The Brewery Underground Podcast | Craft Beer Interviews, Reviews and Beer Travel

Join us for our very first craft beer "Happy Hour" episode! We are joined by Ashley Gibson, Marketing Director for Mill Creek Brewing Company in Nolensville, TN and Cameron Heitmeier, Territory Sales Representative of New Heights Brewing Company in Nashville, TN.Ashley was really excited to talk about her "European Vacation" where she just visited Dublin, Brussels, and Munich for a well-known event called "Oktoberfest". She brings the stories of drinking it up with the locals. Plus, her experience on this trip of "proper glassware" when visiting a brewery.While the season for Oktoberfest beers is winding down here in America. We still have some great stories of our experiences with recent check-ins. Ashley and Cameron both have a job of making sure they keep up with consumer demand at beer stores across the area. With the ever-changing landscape in the craft beer market, it certainly keeps them on their toes.Speaking of changes! The day we recorded this episode; it was announced that Mill Creek Brewing Company location is soon to be closing. The plan is to open elsewhere hopefully soon. Another change is Yazoo Brewing Company and that taproom closing. Cheers to Happy Hour! Thanks for stopping by!

Steve Sullivan teamed up with Rich and Mitch from The Foamy Heads Podcast for a special collaboration episode recorded at the 4th Annual Cedar City Fall Brewfest in Lebanon, Tennessee. Meanwhile, Scott was off enjoying Kill the Lights craft beer festival in Knoxville!Breweries from across Middle Tennessee gathered to showcase some of their best craft beers, and we were there to sample, discuss, and break down what makes these local breweries special. From great beer and creative brewing styles to delicious festival food, we're bringing you the full Brewfest experience!John Overby – Cedar City Brewing Co. | Lebanon, TNCedar City head brewer John Overby joins us to discuss the brewery's core beer lineup and his passion for exploring different beer styles. As Lebanon's craft beer scene continues to grow, John shares which styles are gaining popularity among local beer drinkers. We also discuss an exciting collaboration with Smackdab Brewing in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, another brewery represented at the festival.Sean Cassidy – TennFold Brewing | Donelson, TNWe also catch up with Sean Cassidy, head brewer at TennFold Brewing in Nashville's Donelson neighborhood. Sean shares his journey from being a regular TennFold customer to becoming its head brewer, a position he's held for over a year.We discuss TennFold's diverse and consistent lineup of core beers, along with some of the experimental brews the team has been working on. And, of course, Rich has a few questions about what's brewing behind the scenes!Join The Brewery Underground Podcast and The Foamy Heads as we celebrate the breweries, brewers, and craft beer community that make Middle Tennessee such a great place to enjoy local beer.Cheers!

We're celebrating National Mead Day at HoneyTree Meadery in Nashville, Tennessee, with founders Ross Welbon and Dru Susan for a conversation about craft mead, Nashville's craft beverage community and the changing drinking habits shaping the industry.Recorded during The Brewery Underground Podcast's third anniversary celebration, Ross and Dru share what's happening at HoneyTree Meadery, including new bottles and branding, lower-ABV and non-alcoholic beverage options, supporting local bees, building community and what's next for their Nashville meadery.We also explore how consumer preferences are evolving, why creating welcoming gathering places matters, and how independent producers like HoneyTree are adapting while staying connected to their local communities.Beyond the mead, this episode is also about friendship.Ross and Dru have always treated us like family. They're two of the friendliest people you'll ever meet, and we're incredibly fortunate to know them and have their continued friendship and support.A special shoutout to our good friend JT for creating the music featured in this episode and our anniversary episode! We loved the song so much that we used it for both the intro and outro.Join us as we celebrate National Mead Day, great friends and the people helping shape Nashville's craft beverage community.Cheers!

We got BEER MAIL! Our good friends Nick and Ashley sent us a surprise box packed with 12 beers, so naturally we had to fire up the cameras and see what was inside.And this box did NOT disappoint.We uncover several different RAR PB Galaxy beers, Divine Barrel’s Ice Cream Paint Job, The Alchemist, Dogfish Head, New Belgium, New Trail Brewing, and one beer that immediately got our attention — a PICKLE LAGER from Tree House Brewing.There’s no interview, no real plan and definitely not much preparation. Just Scott and Steve opening a box, talking beer and discovering what our friends sent us.A huge thank you to Nick and Ashley for putting together such an awesome selection of beers from all over. Now comes the hard part…deciding which ones we’re drinking first.Cheers!

Three years, 146 episodes, and a whole lot of great beer and even better people!We’re celebrating the third anniversary of The Brewery Underground Podcast from Honeytree Meadery in East Nashville. We look back at how much the Nashville craft beer scene has changed over the past three years, from new breweries and closings to acquisitions, changing taproom experiences, and the continued evolution of craft beer.We also reflect on how the podcast has grown, what we’ve learned along the way, some of our favorite experiences, and the friendships we’ve made throughout the craft beer community.And since it wouldn’t be much of an anniversary celebration without friends, several familiar faces join us throughout the episode to talk beer, mead, Nashville, and plenty more.Grab a beer—or a mead—and celebrate three years underground with us!Cheers!

Colorado Beer Hunter Tom Munden joins The Brewery Underground Podcast for a conversation about Colorado craft beer, brewery travel, beer judging, Cicerone certification and the craft beer community that connects people across the country.Steve and Scott first connected with Tom through the podcast before meeting him and his wife, Tracy, during a visit to Nashville, Tennessee. We spent an evening together at Stoke Haus Brewing and Barbecue in East Nashville, sharing great beer, plenty of laughs and a few unexpected surprises.Known online as Colorado Beer Hunter, Tom has traveled extensively throughout Colorado, exploring breweries, discovering new beers and documenting his adventures through social media and his brewery travel website.Tom shares his experiences visiting breweries across the state, including the unique beer destinations and communities that make Colorado such an exciting place for craft beer enthusiasts.As a Cicerone-CBS, Tom also brings his knowledge of beer styles and evaluation to the conversation. We discuss his experience judging at a local beer festival, what goes into evaluating different styles and how beer judging can help develop a greater appreciation for flavor, aroma, balance and brewing techniques.That leads us into a discussion about seasonal beers, particularly pumpkin beers, and the different opinions surrounding one of craft beer's most debated fall traditions.We also dive into Untappd, beer ratings and how enthusiasts use the platform to track their experiences, discover breweries and share opinions about the beers they drink. Tom has logged plenty of beers himself, giving us another perspective on how ratings influence the craft beer community.Beyond the breweries, beer styles and ratings, this episode is also about the friendships that develop through a shared passion for craft beer.What started with Tom listening to a Nashville-based craft beer podcast eventually turned into a friendship, a brewery meetup and another great conversation connecting Tennessee and Colorado.Whether you're interested in Colorado breweries, craft beer travel, beer judging, Cicerone education, Untappd or simply discovering new places to enjoy great beer, join us for this conversation with Colorado Beer Hunter Tom Munden.Cheers!

Our friend Cody Brown from Cody’s Beer Adventures sent us a box, so naturally we had to open it on camera and see what was inside.We dug into a haul featuring North Carolina craft beer from Salty Turtle Beer Company, Bill’s Brewing Company, Wilmington Brewing Company and more, with everything from hazy and West Coast IPAs to a honey brown ale. And Cody didn't stop at beer. There were a few bourbon and whiskey surprises hiding at the bottom of the box too. Thanks to Cody for the killer beer mail and for giving us another reason to put Wilmington and the North Carolina coast on our craft beer travel radar.This is a BONUS VIDEO and not a numbered episode of The Brewery Underground Podcast.Cheers from The Brewery Underground!

We’re smack dab in the middle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee for a special collaboration episode with our friends The Foamy Heads!For Episode 144 of The Brewery Underground Podcast, we sit down with the team behind Smackdab Brewing for a behind-the-scenes look at a brewery that’s getting closer to opening its doors. Located just south of Nashville in Murfreesboro, Smackdab is preparing to become the newest addition to Middle Tennessee’s growing craft beer scene.We recorded inside their future taproom while the work was still underway, giving us a chance to hear the story before the first official pint is poured.The Smackdab crew shares how a group of homebrewers spent years working toward opening their own brewery, why they chose to put down roots near downtown Murfreesboro, and the work that has gone into transforming an older family-owned building into their future home.We also talk about their plans for the beer. Expect everything from traditional lagers, Czech pilsners and dark beers to hazy and West Coast IPAs, fruited sours and more experimental releases. Smackdab even has a cool concept planned for its beer menus: “Analog” for traditional styles and “Digital” for the more modern and experimental side of craft beer.And because this is a Foamy Underground collaboration with our good friends Rich and Mitch, you know there are plenty of laughs, beer conversations and detours along the way.Join The Brewery Underground Podcast and The Foamy Heads as we get an early look at Smackdab Brewing and the next chapter of craft beer in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and the greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee beer community.This is a Foamy Underground Production.Cheers!

The Brewery Underground Podcast hits the road for our annual Cincinnati craft beer adventure! Steve and Scott spend a week exploring breweries, taprooms and beer destinations throughout Cincinnati, Ohio, and Northern Kentucky, including a visit to the 50th anniversary of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati.From longtime favorites to new discoveries, we revisit some of the breweries that have made Cincinnati one of our favorite beer destinations while checking out new places along the way.Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Breweries We VisitedOur brewery adventures included:Brink BrewingBraxton Factory 52Wooden Cask BrewingHofbräuhaus NewportDarkness BrewingNorthern Row Brewery & DistilleryLittle Miami Brewing CompanyBig Ash BrewingStreetside BreweryDead Low BrewingEsoteric BrewingWest Side BrewingHighGrain BrewingRhinegeist BreweryMadTree BrewingMt. Carmel Brewing CompanyWandering Monsters BrewingParadise BrewingAnd yes, we even discovered a craft beer taproom at a Marathon gas station!Hofbräuhaus Newport & Oktoberfest ZinzinnatiOne of the highlights of our trip was a special invitation to tour Hofbräuhaus in Newport, Kentucky, where we got a behind-the-scenes look at the brewery and enjoyed some of its traditional German beers.We also attended the 50th anniversary of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, one of Cincinnati's biggest annual celebrations of German beer, food and culture.During the festivities, we had the opportunity to meet Jim Koch, co-founder of Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Company, while reconnecting with friends from across the craft beer community.Wandering Monsters & Cincinnati Beer CommunityAnother memorable stop was Wandering Monsters Brewing, a brewery that had been on our list for quite some time. We attended a special ticketed beer event that turned into one of the standout experiences of the week.Throughout the trip, we experienced firsthand what makes Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky such incredible destinations for craft beer fans: historic brewing traditions, innovative independent breweries, welcoming taprooms and a beer community that continues to bring people together.Whether you're planning a Cincinnati brewery tour, looking for new craft beer destinations, interested in Oktoberfest Zinzinnati or simply enjoy hearing about great brewery adventures, come along as we share the beers, people and experiences that made this trip memorable.Prost!

It's Oktoberfest season, and we're celebrating by bringing together our original Episodes 108 and 109 into one complete conversation with Hofbräuhaus America!Steve and Scott are joined by Steve Ksycki and Jerry Bishop from Hofbräuhaus America to explore the beer, history, culture and traditions behind one of the most recognizable names in German beer.We discuss what makes an authentic Munich Oktoberfest beer different from many Oktoberfest beers Americans are familiar with, why Hofbräuhaus chose to bring the same style served in Munich to the United States, and how centuries of Bavarian brewing tradition continue to shape the brand today.We also explore the legendary Hofbräuhaus München, the history and pride surrounding Bavarian beer culture, the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law), traditional German beer styles, proper glassware, Hofbräuhaus locations in the United States, and what it takes to bring authentic Hofbräuhaus beer from Munich to American beer drinkers.And, of course, we get into Oktoberfest itself, including the six Munich breweries, the beer served at the festival, and why Hofbräu's connection to Oktoberfest is about much more than simply releasing a seasonal beer.Whether you're planning an Oktoberfest celebration, love German beer, have visited Munich, or simply want to understand the history behind the beer in your stein, this episode is a deep dive into the traditions that have made Hofbräuhaus part of Bavarian beer culture for centuries.Prost!