Good Beer Matters Podcast

Defining farmhouse beers is a bit like trying to explain jazz or comfort food to someone who’s never experienced them. It usually requires a conversation because there is no single, simple definition we can all agree on. We tend to look to Belgium or France to bail us out of this pickle since Lambics, Saisons and Biers de Garde are the best known examples. In reality, farmhouse beers tend to be drinkable, complex, traditional and innovative, all at the same time. Historically, they’re humble beers brewed for laborers with the ingredients endemic to the region, but with a complexity of flavor befitting the finest restaurants.

Just a short drive outside of Austin, you can bathe in the warm Texas sun on a farm that grows world-class farmhouse beers. Through conservation, sustainability, and stewardship of the land, Jester King is one of the few places that blend the old world with the new.

My next guest gave up corporate America and set out to just make some good beer. He eventually employed the traditions and techniques found in those European countries. But, somewhere along the way he helped define American Farmhouse beers.

What do you get if you cross the mindset of a winemaker and the talented hands of a brewer to create a perfect blend of single-origin beers? You get a style-defying, exceptional brewery set deep in the heart of Californian wine country. The beers produced from this farm-style brewery are easy on the palate, but with enough character and nuance to be served in some of the finest restaurants in Napa. Beers like this require a mindset that puts ingredients first with a focus on the land and process. While winemakers often say it takes a lot of beer to make wine, in the case of my next guest, I’d say it takes a lot of wine to make beer like Mad Fritz.

While the world demands hazies, IPAs, lagers, and even trendier beverages, there is a lesser-known trend of better beer made in collaboration with the farmers who provide better ingredients. Keep an eye out for beers like this. They may be hard to find, but are worth the effort.

For a travel writer who has lived in different parts of the world, settling down in one place for a length of time makes a statement. When that person becomes both a beer writer and educator in South Africa’s emerging beer culture, she makes yet a different and even more profound statement.

I’ve never been to South Africa, but when I consider it, I think of Nelson Mandela, cooking around a braai, and surfing the perfect wave at Cape St. Francis. But, I generally don’t think of craft beer. All that is changing as South Africa is becoming known for hops and an emerging craft beer culture.

My next guest is a writer on a mission to tell the stories of South Africa’s craft beer movement and to educate others in her country about the abundant and nuanced world behind every beer.

Julia Herz is the craft beer program director at the Brewer’s Association and publisher of CraftBeer.com. In her role at the BA she serves as an educator and as a spokesperson for the association. She also co-authored an excellent Book, simply called, “Beer Pairing”.

Shout Outs:

Upslope Lager 

Haywire Pig Sty Red Rye IPA 

Brewer’s Association 

City Star Brewing 

BA's Checklist for reopening

BA's Corona Virus Resource Center 

Beer Pairing Book 

Julia Herz on Twitter

Mountain Sea Media

For me, the term Mexican Beer conjures great memories of tacos, the beach and delicious pale or dark, malty, crisp lagers brewed south of the border. Although it is not native to Mexico, the style is well known throughout the world to be refreshing and easy drinking. As the craft beer movement expands like a wave throughout the world, Mexico’s craft beer revolution is gaining some momentum and disrupting the status quo. But, well-crafted beer isn’t much without people who can discern what is noteworthy from the average.

My next guest is a Cicerone and beer educator dedicated to teaching people the finer points of tasting and pairing beer in Mexico one sip at a time. Although Mexican craft beer is still emerging, with his help in the years to come, the term “Mexican Beer” will take on a whole new meaning.

Chris Farmand is the Founder and CEO of Small Batch Standard, the leading financial, tax, and growth consulting option for the Head of The Class breweries. Chris and the SBS team have spent the better part of the past decade working with more than 100 craft breweries across the U.S., all with one singular aim: helping craft breweries grow profits.

Shout Outs:

Small Batch Standard

Bent Water Brewing - from Lynn MA

Map Brewing from Bozeman, MT

www.MountainSeaMedia.com

My guest today is John Glick who is now a consultant to businesses in the beverage industry. John spent the bulk of his career in the upper echelons of Anheuser Busch and the Craft Beer Alliance.

Shout Outs:

     Deschutes Brewery

     Riff Cold Brewed

     Grains of Wrath Brewing

     Drinkworks

     Patagonia

     Mountain Sea Media

My guest today is Neal Stewart. Neal has run the marketing helm for industry leaders such as Pabst and Dogfish Head Brewing for the past two decades. He is now the Marketing and Sales Director of Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon.

Shout Outs:

     Deschutes Brewery

     Riff Cold Brewed

     www.MountainSeaMedia.com

     GBM Episode #1 with Gary Fish of Deschutes Brewery

My guest today is Julie Rhodes who has spent her career in sales and marketing working with importers, distributors, and breweries. She now runs her own consulting firm called Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions aimed at helping beer businesses improve their sales and marketing.

Shout Outs:

NOLA Brewing & Wild Goose Canning

Flix Brewhouse

www.NotYourHobbyMarketing.com/covidresources

          Special Resources for GBM Listeners - Use coupon code GBM for an extra 15% off your order from Not Your Hobby Marketing

www.MountainSeaMedia.com

Good Beer Matters Episode 46 with Julie Rhodes

With more than 8,000 craft breweries, according to the Brewer’s Association, it’s safe to say that we have reached a new high watermark of quality and competition. Long gone are the days when a decent brewer can just open up and succeed without a solid plan. The market for craft beer now demands a brewer must carve out a niche, make superior beer, and run his or her business better. A brewer can be a lot of things, but to be everything at the same time is a spectacular feat of fiction. Like the songs says, sometimes we get by with a little help from our friends.

My next guest decided to step out of his brewer/ owner role and become a guide for startup breweries who are navigating through the challenges of modern craft beer. His goal? To help them succeed where others have failed. I hope you enjoy episode 50 of Good Beer Matters with Brewery Consultant, Rio Connelly.