Good Beer Hunting

As the growth of craft beer and its various offshoots continues to find its niche in smaller and smaller cities and towns, a remarkable thing is happening. Some of the most obscure styles of brewing are making their homes far from the urban centers where most of the drinkers they tend to attract actually live. Breweries like Jester King and Hill Farmstead have long embodied this anomaly. And increasingly, there's a new gelatin of sorts that's had experience working in these sought-after breweries who are venturing out on their own, a bit like settlers, as they return to a place they call home and set up shop. They're not met with instant success very often—even as they take on the challenges of making beers inspired by the Lambic, Gueuze, and wild traditions, they're also met with the challenge of finding their audience in these smaller, out-of-the-way markets. Speciation Artisan Ales is one of the newest of these in the midwest. After an immersive education experience brewing for Black Project in Denver, Mitch Ermatinger and his wife Whitney decided to return home to the Grand Rapids area of Michigan, find some cheap industrial space, and start making wild ales of their own. Having learned a good deal of the brewing, aging, and blending side of things, they had to learn how to run a business, create a selling strategy, and start attracting an audience for a region of the country that simply doesn't have much exposure to these kinds of beers—not to mention the way in which they were going to be sold. Even with a brewery like Jolly Pumpkin in his backyard, and being named Beer City USA, this was still a novel idea in 2018 Michigan beer. Listen in as we talk through how it came to fruition.

As the growth of craft beer and its various offshoots continues to find its niche in smaller and smaller cities and towns, a remarkable thing is happening. Some of the most obscure styles of beer making are making their home far from the urban centers where most of the drinkers they tend to attract actually live.

Breweries like Jester King and Hill Farmstead have long established this anomaly. And increasingly, there’s a new gelatin of sorts that’s had experience working in these sought after breweries who are venturing out on their own, a bit like settlers, as they return to a place they call home and set up shop.

They’re not met with instant success very often — even as they take on the challenges of making beers inspired by the Kambic, Geueze, and wild traditions, they’re also met with the challenge of finding their audience in these smaller out of the way markets.

Speciation Artisan Ales is one of the newest of these in the midwest. After an immersive education experience brewing for Black Project in Denver, Mitch and his wife Whitney decided to return home to the Grand Rapids area of Michigan, find some cheap industrial space, and start making wild ales of their own.

Having learned a good deal of the brewing, aging, and blending side of things side, They had to learn how to run a business, create a selling strategy, and start attracting an audience for a region of the country that simply doesn’t have much exposure to these kinds of beers, or the way in which they were going to be sold.

Even with a brewery like Jolly Pumpkin in his backyard, and being named Beer City USA, this was still a novel idea in 2018 Michigan beer.

In craft beer, so many of the conversations we lead are less about the beer we're drinking and more about how we identify with it, or the person who made it, or who owns that company and how that reflects back on our own self-image. Craft beer is a foggy mirror that way. And we get caught up in so many contradictions, hypocrisies and, in some cases, some serious self-hatred as a culture. Basically, we're a consumer base and an industry ripe for satire. Today's guest is one of the most effective in that regard, sometimes holding up that filthy mirror to the populace, other times to himself. Don't Drink Beer is a weird website that started on the fringes and worked its way to the middle using satire and self-reflection as a way to expose some of the more insane things we do as beer makers and drinkers. The trading circuit, the line-waiting, the valuations we put on certain bottles while ignoring others, and the oft-enraging debates that start in Facebook groups and forums. Don't Drink Beer is a persona that often catches its intended audience off guard. And sometimes plays straight into it. And after following it for years, the pattern reveals it for what it is—the evolution of a comedian. Alex Kidd, the guy behind the site, is a professional comedian. He studied and practices law in California, and as you can tell from some of his more elaborate beer reviews, he's also a studied writer, reader, and music history sponge. And describing him this way, so earnestly, just feels so wrong. He was in Chicago this past week on tour with a comedy show about beer called Barley Wine is Live, for which we'll talk about the inspiration in the interview. But we also talk about the long history of Don't Drink Beer and its relationship with Chicago and the Midwest, as an antagonist of sorts from the West Coast. Oh, and where all this is going, if it is, indeed, going anywhere.

In craft beer, so much of the conversation’s we lead are less about the beer we’re drinking and more about how we identify with it, or the person who made it, or who owns that company and how that reflects back on our own self-image. Craft beer is a foggy mirror that way. And we get caught up in so many contradictions, hypocrisies, and in some cases, some serous self hatred as a culture.

Basically, we’re a consumer base and an industry ripe for satire.

Today’s guest is one of the most effective in that regard, sometimes holding up that filthy mirror to the populace, and sometimes to himself.

Don’t Drink Beer, a weird website that started on the fringes and worked its way to the middle using satire and self-reflection as a way to expose some of the more insane things we do as beer makers and drinkers, for being, well, kind of insane. The trading circuit, the line-waiting, the valuations we put on certain bottles while we ignore others, and the often enraging debates that start in Facebook groups and forums.

Don’t Drink Beer is a persona that often catches it’s intended audience off guard. And sometimes plays straight into it. And after following it for years, the pattern reveals it for what it is - the evolution of a comedian.

Alex Kidd, the guy behind the site is a professional comedian. He studied and practices law in California, and as you can tell from some of his more elaborate beer reviews, a studied writer, reader, and music history sponge. And describing him this way, so earnestly, just feels so wrong.

He was in Chicago this past week on tour with a comedy show about beer called Barley Wine is Live, for which we’ll talk about the inspiration in the interview. But we’ll also talk about the long history of Don’t Drink Beer and its relationship with Chicago and the Midwest, as an antagonist of sorts from the West Coast. And where all this is going, if it’s indeed going anywhere.

Fuller Smith & Turner—or Fuller's as it's more commonly known—is the oldest surviving brewery in London, as well as being one of its largest. Fuller's has been brewing at The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, West London, for more than 160 years. The face of the British brewing industry has undergone tremendous change many times over during the course of its existence. Now, in 2018, the brewery faces fresh challenges. For instance, finding relevance in a market that constantly craves the rare and the new, while still championing traditional styles in an age of Hazy IPAs and Pastry Stouts. Surprisingly, this hasn't phased Fuller's one bit. Along with some of the UK's other historical breweries, such as Adnams in Suffolk and Harvey's in Sussex, Fuller's is ensuring that styles such as Porter and ESB remain as relevant to the beer market as ever. Behind it all is the ebullient Brewing Director, John Keeling, who has been employed by Fuller's for 37 years. Keeling has worked in the brewing industry since the 1970s, initially for the now-defunct Watney's, then studying brewing science at Heriot Watt University before finally settling at Fuller's. He became Head Brewer in 1999, a role he passed on to Fuller's current Head Brewer Georgina Young in January 2017. Over this time he's witnessed Fuller's shift from being a completely manually operated brewery, to one that is almost entirely automated and state of the art. Keeling has been instrumental in ensuring that Fuller's legacy be preserved. Be it by reviving historical recipes from the archives, by collaborating with the UK's latest crop of brewers such as Fourpure and Cloudwater, or by constantly championing the simple pleasures found within a pint of Fuller's flagship beer, London Pride. In October 2018 Keeling will retire, leaving an illustrious brewing career behind him. The industry won't be getting rid of him that easily, however, as he's just been voted chairman of The London Brewers Alliance, a guild that supports the collective interests of London's independent breweries. Over the next hour we discuss—or perhaps I should say John discusses—subjects ranging from the history of Fuller's, to the importance of cask ale, to the price of beer, all the way up to his favorite subject: the philosophy of brewing.

Fuller Smith & Turner, or Fuller’s as it’s more commonly known, is the oldest surviving brewery in London, as well as being one of its largest. Fuller’s has been brewing at The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, West London, for more than 160 years. The face of the British brewing industry has undergone tremendous change many times over during the course of its existence.

Now, in 2018, the brewery faces fresh challenges – such as finding relevance in a market that constantly craves the rare and the new, while still championing traditional styles in an age of hazy IPAs and pastry stouts. This hasn’t phased Fuller’s one bit, however. Along with some of the UK’s other historical breweries such as Adnams in Suffolk and Harvey’s in Sussex, Fuller’s is ensuring that styles such as Porter and ESB remain as relevant to the beer market as ever.

Behind this is its ebullient Brewing Director, John Keeling, who has been employed by Fuller’s for 37 years. Keeling has worked in the brewing industry since the 1970’s, initially working for the now defunct Watney’s, then studying brewing science at Heriot Watt University before finally settling at Fuller’s.

He became Head Brewer in 1999, a role he passed on to Fuller’s current Head Brewer Georgina Young in January 2017. Over this time he’s witnessed Fuller’s shift from being a completely manually operated brewery, to one that is almost entirely automated and state of the art.

Keeling has been instrumental in ensuring that Fuller’s legacy be preserved. Be it by reviving historical recipes from the archives, or by collaborating with the UK’s latest crop of brewers such as Fourpure or Cloudwater. And by constantly championing the simple pleasures found within a pint of Fuller’s flagship beer, London Pride.

In October 2018 Keeling will retire, leaving an illustrious brewing career behind him. The industry won’t be getting rid of him that easily, however, as he’s just been voted chairman of The London Brewers Alliance – a guild that supports the collective interests of London’s independent breweries.

Over the next hour we discuss – or should I say John discusses – subjects ranging from the history of Fuller’s, to the importance of cask ale, to the price of beer – right through to his favorite subject: the philosophy of brewing.

This episode is part of a series of interviews recorded in December at Salud Sourfest, an annual beer festival hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event attracts a curated selection of skilled, sour-making breweries from around the country, with a heavy presence from the Mid-Atlantic region. Sourfest represents a kind of festival that's rapidly growing in popularity, where attending breweries often run in the same circles or share a like-minded ethos, making for a special occasion for attendees instead of an event with any and every brewery that would care to send a keg. As drinkers sipped on a variety of wild and sour beers, I was able to pull a collection of brewers and business owners aside for brief conversations about their companies, specialties and what's catching their eye in the industry. This episode and others run about 20 to 25 minutes, so we had time to dig in a little bit, but the interviews are a bit more focused than the free-ranging talks you hear most weeks here on the podcast.

This episode is part of a series of interviews recorded in December at Salud Sourfest, an annual beer festival hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event attracts a curated selection of skilled, sour-making breweries from around the country, with a heavy presence from the Mid-Atlantic region. Sourfest represents a kind of festival that's rapidly growing in popularity, where attending breweries often run in the same circles or share a like-minded ethos, making for a special occasion for attendees instead of an event with any and every brewery that would care to send a keg.

As drinkers sipped on a variety of wild and sour beers, I was able to pull a collection of brewers and business owners aside for brief conversations about their companies, specialties and what's catching their eye in the industry. This episode and others run about 20 to 25 minutes, so we had time to dig in a little bit, but the interviews are a bit more focused than the free-ranging talks you hear most weeks here on the podcast.

This episode is part of a series of interviews recorded in December at Salud Sourfest, an annual beer festival hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event attracts a curated selection of skilled, sour-making breweries from around the country, with a heavy presence from the Mid-Atlantic region. Sourfest represents a kind of festival that's rapidly growing in popularity, where attending breweries often run in the same circles or share a like-minded ethos, making for a special occasion for attendees instead of an event with any and every brewery that would care to send a keg. As drinkers sipped on a variety of wild and sour beers, I was able to pull a collection of brewers and business owners aside for brief conversations about their companies, specialties and what's catching their eye in the industry. This episode and others run about 20 to 25 minutes, so we had time to dig in a little bit, but the interviews are a bit more focused than the free-ranging talks you hear most weeks here on the podcast.

This episode is part of a series of interviews recorded in December at Salud Sourfest, an annual beer festival hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event attracts a curated selection of skilled, sour-making breweries from around the country, with a heavy presence from the Mid-Atlantic region. Sourfest represents a kind of festival that's rapidly growing in popularity, where attending breweries often run in the same circles or share a like-minded ethos, making for a special occasion for attendees instead of an event with any and every brewery that would care to send a keg.

As drinkers sipped on a variety of wild and sour beers, I was able to pull a collection of brewers and business owners aside for brief conversations about their companies, specialties and what's catching their eye in the industry. This episode and others run about 20 to 25 minutes, so we had time to dig in a little bit, but the interviews are a bit more focused than the free-ranging talks you hear most weeks here on the podcast.