As many of you know, we’re in the midst of Uppers & Downers week here in Chicago, celebrating more than five years of our coffee and beer culture collaboration between myself, Michael Kiser, and world barista champion Stephen Morrissey. This year’s festival promises to be our best yet, with about 25 different coffee beer collaborations, a dozen different roasters pulling their best espresso shots from all over the country, some delicious things to eat from Green City Market, cocktails from Powers Whiskey and others, a pairing bar with Guinness—it’s really a room to explore with your palate. And this year, we’re posting some explosive content to Vero, a new ad-free social network that protects your data and your privacy. To access all areas of the festival, discover exclusive recipes, tips, and recommendations, and to connect with fellow Uppers & Downers enthusiasts, visit Vero here. To give you an idea of what’s in store this weekend, I got together with Jacob Sembrano of Cruz Blanca, a brewery in Chicago, and Robert Bersano of Sparrow Coffee to chat about the incredible case study of beers and coffee drinks they’re going to be collaborating on for our biggest sensory experience ever.