Expert interviews, brewing insights, and industry trends.
Annie Johnson has worked professionally in brewing, but she never gave up homebrewing or enjoying the adventure that comes with it—from reverse-engineering historical recipes to improving her brewing by becoming a beer judge.
In 2018, after being open barely a year, Kros Strain took home silver in the brand-new hazy/juicy IPA category at GABF, establishing a reputation they’ve been working to expand and develop ever since.
For Sam Pecoraro, head brewer of Von Ebert Brewing, articulating the idea of a new beer—flavors, aromas, mouthfeel, appearance—is the first step in writing a new recipe. Whether they’re brewing lager or IPA, it all starts with the written idea.
On the industrial eastern edge of San Diego County, a group of self-described delinquents have embraced a bit of SoCal outlaw culture with Burning Beard Brewing. The secret sauce? Being authentic and embracing fun, while painstakingly improving everything.
The brewers at Seventh Son in Columbus, Ohio, balance their focus on constantly improving their core “normal beers for normal customers” with their desire to apply culinary creativity to their brewing.
Ohio’s Wolf’s Ridge Brewing took home GABF medals two years in a row, then its Double Chocolate Rum Barrel Dire Wolf made our Best 20 Beers in 2020. In this episode, head brewer Chris Davison digs into barrel-aging, unusual coffee beer, and much more.
The head brewer for German-inspired Altstadt explains the process of dialing in their lagers on one of the most exquisitely built-out small breweries in North America.
For St. Elmo Brewing in Austin, Texas, great beer is as much about what you don’t perceive as what you do. From their crowd-pleasing Kölsch-style ale to hazy IPAs brewed with the same yeast—and even hard seltzers—the goal is seamless integration.
Swifty Peters and Amos Lowe collectively spent decades honing great craft lagers, long before they were trendy. In this episode, they discuss their unwavering commitment to making award-winning lager exactly the way they want it.
The head brewer at Wayfinder in Portland, Oregon, discusses their unique approach to making “wester than West Coast” IPAs with rice in the grist, warm-fermented lager yeast, and a kräusening process.
Dusan Kwiatkowski, head brewer at Austin lager stalwart Live Oak, shares the brewery’s philosophy and technical approach to historical styles such as their Pre-War Pils, Grodziskie, and more.
The cofounder of Weathered Souls and creator of the Black is Beautiful initiative discusses his thoughtful approach to crafting stouts that both express his viewpoint and appeal to his own palate.
Fox Farm makes IPAs, yes, but an equally important part of their program is exploring brewing traditions—from tightly constructed lagers to thoughtfully executed English-style ales, Belgian-style farmhouse ales, and more.
The force behind so many now-classic Firestone Walker beers has won just about all there is to win in the world of brewing, but Matt Brynildson isn’t resting. The brewmaster is constantly looking for new ways to build quality and character into every beer.
The head brewer of St. Louis upstart Rockwell Beer shares his experience brewing everything from mixed-culture beers to Baltic porter in wood.
Seattle’s Fair Isle is a newcomer to the world of mixed-culture brewing, but it’s made its mark with tightly executed saisons that nod to history while exploring the potential of grains and ingredients native to the Pacific Northwest.
While heading the innovation side of The Bruery, Andrew Bell developed as many as 300 different recipes per year. Now, as director of brewing for newly opened Radiant Beer, he’s building a new brewery identity from the ground up.
From West Coast-style IPA to hazy triple IPA and barrel-aged rye barleywine, Robbings discusses how Reuben’s have gone about brewing their more celebrated beers in this challenging year.
Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project of Loveland, Colorado, has won multiple medals for its barrel-aged stouts and barleywines. It’s the intention behind the beer design—and the recipes built specifically for long-term aging—that make all the difference.
Quick- or kettle-soured beers don’t get the credit they’re due from certain quarters of the brewing world. Urban Artifact’s Brett Kollman Baker makes a solid case for brewing them with focus, intentionality, and a rare level of granularity.
Birds Fly South’s Shawn Johnson loves the funky farmhouse ale tradition—so much so that he and wife Lindsay have dedicated their brewery to it. But that embrace of tradition doesn’t exclude exploring modern approaches to these rustic styles.
Julie Verratti discusses how brewers and brewery operators can lobby for laws that support their business and the industry, and talks about Denizens' strategies for keeping beer flowing while keeping customers and staff safe.
Julie Verratti discusses how brewers and brewery operators can lobby for laws that support their business and the industry, and talks about Denizens' strategies for keeping beer flowing while keeping customers and staff safe.
If you’ve tried his pale ale, Taras Boulba, then you know that Yvan De Baets has a taste for hops. But it’s the focus on subtlety, balance, and fine details like tank geometry that make the beers of this Brussels brewery so compelling.