Joe and Nick are on the mics for this episode, as Lauren begins her maternity leave after having Baby Davis! The guys discuss the recent news of the upcoming closures for Double Barley Brewing (Smithfield, NC) and Eurisko Beer Company (Asheville, NC), which leads into a review of some historical data provided by the Brewers Association. Has the craft beer industry plateaued or become too saturated for small breweries to be sustainable? Or are there other trends or factors that contribute to the seemingly rising number of micro breweries closing in recent years? Stay tuned until the end to listen to Joe and Nick's attempt at "LC's Pick of the Week"!

The story of New Belgium Brewing Company is crucial when telling the story of the craft beer industry and its growth over the past few decades. Joe, Nick, and Lauren share some information about the brewery's early days, growth, and their four core values that have nurtured a healthy culture since they started in 1991. While they are known for making great beer, some people may not be aware of their strides in being environmentally and socially conscious, so we wanted to spread the word. Grab a "Fat Tire" or the latest "Voodoo Ranger" and tune in!

"In this episode, we'll be talking about how to use artificial intelligence to generate your own beer recipes. We'll discuss the different AI tools that are available, and we'll even share a few of our own recipes that were generated by AI. We'll also talk about the challenges and opportunities of using AI to generate beer recipes." - Sticking with the theme of this episode, the episode title and description were written by AI (Google Bard). Check it out for a great discussion on an interesting topic and application of technology in brewing. Oh, and we also talk about the recent expansion news from New Belgium Brewing Company.

This week the crew discusses inflation as it relates to the beer world. They discuss the dynamics of consumer trends and rising costs. They try a couple great beers and LC attempts to stump Nick and Joe with her pick of the week. Tune in to see if she succeeds!

This week the crew discusses the recent closure of Platform Beer Co. and the age of big beer acquisitions. Stick around as we dive into some of the hierarchy of big beer brands and as LC tries to stump us with a pick of the week. Cheers!