There’s an inherent tension in making art. The best art comes from a deeply personal place, but also speaks in a universal register. That's not to say all art is for every person, but when the artist can successfully weave specific, individual moments into the grand themes of life, the results can be sensational. In his column for Good Beer Hunting called “This Must Be The Place,” writer Oliver Gray shares glimpses of his life through the lens of beer: sometimes directly, other times more esoterically. His lyrical observations about finding his place as a beer lover, father, partner, and friend remind me of songwriting, in that there may or may not be an obvious answer at the end, but it sure has a beautiful flow.  Today, Oliver and I discuss how he evolved from a nonfiction writer to a blogger to a columnist, as well as why he shifted from his own outlet to Good Beer Hunting. You’ll hear which writers and artists inspire him, as well as why he thinks certain things simply matter in the way that they do. We’ll also dive into what struck me specifically in his latest entry called “Boxed Up,” which pinpointed the freeing, but chaotic, experience of moving.  Oliver describes his short, poetic entries as comfort food, a descriptor with which I agree wholeheartedly.

In this episode we’re taking a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, where Whitney and Scott Selix share with us stories of their hospitality careers and what it means to create an innovative tap list at Lua Brewing. It’s that latter piece that caught my eye when I first came across Lua, with a lineup that includes traditional German and English beers alongside various hazy IPAs and slushee Sours. If like me, you may not know a lot about the brewing scene in Iowa, and Whitney and Scott offer context of being part of a growing beer culture where you can introduce a drinker to new styles with something like an English Mild, but you also have to provide access to something fun and different—like a “Blue Razz Electrolyte Sour” that as it turns out, wasn’t the first take in Des Moines on that collection of flavors and ideas. As partners at Lua and in life, let’s get to know a little more about this brewery and what it means for Whitney and Scott to make something special in a burgeoning market. This is Lua Brewing’s Whitney Selix, president and co-founder, and Scott Selix, director of operations and co-founder.

Lager might be having a moment, but as a whole, craft beer drinkers don’t always reach for the easiest beer on the menu. Instead, the newest, most intense, biggest beers on the block tend to get the most attention. But sometimes—often—the best beer is actually the familiar one, the favorite, the old reliable. Sometimes, it’s Narragansett.  In his story “Hi, Neighbor — Narragansett Lager’s Return to Ubiquity,” writer Matt Osgood manages to tie the Red Sox, the movie “Jaws,” and the iconic ’Gansett Lager into one historical romp through the brewery’s origins, influence, evolution, and impact on today’s craft beer culture. As you listen, we’ll talk about why he tends to write about singular beers and breweries through a historical lens, what he wished he could have explored more in his piece, and why this story couldn’t have happened anywhere but New England. We’ll also unpack how Narragansett manages to balance nostalgia with modern-day beer culture, and why this unassuming “hipster” beer is enjoyed by everyone.  Beer doesn’t have to be a challenge to drink, and today’s conversation is as easy as popping open a cold Ganny and crushing it like Quint. Don’t get the reference?

It’s time to talk apples. Or, at least, how apples fit into all the other flavors you might experience when you pop open a bottle or can of hard cider. To help with this journey, we’re chatting with Jasmine Mason and Ashley Johnson, a pair of cider lovers and entrepreneurs behind the Cider Jawns. As to what a “jawn” is exactly we’ll get into during the conversation, and along with some Merriam-Webster definitions, Jasmine and Ashley will share with you insights into what feels exciting to today’s cider drinkers. For some, it’s finding a kind of hard cider that surprises, whether dry or sweet. For others, it’s about the flavors that can be added on top of an apple base to create something fun or different. But regardless of your level of experience with cider, Jasmine and Ashley will give us a good barometer of what’s working in today’s market and for who, and how they like to use that to guide the way they think about and make cider. From the jump, it’s easy to hear and understand Ashley and Jasmine’s enthusiasm for cider and how they’re working to carve out a space for themselves and others. And by the end of this conversation, you’ll also know how they hope to take that effort further in the future.

Like many craft beer enthusiasts entering their late 30s and early 40s, I’ve found the booze real estate in my refrigerator is starting to shrink. First, I started adding cans of LaCroix knockoffs from ALDI. Then I swapped a few beers for some hard kombuchas, followed by regular kombuchas. Right now, I’ve got cans of fruited sparkling tea, and recently I realized that the only alcohol I have left in the house are samples for work. I am, like thousands of others, beginning to dabble in reducing my alcohol consumption. The motivations for doing so are myriad, whether it be intentionally for health, economically because of inflation, or for any number of other reasons. These shifts, once cast as secrets among craft beer fans, became much more openly discussed when longtime beer writer Norman Miller announced he was giving up alcohol for health reasons in 2018, along with his beer column, “The Beer Nut.” It was a revolutionary admission, and one that resonated with fellow beer writer Jerard Fagerberg, among many others. In the first piece for his new column, Let Go Or Get Dragged, Jerard speaks with Norman four years after that announcement of his sobriety. You’ll hear clips from Jerard and Norman’s conversation today, as well as Jerard’s inspiration for the column, his personal drinking history, and his approach to sobriety. We’ll also discuss the pros and cons of non-alcoholic beer, and the societal movement that’s seeing more Americans embrace being sober-curious. This isn’t a critique on the beer industry itself: Rather, it’s a holistic look at how alcohol shapes our lives, our culture, our minds, and our bodies.

This statement shouldn’t come as a surprise: Beer is agriculture. With ingredients that come from the ground there are so many ways a region, climate, and growing practices can impact the flavors of our beer. And in this episode, we learn a bit about how something like craft malt can make a difference for a brewer trying to not only offer something that tastes unique, but brings story and connection to the earth and people. Liz Preston is an owner, farmer, brewer, and chef at Prestonrose Farm and Brewing in Paris, Arkansas, so you can imagine her understanding and appreciation for all things agriculture runs through everything she does. Along with hearing a little about her background as a scientist and lab manager, you’ll gain an appreciation for the ways Liz considers the nuance and importance of farming and the way that moves from the people who grow something from the ground to an ingredient used to make her beer. You’ll also gain a better understanding for what it takes to create beer in the South during a time when temperatures are a little bit hotter, rain can be slightly more sparse, and climate change impacts the way Liz thinks about the cycle of what we grow and how. In this conversation you’ll hear about what it takes to grow a brewery in Arkansas and what it’s like being part of an in-state industry that’s working to change perceptions of what beer can be.

Around the world, the craft beer community disagrees on a lot of things, but one big schism is over what beer actually is. Is it a rigid adherence to historical methods and styles? Or could it also be over-the-top, avant-garde experiments that are as far from tradition as it’s possible to be while still remaining liquid? At Omnipollo Brewing, it turns out beer can be both. In his latest piece titled “Lead Us Not Into Temptation — Omnipollo Brewing in Stockholm, Sweden,” writer and filmmaker Jonny Garrett goes headfirst into the wacky world of Omnipollo, a brewery best known for its outrageous Pastry Stouts and iconic aesthetic. But being known for one thing hasn’t kept them from branching out—even if they’re not quite sure where they’re going. Today, Jonny reveals what it was like to have his own preconceptions about what beer is challenged by Omnipollo, and how brewing Pastry Stouts emulates the artistry of baking actual pastries. He describes Omnipollo as “tearing up the rulebook” of beer, with outlandish—and yes, delicious—results.  We also talk about how filming, photographing, and even writing about the art of others is an art form in itself, rife with challenges that can often yield something entirely new. Finally, we’ll touch on that Yellow Belly controversy: what it was like to hear about it firsthand from Omnipollo’s founder and brewer, their intent, the impact, and how context changes over time and in different places. Beer is always more than just beer, so let’s talk about it. 

Right now, a lot of things seem really bad. There are microplastics embedded in all of our bodies—including millions of bodies now stripped of autonomy, thanks to the Supreme Court. Wildfire season is heating up (literally), everything costs more than it used to, and it’s hard to escape this pervasive feeling of existential dread permeating every corner of our lives which, unfortunately, also includes beer. In his piece titled “Slow-Dancing in a Burning Room — The Cost of Climate Change on Beer’s Favorite Crop,” published on May 12, 2022, Matt Osgood shares insights from farmers and scientists about the impending changes hops face in light of what he calls the “unbiased chaos of natural disaster.” It’s dire out there, he explains, but he believes the best chance for beer lies solely in the hands of human ingenuity mixed with technological advances.  Today, Matt and I discuss our collective responsibilities as beer drinkers and journalists, but also as citizens of the world—a world that seems like it’s changing no matter what we do. But by claiming our power as individuals, we retain the hope that our children and our children’s children stand a fighting chance of not just existing, but enjoying Earth’s bounty, including craft beer. All of these issues are intertwined, and it can feel like playing whack-a-mole when making decisions. But this push and pull of human restraint against human destruction only continues to gain importance, making conversations such as these crucial for the future of beer, people, and Earth. Let’s dive in.

When we think about beer and brewing, it’s easy for our minds to wander toward the person making the beer we drink. Brewers create a little bit of magic combining art and science, and because of that, are often considered the backbone to a business that makes and sells beer. Sometimes, they can even be thought of as rock stars with engaging personalities and thoughtful approaches to what it means to make beer. But there are so many more people we may miss when we think about beer as an industry. In this conversation, we’re chatting with Kindsey Bernhard, director of hospitality for Austin Beerworks, and also a background of all sorts of skills and expertise. Kindsey has worked as a bartender and before her role with Austin Beerworks, was taproom manager for Hi-Wire Brewing's location in Louisville, Kentucky. She's also a peer in media, having written for Porch Drinking and hosting her own podcast, Boys Are From Marzen, which showcases women and non-binary people who work in beer. When we connected, Kindsey had just recently moved to Austin to begin her latest job, so you’ll hear about what it’s like to transplant as part of pursuing new career goals and what’s caught her eye as a new resident of Austin, Texas. We’ll also talk about the variety of skills she’s learned and displayed as a person working in beer and how her passion for the industry has driven her to better understand career goals and finding balance in her life. Kindsey is one of many amazing people working for a brewery who doesn’t make the beer, and I hope you’ll come away from this chat with an appreciation for her and the behind-the-scenes effort she embodies.

Okay, maybe it’s not Harry Styles or Bad Bunny, but writing about beer history is, relatively speaking, kind of hot right now. Writers at a number of publications are unearthing cool stories about the origins of beer glassware, influential breweries, and obscure beer styles. There are Twitter and Instagram accounts dedicated to beer in art, vintage beer advertisements, and other visual aspects of brewing history. And here at Good Beer Hunting, we have our own series of history-focused articles and podcasts, Source Material. While a new generation of writers might be just starting to focus on beer history, some of the most influential voices in the field have been doing it for quite a while—and they’re still going strong. In this episode, I’m talking to one of the strongest: Martyn Cornell, who has published his beer blog, Zythophile.co.uk, since 2007, though he started writing about beer much earlier. In 1988, Martyn was a founding member of the British Guild of Beer Writers. Over the years, he’s won numerous awards from the Guild, including Beer Writer of the Year. In our talk, Martyn and I discuss beer writing and why there are so many errors and mistakes in beer history. We talk about how he does his research, as well as his books, including “Amber, Gold & Black” and “Strange Tales of Ale.” We discuss his recent article, ‘Tishonest Prewers’ and Lager Bier Operas — Uncovering the True Origins of American Lager Brewing, which Martyn wrote for our Source Material series. I also ask Martyn about the changes in beer culture that he’s seen over the years, and his take on the current status of Cask Ale in the U.K.