While other 90s brewpubs have disappeared, Iron Hill Brewery only gets stronger Do you remember the brewpub boom of the 1990s?  It seemed like there was one on every corner.  John Harvard's and Hops were a couple favorites in Atlanta, and Sundays on the patio of Atlanta Beer Garten listening to 99x's Resurrection Sunday still conjures very fond memories.  All of those brewpubs are long gone, along with many others founded during the 90s boom.  Beating the odds, Mark Edelson's Iron Hill Brewery is still going strong, and getting stronger. Edelson joined us on the show this week to talk about what gave his brewpub staying power over the years and what's in store for the future.  We talk about his days as a member of the board at the Brewers Association alongside the likes of Mitch Steele, Ken Grossman, Peter Bouckaert, and Mr. Charlie Papazian.  He tells us about the challenges of defining a "craft brewery" and shares his thoughts on the biggest challenges today's brewers face. Iron Hill has the impressive distinction of winning medals at the Great American Beer Festival for 20+ consecutive years included being named Best Brewpub.  As the brewery approaches their 25th anniversary this November Edelson has plans for some big beers, he reveals the "big one" on the show this week.  We chat about their new production brewery in Exton, PA and their entry into the distribution market, as well as recent events at their newest pub right here in Atlanta.  Oh, and some chatter about cave-aged beers and cheeses. The Beer List Iron Hill Brewery Homestead Farmhouse Ale Dankonia NEIPA Partake Blonde (Another dive into our #DoctorsOrders NA beer series) Craft Beer News Sam Adams is Buying A Beer For People Who Post Vaccination Proof on Social Media Busch Wants to Put Your Pup To Work as Its Official Dog Brew Taster 100% Cave-Aged, Spontaneously-Fermented Beer Collaboration Being Released More Great Brewpubs The Cannon Brewpub with Brewmaster Charles McLendon | Ep. 220 Wrecking Bar Brewpub | Ep. 123 LOVE THE SHOW?  PLEASE SUPPORT US ON PATREON!

Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast

Iron Hill Brewery celebrates 25 years

 Sometimes Roadmap Brewing Co.'s Dustin Baker misses the classroom Before opening Roadmap Brewing Co. founder and brewer Dustin Baker was a middle school teacher.  He admits that sometimes he still misses the classroom.  When we spoke Sant Antonio had hit 100° that day, I think a cool and comfortable classroom would sound pretty good to me, too.  Baker got started brewing after he received a homebrew kit as a wedding gift and with lots of help from his wife and parents, Roadmap Brewing came to life in 2018. Although Dallas / Fort Worth and Houston have thriving beer scenes, Baker admits San Antonio is just starting to catch up.  He's doing his part by offer awesome brews like Italian Pilsners, English Pub Ales, and of course plenty of IPAs and Sours.  We talk some on the Italian Pilsner and even dive into Gruit, a beer-like brew made without hops - although they cheated a bit and added a few to theirs...  We even discuss the greatness of the minivan, as Baker is a proud Mini Van Dad. If you take a trip to San Antonio make sure to stop by for a pint or two.  The brewery is a short walk from the Alamo, which we're told is actually kind of underwhelming.  Oh well, that will leave plenty of time for enjoying tasty beers. The Beer List Roadmap Brewing Craven Cottage ESB Electric Skateboard Session IPA Lil Rhody NE IPA Mini Van Dad DIPA Minor in Italian (Italian Pilsner) Professor Plum’s Alibi (Fruited Kettle Sour) Samoa Cookie Stout Craft Beer News Brewers Association Has Released Their Industry Production Report for 2020 Bart Watson Says Craft Beer Will Likely Return to Growth in 2021 Beer Brewing Simulator Game is Coming to PlayStation in 2022 More Great Texas Breweries Pat Korn heads to Texas as Brewmaster at Vista Brewing | Ep. 175 Sipping Sasquatch with 903 Brewers | Ep. 173 

Roadmap Brewing, where all roads lead to beer

Back Paddle Brewing brings craft beer to tiny Lincolnton, Georgia Back Paddle Brewing is a newer brewery in the small town of  Lincolnton, GA.  They are the first, and only, brewery in town and in an area that isn't exactly craft-focused.  Owner Kyle McCloud and Head Brewer Jason Slater spend time with their new customers educating them on craft beer but they still get plenty of people looking for something that "tastes like Bud Light." McCloud opened his brewery on a tight budget and built much of the space himself, including his brewhouse.  Without the budget for expensive, jacketed fermenters that would allowing cooling his beer to proper fermentation temperatures for most yeast he decided to brew with all kveik and Norwegian Farmhouse yeasts instead.  These unique yeasts are able to do their work at higher temperatures than most others.  Back Paddle offers many styles that you don't typically see using kveik, like an Imperial Stout and Scottish Ale.  We also discuss the brewery's mission to support his community through his #beer4good program and donate to veterans' organizations.  [caption id="attachment_47626" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Back Paddle Owner Kyle McCloud presents a check to The Fallen Outdoors Georgia Chapter as part of his #beer4good program. (Photo: Back Paddle Brewing)[/caption] Never Alone IPA seeks to raise mental health awareness and suicide prevention We also speak with DJ Brian Orlando about his collaboration with Long Island's 1940s Brewing Company.  Never Alone is a DDH NEIPA that supports mental health awareness and suicide prevention by donating a portion of their proceeds.  Orlando lost a friend to her battle with depression and he supports these causes any way he can. Two years ago he brought members of Candlebox, Wheatus, and Sponge together to shoot a video for Choose Song at the brewery for the same cause.  You can view the video by scanning a QR code on a can of Never Alone, or right here. Mental health awareness and suicide prevention resources National Institute of Mental Health - Awareness and Education National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call: 800-273-8255 Chat: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ Official Website The Beer List Back Paddle Brewing Battle of Dunvegan Scottish Ale Cat Lying in the Sun Tripel Couldn’t See the Ground Imperial Stout Old Fashioned Superstition Lager Sheets of Empty Canvas Back IPA W.A.P. IPA Craft Beer News The Brewers Association’s List of the Top 50 Breweries for 2020 An Illegally Bulldozed London Pub Was Reconstructed Brick By Brick A Virginia Brewery Is Seeking Recognition For The World’s Hottest Beer More Great Breweries Going Strapless with Bootstrap Brewing | Ep. 252 Sixpoint Brewery talks Lager Love and Beer Education | Ep. 247 Non-alcoholic craft beer with Bravus Brewing Co. | Ep. 244 If you enjoy the show please consider supporting us on Patreon!

Back Paddle Brewing with Kyle McCloud and Jason Slater

 Switchback Brewing is going to smoke all the beers Switchback Brewing founder Bill Cherry has a passion for smoked beers.  He approaches smoke from a culinary standpoint, not to overwhelm the beer with smoky notes but to add depth and character to the beer while showing smoke as a legitimate flavor component. Through their Flynn of Fire Smoked Beer Initiative Switchback shows off the world of smoked malts.  Their "Smoke-ometer" shows you what percentage of smoked malt is in each beer and you may be surprised at the subtleties of a beer with 25% of the malt bill smoked.  However, Switchback's top-selling beer is smoke-free.  Switchback Ale is not only the brewery's top seller but also the #1 selling beer in Vermont.  The beer was developed as a "flavor concept" and doesn't necessarily adhere to any specific style.  It's a drinkable amber-ish beer that blurs the lines between complexity and simplicity. We also discuss Switchback's upcoming 20th anniversary and the decision to make the brewery 100% employee owned. Although I went into the show a smoke hater I left with a greater appreciation for smoky beers and what can be down with smoked malt.  I'm still not on board for in in-your-face Rauchbier, but I'm down with what Switchback is doing. The Beer List Switchback Ale (American Amber) Barrel-Aged Blackstrap Ale (Flynn on Fire Series) Bisounnay Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Saison (Flynn on Fire Series) Unkel Dunkel (Flynn on Fire Series) Craft Beer News Stone Has Agreed to Pay In Excess of $1.8 Million To the TTB Sierra Nevada Set a Guinness Record With a Keg and a Trebuchet A Hack Forced Molson Coors To Stop Making Beer More from Vermont breweries 14th Star Brewing with co-founder Steve Gagner | Ep. 193 Lawson’s Finest Liquids with Sean Lawson | Ep. 190 von Trapp Brewing | Ep. 127 

Smoked Beer and More with Switchback Brewing's Bill Cherry

We want to Make Saisons Cool Again It wasn't that long ago that saisons were one of the popular styles.  Several breweries offered up some variation or another and a lot of great collaborations came about.  The saisons are still there, they just don't have the hype they used to.  We'd love to see them come back around. The saison style started in 1700s in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium.   Each farm brewed their own take on these Farmhouse Ales in the cold months for seasonal farm workers (Saisonnièrs) to drink during the warm months.  This gave farm workers something to do in the cold months, used up any excess grain, and provided a clean and safe source of hydration for farm workers.  Each worker may drink up to 5 Liters per day of these low ABV (3.0-3.5%) beers as they toiled away.  As each farm used the resources they had available it was difficult to nail down an exact saison style at the time.  Today, the style has some definition but still offers up a lot of variation.  The alcohol content has creeped up a bit and the ones that fall into the range of the originals are known as a Table Beer. Saison lovers Britt Teusink of brewery in planning Frameshift Fermentation and Brandon King of Stout Brothers Beer Markets joined us on the show this week to dive into the style.  Teusink plans to brew a variety of saisons at Frameshift and has his own blended culture to provide a unique character to each of his brews. Saison Lovers Unite!  (L-R) Brian Hewitt, Britt Teusink of Frameshift Fermentation, Brandon King of The Stout Bros., and Tim Dennis. The Award-winning Synesthesia Saison Recipe Saison is a great style for new homebrewers to try out as the yeast is very open to higher temperatures that don't require temperature control.  Pitch your yeast at room temperature and let it go and you should end up with a great saison.  For the malt bill you can use all Pilsner malt, or toss in some spelt or wheat to your liking.  Experienced homebrewers can expand on the style with the huge variety of yeasts available or culture their own. Here's our recipe for Synesthesia Saison.  We've consumed gallons of this beer and it's won a handful of medals in homebrew competitions.  If you try it out let us know what you think. Synesthesia Saison Type: All-grain Batch size: 5.5 gallons OG: 1.053 FG: 1.006 Efficiency: 70% ABV: 6.2% IBU: 23 Ingredients 8 lbs 8 oz Pilsner Malt 1 lb 8 oz White Wheat 1/2 oz Hallertauer @ FWH 1/2 oz Saaz @ 60 minutes 1 lb Belgian Simplicity Candi Syrup @ 10 minutes 1.0 oz Mosaic @ flame-out for 10 minutes WLP566 Belgian Saison II Yeast Process Mash for 75 minutes at 148°F and sparge to target volume.  Boil 120 minutes following addition schedule above.  Chill to 67°F and pitch healthy yeast into well oxygenated wort.  Start fermentation at 67° and ramp 5° every 24 hours to 90°, allow to ferment for a total of 14 days, verifying FG is reached.  Bottle condition to 3.0 vols for at least a month (you can drink it earlier but it’s much better after a month+), beer develops champagne-like characteristics with age. The Beer List Allagash Saison Violette Boulevard Saison Brett Creature Comforts Common Things Dupont / Allagash Brewer's Bridge Jester King / Buddha's Brew Collab (saison and kombucha hybrid) Saison Dupont Variant Dream Balloon Craft Beer News An Overwhelming Majority of Beer Drinkers Want Direct-To-Consumer Shipping An Online Writing Platform is Looking for Beer Hangover Testers Goldman Sachs Says No- and Low-Alcohol Beers Could Reach $3 Billion by 2025 Check out these farm-fresh episodes Saison Season with Logsdon Farmhouse Ales | Ep. 235 Boulevard Brewing’s Steven Pauwels | Ep. 180 Farmhouse Funk with Fonta Flora’s Todd Boera | Episode 152   

The Saison Show - Origins, Style Profile, and Homebrewing Tips

Social Fox Brewing powers through the pandemic to celebrate 1st Anniversary It wasn't by choice that Social Fox Brewing opened at the start of the pandemic.  However, they've made the best of it and soon they'll be celebrating their first anniversary.  The Social Fox crew joined us in the studio this week to share some beers and chat.  Head Brewer Craig Smith along with co-owners Mike Greene, Mark Klafter, and Scott Norwood all came along for the ride. Social Fox recently released their first beers in cans and has more in the pipeline.  They recently released Straight Outta Norcross, a West Coast IPA, to give visitors a break from all the haze out there.  Gold Belt Golden Ale also offers a drinking beer when you just want to take it easy and not overthink what's in your glass.  On the opposite side of that coin they've also released some Oenobeers, a beer-wine hybrid, and plan to brew more of those as well. As the weather warms up (at least here in the South) we talk about seasonal drinking and how much that impacts our beer choices.  You know we're not scared of a stout in Summer, but it is nice to look forward to those fair weather beers. Look for Social Fox cans around Georgia or visit their taproom in downtown Norcross. Social Fox Brewing 20 Skin Alley Norcross, GA  30071 470-359-4109 https://www.socialfoxbrewing.com/ The Beer List Social Fox Gold Belt Golden Ale Social Fox Straight Outta Norcross West Coast IPA Social Fox Tumblefield IPA Alesmith Kickbackrelax Crushable IPA Highland Brewing High Pines IPA Craft Beer (and Coffee) News Platform Beer Company Has Closed Their Columbus, OH Tap Room Researchers Have Made Big Strides in Expanding Our Understanding of the Hop Genome Aging Beer Was Stolen From A Sunken Ship of the Coast of Argentina Check out these other great episodes Tomme Arthur of The Lost Abbey and Port Brewing | Ep. 242 Ninjas and Unicorns and Pipeworks Brewing | Ep. 238 Stouts are for Summer with Orpheus Brewing’s Jason Pellett | Ep. 179 

Social Fox Brewing on Oenobeer and 1st Anniversary

 Bringing coffee and beer together makes for one great beverage Adding coffee to beer in modern brewing only goes back a few decades but individually both have been enjoyed for centuries.  For coffee, the story traces back to an Ethiopian goatherder who noticed his flock full of energy and "dancing" after eating a small red fruit off of some shrubs.  The goatherder  figured he'd give it a shot as well and soon joined his energetic goats.  The origins of beer, as we've discussed before, isn't crystal clear, but suffice it to say beer has been a part of our lives for a long time. We sat down this week with Apotheos Roastery's Adam Silverberg, Dale Hughes, and Jason White to learn more about that coffee origin story and how it spread across the world.  White also shares some info with us on the roasting process and the flavors in coffee that compliment our beloved beers.  We sample a few brews as we chat and we all left dancing like a bunch of goats. Visit Apotheos Roastery in Kennesaw, GA or order online.  Apotheos also has a subscription service to try their newest blends every month. Apotheos Roastery 2871 Cherokee Street Kennesaw, GA  30144 404-665-5350 Hours | Mon-Fri 10-6, closed on Saturday and Sunday Shop and Subscribe | https://www.apotheosroastery.com/ The Beer List Allagash Barrel and Bean Carton Regular Coffee Founders KBS 2017 Founders KBS 2020 Monday Night Brewing Loving Cup Craft Beer (and Coffee) News A High Percentage of Hawaiian Competition-Winning Coffee Lots Using Controlled Fermentation Del Hall is Going on a Beer-Only Diet For Lent Again This Year Heineken is Cutting 8,000 Jobs As Part of Their Plan To “Move Beyond Beer” Check out some of our other episodes Bourbon: Origins, tasting, and recommendations | Ep. 261 Diversity in Craft Beer with Atlantucky and Leaders of the Brew School | Ep. 248 Ancient Ales and Historical Brewing with Beer Archaeologist Travis Rupp | Ep. 191 

Coffee and coffee beer with Apotheos Roastery

 Mikerphone Brewing's Mike Pallen is inspired by music Mikerphone Brewing founder and owner Mike Pallen didn't set out to be a brewer.  Although his dad worked at Miller, he didn't want his son to follow in his footsteps and urged him to go to college.  So Pallen did just that.  After getting his degree he began a career in the music industry with the ultimate goal to work at Capitol Records in Los Angeles.  That didn't happen.  However, along the way he found his love for brewing and after working at a couple of Chicago breweries he decided to start his own. Music was still very much in his blood and that inspires every beer made at Mikerphone.  Each beer is named after a song our group.  The artwork reflects the names with some familiar nods as well as some that take a bit of thought.  The artists portrayed on the beers have been mostly supportive.  When Pallen received an email from Eminem's management over his Slim Hazy beer he expected a request to cease and desist.  Instead, they loved the name and even met with Pallen in New York. Mikerphone Brewing's Mike Pallen having fun with some barrels. (Photo: Mikerphone Brewing) The allure of Smells Like Bean Spirit If you have limited knowledge of Mikerphone's beers you probably know of Smells Like Bean Spirit stout.  The label reflects Nirvana's Nevermind album, very accurately.  "Bean Spirit" has seen many variations with different coffees and adjuncts.  Pallen put a lot of work into the best method to use to get the coffee into Bean Spirit to get the best flavor and minimize the possibly of bringing the green pepper taste that can happen.  It worked.  We sampled the Barrel Aged Super Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit as we talked.  It's thick and luscious and paints the inside of your glass while delivering huge dark chocolate, coffee, and maple.  Mikerphone has plenty more to come in this series. Mikerphone Brewing Malört Crush Crush Crush is coming for your enjoyment. (Photo: Mikerphone Brewing) Beer aged in Malört barrels? If you know Malört you'd think it would be the the last barrel a brewer would reach for to age their beer.  But when the distiller reached out to Pallen to see if he wanted first crack at some to age beer he didn't hesitant to jump at the opportunity.  The brewery received excellent feedback on the first beer they did in the barrels, a Pilsner.  Coming up are a milkshake IPA and solera saison, and Smells Like Bean Spirit will get the Malört treatment as well.  Pallen said he can't wait to showcase, and for others to see, what the barrels impart to their base beers. The pandemic may prevent a huge party but Mikerphone is going to celebrate their 6th anniversary the best they can.  They're brewing up six beers for the occasion that will be available at the brewery.  Pallen is also starting to think of a second location for the brewery in Wisconsin and he reveals the name he has in mind as well as the awesome concept. The Beer List Crush Crush Crush | Vanilla Orange Milkshake IPA Do You Remember the Time | Brett Farmhouse 2 year Solera Flagpole Citra | DDH IPA In a Blender Smoothie | Berliner with strawberry peach and banana Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit Double Canadian Maple Barrel Aged Super Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit Thursty DIPA Craft Beer News The World’s Oldest Mass Production Brewery Has Been Discovered in Egypt Los Angeles Health Inspector is Caught on Camera Dancing in a Brewery Heineken is Cutting 8,000 Jobs As Part of Their Plan To “Move Beyond Beer” More Chicagoland Beer Off Color Brewing with co-founder John Laffler | Ep. 223 Revolution Brewing with John “Jumpy” Palos | Ep. 202 The Chicago Brewseum | Ep. 198 

Music and Malört with Mikerphone Brewing

Whiskey comes in many forms, but bourbon is America's spirit The origins of bourbon are both known and debated.  We know early settlers in Virginia and Kentucky made use of the abundance of corn to distill their whiskey, but there are a variety of stories on who was first to put it in a new, charred oak barrel and to actually call it bourbon.  No matter the exact origins of bourbon we now have a spirit that is all American to enjoy.  Congress declared so in 1964 stating that bourbon is a "distinctive product of the United States."  Score one for America. We're joined this week by Bruce Tierney, all around aficionado and spirit consultant to Dekalb Bottle House.  Tierney shares with us the history of bourbon, let's us know what it takes to call a whiskey bourbon, and offers some suggestions on affordable options to test the waters as well as some of the rarer bourbons to seek out.  We also discuss what flavors to look for when tasting as well as common off flavors, and a quick course on how to taste your bourbon. There's much more information on bourbon than we could cover in this show so we've included additional information and resources here.  Side note, if you're used to sampling beer in 4 oz pours know that 4-5 1 oz pours of bourbon kick harder than you think.  Proceed with caution. Copper pot stills at ASW Distillery in Atlanta, GA (Photo: Thechadwix, CC BY-SA 4.0) What makes a whiskey bourbon? Must be produced in the United States Many people mistakenly believe bourbon must be made in Kentucky but it can be made anywhere in the US.  Several other countries support the American origin, but some do not.  Be careful when purchasing overseas. Must be made from at least 51% corn Has to be aged in new, charred oak barrels Can be distilled to no more than 160 proof.  Higher proof distillation begins to strip flavors. Has to be entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof Must be bottled at 80 proof or more There is no minimum age requirement for bourbon as long as it meets the above guidelines Outside of these requirements there are several variations allowed such as wheated and "high rye" bourbons, bottled-in-bond, straight bourbon and blended bourbons. How to begin your bourbon experience Tierney has offered up his very detailed advice on how to get started with bourbon including notes for selecting a bourbon, glassware and tasting. My first recommendation for someone new to bourbon is to start your experience by tasting standard bourbons from the major producers first before deciding if you want to branch out and try other brands. I recommend brands that tend to be between 90-100 proof. Yes, that may seem a bit hotter at first but they also tend to be more flavorful. The minimum permitted proof is 80 proof and at that point you are drinking a good bit more water than bourbon anyway! If it seems intimidating to shell out the money to buy a bunch of different bourbons you are right! Although all of the major bourbon producers have a brand that costs in the $20-35 range it can still be a lot of money. Pick a couple that are of interest or are readily available in your area and start with those first. Don't try too many different brands to start with. Or if you are fortunate enough to live near a bar with a good bourbon selection start by tasting different bourbons a glass at a time if you don't want to commit to buying a full bottle. Any bourbon bar worth its name will have many if not all of the standard brands from the major distilleries. If they don't then you are in the wrong place! Try to learn a bit about the different bourbons you have selected. The internet can be your friend here. I can personally recommend straightbourbon.com as a good source for information about bourbon and many other types of spirits. Remember all bourbon is made from at least 51% corn but what is the rest of recipe of grains, known as the mashbill, that makes up the bourbon? Most bourbon use either rye or wheat as the "flavoring grain" in addition to the corn and a little bit of malted barley when you are buying brands from the major distilleries. Many people think of rye as making bourbon a bit spicier although to meet it seems a bit earthier than spicier. Is it mostly corn with a little bit of rye? Buffalo Trace falls into this category. Or does it have a lot of rye? Four Roses Single Barrel is one of the higher rye content bourbons. Maybe make those two your first choices and see which you like better! Most other brands tend to fall somewhere in between. Or is it a bourbon with wheat as the flavoring grain? This type is a bit less common but still readily available. Basic options include Maker's Mark, Larceny and Weller. Perhaps start your journey with a rye bourbon and a wheated bourbon. After you have tried your choices several times you can decide which one you prefer and then try something more similar to see what appeals to you. Try tasting the bourbon without adding anything at first. That means no ice, no water. Once you find a few you like you can then drink them however you like. But learning how to taste Bourbon is different from drinking Bourbon. Try to acquire a glass made for tasting bourbon and other spirits. A typical rocks glass works fine for drinking but to appreciate the aroma as well as the flavor a glass like a Glencairn that narrows a bit at the top helps hold in the aroma. A small tapered white wine glass can also work well but just be careful how much you pour! What looks like a small pour in a wine glass can be quite large. Have some water available. Water is useful to cleanse your palate between tastes in addition to keeping you well hydrated! It is also useful if you want to add a drop or two to your bourbon but only after first trying it without any water. An eye dropper is useful for adding water a drop or two at a time rather than just trying to pour a small amount in. You can always add more drops but you can't take water back out if you pour too much in. Try to think about what you taste and smell as you drink the bourbon. It is very useful when first starting out to take notes about each bourbon you try. Consider getting a small notebook to take those notes and be able to look at the notes from bourbons you may have tried earlier. Bourbon drinkers tend to refer to the flavors they appreciate when tasting by a variety of names. Does it have caramel or vanilla flavors? Fruity or herbal flavors? Woody or buttery flavors? If you are struggle to come up with descriptions don't panic! Instead, perhaps try looking up a Bourbon Flavor Wheel on line to help you try to determine what you are tasting. Four broad categories to think about when trying a bourbon include Appearance, Aroma, Taste, and Finish. Try not to look at reviews by somebody else before you taste. That will tend to put certain flavors and characteristics in your head. Instead do your own review first and then see what others said afterwards. Also, everyone's palate is different and your own palate can change over time depending on what you have eaten or been doing recently so what somebody else describes may not be what you taste. You may also want to taste the same bourbon several times over a period of days before making a decision on whether you like it or not. Note the color of the bourbon by holding it up to a light or placing a clean white sheet of paper behind the glass. Is it light and amber or dark brown? Is there a reddish hint to the color? Swirl it gently and see how quickly it and slides back down in the glass. The streaks or “legs” that appear may quickly drip down or it may happen a bit slower suggesting a more thick or viscous whiskey. Check the smell or "nose" of the bourbon. Open your mouth slightly and give it a gentle sniff by putting your nose practically in the opening of the glass. Do so gently because initially you make pick up strong scent of alcohol before you get the aroma of the bourbon itself. Don't gulp the bourbon down in a single quick swallow! Instead take a moderate sip and then let the liquid move across your mouth and tongue. Yes, it may burn a bit initially but you will eventually adapt to that. You will pick up different flavors on different parts of your tongue and mouth that you will otherwise miss out on. You can even “chew” on the bourbon gently to let it coat your mouth. Take your time before you swallow! Finally swallow the bourbon and try to appreciate the finish of the bourbon before reaching for the water! Does the taste linger awhile or disappear quickly? Did the flavor change by getting more sweet or bitter or fruity in nature? Pulling barrel samples at the Buffalo Trace Distillery (Photo: Buffalo Trace Distillery) The ten major bourbon distilleries Barton 1792 Distillery Sazerac owned Barton's primary brand is known these days simply as 1792. In the past they made an excellent budget bourbon called Very Old Barton 100 proof, a six-year-old bourbon that delivered great flavor for less than $20. But it was not not widely available and the six-year age statement was eliminated a few years ago. Barton doesn't really have a special limited release but has recently moved to expand their line of whiskeys with several new brands. But for someone new to bourbon the 1792 brand is the place to start. Brown Forman This distillery is primarily known for the brand Old Forester although the also make a brand called Early Times. Old Forrester 100 proof is readily available at a decent price and the recent release of Early Times Bottled in Bond is also well priced if sometimes less readily available. Brown-Forman has an ongoing release of other specialty bourbons and one annual allocated release known as Birthday Bourbon that celebrates the birthday of the founder, George Garvin Brown. It used to be more readily available and decently priced but has more than tripled in price over the last 8 or so years and is as hard to get as any of the special releases. The best place for the new bourbon drinker start is the standard Old Forester 100 proof. Buffalo Trace Buffalo Trace is a distillery with many brands that is owned by the Sazerac company. It has of course become the darling of the bourbon world primarily because of one name and that name, of course, is Pappy Van Winkle.  But Pappy is the brand of another company run by the descendants of Pappy Van Winkle. They currently source all of their bourbon from Buffalo Trace using the same mashbill as the Weller line of what is known as “wheated bourbon”. It is different from bourbon made under the various Buffalo Trace brand names because the Van Winkle family chooses bourbon that fits a particular flavor profile that they feel best represents their products.  Among the different Buffalo Trace brands that you may be familiar with are Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, EH Taylor and the Weller line of bourbons. Also from Buffalo Trace are several sought after but currently hard to find brands like Blanton's and Elmer T. Lee. The big annual special release from Buffalo Trace is known as the Antique Collection which includes George T Stagg, William Larue Weller and Eagle Rare 17 year-old bourbons along with Thomas H. Handy and Sazerac 18 year-old rye.  These have become extremely difficult to find and are usually marked up well above the suggested retail price much like Pappy Van Winkle bourbons. Four Roses There are four standard bottlings - Yellow Label (Which now has a beige label but is still often referred to as yellow label), Small Batch, Small Batch Select and Single Barrel. Yellow label is the lowest proof and least expensive but both small batch and single barrel are excellent bourbons well worth considering when starting your bourbon journey. Heaven Hill This distillery produces several bourbon brands that you may not even know are from Heaven Hill. They include Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna, Fighting Cock and Larceny. Old Fitzgerald and Parker's Heritage Collection are currently two of the primary annual special and allocated releases and periodically they release Elijah Craig 12 and Elijah Craig 18 barrel proof bottlings. Jim Beam Jim Beam is a well know and long-standing bourbon producer of many different brand names. The classic Jim Beam "White label" can be found almost anywhere in the country. Other brands from Beam include, Bookers, Bakers and Knob Creek which tend to be a bit more expensive although Knob Creek can still be a decent value. In addition, Beam makes a second mashbill or style of bourbon that include Basil Hayden's and Old Grandad which has long been regarded as an excellent budget bourbon. It comes in several proofs at 80, 100 and 114. The 114 may be a little strong for the novice bourbon fan but consider the 100-proof version or a Knob Creek 100 proof as examples of Beam bourbon. Maker's Mark Once an independent distillery making a wheated style of bourbon exclusively. It is now part of the Beam family (officially known as Beam-Suntory after they were purchased by the Suntory company of Japan). Maker's Mark used to make only one bourbon for domestic consumption now they have three, having expanded first with Maker's 46, which many think is a bit better than the standard, and the cask strength Maker's Mark bourbon. They don't really do a particular special release each year but have been doing variations on Maker's 46 lately. Midwest Grain Products / MGP MGP is unique in that it was the only major whiskey distillery not located in Kentucky. Instead, it is located just across the Ohio river in Indiana. They are also unusual in that they don't sell their own whiskey save for a few very limited exceptions. They do now have their own brand called Rossville Union which is a rye whiskey but to my knowledge they don't routinely sell their own Bourbon. Instead, they distill and age whiskey for other companies to buy and sell under their own label. As a result, there is tons of it on the market. The best way to tell if you have an MGP whiskey is to look at the label and see if it says "Distilled in Indiana". This most likely means the company either doesn't distill bourbon themselves or have only recently started distilling and need time for their own Bourbon to mature. And while bourbon enthusiasts sometimes make fun of the fakers and schemers who carelessly bottle MGP as if it were their own whiskey, it is important not to forget the great MGP bourbon and rye that has gone into various bottlings of excellent whiskey from places like High West, Smooth Ambler, Willett and others. Wild Turkey Wild Turkey has long had a large and loyal following and is often a spirit that bourbon enthusiasts look for old and rare bottlings from.  Brands include the basic Wild Turkey bourbon at both 80 proof and 101 proof along with Russel's Reserve, Rare Breed and Kentucky spirit. They have also started a premium line called Master's Keep which is a unique and different style of whiskey every year. This is a case where I would suggest the Wild Turkey 101 bourbon over the standard 80 proof version as the best place to start. Woodford Reserve Woodford is owned by Brown Forman but made it its own separate distillery. Well sort of! It is unique for being made by using pot stills rather than the more common column style still other major distilleries use. Some people, find the Woodford has a bit of a coppery or metallic component to the taste. In any case, typical Woodford whiskey is reportedly blended with whiskey from Old Forester to create a more balanced flavor. The basic Woodford Reserve is my recommendation to try if you want to compare it to other brands. (Tierney notes this is not one of his favorites.) Newer Distilleries Here are a few new up and coming Kentucky distilleries to look for after you have had time to develop your bourbon preferences: New Riff, Wilderness Trail, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Luxrow Distillery (recently purchased by MGP), Angel's Envy (Port finished Bourbon) Drink Local!In addition to these well-known distilleries many areas have local options for Bourbon.  Check and see what's available near you. Still want to learn more?  If you've got Hulu check out Neat: The Story of Bourbon, a great documentary featuring many of the master distillers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJHBLEaNZ3c The Beer Bourbon List Elijah Craig Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Four Roses Small Batch Georgia T. Stagg (Buffalo Trace Antique Collection) Old Forester 1910 Old Forester 1920 William Larue Weller (Buffalo Trace Antique Collection) Craft Beer News Hop Growers of American Have Released Their Annual Report For 2020 ABInBev Is Moving Production of Stella Artois To The US By The End of The Year Draft Sales Were Down 46% Nation-Wid During the Super Bowl Check out these other episodes... Beer & Bourbon & BBQ at The Nest | Ep. 254 Kombucha and Fermentation Fun with Cultured South | Ep. 236 Sake Primer with the Taps @ Ph’East | Ep. 214 

Bourbon: Origins, Tasting, and Recommendations

 Crooked Run Brewing is more than just beer When Crooked Run Brewing opened co-founders Jake Endres and Lee Rogan were just 25, making them the youngest brewery owners in Virginia. They've had great growth in the last seven years. The duo has opened a second location, started making wine, and launched their Native Culture sub-brand offering wild and spontaneous ales using Virginia ingredients. Endres joined us on the show this week to talk about the journey. We've got more hot coolship talk this week, a staple of their Native Culture series. They released their first Lambic-style beers in late 2020 and will release a Geuze-style later this year. Coolships, wine, and fruity seltzers In addition to beer they've also began making "low-intervention wine", also called natural wines, that use less or no additives in the process. Crooked Run has also got into the seltzer game, making massively overfruited versions. (How did we get here? Wasn't seltzer supposed to be a lighter, lower calorie alternative to beer??? Now we're overfruiting them and even making smoothie versions? Sheesh.) Like many breweries, Crooked Run has taken a hit from the pandemic. But shifting into more packaged product to go has helped them weather through. Enders is excited for what they've got planned this year, with big releases from the Native Culture series, more wine, and yes... even more of those fruit-filled seltzers. The Beer List 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Ommegang Three Philosophers Southern Grist Batida with Passion Fruit WeldWerks French Toast Stout Craft Beer News Uber Is Acquiring the Drizly Alcohol Delivery Service Achel Has Lost Their Official Trappist Designation Just the Taste of Beer Can Trigger a Rush of Chemical Pleasure More Sour and Wild Beer Getting Wild with Monday Night Brewing | Ep. 259 New Glarus Brewing’s Daniel Carey | Ep. 163 Sour Beer: Lambic, Geuze, Gose, and Berliner with Orpheus Brewing and The Woodlands | Episode 147 

Crooked Run Brewing with Jake Endres

 Monday Night Brewing's Peter Kiley talks about taking "safe" beers to the next level Monday Night Brewing started as a Bible study group with founders Jonathan Baker, Jeff Heck, and Joel Iverson.  In addition to learning the word the group brewed beer together, on Monday nights.  When popularity among their friends continued to grow they realized they may on to something.  Monday Night Brewing opened their original taproom in Atlanta in 2013. Brewmaster Peter Kiley tells how they brewed "safe" beers in the early days.  Golden ales, a "pseudo Pilsner", a simple IPA.  The beers weren't bad, they just weren't necessarily exciting, and the craft crazies demand excitement.  Kiley and I had a conversation many years ago about ideas he had for beers that would be expensive to make, and he wasn't sure that craft consumers would be on board with that.  In time, consumers demanded bigger, bolder, better beers, and they were willing to pay for them.  One of the early breakout beers was Bourbon Barrel Drafty Kilt, a barrel-aged version of their Scotch Ale. Fast forward to 2021 and Monday Night now has three locations making amazing beers.  Their original brewery and taproom on Trabert Avenue in Atlanta, The Garage on Atlanta's West End focusing on wild and barrel-aged beers, and a brewpub in Birmingham, AL.  In addition to The Garage they also have the Hop Hut at their original location that focuses on bold, small batch IPAs. We also dive into the wild world with Kiley.  He tells us about their coolship (dubbed The Crunkship) and what makes it special, the details of spontaneous and mixed fermentation beers, and why blending is important.    

Getting Wild with Monday Night Brewing

 UpCountry Brewing's John Cochran has a long brewing history UpCountry Brewing is one of Asheville's newer breweries but it's not the first brewing rodeo for founder John Cochran. Cochran got his start at Marthasville Brewing, one of Georgia's first and, unfortunately, short lived.  Way back in the dark ages (the mid-1990s) there wasn't much craft beer to be had in Georgia.  The US was feeling the effects of the 90s brewery bust and this little southern state was behind the times to begin with.  After departing Marthasville Cochran worked at Atlanta Brewing Co. where he met "Spike" Buckowski, the pair would eventually partner to open Terrapin Beer Co. Many years were spent working around the harsh Georgia alcohol laws to build Terrapin into one of the most popular breweries in the Southeast.  In 2016 MillerCoors took a "majority stake" in Terrapin.  Buckowski chose to stay with the company while Cochran departed to start UpCountry. This week, we talk about those early days of Georgia beer, the importance of diversifying your beverage portfolio, pickle beers, working with distributors vs. self-distribution, and a few other odds and ends. UpCountry Brewing Taproom The Beer List UpCountry Brewing Black Currant Gose Black is Beautiful Schwarzbier Dill Pickle Gose Scamper IPA Sippin' on Ginger Juice (Regular and Cherry) Craft Beer News Hill Farmstead Has Shut Down For 2 Months Falling Rock Tap House is Selling Off Rare Vintage Beer To Stay Afloat VinePair Says They Can Guess Who You Voted For Based On What You Drink More Carolina Beer Lonerider Brewing’s Galen Smith | Ep. 183 Palmetto Brewing and Catawba Brewing with owner Billy Pyatt | Ep. 177 Farmhouse Funk with Fonta Flora’s Todd Boera | Episode 152 

Asheville's UpCountry Brewing with founder John Cochran

 Welcome to the Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast!  We love craft beer and we love sharing with others.  Join hosts Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt every week as we talk with the amazing people of craft beer. We talk new beers and new breweries, brewing science, beer history, homebrewing, beer culture, and much more.  Grab a pint, have a seat, and tune in! CONNECT WITH BEER GUYS RADIO Got a question?  Comment?  Hate mail?  Send them all to beerguys@beerguysradio.com. Listen and Subscribe | https://pod.link/bgr Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/beerguys Website | https://beerguysradio.com Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/beerguysradio/ Twitter | https://twitter.com/BeerGuysRadio Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/ Buy Beer Guys Swag | https://beerguysradio.com/store

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Did you know a group of owls is called a Parliament? I was hopeful that Parliament Brewing Co. was inspired by some cool P-Funk but Brewmaster Justin Bosch tells us it's all about the owls as they convey a sense of community and contemplation. Bosch is part of the father/son/son trio behind Parliament and he took an interesting route to opening a brewery.  While pursuing a law degree he played professional poker, for his brewing certificate from UC Davis, and worked at Schlafly in St. Louis for a while prior to starting Parliament Parliament has some powerful neighbors with Russian River, Lagunitas, and Bear Republic just down the road.  In the heart of wine country there are still plenty of people looking for beer, and the beer and wine communities work well together.  Bosch tells us he frequently gets barrels from local wineries and has several beers aging in them now. We get into some saison talk and reminisce on their popularity a few years ago, talk more about wine and beer, and dive into experimentation and steps to developing a perfect recipe. 

Having a Hoot with Parliament Brewing Co.

  A youth YMCA club led the founders on a path to open Lake Tribe Brewing In their earlier years the founders of Tallahassee, Florida's Lake Tribe Brewing were in a YMCA youth group called... The Lake Tribe.  I know, spoiler alert.  Years later the fond memories of the group inspired the name of the brewery. Jesse Ross, one of the founders and Head Brewer joins us on the show this week to talk about the roots of Lake Tribe Brewing and how they started super small before expanding. The outdoor themed brewery started with just a 20-gallon brew system, the size of some homebrew setups.  As they made their (very) small batch beers they gained a following and eventually upped their game to a 20-barrel system. Ross talks with us about the challenge of growing hops in Florida and some of the experimental hops he's enjoyed experimenting with.  We discuss the small but passionate and growing Tallahassee beer scene and we get some details on their  WildWoods Series of sour beers, and the best outdoor activity to pair with a few of their beers. The Beer List Lake Tribe Beckster’s Satsuma Wheat Lake Tribe Camp Citra Dry Hopped Sour Lake Tribe Chopped Hazy IPA Lake Tribe Old Chief IPA (Extra Special IPA) Lake Tribe Red Cloud IPA 

The Great Outdoors with Lake Tribe Brewing

We talk beer, we drink beer, we have a good time. A craft beer podcast for everyone from the newbie to the expert. Awesome guests each week talking craft beer, homebrewing, beer science, culture and community, and more. Grab a pint and join us!