Beer Busters

Just in time for dry (or at least a little less damp) January, we are joined by Jamie Fay, the Founder and CEO of the fastest-velocity brand in the non-alcoholic craft beer category, RationAle Brewing. We learn about the uniquely personal origin story of RationAle, nerd out quite a bit about the NA brewing process, talk about the many and varied reasons for the increasing popularity of the non-alcoholic category, and a whole bunch more things. In Happy Fun Time, we play a round of Libation or Fabrication featuring all NA beers. Join us as newly minted mavericks for this awesome brand, and fans of its enthusiastic and amiable founder, with a cool quaff with or without the heat, as we venture into this fascinating space.

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For nearly a decade, almost as long as we’ve been doing this podcast, Stickman Brews has been the unequivocal purveyor of the finest beers in Southeastern Pennsylvania. As of October 2023, this, like all good things, has come to an end. In all seriousness, Ethan Buckman – the inimitable proprietor and brewer for Stickman – along with partners Jim Buckman and Kate Sorrento, and many other fine folks who worked to make Stickman the unique endeavor that it was, have joined the ranks of our most loved and appreciated friends in the industry. We sit down this episode with Ethan for his “exit interview” to discuss the factors and decisions that lead to the closing, the state of the beer industry (and food and beverage generally) and where it may be headed, and of course some ruminations on what the future may hold for Ethan. While we are sad to see the end of Stickman Brews, the friendships we made along the way will endure, and we are certain there are great things coming from everyone who was a part of the Stickman team.

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After a three-year hiatus, the Wine & Dinosaurs fest at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science returned for 2023 and we were once again on-location doing the pod thing. Presented by M&T Bank, all proceeds from the event featuring wine, food, and of course great beer, go to supporting the museum and its mission. We catch up with a few old friends from some of the state’s awesome breweries, and meet some new ones as well. This is one fest we’ve always enjoyed for its laid back feel, top-notch food, and – best of all – being surrounded by all the funducational wonders this incredible museum has to offer.

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We are down one Beer Buster this episode as Dan was unable to join us, but we soldiered on and welcomed Adrián & Sebastián, founders of Barra Brava Brewing Company and lovers of all things soccer. Incubated on site at Marz Community Brewing Company, where Sebastián is Head Brewer and Adrián is Production Manager, Barra Brava’s mission is to ultimately create a home for beer and soccer enthusiasts in Chicago. We chat about the birth of Barra Brava, plans for the future, more incubation plans at Marz, and learn a whole hell of a lot about soccer and the amazing community around the sport loved across the world. This episode’s Happy Fun Time segment features quite a tasty game of There’s Weird in My Beer. GOAL!

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With decades of experience in the beer world, Larry Horwitz is The Greatest Talker in Beer. Currently Head of Brewing Operations at Crooked Hammock Brewery, he is overseeing a complete overhaul of their core beers. We chat about that, all things Crooked Hammock, but also we go on plenty of tangents as Larry recounts beer stories from the past and insightful commentary about the state of the industry today. All of this, plus valuable life lessons, a round of the rare Band or Beer in Happy Fun time, and a whole lot more, so join us for a spell and stick around for one last Totally Unnecessary Drink.

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Co-Owner and Head Brewer of Succession Fermentory, Keith Hartwig joins us this episode. Succession is a farmhouse brewery located at Stella Lou Farm in Cochranville, PA. Opened in 2022, Succession produces sour and farmhouse ales using locally grown and sourced ingredients. A rare Friday night recording session sees a little more consumption than typical as we discuss everything from trifoliate oranges to spontaneous fermentation. Plus the usual backstory and some more conversations about agriculture. This episode’s Happy Fun Time segment features a game of a classic, original flavor, Libation or Fabrication, and all segments feature mirth and merriment.

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Founder and owner of Ploughman Farm Cider, Ben Wenk joins us this episode as we take another of our occasional departures from the world of beer. Wenk is a seventh-generation farmer at Three Springs Fruit Farm in Aspers, PA, where apples for Ploughman products are sourced. We go deep on apples in this one, from training trees to apple genetics, plus the Wenk family farm history, how they got into cider making, the Gettysburg Taproom, and much more. This episode’s Happy Fun Time segment features a twist on a classic with There’s Weird in My Cider, and some Ploughman ciders are sampled by some participants.

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All Beer Busters Podcast hosts are present and accounted for again as we welcome Rob Tarves, Co-Founder of Our Town Brewery in Lancaster, PA. Our Town is a community-focused brewery with a vision for using fresh, innovative beer and a thoughtful food program to further connect people in Lancaster. We chat about the journey to opening the doors at Our Town, including how Tarves and Co-Founder Rob Patz’s time at multiple breweries over the years drove home the theme that breweries are huge parts of the communities that they operate in, the unique history of the building they occupy, their soon-to-open tap room in Philadelphia, and much more. Dan is back at the helm, and in Happy Fun Time Games we play a round of There’s Weird in My Beer.

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We’re down one co-host this episode as Dan was otherwise engaged on the evening of the occasion of this recording. But Wayne does his best to hold the reins as he and Steph welcome Josey Schwartz, owner and brewer at Suspended Brewing in Baltimore. Located in the historic Pigtown neighborhood, Suspended is a fully vegan, cruelty free company with a mission to show that social justice and ecological stewardship can be a viable combination for business, and to be an uplifting presence in their community. We have lots of great conversation about these values and goals and much more. This episode also sees the debut of another new Happy Fun Time Game, Rumination or Fabrication. Cheers and lay your fears to rest, Dan will be back.

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Joining us this episode is Julie Verratti, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer at Denizens Brewing. The founding of Denizens is a unique and compelling story, full of intrigue and – more seriously – political lobbying and law reform. We also get deep in the weeds on packaging sizes, barriers to entry for small businesses in certain sectors (related to the aforementioned packaging), taxes, and a lot more shop talk. Every once and a while we have an episode where we really dig into some niche industry topics that don’t always come up, and this episode is full of them. We love these types of conversations and we know most of you do too! So, sit back, strap in, and let us tell you about 19.2 oz cans…

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This episode is (almost) entirely devoid of guests. But don’t worry, our trio of stewards will guide you through this auditory experience, and you will emerge a more fuller version of yourself. Plus, Patrick Reed, a founding organizer of Ephrata Brewfestpops in to give us the details on the upcoming 2023 festival at Whistle Stop Plaza in Ephrata, PA on June 24th. This is, legit, one of the most chill and fun beer fests to be found in our neck of the country. We have covered several in years past. Get your tickets for 2023 now, DD tickets are available! Further topics of conversation include: Steph’s enjoyment of the Pink Boots West Coast IPA – Simply the Zest, Logjammin’ with Human Robot, the Ever Grain beer we enjoyed at Wayne’s recent wedding, at much more of varying degrees of amusing, informative, and rejuvenating.

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In a wild and spontaneous episode (see what we did there?), we are joined by Co-Owner of The Referend Bier Blendery, James Priest. Specializing in spontaneous fermentation and blending, The Referend opened in Pennington, New Jersey in 2016 and relocated to Pinnacle Farms in Kutztown, PA in 2021. We take a dive into the world of traditional, wild fermentation and the craft that goes into it, as well as some risks and pitfalls. Other topics include aroma terroir, barn cats, and Ethan Buckman. In Happy Fun Time, we played a round of There’s Weird in My Beer featuring all brews from Earthbound Brewing in St. Louis, Missouri. Grab a mug of warm goodness and settle in to learn about the stewarding of wild little bugs that work hard so we can have such complex, delicious beer.

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We're joined this episode by some old friends and new from various corners of the beer world, all serving as the Leadership Team for the Pink Boots Society Greater Philadelphia Chapter. With local chapters across the world, Pink Boots' mission is to assist, inspire, and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry through education. Beyond serving for this amazing organization, this episode's guests are active in many areas of the fermentation world. Finance Liaison, Brandalynn Armstrong, runs Drinks With Brandalynn, offers consulting services, beta-tested Instagram, and is involved in a million other cool beer things and advocacy efforts. Carly Chelder, heads up Chapter Scholarships and is Co-Founder of Tannery Run Brew Works in Ambler, PA. Meredith Rebar is the owner of Home Brewed Events (we made a video there about a thousand years ago). Secretary Sarah Jagiela is a Kombucha Brewer at Baba's Bucha in Phoenixville, PA. There is no shortage of inciteful conversation and a dash of shenanigans in this episode. Further information on some topics can be found at:

Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day - Pink Boots' largest annual fundraising event. Registered teams brew beer and participate in Collaboration Brew Day, donating portions of the proceeds of their sales to help fund scholarships that support the Pink Boots mission.

Lifting Lucy - Supporting Black, Indigenous, and all Women of Color (BIWOC) in beer industry events and educational opportunities.

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We kick off Dry January with a brewery producing some of (if not the) best non-alcohol brews available. Joining us are Zoe Riccio, Director of Global QA and Compliance, and Russ Meister, Head of Quality, at Athletic Brewing. With facilities on both coasts, Athletic not only produces world-class liquid without the booze, they are also committed to being positive, inclusive, encouraging, collaborative, and people who are known to be a force of good. We chat about the inspiration for an exclusively NA brewery, try to extract what secrets we can about the process, learn about all the considerations that come along with producing NA beer – many of which we wouldn’t have thought of, and much more. In Happy Fun Time, we play a round of Libation or Fabrication: The Moving Pictures Edition, a game all about beer names inspired by movies and tv. Whether your January is fully dry, a little drier than usual, or if you just want a flavorful option without the booze any time of year, you can find Athletic cans just about anywhere there is beer, and you won’t regret giving it a try. 

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Why not leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice and consider supporting us on Patreon.