andy crouch

I’ve lived in the Boston area for more than 20 years now and it’s just a weird city when it comes to beer. Perhaps due to Sam Adams and Jim Koch, the city has earned an outsized reputation in the craft beer world. Compared to any other city our size population wise, we should have way more breweries and beer bars. Yet, Boston’s beer reputation is big. And there is one likely reason that Boston is considered such a great beer city and that is the focus of our episode today. 

Smart, dynamic, and funny, and with a deep-seeded passion for continuous improvement, Esther Tetreault was destined to run Trillium Brewing, the business she started with her husband JC in 2013. And while JC collects all the accolades for the beers he creates, it’s Esther who literally runs the show. And quite a show it has become. 

Entrepreneurship is rooted deep into Esther’s essence and Trillium is the perfect vessel into which to pour her considerable talents. She and JC have grown their once tiny nano operation into one of the most unlikely success stories in craft beer. Trillium is somehow only 8 years old but in that time, it has expanded exponentially, growing into a mini-empire. And that’s the result of this partnership between its founders, one on the creative side, one on the business end. 

The story behind Trillium’s founding and rise is a good one. Starting in a tiny space that was never meant for brewing in downtown Boston, Trillium has grown to multiple locations throughout greater Boston. Esther and I discuss what it’s like to be on a non-stop rollercoaster of growth and expansion, whether Boston is a great beer city, and what the future holds for her Mrs. Trillium brand.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guest: Esther Tetreault

The debate over which is the best American beer city has raged from the earliest days of craft beer. Powerhouse names such as Portland (both Oregon and Maine), Asheville, Denver, Chicago, and others have each made convincing cases. And right there from the beginning has been San Diego, basking in its sunshine and style defining West Coast IPAs, and smiling knowingly at its competition. 

This week we have one of the most dialed in people following the San Diego beer scene. Beer writer and marketer Brandon Hernández has been deeply plugged into the southern California beer scene for more than a decade. He has helped direct marketing at some of the area’s best known breweries, including Stone, Alesmith, and Societe. In 2019, the long-time writer decided to focus his efforts on creating a new interactive resource for fans of the area’s beer scene with the founding of San Diego Beer News. 

The site is a bit of a throwback to the earlier days of beer blogs and local brewspapers. Instead of doing deep dives into broad, weighty topics of national import, Brandon focuses on providing detailed and tangible information about San Diego breweries and beer bars. SD Beer News offers brewery maps, tap lists, interviews with local brewers and beer players, and lots of local beer news. 

A native San Diegan, Brandon is one of the most informed sources you’re going to find about that beer scene. And despite having worked for several local breweries and generally trying to promote San Diego beer, he’s not afraid to express opinions and offer critical thoughts as he does throughout this interview. It’s a refreshing break from so much retread that so often constitutes beer writing today. He also opens up in personal terms about some sensitive topics, including his own experience with sexual harassment at the hands of a local brewery owner. 

We also chat about the roller coaster that has been San Diego beer in recent years, touching on Ballast Point, Stone, Alpine Brewing, and the reckoning involving Modern Times and others.

Here is my conversation with writer and San Diego beer ambassador Brandon Hernandez. 

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

This Episode is sponsored by:

Source Brewing Company

We talk with Greg Taylor about Source Brewing Company's Inclusion & Diversity Scholarship, which offers underrepresented groups the opportunity to receive a world class education from the Siebel Institute in Chicago. Source is also proud to announce the opening of its second location, in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. If you are interested in the Inclusion & Diversity Scholarship, or are interested in working at Source in Philly, reach out to scholarshipcareers@sourcebrewing.com.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guests: Brandon Hernández
Sponsor: Source Brewing Company - Facebook: @sourcebrewing - Instagram: @sourcebrewing

Chris Shepard is one of the keenest voices in the craft beer industry. A Senior Editor for Craft Brew News at Beer Marketer's Insights, he covers the trade side of the craft beer industry with wit, wisdom, and a healthy dose of skepticism. 

You might wonder how a trained actor and theater director found his way to writing about the business of beer. Well, as you’ll hear Chris tell it, Beer Marketers is a 50 year old company, a true family run operation, founded by Jerry Steinman. His son Benj, a fixture in his own right in the beer business, followed in his dad’s footsteps and now runs the show. And for more than 40 years, Eric Shepard, Chris’s dad, has been working with the Steinman's. Eric, who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing beers with, is the VP/Executive Editor and joined BMI in 1977.

BMI is one of the oldest and longest running beer publications out there, certainly on the trade audience side of things. The company produces a handful of newsletters targeted at the broader beer industry as well as sponsoring conferences. BMI is a critical voice in the beer trade but it long focused almost exclusively on the big players for its largely wholesaler audience. But in recent years, the company has moved to expand its reach. One of the most prominent craft focused efforts has been Craft Brew News, which Chris writes and edits along with Benj’s son David. See, a true family operation spanning three generations.

Chris is one of my favorite people in the beer world. With more than 11 years covering the beer industry, he’s smart, compassionate, and thoughtful. We sadly only get to see each other once or twice a year, at beer events like the GABF or the Craft Brewers Conference. As you’ll soon hear, he’s an exciting voice in the world of craft beer and I’m looking forward to our next beer together.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

This Episode is sponsored by:

Source Brewing Company

We talk with Greg Taylor about Source Brewing Company's Inclusion & Diversity Scholarship, which offers underrepresented groups the opportunity to receive a world class education from the Siebel Institute in Chicago. Source is also proud to announce the opening of its second location, in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. If you are interested in the Inclusion & Diversity Scholarship, or are interested in working at Source in Philly, reach out to scholarshipcareers@sourcebrewing.com.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guests: Chris Shepard
Sponsor: Source Brewing Company - Facebook: @sourcebrewing - Instagram: @sourcebrewing

Today we talk with one of the most recognizable names in the beer industry at large. An aspiring rapper, occasional poet, famed brewery tinkerer, and now helping run one of the largest craft breweries in the world, Sam Calagione has had a storied and frenetic career. The co-founder of the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Sam Calagione’s story began in 1995 when he and his wife Mariah opened Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, the first brewpub in the State of Delaware. 

From the beginning, Dogfish established a reputation for innovation. Sam famously used non-traditional ingredients to brew a wide range of unusual and creative beers. To be sure, he was a master marketer but one whose core philosophy was always tied to making the best beer possible. 

As Dogfish Head continued to grow, so did Sam’s reputation and role as a statesman and ambassador for craft beer at large. And during this time, Dogfish Head were friendly competitors with another brewery run by a gregarious and colorful spokesman for craft beer in Boston Beer’s Jim Koch. The two breweries battled it out for a while there for the title of world’s strongest beer in the alcohol arms race of the mid 2000s and were frequently featured together in media about craft beer. 

Fast forward to 2019, almost 25 years into Dogfish Head’s journey, Sam and his wife sold the brewery to Boston Beer. The news surprised many in the world of craft beer but it makes sense when you consider the long standing relationship and respect shared by the two men. 

Now Sam has gone from running the smallest commercial brewery in the country to helping run one of the largest. He’s gone from brewing a few gallons of beer at a time to being worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It has been a crazy ride. 

So from a porch in coastal Maine, we catch up with Sam to talk about the deal with Boston Beer two years on, Dogfish Head’s recent innovations including in non-alcoholic beer, and whether the Brewers Association has provided enough leadership in the areas of racism and sexism within the craft beer industry. I also unearth a never before seen television series that Sam wanted to pitch with Michael Jackson and we discuss whether beer can ever work on television. 

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

This Episode is sponsored by:

Source Brewing Company

We talk with Greg Taylor about Source Brewing Company's Inclusion & Diversity Scholarship, which offers underrepresented groups the opportunity to receive a world class education from the Siebel Institute in Chicago. Source is also proud to announce the opening of its second location, in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. If you are interested in the Inclusion & Diversity Scholarship, or are interested in working at Source in Philly, reach out to scholarshipcareers@sourcebrewing.com.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guests: Sam Calagione
Sponsor: Source Brewing Company - Facebook: @sourcebrewing - Instagram: @sourcebrewing
Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos 

Among 19-20 year olds, only 1% do not have social media accounts. This statistic emphasizes the ever-growing presence that social media and technology have in our day-to-day lives. While this comes with its advantages, it’s also important to consider the dangers of such constant connection and how to create wise boundaries that help us live a “tech-wise” life. How can controlled usage of social media help protect us from its negative effects?

Amy Crouch is a student at Cornell University and, with her father Andy Crouch, co-author of “My Tech Wise Life: Growing Up and Making Choices in a World of Devices.” She joins Chris and Eddie to discuss what boundaries and understandings regarding technology are necessary to harness its advantages while mitigating its negative effects. Crouch bases her message around the understanding that technology is not a bad thing, but something that must be seen as a tool rather than a foundation of life. What does that look like practically? Tune in to the conversation to find out!

Order a copy of “My Tech Wise Life” by Amy Crouch and Andy Crouch here.

Follow Amy Crouch on social media:

instagram.com/amy.crou/

Writer Kenny Gould got his start with beer by running a tasting club in college. He was passionate about the subject so it remained on his mind after he graduated and moved to New York to work for Gear Patrol magazine. In his spare time, Kenny and a friend developed the concept for Hop Culture. In the beginning, the goals were simple, a place to post their articles about beer. A basic blog. But the idea quickly grew from there, developing into a daily online lifestyle magazine for craft beer enthusiasts as well as a seller of custom beer merchandise and host of craft beer festivals across the country.

Before COVID hit, Hop Culture planned to host a dozen fests around the country in 2020. But the pandemic grounded those plans. After running the business for four years and in the midst of a pandemic, Kenny made a key realization that many reluctant or unexpected founders fail to appreciate: he wasn’t built to scale his own business. He preferred working on the creative aspects of the business. So he decided it was time to find a partner. So in late 2020, Kenny found one in Next Glass, parent company of Untappd, Beer Advocate, and Ozner. 

Kenny recently moved back to his hometown of Pittsburgh from New York City, another pandemic influenced decision. At Next Glass, Kenny is now the creative director for the company’s growing list of brands, including one time competitor Beer Advocate. In this role, Kenny helps direct branding for Untappd and BA as well as for Untappd’s business clients as well as continuing Hop Culture’s successful event and merchandising elements. 

In our conversation, we discuss Next Glass’s plans for the future, including its direct to consumer plays, and where he hopes the company’s brands go. We also discuss our mutual love of Pittsburgh and its distinctive beer scene. 

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guests: Kenny Gould
Tags: beer, craft beer, Kenny Gould, Untappd, Beer Advocate, Next Glass, Pittsburgh craft beer
Sponsor: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos 

One of the best parts of covering the beer industry is watching fresh new voices enter the space. The craft beer industry has long suffered from a tendency to highlight the same people over and over again and beer media is no different. We in the beer press tend to group around well-known individuals and help elevate their thoughts and opinions while failing to dig deeper to hear from others. It’s a known issue and one we need to work to change. Also, such myopia deprives us of the new experiences and perspectives that others can bring to the table. It’s like drinking the same, staid Amber Ale forever. Having the occasional one is great but is that really how we want to live our shared lives?

Samer Khudairi certainly qualifies as one of those new voices. Based here in my home city of Boston, Samer has worked with breweries such as Jack’s Abby on its digital marketing efforts. He’s also a writer who covers design, music, action sports, and craft beer. It’s the last of those that caught my attention, including a long form piece exploring his own Iraqi family’s unlikely history with brewing. He’s also written lovely, intricate profiles of quirky beer industry personalities, such as Chris Lively of Ebenezer's Pub in Maine.

As you’ll hear in this wide ranging discussion, Samer is excited and passionate about craft beer, as interested in the business side of the industry as he is with the art and charm of the product itself. He’s a little excited and giddy about craft beer but also with a clear focus on what is important.

And while we’ve never met in person, he’s an engaging personality and someone I’m excited to have beers with when we get on the other side of the pandemic.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guests: Samer Khudairi
Tags: beer, craft beer, Samer Khudairi, Boston craft beer
Sponsors: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos and Bolide Communications 

This week we're catching up with Chalonda and Nik White to check out the Chicago beer scene that they both represent so well. Chalonda White represents one of the freshest voices on craft beer. And her husband Nik White is an old school Chicago beer guy. Together, this dynamic husband and wife squad are helping push the craft beer community forward. From her Afro Beer Chick handle on Twitter, Chalonda spits fire and truth, celebrating the breweries and beers that she loves while also keeping the industry honest with her unique brand of speaking the truth. In addition to her strong social media game, Chalonda also lights up audio channels with her own podcast, This Chick Talks Beer, which often highlights and promotes Black owned and operated breweries. In addition to talking about topics that are rarely covered in the beer world, such as sex and marriage, she also dishes on a wide range of serious social issues, ranging from sexual harassment to racial discrimination. Her contributions to the beer space are powerful and a bright spot for the future. 

Chalonda founded the Chicago chapter of Girls Pint Out,  a national craft beer organization that seeks to build a community of women who love craft beer. Many in the beer industry got to know Chalonda when in September of 2019, she received a message, filled with racist and sexist vitriol, including three uses of the N-word, and telling her that she had no business writing about beer. Most people would be forgiven for responding with expletives to such a racist troll, but Chalona took a different approach, writing “Well you seem so upset ... wanna have a beer and a discussion? I can’t take you serious when you hide behind technology.”

Her experience led to the creation of the powerful #IAmCraftBeer hashtag, that cascaded across social media with selfies and bios from people across the globe reminding us of the incredible diversity in craft beer. It was a beautiful moment in the face of naked bigotry. And Chalonda continues to move the conversation forward every day and week in her channels. 

I’ve known Chalonda’s husband, Nik, for probably a decade or more. I’m from Chicago and whenever I would be back visiting, I’d hit up some local beer bars or breweries. And nine times out of ten, I’d run into Nik at some point. He was like an unofficial ambassador in the Chicago craft beer scene and it was always great to catch up and have a few beers. Nik is a co-founder of Chicago Beer Geeks, which is a site dedicated to promoting beer events and locations around Chicago and surrounding suburbs. He also runs Chicago Beer Pass and the long-running podcast of the same name with his partner Brad, where they do deep dives into their favorite Chicago breweries and beers. 

By my mind, there are no two better people to catch up with to hear what’s happening in my hometown.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guests: Chalonda and Nik White
Tags: beer, craft beer, Chalonda White, Nik White, Afro Beer Chick, Chicago Beer Pass, Chicago craft beer
Sponsors: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos and Bolide Communications 

We start today with writer, editor, and my friend, Ben Keene, the former editor of Beer Advocate Magazine. Founded in 2007, BeerAdvocate Magazine went on to become one of the beer industry’s best publications. And to be sure, I’m a little biased. I wrote a monthly column for the magazine for more than a decade. In more than 130 columns, I wrote about my love of lager, the rise and fall and rise again of extreme brewing, and about all the little idiosyncrasies that make the craft beer industry the colorful place that it is. And for five of those years, I was fortunate enough to have Ben Keene edit my work.

Ben moved out to Seattle a few years ago and Beer Advocate Magazine quietly faded from existence. He had a kid and spends a lot of time, as I do, balancing the joys and challenges of parenting and the rigors of trying to write words about beer during a pandemic. The loss of Beer Advocate Magazine, while sad, has given Ben the opportunity to write more. He regularly contributes to VinePair, Sip Magazine, Craft Beer and Brewing, and many others. We discuss some of his recent articles in our conversation and hear about how the Seattle beer scene has fared in the past year.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. And visit Beer Edge for more articles and engaging content.

Host: Andy Crouch
Guest: Ben Keene
Tags: beer, craft beer, Ben Keene, Seattle Beer, Beer Advocate
Sponsors: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos and Bolide Communications 

Old pals John Holl, Neil Witte, Carla Jean Lauter, Josh Noel, and Andy Crouch get together to discuss 2020, the year that wasn't. This is part 2 of the conversation.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.

• Host: Andy Crouch
• Guests: Neil Witte, Carla Jean Lauter, Josh Noel, and John Holl
• Tags: beer, craft beer, Portland Beer, Neil Witte, Carla Jean Lauter, Josh Noel
• Sponsor: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos

In this episode with Chase Davis, we discuss several paradigmatic figures in the missional movement. We offer critiques of the most influential missional understanding today. The weaknesses of this understanding are explored in the face of Trumpism and Critical Race Theory. Finally, we consider eschatology and how it informs our here and now. 

Sign up for the Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/chasedavis

Follow Full Proof Theology on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fullprooftheology/

Follow Full Proof Theology on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fullprooftheology/

Looking back on 2020, one of the things I miss most is getting together with other folks in the beer industry, trading gossip and news, arguing a bit, and laughing over beers. Back in March, right before the long quarantine set in, my partner John Holl and I traveled up to Portland, Maine to speak at a beer conference. On the night before the conference, John and I hit up some of our favorite breweries around Portland, including Allagash where we ran into draft beer genius and longtime industry stalwart, Neil Witte, who was also speaking the next day. We headed back into town, where we met up with fellow beer writer, Carla Jean Lauter, at Novare Res. We debated, argued, and celebrated beer for hours before retiring to a local dive bar for round after round of karaoke. It turned out to the last real night out that any of us have had this year.

In this conversation, John and I get the gang back together, with Neil and Carla joining us. We’ve also invited our buddy Josh Noel of the Chicago Tribune back on the show. Josh is the author of the excellent, Barrel Aged Stout and Selling Out about the sale of Goose Island to Anheuser-Busch InBev. Folks, Christmas is coming up and this book makes a great holiday gift for your loved ones.

Carla is a beer writer based just outside of Portland, Maine, and the creator of the Is This Beer Name Idea Ok?, a flowchart that may save your brewery some serious social media fallout. And Neil is a Master Cicerone, a former Draft Quality Ambassador for the Brewers Association, and independent draft specialist and owner of TapStar.

We'll have part two of this conversation available in our next episode.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.

• Host: Andy Crouch
• Guests: Neil Witte, Carla Jean Lauter, Josh Noel, and John Holl
• Tags: beer, craft beer, Portland Beer, Neil Witte, Carla Jean Lauter, Josh Noel
• Sponsor: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos

Welcome to the second and final episode of the Beer Edge extended interview with Peter Bissell of Bissell Brothers Brewing in Portland, Maine. If you haven’t heard the first episode, I’d recommend going back and giving it a listen. With that said, you can also just listen to this one. Do whatever works for you.

In the first episode, we talked with Pete about hockey, his relationship with his younger brother and partner Noah, and how their shared vision for the Bissell Brothers business developed and evolved over time.

In this episode, we dig a little deeper and wax a bit more philosophical about business, beer, and life. Bissell discusses his influences, both in the beer industry and business in general, the importance of having one thousand true fans, and why it’s important that some people hate you. 

Pete is an avid consumer of books on business and philosophy and he’s prioritized a rare combination of introspection and regularly taking in the view from 30,000 feet. The beer business moves quickly, even before COVID. Pivoting, responding, keeping your head down and grinding is the everyday reality for nearly every brewery owner. Too few take much time to consider their circumstances and consider how and whether to change them 

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.

• Host: Andy Crouch
• Guest: Peter Bissell
• Tags: beer, craft beer, Maine craft beer, Bissell Brothers Brewing, Peter Bissell
• Sponsor: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos

On this episode of the Beer Edge podcast, with Peter Bissell of Bissell Brothers Brewing, one of the beer industry’s most interesting voices. Founded in 2013, with a mission to change people's perceptions of what beer and the beer experience can be, while always staying dedicated to its home state of Maine, the Bissell brothers were unlikely owners of a craft brewery. As you’ll hear, Noah, who runs the technical and brewing side of the business, was only 21 years old when he pitched his older brother Peter, who runs the business and marketing sides of the operation, to open the brewery.

In this first episode of a two part series, we go deeper with co-founder Peter Bissell to capture more of the essence of Bissell Brothers and explore Peter’s engaging and introspective business philosophy.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, follow us on Twitter @thebeeredge. There is more information, articles, and engaging content at Beer Edge.

• Host: Andy Crouch
• Guest: Peter Bissell
• Tags: beer, craft beer, Maine craft beer, Bissell Brothers Brewing, Peter Bissell
• Sponsor: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos

Welcome back to the Beer Edge podcast. In last week's episode, we talked with Joey Redner of the Cigar City Brewing Company about his origin story, what got him into beer, and the state of the beer scene in Florida when he started his brewery. If you haven’t listened to that episode, I’d recommend pausing this one and going back and giving it a listen.

In part two of the interview this week, we explore how Redner started to think about Cigar City’s future and what gave him second thoughts about navigating it alone. We go into detail about his thought process leading up to the sale of his brewery, his interactions with Anheuser-Busch and why that deal didn’t go through, and why going deeper into debt scared him. Redner tells us how the brewery eventually got so big that it grew beyond both his talents and interests. He always envisioned running a small, innovative brewery. And Cigar City was no longer a tiny operation. We also talk about Redner’s thoughts on the evolution of the American craft beer industry, how it has changed and changed him, his love of classic beer styles, how he hopes that Dunkel becomes the next rage. 

It bears repeating that this interview was recorded about a year ago, long before the pandemic. But it remains a pretty compelling listen. Here’s the second half of our conversation with Joey Redner.

For more Beer Edge Podcast 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.

• Host: Andy Crouch 
• Guest: Joey Redner of Cigar City Brewing 
• Tags: Beer, Craft Beer, Florida, Anheuser-Busch, Cigar City Brewing
• Sponsor: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos

Before Cigar City Brewing got its start in 2009, the beer scene in Florida was a shell of its current self. There were a couple dozen small brewpubs largely scattered in tourist areas around the state. And the quality of beer was, well, enough to drive you to buy Michelob Amber Bock and Yuengling. In the midst of all of the middling amber and brown ales served in local brewpubs, one local beer geek dreamed of something more. At the time, Joey Redner was writing a beer column for a local newspaper in Tampa. He had a passion for beer but his options were pretty limited on the gulf side of Florida. But as you will hear, with the support and encouragement of his father, Joe Redner, Joey took the blind leap into opening a small brewery in a state that didn’t seem to care about flavorful beer. The timing couldn’t have been better. Craft beer was continuing its march across the country and with so many craft beer loving northerners visiting Florida in the winter months, there seemed like a natural base to build on until the locals came around. Despite some initial reluctance, those locals did see the light. After opening, Joey had to send beer to New York and Philly to make sales. But pretty quickly, Cigar City retrenched in St Pete and Tampa and started to go deep in the local scene.

And Joey discovered a knack for capturing the attention, passion, and ultimately the dollars of craft beer geeks. The annual Hunahpu’s Day became a must attend event for beer geeks and helped influence the modern day ticker/trader movement.

In 2016, Redner faced a crossroads in determining how to manage the fast growing brewery’s future. His decision shocked many in the beer industry: he would sell the brewery to Oskar Blues Brewery and Fireman’s Capital. In this interview, Joey goes into great detail about the events leading up to the sale, including his unrequited flirtations with Anheuser-Busch, and what convinced him to sell.

To tell the story of the godfather of craft beer in Florida, now one of the nation’s most engaging beer scenes, we’re spreading it out over two episodes. In this first episode, we start with the early days of Cigar City and work our way up to just before the sale. In the next episode, we’ll talk in detail about the sale, how the brewery moved forward, and what the future holds for both Joey and Cigar City.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, 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.

Hosts: Andy Crouch
Guests: Joey Redner
Tags: beer, craft beer, Joey Redner, Cigar City Brewing, Florida beer
Sponsor: Arryved - Facebook: @arryved - Instagram: @arryved - Twitter: @arryved_pos

Here's a piece of advice: find someone who talks about you the way Theresa McCulla talks about Charlie Papazian’s brewing spoon. As the curator for the American Brewing History Initiative at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, McCulla spends her time trying to capture modern American brewing history and manifesting it for the viewing public to experience and learn from.

Yes, McCulla is a beer historian but she’s already heard all of your jokes. She’s got the greatest job in the world. She must drink beer all day long. How can you get her gig? One way to do it is through more than a decade of dedicated study and scholarship at Harvard. When the Smithsonian hired her in 2017, a bit of a media whirlwind followed, replete with good-natured ribbing and laughs about the position. But McCulla’s work provides a critical and much needed understanding of “how Americans have used material and visual culture to define race, ethnicity, and gender, especially in the realm of food and drink.” Specifically in her work as curator of the American Brewing History Initiative, McCulla collects objects, documents, and oral histories from the “talented women and men who make the American brewing industry the most creative in the world,” as she notes. This includes selecting and preserving key or curious items from American craft brewing history, including Papazian’s homebrewing paraphernalia. Contained in a museum that also displays Julia Child’s full kitchen, the American Brewing History Initiative is the first national-scale, scholarly effort to collect the histories of homebrewing and craft beer in the 20th and 21st-century United States.

Breweries in other countries have long made it a practice of preserving their beer histories. And while the biggest American breweries typically have private archives that are rarely open even to scholars, smaller craft breweries haven’t given much if any thought that what they were doing would be of interest to historians. McCulla is trying to change that mindset by collecting and displaying some of the industry’s historic items.

In our wide-ranging conversation, McCulla talks about homebrewing with her dad when she was a kid. We also discuss the importance of taking a broader approach to the history of beer and brewing in America, one told through a very different lens than what you usually read in modern beer histories. And we talk about what a museum based historian does when her museum is closed for months due to a pandemic.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, 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.

• Hosts: Andy Crouch
• Guests: Theresa McCulla
• Tags: beer, craft beer, Theresa McCulla, National Museum of American History, American Brewing History Initiative, Charlie Papazian

Garrett Oliver has been on a bit of a media blitz in recent months following his announcement of the formation of the Michael Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling. The foundation, as you will hear, will fund technical education and career advancement opportunities for black, indigenous, and people of color in the brewing and distilling industries. Oliver is obviously well-known as the long-time Brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery. And in that role he has seen the beer industry change and evolve in amazing ways. He’s also seen it stay the same in some troubling others. 

Oliver stands in a unique position in the craft beer industry at this point in time. In one sense, he is a statesman for flavorful beer, one of its longtime and most popular advocates. He is a renowned author, a frequent speaker and teacher at events around the globe, and a James Beard award winner. In another, he is routinely one of the only Black people to be found at industry events, even those that have thousands of attendees. Lately, Oliver has been ruminating on the topic and he has a lot to say. 

During his many recent media interviews, Oliver has frequently noted that in his decades at Brooklyn, he had never had a black person apply for a brewing job there. At first, the line strikes you as a bit shocking. But after a few moments of reflection, you start to winder, “How is that possible?” Never had a single application? How did Brooklyn Brewery, located in one of the most diverse places on earth, let that go on for so long? It’s a question that Oliver is still grappling with and he discusses the issue at length in this interview. He also grapples with the criticism that his high standards, which require a formal brewing education for brew side staff, has served as a restrictive force, an act of gate keeping that kept out Black applicants. And while you will hear him contemplate the subject, you’re not going to hear him apologize for reaching for excellence in his staffing. 

In this interview, Oliver takes us all the way back to the beginning, talking about his upbringing in Hollis, Queens, and where he developed his special relationship with food. We also discuss the state of beer journalism, his thoughts on Dave Infante’s article on Black people in the beer industry that we discussed on last week’s podcast, and his plans for the Michael Jackson Foundation.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, 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.

• Hosts: Andy Crouch
• Guests: Garrett Oliver
• Tags: beer, craft beer, Garrett Oliver, Michael Jackson Foundation. beer journalism, Dave Infante, Brooklyn Brewery

Writer Dave Infante spent nearly a decade cranking out articles on a wide range of topics for Thrillist, from the best Snapchat filters to why he only packs dirty clothes when he’s traveling. He also wrote a lot about craft beer. For his work on this latter topic, Infante won two James beard awards. He’s not an inside baseball craft beer writer. He’s not a fan boy or a zealot. Instead, he’s a self-trained reporter, a teller of colorful and poignant stories. He has a keen eye for an interesting story and has the ability to get out and cover all the angles. He has an engaging voice and a casual but pulsating style that draws you in. He’s also a funny and entertaining interview.

Infante has also written for the New York Times, the Guardian, and Huffington Post. But it was his work for Thrillist that gained him notice in the beer world. One article that he wrote in 2015, titled “There are almost no black people brewing craft beer. Here’s why.” netted him one of those Beard awards. That particular article has continued to reverberate around the craft beer world, including recently. It’s not usual that brewers remember something that a beer writer produces, but this particular piece stuck with Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver who gently called out Infante by name in an Instagram post announcing the creation of the Michael Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling. And in an unplanned twist, you’ll get to hear from both Infante and Oliver on back to back Beer Edge podcast episodes. They’ll discuss their interactions and opinions on the much heralded and challenged piece. Today we talk with Dave and next week we have Garrett on to discuss the Jackson Foundation and the Infante piece.

Infante somewhat recently moved from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina. He landed a gig as a part time writer for the local paper, the Post and Courier, where he covered booze and the local restaurant and food scenes. When COVID hit, he got laid off and returned to freelancing. And he’s now out with a new email newsletter covering drinking culture, being online, and beyond. It’s called Fingers (he’ll explain why in the episode), which you can subscribe to at fingers.substack.com. Go subscribe. So far he’s covered serious issues, such as racial diversity and inclusion in the beer industry as well as his open letter application to become White Claw’s new chief of marketing.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, 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.

• Hosts: Andy Crouch
• Guests: Dave Infante, Fingers newsletter
• Tags: beer, craft beer, beer journalism, Dave Infante, Thrillist, Fingers, Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery

Julia Herz has been a passionate advocate for American craft brewers for nearly two decades. In her role as craft beer program director for the Brewers Association, Herz helped build public appreciation for craft beer all while helping to promote the interest of member breweries. She wrote a book on tasting beer, gave dozens of keynote addresses at conferences, and countless interviews to the media. Perhaps more than anyone else at the organization, Herz was the public face of the BA and by extension of craft brewers. That was until June 2020, when budget cuts at the BA resulted in Herz and many other longtime employees being laid off. Julia is smart, polished, and an effective voice for craft beer and breweries. And despite her departure, she has nothing but kind words for her former employer. In this interview, we discuss the early days of the BA, how it developed into the massive organization that it was in early 2020, and how the layoffs effected her and others. We also discuss the BA’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, her future plans, and whether she has any seltzer in her fridge.

For more information on the Beer Edge Podcast, 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.

• Hosts: Andy Crouch
• Guests: Julia Herz, former Craft Beer Program Director for the Brewers Association
• Tags: beer, craft beer, Julia Herz, Brewers Association