Good Beer Hunting

Today’s episode is our annual Hangover Party podcast, and event we host in the wake of Upper & Downers, our coffee, beer, culinary, and cocktail festival. People come from all over the country to attend this insane mashup of cultures we put together with our friend and Uppers & Downers co-founder Stephen Morrissey, who’s a world barista champion and works at the Specialty Coffee Association. And this hangover party, which we stupidly throw the morning after the big event, has become a bit like a brunch after a wedding, where we get to sit down with the out-of-towners and drink even more coffee and beer over breakfast. We set up the mics and ask our bleary-eyed collaborators to join us and talk about all the best parts of their week. This time we hosted the party at Cruz Blanca, our case study partner alongside Sparrow Coffee, which was one of the best things we’ve ever had at the festival. And if you didn’t attend, well, I’m sorry about how amazing everything you’re about to hear sounds. This is the Uppers & Downers Hangover Party episode. Listen in.

Let's take a trip. Let’s get away from our warehouse districts and downtowns where so many of our favorite bars and breweries are found. We're going to the farm. As discussions of place have become more common in beer and brewers and drinkers alike have taken up the effort of using "terroir" as a descriptive term, the place of agriculture has never been more front of mind in the U.S. beer industry. Best of all, you can find those conversations happening all over, including in North Carolina, where if you look hard enough, you'll find that direct connection between people, place, and a pint. Dan Gridley is owner of Farm Boy Farms, a 90-acre farm in Pittsboro, North Carolina. His contribution to the local beer scene doesn't come from boiling wort or pulling tap handles, but the hops he grows on a small plot of land about 30 miles west of the state's capital in Raleigh. He started this business a decade ago with dreams of creating a self-sustaining farm brewery, and while that's yet to come true, he's slowly upped his annual yield of Cascade, Chinook, and other hops to go into beers made a short drive away. For as much as beer lovers enjoy talking about dry-hop rates and whatever amount of dankness or juiciness can be found in their glass, Dan is the guy who's making those conversations possible. He's the first link in this chain that starts on a quiet, rural farm, and ends up at a bustling taproom. Education and story are big for the way Dan interacts with locals, whether they love beer or not, and I hope that over the course of this conversation you'll gain an added appreciation for some of the important behind-the-scenes work that goes on in beer. So many of us love talking about hops, but rarely get the chance to hear about bringing them to life. This is Dan Gridley of Farm Boy Farms. Listen in.

Look around the beer industry, and you'll see lots of things going on that are decidedly...not beer. With the success of flavored malt beverages, hard seltzer, and even a resurgence of regional cider brands, brewers all over are finding new ways to attract drinkers and boost their bottom line with products outside of their wheelhouse. Not that there's anything wrong with that. These are businesses, after all, and as the market is changing, so many are adapting by creating new kinds of beverages that more people can enjoy. This is a hot topic to start 2019, and something covered here on Good Beer Hunting for some time. Among the leaders in this space of transition and innovation is Craft Brew Alliance, which went all in last year with the pH Experiment, a new standalone branch of the company that will focus on incubating ideas and all kinds of trial and error, ultimately with hope of finding the Next Big Thing. On this Sightlines podcast, we're talking with Karmen Olson, who's spent just over seven years with CBA, recently taking over as general manager for the pH Experiment, where she's looking to anticipate and identify where things are going. You'll get a little background on this new initiative and what created this need, which, in some ways, stems from the beer industry's slow willingness to adapt. For a long time, Olson says, beer focused on industry challenges, not customer ones, which has led to this point, and these new ideas. If you want to grow in today's competitive alcohol industry, it's adapt or die. This is Karmen Olson, general manager of Craft Brew Alliance's pH Experiment. Listen in.

Like so many other areas of publishing, things have changed in recent years for beer-focused media. While the stories told from all corners of the world have gotten more in-depth and introduced new people and ideas, the number of platforms where enthusiasts can find this information has been shifting. It wasn’t long ago that All About Beer, one of the most prominent beer publications in the country, folded, along with DRAFT magazine. More recently, some newspaper-style “brewsletters” have disappeared, either under the weight of failing advertising or other pressures. Throughout it all, BeerAdvocate has remained—but things are about to change there, too. On today’s GBH Collective, we’re talking with Ben Keene, editorial director for BeerAdvocate, and moving forward, perhaps a little more. Ben has long overseen the evolution of BeerAdvocate magazine, but with the print edition going away, he’s now shifting his attention to other daily responsibilities related to storytelling and the business. The rating website is still a big part of what BeerAdvocate offers fans, and even a new app that recently launched, but it can’t stop the same challenges of publishing that have impacted others. We’ll talk all this, and reflect on the state of beer-focused media, in this Collective conversation, part of our special series of interviews to dive deeper with Good Beer Hunting contributors and friends on topics of writing, beer, and all the ways they intersect. This is Ben Keene, BeerAdvocate editorial director. Listen in.

There’s no getting around the fact that making beer is a science. But it can truly become special when it mixes with creativity and art. In today’s episode, we’re in Raleigh, North Carolina, where GBH was part of a discussion to determine where those things can overlap. In February, I hosted a panel discussion at Brewery Bhavana’s production facility organized by Triangle Wine Company, a local wine and beer retail chain. Along with two brewers from Bhavana, I was also joined by Walt and Sean of Bond Brothers Beer Company, and, if you’re a regular listener, Ancillary Fermentation, a side project recently featured here on the podcast. [Disclosure: Brewery Bhavana is a client of GBH’s studio team.] Our goal was to talk about the marriage of this science and art when it comes to working with wood. In front of an audience of local beer fans, we touched on processes, themes, and inspirations for creating the kind of wild, funky, delicate, and often beautiful beers so many of us revere. This conversation isn’t just about what it takes to create and maintain a barrel program, but to try and explore what that day-to-day can be for brewers. What does it mean to be patient with these beers? How do you know what and when to blend? Why do it in the first place? We’ll do our best to tackle these and other questions around this niche, but growing, section of the beer industry. This is Our Neck of the Woods, a panel discussion on all things barrel. Listen in.

[Photo by Matthew Curtis] Few breweries can represent the past, present, and future of American craft beer the way Stone Brewing can. And it’s co-founder, today’s guest, Greg Koch, has been known to speak authoritatively about the entire timeline of craft beer at times. And with good reason—he’s seen and participated in most of it himself. For some, though, his voice can sometimes seem anachronistic. It hearkens back to old, perhaps out-of-date realities of the business that can be jarring against new challenges and priorities for small, independent American brewers—and increasingly those inspired by American brewers overseas. How Stone has navigated the shifting priorities of craft beer has been varied over the years. Sometimes they seem to double down on their initial ethos. Other times, they seem to abandon it altogether. But looks can be deceiving. So this conversation—my first interview with Koch—was an opportunity to hear what some of those decisions have meant to him and Stone over the years. And why they may or may not be in conflict as he and the brand trek back and forth across the ocean in what might hopefully turn out to be a straight line toward some long-term goal. But as can so often happen in this business, it might eventually reveal itself to be a lost-at sea scenario just as easily. It’s almost impossible to tell when the waves are constantly crashing and the winds are constantly shifting and so many people want a hand on that wheel. In this interview, we talk about Stone’s place in the world then and now—growth and layoffs and private equity, breaking off brands like Arrogant Bastard, social media, sabbaticals, and finding the yin and yang with a co-founder. There’s a lot to cover. And I greatly appreciate Greg’s willingness to riff on so many different topics that are important to him, or me, and often both. This is Greg Koch of Stone Brewing. Listen in.

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.

I’m not sure how to introduce CAMRA. On the one hand, it’s the biggest single-issue consumer interest group in the UK, the savior of British brewing that’s as responsible for our amazing beer scene as any American influence. On the other hand, it’s portrayed as an irrelevant lumbering beast that seems to stagger from controversy to controversy. The Campaign for Real Ale was founded in 1971 in response to a surge in pasteurized, force-carbonated keg beer that was pushing traditional British cask ale of the bars around the country. Alarmed by the lack of diversity, four men in a pub decided that someone needed to champion the traditional method of delivering unconditioned beer to pubs and serving them at the exact moment they peaked, without any extra gas. Since then, the organization has grown to nearly 200,000 members, lobbying the government, running festivals, producing magazines, and promoting their self-defined “real ale” above all other formats. Its success in protecting an inefficient product against capitalist pressures is unprecedented. But since the UK craft beer revolution, CAMRA has struggled to find its place in a fast moving and often image-led scene. Suddenly, most of the brewing and talking was being done by young, American-inspired breweries who loved keg beer, big hops, and high ABVs. The keg lines that had been loaded with crap Euro Lagers were suddenly pouring exciting, experimental beers that appealed more to young drinkers than the more historic real ale did. Caught looking the other way and trying to catch up, CAMRA has come under pressure to realign its objectives in support good keg beer, to update older breweries’ outdated marketing, and pick a side on issues that simply wasn’t there when its charter was drawn up—all the while coping with the fact that after decades of growth, cask beer had gone into decline again. I sat down with the new chief executive, Tom Stainer, who might be seen as a reformer but has had to keep a level head in his vital new role. We talk through the challenges of running an organization controlled by some 200,000 members, propped up by volunteers and considered out of touch—when they were the people who made it all possible. This is Tom Stainer, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale. Listen in.

Whether you read the words or hear the voices of the Good Beer Hunting editorial staff, there's one guy working behind the scenes who doesn't often get the byline, but offers plenty of insight and guidance to get those things from draft to publish-ready. In today's episode of the GBH Collective, we're chatting with the man behind the curtain, Austin L. Ray, editorial director for Good Beer Hunting. We're welcoming him to this special series of interviews where we can dive deeper with GBH contributors and friends on topics of writing, beer, and the stories we share. If you follow Austin on Twitter, you may know about his eclectic sense of humor and insight into all things agricultural. So while we talk a little about how chard might save the world, you'll also hear his unique insight on a couple recent stories he pulled together for GBH that benefit greatly from explaining his behind-the-scenes reporting. Curious about what it's like to chat with a brutally honest owner from Wicked Weed? Or why one Atlanta brewery has created trouble and difficult decisions for local bar owners? Austin's your guy. If you've enjoyed listening to these Collective episodes to better learn what goes into telling a story, these two from Austin were among the more odd ones we've been able to share on Good Beer Hunting. You'll likely get a kick out of how they came to be. This is Austin L. Ray: editor, writer, and leafy green enthusiast. Listen in.

When it comes to running a business, partnerships are key. In the beer industry, that often shows up in leadership where one person may handle the books or operational responsibilities, and another focuses on the liquid itself. In all cases, finding the balance between people and personalities is importance of yin and yang that can make breweries succeed. Lucky for me, I recently had the chance to sit down with some perfect examples of left and right brain come to life. In this pairing, Whit Baker is the former and Sean McKinney the latter. Whit’s scientific “left” focuses on recipes, while Sean’s creative “right” brings aspects of artistry to the act of drinking beer. Together, they’re part of a set of owners and brewers behind Ancillary Fermentation, a sort of brewery/event company in the Triangle region of North Carolina. With thousands of breweries scattered across the country, including nearly 300 in the Tar Heel State, it’s not uncommon to hear conversations that mention how quality beer alone isn’t enough to exist in a competitive industry. This is where Ancillary flips the script. Both Whit and Sean have “day jobs” at Cary, North Carolina’s Bond Brothers Beer Company, and once a month, create pop-up events for this side project. These are situations you do not find in beer, with one-off releases held at what are essentially theme parties. There was the holiday office party in an actual office. And a motivation-themed gathering at a CrossFit gym, complete with Hazy IPA served in clear, plastic water bottles. Their latest was held in a church. Each example an opportunity to push drinkers into new and weird spaces to share this incredibly common experience of drinking beer with friends in a new way. We’ll delve into all of this in our conversation, including how Whit thinks about recipes and setting Ancillary’s beer apart, but it’s clear this effort is about way more than what goes into a glass. If anything, this chat feels like an important glimpse into the way today’s breweries need to think when a taproom experience—no matter how wonderful—can sometimes get a little repetitive. This is Whit Baker and Sean McKinney of Ancillary Fermentation. Listen in.