Beer Guys Radio | Craft Beer Podcast

NA beer is here to stay, and Athletic Brewing Co. is leading the way We last talked with Athletic Brewing Co. in 2019.  They were just getting their roots set and spreading the word of their non-alcoholic craft beer.  The last two years of seen explosive growth for them, and the NA beer sector, so we decided to catch up with them for an update. Bill Shufelt and John Walker are the co-founders of Athletic.  Bill man's the fort at their production brewery in San Diego while John watches over their original Connecticut Brewery and taproom.  Both breweries are in the process of expansion. Even though the segment has grown there's still a stigma with many people about non-alcoholic beers.  Some recall the weird taste of previous NA offerings, and some just don't get the point of a beer with alcohol.  Athletic wants to see NA become a choice just because you like it, rather than a "penalty box" decision for designated drivers, pregnant women, and recovering alcoholics. Bill and John share i

Cannabis in a can with CERIA Brewing's Dr. Keith Villa As state's legalize the casual consumption of marijuana I think we knew a time would come when it found it's way into a beer.  No doubt that homebrewers have tried this combination out a time or two, but for CERIA Brewing THC and CBD is the focus of their brews. Dr. Keith Villa is best known as the inventor of the iconic Blue Moon Belgian White.  Whether you're a fan or not, it's hard to argue the impact this beer has had on craft beer, and the beer world in general.  We promised Villa we wouldn't dominate the show with Blue Moon questions.  We lied.  We get a good segment in on the history of the brew and the small change that launched it to stardom.  It's a pretty great story. But cannabis beers are the them of the day and we talk plenty about them.  They're are multiple levels of illegality in putting cannabis and alcohol together, so all of CERIA's brews are non-alcoholic, and 0.0% at that.  The brewery did

Collaboration makes the (craft beer) world go 'round The pandemic may have made beer collaborations more difficult, but it didn't stop great brewers from coming together to make tasty beers.  Like most things in our lives these days, collaborations have gone virtual with Zoom meetings and emails and text messages getting the job done.  We're thankful for these virtual collabs because it brings us amazing things like Alesmith Brewing and Alvarado Street Brewing's Oso Under.  A West Coast IPA loaded up with Australia and New Zealand hops. Alesmith's Ryan Crisp and (with the last minute tag in) Alvarado Street's Dave Ilderton, aka Party Wave Dave, join us this week to talk collaboration, brewing mishaps, love for those West Coast IPAs, and the trends that have come and gone.  Crack open something packing a few IBUs and join us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate &qu

July 4, 1776.  America is born.  There are high fives all around.  Samuel Adams breaks out his homebrew to celebrate.  Life is good. This week we take a look at some classic American craft beers.  American craft is fairly young in the grand scheme of things.  Where many European countries have hundreds of years of tradition, we've got 40ish years - with maybe a couple of exceptions.  A little thing called Prohibition threw us off for a while but when we got back in the game, we went all out.  Anchor Steam hit the scene in 1971, Sierra Nevada in 1980, Sam Adams in 1984.  The 90s gave us bold beers from Dogfish Head and saw the brewpub boom where you could always find a Blonde Ale, a Pale Ale a Porter, and in Irish Red.  There were 90 craft breweries in American in 1978 and today there are over 8,800. Our crafty pioneers brought hoppy beers that not everyone took a shine to.  Many people that were used to their American lagers thought the beers were flawed.  But the brewers pushed on and the people develop

How many Peets does it take to run a brewery? Kettlerock Brewing in Peachtree Corners, GA is a family affair.  When patriarch Stephen Peet retired in 2019 he figured the easiest way to relax was to build a brewery, and bring the whole crew with him.  Stephen and Sterling Peet joined us on the show this week with Diana, Christa, Taylor, and Devon Peet holding down the fort.  That's a lotta Peets. Stephen tells us the focus of the brewery is community, nature, and the environment.  He recalls a slow time and the brewery a a handful of guests sat apart in pairs but soon started chatting with each other, and that's exactly what he hopes Kettlerock fosters. When Sterling isn't brewing, he's a rocket scientist at Georgia Tech's Space Systems Design Laboratory.  He shares some of the projects they've worked on and tells us about CubeSats.  We asked if he's launched any yeast or grain into space and we're disappointed that he hasn't. The Peets were also founding members of

Beers don't have to be big to be beautiful Last weekend we headed over to Duluth, GA to party with our friends from Good Word Brewing as they celebrated the beauty of small beers. The festival had brewers from all over the country offering up beers under 5% ABV.  There were plenty of lagers as well as some saisons and grisettes, sours, and even some porters and stouts.  In the day of TIPAs and double-digit pastry stouts it's nice to celebrate the drinkin' beers.  We've been preaching Pilsners for year; we knew others would eventually come around. Fighting our best against the DJ that I swear aimed a speaker right at us, we sat down to chat with a few of the brewers at the event.  We talk with Ryan and Todd from Good Word about how the fest came to be and why they wanted a festival of all low ABV beers.  Joran and Shawn from Halfway Crooks Beer chat about their love for lagers and the cult following their LAGER LAGER LAGER LAGER merchandise has. We ran into Crooked Run's Jake Endress w

How much beer do you need to brew to serve 200 restaurants? Alex Puchner has been with BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse since they started brewing 25 years ago.  It's a unique setup they have there at BJ's, with a group of breweries across the country supplying beer to the 200+ restaurants in their chain.  A lot of beer. Alex joined us this week to talk about his early days of brewing with the legendary Maltose Falcons homebrew club and his adventure with BJ's.  We learned about their core beers, their new brew club, and some of the brews coming out of their R&D brewery. We sampled a few of their beers including a fantastic Coffee Blonde and their Cookies and Cream Pizookie Porter.  A mild take on a pastry brew, which Alex says is about as wild as he's going to get. The Beer List BJ's Brewhouse 25th Silver Bock Brewhouse Blonde (Kolsch) Coffee Cult Blonde Committed DIPA Cookies and Cream Pizookie Porter Jeremiah Red See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Thanks

Philly Beer Week... It's Essential Living in Atlanta I can tell you it's not an easy task to host a great beer week, but Philly Beer Week has it down pretty good. A lot of this is thanks to Philly Loves Beer and the efforts of Executive Director Christina Dowd.  She works with local brewers and bars to promote beer across Philadelphia and much of her time is spent coordinating the events of Philly Beer Week.  Dowd and Varga Bar owner Rich Colli joined us on the show to talk about what it takes to make a great beer week and share some of the fun things they've got planned for this year. The theme this year is "It's Essential" and after being locked up for over a year some good beers with good friends has got to be one of the most essential things good, food and shelter can step aside.  Events will be a mix of in-person and virtual for 2021 so you can enjoy some of the festivities no matter where you are.  Check out the calendar for a full list of what's happening. Cheers to y

R&D makes the world go 'round at Oskar Blues Oskar Blues Head Brewer Juice Drapeau loves to brew experimental beers.  These R&D batches give them the chance to try out new hops, malt, and yeasts, and ultimately impacts the beers we see brewed in huge quantities to be distributed across the country.  Their Guava Rodeo uses a very cool yeast known as Sourvisiae that makes a beer lightly tart without the need for lactobacillus or lactic acid.  Pretty cool stuff. Drapeau and Sr. Marketing Manager Aaron Baker joined us on the show this week to chat about the fun of R&D brewing and a host of other topics.  We learn about what it means to be part of the CANarchy Collective and the benefits it affords the member breweries.    On the heels of their Mustard Beer collaboration with French's we talk about any other possible condiment beers, and offer some terrible ideas of our own.  We also talk about their "Death by" series with the ever-popular Death by Coconut and the upcoming Death by

Hoplark with Hot Talk on Hop Tea and Hop Water You know we love our beer, but we do dabble in alternative beverages.  This week we're getting all fancy and sipping tea... with plenty of hops. Hoplark co-founder Dean Eberhardt joins us on the show this week to talk about his Hop Tea and Hop Water.  We learn what got the ball rolling on Hoplark, and we get educated on the many varieties of teas. We ask Dean for some pairing suggestions for his hop teas, but he tries to get us to exercise and tells us the pair great with a long bike ride.  That may be, but I'm gonna try mine with some wings, Dean. Seriously, though.  These teas and waters are pretty tasty and give you another choice if you want something crafty and hoppy but can't (or don't want to) have alcohol.  Take one into the next meeting with your boss and sip it while he goes over those quarterly reports.  It will make it so much better. Since there's no alcohol you can get Hoplark direct from their website at www.hoplark.com.

Victory founder Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet talk 25 years of Victory Beers After 25 years, Victory Brewing isn't slowing down. They're goal to Brew Forward means they're doubling down on quality, commitment, and community. As we talk with founder Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet we discovered what it means to be a successful brewer. Barchet is once again able to homebrew. That's success, growing to a point where you don't have to be on the brew deck all the time and can finally enjoy a homebrew. He's done it up right, too. His barn is designed for brewing, with the drains and all, plus a 1 Hectoliter (around 25 gallons) brewhouse. That's how you do it. Victory's Brother Love IPA is a tasty brew and we learn more about that beer and its mission.  We talk about what it was like 25 years ago, what they think of today's brewing scene, and what they see in their crystal ball for the next 25 years. We sip some of that Brotherly Love and some Sour Monkey.  And Brian brin

Jackie O's Brewery doesn't seem to be interested in bringing back malt liquor We started out our talk with Jackie O's Pub & Brewery founder Art Oestrike by talking on a topic we're passionate about - 40s of malt liquor.  The brewery has brewed malt liquor in the past and we asked Art if it was time to do another one, and make it available in 40-oz bottles.  "Who wants that?" he replied.  We do, Art.  We do. After gathering ourselves, we carried on with co-Directors of Brewing Operations Seth Morton and Alan Gordon.  We learned about the origins of Jackie O's brewery and how Art's mother inspired the name,  Oestrike shared his passion for sustainability in his business, they brew with 40% solar power and return what they don't use to the grid.  They also have a farm where they grow some of the ingredients for their beer and food, and a bake shop to supply pastries and breads. Morton and Gordon tell us about a few of their new beers and we get into a discussion o

An unfortunate situation at Red Top Brewhouse gave them time to shine Red Top Brewhouse is located in the fairly quiet town of Acworth, GA.  Most everyone is pretty chill, but people can get out of line anywhere.  Brewer Dave Sheets and Marketing Director Chris Henderson joined us this week to talk about a recent incident at their brewery, barrel-aged beers, cocktails, and soleras. Recently, a female guest used a "code word" with the bartender to let him know she was uncomfortable with the advances of a male guest.  The bartender took immediate action and removed the guest from the premises without further issue.  In each restroom at Red Top there is a sign letting guests know the code word to use if they feel unsafe.  One word  if they just want to be separated from the person and another if they want them removed and the police called.  Previously, these code words were only listed in the women's restrooms, but at the urging of guests they are now in the men's room as well as their gende

While other 90s brewpubs have disappeared, Iron Hill Brewery only gets stronger Do you remember the brewpub boom of the 1990s?  It seemed like there was one on every corner.  John Harvard's and Hops were a couple favorites in Atlanta, and Sundays on the patio of Atlanta Beer Garten listening to 99x's Resurrection Sunday still conjures very fond memories.  All of those brewpubs are long gone, along with many others founded during the 90s boom.  Beating the odds, Mark Edelson's Iron Hill Brewery is still going strong, and getting stronger. Edelson joined us on the show this week to talk about what gave his brewpub staying power over the years and what's in store for the future.  We talk about his days as a member of the board at the Brewers Association alongside the likes of Mitch Steele, Ken Grossman, Peter Bouckaert, and Mr. Charlie Papazian.  He tells us about the challenges of defining a "craft brewery" and shares his thoughts on the biggest challenges today's brewers face

Sometimes Roadmap Brewing Co.'s Dustin Baker misses the classroom Before opening Roadmap Brewing Co. founder and brewer Dustin Baker was a middle school teacher.  He admits that sometimes he still misses the classroom.  When we spoke Sant Antonio had hit 100° that day, I think a cool and comfortable classroom would sound pretty good to me, too.  Baker got started brewing after he received a homebrew kit as a wedding gift and with lots of help from his wife and parents, Roadmap Brewing came to life in 2018. Although Dallas / Fort Worth and Houston have thriving beer scenes, Baker admits San Antonio is just starting to catch up.  He's doing his part by offer awesome brews like Italian Pilsners, English Pub Ales, and of course plenty of IPAs and Sours.  We talk some on the Italian Pilsner and even dive into Gruit, a beer-like brew made without hops - although they cheated a bit and added a few to theirs...  We even discuss the greatness of the minivan, as Baker is a proud Mini Van Dad. If you take a t

Back Paddle Brewing brings craft beer to tiny Lincolnton, Georgia Back Paddle Brewing is a newer brewery in the small town of  Lincolnton, GA.  They are the first, and only, brewery in town and in an area that isn't exactly craft-focused.  Owner Kyle McCloud and Head Brewer Jason Slater spend time with their new customers educating them on craft beer but they still get plenty of people looking for something that "tastes like Bud Light." McCloud opened his brewery on a tight budget and built much of the space himself, including his brewhouse.  Without the budget for expensive, jacketed fermenters that would allowing cooling his beer to proper fermentation temperatures for most yeast he decided to brew with all kveik and Norwegian Farmhouse yeasts instead.  These unique yeasts are able to do their work at higher temperatures than most others.  Back Paddle offers many styles that you don't typically see using kveik, like an Imperial Stout and Scottish Ale.  We also discuss the brewery's

Switchback Brewing is going to smoke all the beers Switchback Brewing founder Bill Cherry has a passion for smoked beers.  He approaches smoke from a culinary standpoint, not to overwhelm the beer with smoky notes but to add depth and character to the beer while showing smoke as a legitimate flavor component. Through their Flynn of Fire Smoked Beer Initiative Switchback shows off the world of smoked malts.  Their "Smoke-ometer" shows you what percentage of smoked malt is in each beer and you may be surprised at the subtleties of a beer with 25% of the malt bill smoked.  However, Switchback's top-selling beer is smoke-free.  Switchback Ale is not only the brewery's top seller but also the #1 selling beer in Vermont.  The beer was developed as a "flavor concept" and doesn't necessarily adhere to any specific style.  It's a drinkable amber-ish beer that blurs the lines between complexity and simplicity. We also discuss Switchback's upcoming 20th anniversary and the d

We want to Make Saisons Cool Again It wasn't that long ago that saisons were one of the popular styles.  Several breweries offered up some variation or another and a lot of great collaborations came about.  The saisons are still there, they just don't have the hype they used to.  We'd love to see them come back around. The saison style started in 1700s in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium.   Each farm brewed their own take on these Farmhouse Ales in the cold months for seasonal farm workers (Saisonnièrs) to drink during the warm months.  This gave farm workers something to do in the cold months, used up any excess grain, and provided a clean and safe source of hydration for farm workers.  Each worker may drink up to 5 Liters per day of these low ABV (3.0-3.5%) beers as they toiled away.  As each farm used the resources they had available it was difficult to nail down an exact saison style at the time.  Today, the style has some definition but still offers up a lot of variation.  The

Social Fox Brewing powers through the pandemic to celebrate 1st Anniversary It wasn't by choice that Social Fox Brewing opened at the start of the pandemic.  However, they've made the best of it and soon they'll be celebrating their first anniversary.  The Social Fox crew joined us in the studio this week to share some beers and chat.  Head Brewer Craig Smith along with co-owners Mike Greene, Mark Klafter, and Scott Norwood all came along for the ride. Social Fox recently released their first beers in cans and has more in the pipeline.  They recently released Straight Outta Norcross, a West Coast IPA, to give visitors a break from all the haze out there.  Gold Belt Golden Ale also offers a drinking beer when you just want to take it easy and not overthink what's in your glass.  On the opposite side of that coin they've also released some Oenobeers, a beer-wine hybrid, and plan to brew more of those as well. As the weather warms up (at least here in the South) we talk about seasonal dr

Bringing coffee and beer together makes for one great beverage Adding coffee to beer in modern brewing only goes back a few decades but individually both have been enjoyed for centuries.  For coffee, the story traces back to an Ethiopian goatherder who noticed his flock full of energy and "dancing" after eating a small red fruit off of some shrubs.  The goatherder  figured he'd give it a shot as well and soon joined his energetic goats.  The origins of beer, as we've discussed before, isn't crystal clear, but suffice it to say beer has been a part of our lives for a long time. We sat down this week with Apotheos Roastery's Adam Silverberg, Dale Hughes, and Jason White to learn more about that coffee origin story and how it spread across the world.  White also shares some info with us on the roasting process and the flavors in coffee that compliment our beloved beers.  We sample a few brews as we chat and we all left dancing like a bunch of goats. Visit Apotheos Roastery in Kenne