Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl

It has been a busy year for beer. Thanks to increased pressure to perform thanks to nearly 8,000 breweries operating in the country, a consumer base that is constantly looking for the next interesting thing, and an increased focus on local taprooms.  Lauren Woods Limbach, the wood cellar director and blender, at New Belgium Brewing Co. has been with the company for 22 years and has seen the changes to the industry first hand along with changes to New Belgium’s ownership, including the recent, pending, sale to Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages.  On this episode of Drink Beer, Think Beer, Limbach talks with host John Holl about the sale but then shifts into wood and sour beer production where she is one of the country’s foremost authorities on the style. But, how do you classify the style and what separates a truly good representation from a mediocre one? Limbach shares some guidance and tips on how we can all be better educated when it comes to what we’re tasting.  The pair caught up at New York’s Blind Tiger Ale House in early December, just two weeks after Lion announced that it would be adding New Belgium to its portfolio, which includes brands like Four Roses Bourbon.  She was in town to talk about the brewery’s 2020 beer portfolio and even shares some release news on this show for the first time.  Limbach and Holl cover a lot of ground over pints of pilsners and imperial stouts. Here’s their conversation. 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.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Lauren Woods Limbach of New Belgium Brewing Co. Sponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, Colorado, craft beer, sour ale, homebrewing, wood-aged beer, kriek, independence, growth, ESOP, sales, marketing, Kim JordanAdvertising: Ryan@beeredge.com 

Evanston Illinois is just north of Chicago and plays a big role in the temperance movement that swept the country a century ago. Frances Willard, the president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union once lived here. After Prohibition the city decided to remain dry and did so until the 1970s and it wasn’t until 1984 that liquor stores were allowed in town.  So, host John Holl was more than a little tickled when he sat down at Sketchbook Brewing in Evanston with founder Cesar Marron to have a pint. The city has come a long way over the last few decades and this brewery is now firmly part of the fabric. So much so that Sketchbook is currently undergoing an expansion.  Holl first got to know Marron a few years ago when they were both judges at the Sam Adams Longshot competition, a contest Marron had won just a few years earlier. In this conversation, recorded at the Sketchbook tap room on an autumn afternoon they talked about juggling two careers and family, the tightrope walk that is distribution, and the thought and timing that goes into releasing specialty batches.  Holl started off by asking Marron about his origin story and how he found his way into homebrewing and eventually going pro. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Please subscribe and leave a review to help other listeners find the show.  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.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Cesar Marron of Sketchbook BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, Illinois, craft beer, Prohibition, homebrewing, Evanston, IPA, distribution, growthAdvertising: Ryan@beeredge.com 

This week John Holl is joined by Chad Henderson and Charles Willett of NoDa Brewing. We got together a few weeks back during the Great American Beer Festival in the basement of famed Beer Bar Falling Rock.  Chad goes by head brewer and co-owner and Willet is the brewery’s controller.  In thinking about this episode, Holl says he's "always struck, when talking with brewers, about how the littlest thing can happen and change the trajectory of a life, often to the benefit of us drinkers as well.  On this episode, we talked about how changes in the law in North Carolina a few years back helped pave the way for the brewery, and how a simple conversation at a the Denver Rare Beer Tasting event helped Chad peruse his dream of brewing.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.Hosted By: John HollGuests: Chad Henderson and Charles Willett of NoDa BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, craft beer, beer laws, politics, North Carolina, community action

Since the 2016 presidential election, politics has dominated the national conversation and it’s not always polite. Businesses of all sizes have struggled to maintain the right tone when talking about their political beliefs, if they do it at all, for fear of alienating customers.  So when John Holl sat down with Samantha Lee and Stephen Bossu of Hopewell Brewing a few weeks ago, he was surprised at how candid they were about politics and their beliefs. But, it became clear pretty quickly that their beliefs, backgrounds, and passions are what make Hopewell the brewery it is.  And don’t worry. They talk about the beer as well. 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.Hosted By: John HollGuests: Samantha Lee and Stephen Bossu of Hopewell BrewingSponsor: Cigar City Brewing Tags: beer, Illinois, craft beer, lager, politics, natural wine, Chicago, community action

Strap in folks, because this week it’s Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink of Chicago’s Dovetail Brewery. There are no secrets in the brewhouse and the pair who met in brewing school and opened up a house of lager in Chicago a few years ago are ready to discuss it all. From how they brew a rauchbier to the equipment they have acquired from around the world to how they approach creating a recipe from the water up, the duo go deep on brewing passion. 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.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Hagen Dost and Bill Wesselink, Dovetail BrewerySponsor: Deschutes BreweryTags: beer, Illinois, craft beer, lager, rauchbier, kriek, Chicago, brewing education

Evan Watson is a farmer, brewer, musician, athlete, and all around thoughtful guy. When host John Holl showed up at the Plan Bee Farm Brewery in New York’s Hudson Valley a few weeks back, Watson was holding an axe in one hand and a magnum bottle of barn beer in the other. After sabering open the bottle, and pouring two glasses, Watson showed off the farm, including acres of heirloom corn he is growing and that will go into his beers. Watson talks about inspiration, music, and how he is still trying to figure out his place in the brewing industry all while staying true to his art. 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.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Evan Watson, Plan Bee Farm BrewerySponsors: Tavour and Deschutes BreweryTags: New York, craft beer, lager, farming, music, hops, bees, honey, coolship 

What’s in a title? For Garrett Marrero, the CEO of Maui Brewing Company it’s the latest in an evolution of his company that started off as a small brewpub and now is a major beverage company making not just beer but coffee, spirits, and hard seltzer. Recorded at the Falling Rock Tap House during the Great American Beer Festival, Marrero talks about his early days in brewing, his push towards sustainable technology, and the importance of being local on Hawaii. Although beer is central to the company’s success, he is also open about embracing other beverages for the sake of diversity and to grow his company. There are hard lessons to be learned as the owner of a company and anyone thinking about jumping into the beer industry should give this a listen. 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.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Garrett Marrero, Maui Brewing CompanySponsor: Deschutes BreweryTags: beer, Hawaii, craft beer, lager, hops, hard seltzer, green technology

Carol Stoudt was the first female brewmaster in the United States following Prohibition and for the last thirty years has been at the helm of her Pennsylvania brewery turning out authentic lagers and experimenting with ales. In this episode of the Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast, Stoudt talks about the changing landscape of the craft beer industry and how it has helped the brewery to be more nimble and to experiment in ways that seemed impossible when she first started. From brewing on a pilot system with new generation hops to worrying about bar accounts and the competition, Stoudt opens up and offers perspective on how one legacy craft brewery continues to push forward. 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.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Carol Stoudt, Stoudts Brewing Company Sponsor: Deschutes BreweryTags: beer, Pennsylvania, craft beer, Lager, hops, Reinheitsgebot

Matt Brynildson is the Brewmaster of the Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, California and in this premiere episode of Drink Beer, Think Beer all he wants to do is talk about foam. It makes sense, actually. He is currently spending a year in Belgium as part of a “beer sabbatical” where he is learning from fellow brewers in the Duvel Moortgat family. Sitting in a barrel room at De Koninck in Antwerp being lulled by the songs of Barry White, Brynildson talks about his brewing philosophy and how it has evolved over a career that started in a hop lab, took him to Goose Island in Chicago, and eventually out west where his beer regularly racks up awards. 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.Hosted By: John HollGuest: Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker Brewing Company Sponsor: Deschutes BreweryTags: beer, California, craft beer, Belgium, foam, hops