Ep. 222 - Julia Herz of the American Homebrewers Association

Alexandra Nowell, the long time brewer, hop advocate, and all around good person, is here for a conversation about how this past season went in the Yakima Valley, and to talk about her new brewery in Ohio, the Mellotone Beer Project. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.SponsorsFestival of Wood and Barrel-Aged BeerIf you appreciate the precision of barrel-aged beer, you got to check out the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in ChicagoYou’ll get access to more than 350 beers, ciders, meads and perrys from 13 style categories brewed by the world’s top barrel-aged brewers—all under one roof. The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in Chicago takes flight November 22nd and 23rd in Chicago.Grab your crew and get your tickets now and at Fobab.comHost: John HollGuest: Alexandra NowellSponsors: All About Beer, Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged BeerTags: Brewing, Hops, Yakima, Ohio, New Brewery, IPA, HellesPhoto: 

We're glad to welcome Breandán Kearney to the show. He’s the author of the soon-to-be released book Hidden Beers of Belgium, which as the name suggests, covers the beers you might not have heard of from that beer loving country, but should be drinking. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.SponsorsFestival of Wood and Barrel-Aged BeerIf you appreciate the precision of barrel-aged beer, you got to check out the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in ChicagoYou’ll get access to more than 350 beers, ciders, meads and perrys from 13 style categories brewed by the world’s top barrel-aged brewers—all under one roof. The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in Chicago takes flight November 22nd and 23rd in Chicago.Grab your crew and get your tickets now and at Fobab.comHost: John HollGuest: Breandán KearneySponsors: All About Beer, Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged BeerTags: Brewing, Belgium, Books, Drinking, History, InnovationPhoto: Breandán Kearney

A conversation with Matt Van Wyk of Alesong Brewing and Blending, which was just named Brewery of the Year at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.SponsorsFestival of Wood and Barrel-Aged BeerIf you appreciate the precision of barrel-aged beer, you got to check out the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in ChicagoYou’ll get access to more than 350 beers, ciders, meads and perrys from 13 style categories brewed by the world’s top barrel-aged brewers—all under one roof. The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in Chicago takes flight November 22nd and 23rd in Chicago.Grab your crew and get your tickets now and at Fobab.comHost: John HollGuest: Matt Van WykSponsors: All About Beer, Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged BeerTags: Awards, Oregon, Wood, Barrels, Cocktails, BrewingPhoto: Courtesy of Alesong Brewing and Blending

Em Sauter is an artist, writer, and the co-host of the All About Beer Podcast. She’s also the author of several books. Her most recent came out last month and is titled Pairing Beer with Everything.  It’s a collection of suggestions on what beer pairs best will all aspects of life, from food to TV shows, sports teams, even the weather. It’s entertaining and hard work to get right. She talks about her process, protecting art, and how to find that perfect pairing.  Visit pintsandpanels.com to learn more.For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.SponsorsFestival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer If you appreciate the precision of barrel-aged beer, you got to check out the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in ChicagoYou’ll get access to more than 350 beers, ciders, meads and perrys from 13 style categories brewed by the world’s top barrel-aged brewers—all under one roof. The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer in Chicago takes flight November 22nd and 23rd in Chicago.Grab your crew and get your tickets now and at Fobab.comHost: John HollGuest: Em SauterSponsors: All About Beer, Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged BeerTags: Art, Beer, Pairing, AI, WeatherPhoto: Em Sauter

As a drinkers, it’s hard not to get excited when you hear brewers talking about ingredients. The passion, the exploration, the flavor. There is so much the main ingredients in beer bring to the glass.  This week it’s a trio of brewers talking about how they approach ingredients, from hop selection, to heirloom corn in lagers. It was recorded in front of an audience of brewers at the annual Schilling Oktoberfest in New Hampshire, and the panel includes:  Maggie Pinto left a successful job in home infusion pharmaceuticals to pursue her dream of brewing beer. She enrolled in a craft beer brewing program at a local college, found a job at a small local brewery (Fidens) and worked her way up from the taproom and can sales. Now, she brews beer every day of the week!  Frank Zagami is Co-founder/Head Brewer of Deciduous Brewing Company in Newmarket, NH with his wife Maryann. Founded in 2014, he is striving to brew exceptional beer within all styles.  And Spencer Longhurst is a graduate of the American Brewers Guild's Brewing Sciences and Engineering Program. Growing up in the Canadian Rockies, Spencer has cultivated a diverse brewing career having lived and brewed in Canada, the UK, Australia, and the United States. Currently, he serves as the Head Brewer at Barrique Brewing & Blending in Nashville, Tennessee, where he specialises in open-fermented mixed culture beers and continental lagers. With a strong commitment to using local and seasonal ingredients. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuests: Maggie Pinto, Spencer Longhurst, Frank ZagamiSponsors: All About Beer, Denver Rare Beer TastingTags: Corn, Lager, Brewing, Hops, Ingredients Photo: Zac Porter

Last weekend in New Hampshire, amid the revelry of the Schilling Beer Co. Oktoberfest – a festival I’ll say should be on your radar for next year – I got together with some brewer owners from around the country to record this conversation. There is a lot of uncertainty in the industry these days and folks are trying to figure out the path forward in real time. Talking with and listening to smart people offers up a lot of perspective.  Guests  Peter Kiley is Brewmaster and Co-Owner of Monday Night Brewing, and is an award winning brewmaster, winemaker and distiller from Atlanta, Georgia. From Monday Night’s inception, Kiley’s creative vision, recipe development and multifaceted approach to alcohol production have set the groundwork for the brewery’s worldwide notoriety. Kiley is a founding member of the MBAA Georgia chapter, a member of The Hop Quality Group, a published scientific author and has presented at both The World Brewing Congress and The Craft Brewers Conference.   Tom Beckmann is the Owner and Head Brewer of Goldfinger Brewing Company in Downers Grove, Il.  Upon graduating from the World Brewing Academy Master Brewer's Diploma program through Siebel Institute of Technology and Doemens Akademie in Munich, Germany, Tom became a production brewer at Lagunitas Brewing and later worked several years as a pub brewer at Emmett's Brewing Company. He established Goldfinger Brewing, an exclusively lager beer producer, in the summer of 2020 and has acute experience with lager brewing as well as what it is like to scale up a small, lager-centric, craft brewery.  Jeremy Grinkey, co-founder at Everywhere Beer Co has spent 20 years in the alcohol industry. Having spent half of that time making wine on the Central Coast of California and the remainder of that time managing beer production. Before co-founding Everywhere with a few industry colleagues, he was the Director of Production at The Bruery. Everywhere Beer Co was founded in 2022 and is focused on growing its community and delivering fresh beer as well as esoteric offerings to its dedicated fans. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuests: Jeremy Grinkey, Tom Beckmann, Peter Kiley Sponsors: All About Beer, Denver Rare Beer TastingTags: Business, Lager, Brewing, Economics, Photo: Zac Porter

https://staustellbrewery.co.uk/A conversation on the importance, process, and tradition of cask ale, with Georgina Young the brewing director of St. Austell Brewery. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Georgina Young Sponsors: All About Beer, Denver Rare Beer TastingTags: Britian, Drinking, Bars, Pubs, Cask Ale

Myths are everywhere in beer. We don't know when certain breweries were actually created, when some brewing styles were invented, or we have preconceived notions of how certain things should be. In reality, they are not true at all. Beer writer Jeff Alworth has a phrase for some of these: romantic facts. Some are semi-accurate but the truth is stretched slightly, which hurts no one and helps create legend and lore either around a specific brewery or a brewing process. Alworth lays out a list of these romantic facts for this episode of the All About Beer podcast to dig through in a fun and engaging interview about what is the "truth" of beer and does it really matter?This Episode is Sponsored by:Estrella GaliciaEstrella Galicia is an independent, family-owned brewery  in northwest Spain, founded in 1906.Estrella Galicia Cerveza Especial is a world class lager, brewed using the finest Spanish malts, locally  cultivated Galician hops and the best brewing practices, in a state-of-the-art facility in La Coruña . Recognized around the world for quality and exceptional character. Estrella Galicia is “A beer like no other.”Hosts: Em Sauter and Don TseGuest: Jeff AlworthSponsors: Estrella Galicia, All About BeerTags: Myths, Beer, Lager, AlePhoto: By John Holl

In Pub for All Seasons: A Yearlong Journey in Search of the Perfect British Local (Headline, 2024) Adrian Tierney-Jones  deftly unpacks what makes these locations so special, while also sharing details of his own life. The result is a page and calendar turner that helps reveal how different times of year bring out different experiences. It will inspire readers to get out of the traditional comfort zones and experience the Pub in all kinds of weather. For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Adrian Tierney-JonesSponsors: All About Beer, Denver Rare Beer TastingTags: Britian, Drinking, Bars, Pubs, Travel

There is no shortage of excellent places to drink in New York City, and on this episode, we're talking with Karla and James Murray, the photographers behind a new book Great Bars of New York City: 30 of Manhattan’s Favorite Storied Drinking Establishments (Prestel).  For more Drink Beer, Think Beer check out All About Beer.Host: John HollGuest: Karla Murray and James MurraySponsors: All About BeerTags: New York, Drinking, Bars, Photography