Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl

Show notes from John Holl: "If you’ve been listening to this show as well as Steal This Beer over the last few weeks there’s been a focus in and around the Rochester, New York area breweries.  Rochester is of course well known for Genesee Beer, but over the last decade has emerged as a craft beer destination, fueled by small breweries who are paying careful attention to recipes, integrating into the local fabric through art and music, and giving chefs a chance to shine in the kitchens.  Among the many bright spots of the city’s beer scene is Strangebird.  It opened in January 2021 inside a sprawling yet solid building that once held a food co-op and immediately impresses with its well designed taproom, barrel aging space, and impactful kitchen.  Micah Krichinsky is a founder and brewer. He’s a student of biochemistry and microbiology and a graduate of the Master Brewer’s Program at the University of California at Davis. His career before Rochester had him at Capitol City Brewing in Washington, D.C. and then later at at Dogfish Head in Delaware, where he spent five years.   Eric Salazar is the brewery’s Director of Wood Aged Beers. His career started back in the 1990s at New Belgium Brewing Co. where, as you’ll hear, he learned to work with barrels and to trust and respect microbes.  Both of the brewers found their way to Rochester by way of their significant others, and are not only putting down family roots in the city but also long-term plans for the brewery and fostering the local beer scene.  They spoke with me from the bar where they were happily popping bottles, and I started off by asking about lessons learned from working at older breweries and the benefit of having nearly full careers before starting something of their own." This Episode is sponsored by:Stomp StickersStomp Stickers is a proud member of the Brewers Association that produces a wide variety of printed brewery products such as beer labels, keg collars, coasters, beer boxes and much more. Stomp’s website features an easy-to-use design tool, low quantity orders, fast turn times, and free domestic shipping. Visit StompStickers.com and use code CRAFTBEER15 for 15% off your first order.NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.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: Micah Krichinsky & Eric Salazar Sponsors: NZ Hops, Stomp Stickers, ProBrewer and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, Barrel, New York, Tradition, Patience, History, Recipe Development

Show notes from host John Holl:"When you think about Great Lakes Brewing, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter likely comes to mind. It’s the flagship beer of a brewery that has helped shape craft beer in America and fostered the career of many in the industry. There's more to the Cleveland, Ohio than that one flagship and the brewery has been working to adapt to changing palates and trends.  For insight on what's been happening at the brewery and what is on the horizon, I’m joined this week by Mark Hunger the brewmaster And Michael Williams, the brand coordinator who works in the brewery’s marketing department.  We’re talking about history and the future, recipe development, flavors, and shifting consumer tastes. I start off by asking Mark, who has been around since almost the beginning, about his title and how to came about." This Episode is sponsored by:Stomp StickersStomp Stickers is a proud member of the Brewers Association that produces a wide variety of printed brewery products such as beer labels, keg collars, coasters, beer boxes and much more. Stomp’s website features an easy-to-use design tool, low quantity orders, fast turn times, and free domestic shipping. Visit StompStickers.com and use code CRAFTBEER15 for 15% off your first order.NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.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: Mark Hunger & Michael WilliamsSponsors: NZ Hops, Stomp Stickers, ProBrewer and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, Porter, Pubs, Ohio, Tradition, Holidays, IPA, Lager

Brewers tend to get excited when Jeff Bagby is around. As one of the most awarded brewers in the country and a staunch voice for classic styles and  well balanced beers, he extolls pleasures of creating lagers and ales that lend to a good time.  After a career that saw him on the brew decks of noted breweries like Stone and Pizza Port, where he was the director of brewing operations, he and his wife opened up Bagby Beer Co. in 2014 in a 8,500 square foot location that is not only home to the brewery but a restaurant, with plenty of areas suited for both meals and long evenings tucked into pints.  In an interview years ago said that when the brewery opened it didn’t even have an IPA on tap, focusing instead on lagers and other ales. Hoppy beers have come into the mix, but he’s still focused on session beers, drinkability, and keeping traditions alive.  As he explains on this episode the pandemic has been brutal to the business. There’s no sugar coating it. From government restrictions and unfulfilled promises, to customer interactions, staffing shortages, rising costs of labor and goods, and the day-to-day worry that comes from owning a small business, he’s been knocked around. A lot.  Bagby walks us through it all and doesn't hold back. This Episode is sponsored by:Stomp StickersStomp Stickers is a proud member of the Brewers Association that produces a wide variety of printed brewery products such as beer labels, keg collars, coasters, beer boxes and much more. Stomp’s website features an easy-to-use design tool, low quantity orders, fast turn times, and free domestic shipping. Visit StompStickers.com and use code CRAFTBEER15 for 15% off your first order.NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: Jeff BagbySponsors:   NZ Hops, Stomp Stickers Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, Lager, Labor, California, Festivals, COVID-19

While the announcement a few years back might have surprised some, internally at Other Half the move into a brewery space in New York’s Finger Lakes region, just south of Rochester made sense.  The brewery had done a number of popups in the area and consumer reception was strong. When a brewery sitting on eight acres suddenly closed in the town of Bloomfield the brewery jumped at the chance, foregoing a city location for a more rural one.  This presented the opportunity for the brewery to push deeper into mixed fermentation and gave Felipe Higgins, who had worked previously in the brewery’s Brooklyn location, a chance to move north and focus on beers that deeply interested him as a brewer.  He’s really leaning into the local flora and giving the brewery’s coolship a good workout and between foraging and working with local farmers he’s finding new ingredients to incorporate into beers – many of which have been brewed over the last three years but have yet to be released to the public.  Felipe also talks about the clean program, how the IPAs and other beers being produced differ from the other brewery locations and compliment the overall portfolio.  This Episode is sponsored by:Stomp StickersStomp Stickers is a proud member of the Brewers Association that produces a wide variety of printed brewery products such as beer labels, keg collars, coasters, beer boxes and much more. Stomp’s website features an easy-to-use design tool, low quantity orders, fast turn times, and free domestic shipping. Visit StompStickers.com and use code CRAFTBEER15 for 15% off your first order.NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: Felipe HigginsSponsors:   NZ Hops, Stomp Stickers Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, New York, Mixed Fermentation, Coolship, IPA, Farming, Craft Malt

Friendly bets have become popular under the backdrop of the Super Bowl. Mayors of cities that host game-bound teams engage in banter designed to boost tourism, friends take on each other, and small businesses go toe to toe and show off team pride.  Breweries are no different. This year as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California we welcome on three breweries engaged in such a bet.  The terms of the bet weren’t firmed up before recording this show and slowly get hashed out, if not completely resolved by the end. Spoiler alert: there will be costumes.  On the show this week, joining via zoom from their respective breweries are Lynne Weaver, the founder and owner of Three Weavers, a brewery in Inglewood, that, as you’ll hear, was briefly part of Canarchy, the brewery group recently purchased by Monster Beverages. She brought the company back to independence before that deal was closed.  She’s joined by her brewery neighbor Teo Hunter, a co-founder of Crowns and Hops, a brewery that started on social media, gained a grass roots following and has been working hard to bring change to the beer industry through action. And representing Cincinnati is Matthew Steinke the director of sales at Rhinegeist Brewing, one of the state’s larger breweries and a source of local beer pride. There are barbs and jabs thrown throughout this show, and they wind up steering the topics, and sharing experiences. We start off with the run up to the game, and Inglewood, which is hosting the game for the biggest night in American sports.  Editor's note: An earlier version of this episode misidentified the Ohio team playing in the Super Bowl. The game-bound team is the Cincinnati Bengals not the Cleveland Browns. The episode has been updated.  This Episode is sponsored by:Stomp StickersStomp Stickers is a proud member of the Brewers Association that produces a wide variety of printed brewery products such as beer labels, keg collars, coasters, beer boxes and much more. Stomp’s website features an easy-to-use design tool, low quantity orders, fast turn times, and free domestic shipping. Visit StompStickers.com and use code CRAFTBEER15 for 15% off your first order.NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: Lynne Weaver, Teo Hunter, and Matthew Steinke Sponsors:   NZ Hops, Stomp Stickers Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, California, Ohio, Football, Super Bowl, Hops, Business, Diversity and Inclusion, Tigger

Julian Shrago is the co-founder and brewmaster of Beachwood Brewing, which already boasts several locations in Southern California with more on the way.  He’s a thoughtful brewer, who takes big ideas and brings them down to a manageable level that are executed well and in my interactions with him over the years, at festivals, at the brewery, and just in the wild, I’m always struck by his thoughtful nature and his commitment to small brewers, traditional styles, and education.  On the show this week Shrago joins me from the brewery where we talk about the evolution and importance of West Coast IPAs, conveying the importance of being a small brewer to the world at large, musical influence, and how to best manage growth. This Episode is sponsored by:Stomp StickersStomp Stickers is a proud member of the Brewers Association that produces a wide variety of printed brewery products such as beer labels, keg collars, coasters, beer boxes and much more. Stomp’s website features an easy-to-use design tool, low quantity orders, fast turn times, and free domestic shipping. Visit StompStickers.com and use code CRAFTBEER15 for 15% off your first order. NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: Julian ShragoSponsors:   NZ Hops, Stomp Stickers Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, California, IPA, Barrels, Lager, Growth, Independence

Jenny Pfafflin is the marketing and creative manager at Dovetail Brewery in Chicago. She’s also one of the four brewers on staff. That means she gets to spend her days talking about, thinking about, making, and drinking some of the most traditional and flavorful beers made in the U.S. today. Dovetail is no stranger to this show. Episode Five featured Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink the co-founders of the brewery, and gave birth to This Week in Rauchbier.  If you follow Dovetail on social media it is Pfafflin and her passion for brining forth a realistic drinking experience in a digital format.  Before Dovetail, she was an exam manager at the Cicerone Certification program, and is even an  Advanced Cicerone herself.  Working at Dovetail Pfafflin can really explore her love of tradition, the beer industry and beer service, all things we talk about during the course of this episode.  But we start off by going all the way back to the beginning.  This Episode is sponsored by:NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: Jenny Pfafflin Sponsors:   NZ Hops, Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, Bars, COVID-19, Chicago, Lager, Helles, Travel, Tradition, The Simpsons, Glassware Kölsch

For a brewery less than a decade old, it’s been a hell of a ride for Trillium in Massachusetts. Starting in  a small cramped space near Boston’s waterfront, to now boasting a growing roster of locations including restaurants and a farm, the brewery has been celebrated and scrutinized but always focused.  This is most apparent in the beers themselves. Sure, there are hazy IPAs and big imperial stouts but also beers that celebrate agriculture, or play with ingredients like wine grapes and honey.  So that he did a spontaneous blend, in the Belgian tradition shouldn’t be a surprise. That they are elegant and fun to drink shouldn’t be a surprise either.  These beers, as all of the growth, is deliberate and is a push towards a goal that has been coming more and more into focus over the years. Beers aside, J.C. Tetreault who founded the brewery with his wife Ester, has also been trying to build a better beer community and culture, even recently hosting a symposium on best practices to eliminate the sexist undertones and overtones that have been in and around the beer space.  On this episode he talks about all of that and more.  This Episode is sponsored by:NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: J.C. TetreaultSponsors:   NZ Hops, Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, Bars, COVID-19, Florida, Belgium, Food, Culinary Beers, Special Ingredients 

Before he started in the brewing industry Kevin Abbott was a wine steward. His time in restaurants helped form his idea behind food and beverage – something that exists to this day. He started as a homebrewer and then jumped into the deep end of the pool, starting as the head brewer for Funky Buddha in Florida back when they were launching into brewpub operations.  He stayed there for nearly four years and then moved to Due South Brewing before becoming a Partner and Head Brewer at Barrel of Monks in 2015. Since then he’s become the director of operations.  Abbott oversees most aspects of the brewery including production, distribution and the tap room and this episode covers it all.  This Episode is sponsored by:NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: Kevin Abbott of Barrel of MonksSponsors:   NZ Hops, Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, Bars, COVID-19, Florida, Belgium, Food, Culinary Beers, Special Ingredients 

A lot of experiences are lost in the digital age. We get so accustomed to seeing places virtually on a screen, or reading pieces built for short bursts that when a book like the World Atlas of Beer comes along we all should take notice.  This 3rd edition is completely revised and authors Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont take us on a tour of the world through its beer culture. This isn’t a travel book per se, but an examination of what each country has created in the brewing space, what it aspires to be, and what we can expect or look to appreciate when we visit for ourselves.  The authors are proper writers and travelers and their collective knowledge, inquisitive nature, and discerning palates are evident in each page.  Now, about the authors: Tim Webb spent six years on the board of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) where he ran Britain's national beer festival and co-founded CAMRA's publishing company. He has written Good Beer Guide Belgium continuously since 1992 and has won awards for beer writing in four countries.   Stephen Beaumont is the author or co-author of ten additional books about beer, including The Beer & Food Companion, and two editions of The Pocket Beer Book, and a contributor to many others. He’s hosted tastings, dinners, and educational events around the globe.   Get a copy of this book. The World Atlas of Beer should be in your collection and well thumbed through before you put it up on a shelf for later reference. What makes this book special is not just the country entries, but the included maps, the sidebars, photos and graphics. Digital can’t compete with that on this scope, and getting lost in the pages for a while is a great vacation for the brain as you plot out your next real trip for beer. This Episode is sponsored by:NZ HopsNZ Hops, the co-operative of Master Hop Growers are a passionate collective of farms dedicated to innovation and sustainability. Leading the charge in sustainable farm practices, some NZ Hops farms have over five generations of knowledge that inform their composting program, used by growers to promote healthy regenerative growth of hops year upon year. This creates high quality soil, a critical component of healthy growing conditions. At NZ Hops, they feel that sustainability is not only being a steward for the land, but for our future.Athletic Brewing Co.Athletic Brewing Company’s innovative process allows them to brew great-tastingcraft beer without the alcohol. From IPAs to stouts to golden ales and more, they offer a full selection of beers starting at only 50 calories. Now you can keep your head clear and enjoy the refreshing taste of beer anytime, anywhere. Place an order today atathleticbrewing.com and get free shipping on two six packs or more. New customerscan also get 10% off their entire order with code BeerEdge10. Limit one per customer.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: Tim Webb and Stephen BeaumontSponsors:   NZ Hops, Athletic Brewing, and The Beer EdgeTags: Beer, Bars, COVID-19, Travel, South America, France, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium