Beer Guys Radio | Craft Beer Podcast

Craft Collaborations inspire Nappy Roots to open Atlantucky BrewingIf you're a regular listener of the show then you've heard us talking with the Nappy Roots crew a few times before.  We met the guys back in 2017 as they brewed a collaboration with Monday Night Brewing, Front Porch Pale Ale, to go along with the album of the same name.  We were a young show at the time and thrilled to land an interview with the Grammy-nominated quartet.  Fish Scales, admittedly the most passionate craft drinker of the group, had a thirst for more beer knowledge.  We started chatted regularly about beer, attending festivals, and brewing in Scales' garage.  We may not be the typical friends for a couple of rappers, but never underestimate the power of beer.Originally, the plan was to brew collaboration beers to help promote the group.  Find a brewery near one of their upcoming shows and brew a beer with them.  Through these collaborations they discovered they really loved to brew beer and found many similarities

Snafu Brewing Company is your new favorite dive barIf you love a taplist full of classic beer styles then this episode is not for you.  However, if you're intrigued by the R&D department of a brewery including a NutriBullet, beer, fruit, and cereal you're in the right place.Snafu Brewing Company has been called a "dive brewery." Koon that's fair, and accurate. Snafu likes to have with their beers and wants everyone to feel welcome. When a guest asked if they could bring their goat to the taproom he said, "Sure thing."Koon is a career brewer.  He says he knew in middle school he wanted to brew for a living and started homebrewing when he was in high school.  Before opening Snafu he learned the trade at a few other breweries, including a position as head brewer for Westbrook.Snafu does offer a few more traditional styles - a golden ale, some IPAs and stouts.  But if you pass on the fruit and cereal sours you're missing out on the magic.A very scientific test of Bodega

Kros Strain Brewing Co. shows us what's happening in Nebraska beerWe met the crew from Kros Strain Brewing Co. when they visited Atlanta for The Juice Strikes Back festival in 2019.  This invitational beer fest brought some amazing beers to Georgia and introduce a lot of new breweries to the Peach State.  We chatted at the time about getting together for a show and it's only taken us three years to make it happen. Better late than never.Co-founder Bobby Kros and Head Beer Pusher Jeff Hardy sat down with us this week to share a few beers and tell us about their brewery.  As we sip their Fairy Nectar (the #1 IPA in Nebraska) I get chastised for mentioning loose meat sandwiches.  Hardy tells me that's an Iowa thing and I better recognize the Runza.  Where I grew up in the little town of Norfolk, NE we had the loose meat sandwich.  Perhaps we were infiltrated, indoctrinated by those dirty Iowans.  My life is a lie, my lesson was learned, it won't happen again.Kros Strain joins us this week hot

The Original 40 Brewing Company is a new OGWe caught Cosimo Sorrentino just in time to talk about San Diego's The Original 40 Brewing Co. before he heads for Lazarus Brewing in Austin, TX.  Cosmo's a San Diego native and spent time brewing in Europe before returning home.  When asked about the departure he shares that he likes where the beer scene is in Austin and wants to be a part of that, also the overall culture of the city.  And, of course, BBQ.As we chat with Sorrentino about brewing in San Diego and Europe, Maibock, Cashmere hops, and the insanity of moving to Austin in the Summer we drink through some of their lineup.  Contrary #beertwitter rumble lats week about there being nothing but IPAs at breweries, Original 40 runs the gamut with Pilsners, Rice Lagers, Smoked Brown Ales, super-thicc stouts, and yes, some NE and West Coast IPAs.  And they're all damn tasty.If you're in San Diego you should take a trip to the taproom.  This Saturday (05/07/22) would be a good day, they're

Hanging out with Cherry Street Brewing and The Real DJ JellyCherry Street Brewing's original location in Cumming, GA isn't far from Atlanta.  But city folk aren't big on leaving their circle so Cherry Street was somewhat of a hidden treasure in Georgia beer for a while.  Us folks out here in the 'burbs can be scary, ya know.  The opening of a 2nd location in Alpharetta put them closer to the masses, and within a distance more people weren't too scared to visit.  Their beer is worthy of the trip and every bit as good as some of the best in Atlanta proper.  Plus, you can get some killer chicken tenders at their Cumming location or the best fish and chips I've had in the Metro at their Halcyon location.  Take the trip, order the fish, try several beers.  It'll be worth it.Director of Sales and long time friend of the show Ramsay Florence joined us this week to fill us in on the latest happenings.  They've recently opened a location in Chattanooga, TN and the beer laws ther

Teamwork makes the dream work at BevanaIt's not easy to build and grow a brewery.  Starting small can make expansion hard, and costly.  Distribution adds it's own challenges and even just getting your name out there is a struggle amidst 9,000+ breweries.  That's where Bevana comes in.Originally founded as Community Brewing Ventures, the company rebranded this year as Bevana to represent their growth in non-beer beverages.  Sr. Director of Business Development Aaron Gore joined us this week to share what Bevana does for brewers and where they're headed in the future.  It's all about joining forces - for brewing, distribution, and marketing.  Bevana helps smaller brewers grow while minimizing the cost and effort to do so.If you're a small brewer looking to grow, maybe finding Bevana is just what you need.The Beer ListHalfway Crooks FarinaSweetWater 420 (Tis' the season!)Sixpoint Pineapple ResinSouthern Prohibition Spoils of War (Milk Stout with Maple)Weldwerks Coffee Coconut S

All the cool kids are drinking Little BeersBraving the snowy (yes, snowy) April weather in Georgia, 100s of beer lovers gathered in Duluth, GA recently to celebrated their love of low ABV beers.  Little Beer Fest II brought brewers together from across the country for this invitation-only event.  Brewers shared their best beers under (or close to it) 4.0%.  Lots of lagers, some sessionable IPAs and other hoppy ales, some mixed fermentation brews, and even some small stouts and porters were poured at the event.Wrapped in our hoodies and holding down our tent we managed to chat with of the brewers in attendance, plus some of the crew from The Atlanta Podcast featuring Myron Green and Christian Andrews.  TAP covers events in and around Atlanta while enjoy local beer.  Give 'em a listen.  Next up is Nashville's Barrique Brewing and Blending where we talk with Spencer Longhurst about mixed fermentation beers and 2nd use hops.  Chris Tropeano and Jon Eberhart from Charlotte's Resident Culture Brewing

Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. makes big beer in small batchesWhat do you talk about when you get one of America's most legendary breweries on your show.  Mushroom hunting, of course.  As we chatted with Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.'s founder Clark Lewey and brewmaster Mike Saboe before the show we discovered we shared a love of mushrooms.  We want to hunt morels, and they're experienced morel hunters.  They love them so much they even brewed a beer in honor of morels, Scorpius Morchella.  We promise the whole show isn't mushroom talk, but for a beer show there is a hell of a lot.  Hang in there with us, we'll get to the beer soon enough.Toppling Goliath has some pretty major accolades.  They're the 2021 US Beer Open Grand National Champions and Beer Advocate ranked them the #2 brewery in the world.  Their Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout has held the #1 highest rated beer spot on Untappd since 2015.   Clark and Mike say the high praise keeps them on their toes and they always strive to

FlyteCo Brewing is cleared for takeoffDenver's FlyteCo Brewing opened their first location in 2019.  Although Colorado has no shortage of breweries, owners Morgan O'Sullivan and Jason Slingsby knows there's always room for more great places to grab a beer.  Their second location will open soon, in a decommissioned air control tower.  O'Sullivan and Slingsby want visitors to see FlyteCo as their own Cheers.  Where the bartenders know your name and have a beer ready for you when you walk in.  Norrrrm!  If getting to know people isn't your thing then maybe your and your beer can spend some quality time at the on-site mini golf or bowling.If the air traffic control tower didn't give it away, the brewery has an aviation theme.  Two of the three owners are pilots.  In addition to drop-in fishing trips (I'm so jealous) they've even flown to Western Colorado to pick up hops fresh from the farm and back to the brewery to get them in a beer in a little over an hour.  How's t

Enjoy the classics at Ironshield Brewing We're bringing you one from our backyard this week!  If you're a Georgia beer nerd you may know the name Glen Sprouse.  If you don't know his name then you probably know some of his breweries.  The old timers may recall Phoenix Brewing which opened in Atlanta at The Prado in 1996, slightly less older timers likely know 5 Seasons that took over the space in 2001.  Sprouse was part of both of those ventures.He stepped away from brewing for a while before opening up Ironshield Brewing in Lawrenceville, GA.  The brewery features classic European styles including Seven Sisters Munchner Lager, which was a staple on the taps at 5 Seasons.  With the addition of Jason Carroll to the team some true Irish beers have hit the taps.  Carroll came to America from Ireland where he brewed at Guinness's Open Gate Brewery, among others.  In addition to their Ironshield brand the brewery also contract brews under Big Kettle Brewing and expects to brew 30,0000 barrels f

Prison Pals Brewing makes a break for it in MiamiIn 2018 Argentinian businessman and race car driver Juan Pipkin was dreaming of starting a business in America.  He'd grown tired of the challenges in his home country and feeling like a prisoner in his own land.  After some consideration he decided craft beer was the goal.  Pipkin admits he had zero background in beer before the idea for Prison Pals Brewing started, but he saw a great opportunity and he knew how to put a powerhouse team together.Pipkin reached out to Diego Setti and Bruno Laperchuck to join him on the adventure and the duo joined as Brewmaster and Head Brewer/Lab Manager to open their brewery in Miami.  Originally, the plan was to operate much like breweries in Argentina - skipping the taproom and brewing beer to send out to bars and restaurants in distribution.  Prison Pals started under that model but quickly realized a taproom was the key to success for American craft beer.  Now they have two, with more on the way.Setti brings an impre

We're all Irish on St. Patrick's Day Are there any better holiday than drinking holidays?  Oktoberfest, Cinco de Mayo, and St. Patrick's Day are all pretty much excuses (at least in America) to drink like we'll never drink again.  In our constant quest for knowledge, and beer, we dug into the history of St. Patrick's Day as we sample some Irish beers.  What is this holiday even about?  Something about snakes?  Potatoes?  It really doesn't matter to most people.  Put on something green and grab a pint of green beer or a Dry Irish Stout and you're officially celebrating. Sláinte!Who was St. Patrick and what did he really do?First off, St. Patrick wasn't Irish.  Crazy, right?  He was likely Italian or of indigenous Celtic decent, born around 390 AD.  He ended up in Ireland after being kidnapped as a teenager and forced into slavery.  He escaped and GTFOd, but he eventually returned to Ireland.  He didn't drive the snakes out of Ireland, but he is credited with brining

There's a lotta beer in MichiganAuthor Patti Smith joins us this week to talk about her book, Michigan Beer: A Heady History.  If you've been with for a while, you may remember our episode with Ron Smith and Mary O. Boyle discussing their book, Atlanta Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Hub of the South.  This is like that, but with much more Michigan.We start with the early days of brewing where, like most of the US, Bavarian immigrants had heavy influence.  Except in the Upper Peninsula where French-Canadians helped make spruce beer a hot item.There were a few powerhouse brewers in the 19th century across the state, many wiped out by Prohibition.  Michigan was an early-adopter of state prohibition - but also the first to ratify the 21st Amendment to end it.  I hope they learned their lesson.Modern brewing in Michigan saw the state peak at over 400 breweries, they've taken a bit of a hit with the pandemic, but their still going strong.We just brush the surface in the show so make sure to

TRU Colors Brewing is on a mission to end gang violenceWhen a shooting took the life of a young man in Wilmington, NC local businessman George Taylor wanted to do something about it.  You likely know some of Taylor's other businesses, like Untappd or National Speed.  Rather than just talking about making a change, Taylor contacted the local gang task force and spent two years getting to know gang members and the challenges they faced.  After careful consideration and identifying some of the roots causes of gang violence he founded TRU Colors Brewing.TRU Colors has a mission to end gang violence.  Not only by providing jobs but by offering support and education on how to know your self worth.  Fitness and nutrition classes, yoga, counseling, and discounted meals are some of offerings at the brewery.  80% of the breweries employee's are rival gang members.Spree is the Assistant Director of Marketing at TRU Colors, and an active gang member.  He was serving time in federal prison when he first heard ab

Our first Arkansas brewery on the show!The crew from Fossil Cove Brewing Co. joined us this week to shed some light on what's happening in Arkansas craft beer.  If they're a good example, AR is doing OK.Tyler, Ben, and Andrew tell us about the growing beer scene in their state where a lot of folks still enjoy their light lagers.  No matter, there are still plenty of IPAs and Stouts for those that want to branch out a bit.  But they tell us they don't think there's anyone doing a Milkshake IPA.  Can you even imagine?We talk beer laws (AR has very friendly brewery laws), dinosaurs, brown ales, beer fest, and toe suckers. (What?)They've got a Solid Session IPA, a pretty-darn-good Brown Ale, and solid DIPA.  These guys were a blast to talk with and got me wanting to go back to old Arkansas and see what's up.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&

The crew from Atlanta’s Fire Maker Brewing Co. joins us in the studio this week to talk sweet tea, dragons, winning awards, and beer laws,Brewery founder Elliott Hall has worked across all three tiers of beer - wholesale, retail, and now as a brewery owner.  This experience gives him unique insight into what it takes to be successful in today’s competitive craft beer landscape.  As Vice President of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Elliott is working to improve the laws for Georgia’s craft brewers and bring the brewing community closer together.Marketing Director Rachel Bramer makes sure the brewery has a solid identity that people can connect with and shares the latest on Fire Maker via interesting videos and social media.  The team’s efforts won them a Craft Beer Marketing Awards, known as a “Crushie”, in 2021 for their can artwork of their core beers.Head Brewer Kevin Wright brings experience from a large corporate brewery as well as well-known breweries in Chicago and some island brewing in Hawaii.  He kee

Cheers to American Beer Around the world there are still plenty of people that see American beer as watery lagers with no real character.  We may have taken a while to catch up, but today American beer offers a huge variety of top notch styles in every state.  Jason Murphy, staff writer for PorchDrinking.com, wanted to explore the map of American beer so he set out on a mission to try a brew from all 50 states and write about his adventure.  It was a huge undertaking but he came out victorious.  You can read his full article right here - Craft Beer Across America | 50 Beers From 50 States. Jason is local to the Atlanta area and we've chatted on Instagram about the beers and breweries we enjoy.  He's even suggested breweries for the show that he was impressed with, like South Dakota's Covert Artisan Ales who joined us on the show a few month's ago.  We thought what Jason was doing was pretty darn cool and we'd discussed getting together for a beer so we said, why not turn it into a sh

Silver Bluff Brewing is passionate about Mexican Lager Jeff Coyle loves Mexican lagers.  So much so that he wrote a detailed article to help others understand the style.  If you think Corona when you think of Mexican beers, you should definitely read the article.  But first, make sure to listen to our interview with Jeff and his brother Kevin Coyle.  The duo are part of the team behind Silver Bluff Brewing Co. Their Mexican lager is a hybrid of sorts.  Riding the line between the Clara (Corona) and another traditional Mexican style, the Vienna Lager.  Right, Vienna Lager, traditional Mexican beer.  Seriously.  Locals went crazy for their take on this refreshing brew and it's their top selling beer now.  If you're looking for something else they've got plenty of other beers on tap.  As we talked they had just brewed a Dry Irish Stout to get ready for St. Patrick's Day, making us realize the holiday is closer than we realized. The Brothers Coyle love their community almost as much as they lo

Who's ready for some hot, flat beer? For most breweries a review saying a beer was "hot and flat" would be an insult.  Not so much for Primitive Beer.  If you attended their recent Hot Bierfest in Colorado then you had a choice of a few beers to try, with one being flat ("still" sounds better, let's go with that) and... hot. Glühbier, literally "mulled beer", is served like a mulled wine or cider.  Warmed with cinnamon, honey, and spices  If you're not feeling spicy then maybe go for a mug of beer you take out by the fire and have a red hot poker plunged in it.  You want unique beer?  You got it. Brandon and Lisa Boldt aren't all about hot beer. Their "beer blendery" offers a great variety of spontaneously fermented brews.  Some aged in spirit barrels or blended with fruit, and even some served still in a bag-in-box container.  Even if some of their methods aren't trendy with the masses they know a thing or two about great beer.  We're big

American craft sake is creeping on a come up This isn't the first time we've talked about sake on the show, but it is the first time we've talked to a sake brewer.  Josh Hembree of Setting Sun Sake Brewing Co. is one of a small handful of American craft sake brewers.  A few short years ago there were only 5ish in the states but that number has grown to over 20. Although sake is usually referred to as a rice wine the brewing process is more closely related to beer.  Hembree tells us about the different types of sake, the differences in brewing beer and sake, what Americans get wrong about sake, and how American brewers put their own, beautiful spin on the process.  We also talk about good pairing and get some tips on how to pair outside of the typical sushi and other Asian cuisine. Kanpai!  Sampling sake The traditional Japanese toast is Kanpai!  Which, literally translated is "dry sake cup."  More than likely the translation would be approximately "drink your cup dry."  OK,