Good Beer Hunting

Today's guest is basically one of my personal hobbies. He's one of my windows into coffee culture, and following him on Twitter has given me insight into so many of the social, business, product, and values issues within coffee that I find highly relevant to beer. It's not always a straightforward translation, of course, and much of what we talk about today is about the gaps between the two. Coffee and beer, and craft-oriented niches, have so much in common. But the differences are meaningful and instructive. Nick Cho has been there for much of it. He's served as director of the Barista Guild of America's Executive Council, the SCA's board of directors, World Barista Championship board, and chaired the U.S. Barista Championship, among many other roles. He's also opened his own roaster, Wrecking Ball, has been a guest lecturer at Berkeley, Dartmouth, and UC Davis, and used to have a podcast of his own. But this all pre-dates how I came to know him, and that was as a #CoffeeTwitter personality that people either get excited about or roll their eyes at. I've always found him to be a fantastic window into it all, with a point of view few others are willing or able to offer in public. And, like me, he hates cold brew. So at the most recent SCA Expo in Seattle, the coffee world's GABF, I took a break from Uppers & Downers with Nick to unite these forces for better and worse. Better for me, I think, but I'm not sure about him. For coffee folks, the beer world is just weird. This is Nick Cho of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters. Listen in.

Today’s guest is basically one of my personal hobbies. He’s one of my windows into coffee culture, and following him on twitter has given me insight into so many of the social, business, product, and values issues within coffee that I find highly relevant to beer. It’s not always a straight-forward translation - of course - and much of what we talk about today is about the gaps between the two. Coffee and beer, and craft-oriented niches, has so much in common, but the differences are meaningful and instructive.

Nick Cho has been there for much of it. He’s served as director of the Barista Guild of America’s Executive Council, the SCA’s board of directors, World Barista Championship board, and chaired the US Barista Championship, among many other roles.

He’s also opened his own roaster, called Wrecking Ball, has been a guest lecturer at Berkeley, Dartmouth and UC Davis, and used to have a podcast of his own.

But this all pre-dates how I came to know Nick Cho - and that was as a #coffeetwitter personality that people either get excited about or roll their eyes at - but I found him to be a fantastic window into it all, with a point of view few others are willing or able to offer in public. And, like me, he hates cold brew.

So at the most recent SCA Expo in Seattle, basically the coffee world’s GABF, I took a brew from our Uppers & Downers floor show and saw down with Nick to united these forces for better and worse. Better for me, I think, but I’m not sure about him. For coffee folks, the beer world is just weird.

This is Nick Cho of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, listen in.

On today's episode I'm joined by Jez Galaun and Xochitl Benjamin, two of the four founders behind South London's Brixton Brewery. Six months previously, I had sat down for a brief chat with the same pair, before GBH broke the news that the brewery had sold a minority stake of 49% to Heineken. Now that the dust kicked up by that announcement has had the chance to settle I wanted to catch up with Galaun and Benjamin to find out how things had been going for the brewery post investment. Brixton was the latest in a string of acquisitions and investments that demonstrated an increasing trend in the interest in the London beer market from some of the industry's biggest players. We saw SABMiller purchase Meantime Brewery back in May 2015, before it was subsequently sold on to Asahi following SAB's merger with Anheuser Busch-InBev, a year later. In December 2015 AB-InBev's ZX Ventures investment arm acquired Camden Town Brewery, before also investing in its purpose built £30 million brewing facility in Enfield, North London. Denmark's Carlsberg also entered the fray in July 2017, when it purchased the struggling London Fields Brewery, in partnership with Brooklyn Brewery—the latter adding London Fields to its growing empire of international brewpubs. Heineken's investment in Brixton a few months later only further served to demonstrate that London's breweries are hot property. This investment means that like Camden, Brixton will be able to expand into a larger facility, although on nowhere near the same scale. At its existing facility under the arches near Brixton Station—which the brewery has called home since it was founded in 2013—it was producing almost 3000hl (around 2500 US bbls) per year. When commissioned later this year, the new facility will allow Brixton to produce ten times this amount annually. But this will still keep them under the volumes of several other London breweries, including smaller independents like Beavertown and Fourpure. The new site will also be located in the heart of Brixton itself, just 600 meters from the existing location as the crow flies. Galaun, Benjamin and I unpack the importance of this during the course of our conversation. We also discuss how the London scene is still undergoing dramatic change and whether or not that Heineken stake is evidence of an eventual path to control, as it was when they acquired Lagunitas.

On today’s episode I’m joined by Jez Galaun and Xochitl Benjamin, two of the four founders behind South London’s Brixton Brewery. Six months previously, I had sat down for a brief chat with the same pair, before GBH broke the news that the brewery had sold a minority stake of 49% to Heineken. Now that the dust kicked up by that announcement has had the chance to settle I wanted to catch up with Galaun and Benjamin to find out how things had been going for the brewery post investment. 

Brixton was the latest in a string of acquisitions and investments that demonstrated an increasing trend in the interest in the London beer market from some of the industry’s biggest players. We saw SABMiller purchase Meantime Brewery back in May 2015, before it was subsequently sold on to Asahi following SAB’s merger with Anheuser Busch-InBev, a year later. In December 2015 AB-InBev’s ZX Ventures investment arm acquired Camden Town Brewery, before also investing in its purpose built £30 million brewing facility in Enfield, North London. 

Denmark’s Carlsberg also entered the fray in July 2017, when it purchased the struggling London Fields Brewery, in partnership with Brooklyn Brewery—the latter adding London Fields to its growing empire of international brewpubs. Heineken’s investment in Brixton a few months later only further served to demonstrate that London’s breweries are hot property. 

This investment means that like Camden, Brixton will be able to expand into a larger facility, although on nowhere near the same scale. At its existing facility under the arches near Brixton Station—which the brewery has called home since it was founded in 2013—it was producing almost 3000hl (around 2500 US bbls) per year. When commissioned later this year, the new facility will allow Brixton to produce ten times this amount annually. But this will still keep them under the volumes of several other London breweries, including smaller independents like Beavertown and Fourpure. 

The new site will also be located in the heart of Brixton itself, just 600 meters from the existing location as the crow flies. Galaun, Benjamin and I unpack the importance of this during the course of our conversation. We also discuss how the London scene is still undergoing dramatic change and whether or not that Heineken stake is evidence of an eventual path to control, as it was when they acquired Lagunitas.

This week's episode is with one of the country's best and most-loved brewers. But unless you follow the industry closely, you probably don't know him. He won the Brewers Association's Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing in 2016 in recognition of his outstanding work at Allagash as their brewmaster, as well as the many committees and teams he serves on for the association itself. So much of what makes the Brewers Association a progressive, impactful part of our everyday drinking lives isn't in the marketing campaigns or politics, but in the incremental analysis, research, goal-setting, and internal lobbying for quality, technical education, and investments in agriculture. These are the rails upon which the future of craft brewing in the U.S. will run. And Jason is working at the heart of so much of it, both through the association, but also his own brewery in Maine. Jason was in Chicago for Allagash's Saison Day in which he brewed a collaboration beer with John Laffler of Off Color. So we set aside some time in the morning after their brew day and a night on the town in Chicago. And to his credit, despite his travel-weariness, not to mention this being probably the most boring part of his trip, Jason still showed up. I was delighted. I learned a ton. And I'm happy to share it with you all. Listen in.

This week’s episode is with one of the country’s best, and most-loved brewers. But unless you follow the industry closely, you probably don’t know him. He’s the winner of the Brewers Association’s Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing in 2016 in recognition of his outstanding work at Allagash as their brewmaster, as well as the many committees and teams he serves on for the association itself.

So much of what makes the Brewers Association a progressive, impactful part of our everyday drinking lives isn’t in the marketing campaigns or politics, but in the incremental analysis, research, goal setting, and internal lobbying for quality, technical education, and investments in agriculture. These are the rails upon which the future of craft brewing in the U.S. will run.

And Jason is working at the heart of so much of it, both through the association, but also his own brewery in Maine.

Jason was in Chicago for Allagash’s Saison Day in which he brewed a collaboration beer with John Laffler of Off Color.

So we set aside some time in the morning after their brew day and night on the town in Chicago. And to his credit, despite his travel-weariness, and this being probably the most boring part of his trip, Jason still showed up. I was delighted. I learned a ton. And I’m happy to share it with you all.

This week's guest is a fascinating one for me. I first came to know Alex Tweet, one of the founders of Fieldwork in Berkeley, California, during his run-in with Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead over the use of the word Vermont to describe one of Fieldwork's farmhouse-style beers. The argument that followed between the two resulted in a Sightlines story on GBH, not so much because there was a disagreement, but because it brought up really interesting thoughts about what constitutes an appellation in beer making, especially in the U.S. We're used to thinking of Belgian beers being from Belgium, but could Vermont have a similarly important and respected origin in the future of American craft beer? Should it? To that end, so much about what makes Fieldwork interesting is the anachronistic qualities of its brand and voice, much of it coming through Alex himself. Fieldwork makes old-world styles of farmhouse-inspired, yeast-driven beers, but they also make New England IPAs and Pastry Stouts. The vibe is rustic and simple, but the business plan is ambitious and newly sprawling with a system of taprooms scattered around the Bay Area, taking advantage of California's generous licensing for craft brewers. And, of course, there's Alex himself, a somewhat anxious, energetic, always-thinking kind of guy wrestling with duality as many brewers do, between what he likes and what he sells, and his place in the world, trying to decide if he cares too much, or too little about a variety of aspects of brewery ownership. I admire his candor and his interest in talking it all out, which is what's made this podcast so rewarding. And I'm glad I get to share it with you all. Listen in.

This week’s guest is a fascinating one for me. I first came to know Alex Tweet, one of the founders of Fieldwork in Berkeley, California, during his run-in with Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead over the use of the word Vermont to describe one of Fieldwork’s farmhouse style beers. The argument that followed between the two resulted in a Sightlines story on GBH, not so much because there was a disagreement, but because it brought up really interesting thoughts about what constitutes an appellation in beer making, especially in the U.S. We’re used to thinking of Belgian beers being from Belgium, but could Vermont have a similarly important and respected original in the future of American craft beer? Should it?

To that end, so much about what makes Fieldwork interesting is the anachronistic qualities of its brand and voice, much of it coming through Alex himself. Fieldwork makes old-world styles of farmhouse-inspired, yeast-driven beers, but they also make New England IPAs and pastry stouts. The vibe is rustic and simple, but the business plan is ambitious and newly sprawling with a system of taprooms scattered around the bay area, taking advantage of California’s generous licensing for craft brewers.

And of course, there’s Alex himself, a somewhat anxious, energetic, always-thinking kind of guy wrestling with duality as many brewers do, between what he likes and what he sells, and his place in the world, trying to decide if he cares too much, or too little about a variety of aspects of brewery ownership.

And I admire his candor and his interest in talking it all out, which is what has made this podcast so rewarding. And I’m glad I get to share it with you all.

Our editorial director, Austin L. Ray, lives in Atlanta, which means I've had plenty of reasons to spend some time down there over the past few years getting to know the city through his perspective—its food, music and, of course, its beer. Recently, I watched as Austin's life as a beer drinker in the state of Georgia was dramatically changed with the passage of a new law that enabled breweries to sell their beer directly to drinkers in their own taprooms, over their own bars, and out their own doors. For some breweries, it's an opportunity for incremental sales. For others, it's an evolution of their business plan. And for those that are in the process of opening new breweries, it's a chance to introduce entirely new business models for making and selling beer in the state of Georgia. It's been about six months since the laws passed, which has given everyone—brewers and drinkers alike—some time to get used to the new normal. And by all accounts, it's been a pretty exciting time full of new opportunities and some hard lessons. It's also inspiring new thinking about the future. Austin helped me put together a group of folks, all with a unique perspective on the state of Georgia beer, to talk about their role in the changes, and what they're going to do next. My guests in this roundtable are: Bob Sandage from Wrecking Bar, a brewpub with its own farm who recently started can sales for the first time ever. Nick Purdy from Wild Heaven Beer, who said he wouldn't have signed the lease for his expansion without the new laws being signed. Brian Purcell of Three Taverns in Decatur who's now getting lines down the block for new releases and considering an off-site taproom to build the brand. And most importantly, Nancy Palmer, Executive Director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, who was perhaps most responsible for getting the new legislation enacted on behalf of her constituents, and seems to have not lost a moment working on what's next. This week, Nancy also won the prestigious F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award from the Brewers Association, largely in recognition of those successful efforts. It's a helluva group to chat about the future of beer with. Listen in.

As some of you know, our editorial director, Austin Ray, lives in Atlanta - so I’ve had a great reason to spend some time down there over the past few years getting to know the city through his perspective - it’s food, music, and of course its beer.

Recently watched a Austin’s life as a beer drinker in the state of Georgia was dramatically changed with the passage of a new law that enabled breweries to sell their beer directly to drinkers in their own taprooms, over their own bars, and out their own doors.

For some breweries, it’s an opportunity for incremental sales. For others, it’s an evolution of their business plan. And for those that are in the process of opening new breweries, it’s a chance to introduce entirely new business models for making and selling beer in the state of Georgia.

It’s been about six months since the laws passed, which has given everyone, brewers and drinkers alike, some time to get used to the new normal. And by all accounts, it’s been a pretty exciting time full of new opportunities and some hard lessons. It’s also inspiring new thinking about the future.

Austin helped me put together a group of folks, all with a unique perspective on the state of Georgia beer, to talk about their role in the changes, and what they’re going to do next.

My guests in this roundtable are:

Bob Sandage from Wrecking Bar, a brewpub with its own farm who recently started can sales for the first time ever.

Nick Purdy from Wild Heaven Beer who said he wouldn’t have signed the lease for his expansion without the new laws being signed.

Brian Prucell of Threes Tavern in Decatur who’s now getting lines down the block for new releases and considering an offsite taproom to build the brand.

and most importantly Nancy Palmer, Executive Director of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild who was perhaps most responsible for getting the new legislation enacted on behalf of her constituents, and seems to have not lost a moment working on what’s next.

This week Nancy also won the prestigious F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award from the Brewers Association, largely in recognition of those successful efforts.

It’s a helluva group to chat about the future of beer with. Listen in.