A decade ago Zach Page and Nick Bonadies met as homebrewers who volunteered to help launch Trillium Brewing Company. Zach, who handles a lot of the brewing responsibilities, moved to maine and worked at Lone Pine Brewing Company where he facilitated their expansion.  Nick, who now does a lot of marketing, naming, and other managerial responsibilities, stayed in Massachusetts for a while where coordinated Trillium's expansion projects.  Eventually they got back together professionally and brought their wives Melissa and Katie into the fold, with the four of them opening Belleflower Brewing in 2021.  Nick and Zach sat down with me last week in their taproom – sharing a mic- to talk art and surprises, family balance, and being part of a larger community.  For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuestS: Zach Page and Nick BonadiesSponsors: All About BeerTags: Beer, Maine, Art, Ingredients, Small Batch, Lager, IPA

Wisconsin is one of those places that lives in the imaginations of Americans largely in the form of caricature. Full of cheese curd eating, beer loving, Harley riders, the state rarely gets the respect it deserves. In reality, Wisconsin is all of those things and so much more. I grew up 90 minutes south of Milwaukee but it might as well have been a totally different country. Chicago is Midwestern in the way that non-alcoholic beer is beer, in name only.  Wisconsin, on the other hand, is pure Midwest. From Friday night fish frys to the homey environs of supper clubs and a relatively laid back sense of community and good spiritedness, Wisconsin is the heart of the Midwest for me.So today I’m excited that in the latest episode of Beer Travelers we’re making our way to one of the great overlooked gems in the American craft beer scene: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.To help lead us through this town’s glorious and storied beer scene we have two fantastic local guides. Chris Drosner is a long-time beer writer and editor covering Wisconsin and Milwaukee specifically. He’s written the Beer Baron column for the Wisconsin State Journal, the daily newspaper in the capital city of Madison. And it’s through this column that I first got to know Chris and his take on the Madtown and greater Wisconsin beer scenes. More recently, Chris moved to Milwaukee, where he is now the executive editor of Milwaukee Magazine. Joining Chris to help us on our tour of Brew City this week is Bobby Tanzillo, the senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com, where he writes about beer, whiskey, history, and architecture. He’s the author of a half dozen history books, including several about beer and its history in Milwaukee. And he’s a great resource for all the beer happenings in the city.While Chris and Bobby compete for scoops on the latest beer news in Milwaukee, it’s clear they have a deep respect for one another and they are the perfect pair to help us navigate this jewel on Lake Michigan.For original articles or to read the vast archives or to check out All About Beer.  follow us on Twitter @allaboutbeer and Instagram @allaboutbeer. Support Journalism by visiting our Patreon Page.Host: Andy CrouchGuests: Chris Drosner, Bobby TanzilloSponsor: All About BeerTags: Milwaukee, Wisconsin beer

Spring is almost here which means that plans will start to come back to live in the colder parts of the country. Foraging has always been a part of beer and on this episode we’ll hear from a Texas brewer who is making the most of what is growing around the brewery. Trevor Nearburg is the founder of Beerburg Brewing in the Texas Hill Country After his brother started homebrewing, Nearburg got roped in and together they decided to quit their jobs and become brewers. Both took jobs stacking cases and scrubbing floors at Real Ale Brewing, one of the 50 largest breweries in the US at the time and the second largest in Texas. They both quickly moved up, and after a year of working various jobs in the packaging hall Nearburg made a significant jump to become the Head Brewer of Uncle Billy's, a local brewpub and his brother got into management at Real Ale.   Trevor grew Uncle Billy's from a 600 bbl/yr taproom into producing 3,000 bbl/yr and distributing all over Texas. He also helped open the latest iteration of the Celis Brewery.  Eventually he became fascinated with brewing with local ingredients and wanted to create a brewery devoted to this and the idea for Beerburg slowly started forming. The plans came together and he opened Beerburg in late January of 2020. After a rough few years he is back to devoting time into wildcrafting beers with native ingredients and local yeast strains. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Trevor NearburgSponsors: All About BeerTags: Beer, Texas, Foraging, Ingredients, Small Batch, The Land

For the last several months the All About Beer podcast has been producing great episodes on a single topic that matter to beer drinkers.  Hosts Don Tse and Em Sauter have great expert guests that bring unparalleled insight into all aspects of beer.  This episode tackles the importance of clean draft lines. Even if you’re a casual drinker this is still important and fascinating.  You can hear regular episodes of the All About Beer podcast, as well as Brewer to Brewer and Beer Traveler by searching All About Beer on your podcast platform of choice.  If you believe in quality journalism and content I hope you’ll give our patreon a look: patreon.com/all about beer or you can learn more about advertising on the shows by emailing info @ all about beer dot com.  Drink Beer, Think Beer will be back next week with all new episodes, but for now please enjoy the All About Beer Podcast with Em Sauter and Don Tse.  --There’s nothing more important in the beer world that’s also super misunderstood and unappreciated than clean draft lines- a dirty draft line can sully a person’s relationship with a brewery or bar and can also have legal implications as well.Our Guest: Neil Witte is one of the foremost draft beer experts in the beer business. He’s spent 20 of his 23 years in the business working in draft quality, first for Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City and now with his own company, Craft Quality Solutions. He co-authored the Draught Beer Quality Manual (DBQM), widely considered to be the most authoritative draft beer reference guide in the beer business today. He continues the work on this living document to this day as a member of the Brewers Association Draught Quality Subcommittee.For original articles or to read the vast archives check out All About Beer.  Follow us on Twitter @allaboutbeer and Instagram @allaboutbeer. Support Journalism by visiting our Patreon Page.Hosts: Em Sauter and Don TseGuest: Neil WitteSponsors: All About BeerTags: Brewing, Beer, Draft, Cleaning, Safety, Flavor, Bars, StadiumsThe following music was used for this media project:Music: Awesome Call by Kevin MacLeodFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3399-awesome-callLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://incompetech.com

Devon Kreps,  the owner of 7venth Sun Brewery, has a degree in Fermentation Science from Oregon State University and gained experience at Anheuser-Busch's research pilot facility in St. Louis. She was also the Production Manager at Sweetwater Brewing during its expansion from 25,000 to 60,000 barrels. In 2012, she opened the first 7venth Sun Brewery location in Dunedin, which features 10 taps and outdoor seating. This location, the brewery says, is now treated as a pilot facility, focusing on producing Saisons, Belgian beers, Brett IPAs, Hazy IPAs, and "fun" lagers. The Tampa location, which opened in 2017 in a former VFW roller skating rink, is a larger production plant with a tasting room and outdoor beer garden.  7venth Sun Brewery has created a pair of seltzers called Pink Tax and Blue Tax. They are identical recipes except for the color- and the price.   According to the brewery, The Pink Tax refers to the practice of charging higher prices for goods and services marketed to women. Razors, for example, can be up to 66% more expensive for women than for men, despite being the same product. This practice is seen as a form of gender discrimination, as it disproportionately affects women and non-binary individuals. In a switch: The Blue Tax seltzer is priced higher than the Pink Tax seltzer, and 100% of the additional cost, as well as proceeds from both seltzers will be donated to the Pink Boots Society.  Kreps explains how all this came about and also talks about Tampa Beer Week and the growing of a business. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Devon KrepsSponsors: All About BeerTags: Beer, Seltzer, Tampa, Festivals, Hangovers, Lager

Hop lovers, put your attention to Maryland where this month brewers and growers there released a beer with a hop that is native to the state and unlike anything else found elsewhere. The brewer and researcher behind it are here to share the story. Last week in Maryland state officials, brewers, growers, and enthusiasts gathered at the Milkhouse Brewery to taste some beers that have recently been brewed with the Monocacy hop.  As you’ll hear from Tom Barse at Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm and Bryan Butler at the University of Maryland Extension,  this hop has been in plain sight for forty years and because of a farmer with an appreciation for the plant, as well as it being strategically located on the farm it was able to grow and thrive until it was eventually tested. Now it's available for brewing and tasting. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuests: Tom Barse & Bryan ButlerSponsors: All About BeerTags: Beer, Maryland, Hops, Agriculture, History, Ale

There is a lot of focus on football this week in America as the Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday. To get excited about the game and the cities involved I’ve asked on three leading experts from Philly, Kansas City, and Phoenix/Glendale.  An eighteen year veteran of the craft brewing industry, Jeremy Danner is the digital marketing manager and a brand ambassador for 4 Hands Brewing Company. Prior to his current position, Danner worked in brewing, cellar, packaging, management and marketing roles at 75th Street Brewery, the Power Plant Restaurant & Brewery and Boulevard Brewing Company. He’s contributed to brewing, R&D, branding, marketing and media, helping breweries connect to consumers through his love of craft beer. He’s also got a half decent Twitter following. Rob Fulmer is the Executive Director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild.  Bryan Kolesar is a reporter and author based in Pennsylvania. He’s the founder of the Brew Lounge Blog, the author of Beer Lover’s Mid-altantic, and has worked for both the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News and the Ale Street News. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuests: Bryan Kolesar, Rob Fulmer, Jeremy DannerSponsors: All About BeerTags: Beer, Football, Food, Travel, Baseball, Rocky

Trevor Rose-Hamblin, the co-founder and head brewer of Old Irving Brewing Chicago is here to talk about barrels, food, and the importance of mental health.Last month in New Hampshire, Trevor Rose-Hamblin, the co-founder and head brewer of  Old Irving Brewing in Chicago stood before a packed ballroom in Manchester New Hampshire.  He was there to deliver the keynote at the state’s annual craft brewers conference and he was there to talk about his own life experiences and to urge everyone in the room to think about mental health and ways to help people from causing self harm.  It was an impactful speech, and one that he references in this conversation several times as he talks about how Old Irving Came to be, a life in kitchens, and how critically important it is to be listening, watching, and always working to keep people safe and working towards a better headspace. This was recorded the day before his talk and before that part of the conversation we briefly talk about Chicago and it's love of barrel-aged beers.  For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Trevor Rose-Hamblin of Old Irving BrewingSponsors: All About BeerTags: Beer, Barrels, Kitchens, History, Brewpub, Mental Health, Chicago 

Earlier this week I was in Manchester, New Hampshire for the state’s brewers guild conference and I had a chance to sample my way through a lot of what the state is currently producing.  This was especially true during my conversation with Devin Bush of Wild Bloom Beer.  He’s the Head Brewer & Co-Founder - along with his wife Beth Ibitz =  of the Littleton, NH brewery which recently opened a taproom with a focus on Saisons, Belgians, and Lagers.  He’s a graduate of the BrewLab at the University of Sunderland, has certification from the International Guild of Brewers and Distillers, and brewing for Bridge Road Brewers in Australia among other breweries across Europe and the US. He was also awarded the inaugural NH Brewer of the Year in 2020 and also serves on the NHBA Education Committee.  What is clear from the conversation – where he opened several beers along the way – he has a passion for local ingredients – actual local ingredients. This Episode is Sponsored By:Athletic Brewing Co.This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company – America’s leading non-alcoholic craft brewer. Give Dry a Try this January with Athletic Brewing’s near beers. NEW Athletic customers can receive 20% off their FIRST order of TWO 6-packs or more when they visit athleticbrewing.com and use the code AAB20 at checkout by March 31, 2023.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Devin BushSponsors: Athletic Brewing, All About BeerTags: Beer, Lager, Rauchbier, History, Local Ingredients, Malt, Saison 

From a marketing beginning to eventual homebrewing and then a professional career that had him working for one of the best-known German brewers to small outfits where his creativity could flourish, Charlie Cole has been dedicated to craft.  When the opportunity came along to get involved with Blue Cat, an Illinois brewing institution going back to the 1990s, he jumped at the chance.  He’s a believer in tradition and forward momentum, of honoring location and history but not settling for the status quo.  For almost two years now he’s been working to keep the brewery and restaurant moving in a positive way but a series of factors – including many that are familiar to other brewery owners – have made it a tough road to walk.  At the end of 2022 he had to close, something he hopes is temporary.  This Episode is Sponsored By:Athletic Brewing Co.This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company – America’s leading non-alcoholic craft brewer. Give Dry a Try this January with Athletic Brewing’s near beers. NEW Athletic customers can receive 20% off their FIRST order of TWO 6-packs or more when they visit athleticbrewing.com and use the code AAB20 at checkout by March 31, 2023.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Charlie ColeSponsors: Athletic Brewing, All About BeerTags: Beer, Lager, Cucumber, History, Illinois, Restaurant, Labor