Brewers Journal Podcast

It’s all about getting an edge, doing something to make your beer stand out in a crowded field. Some do it with the label on the can and others with the ingredients. One that keeps popping up is cannabidiol – better known as CBD. In this episode we’ll be talking with Dr Keith Villa who, not only has his own cannabis brewery in Colorado, he’s also just written a book available here on Amazon, ‘Brewing with Cannabis: Using THC and CBD in beer’. If Keith Villa’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the person who created Blue Moon Beer in 1995, after getting his PhD in brewing from the University of Brussels. Bringing his learnings of Belgium beer back to the States, he helped kick off the US craft beer movement.

Lager, as Bristol’s Lost and Ground Brewers will tell us, is life. And by brewing excellent lagers Donzoko Brewing Company has made its name in the world of beer. Flagship beers such as Northern Helles and Big Foam take the spotlight but Donzoko founder Reece Hugill is also a dab hand when it comes to Belgian-inspired Saisons and mixed ferm numbers, too. In this episode, we speak to Reece about how studying in Munich proved to be a catalyst for a career in brewing, Donzoko’s recent move to Leith and his ongoing commitment to produce beers that are accessible to all.  Photo: Donzoko

Pubs are pillars of our communities. Now, more than ever, we know how integral they are in the fabric of people’s lives and their livelihoods. They are environments for people to eat and drink in but also, so much more. They are places to meet friends, both old and new. And for Cameron McQueen, working and running pubs would not only introduce him to a whole new world of beer. It would be the catalyst for him starting his own business, Turning Point Brew Co, too. In this episode we speak to Cameron about the evolution of the brewery he co-founded with Aron McMahon back in 2017, the importance of Yorkshire in Turning Point’s story and how this year has heralded the launch of a diverse range of beer styles.

What’s it like heading up production of the UK’s best-selling cask beer? Producing in excess of 1 million pints each week, coupled with a host of other beers, is no small feat. Alongside that, you’re managing a team of some 32 brewers to ensure your whole operation goes smoothly. It would be enough to keep most people up at night. But thankfully for Sharp’s Brewery in Rock, Cornwall, their head brewer Aaron McClure takes it all in his stride. In this podcast, we speak to Aaron about becoming head brewer of Sharp’s aged 30, his commitment to quality and consistency, navigating a pandemic and why his team are all-important when it comes to creating great beer.

How did a small bar in Leeds serving Beamish Red and Kronenbourg become a driving force in the craft beer revolution? Founded by John Gyngell and Christian Townsley (above) back in 1997, North Bar is an institution when it comes to great, modern beer. And nearly 25 years on, the team has just opened the doors on a new brewery of its own. In this podcast, we speak to Christian about the early days of North Bar, its evolution into the go-to venue for fantastic beer, the team’s decision to start making its own beer and their journey in brewing that has led North to recently open its new site in Springwell. Photo: Mark Newton

As we remerge from lockdown, it’s important to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned from it. And when it comes to the ways we maintain our breweries, and the venues that sell much of the beer produced by these businesses, it’s imperative to ensure that the hygiene levels are impeccable. Belinda Jennings has worked in the sector for more than 24 years and started her career at Greene King Brewery as a Laboratory Technician and progressed through various roles including Quality Trainer and Senior Laboratory Technician. She was at Adnams Brewery as a Quality Manager for 10 years and had also worked with various local smaller breweries as a Head Brewer. Belinda also has a Brewing Degree and is fully qualified Master Brewer. Moyra Williams started her career in the industry when she gained a degree in Brewing and Microbiology from Heriot Watt University and then went on to work as a brewer in the south of England for more 15 years.  She then transferred her skills to the other side of the world where she worked for Domaine Chandon winery in the Yarra Valley in Australia. After 10 years Moyra and her family then decided to move back to the Ireland and then the UK. Both Belinda and Moyra now work as technical sales consultants within the brewing and beverage division at Holchem, a leading supplier of hygiene solutions across the UK & Ireland. In this episode, we speak to both Belinda and Moyra about how important it is to not let hygiene standards slip amongst breweries and pubs as life returns to normal…

Making great beer that people enjoy is the goal of any brewer. Whether that’s a clean, crisp lager or a rich, decadent stout. Producing beers that make people happy is what it’s all about, isn’t it? But not every brewer follows the tried and tested path when it comes to the beers they create. So if you’re interested in a Beetroot Biere de Garde, a Rhubarb Hefeweizen or a Bitter with the addition of white and black pepper, then come right this way. Not only that but the bitter in question supports a fantastic cause, too. In this podcast we speak to Danny McColl, the founder of McColl’s Brewery in Bishop Auckland about navigating the challenges of the pandemic, expanding the team with a new head brewer and how recent releases such as ‘Let’s eat pies and talk about men’s mental health’ help raise money for local causes as well.

An Astrophysicist and brewer walk into a bar. No, this isn’t the start of a joke and in this instance, we actually talking about the same person. Bobby Fleshman, is the founder of McFleshman’s in Appleton, Wisconsin. Located a stone’s throw from Green Bay, home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers football team, Bobby is busy plying his trade in the world of another cultural pillar, the creation of great beer. In this episode, we speak to the brewery’s proprietor about his love of classic English and German beer styles, a commitment to cask and the parallels that exist in the world of brewing and his earlier career with the little-known space agency known as NASA…

Started in a shed but something that has become a local institution, Brick Brewery has come a long way since being founded in 2012. A brewery, like the London landscape that surrounds it, that has changed and evolved over the last nine years. And for the ever-growing fanbase of this excellent outfit, that progression has meant an increasing wealth of superb beers from pales and IPAs, to lagers, stouts and flourishing array of sours.  In this podcast, we speak to Ian and Sally Stewart, the brewery’s founders about Brick’s role in the Peckham landscape, their burgeoning family of beers and the importance of effective and impactful branding in your offering. 

We’ve all been there, right? You know, travelling the best part of 3,500 miles across the Atlantic to go and see one of your favourite musicians play live in the company of a stranger. Well, that’s exactly what Rich White chose to do back in 2012. Flying from Syracuse in New York State to London, England, in order to see singer-songwriter Frank Turner play a triumphant set at the capital’s Wembley Arena. In doing so, he would not only meet his future wife, but also find himself in a country he’d soon call home. And with a wealth of brewing experience under his belt, he’s now ready to go out on his own with Werewolf Beer. A new brewery he’s set to open in Camden, London, later this year. In this podcast, we speak to White about his exciting plans for the brewery, their crowdfunding campaign, his love of brewing classic American styles and Werewolf Beer’s very own…. ghost train!