SL-013 There's More to Beer Than Hops, You Know

Welcome to the Sightlines podcast from Good Beer Hunting. I’m Bryan Roth. 

If there were ever a defining slogan to sum up the past decade in American craft beer, “hops rule everything around me” may be a good fit. Pale Ales begat IPAs in all their bitter, then fruity, then juicy, then hazy glory, pushing sales and success for many businesses. IPAs, quite frankly, are driving key growth, but they’re also just one style—or collection of styles, depending on how you think about them—among so many other possibilities.

So as beer lovers, industry professionals, or members of the media, we talk a lot about hops … but what about everything else? Other ingredients are just as essential in bringing a beer to life, and in a world of hoppiness, there are some who are trying to find ways to bring attention back to these lesser-appreciated pieces of the fermented puzzle.

In this episode, we’re talking with two people who spend a lot of time thinking about “not hops.” They’re trying to redefine how drinkers may learn about beer, as well as bring new appreciation for the locality and specialness of the other ingredients that act as the backbone and soul of every pint.

This is the Sightlines podcast. Listen in.