Beer Guys Radio | Craft Beer Podcast

Chase Medlin's journey to open Contrast Artisan Ales Before opening Contrast Artisan Ales founder Chase Medlin got his start in brewing at Decatur, Georgia's Twain's Brewpub & Billiards.  After learning the ropes from a couple of other brewers he moved into the head brewer role.  Medlin found his love for brewing and soon began to look into opening his own location.  After few false starts, Contrast opened their doors in Chamblee, Georgia in December of 2018. We sample Medlin's newest IPA, Luminiferous, along with their Hypnotize Biggie Coffee Stout while we discuss what's brewing and what's coming up for Contrast.  We also talk about the changes to the definition of craft brewer and whether or not Contrast will delve into "alternative beverages", the growing beer and food scene in Chamblee, and we travel back in time to talk about some thoughts Medlin shared in a 2015 interview. Episode Guide Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast Episode 159 Contrast Artisan Ales&apos

Camino Brewing was born during a journey the co-founders (Nathan Poulos and Allen Korenstein) took down the Camino de Santiago.  The Camino used to be a pilgrimage for religious types, but today people from all walks of life take the trip.  Some to clear their head or find themselves, others just want to get away from the rat race for a while. Poulos joins us this week to talk about that journey and how it inspired opening his brewery and continues to inspire him today.  He met a lot of strangers that became friends on the trip, and he wants Camino Brewing to offer that same connection. Beers like N 120 Bohemian Pilsner and KM 0.0 West Coast IPA take their names from the Camino, while other offerings like Auld Lang Syne Brut IPA say goodbye to the past and welcome the future.  Poulos has big plans in 2019 with each season offering beers that celebrate a leg of the journey on the Camino de Santiago. We also talk a bit of college football here as the National Championship game comes to the Bay Area.  Alabama wi

Best of Georgia Beer 2018 - The Results 2018 brought many new breweries and amazing beers to Georgia and made for some stiff competition in this year's awards.  In several categories, only a handful of votes (sometimes less than 1%) separated the winners or bumped someone just out of the Top 3.  Over 2,000 Georgia beer fans voted for their favorite beers, breweries, brewpubs, beer bars, bottle shops, beer fests, and even their favorite homebrewer. On this week's show, we share the results from the final voting round as we enjoy a sampling of the award-winning beers.  We had several expected winners, as well as a few surprises.  It's great to see so many Georgia beers and breweries making everyone's favorites list. A few notes on the awards: Only beers brewed in Georgia are eligible for an award. For the  "New for 2018" categories, a brewery had to open, or a beer had to be released between Dec. 15, 2017 and Dec. 1, 2018. Winners came from two rounds.  A write-in nomination round

Maine Beer Co. was started with a goal to "Do What's Right" Dan Kleban and his brother David founded Maine Beer Company with a single recipe and the goal to "Do What's Right."  That mantra carries through in every aspect of running their business from the beer they brew, to employee relations, and how they support and give back to their community. Dan joins us this week to talk about that philosophy and the passion he has to see it through.  We enjoy a few Maine Beer Company beers as the conversation moves on to a discussion about the collapse of DME, a large brewing equipment manufacturer, and how that could be a nail in the coffin for some new brewers.  Of course, we talk about brewing hoppy and balanced beers and teaching craft beer neophytes that hoppy and bitter are not the same thing.  Dan also shares his passion for environmental causes and how their pledge to 1% For The Planet supports those causes, as well as the impact that brewing with local ingredients has on our envi

It's actually been cold here in Atlanta lately and it's time to break out the Christmas beers.   This week we invited Tim Cailloux, winner of our Catlanta charity art auction, to join us in the studio and sample through the 12 Beers of Christmas. We share a little info on each beer, Brian tells us about Christmas beer festivals and beer cocktails like Glühkriek.  We had some naughty and some nice beers, and at the end of the show we share our Top 5 and why we chose our #1 beer. Let us know if you've tried any of these beers and what your favorite Christmas beers are.  Cheers! Our 12 Beers of Christmas were... Barrel of Monks Father Christmas Corsendonk Christmas Ale  Delirium Noël   Gouden Carolus Noël   Hardywood Gingerbread Stout  Highland Cold Mountain  Rogue Santa's Private Reserve  Samichlaus Schwarzes  Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale  St. Bernardus Christmas Ale  Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend Three Taverns Feest Noël  (2015) Gouden Carolus Noël  See omnystudio.com/listener for p

Craft Beer in the Coastal Empire with Chris Haborak If you're not familiar with the lay of the land, Savannah, Georgia is the Coastal Empire.  Once you cross the bridge into South Carolina, you enter the Low Country.  Got it?  Good. Chris Haborak is the co-founder and brewer at Coastal Empire Beer Co.  Founded in 2011, the brewery is a middle child of the Georgia beer scene and the second to open in Savannah.  After some spooky experiences with glitter and ghosts, we sat down to talk with Chris about his beer and brewery while enjoying a few pours, of course. After chatting with Chris we continued our tour of coastal Georgia with stops at Service Brewing and Southbound Brewing then headed south to visit Hop Soul Brewing, under construction in Brunswick, GA) and down to St. Mary's to visit Brackish Beer Co. Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast Episode 154 Chris Haborak of Coastal Empire Beer Co. Episode Guide Guest Introduction | 00:47 Keller's Milk Stout | 01:11 David Loves Jam Bands | 01:55 Sma

Sarah Green is the new Head Brewer at Ironmonger Brewing.  Sarah has strong opinions on what needs to be done at the brewery.  She's released her first original beer at the brewery and reformulated some existing recipes. Ramsay Florence remains part of the team and moves into the role of Sales and Operations Manager.  Ramsay is in the process of introducing new packaging for Ironmonger's beers and will undertake a massive taproom remodel very soon. Sarah and Ramsay talk with us about the goals they've set for Ironmonger and the plans they have to achieve them. .  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 "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we

If you've ever taken a trip to Asheville, NC you've likely heard, "If you can find the time, take a trip to Fonta Flora." Todd Boera opened his original brewery about an hour east of Asheville in Morganton.  Slightly closer is Fonta Flora's new Whippoorwill Farm location, a 9-acre farm and 15-barrel brewhouse.  Being away from the action of Asheville hasn't hurt his brewery.  His unique brews with ingredients like beets, carrots, and tulsi bring in plenty of fans, and many do make the side trip from Asheville. Boera uses only local ingredients in his brews and his farm will have a sizable orchard as well as garden areas to grow other ingredients.  For those he can't grow himself he'll source from other local farmers.  Fonta Flora also has their own house culture used to ferment their "Appalachian Wild Ales". With the growth the new location has allowed, you'll see some more "normal" beers like Kolsch, Maibock, and even a Light Lager.  The funk w

Even if you're not in DuClaw Brewing's distribution area, you probably know about Sweet Baby Jesus, their chocolate peanut butter porter.  It's DuClaw's flagship beer and it's sought after across the country. DuClaw's head brewer Brandon Stanko joined the brewery as in IT Technician and worked his way up the ranks.  He joins us this week to talk about their beers, hop guns, Maryland's weird beer laws, and to share some tips for homebrewers on brewing a chocolate peanut butter beer. Christopher Glenn joined in the studio this week to talk about his non-profit, The Bottle Share.  A charity supporting the people working in the craft beer industry in times of need.  He shares the story of how The Bottle Share came to be and how the organization helps others. Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast 151 Guests: Brandon Stanko, DuClaw Brewing | Christoper Glenn, The Bottle Share Topic: DuClaw Brewing Co. and The Bottle Share Episode Guide Guest Introductions | 00:30 Sweet Baby Jesus |

When Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project founder and brewmaster Chad Yakobson published his master's thesis online as The Brettanomyces Project very little was known about brewing with this unusual yeast.  Common knowledge at the time said you couldn't use Brett as a primary fermenter in beer.  Yakobson wasn't buying that and set on a path to find out all he could about this fascinating funk factory.  Ten years later, brewers know a lot more, in large part thanks to his research.  There is a huge variety of beers using Brett both as the primary fermenter and in blends. We're joined this week by Yakobson and brewhouse and cellar manager Troy Montrone to learn more about brewing with Brett.  Montrone tells us what a cellarman's main job duties are (lots of cleaning) and the importance of barrels and other wood vessels in their brewing.  We discuss the differences in Belgian and American sour beers, and Yakobson shares a few flavor descriptors he thinks we need to drop from our vocabulary

A beer named Sue and a new place to brew for Yazoo Yazoo Brewing Co. founder Linus Hall left the exciting world of tire engineering to found his brewery in 2003.  Currently in their 2nd home, Yazoo is in the process of moving to a new, much larger location in Madison, TN.  We sample a few of Yazoo's beers, including the new 15th Anniversary Ale brewed with Sabro hops, a new (a very tasty) variety.  Hall shares some of the legal challenges Tennessee brewers have faced over the years and why he had to get a distillery license to brew his smoked beer, Sue.  Brian digs in on the Nashville Hot Chicken scene and the "laws" that surround it and we discuss Yazoo's Embrace the Funk sour program. Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast 149 Guests: Linus Hall | Founder and Brewmaster Topic: Yazoo Brewing Co. | Nashville, TN Episode Guide Intro | 00:30 Hot Chicken terroir | 1:04 Week in Review | 2:51 Beers of the Week | 4:50 Craft Beer News | 5:30 History of Yazoo Pilsner | 11:40 From tire engineer to bre

Upland Brewing Co. celebrates 20 years and still pushing innovation Upland Brewing Co. was founded in 1998 in Bloomington, Indiana.  They've grown over the years and opened several other taprooms as well as splitting the breweries for their clean and sour beers.  We're joined this week by Adam Covey, Matt Wisley, and Eli Trinkle to talk about what's going on in Indiana beer.  In addition to their clean beers like NE IPA and their popular Champagne Velvet Pilsner, Upland also offers a variety of sour beers and they've recently started experimenting with kombucha.  Adam shares some info on their sensory training program, a very important part of keeping the same standards across all of their taprooms, and how it's important to be a part of the communities you serve. Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast 148 Guests: Adam Covey, Matt Wisley, and Eli Trinkle Topic: Upland Brewing Co. Episode Guide Show and guest intro | 0:30 Week in Review | 1:05 Coolship sleepover | 1:38 Yorkville Hop Farm

Orpheus Brewing and The Woodlands talk sour and wild beers Wild and sour beers continue to grow in popularity.  From "simple" sour beers like Berliner Weisse and Gose to complex, spontaneously fermented ales with funky, earthy, cheesy character.  There's a huge variety out there. When you think of SweetWater Brewery, you may not think of sour beers - but you should.  Nick Burgoyne, Lead Brewer and Blender at SweetWater's The Woodlands focuses on brewing wild, sour, funky and barrel-aged beers.  He recently won a Silver Medal for Cambium (an American Wild Ale) at the US Open Beer Championship. Orpheus Brewing opened in Atlanta in 2014.  Brewmaster and President Jason Pellett had a goal to introduce an approachable, sour beer that anyone could afford and his Atlanta (Tart Plum Saison) did just that.  In the past 4 years, Orpheus has brewed many more sour beers, and recently won Bronze for Lambic-style Ales at the Great American Beer Fest. Burgoyne and Pellett join us this week to talk about

Examining the Craft Beer Bubble with the Brewers Association's chief economist Bart Watson Craft beer is booming in America.  We're likely to hit 7,000 breweries by the end of the year, more than double the number just five years ago.  With the explosion of new breweries many fear that we're in a bubble, and it's about to bust.  But is that the case?Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association, joins us this week to discuss the existence of the craft beer bubble and examine the numbers of what's really happening. Watson shares some details on the rate of brewery openings and closures and what those numbers mean.  Attendance at the Great American Beer Festival, from brewers and consumers, is up and every competition category gets its fair share of entries.  We discuss how excise tax cuts and higher tariffs are impacting brewers and consumers, how the industry today looks compared to the late 1990s, and what more legal weed could mean for craft beer. Beer Guys Radio Craft Bee

Hair of the Dog Brewing has been a Portland craft beer staple for 25 years.  This week, founder Alan Sprints joins us on the show.  We talk about the old days on the craft beer frontier, extreme brewing, the biggest challenges facing new brewers today, why he chose to keep his brewery small, his $800 bottle offerings, and what's in store for his upcoming 25th Anniversary. Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast 145 Episode Guide: Sponsor thanks and show intro | 0:00 Beer Guys week in review | 02:40 Beers of the Week | 04:30 Beer Guys collab STREWZü preview | 06:02 Craft beer news | 6:30 - Lagunitas layoffs - Scofflaw UK Trump controversy - New Jersey brewery laws take a step back Alan Sprints Interview | 12:28 Hair of the Dog Fred / Fred Eckhardt | 12:40 Brewing outside the lines | 13:50 Back it up, introducing Alan Sprints | 14:26 Life before Hair of the Dog | 14:40 Making "holiday beers" year round | 15:30 Sprints on what it takes to be a brewer | 16:10 Travel and brewing around the world | 17:18

Ryan Lapete had a career as a deep-sea diver before starting his craft brewery.  He studied underwater crime scene investigation, lived underwater for a month, and participated in a mission with Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau.  His job was dangerous, and after telling his wife he'd leave it behind if he could start a brewery, he founded DEEP Brewing. Lapete shares how his diving experience helps him in brewing craft beer (quite a bit, actually), how being named 2017's Best New Florida Brewery impacted his business, and he spills the beans on a whole season of coffee beer releases.  We also talk about the awesome artwork at his brewery and on his labels, and the difference in alcohol distribution laws in Florida and here in Georgia. Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast 144 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (Make sure to leave us a review!) Subscribe on Google Podcasts  Follow us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Support us on Patreon | Supporters can get early access to all shows, commercial-fr

Burnt Hickory Brewery's Scott Hedeen is part idea man, part madman I first met Scott Hedeen when Burnt Hickory Brewery was just a few months old.  Over the years he has become one of my very favorite people in the whole world.  He's also very high on the list of people that drive me crazy.  It's a weird relationship, but it works. Hedeen is an idea man.  He's constantly thinking (and talking) about what's next.  For him, for others, for everything.  The wheels are constantly spinning.  This makes for some great conversations, amazingly creative ideas, and a 5-minute phone call about hops turning into a 50-minute phone call about IPA, playing the theremin, 80s punk, and standup comedy. Hedeen founded his brewery in 2011 and produced his first commercial batch in April 2012.  Back then, his Wonka World of craft beer only opened to the public one Saturday each month.  Initially, 20-30 dedicated fans showed up for the tastings but it wasn't long before they numbered in the hundreds. 

O'zapft is!  Oktoberfest is coming, and we're ready Munich Oktoberfest officially kicks off on September 22nd for 2018.  Germany's largest volksfest has been going strong for over 200 years.  Traditions have changed but the beer keeps flowing, a lot of it. This week we're joined by Ryan Folgegren and Jamey Adams from Arches Brewing in Hapeville, Georgia to sample a dozen American takes on Oktoberfest beers and share our favorites.  We talk about the history and traditions of Oktoberfest, German beer styles, lager brewing and water chemistry, and genetic mix-ups of snakes and dogs.  Ryan and Jamey share their love for lagers and keeping their brewing traditional when extreme is the norm. In this week's news, we talk about the dirty dirndl, German super-police, and an amazing yeast discovery in Argentina that could mean big changes for beer. Our Oktoberfest beer sampling list We sampled the following beers while snacking on brats and sauerkraut, pretzels, and Obatzda cheese dip.  At the

Oyster City Brewing Co. is spreading the good word of craft beer in the Florida Panhandle There's not a whole lot in Apalachicola.  When visitors to this small coastal town asked for a local beer, the best they could do was from a brewery a couple of hours away.  The owners of the Owl Cafe and taproom saw an opportunity and after plenty of practice and planning, they opened Oyster City Brewing Co. in 2014. Clayton Mathis has been a craft beer fan since college and is now the Head Brewer at Oyster City, but his LinkedIn profile says he's the Head Brewvangelist. He explains that more than just brewing beer, he wants to spread the word about craft beer to everyone.  A noble mission indeed.  We talk with Clayton about the craft beer scene in small-town Florida, brewing with unique ingredients, what beer pairs best with oysters, the interesting story behind their tap handles, and their upcoming Apalach Oktoberfest. In the news this week Brian continues his "Big Beer Can't Catch a Break" se

Riverbend Malt House makes craft malt for craft brewers Hops get all the love when it comes to craft beer but malt is getting more attention thanks to a small network of craft maltsters.  For brewers in the South, Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina offers up several barley, wheat, and rye artisan malts from locally sourced grains.  By working with local farmers, Riverbend reduces the average food miles travel for their malts from 3,000 to about 300, reducing the carbon emissions by 4.5 tons for each truckload of grain. (Source)  Their small batch grains also offer unique flavor profiles in specialty malts for craft brewers.  Much like a craft brewery, independence is at the heart of a craft malt house. The North American Craft Maltsters Guild also requires maltsters to source at least 50% of their raw material from the local area, and produces less than 20 million pounds of grain per year. Riverbend's Brent Manning and Matt Thompson join us this week to answer all our malty questions.  We