Most people know Garrett Oliver as the globe trotting brewmaster of the Brooklyn brewery, but he is also an accomplished author, educator, and thought leader in the brewing space. His latest project is one that we can all get behind and support, it’s a foundation named after the late Michael Jackson, the writer.  Its mission is funding technical education and career advancement for black, indigenous, and people of color in the brewing and distilling industries. This interview was originally recorded for an article that host John Holl was writing for Wine Enthusiast Magazine, but there was so much more in the talk that could ever make it onto the page that we’re sharing a slightly edited version of the conversation with you today. Garrett spoke to the show from Brooklyn. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Garrett OliverTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Michael Jackson, Diversity, Fundraising, Quality ControlThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.  

This week's guest is Lisa Allen. She’s the head brewer of Heater Allen, the brewery her father started in 2007. He lived the classic story of a homebrewer that went pro and decided to make the beers he wanted to drink. In a hoppy landscape his beers stood out in Oregon, even if you couldn’t get them too far from the brewery itself.  Lisa says she was fascinated by fermentation and brewing science from a young age but didn’t plan on joining her father’s business. Instead she went into wine making. But, as fate would have it, she would enter the brew house to help out when her father needed to recuperate from surgery a few years back and and she hasn’t left. It has been to the great benefit of us all.  She spoke to me from the brewery in McMinnville, Oregon.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Lisa AllenTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Oregon, COVID-19, Pilsner, HopsThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website. 

Remember the Brut IPA? It was, for a shining moment, seemingly the hottest beer style in the country and then it went away. The brewer credited with the style is Kim Sturdavant and he is our guest on the show today. From its origins, to its evolution ,and eventual death we cover the life cycle of a style. What does the future hold for the style? Well, Sturdavant who is working at Pacifica Brewing does not currently have one on his board. So, that has to mean something.Sturdavant spoke to the show from California. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Kim SturdavantTags: Beer, Craft Beer, California, COVID-19,  Helles, Brut IPA, Styles, San Francisco This episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website. 

This is a special bonus episode on the channel featuring the Drinks Adventures podcast. A note from host James Atkinson:"I drove west of Sydney to the Blue Mountains where I visited Mountain Culture Brewing Company, a new brewpub founded by husband and wife team DJ and Harriet McCready. American-born DJ McCready exploded onto the Australian brewing scene at the inaugural Craft Beer Awards, now known as The Indies, in 2014.At the time DJ was brewing with a little known start-up from Sydney's northern beaches, Modus Operandi Brewing Company, where he created beers such as Former Tenant Red IPA, which won Champion Australian Beer at the awards that year and is still picking up gongs today. In fact, it was named Champion IPA at The Indies earlier in 2019.Now with their new brewing company Mountain Culture in a heritage building in the centre of Katoomba, DJ and Harriet have built a fantastic brewpub that is already being embraced by the locals. And as you would expect from a brewer of his calibre, the beers DJ is making up there are outstanding.We began our chat by returning to that night in 2014 when the Australian brewing industry fast became very familiar with the name DJ McCready."Learn more about DJ and read a transcript of the interview here. 

If you are interested in the subject of beer, it’s likely that you’ve already heard of Pete Brown and have read his words. He is the author of nine books on not only beer but cider and food as well.  His prose effortlessly brings readers along on journeys whether is walking through orchards, sitting at the PUB, or traversing oceans with IPA.  His latest book, Craft: An Argument was written and published during the COVID-19 lockdown and has just been released. Brown joined the show via Zoom from London. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Pete BrownTags: Beer, Craft Beer, London, COVID-19,  Diversity, Writing, Pubs, ESB, Fullers, Lager, AleThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website. 

If you are a fan of this show,  you are likely a fan of beer in general, and you have likely already heard of Averie Swanson. She's had one of the more storied careers in beer thus far. Going from a volunteer at Jester King in Austin to its head brewer in just four years but new challenges awaited her, and so she moved north to Chicago last year where she started Keeping Together, a brewery that is focusing on mixed culture, rustic, Belgian-inspired beers.We cover a lot of ground in this interview, recorded just before the 4th of July holiday weekend. She spoke to me from Chicago about brewing philosophy, ingredients, and the changing nature of beer. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Averie Swanson of Keeping Together (Photo provided by the brewery)Tags: Beer, Craft Beer, Chicago, COVID-19,  Diversity, Taprooms, Wood, Table Beer, Half Acre, Jester King, TexasThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website. 

You might be surprised to hear what Chase Healey and his team were brewing up on a recent Wednesday morning when John Holl called down to the brewery. Healey founded American Solera as a wood project that would let time and microbes do their thing followed by some expert blending. But the beer industry has changed in the years since Healy opened up his location in Tulsa, Oklahoma and so the brewery has changed and adapted. This means a lot of pilsners, IPAs, and even some of the stouts that he was previously known for.His city has changed as well. Alcohol laws were loosened a few years ago and now the state is trying to catch up - beer wise - with the rest of the country and managing quite well. Healey talks about moving to a new location with brewers as neighbors and customers eager to find out what's next. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Chase Healey of American SoleraTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Oklahoma, COVID-19,  Hard Seltzer, Taprooms, Wood, StoutsThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website. 

Since founding 2nd Shift Brewing in Missouri a decade ago, Libby and Steve Crider have been through a lot of growth, a full brewery move, and the start of their family. Throughout it all, Libby Crider has worked to become an engaged business owner without compromising personal beliefs.  Like so many breweries in the country COVID-19 plunged the brewery into “chaos” but as summer begins, the brewery in St. Louis is looking to welcome back patrons and to keep fighting on. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Libby Crider of 2nd Shift BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Missouri, COVID-19, Twitter, TaproomsThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website. 

With over 8,000 breweries in the country it can be easy to overlook the early pioneers, regardless of how big they are and how ubiquitous their beers are. So, when a bottle of Alaskan Amber showed up unexpectedly at host John Holl's house recently he wanted to catch up with the brewery's founders. From talking about the early days of sourcing ingredients for historical recipes to beers that they hoped would take off but did not, Geoff and Marcy Larson talk about their brewery, what brought them to Alaska, and how it has grown over the years. There has obviously been changes to the way the brewery operates in light of COVID-19 and in the wake of recent social justice movements. Geoff Larson talks about his upbringing, before beer, and how it shaped his company's response. And finally we get into smoked beers and how they are under appreciated and how difficult it can be to do historical research into the style. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuests: Geoff and Marcy Larson of Alaskan BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, Alaska, Amber Ale, IPA, Smoked Beer, HistoryThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website. 

An introduction to craft beer by his brother and cousin led Marcus Baskerville to begin homebrewing and eventually start his own brewery. At Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio, he is making beers that inspire him and since opening has worked to change the city's beer culture. Over the last two weeks, as the country has reacted to the murder of George Floyd and the rekindling of the Black Lives Matter movement, Baskerville launched the Black is Beautiful Beer initiative. He released an imperial stout recipe and is asking that breweries that choose to brew and release their own version donate the proceeds to "local foundations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged."The response has been overwhelming with several hundred brewers already signed up. In this episode we talk about his beginnings in beer, the initiative, and the first steps breweries and drinkers can take towards a more inclusive industry and drinking community. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer or to check out Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge and subscribe to our beer industry focused newsletter. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.Host: John HollGuest: Marcus Baskerville of Weathered Souls BrewingTags: Beer, Craft Beer, California, Texas, West Coast IPA, Stout, Black Lives MatterThis episode is sponsored by: Beer Edge: The Newsletter for Beer Professionals  Help support journalism covering the beer industry by subscribing to the twice weekly newsletter. Learn more at our revamped website.