The Brewery Underground Podcast | Craft Beer Interviews, Reviews and Beer Travel

The Brewers Association is a nonprofit trade organization based in the U.S. that supports and promotes small and independent American craft brewers.

In this episode of Brewery Underground, Steve and Scott sit down with Matt Gacioch, staff economist at the Brewers Association, to dig into the numbers, trends, and future of craft beer.

Matt breaks down the Brewers Association’s role in supporting independent breweries, shares insights from the 2025 mid-year production survey, and explains how consumer shifts, tariffs, and “beyond beer” products are shaping the industry.

From the rise of non-alcoholic options to breweries experimenting with ciders, seltzers, and even pickleball courts, this conversation highlights the creativity and challenges facing today’s craft brewers.

We also dive into beer style trends (IPAs, lagers, and even nostalgic throwbacks), industry consolidation, and what defines a “craft brewery” in 2025.

Whether you’re a brewer, a beer lover, or just curious about where craft beer is headed, this episode is packed with stats, stories, and plenty of laughs over a pint.

We had a lot of fun with Matt and learned quite a bit. We love stats and appreciate that Matt does too. To quote him in this episode "An ideal world would be all numbers and beer". We love that!

Thank you Matt for joining us and spending so much time with us.

Prost!

- Steve and Scott

The Brewery Underground Podcast

Welcome to Episode 90 of The Brewery Underground Podcast!

Since it's Oktoberfest season, we thought we'd comprise a montage of clips from previous episodes, where we talked specifically about Oktoberfest beers and the season.

In this episode we feature clips from our conversations with The Hilltappers, Esoteric Brewing Company, Johnson City Brewing Company, Hoppin' Frog Brewery and Steve and Scott have their own discussion about it.

This is our favorite time of the year for beer, hence wanting to do a little something different for this episode.

What are your thoughts on Oktoberfest season and Oktoberfest beers?

Cheers!

2 of Nashville's craft beer podcast teams come together once again. The Foamy Heads and The Brewery Underground Podcast team up to talk about a HUGE acquisition in the Nashville craft beer scene.

Xul Beer Company has purchased Southern Grist Brewing Company, and it's something we all wanted to get together and discuss.

This was more or less an impromptu episode (hence dropping it on a different day than we normally do) as the news had just broken, and Rich had the great idea of us all getting on the mics to talk about it.

We are all fans of both breweries, and as much as we don't want Southern Grist to go away - we are extremely excited to have Xul in Nashville, in hopes that they brew their beer here, as well as in Knoxville.

Not only do we have an in depth conversation about Xul and Grist, we discuss a few other things as well (as we always like to do) .

Things like Rich switching back to an Android phone from iOS after 3 years, how Oktoberfest basically starts in March now, Mitch finishing his Cantillon that he wasn't able to share with breweries in Nashville - which lead to a deeper conversation about sharing outside drinks in breweries.

Sticky Keys was born as a new beer name, will Steve get a tattoo,? Rich has a new addiction called Tavour and he doesn't know this - but he almost has Scott convinced to join as well, did Mitch work on Labor Day?, how many Oktoberfest beers did Steve buy?

BTW, when the Foamies and BUP get together, we actually call ourselves The Foamy Underground.

This won't be the last you hear us doing an episode with The Foamy Heads, as we have something planned at Common John 's Beerfest on 9/20 together.

We welcome Xul Beer Company to Nashville, and we are officially rolling out the red carpet to them.

Stay tuned for more from us and, make sure to check out The Foamy Heads Podcast.

Cheers!

Steve and Scott

There are a lot of great places in Tennessee to drink craft beer. Among them, is Johnson City Brewing Company, in Johnson City, Tennessee.

We caught up with Owner Eric Latham, and Head Brewer Anna McKay to talk about what they do. Eric has been brewing the beer for a long time. Anna, was recently promoted to her position after having spent years working her way up the ladder.

Oktoberfest season has arrived. Johnson City Brewing has several variations of this annual beer. We wanted to find out about each one, including the option with Butterscotch.

Steve recently paid a visit to the brewery and shared his fun experience of going there for the first time.

Anna, talks about being a female head brewer and what that means to her.

Eric is a really busy guy. Brewery owner. President of the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild. And he recently walked through an entire state to raise money for a great charity.

We really appreciated the time they set aside to speak with us.

Cheers!

Nashville’s craft beer scene is changing, and we have plenty of brewery news to discuss. Steve shares his first visit to Broadcast Brewing, while Scott recaps the soft opening of Stoke Haus Brewing & Barbecue and the strong support it received from Nashville’s beer community.

We also discuss Wiseacre Brewing Company’s acquisition of Bearded Iris Brewing, Mr. Brews Taphouse’s planned Smyrna location, Smackdab Brewing’s upcoming Murfreesboro brewery and changes at TennFold Brewing.

Then Steve takes us through his East Tennessee beer travels. Stops include Xül Beer Company in Knoxville, Johnson City Brewing, Tennessee Hills Brewstillery, Great Oak Brewing and Michael Waltrip Brewing in Bristol.

The trip concludes with Steve’s firsthand account of the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway—including traffic, limited food, disappointing beer choices and an unforgettable experience.

It’s a packed craft beer podcast episode featuring Nashville brewery news, new brewery openings, beer travels and firsthand brewery experiences across Tennessee.

Cheers! 🍻

Part 2 of our interview with Fred Karm, John Humphrey and Zachary Bastin of Hoppin’ Frog Brewery picks up right where we left off, with more great beer stories, brewery history and insight into nearly two decades of craft beer in Akron, Ohio.

One thing that is extremely important at Hoppin’ Frog is making sure a beer tastes exactly like it says it does. If the label says Chocolate Covered Strawberry Stout, you should taste chocolate AND strawberry! Steve describes the Hoppin’ Frog version he had, and you can almost taste it yourself.

We also dive into the incredible reach of Hoppin’ Frog beer. Over the years, the brewery has distributed to 22 states and 40 foreign countries, with its beer reaching craft beer drinkers from Denmark and Hong Kong to Hawaii and beyond. Fred shares how international distribution began surprisingly early in Hoppin’ Frog’s history and how beer fans from around the world have even made Akron a destination after discovering their beer overseas.

Of course, getting beer into different states and countries isn't always simple. We have a great conversation about some of the different distribution laws, regulations and taxes breweries have to navigate — without going too far down the rabbit hole!

The guys also explain how Hoppin’ Frog has evolved with the changing craft beer industry, including the transition from 22-ounce bottles to cans, investing in their own canning line and adapting to changing consumer tastes without losing the bold flavors and identity that made Hoppin’ Frog what it is.

Taproom events are another big part of the Hoppin’ Frog experience, especially Shandy Day on August 23rd, featuring an incredible 16–18 Shandies on tap. We also hear about some of the other unique events and experiences happening at the brewery.

What else goes on in the Hoppin’ Frog taproom? Could another Hoppin’ Frog location be in the future? How important are can art and instant brand recognition when you're competing for attention on a crowded beer shelf?

We answer all of those questions — plus a whole lot more — but you'll have to listen to find out.

Thank you to Fred, John and Zachary for joining us and sharing the Hoppin’ Frog story. We truly appreciate all three of you and the entire Hoppin’ Frog team. Keep up the fantastic work, keep making great beer and, as Fred puts it, keep selling fun and happiness!

Cheers!

Steve and Scott

Fred Karm, John Humphrey and Zachary Bastin join us from Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron, Ohio — and we couldn’t have had more fun. Interviews like this are exactly why we love doing this podcast!

We kick things off talking about Oktoberfest season and Oktoberfest beers, including the story of Hoppin’ Frog’s Oktoberfest Froggy Style Lager winning our blind tasting of 18 different Oktoberfest beers — beating out some pretty serious competition along the way.

Hoppin’ Frog Brewery is about to celebrate its 19th anniversary on September 1st, a testament to its leadership, longtime team and, of course, the incredible variety of beers and Turbo Shandies they’ve created over nearly two decades.

Fred takes us back to the early days of Hoppin’ Frog and what the craft beer scene looked like when the brewery opened in 2006. We also hear from Zachary and John about spending more than 14 years with Hoppin’ Frog, the family-like culture they’ve built, and why they’ve stayed for so long. We also share some stories from our own visit to the Hoppin’ Frog taproom earlier this year.

Then we get into the beer.

We dive into the B.O.R.I.S. family — including D.O.R.I.S., T.O.R.I.S. and C.O.R.I.S. — and learn where those names came from. We talk about Hoppin’ Frog’s barrel-aging program, the incredible variety of barrels they’ve used over the years, including some particularly rare finds, and how the brewery became known for bold, high-gravity and barrel-aged beers.

But Hoppin’ Frog is much more than big stouts. We also talk about their Turbo Shandies, Pilsners, creative flavor combinations, award-winning beers and how Hoppin’ Frog’s wide range of beer styles is perceived throughout the craft beer industry.

One thing becomes very clear during this conversation: Hoppin’ Frog is selling fun.

Spend some time with these guys, visit their Akron taproom or crack open one of their beers, and you’ll understand exactly what Fred means.

We hope you listen to Part 1 and share in the fun we had with this great group of guys from Hoppin’ Frog Brewery!

Cheers!

Steve and Scott

- The Brewery Underground Podcast

We continue our chat with Dave "Juggles" Fischer and Dan "Mudder" Thomas of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Vintage Baseball Team.

These guys are in a baseball league that follows the rules of the game as it was played back in the day.

They share stories of traveling to other major league ballparks across the country.

We had to find out if these guys enjoy craft beer, or the beer that has been around for decades.

We all love baseball movies! Which ones are the best? We had a fun discussion about that and so much more.

Cheers!

One of our passions, besides craft beer and breweries, is America's favorite pastime, Major League Baseball! The Cincinnati Reds have the oldest team in Major League Baseball, formed in 1869. (known then as the Red Stockings)

Our guests this week, Dave "Juggles" Fischer and Dan "Mudder" Thomas are part of a league that still play the game by the rules of when it all first got started. They are members of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Vintage Baseball Team.

You will hear all about those rules, the uniforms they wear when playing, and where they travel to play. Plus, the connection they have with The Cincinnati Reds these days.

Lot of discussion in this episode about some of the all-time greats in major league baseball.

Cheers!

There are many great places to visit in Cincinnati, Ohio, for craft beer. Among them, Esoteric Brewing Company

Head Brewer Anique Thomas and Assistant Brand Manager John Reece joined us on this episode. We had the opportunity to meet them both on a recent visit.

We wanted to find out more about who is behind putting Esoteric on the map as a minority- owned brewery in the area.

Having opened in the challenging year of 2020, John Reece discusses how far they have come in a short period of time.

Anique Thomas is fairly new as the head brewer. But, not new to Esoteric. You will hear about her path to success in creating the craft beer people try when they visit.

Esoteric continues knocking out new craft beer, including many available at their location and other stores in the area.

Scott & Steve raved about the beers they had at Esoteric back in May. Brian chimed in on beer ratings and whether they pay attention to them.

Cheers!