actually does go on to accomplish. MillerCoors was a sponsor of the film - which began as a sort of ode to Pilsner - specifically Pilsner Urquell. But as the shooting and storytelling commenced, Tivola kept chasing down other storylines - so the results get pretty far from the original intent and capture a collage of sorts - featuring moments with Urquell's Vaclav Berka, Brooklyn Brewery's Garret Oliver, Chicago's Randy Mosher and Cicerone's Ray Daniels, Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione, among other sort of founding fathers of the craft beer narrative we've heard form so often. And that is maybe my biggest critique of the film - and full disclosure, I appear in the documentary for a few moments myself - but the talking heads in this story are perhaps a bit predictable and lack the diversity of opinions and experiences from the wider set of folks that work in and help shape the craft brewing world today. So the documentary is perhaps already a bit of a time capsule that way. But Brian's story in the film is the one I enjoyed the most, largely because it was real struggle, playing out in front of the audience in real-time. It wasn't someone reminiscing about the glory days with a marketing narrative - in fact, most of what Brian goes through in this film objectively sucks. It's brutal. And the film doesn't capture much int he way of success - as I mentioned, obtaining the level of master happens after the film concludes - so it's a great portrait of how difficult and unrewarding working on beer can often be despite all the hard work that goes in to it. And for that reason - I think having these two together for the interview is the best way to chat about the film.

This episode is a two-parter devoted to the intersection of taprooms and retailers as they increasingly find themselves in competition with each other for the limited number of customers and dollars available in their markets for craft beer. There are a number of factors that have made taprooms a newly competitive aspect of the three-tier system—or what's left of it in some cases. Laws have been changing, the consumer experience is shifting, OG beer bars are feeling the squeeze from every bar and restaurant seemingly carrying craft beer now, and larger trends like at-home consumption, bottle shares, trading circuits, and beer tourism. It's hard out there for a retailer right now, and it's kind of becoming taprooms versus everybody. The purpose of this two-part series was to dig into that tension and determine if there's a concrete principle at play, or if, like most things in craft beer, it's more of a loose relationship-based thing where some competition is welcome, and some isn't. Most of all: how are we going to be thinking about all this in the future? Because I think we can all agree that competition that works in the drinker's favor is generally a good thing, but if we start losing great bars in the process, then maybe we're not all getting what we want in the end. Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville, Illinois is the catalyst behind these episodes. As a small production brewery making right about 8,000 barrels, with an expanded taproom and a new one opening in the city of Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, they were starting to feel the pushback from some key retail accounts who see them as competition. So they took the bold step of reaching out, inviting those accounts to brew a beer called Taproom Exclusive, and serving it anywhere but. They asked us to come along and lead a discussion around how we can maybe sort all this out productively and gain some perspective. Bavarian Lodge and Hopleaf joined in—both accounts that have carried Solemn Oath over the years, but who have been vocal about how they don't like where things are heading. Kudos to everyone for being willing to come the the table—both figuratively and quite literally—over a beer and dig into the issue. This episode is recorded at the Bavarian Lodge in Naperville, Illinois, and I'm joined by: Alan Taylor, owner of the Bavarian Lodge John Barley, co-founder of Solemn Oath Brewery Dave Hawley, owner of the Beer Cellar, a bottle shop and taproom Dakota Defever, Minor Threat Restaurant Group in nearby Plainfield, Illinois This is Taprooms Vs. Everybody, Pt. 2. Listen in.

This episode is a two-parter devoted to the intersection of taprooms and retailers as they increasingly find themselves in competition with each other for the limited number of customers and dollars available in their markets for craft beer. There are a number of factors that have made taprooms a newly competitive aspect of the three-tier system—or what's left of it in some cases. Laws have been changing, the consumer experience is shifting, OG beer bars are feeling the squeeze from every bar and restaurant seemingly carrying craft beer now, and larger trends like at-home consumption, bottle shares, trading circuits, and beer tourism. It's hard out there for a retailer right now, and it's kind of becoming taprooms versus everybody. The purpose of this two-part series was to dig into that tension and determine if there's a concrete principle at play, or if, like most things in craft beer, it's more of a loose relationship-based thing where some competition is welcome, and some isn't. Most of all: how are we going to be thinking about all this in the future? Because I think we can all agree that competition that works in the drinker's favor is generally a good thing, but if we start losing great bars in the process, then maybe we're not all getting what we want in the end. Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville, Illinois is the catalyst behind these episodes. As a small production brewery making right about 8,000 barrels, with an expanded taproom and a new one opening in the city of Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, they were starting to feel the pushback from some key retail accounts who see them as competition. So they took the bold step of reaching out, inviting those accounts to brew a beer called Taproom Exclusive, and serving it anywhere but. They asked us to come along and lead a discussion around how we can maybe sort all this out productively and gain some perspective. Bavarian Lodge and Hopleaf joined in—both accounts that have carried Solemn Oath over the years, but who have been vocal about how they don't like where things are heading. Kudos to everyone for being willing to come the the table—both figuratively and quite literally—over a beer and dig into the issue. This episode is recorded at the Hopleaf, and I'm joined by: Michael Roper, proprietor of Hopleaf Peter Rock-Tiernes of Middlebrow, who just owned a taproom in Logan Square Jay Jankowski of Maproom, just down the street from Middlebrow and Solmenn Oath's future second taproom Eric Hobbs, sales director at Solemn Oath This is Taprooms Vs. Everybody, Pt. 1. Listen in.

Welcome to another Fervent Few episode of the Good Beer Hunting podcast where myself, Jim Plachy, and GBH's strategic director, Michael Kiser, catch up. We'll talk about the topics and discussions that took place in our membership community in the last couple weeks. Our 500 or so subscribers are scattered all over the world. Sometimes we meet up with them when we're on the road, or they hang out with each other, but it all comes together in our community forum on Slack. If you value the content and experiences that GBH produces, you should join. Your monthly subscription gets you access to the community, special events, and exclusive gear deigned just for members. I joined, and now I manage it all. Plus, it's my favorite place on the Beer Internet. Visit goodbeerhunting.com/ferventfew to strike up a conversation in beer.

Moksa Brewing Company in Rocklin, California sold out the slots for their brewery club program in 2017. What's particularly notable about that? They hadn't yet served a single drop of beer. When drinkers discuss breweries like Moksa, there's a label to which fans often turn that fits snugly within the cultural zeitgeist of American craft beer: hype. That dubious h-word is not a term head brewer Derek Gallanosa likes, though Moksa's proliferating fans have nevertheless helped to establish the new brewery as one of California's most exciting. Just recently, Moksa was named by RateBeer as the best new brewery in the state. What makes a hype brewery? Price point? Scarce supply? Novelty? Or is it just plain skill? For Moksa, it's all those things, plus a bit of networking and guerilla marketing. Sacramento is a rapidly evolving region, with young Bay Area expats fleeing high costs and others seeking new opportunities in the West. New crowds can represent a growing consumer base, but they can also hint at a forthcoming increase in competition. There are more breweries opening every day in Northern California's Gold Country. Gallanosa and brewer Cory Meyer sprinted ahead of the pack early. Many come to their business park taproom from far abroad, seeking pours of their cult-loved high-ABV pastry stouts and hazy IPAs. But most are hometown fans stopping in after work. Moksa's ethos is about catering to the locals above everyone. So what happens when their name too widely precedes them? This is Derek Gallanosa and Cory Meyer from Moksa Brewing Company in Rocklin, California. Listen in.

After more than a decade of wild growth, Michelob Ultra is now well-established as Anheuser-Busch InBev's king of "better-for-you" beer. As odd as it may sound to beer enthusiasts, the brand has become paradigmatic in its popularity and sales figures. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before other breweries wanted to play catch-up. The Ultraficaton race is now very much on, with entries in the low-calorie, low-carb space multiplying quickly from breweries big and small. Among these is a new release from Boston Beer's Marathon Brewing Company: a similar, sort-of-subsidiary effort not unlike its Alchemy & Science (now A&S Brewing) incubator, which acquires and promotes smaller breweries. Marathon's first nationwide release was ushered to store shelves by brewer Shelley Smith, who joins this Sightlines podcast to talk 26.2 Brew: a beer that had previously only been available around the Boston Marathon. The brand will now see ramped-up production and will, from March, be marketed to beer drinkers who also prioritize their active lifestyles. At 4% ABV, 9 grams of carbohydrates, and 120 calories (stats that all appear in the product's marketing materials), 26.2 Brew is just the latest product aimed at a growing number of shoppers who want to pair their wellness with their beer. Now, let's get an idea of what all of this means for one of the largest beer companies in the U.S. This is Shelley Smith, brewer and manager of research and product innovation with Boston Beer. Listen in.

Welcome to the GBH Collective, a special series of interviews where we have the chance to dive a little deeper with Good Beer Hunting contributors and journalist and media folks from within the beer industry and beyond on topics of writing, beer, and the stories you read and hear from GBH and others. In this episode, we're going to rekindle an old flame in Peter Frost. He's the writer behind the MilerCoors blog, a publication which has garnered a ton of attention in the beer industry since he took it over. And it's gotten a good amount of praise as well, which is not something that's often granted to organizations like MillerCoors amongst beer drinkers and fellow brewers. You may remember Peter from our interview with him back when he was the business and beer reporter for Crain's in Chicago. That was way back in episode 118. He's the same guy, and has the same charming and clever personality I've grown to love. But this is a vastly different context in which he's operating as a journalist. This is Peter Frost. Listen in.

This week we have a special preview episode for you. Last year, you may recall we led a series of discussions at Foeder for Thought, the festival for wood-aged and sour beers by Green Bench brewing in St Petersburg Florida, as part of the Tampa Bay beer week festivities. Well, it was a blast, and the team at Green Bench has invited us back to the party to do it again this year, and I'm very excited to get down there and see their cellar expansion. They've been busy collaborating with a bunch of folks, and producing some of the best mixed-culture beers in the country. And Foeder for Thought is a celebration of those beers, their friendships, and their professional admiration of others. Also, it's just a killer time. Tickets are on sale for that fest right now, which is March 8. Hit up goodbeerhunting.com/events and you can learn all about it. Today, I had co-founders Kris and Brian in the studio, and their colleague Valerie who runs the festival, to talk about how the festival came to be, what its ambitious are, and what's on deck for the discussions this year: some topics that I'm excited to dig into, some personalities I'm thrilled to see on stage, and some beers I can't wait to drink.

Welcome to a special edition of the Good Beer Hunting podcast—a series of episodes made in partnership with Guinness devoted to one of the world's most iconic brands from Dublin to the United States, to Nigeria and the Caribbean.

Guinness became an underwriter of Good Beer Hunting 18 months ago, helping us bring you a series of stories called Coming to America, exploring the relationship between imports and the U.S. beer drinker in the age of local craft. And more recently, they helped us start up a new series called Mother of Invention, where we explore the technical innovations, past and present, that have transformed the beer in your glass in surprising ways.

And now we're taking the opportunity to explore the story of Guinness itself in a unique way for GBH. Guinness made it possible for us to visit historic St. James Gate in Dublin, and their new brewery in Baltimore County in the U.S., and gave us free rein to pull at the strings of the stories we've so often heard in the form of legend, but rarely had the first-hand experience to dive in to. We wanted to turn legends into learning.

They also gave us free rein of their brewing sites, both in Baltimore, home to their new brewery and taproom, called the Open Gate Brewery, which shares a name with the public-facing innovation brewing taproom located in Dublin, and historic St James Gate—which, to be honest, took some real doing. It's not a place open to tourists, at least beyond the visitor center. And much of the more historical aspects are either in disrepair or preserved, and gaining access to those people and places isn't easy for a film and audio crew. So for all the rigamarole we caused with our persistence, we're thankful and grateful we were able to get past the gates, and into some of the more fascinating aspects of the various Guinness operations.

And it was all in pursuit of understanding one thing: What makes Guinness Guinness? And how has that changed over the years?